The Great Distraction If distractions are anything, they are chains that latch on and pull us off course, taking our time and making it run like water down a drain. The danger in distractions is not in their intent, but rather in their insidious nature. One of the most dangerous distractions is the illusion and resulting pursuit that we can somehow assure our right standing with the Creator of the universe by our own efforts. To think so attacks the fact that His ways and thoughts are far higher, greater, and more complex than ours. We are simply not at His level of understanding. When our goal is to assure right standing with God, or holiness, by our own efforts, this becomes a preoccupation, an obsession, our cruel task master. It occupies our time and becomes our hollow reward; our noble pursuit. Works to attain acceptance. This is called religion. And there is no good news in it, except to our pride. The gospel is simple, yet so rich in its depth. It is truly good news. Go...
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Two Brothers This is really frustrating. I'm waiting for God to bring to pass some things He's promised me; some things He's put on my heart to do. I mean, it's what He wants for my life! So why hasn't it come to pass yet? Waiting is hard, oh so hard, especially if you're waiting for a promise to come to pass. I was thinking about David, the psalmist-king who flung rocks at giants and defeated thousands. God said he would become king, even had him anointed in front of his whole family by the prophet of God. But that promise was just the start of David's troubles. He would spend the next long years of his life in caves, fighting to stay alive, running for his life. This is how a king to be is treated? It's hard to wait; especially for a promise to come to pass. I'm a mission minded man. Give me the instructions and I'm on it. I'll hold nothing back. No time to waste. No reason to wait. But this isn't how God works. No, it seems th...
Busy, Busy Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” - Luke 10:38-42 - the account of Mary and Martha I get Martha. I really do. Things need get done. That can't be argued with. And I am a mission-minded man. I have a list of tasks; I a have a job to do. Please move out of my way people, this is God's work ...
Welcome to Your Winter It's winter in Massachusetts, the cold Northeast of the United States. I'm walking trails where I had previously walked during summer. Familiar hidden places are now open, exposed, no longer covered by leaves. What once where side paths and secret places to explore are now visible from the path I'm on.Winter has stripped these little hideaways and off-the-beaten-path trails by stripping away their leafy green coverage. And I feel like I'm seeing my heart. My heart feels exposed. It is no longer protected or covered by comfort or distraction. It is laid bare. Winter has a way of doing that; I mean the wintry seasons of our lives, of course. There is beauty in the warmth and full foliage of spring and summer. But there is also beauty in the New England Winters. Pure white snow covers the exposed places. Fresh, crisp air fills my lungs. The air seems clearer. But it is still cold. It feels like something is missing. God uses the winter of ...
Zwazo We returned from Haiti to a little surprise in our cellar; a visitor. I have no idea how he or she got into our house, but there he was, discovered by one of my daughters, a little bird. He was just walking around, feeling rather lost and confused I'm sure. I have no idea how long he was in there, but our first reaction was to set him free. So, we opened the cellar door, and within a few minutes he found his way back into the great outdoors; back to freedom. We were meant to fly, to be free; unrestrained and soaring through the skies like we were made for it. We were not meant to be held down or tied and snared. We were created to thrive in our purpose. Yet there are things, one thing especially, that entrap us, ensnare us, tie us down and keep us from flying free. Hebrews 12:1 calls it the "sin that so easily entangles." That's what sin does; it entangles, it ties down. To be blunt, sin kills. It's the reason Jesus hung on a cross, it's the reaso...
Unexpected Words of grace are often unexpected. Have you ever done something wrong, hurt someone, and gone to them sheepishly offering an apology expecting correction or a sour look and instead gotten an "I understand" or an "It's OK"? Such a response can take us off guard because our experience shows us that grace is not often extended to those who do wrong. We live in a society that demands justice and protection of rights; and if those rights are stolen or infringed upon, the offended is often quick to make known the penalty to the offender. The Declaration of Independence declares clearly our right to pursue happiness; and heaven forbid that anyone would rob us of any of that happiness. How dare they? We've been trained by this type of action and response, expecting lashing out for our failures. But this is not how the kingdom of God works. Yes, our failures are real and we may feel we've let God down, but His response is different than what ...
How Does God Feel About You? How do you think God feels about you? When God looks at you, what thoughts run through His mind? This was the question that hit me first thing this morning in prayer. "How do you think I feel about you?" He asked. For me, at least, not an easy question to answer. I think we can try to answer this question from two perspectives: performance or position. Is the way God feels about me based on my performance - what I do, what I've done, my accomplishments, my behavior; or is the way He feels about me based on who I am? It's an important distinction; it's a difference that can't be overlooked when trying to answer this question. We can try to better answer this question by asking another question; is my value to God based on what I've done or my good acts, or is my value simply in the fact that I'm part of His creation? Does God like me for who I am; my quirks, talents, failures, and beauty included? Scripture makes this ...