Just a little food for thought about....love!

Another busy day with moving so I thought this simple list provided enough profundity to consider throughout the day.  Blessings!

God is...

Psalm 47:7
For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm.

It's been a few days since I have last posted and this is largely due to the fact that we are in the midst of a move; actually moving three households into one larger home.  Needless to say, there has been plenty to do, plenty to plan, and (to my own spiritual demise) plenty to worry about (yes, I am working on NOT worrying).

But through all of this God has been teaching me what it means to wait on Him, and those are good lessons to learn.  As I am able, I will get back to posting.  Blessings!

You Are A Christian!

It is such a blessing to be a born-again, regenerate, child of God.  It is also a blessing to carry the designation, "Christian" - "one of those....followers of Christ."  May our lives exude with Christ, that others could not help but say, "You are a Christian!"  What a testimony!  What monumental praise to our Elder Brother and Lord, to bear such a striking resemblance to Him that others cannot help but say, "You are a Christian!"  

And then, we answer, "Yes, I am a Christian, blood-bought by Him and loving to serve Him and His people! Let me tell you of Him and of His church for whom He gave His very life!  Let me invite you to join me and my brothers and sisters in Christ at church or at one of our Bible studies so that you may see that they are Christians too!"

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

This morning I simply offer you a hymn text to ponder.  We sing this text at Hope CBC, and, as can happen when you become familar with a hymn tune, you can sometimes tune out the depth of the meaning of the text.  Therefore, I would ask you to make this text a part of your devotional life this week.  We will sing it on Sunday as part of our worship to God.

Some background on "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" by William Cowper from Cyberhymnal.org:

Words: Will­iam Cow­per, in Twen­ty-six Let­ters on Re­li­gious Sub­jects, by John New­ton, 1774. It is re­port­ed­ly the last hymn Cow­per ev­er wrote, with a fas­cin­at­ing (though un­sub­stan­ti­at­ed) story be­hind it.

Cow­per oft­en strug­gled with de­press­ion and doubt. One night he de­cid­ed to com­mit su­i­cide by drown­ing him­self. He called a cab and told the driv­er to take him to the Thames Riv­er. How­ev­er, thick fog came down and pre­vent­ed them from find­ing the riv­er (ano­ther ver­sion of the story has the driv­er get­ting lost de­liber­ate­ly). After driv­ing around lost for a while, the cab­by fin­al­ly stopped and let Cow­per out. To Cowper’s sur­prise, he found him­self on his own door­step: God had sent the fog to keep him from kill­ing him­self. Even in our black­est mo­ments, God watch­es over us.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Why Men Are Bored With Church

I came across an article on a blog that referred to a book by David Murrow entitled, Why Men Hate Going to Church.  This intrigued me and got me considering.

   

Look around on a Sunday morning at most any church in America, and you will see more women present than men. Why? Men are bored with church. Statistics show most men who attend church are men who grew up in church. Church does not generally attract athletes, sportsmen, construction workers or a vast array of any men in our culture. This quote from David Murrow’s book, Why Men Hating Going to Church, sums up the problem:

Tell me, when did feminine gifts become synonymous with Christian goodness?

Early Christians were known for risk taking, power, aggression and heroic sacrifice. But somewhere in church history, somebody monkeyed with the definition of a Christian!

Today, a good Christian is known mostly for meekness, sensitivity, passivity and sweetness. This standard of Christian behavior is very tough on men (even those who are sold out to Jesus) while it’s easier for women to achieve.

Men have gotten this message: You’re flawed the way God made you. You need an extreme makeover.

And we wonder why men hate going to church.

LET ME BE CLEAR:   

As I list Murrow’s five reasons why most men do not connect with the church, I am not saying I agree, or agree fully with each rationale.  This is particularly true with number 4 and the dress code issue.  But I do believe it makes us think about some of the trends and tendencies in our church.  What do you think?

Here are some reasons why most men do not connect with church according to Murrow:

1. Men are not challenged at church.

Challenge is the love language of men. Men thrive on challenges. Men want to save the world, defeat the enemy and kill the dragon.

Most church messages are focused on relationships and love, things men need to hear but lack the hardcore challenge that motivates them.

2. Church decor is feminine.

Flowers and pastels dominate the decor in most churches. There are scenic pictures of meadows, flowing curtains and pleasant music. Church does not provide an environment men would choose in their spare time.

3. Prayers are weak.

Listen to the things we ask God to do: "Lord, keep us safe. Give us a safe trip. Bless our food. Protect our families."

Security is a high priority for women but not men. Our prayers reflect women’s needs, but not men’s.

4. Our dress code is still too proper.

This is getting better in some churches, but a man should be able to go to church dressed like he was going to Home Depot … and fit right in.

Lots of men not only don’t want to wear a tie, they don’t want to wear a polo shirt either. Men should feel comfortable in their cap and sleeveless shirt.

(Pastor Ed note – The Old Testaments priests were to clean and prepare themselves before coming to the temple to worship and make sacrifices.  True, we are not Levitical priests, but we are a kingdom of priests unto our God who are to offer up sacrifices of praise to Him.  To come to God in some unkempt or unclean manner is not seeking to offer our best to God.  I do not see the need for men to necessarily wear suits and ties, but caps and sleeveless shirts seem to be too far a swing the other direction).

 5. Jesus is depicted as wimpy.

The Jesus of the Bible was a confrontational outlaw in His culture. He didn’t conform. He never backed down. He was a force to be reckoned with who threatened the Jews and the Romans. Jesus is rarely depicted that way in modern churches.

I say we change this! What do you say? 

Who Likes To Wait? (Part 3- FINALLY!)

I offer you the third and final installment of thoughts concerning waiting on the LORD.  Sorry to keep you waiting!  

Waiting on the Lord is means trusting Him with our hearts. 

In Proverbs 20:22 we read, “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the LORD, and He will save you.” When we are hurt by others, our first inclination is to take matters into our own hands and retaliate. Our hearts are hurt and we want to get even.  But waiting on the Lord is trusting Him enough to be obedient to our responsibilities and duties toward others and to leave everything else to Him. Waiting upon the LORD is placing all the emotions and desires of our hearts into His trustworthy control. We do this knowing that the LORD is the only one who is completely just and will one day right all wrongs.

Waiting on the Lord results in experiencing enabling grace. 

By waiting and resting in the  WILL and WAYS of God, God graces us with divine strength; power to wait; power to trust and power to endure. Isaiah 40:28-31 says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary”  Because we are creatures, there will be times when we are weary.  But remember this: the LORD NEVER tires! Why is it that we tire and the LORD does not?  Perhaps God designed us this way so that we would become very aware of our utter dependence upon Him. God delights in and pours out His grace upon us as we wait on Him because through this He receives more pointed glory and then we experience the joy and pleasure of soaring on the winds of His strength on wings of grace.

When I Forget Who I am in Christ

This is an adapted personal insight:.  Please, do not forget who you are in Christ!

When I Forget Who I Am In Christ

by Joanne Jung

When I forget who I am in Christ I doubt myself 

and I don’t always act with the characteristics of Christ.

I compare myself to my Christian friends and their relationships.

I get angry easier and I don’t forgive, as I should.

My relationships end up strained especially with my family 

and I hide things from my friends.

And because of the strain on my relationships I get upset,

which doesn’t help at all 

and I don’t want to admit my feelings or my wrong actions.

I essentially turn inward and “self – destruct”…

I have realized that when I forget who I am in Christ, 

I am a darker person.

I am angrier, and I feel all alone…

My relationships are fragile when I forget who I am in Christ,

I am short with people, I brush them aside.

When I forget who I am in Christ, I am ugly.

I can’t control my emotions and I seek to find temporary

and unneeded satisfaction in unnecessary things…

I close up my insides and lock it so no one can come in.

My relationships barely hold on by a thread. 

I am seriously and ultimately empty.

Low, down in the pits, a dull nagging that everything is never enough,

and just overall lost in what I am supposed to do.

Most of my relationships will also decline 

or become “me” or “sin” centered.

I tend to be frustrated and in a perpetual hectic mode 

in order to please my own selfish desires.

My relationships with people are bad.

I tend to be more selfish 

and less considerate of other people’s feelings.

I begin to be judgmental of things that are minor 

and try to challenge people in unhealthy ways.

When I forget who I am in Christ, I’m easily irritated with my family.

When I forget that I am complete in Christ, 

I seek fulfillment from the wrong things,

I seek to define my identity based on how I perceive myself, 

which is never satisfying.

 I am a lot more depressed, a lot angrier, more solitary, 

and definitely more confused. I look dead.

I don’t want to open up or become transparent with my friends.

I fight and argue with my friends. I hold grudges more and longer.

When I forget who I am in Christ, 

it brings out the worst in me (it brings out me).

I have a short fuse. I put myself first.

I am too proud to admit that I have issues that need to be addressed.

I fail to trust the Lord.

Then when I go out, 

I put on a mask to hide the reality of my struggles. 

I am like a tomb.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God,

but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Romans 7:24-25

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

Colossians 2:9-10

Who Likes to Wait? (Part 2)

As a continuation of what I started yesterday, here is the pondering about WAITING on the LORD:

Waiting on the Lord is trusting in God alone. 

In order to wait on the Lord, we must cast off all other objects of trust and rest in Him alone. Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.” God has His way of stripping idols out of our lives so that He alone receives our attention. He is the God who will not share His glory with another. It might be trust in finances, people, good health, or our own plans, but waiting on the Lord means we must willingly abandon those things, or anything which replace trust in God.

Waiting on the Lord is the key to discerning God’s will. 

Psalm 25:4-5 says, “Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day.” David knew that in order to know the will of God he must desire His guidance and wait for His leading with a teachable and submissive heart. Often times, God does not bring about what we believe to be His will until our hearts are completely surrendered and content in Him alone. As long as our determination is fixed upon what we want, God’s will remains a mystery. If we are not OBEDIENT to the truth that He has already revealed, why should He reveal more?

Waiting on the Lord is a confident expectation of His mercy and grace. 

Psalm 123:2 says, “Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He shall be gracious to us.” When things are crazy and seemingly out of control, we must know and live in light of the character of God as being GRACIOUS and COMPASSIONATE and FULL OF MERCY. By WAITING on the LORD we can be confident that He will manifest His mercy because He is the God who has promised to never leave or forsake His own. We find REST in the sufficiency and fulness of His grace even when we cannot see His plan.