When I go to Mom Catalano's house, I know when she's cooking turnips because to me, they stink! But, that awful smell also means there's a great roast beef meal in the making. Curious, isn't it? The smell of cooking turnips, which I hate, announces a feast of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and baked potatoes which I love!
The fragrance some people wear announces their presence before they enter the room. I always knew when my friend, Dean, was in my church before I laid eyes on him, because of the unique cologne he wore. When he died suddenly years ago, I went to his home to pick up clothing for his burial. As his wife opened his closet the familiar fragrance swept over me. Tears flowed! I wanted to see him walk through the door once again, saying “Hello, Pastor!” as he had done so many times before!
The Word says, “... wherever we go He uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing. To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT)
What 'fragrance' will you leave behind in the rooms you pass through on this day?
Will people 'smell' the sweet perfume of the holiness of Jesus on you?
As the Word reminds us, the odor of Christ in our lives will not always be a welcomed fragrance! To those who are in open rebellion, the smell of Christ on us will be a reminder of pending judgment and Hell - a stench of death!
"And who is adequate for such a task as this?"
Paul implies that we can't splash on a little "Jesus" perfume to cover the stink of persistent and deliberate sin! The fragrance of Christ permeates our lives ONLY WHEN we have spent time with Him, soaking in His Spirit which lets His character be created in us! Sit down and rest in His Presence. Invite Him to be near, yes, to live in you. Then, your inadequacy will be wrapped and covered by His Presence. The 'fragrance' that trails you will be the sweet smell of LIFE, both pleasing to God and those who love Him!
_________________
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity.
O my Savior divine, all my nature refine,
‘Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
Albert Orbson, public domain
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Not a nice essay
This is an ugly piece of writing and not because of poor grammar. The subject is painfully ugly. America is sex-berserk! Two stories hit ABC news last night. The first was about another mega-church pastor from Atlanta who has been sued by several young men in his congregation who allege he has them, and many others over the years, as his own sex toys. The second was about a young upper middle class girl from Portland, OR whose daddy left the family for an 18 year old. The girl started looking for a father-figure and a pimp found her, turning her, at age 13, into a prostitute and dancer in strip clubs! That story is sad on so many levels – a father who fails miserably, a man who exploits a little girl’s need for love, and all the men who paid for her. There is seldom a day that our local newspaper does not carry a story about rape or molestation.
One writer says we have become a ‘porn’ culture. Psychiatrist Mary Ann Layden says that “people who never use porn end up bearing its costs. That includes wives, who are held up to impossible sexual standards and are as robbed of sexual intimacy as their addicted husbands are. That also includes teenage girls, who are being taught by the entertainment industry and boyfriends that being a woman is about being hypersexual for others.” (An Equal Opportunity Destroyer -http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/September) We are deceived by a lie that makes our genitals our god. One could reasonably conclude that for millions of us the meaning of life is that ability to experience sexual pleasure without regard for the pain it might bring to our spouse, our kids, our city, or even ourselves!
Sex is a gift of God. He created us with the desire to be sexual. I am not ranting as a prude who wants all sex to go away. Within the confines of a covenanted marital relationship, when a man and a woman offer themselves to each other in a selfless love, sex is a beautiful bond of intimacy. That needs to be celebrated and the Scripture does! No real student of the Bible can argue that God hates sex! "Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery." (Hebrews 13:4, NLT)
As Christians we need to change the conversation in at least two ways starting from that passage’s premise.
First, we need to honor marriage. We need to take seriously the admonition of Scripture to love (including physically!) our spouse, modeling a pure sexuality before our world and our kids!
Second, we must refute the lie that better sex is non-marital sex. When was the last time that you saw a happy, well-adjusted, sexually mature couple portrayed in a film or TV program? Hard to remember, isn’t it?
Repression of sex is not the answer. The drive is too strong to ignore. Instead, the issue needs to be addressed courageously, with maturity, and honesty. We need to speak up and remind the filthy mouthed guy with whom we work that he’s being a little boy about his sexuality. We need to speak to the adulterous person about the great cost of their immorality. We need to put sex back into healthy marriage relationships where it can be what God intended it to be, a part of a whole life of love, instead of making it the main course. And we need to remind people that they can govern their impulses, that they can live whole and beautiful lives without venturing into the ‘porn’ world that our culture has become.
Here’s a word from the Word.
"All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.
All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order.
Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program.
No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.
So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah."
(1 John 3:3-7, The Message)
One writer says we have become a ‘porn’ culture. Psychiatrist Mary Ann Layden says that “people who never use porn end up bearing its costs. That includes wives, who are held up to impossible sexual standards and are as robbed of sexual intimacy as their addicted husbands are. That also includes teenage girls, who are being taught by the entertainment industry and boyfriends that being a woman is about being hypersexual for others.” (An Equal Opportunity Destroyer -http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/September) We are deceived by a lie that makes our genitals our god. One could reasonably conclude that for millions of us the meaning of life is that ability to experience sexual pleasure without regard for the pain it might bring to our spouse, our kids, our city, or even ourselves!
Sex is a gift of God. He created us with the desire to be sexual. I am not ranting as a prude who wants all sex to go away. Within the confines of a covenanted marital relationship, when a man and a woman offer themselves to each other in a selfless love, sex is a beautiful bond of intimacy. That needs to be celebrated and the Scripture does! No real student of the Bible can argue that God hates sex! "Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery." (Hebrews 13:4, NLT)
As Christians we need to change the conversation in at least two ways starting from that passage’s premise.
First, we need to honor marriage. We need to take seriously the admonition of Scripture to love (including physically!) our spouse, modeling a pure sexuality before our world and our kids!
Second, we must refute the lie that better sex is non-marital sex. When was the last time that you saw a happy, well-adjusted, sexually mature couple portrayed in a film or TV program? Hard to remember, isn’t it?
Repression of sex is not the answer. The drive is too strong to ignore. Instead, the issue needs to be addressed courageously, with maturity, and honesty. We need to speak up and remind the filthy mouthed guy with whom we work that he’s being a little boy about his sexuality. We need to speak to the adulterous person about the great cost of their immorality. We need to put sex back into healthy marriage relationships where it can be what God intended it to be, a part of a whole life of love, instead of making it the main course. And we need to remind people that they can govern their impulses, that they can live whole and beautiful lives without venturing into the ‘porn’ world that our culture has become.
Here’s a word from the Word.
"All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.
All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order.
Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program.
No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.
So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah."
(1 John 3:3-7, The Message)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Can these bones live again?
Ezekiel’s famous vision of ‘dry bones’ defines revival for me! The prophet saw a valley full of old, dry bones and at the Lord’s command, preached the Word of the Lord to those bones. Before his eyes they rattled, arranged into skeletons, took on flesh; and the wind of the Spirit blew over them restoring life. What a vision. “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!" (Ezekiel 37:4, NLT) "So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army." (Ezekiel 37:10, NLT)
Revival is not a series of church meetings that bring a passing surge of emotion or enthusiasm. Revival is not a resurgence of some great moral cause, nor is it the renewal of commitment to a building or program. Revival is not recovering some moment of personal glory or even the restoration of youthful vigor! I would love to see some of those things happen in my life! But, what I truly desire is that dry bones will live again by the Spirit, prepared to go out to this generation to do the work of God in this time, as He purposes it to be done.
Do you desire revival, disciple?
Does your life resemble a valley of dry bones?
Review these promises and see what God will do.
"Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?" (Psalm 85:6, NLT)
“O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years.” (Habakkuk 3:2, KJV)
"For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:15, NIV)
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence." (Hosea 6:1-2, NLT)
We cannot produce revival!
It is a huge mistake to think that we can make it happen. We can prepare for revival, however. How?
First, we pray. In our prayers we confess our desire and ask the Lord to send the rain that refreshes.
Second, we humble ourselves, acknowledging Who He is – Majesty enthroned - and we are – His children in need.
Third, we turn to Him; “here I am, Lord; all that I am, all that I am not. It is You I desire more than anything or anyone.”
Here’s the word from the Word. May it live in you, the seed from which the promise grows.
“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ” (Ezekiel 37:11-14, NKJV)
_____________________
Revival is not a series of church meetings that bring a passing surge of emotion or enthusiasm. Revival is not a resurgence of some great moral cause, nor is it the renewal of commitment to a building or program. Revival is not recovering some moment of personal glory or even the restoration of youthful vigor! I would love to see some of those things happen in my life! But, what I truly desire is that dry bones will live again by the Spirit, prepared to go out to this generation to do the work of God in this time, as He purposes it to be done.
Do you desire revival, disciple?
Does your life resemble a valley of dry bones?
Review these promises and see what God will do.
"Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?" (Psalm 85:6, NLT)
“O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years.” (Habakkuk 3:2, KJV)
"For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:15, NIV)
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence." (Hosea 6:1-2, NLT)
We cannot produce revival!
It is a huge mistake to think that we can make it happen. We can prepare for revival, however. How?
First, we pray. In our prayers we confess our desire and ask the Lord to send the rain that refreshes.
Second, we humble ourselves, acknowledging Who He is – Majesty enthroned - and we are – His children in need.
Third, we turn to Him; “here I am, Lord; all that I am, all that I am not. It is You I desire more than anything or anyone.”
Here’s the word from the Word. May it live in you, the seed from which the promise grows.
“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ” (Ezekiel 37:11-14, NKJV)
_____________________
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Over-thinking prayer?
The old proverb advises us not to ‘miss the forest for the trees.’ We can miss the main idea if we become obsessed with some detail. We can become anxious and bypass an obvious solution when we focus so tightly that the whole picture goes out of view. Somebody told me that they received a beautiful picture in their email but couldn’t enjoy it because ‘all I could see was the eye!’ They didn’t know how to scale back the view and so only saw a tiny fraction of the photo!
Disciple, our Father in Heaven extends this amazing privilege to us: prayer. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6, NIV) Another passage tells us to "Come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:16, NLT) We don’t have to go to some intermediary. We don’t have to go to some holy place, work up a special state of mind, or wait for a certain day or time. Wherever we are, whatever is on our mind, we can take to the Lord in prayer!
Some Christians rob themselves of this precious privilege by over-thinking prayer! “What do I say? Should I stand or kneel? Must I bow my head or look to Heavens?” They approach prayer like a boy approaches his first kiss; with equal measures of anticipated delight and terror. That boy misses several opportunities to kiss a girl while he’s thinking through the steps he thinks are necessary. Then, one starry night, he forgets himself and before he knows it, their lips have met before he even has time to think about whether their noses will get in the way.
Let’s open our hearts to our Father, coming near to Him in adoration. You need not rally a thousand co-prayers to find an answer. You don’t need to rush off to some meeting or revival preacher’s gathering to touch the heart of your Abba (Daddy) in Heaven. Is your heart full of fear? Tell Him. Is there a joy you want to share? Thank Him. Is there a need weighing on you? Ask Him about it. Don’t over-think it. Just talk with Him with the earnestness of a beloved child, which is exactly who you are in His household.
Here’s a word from the Word. May it inspire greater amounts of expectant prayer in your life. "The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again." (James 5:16-18, The Message)
_____________
Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us;
For we need You to help us find our way.
Gentle Shepherd, come and feed us;
For we need Your strength from day to day.
There's no other we can turn to
Who can help us face another day.
Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us;
For we need You to help us find our way.
Gentle Shepherd
Gaither, William J. / Gaither, Gloria
© 1974 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management
CCLI License No. 810055
Disciple, our Father in Heaven extends this amazing privilege to us: prayer. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6, NIV) Another passage tells us to "Come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:16, NLT) We don’t have to go to some intermediary. We don’t have to go to some holy place, work up a special state of mind, or wait for a certain day or time. Wherever we are, whatever is on our mind, we can take to the Lord in prayer!
Some Christians rob themselves of this precious privilege by over-thinking prayer! “What do I say? Should I stand or kneel? Must I bow my head or look to Heavens?” They approach prayer like a boy approaches his first kiss; with equal measures of anticipated delight and terror. That boy misses several opportunities to kiss a girl while he’s thinking through the steps he thinks are necessary. Then, one starry night, he forgets himself and before he knows it, their lips have met before he even has time to think about whether their noses will get in the way.
Let’s open our hearts to our Father, coming near to Him in adoration. You need not rally a thousand co-prayers to find an answer. You don’t need to rush off to some meeting or revival preacher’s gathering to touch the heart of your Abba (Daddy) in Heaven. Is your heart full of fear? Tell Him. Is there a joy you want to share? Thank Him. Is there a need weighing on you? Ask Him about it. Don’t over-think it. Just talk with Him with the earnestness of a beloved child, which is exactly who you are in His household.
Here’s a word from the Word. May it inspire greater amounts of expectant prayer in your life. "The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again." (James 5:16-18, The Message)
_____________
Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us;
For we need You to help us find our way.
Gentle Shepherd, come and feed us;
For we need Your strength from day to day.
There's no other we can turn to
Who can help us face another day.
Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us;
For we need You to help us find our way.
Gentle Shepherd
Gaither, William J. / Gaither, Gloria
© 1974 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management
CCLI License No. 810055
Monday, September 20, 2010
Today – will you live in it?
That opening line might seem silly to you, your response being, “What choice do I have?” You could try to relive yesterday’s glories or attempt to erase some ugly blot that stains the record. You lean forward, reaching for tomorrow’s resources or anticipated rewards. Both are sure ways to miss out on today!
Lewis Smedes made a useful analogy about living in the day. “My date book has become a parable … When I get out a new one, I see page after page of blank squares, each representing a day of my life. Each square bounded by four solid lines. My job is to fill up each of the squares with all the things that I do every day. When I get one square nicely filled, at the magic moment of midnight, an invisible door opens and I am silently slurped into the next square where I do it all over again. My life - filling up the squares.” He went on to explain that there is no door to yesterday. It is sealed! The door to tomorrow cannot be kicked open early no matter how frantically we try.
Jesus teaches us to live in the moment. His words are deeply challenging to those of us who are pressed to plan for every contingency, to devise strategies for success. His words are not a condemnation of prudent preparation, but they are a warning about attempting to live outside of the boundaries of this day. He taught us to pray "Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11, NIV) and then promises if you "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions … You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (Matthew 6:33, The Message) His conclusion is both a challenge and an invitation to peace: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34, NIV)
So, leave the sins of your past with Christ Jesus, accepting His forgiveness. Entrust your future to His providence, even as you accept His wisdom for today. Practice being fully present today. Don’t let conversations happen while you are already moving on to the next encounter. Engage, don’t drift! Pray prayers of gratitude and acceptance that allow you to make the most of today’s opportunities. Rich, poor, young, and old – there is one thing we all have in common – today.
Here is a word from the Word. May the wisdom of the Spirit make it a way of life for us. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:9-10, NIV)
_____________
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best;
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure,
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As your days, your strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
Day By Day
Berg, Carolina Sandell / Ahnfelt, Oscar / Skoog, Andrew
© Public Domain
Lewis Smedes made a useful analogy about living in the day. “My date book has become a parable … When I get out a new one, I see page after page of blank squares, each representing a day of my life. Each square bounded by four solid lines. My job is to fill up each of the squares with all the things that I do every day. When I get one square nicely filled, at the magic moment of midnight, an invisible door opens and I am silently slurped into the next square where I do it all over again. My life - filling up the squares.” He went on to explain that there is no door to yesterday. It is sealed! The door to tomorrow cannot be kicked open early no matter how frantically we try.
Jesus teaches us to live in the moment. His words are deeply challenging to those of us who are pressed to plan for every contingency, to devise strategies for success. His words are not a condemnation of prudent preparation, but they are a warning about attempting to live outside of the boundaries of this day. He taught us to pray "Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11, NIV) and then promises if you "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions … You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (Matthew 6:33, The Message) His conclusion is both a challenge and an invitation to peace: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34, NIV)
So, leave the sins of your past with Christ Jesus, accepting His forgiveness. Entrust your future to His providence, even as you accept His wisdom for today. Practice being fully present today. Don’t let conversations happen while you are already moving on to the next encounter. Engage, don’t drift! Pray prayers of gratitude and acceptance that allow you to make the most of today’s opportunities. Rich, poor, young, and old – there is one thing we all have in common – today.
Here is a word from the Word. May the wisdom of the Spirit make it a way of life for us. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:9-10, NIV)
_____________
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best;
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure,
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As your days, your strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
Day By Day
Berg, Carolina Sandell / Ahnfelt, Oscar / Skoog, Andrew
© Public Domain
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