Monday, July 31, 2000
The grandstand at the local county fair was over-sold out for the demolition derby two nights in a row. I would estimate two thousand people paid admission to watch drivers line up their old cars and ram into each other. The third night a crowd of perhaps fifteen hundred watched local farmers hook up their tractors to a weighted trailer and pull it in front of the grandstand. Obviously people enjoy these events and there is a sense of competition. However, I wonder what the attendance would be for a gospel music concert in the grandstand one of the nights?
My guess would be less than one hundred people. A few short months ago a concert was held, free of charge, in the same community with one of the worship leaders for Amsterdam 2000 and 60 people attended. I would sure like to figure out how to get people as excited about attending gospel events as they are about watching people smash into each other in cars or tractors pulling weighted wagons.
Sunday, July 30, 2000
The word grace means unmerited favor. We all want grace for ourselves but we certainly struggle with grace for others. We have a tendency toward judgment. Recently in a conversation with someone a simple phrase came out, “We are saved by grace, not by judgment.” This is not a new thing nor is it some unraveled mystery but it is certainly good for today’s thought.
Saturday, July 29, 2000
There are two signs that are quite revealing in regard to the changes in the day in age in which we live. The first is the lack of cattle and 4-H exhibits at the county fair. The second is the lack of young people attending Sunday worship in our churches. What does it say? Well, we know that the day of the family farm is drawing to a close. Let’s pray the same will never be said for family worship!
Friday. July 28, 2000
In three hours I will stand before about 200 people and a bereaved family to try to give them words of comfort and some kind of rational explanation for the death of a 32 year old man. Of course, this is impossible. There is nothing more difficult in life for parents than the death of a child and there are no words to fill the void. But there is the Word. When nothing makes sense and there is no other human means of comfort or understanding the only word that can be said that will comfort and heal the broken hearted is Jesus. Maybe that is why He is referred to as the Word.
Then this afternoon I will be attending the funeral for friend who died on Tuesday. He was 57 years old. I was the pastor for the family when they went through a very difficult time. When I arrive at the church his wife and children will look to me for some words of comfort and rational explanation. Again I will be speechless except for one word, Jesus.
So whatever problems you are encountering today, they may be small in comparison to these families. But whatever your struggles are there is still only one word, Jesus.
Your prayers for me today will be appreciated and needed. It’s going to be a long day… Jesus.
Thursday, July 27, 2000
Being first means you win the race but you still finish with your back to everyone else. In life, winners don’t always finish first, especially those who take the time to turn, look at the needs of others and help them finish the race. One of the saddest sites in the world is a last place runner in a long distance race running alone!
Amsterdam 2000 is going to begin tomorrow. They would appreciate your prayers. This is sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Information can be obtained at http://www.crosswalk.com
Wednesday, July 26, 2000
When a person has a difficult circumstance it is commonly said that they are between a “rock and a hard place.” When you are in that position, make sure that the rock is Jesus and He will stand between you and a hard place!
Tuesday, July 25, 2000
There is never a good time to take time for the things that are most important to us in life. We spend so much time doing the unimportant that the important are almost always neglected. The most important thing in life is our relationship with Christ and far too often it is the most neglected. Each of us must have our own burning desire for the things of the Lord.
Monday, July 24, 2000
Email has fast become the common written communication of the day. And once you hit send, it’s gone! So, any regrets of what you have written cannot be retrieved. So it is with prayer.
A.W. Tozier related that he prayed and told God that he wanted to love Him more than any man in his generation. He said that God answered him, “Then you will have to suffer!”
Be careful what you pray for because God may grant it. The fullness of it may be far reaching and beyond any scope you had in mind when you prayed. When you pray you are really putting your prayer (your life) in God’s hands.
Sunday, July 23, 2000
Last night I attended a class reunion for a 10-year block of time. When I was in school the ages of those older students was a really big deal. Now that we are all older it really doesn’t seem to matter how old we are. What really matters is how much time we have left.
“The only thing that will matter in your life 100 years from now is what you do for God!”
Saturday, July 22, 2000
Once I went on a diet and I was given some great advise. If you mess up one day just start over the next! So it is with our faith. Certainly not to be trite, but there are days that we just don’t hit the mark in our attitude and behavior. We fall somewhat short of God’s plan for us… for that day. Don’t let the failure of one day be the template for your entire life. After all, we are all “shortfallers!”
Friday, July 21, 2000
To finish the week in style, count your blessings and give thanks.
Thursday, July 20, 2000
The scriptures teach us that God will not give us any more than we can handle. Unfortunately, it doesn’t say He won’t stretch our faith!
Wednesday, July 19, 2000
Today a father asked me what I thought, should his son do the “normal” thing and go to college or should he pursue his dream in music. Because his son is an especially gifted musician, my answer was very quick, “You’re son has the rest of his life to do the “normal” thing! My answer caught him by surprise as he expected me to take the conservative approach. Do the same thing everyone else does!
I explained to him that God has a plan for each of us and if we all take the same path we can’t arrive in separate destinations. We all have different gifts and we would be ineffective trying to do the same things the same way.
Secondly, I believe God is a dreamer. Just think of all creation and the plan of redemption. Could God possibly have created all of this without a sense of vision, imagination and a dream for the possibilities? I think not.
Encourage one another to pursue their dreams. God gives us gifts that somehow are connected to the dream.
Oops, I forgot to tell you one thing. Make sure the dream you pursue for your life is the same dream God has for your life.
Tuesday, July 18, 2000
The joy of the Lord or the lack of it is easily detected in the attitude of God’s people.
Monday, July 17, 2000
Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often?
When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror.
The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A Christian cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow. Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he’d never seen in uniform.
“Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this.”
“Hello, Jack.” No smile.
“Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to get home to the wife and kids”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Bob seemed uncertain. Good. “I’ve seen some long days at the office lately. I’m afraid I bent the rules a bit-just this once.” Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement.
“Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?”
“I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct.”
Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.
“What’d you clock me at?”
“Seventy-one. Would you sit back in your car, Please?
“Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65.” The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
“Please, Jack, in the car.”
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn’t he asked for a driver’s license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand. Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.
“Thanks.” Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
Bob returned to his car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
“Dear Jack,
Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it – a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters. All three of them. I only had one, and I’m going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I’ve tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful. My son is all I have left.
Bob
Jack turned around in time to see Bob’s car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he, too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
Life is precious. Handle with care.
-contributed by RoxAnn Ennen
Sunday, July 16, 2000
Although most people are quite familiar with it, sin is not a friend.
Saturday, July 15, 2000
The world keeps looking for Christians to show them Christ through their lives only to be disappointed time and time again. “What kind of Christian is he” or she is a favorite question of the cynical unbeliever. Even fellow believers take their turns at verbally hacking one another. We, although saved by grace, cannot experience perfection in deed or word. We will not become God or gods. Christ-like, yes. Christ, no!
So then, what shall we do to minister to the critics who look for, and find, the failures and imperfections in our lives? Pray, seek divine guidance through the Word, live our convictions and point critics to Christ. And finally, love the critic and they will soon become a supporter rather than distracter.
Friday, July 14, 2000
Many Christians don’t walk in darkness; they just don’t walk in the light. To walk in the light you have to get out of the shadows!
Thursday, July 13, 2000
Many churches are more hindered by the lack of communication, organization, administration, delegation and cooperation than the lack of salvation!
Wednesday, July 12, 2000
In a survey of 4-8 year olds, kids share their views on love. But what do little kids know about love? Read on and be surprised that despite their young and innocent minds, kids already have a simple but deep grasp of that four-letter word.
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“Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.”
“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.”
“When someone loves you, the way she says your name is different. You know that your name is safe in her mouth.”
“God could have said magic words to make the nails fall off the cross, but He didn’t. That’s love.”
“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”
“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”
“Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don’t yell at him because you know it would hurt his feelings.”
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.”
“Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.”
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”
“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.”
“Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no.”
“When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you’re scared they won’t love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more.”
“There are 2 kinds of love. Our love. God’s love. But God makes bothkinds of them.”
“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”
“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.”
“During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.”
“My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”
“Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.”
“Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.”
“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day”
“When you’re born and see your mommy for the first time. That’s love.”
“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.”
“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”
“I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her.”
“Love cards like Valentine’s cards say stuff on them that we’d like to say ourselves, but we wouldn’t be caught dead saying.”
“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.”
-contributed by Ed Andrist
Tuesday, July 11, 2000
Drive carefully as makers of cars are not the only ones who can do recalls.
-contributed by Debbie Moseng
Monday, July 10, 2000
Mid-summer storms ripped through the upper-Midwest this weekend with rains as much as 12” in a short time causing flash flooding in some areas. Some people had as little time as five minutes to evacuate their homes as the storm sewers filled and their house became immersed. It is amazing with all we know today about the weather, flood control, and sewer systems that we still cannot master the hand of God.
The lesson here is that our lives can change very quickly, we are not always in control, and man will never fully comprehend the knowledge or the power of God. Therefore, continue to depend on Him in all circumstances.
Sunday, July 9, 2000
God, I want to know you!
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you. Oh, God.”
-Psalm 42:1 NIV
Many people are not satisfied with their lives but don’t know what it would take to be satisfied. People need God today as in days of old. That has not changed!
The Psalmist wanted a satisfied relationship with God. He wanted to know God in power and in deed. Too often today people want to know God by verse; Bible verses, hymn verses, chorus verses and verses from trite sayings and poems. These are not bad, but our soul also pants for the God of power and might. God I want to know you. A satisfied relationship with God will give people a satisfied life.
Saturday, July 8, 2000
How important is the Bible in the life of a Christian? It is a constant companion feeding the soul, consoling and inspiring God’s people. Yet the trend today is not toward reading. And there are many people who find it difficult to read for one reason or another. If you don’t read your Bible because you don’t like to read or find it difficult, consider a set of Bible tapes that you may listen to daily. It will keep your soul “well fed!”
Friday, July 7, 2000
If you look for the devil behind every bush, you will probably find him!
Thursday, July 6, 2000
If you only see God from the mountaintops of your life, you will never see His grace in action in the valleys. Fortunately, most of us spend a lot of time in “Grace Valley.”
Wednesday, July 5, 2000
Most of us spend a lot of time working for and thinking about being blessed. If is not often that we take the time to consider how we may be a blessing to others. Be a blessing to someone today in a way that only you can and… you will be blessed!
Tuesday, July 4, 2000
Independence is only found in dependence upon God.
Monday, July 3, 2000
SPIRIT OF LOVE
Henry Drummond has said, “The moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.” Here is a story (possibly apocryphal, but powerful nevertheless) about a man who acted in the spirit of love, and what he consequently learned.
The story comes from Zig Ziglar’s book, SEE YOU AT THE TOP*. He tells about an old man who stood on a Virginia river bank many years ago. He was waiting to cross the river and, since it was bitterly cold and there were no bridges, he would have to “catch a ride” to the other side. After a lengthy wait he spotted a group of horsemen approaching. He let the first one pass, then the second, third, fourth, and fifth. One rider remained. As he drew abreast, the old man looked him in the eye and said, “Sir, would you give me a ride across the river?”
The rider immediately replied, “Certainly.” Once across the river, the old man slid to the ground. “Sir,” the rider said before leaving. “I could not help but notice that you permitted all the other men to pass without asking for a ride. Then, when I drew abreast, you immediately asked me to carry you across. I am curious as to why you didn’t ask them and you did ask me.”
The old man quietly responded, “I looked into their eyes and could see no love and knew in my own heart it would be useless to ask for a ride. But, when I looked into your eyes, I saw compassion, love and the willingness to help. I knew you would be glad to give me a ride across the river.”
The rider was touched. “I’m grateful for what you are saying,” he said. “I appreciate it very much.” With that, Thomas Jefferson turned and rode off to the White House.
Ziglar reminds us that our eyes are the windows of our souls. Then he asks a pointed question: “If you had been the last rider, would the old man have asked you for a ride?”
A good question! For it is said that others will know us by our love. Some will see it in the things we do and some in the things we say. And a few perceptive souls, like the old man, may catch a glimmer of a loving and generous spirit in the expression of kind eyes.
However it shows, may you be known by your love.
-contributed by Ralph Fischer
Sunday, July 2, 2000
The devil probably has better church attendance than most Christians. He even rides with a lot of people to church. And loves to hang out at people’s homes as they get ready for church. He’d do almost anything to ruin a Sunday morning worship service or to at least wound the spirit of those who attend so that the service is ineffective. And he’s good at it. How good? How effective is the worship service at your church on Sunday mornings?
Saturday, July 1, 2000
Declaration Of Dependence
Over 2000 years ago, God sent His one and only Son to be born to a young Jewish virgin named Mary. She named Him Jesus and He grew in wisdom and stature and was an example to all who knew Him. He unselfishly gave of himself and was without sin. He gathered a small group of people to together and He taught them who God is and how to live in a manner pleasing to Him. He planted the church through them.
However, there were those who opposed Him and falsely accused Him. It was the very people He loved and came to give eternal life. They convicted Him at an illegal trial, sentenced Him, beat Him, publicly humiliated Him and then they nailed Him to a cross to die. And He did!
But they were wrong! After three days the greatest event the world has ever know happened. Jesus rose from the dead! He appeared to those who followed Him and they changed from being students to leaders of the infant church in one visit from Jesus! Then after a time he ascended into heaven.
The church has grown numerically over the years but many question its spiritual depth. Some say the church is an ocean wide and an inch deep! Jesus has promised that one day He is coming back for His church. Perhaps He is waiting for a little more depth.
Jesus’ had a dependency on His Heavenly Father. He didn’t plant the church by chance but by a dependent choice. He depended upon the Father for direction and He chose to be obedient to Him.
Those who chose to crucify Him were wrong. They were afraid of what God was doing and by their actions they declared their independence. They chose to not only ignore God but also defy Him.
But there was the small group whom He visited after His resurrection that transformed from spiritual students to spiritual leaders in just one visit from Jesus. These men and women began to transform the world. They did it one person at a time. They did it by being dependent upon God even to the point of death.
Today local churches struggle with spiritual depth. Workers are few and the harvest is ready. Some things haven’t changed. Many churches are lead by spiritual students rather than spiritual leaders. Students rarely possess mature wisdom. Leaders almost always do. One visit from Jesus to our churches could change our spiritual students into spiritual leaders. An attribute of leadership is divine dependence.
I declare that the church must be dependent upon divine leadership and divine intervention.
I declare that the church needs the transformation of spiritual students into spiritual leaders.
I declare that spiritual leaders in the church must be dependent upon divine leadership and divine intervention.
I declare that all believers must be dependent upon divine leadership and divine intervention.
I declare that each of us, as believers and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be dependent upon God for all things in all ways. Anything less is folly.
