Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Great Exchange
The Bible says: (1) "You must not steal" (Exo 20:15 TLB). Ever stolen anything? A paper clip, a pen, the credit for someones idea? (2) " You must not lie" (Exo 20:16 TLB) You say you have not---you just did. (3) "You must not commit adultery" (Exo 20:14) Jesus said if you look at someone with lust, you have commited adultery in your heart (See Mat 5:28)---OUCH! (4) "You must not murder" (Exo 20:13 TLB) "Before you claim innocence, remember that Jess equates anger with murder. "Anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder" (Mat 5:22). We assassinate a dozen drivers on our way to work every morning. Bad news: on your best day, you still fall far short of the divine standard required to get into heaven. Good news: "The Lord has put on him, the punishment for all the evil we have done" (see Isa 53:35). A Chinese convert to Christianity understood this. Before her baptism the pastor asked her a question to ensure understood the meaning of the cross: "Did Jesus have any sin? Yes," she replied. Troubled, he repeated the question. "Yes, He had sin" she answered again. The pastor set out to correct her, but she insisted , He had mine." Consequently, she was correct! "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become righteous in Gods eyes This is the great exchange, the holy and the vile, trade places. God makes right what was wrong a and straight what was crooked. Somebody shout Hallelujah!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Do Not Just Say It, Enforce It
The Bible ask: "What kind of father is it who does not correct his son?" Answer: "Not much of a father!"
We do not know if that is how Eli, the High Priest, got started with Hophini and Phinehas, his two sons. We simply read, "His sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them" (1Sam 3:13 NKJV). Perhaps Eli heard about the terrible things his sons were doing and said, "Now boys, you know you should not do that." And the boys said, "Yes Daddy, " then went right back to defrauding the worshipers who came to the temple and seducing the women. The issue was not that Eli did not tell his children the right things, it is that he did not enforce what he was telling them. No dobt you do not know of any parents who tell their kids, "Go rob a bank, ten or twenty years in prison will do you good." Now, those parents probably said all the right things. A lot of prison inmates' parents said the right things too. But what is missing in so much well-intentioned parenting is enforcement. Eli was not enforcing the truth, he was only stating it. He did not pull his boys from their posts and strip them of their privileges. He let them keep doing it - while telling them they ought not to do it. Parent(s), do not just say something - do something! If your children are going astray and you keep quiet, you are sparing yourself and sacrificing them. The most caring thing you can do as a parent is to discipline your children in love.
We do not know if that is how Eli, the High Priest, got started with Hophini and Phinehas, his two sons. We simply read, "His sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them" (1Sam 3:13 NKJV). Perhaps Eli heard about the terrible things his sons were doing and said, "Now boys, you know you should not do that." And the boys said, "Yes Daddy, " then went right back to defrauding the worshipers who came to the temple and seducing the women. The issue was not that Eli did not tell his children the right things, it is that he did not enforce what he was telling them. No dobt you do not know of any parents who tell their kids, "Go rob a bank, ten or twenty years in prison will do you good." Now, those parents probably said all the right things. A lot of prison inmates' parents said the right things too. But what is missing in so much well-intentioned parenting is enforcement. Eli was not enforcing the truth, he was only stating it. He did not pull his boys from their posts and strip them of their privileges. He let them keep doing it - while telling them they ought not to do it. Parent(s), do not just say something - do something! If your children are going astray and you keep quiet, you are sparing yourself and sacrificing them. The most caring thing you can do as a parent is to discipline your children in love.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
God and Your Money
The Bible says: "Jesus...watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury" (MAR 12:41 NIV). Try to answer this question honestly: "Would my giving change if Jesus was passing the the offering plate and watching me write the check?" Actually, He does. Each time God asks you to give He observes your obedience, your consistency, and your generosity or the lack thereof. He does not measure you by how much you give, but what you have, and what you keep. That is why Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Now since every human enterprise is destined to go up in smoke and God's kingdom shall "have no end" (Isa 9:7), it is not hard to figure out where you should invest, right? Yet who among us has not been more excited about a dream home here on earth than an eternal home in heaven? That is why Jesus keeps challenging our priorities and values. Ever notice how many folks rush to endow God's work on the eve of their depature? Perhaps that is because we get great perspective from a hearse! What Jesus is saying to us is, "You cannot take it with you, but you can send it on ahead" (MAT 6:20). Thank God for benevolent bequests, but do you not think it would be wiser to "do your giving while you are living" and experience the double belssing of having your money spread in His kingdom while you are still around to enjoy it? Bottom line: If you want to know what is really important to you observe what you do with your money.
Now since every human enterprise is destined to go up in smoke and God's kingdom shall "have no end" (Isa 9:7), it is not hard to figure out where you should invest, right? Yet who among us has not been more excited about a dream home here on earth than an eternal home in heaven? That is why Jesus keeps challenging our priorities and values. Ever notice how many folks rush to endow God's work on the eve of their depature? Perhaps that is because we get great perspective from a hearse! What Jesus is saying to us is, "You cannot take it with you, but you can send it on ahead" (MAT 6:20). Thank God for benevolent bequests, but do you not think it would be wiser to "do your giving while you are living" and experience the double belssing of having your money spread in His kingdom while you are still around to enjoy it? Bottom line: If you want to know what is really important to you observe what you do with your money.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
A Special Gift
A close friend of mine sent this letter to me this morning and I was so overwhelmed by it I was uncertain what to do, so with her permission I thought I would share it with you. I pray that it is as much of a Blessing to you as it was to me.
What do you do when you go to the doctor and they report to you that you're pregnant? A lot of things race through your mind. You are encouraged to watch what you eat, where you go, how you travel, and even who you're around, so as not to damage the life growing inside of you. You then carry the child for nine months and give birth to a beautiful baby. You are then responsible for feeding, nurturing, and providing for the child. The baby is completely dependent and looks to you for guidance. To say pregnancy is hard work is an understatement!
When I was pregnant with Little Mike, my pregnancy and delivery was very difficult. I had no idea how I was going to make it through those nine months, let alone the delivery. There were nine months of sickness accompanied by thirteen hours of labor to only discover after being 10cm dilated, a c-section was necessary due to his umbilical cord being wrapped around his neck. Even though he came out healthy, I swore I was never having another baby!
Now, I'm pregnant with Madison and the pregnancy has been completely different. She is still as active as her brother but the sickness is minimal and my prayer is that the delivery will be better as well. I have learned to pray very specifically as to what I want for this pregnancy. Since this is my second child, I know more of what to expect, how to react, and how to prepare. Even though it is impossible to forget the struggle and pain associated with the last pregnancy, it is easier to endure because my preparation is more extensive and my prayers are more in depth.
When God first gives you a vision, it is sometimes difficult to understand the amount of work involved in carrying out the task. The labor pains are a little more extensive than what you anticipated. The delivery is difficult and the baby comes out not breathing…just like Little Mike. Sometimes the baby makes it and sometimes they don't. Sometimes you live out your dreams and sometimes you're forced to give them up and end up burying them.
How do YOU react to failure? Most successful people will fail their way to success. If God promised you a baby, will you be able to endure the miscarriages and still births that lead you to the final product? Sometimes you have to have Michael before he provides you with Madison. The race is not given to the swift but to those who endure until the end.
Whether you are male or female, God has impregnated you with possibilities. He has given you a vision, a mission to accomplish. He has entrusted you with the responsibility of being a good steward. And just like you nurture a child, God expects for you to nurture the gifts he has planted inside of you. Are you living up to your potential? Is your baby struggling to survive or did you abort the baby altogether? When it is all said and done, will God say "Well done my good and faithful servant" or will he say "Depart from me I never knew you?" This becomes your choice.
There are two types of people. Those who make dust and those who eat dust…which one are you? Do not let your potential go untapped. Some of you are smothering your dreams. Allow God to use you and let your new thing spring forth.
Because of Him, I am,
Be Blessed...
...and thank you Kisha...
What do you do when you go to the doctor and they report to you that you're pregnant? A lot of things race through your mind. You are encouraged to watch what you eat, where you go, how you travel, and even who you're around, so as not to damage the life growing inside of you. You then carry the child for nine months and give birth to a beautiful baby. You are then responsible for feeding, nurturing, and providing for the child. The baby is completely dependent and looks to you for guidance. To say pregnancy is hard work is an understatement!
When I was pregnant with Little Mike, my pregnancy and delivery was very difficult. I had no idea how I was going to make it through those nine months, let alone the delivery. There were nine months of sickness accompanied by thirteen hours of labor to only discover after being 10cm dilated, a c-section was necessary due to his umbilical cord being wrapped around his neck. Even though he came out healthy, I swore I was never having another baby!
Now, I'm pregnant with Madison and the pregnancy has been completely different. She is still as active as her brother but the sickness is minimal and my prayer is that the delivery will be better as well. I have learned to pray very specifically as to what I want for this pregnancy. Since this is my second child, I know more of what to expect, how to react, and how to prepare. Even though it is impossible to forget the struggle and pain associated with the last pregnancy, it is easier to endure because my preparation is more extensive and my prayers are more in depth.
When God first gives you a vision, it is sometimes difficult to understand the amount of work involved in carrying out the task. The labor pains are a little more extensive than what you anticipated. The delivery is difficult and the baby comes out not breathing…just like Little Mike. Sometimes the baby makes it and sometimes they don't. Sometimes you live out your dreams and sometimes you're forced to give them up and end up burying them.
How do YOU react to failure? Most successful people will fail their way to success. If God promised you a baby, will you be able to endure the miscarriages and still births that lead you to the final product? Sometimes you have to have Michael before he provides you with Madison. The race is not given to the swift but to those who endure until the end.
Whether you are male or female, God has impregnated you with possibilities. He has given you a vision, a mission to accomplish. He has entrusted you with the responsibility of being a good steward. And just like you nurture a child, God expects for you to nurture the gifts he has planted inside of you. Are you living up to your potential? Is your baby struggling to survive or did you abort the baby altogether? When it is all said and done, will God say "Well done my good and faithful servant" or will he say "Depart from me I never knew you?" This becomes your choice.
There are two types of people. Those who make dust and those who eat dust…which one are you? Do not let your potential go untapped. Some of you are smothering your dreams. Allow God to use you and let your new thing spring forth.
Because of Him, I am,
Be Blessed...
...and thank you Kisha...
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