A while back I told you about my beagle, Bailey. Now I need to tell you about my dachshund, Buddy. (Don't worry I only have two dogs, not many more stories are coming). My wife and daughter took the dogs on a walk along the path near the retention pond by Airline. Buddy got off the leash for a bit and after he got close to them again they smelled a strange odor. Judith thought it must be the hogs in the barn near them, then as they got further from there, they realized it was Buddy. He had apparently found something really stinky, like hogs, in his freedom from the leash.
I wonder now if he found some hog manure. For all of you who did not grow up on a farm like me, if you ever are around hogs, you realize they have a very unique and long lasting odor to what they leave behind. I raised hogs for a while. Once, after cleaning a pen and repeatedly washing my hands to get rid of the smell, I tried washing my hands in Listerine. That did not work either.
After several baths, Buddy still smelled like a little pig. Did I say he is part long haired dachshund? It was my turn to give him a bath with another form of soap. It helped but he still smelled like something Jimmy Dean would raise. So I tried a spray or two of some old cologne I had. It helped some. He went from smelling bad to just smelling strange. Fortunately, for us and Buddy, even the worst smells fade with time. He smells like a dachshund today.
As I was giving Buddy another futile bath, a thought came to me. Sometimes we treat our sin like a really bad odor. When we have really messed up so that life is unpleasant, we can try to wash and wash ourselves and do whatever we can think of to undo what we have done. And if it is still unpleasant we put on some thing to make things "smell" different. We often believe it will just get better in time like a bad odor. But there is a difference between stink and sin. Stink will go away eventually. Sin, unless God does something with it, stays. That is why we so desperately need to get grace - to understand how and why God forgives us and cleanses us and changes us. We work on that more this Sunday as we journey through the truth of Galatians.
For they journey...
Friday, January 14, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Job of Reading the Book of Job
Let me address this week's blog to everyone who has tried to read through the book of Job. It is not an easy undertaking. For most of the book it is a tragic story of cruel suffering and unanswerable questions. Three friends come to comfort Job but only confound him more. They argue and debate but never seem to get anywhere. It is a lot like real life. It is real life.
This time as I am reading through Job in our challenge at Northside to read through the Bible chronologically, I have found some things that help. Job and his friend's perspective on life and suffering is, 'If you suffer you must have done something wrong because suffering is punishment on wickedness.' Today, some might call it 'bad karma.' Job struggles with this because he has done nothing wrong; his friends argue that he must have done something really bad to be suffering so much.
In the end we find out the truth - good people suffer too. The world is not fair, it is a fallen place. Too bad Job and his friends did not know what happens in the first few chapters about what goes on in heaven before his suffering comes. Then they would have known an even greater truth - we are all involved in the great struggle between good and evil, the power of life and the power of death, God against Satan and Satan against God. No one is immune. It involves all of us. Not all of us are like Job but all of us find ourselves involved nonetheless.
Another thing that helps is reading through Job like we are on a treasure hunt. There really are some great lines in the middle of all the human debating. Yes, a lot of the debating back and forth can be confusing. There are elements of truth in what each person says but at the same time they are not seeing 'the big picture' either. But there are some things to underline and hold on to. Treasures like -
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth...yet in my flesh I will see him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"
Or
"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."
Look for these and you may find even more.
For the journey...
This time as I am reading through Job in our challenge at Northside to read through the Bible chronologically, I have found some things that help. Job and his friend's perspective on life and suffering is, 'If you suffer you must have done something wrong because suffering is punishment on wickedness.' Today, some might call it 'bad karma.' Job struggles with this because he has done nothing wrong; his friends argue that he must have done something really bad to be suffering so much.
In the end we find out the truth - good people suffer too. The world is not fair, it is a fallen place. Too bad Job and his friends did not know what happens in the first few chapters about what goes on in heaven before his suffering comes. Then they would have known an even greater truth - we are all involved in the great struggle between good and evil, the power of life and the power of death, God against Satan and Satan against God. No one is immune. It involves all of us. Not all of us are like Job but all of us find ourselves involved nonetheless.
Another thing that helps is reading through Job like we are on a treasure hunt. There really are some great lines in the middle of all the human debating. Yes, a lot of the debating back and forth can be confusing. There are elements of truth in what each person says but at the same time they are not seeing 'the big picture' either. But there are some things to underline and hold on to. Treasures like -
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth...yet in my flesh I will see him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"
Or
"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."
Look for these and you may find even more.
For the journey...
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
What do you need to read the Bible successfully?
Some of you are reading through the Bible with me in 2011. For all of us here are some things to keep in mind. Here are some things it takes to read the Bible and keep at it.
A Plan – If you are not reading through the Bible Chronologically with me this year, let me encourage you to find and use another plan. A simple way to start is by simply reading through the Gospels a passage or a chapter a day. You cannot go wrong by reading the Bible but it is best to have some sort of plan. I will be glad to help if you will let me know.
A Place – Have a particular place where you will read the Bible each day, keep your Bible there so you do not have to search for it. Make sure it is a quiet place where you will not be interrupted by other people or things. Some other helpful things to have there are a pen and a notebook or spiral to jot down thoughts, questions or mark verses that are significant. Also have a marker or two in your Bible to mark where you are even if you have a Chronological Bible there will be days you will be interrupted from your plan. Mark where you are.
A Time – Set an appointment each day to meet with God over the pages of your Bible. Make it the same time each day. My number one suggestion is in the morning when you get up. If you are not a morning person, try at night before you go to bed but set a time for everyday. Then set up a “back up” or “make up” time; there will be interruptions. Having a back up time will keep you from getting discouraged and dropping out.
An Attitude – Read the Bible as if it were personally written to you – like a letter or an email. Read it with the attitude that God wants to speak to you through this. He does and He will. Don’t get caught up on the things you don’t understand (and there will be those things) focus on what you do understand.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Letter to Santa
In December of 2001, a letter to Santa was found on the Christmas tree in the Borchers Cottage of the South Texas Children’s Home in Pettus, Texas. The house parents for that cottage were members of my former church and shared her letter with me. The little girl’s name has been changed to protect her identity but her situation speaks for itself. She was placed at South Texas Children’s Home by her struggling family. I have maintained her wording and her spelling so you can hear her heart in her own words.
Dear Santa,
My name is “Sarah.” And I live hare at the home with good houes mom and houes pop. I love them a lot. Becuse without them I whoud not have now God at all. As you know Im not a good kid. I have so meany sins that some kids don’t like me. But I have found something good about me. Something I didn’t know about will this something is love. Now Im going to tell you why Im writing you.
Becuse I wont give up on my famely. I keep on praying and praying but I feel god is not lisoning to me it make me sad that my Dad & Mom don’t whant to try to talke to one enother. So if this goes on are famely will brakup and I don’t whant that to happen. My Dad siad that when my mom has a baby he was getting divorse.
So I ask you for a gift to bring me my family. Let it all be love inside my family. Let it all be peac. And I whant you to know I love them with all my hart.
Well see you soon
Love,
“Sarah”
For the journey...
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
What Comes from a Christmas Pageant
We have just completed the annual Victoria Christmas Pageant for the 26th time. We saw thousands attend, they saw the story of Jesus from birth to death to resurrection. They also saw a church dedicated to a great work. Special thanks go to Connie and John for putting this altogether.
There is a lot more that I got see God do that I wanted to tell you about.
I got to see:
- a young woman who described her religion as "pagan" come ask for a Bible.
- a man who had been overseas defending our country come ask for prayer for all the troubling things he had seen that still haunt him. There were tears in his eyes.
- a single mom, recovering from divorce, turn her life over to Christ.
- another young woman sought prayer for her husband who is now in jail.
- a girl recovering from the trauma of abuse receive Christ.
- two of our prop crew accept Christ.
- a man who has worked on our janitorial crew accept Christ along with his wife.
- 17 people who told us they accepted Christ as their saviour during pageant.
A man also come by to tell us that last year he received one of the Here's Hope CDs during our pageant. He was working with a young man from Mexico and teaching him English. He used the audio copies of the New Testament available on the CD in both English and Spanish to help his young co-worker. The young man became a Christian because of all of that. He has now returned to Mexico, felt a call to ministry and is studying to be a pastor.
Who knows what we will see next year from seeds sown this year. Thanks for all of you who sowed and thanks to the Lord of the harvest for using us to His glory. For the journey...
There is a lot more that I got see God do that I wanted to tell you about.
I got to see:
- a young woman who described her religion as "pagan" come ask for a Bible.
- a man who had been overseas defending our country come ask for prayer for all the troubling things he had seen that still haunt him. There were tears in his eyes.
- a single mom, recovering from divorce, turn her life over to Christ.
- another young woman sought prayer for her husband who is now in jail.
- a girl recovering from the trauma of abuse receive Christ.
- two of our prop crew accept Christ.
- a man who has worked on our janitorial crew accept Christ along with his wife.
- 17 people who told us they accepted Christ as their saviour during pageant.
A man also come by to tell us that last year he received one of the Here's Hope CDs during our pageant. He was working with a young man from Mexico and teaching him English. He used the audio copies of the New Testament available on the CD in both English and Spanish to help his young co-worker. The young man became a Christian because of all of that. He has now returned to Mexico, felt a call to ministry and is studying to be a pastor.
Who knows what we will see next year from seeds sown this year. Thanks for all of you who sowed and thanks to the Lord of the harvest for using us to His glory. For the journey...
Friday, December 10, 2010
Why I Spoke to the City Council
Someone stopped me last night to say they saw me on Channel 15 speaking to the Victoria city council at the last meeting. I told him that yes I did speak to the council and that I would be praying for him to have something more fulfilling in life than watching city council meetings replayed on channel 15.
In all seriousness though, I did have a burden that I wanted to share with the council and it is also something you can be praying about. On October 17 a young man under the influence of synthetic marijuana disrupted our evening service which happened to be a gathering of area churches for our regional association. The young man was delusional and paranoid believing that, "God was speaking" to him telling him that his girl friend was "Satan." His girl friend was also there crying and hysterical about his behavior. (It was pretty exciting for an associational meeting). Phil Swihart and I dealt with this young man for much of the rest of evening to get him calmed down and back in a place he felt safe.
That was my first awareness of anything about synthetic marijuana. What I have found since, deeply disturbs me. It is legally sold here in Victoria at places of business as an incense but used commonly to be smoked like marijuana. It is a mixture of common herbs sprayed with powerful chemical compounds to give a "high."
Synthetic marijuana has caused many similar, serious reactions as the young man had in our church. Though an internet video proclaims it as a safe legal high it is anything but safe. It has been banned in several states but Texas has not yet acted though many municipalities in Texas have acted to ban it with in their city. That is what I was asking the city council to do here in our city.
One council person assured me that it would come up for discussion at the next city council meeting. Would you join me in prayer for our city leaders as they wrestle with this growing problem and pray for the problem in the people of our city.
In all seriousness though, I did have a burden that I wanted to share with the council and it is also something you can be praying about. On October 17 a young man under the influence of synthetic marijuana disrupted our evening service which happened to be a gathering of area churches for our regional association. The young man was delusional and paranoid believing that, "God was speaking" to him telling him that his girl friend was "Satan." His girl friend was also there crying and hysterical about his behavior. (It was pretty exciting for an associational meeting). Phil Swihart and I dealt with this young man for much of the rest of evening to get him calmed down and back in a place he felt safe.
That was my first awareness of anything about synthetic marijuana. What I have found since, deeply disturbs me. It is legally sold here in Victoria at places of business as an incense but used commonly to be smoked like marijuana. It is a mixture of common herbs sprayed with powerful chemical compounds to give a "high."
Synthetic marijuana has caused many similar, serious reactions as the young man had in our church. Though an internet video proclaims it as a safe legal high it is anything but safe. It has been banned in several states but Texas has not yet acted though many municipalities in Texas have acted to ban it with in their city. That is what I was asking the city council to do here in our city.
One council person assured me that it would come up for discussion at the next city council meeting. Would you join me in prayer for our city leaders as they wrestle with this growing problem and pray for the problem in the people of our city.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Knowing Your Opportunities
Lifeway Research and the North American Mission Board did a recent survey to find out when Americans are most open to considering matters of faith. They asked 15,000 people about what times in life they would be most likely to engage in a spiritual dialogue. Here are the results:
5. After the birth of a baby: 28%
4. After a natural disaster: 34%
3. After a major national crisis (such as 9/11): 38%
2. During the Easter holiday season: 38%
1. During the Christmas holiday season: 47%
In all the hustle and bustle of the season, we need to make sure we are not too busy to see people as open. We could miss some opportunities to witness that Christmas gives. Pray for someone. Invite someone. Engage someone. You could be a part of changing eternity.
5. After the birth of a baby: 28%
4. After a natural disaster: 34%
3. After a major national crisis (such as 9/11): 38%
2. During the Easter holiday season: 38%
1. During the Christmas holiday season: 47%
In all the hustle and bustle of the season, we need to make sure we are not too busy to see people as open. We could miss some opportunities to witness that Christmas gives. Pray for someone. Invite someone. Engage someone. You could be a part of changing eternity.
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