If you are like me… you like bread.
Whether it is a loaf of Italian bread, a slice of sourdough, a bagel, or an organic-whole-grain-gluten-free-no-GMO-cardboard-consistency- taste-challenged slice of goodness…
It is always better fresh.
Sure… there are uses for day old bread. Like for putting in meatballs, or for use as bread crumbs, or even possibly croutons…
But day old bread wasn’t intended to be a staple of our diets.
At least not Biblically…
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
The finer things in life
I have never been a “success” as the world would define it. And I have learned to live in it. (yeah… I said “in” not “with”.)
It’s not that I haven’t done well or held good jobs. I just don’t seem to fit in all the time.
When you tell someone that you are praying for them and the next visit you get is from HR…
Or it becomes apparent that your convictions are in conflict with expectations…
You realize that God is moving you.
Not judging anyone else… not speaking evil of anyone else… Just guiding you.
And while it has been a bit unnerving at times… God has always been gracious toward me.
He has always provided and has always kept His promises.
He gives my wife the necessary skills to make me look good. When she is done stretching the pennies we can sell it as wire.
I swear I bring two fishes and five loaves in to the kitchen and she tables an amazing feast.
…With left-overs.
And He has given us good friends. People who He gives through.
So where am I going with this?....
It’s not that I haven’t done well or held good jobs. I just don’t seem to fit in all the time.
When you tell someone that you are praying for them and the next visit you get is from HR…
Or it becomes apparent that your convictions are in conflict with expectations…
You realize that God is moving you.
Not judging anyone else… not speaking evil of anyone else… Just guiding you.
And while it has been a bit unnerving at times… God has always been gracious toward me.
He has always provided and has always kept His promises.
He gives my wife the necessary skills to make me look good. When she is done stretching the pennies we can sell it as wire.
I swear I bring two fishes and five loaves in to the kitchen and she tables an amazing feast.
…With left-overs.
And He has given us good friends. People who He gives through.
So where am I going with this?....
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
When the devil doubles down...
Deep in to the hand… chips on the table… sweat from his brow…
He thinks he knows you. He thinks he has got you all figured out.
You aren’t the one he is playing with.
No.
The devil is playing for you…
Not “on your side” for…
You are the prize…. He wants to own you.
He had walked in to the room and saw Him sitting at the table… seated… confident.
So he strolled over and sat down. I can see him now in his red three piece suit, black fedora, shady moustache, and a tooth pick dangling from his lip.
And then it started… but it wasn’t the enemy who spoke first… it was Him, Jesus… “Have you seen my servant…?”
Game on.
Trial after trial, card after card… dealt.
Satan looks in his hand and sees your failures, your habits and addictions, your past, your weaknesses… and he starts to sneer.
So he doubles down… goes “all in”… figuring that Christ is bluffing… that he has got you now.
But I have secret I want to share…
God always has the winning hand. You know how you can tell ?
It’s the one with the hole in it.
“I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons… can separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus.”
The devil could never take you from His hand.
When satan doubles down… God lifts you up.
SDG
He thinks he knows you. He thinks he has got you all figured out.
You aren’t the one he is playing with.
No.
The devil is playing for you…
Not “on your side” for…
You are the prize…. He wants to own you.
He had walked in to the room and saw Him sitting at the table… seated… confident.
So he strolled over and sat down. I can see him now in his red three piece suit, black fedora, shady moustache, and a tooth pick dangling from his lip.
And then it started… but it wasn’t the enemy who spoke first… it was Him, Jesus… “Have you seen my servant…?”
Game on.
Trial after trial, card after card… dealt.
Satan looks in his hand and sees your failures, your habits and addictions, your past, your weaknesses… and he starts to sneer.
So he doubles down… goes “all in”… figuring that Christ is bluffing… that he has got you now.
But I have secret I want to share…
God always has the winning hand. You know how you can tell ?
It’s the one with the hole in it.
“I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons… can separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus.”
The devil could never take you from His hand.
When satan doubles down… God lifts you up.
SDG
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Jesus... Stephen... and You
Have you ever been hurt?
People have hurt me. Either directly and deliberately... or a bit more subtly... a bit more "I would never do that"... a bit more "I never said that!"
I am sure they have hurt you. I am sure that at some point the judgment or the jeer of others... the condemnation or accusation... the exclusion... caused you pain.
Pain you felt you didn't deserve.
Physical... emotional... psychological attacks.
Hoping to be justified. Hoping that your suffering... your pain... would either prove them right, or in some way alleviate theirs... they lashed out.
You're not the first one.
They did it to Jesus. While He was on the Cross. After having to carry it. Oh yeah... and after He had been beaten, and before that betrayed.
His response, "Father forgive them."
And then there was Stephen. While he was being stoned. After having shared the gospel.
"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."
Forgiveness... true forgiveness... complete forgiveness... wants to see those who hurt us finding themselves in heaven, free from the pain that they tried to pass on.
And complete forgiveness can only be offered when you have had a revelation of how complete God's forgiveness is for you.
You can't cling to the Cross and carry a grudge at the same time.
Sometimes I can not even begin to imagine Stephen's ability to ask God to not hold the people's sin against them.
Why didn't he ask God to avenge him? Why didn't he remind them that they would "reap what they sow?"
Why? Because he realized that a desire for restitution... a desire for some form of justification... is a declaration that the cross was insufficient... that there needs to be something more for their offense.
As long as we take the position of judge we seek to unseat Jesus.
We want to trust Jesus. Trust is moving forward with confidence and security in the ability of.
God is able. Fully capable. Completely.
We want to move forward. We want to get passed the past... passed the pain... on to victory.
You can't move forward when you are trying to hold someone else back.
God knows what has happened. He knows what has been done. He can handle it.
So... Add your name to the list. Jesus... Stephen... and YOU.
You have been forgiven... forgive.
Completely.
SDG
People have hurt me. Either directly and deliberately... or a bit more subtly... a bit more "I would never do that"... a bit more "I never said that!"
I am sure they have hurt you. I am sure that at some point the judgment or the jeer of others... the condemnation or accusation... the exclusion... caused you pain.
Pain you felt you didn't deserve.
Physical... emotional... psychological attacks.
Hoping to be justified. Hoping that your suffering... your pain... would either prove them right, or in some way alleviate theirs... they lashed out.
You're not the first one.
They did it to Jesus. While He was on the Cross. After having to carry it. Oh yeah... and after He had been beaten, and before that betrayed.
His response, "Father forgive them."
And then there was Stephen. While he was being stoned. After having shared the gospel.
"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."
Forgiveness... true forgiveness... complete forgiveness... wants to see those who hurt us finding themselves in heaven, free from the pain that they tried to pass on.
And complete forgiveness can only be offered when you have had a revelation of how complete God's forgiveness is for you.
You can't cling to the Cross and carry a grudge at the same time.
Sometimes I can not even begin to imagine Stephen's ability to ask God to not hold the people's sin against them.
Why didn't he ask God to avenge him? Why didn't he remind them that they would "reap what they sow?"
Why? Because he realized that a desire for restitution... a desire for some form of justification... is a declaration that the cross was insufficient... that there needs to be something more for their offense.
As long as we take the position of judge we seek to unseat Jesus.
We want to trust Jesus. Trust is moving forward with confidence and security in the ability of.
God is able. Fully capable. Completely.
We want to move forward. We want to get passed the past... passed the pain... on to victory.
You can't move forward when you are trying to hold someone else back.
God knows what has happened. He knows what has been done. He can handle it.
So... Add your name to the list. Jesus... Stephen... and YOU.
You have been forgiven... forgive.
Completely.
SDG
Thursday, September 4, 2014
The coming winter
We are told in Ecclesiastes that there is a time and a season for every purpose under heaven.
We are admonished to be “instant in and out of season” in Timothy.
And in Galatians we are encouraged that “in due season” things will come.
I want to talk about the coming winter… and the promise it brings.
I want to talk about changing the order of things.
In the world… death is the end. For people. For the “cycle” of life.
The grave is a final place. It is the end of the line. It is hopeless.
In the natural we experience our spring first… new life… fresh perspective. And then our summer… when we are young and strong… energetic and vibrant. Next autumn… the harvest… the colors… the comfort of family on Thanksgiving.
And finally… winter. That cold desolate time. Gray hairs seem to resemble the falling snow, even if they fall out. Yes it can be peaceful. And there is a beauty to it… but we knew it was coming. We were just praying it wasn’t harsh.
Things slow down… We are less “productive…” Our “glory days” seem to have passed. It becomes more about the children and the grandchildren and what we might leave them. It becomes their time now.
Sorry… ain’t buyin’ it.
We are admonished to be “instant in and out of season” in Timothy.
And in Galatians we are encouraged that “in due season” things will come.
I want to talk about the coming winter… and the promise it brings.
I want to talk about changing the order of things.
In the world… death is the end. For people. For the “cycle” of life.
The grave is a final place. It is the end of the line. It is hopeless.
In the natural we experience our spring first… new life… fresh perspective. And then our summer… when we are young and strong… energetic and vibrant. Next autumn… the harvest… the colors… the comfort of family on Thanksgiving.
And finally… winter. That cold desolate time. Gray hairs seem to resemble the falling snow, even if they fall out. Yes it can be peaceful. And there is a beauty to it… but we knew it was coming. We were just praying it wasn’t harsh.
Things slow down… We are less “productive…” Our “glory days” seem to have passed. It becomes more about the children and the grandchildren and what we might leave them. It becomes their time now.
Sorry… ain’t buyin’ it.
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