A quick post this Friday afternoon for you to consider.
I like my comfort! I like it when things go as planned and when I say “planned”, I am talking about MY plan….of course! I like things to run smoothly. Work, family, vacation, and all the rest, should run smoothly and as according to MY plan. And when it doesn’t, others, including God, may receive my displeasure.
Below is a Facebook post written by my friend Lea Lockhart. Lea has experienced the tragic pain created by the abuse of alcohol. Please read and prayerfully consider….
Dear Mom,
The start of another year kicks off with yet another disappointing Presidential debate. More, Ridiculous banter, pathetic ridicule, and pre-planned talking points. Ugh!
In the midst of the presidential banner, the turn of the calendar also has me preparing sermons on racial unity and the Sanctity of Life. Sadly, in 2016, babies continue to be born clinging to life as a result of a botched abortion. Born living and breathing, these babies are then denied proper care and are left to die and ….it’s legal! Pouring over Psalms 139 and mingling among the massive statistics of dead babies leaves me angry, sad, numb, and oddly enough…. full of hope.
The apostle Paul, nearing the end of his difficult life, seeks to encourage his friend and son in the faith, Timothy. Timothy is a pastor in Ephesus, where many of those that he and Paul considered to be friends are now opposing the message of the gospel. Paul warns of these men and the effect of their false teaching in the church.
I try to imagine what it must have been like for those shepherds who, we are told in Luke 2, were watching their sheep by night. I wonder how many uneventful times they had done this very thing. Watching sheep is what they do. Sheep must be protected….night after, boring, night. Occasionally, a wolf may come around, making for an eventful evening under the stars.
But….Imagine….
The below is a bit of a repost and re-working of an article I wrote last year.
John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…..
The Almighty God took on human flesh…
He was born miraculously of the virgin Mary….
Herod tried to have Him killed as a newborn….
The “Almost Church” – Almost loves the gospel. The “Almost Church” sings songs about the gospel, reads the Bible, loves Jesus, and genuinely desires to see the gospel advance. But, at the “Almost Church”, the gospel becomes a “help” to the “Almost Christians” who are seeking to build the church. Friends, the gospel is not an additional “help” to building the church, it is the ONLY “hope” of building the church.
I grew up…”Christian”. I have a Christian name, grew up in a Christian home, and learned my abc’s shortly after memorizing the 66 books of the bible. Just kidding… I actually learned my abc’s first; the books of the bible came shortly thereafter.
Ok, so I will jump on the bandwagon of being critical of the Christians, who have jumped on the bandwagon of being critical of secular society (in this case Starbucks), which creates reasons for secular society to jump on the bandwagon of being critical and dismissive of Christians in general.
How is that for a run on sentence?!?
Confused yet? Well, hang in there…
The other day, while I was reading, I ran into this outstanding quote.
Pictured above is a before picture of the old Choluteca Bridge built in 1937 in Honduras. Eventually a new bridge was built, and it became known as the Bridge of Rising Sun.
Have you ever assumed that the “open door” equals a “smooth road” equation? In other words, when a new possibility, direction, or opportunity seems to have come your way, does it mean that once you take up the opportunity or walk through that door that it will be smooth sailing?
I find that many well-intentioned Christians, living in America in 2015, answer that question with a strong, “YES”!
In the early 90’s, tennis star, Andre Agassi endorsed a certain type of camera and did so with a catchy attitude. The “attitude” and the Cannon Rebel camera soared into the psyche of American culture. If you are old enough to remember the ad campaign, you will remember its’ slogan. “Image is Everything.”
I loved to be served. Actually, don’t we all?
Have you noticed that nobody had to teach you to enjoy being served? It comes very natural to me. Maybe it is my gift? Tim, gifted by God to be……. served. Hmmmm, I like it. :-)
But serving others is another story. Because serving is well….. serving.
“FUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLLE!!”
I yelled at the TV screen that hung on the wall. I yelled again as if it would help my team to somehow realize that the pig skin was on the ground and now having heard my yelp, certainly they would be more inclined to jump on the ball.