Minutes From The Last Meeting

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n the same day, at the same time, in the same office building, two different corporations held an annual review meeting.  Both board rooms contained the boards of directors, the CEO’s, the presidents, the vice-presidents, and all the division heads. 

Both meetings were called to order, both meetings had a set agenda, and both meetings began with the reading of the minutes from the previous gathering.  The first corporation’s minutes reminded everyone of the great strides and gains accomplished during the last year.  Management had set forth specific guidelines for the company and they had been fully implemented. The result was a thriving organization that had surpassed all the expectations of both the board and the shareholders.

The second corporation’s meeting was much shorter.  It began the same way.  The secretary went to the platform, opened the record of minutes for the last meeting, took a deep breath, and made the following remarks into the microphone: “The previous meeting for corporate review lasted thirty-five minutes.”  That was it, the entire review!  There was no discussion about the company’s direction, no review of its history, no talk of its accomplishments, and no mention of the many failures it had experienced during the last year.  No one, including the members of the board, had any idea as to the discussion of the previous meeting.  They simply approved the minutes and went about their business.

It’s not surprising to learn that the first corporation ended its meeting with raises and promotions for its employees while the second corporation ended its meeting with a vote to dissolve.  Failure to review the past and to learn from it spells ruin for a company.  Just imagine how true this is of God’s people when they fail to review and learn from God’s word on a regular basis.

This is the lesson Moses impressed upon the people just before they crossed over to possess the Promised Land.  After forty years in the desert, the time for wandering was over and the moment for taking the land had arrived.  Before leaving Mount Horeb, Moses called the people together for a corporate meeting.  He reminded them of their exodus from Egypt.  He reviewed all of God’s miracles with them.  He reviewed the law with them. He pointed out their shortcomings and failures and he reminded them that some of their decisions had led to forty years of difficulty for the community. In essence, Moses read the minutes from the last meeting the people had with God.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 admonishes the people to remember God and never to forget his love for them. “Remember how the Lord your God led you al the way in the desert these forty years to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Like the Children of Israel, we too need to remember how much God loves us and how he is always working on our behalf.  We need to spend time in his word, meditating over it, listening to it, and putting into practice on a daily basis.  Far too often, our spiritual walks resemble the meeting of the second corporation.  We meet for a certain number of minutes but can’t remember what we discussed or what we learned from the Lord.  How much better would our relationship be with God if we met with him on a regular basis, spending quality time with him?

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hat do the minutes of your last meeting with God reveal about your walk with Him today?

Made By Hand

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t is no secret to anyone who knows me that I have no talent for working with my hands.  I often joke that I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler, even if that ruler is nailed down.  Believe me; this is not far from the truth!  No matter how much I want to, I simply don’t have the dexterity or the talent to create things with my hands.  In this area, my brother definitely got the lion’s share!

When Kevin was younger, he took some classes in ceramics from one of our local residents who had a kiln in her home. He enjoyed making all kinds of things, several of which my parents still have and use.  I remember him explaining how a piece of ceramic is made.  First, you have to select a mold, pour mud into it, remove the items from the mold, clean them up, fire them in a kiln, paint them, and fire them one more time.  There are a few other steps as well but this is the basic process.  He made some wonderful pieces and I couldn’t wait to see what he would bring home next.

When he went to college, he majored in art.  One of the courses he took was a pottery class.  He also made some very nice pieces but this time the process was different.  Instead of pouring mud into ready-made molds, he had to take clay and fashion a piece from a design already in his mind.  There were no guidelines to follow, no molds to give shape to the clay, and no pre-determined outcome for the piece.  Every piece was unique because it was made completely by hand.  Kevin could look at the finished product with great pride because he had created it from scratch, making sure that it was just the way he wanted it, and every piece he made was unique.

When it comes to His children, God is not in the ceramic business; He is in the pottery business.  He insists on using His own hands, fashioning us individually, making us just the way He wants us, shaping and molding us into the design He has in mind.  Like the potter, God has a definite design and purpose in mind for each of His creations.  This was something the prophet Jeremiah learned from the very moment God placed a call on his life.

Jeremiah 1:5 records God’s conversation with Jeremiah.  This verse reveals not only Jeremiah’s call but also the purpose for which God created him. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  If we look very closely into this verse, we will see the plan God had in mind for Jeremiah. 

First, God knew Jeremiah before the he was born.  In fact, God says He knew the prophet long before he was formed.  Let that sink in!  Most of us find it hard to believe that someone takes time to think about us on a regular basis but God states just the opposite here.  He was thinking about Jeremiah before Jeremiah ever existed.  That means that God was planning every detail of his life and preparing Jeremiah for the call and for the purpose He would assign to him.

Second, God has a special plan for Jeremiah, a plan unique to him.  Before his birth, God set Jeremiah apart to accomplish a task and to fulfill a purpose in His great plan.  That purpose was to raise Jeremiah up to be a prophet, not only to Israel, but to the nations.  Jeremiah was not made from a mold; instead he was molded into the man God meant for him to be.

What a wonderful word of encouragement for us today!  God is still in the business of making us into the vessels He wants us to be.  Before we were ever born, before our parents were born or their parents were born, God already had plans for us.  He wants to mold us and shape us into pieces that can be used for His glory.  Every one of us is a unique work, made by God Himself with special talents and abilities to carry out the plans He has for us. 

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oday, as you go about your routine, let this truth fill your mind and your soul.  Like a fine piece of pottery, you were designed and made by hand and you bear the personal touch and the fingerprints of the very hand of God!  

Just Keep Looking

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 know it’s here somewhere, it’s has to be!”  These were the words I kept repeating over and over to myself one Saturday morning as I sat in the barbershop waiting for my turn on the chopping block.  I was thumbing through a children’s magazine and became enthralled with a section containing an artist’s drawing of a particular scene.  What made the drawing so fascinating was that cleverly drawn into the picture were approximately a dozen items that were hidden.  The opposite page listed the hidden items and included a picture of each one so the reader would know what to look for.

I had successfully located eleven of the twelve items but the last one was eluding me.  I honestly could not find it, no matter where I looked and no matter the angle at which I held the magazine.  Each time I thought I had located the missing picture; it turned out to be part of the background.  My imagination, as well as my eyes, played tricks on me, leading me to believe there was something where there wasn’t’ and nothing where something definitely was.

The time was rapidly approaching for me to have my haircut but I didn’t want to leave that picture.  I was determined that no kid’s magazine was going to get the best of me.  I doubled my efforts and began searching more diligently, looking over every inch of that magazine, turning it every way but loose.  Finally, just before utter frustration set in, I found the image.  I had looked at that very spot several times, I just hadn’t noticed the special way the artists had placed the image in the picture.  With a great sense of satisfaction, I closed the magazine, went to the back of the shop, and received a nice haircut.

We are all familiar with this process, aren’t we?  We lose our keys, we lay aside our ink pen, we put down a book for just a minute, and then it’s gone.  We know it’s there somewhere; we just have to find it.  We become very determined, tearing up every part of the house or car until we find it.  Usually, it’s right there under our noses, we just didn’t see it because we weren’t looking for it!

We can also apply this situation to our daily walk with God.  The writer of Hebrews addresses this idea of searching for God in chapter 11.  This chapter is famous because it speaks about the role of faith in the Christian life.  The opening of the chapter contains a list of some the great heroes of our faith.  But not very far into the chapter, we find a profound statement, one that hits us right between the eyes and causes us to stop and consider its truth.

In Hebrews 11:6 we read the following statement, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  Read that once again, very carefully.  We often quote the first part of the passage to the exclusion of the second part.  We all know that we must have faith in God in order to have a relationship with Him.  We must believe in His existence to claim to be His children.  But look at what the last part of the verse says.  In order to receive anything from God, we must diligently seek Him!!!

Don’t take that word, diligently, too lightly.  Remember your search for your lost keys or my search for that hidden picture.  I was determined not to relinquish my death-grip on that magazine until I found that last image.  This is exactly what the writer means here!  We are to seek after God with full vigor, determined to find Him no matter what the cost, no matter how long it takes, and no matter from what angle we have to approach Him.  God promises us He will be found but only if we search for Him—diligently!

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ar too often we pay lip service to God.  We believe in Him and affirm this to our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family.  But when was the last time we wrestled in prayer, seeking His face?  When was the last time we poured over the Scriptures looking for more of our Heavenly Father?  He is there among the words.  His truth is embedded in the pages of our Bible.  He is waiting for us to open it and to diligently seek His face in everything and at all times. Are you earnestly, diligently, consistently seeking Him today? 

Just Add Water

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t hardly seems possible but I have been living in my house for nine years now.  A while back, I was thinking about the moving process and all the wonderful people who helped me either by moving boxes, by carrying furniture, or by sending something to eat.  I was so blessed to have people willing to sacrifice their time, effort, and money to help me move.

As I was unpacking the myriad boxes I used during my move, I came across a small gift bag that one of my students had given me at the end of the summer.  Inside were things to snack on, a book mark, some neatly shaped paper clips, and a triangular box containing something really special. Inside this box was a foil pouch filled with enough ingredients to make a rather large pot of three-cheese mushroom soup.  I love mushrooms so I was eager to prepare the mix according to the directions and sit down to a piping hot bowl of soup.

Everything was included in the pouch except water.  When I poured the contents into the pot, it didn’t look very appetizing.  All I could see was brown powder with bits, pieces, and chunks of dehydrated mushrooms.  It didn’t really make my mouth water as I looked at what was supposed to become a delicious and nutritious bowl of soup.  The process, however, was not complete because I had not supplied the most essential ingredient—water!

I opened the cabinet, took down my measuring cup, held it underneath the faucet, and filled it with the required amount of water.  As soon as I added the water to the soup mixture, a wonderful metamorphosis took place.  The powder completely dissolved and the mushroom pieces grew to several times their size.  I put the pot on the stove and in just a few minutes I had my soup, all piping hot and very delicious.

As I thought about this the story of the woman at the well came immediately to my mind.  Here was a woman whose life, like my soup mixture, was dry and unappetizing.  Her soul was all dried up, her life was filled with shriveled chunks of meaning, and she lacked the essential ingredient that would give her life purpose. 

Day after day, she went to the well to draw water for her needs and when the water was gone, she went back to do the same thing over again.  All her efforts and all the water in the well could not satisfy the longing thirst in her soul.  Society couldn’t fulfill her needs, her many relationships could not fill the void in her spirit, and every day was an endless search to slake the parching thirst of her soul.

One day she met Jesus sitting beside a well.  He was thirst and asked her for a drink. She was surprised that Jesus, a Jew and a man, would speak to her.  Jesus, however, continued speaking with her and he offered her a drink of water.  The woman found it hard to accept water from Jesus because he had nothing with which to draw water.  However, Jesus was not speaking of well water, he was speaking of the water of life, the water that cools the thirst of the most parched soul and gives life from within.  Listen to what he told her as recorded in John 4:14, “but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

This was the water she had longed for, the water she had searched for all her life.  She took Jesus at his word and quenched her thirst forever.  One taste of living water and the dried recesses of her soul came alive, the shriveled areas of her life were filled with new meaning, and her life took on meaning and purpose.

All of us are just like this woman at the well and the soup mix in the packet.  Without the water that Jesus offers, our lives are just powder, dry and useless.  There is nothing appealing, nothing nourishing, and nothing appetizing about them.  But when we add Jesus to the mix, life takes on a whole new outlook.  We have a purpose and we can be used to refresh, nourish, and strengthen others. 

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he ingredients on the back of the soup package said, “Just add water.”  That’s exactly what we must do spiritually as well in order to be all that God wants and intends for us to be. We are wrapped inside containers of dust, longing for the one thing that can bring us to life. What we need is Jesus Christ and the life-giving water her offers.  Have you added this living water to your life?  Don’t you think it’s about time you did?

In His Own Tent

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ne Saturday, a few friends and I spent the day exploring the quaint little community of Granbury, Texas, just forty-five minutes southwest of Fort Worth.  Since coming to Fort Worth in 1997, I had been meaning to make the trip to this little town.  Everyone had recommended it to me as a “must see” but I had simply never found the time to go.  On that Saturday, however, I took the time and I am so glad I did.

Granbury is a neat little place with shops, restaurants, shops, bookstores, and more shops. Are you beginning to get the picture? The whole town is laid out in a perfect square with the courthouse as its centerpiece.  Most of the shops are small businesses that sell everything from home-made fudge to books to knickknacks.  There were several bookstores and, true to Texas, at least two coffee shops, selling gourmet and flavored coffees that would make your mouth water.

Some people had come from several miles away, arriving by chartered bus, to shop in the stores and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere the community offered.  Everywhere, people were purchasing all types of gadgets, books, coffees, household items, and souvenirs.  Every store, no matter its specialty, seemed to have a section dedicated to items promoting the town.  There were tee-shirts, key chains, mugs, glasses, bumper stickers, license tags, hats, etc, anything to remind them of their visit to Granbury.

This fascination with souvenirs intrigues me.  In my own home, I have several items that I acquired from my visits to other countries and places in the world.  Occasionally, I glance over to one of them and a flood of memories rushes back; and time stops just for a moment as I find myself in Paris, Rome, Munich, or Sydney, Australia.  The point is, we buy souvenirs to remind us of places we’ve been, people we’ve met, conversations we’ve had, and events we want to cherish.  The word “souvenir” itself means “to remember” and from the looks of some of this Saturday’s shoppers, Granbury will be a permanent memory for them.

But this notion of souvenirs goes back to Old Testament times and plays a part in the life of one of my favorite characters, David.  Who hasn’t fallen in love with the story of David and Goliath?  From childhood, this story is told and retold and each time it just gets better and better.  Little boys love to think of themselves as David and each time they take a slingshot in hand, they relive the story and once again, Goliath of Gath meets his doom.

This story, however, was very real and one that David remembered all his life.  1 Samuel 17 records the story of David’s fight with the giant and gives us a very important insight into a good spiritual practice.  In 1 Samuel 17:54 we read, “David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent.” Did you pay attention to this passage?  David collected a souvenir, namely Goliath’s weapons.  He placed them in his own tent as a decoration and as a reminder of that momentous day when God stood beside a young boy and felled a giant!

I am sure David spent many hours looking at Goliath’s sword, spear, and shield.  Countless hours of reminiscing must have been part of his life.  Whenever he felt discouraged, whenever he felt defeated, whenever he wondered if God was still his help, those souvenirs comforted and reassured him.  David had something to remember God by, something concrete to remind him of God’s faithfulness in the face of overwhelming odds and great trial.

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o you have a souvenir collection the workings of God in your life?  Is there a particular moment, a particular event, or a particular place that reminds you of God’s steadfast love for you?  Whenever you are faced with life’s difficult challenges, when you feel as if you are all alone, and when you wonder if God hears you, can you return to a moment and remember that God was with you?  I’m sure you can and I encourage you to continue gathering souvenirs of the times God talks with you, walks with you, and proves himself to you over and over again.  Place them in the tent of your heart as ever-lasting testimonies to God’s faithfulness to you.  There is nothing like a good stroll down memory lane, especially when you walk with God!

Good To See You!

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everal years ago I was walking down Main Street in my hometown, looking in the windows at what the various downtown shops had on display. Some of the shops were selling their wares at discount prices and others were displaying new merchandise that had just been added to their stock.  The street was unusually crowded and everywhere people were coming in and out of stores or craning their necks to see the window displays.

I moseyed down the street, continuing my window shopping when I heard someone call my name.  The voice was unmistakable.  I had heard this voice since I was a little boy and it had always proved a source of encouragement, security, and joy.  Now, it wasn’t this particular voice that made me stop and turn around; rather, it was the voice’s owner that stopped me in my tracks.

The voice belonged to Mrs. Ozelia Gingles, a lady who kept house for my grandfather and who took care of me when I was just a little tike.  Ozelia would come to our house in the morning and she stayed with me while my parents were at work.  She cooked great meals and she spent quality time with me, telling me stories and rocking me to sleep for my afternoon nap.  Whenever I needed her, Ozelia was always there and she always wore a smile.  But Ozelia’s smile was more than skin-deep, it was heart-deep.  She loved me and I loved her and we had a wonderful relationship.

So, on this particular afternoon when she called my name, I stopped everything and ran to see her.  Ozelia always greeted everyone the same way.  She would always say, “Good to see you!”  Unlike most of us who say such things in passing, Ozelia meant exactly what she said.  She was glad to see you and her smile and great hugs proved it.  Her voice always made me happy and it served as a great source of encouragement and strength.

In 2 Corinthians 7:6, Paul writes about the comfort provided by one of his fellow workers, Titus. “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus…” What a wonderful testimony this is about the life of this man named Titus.  His very presence served as a great source of encouragement and comfort for the Apostle Paul.  This passage, though short, tells us something wonderful about Titus.  His was a ministry of comfort.  The Apostle Paul had many times of distress and difficulty in his life.  He was imprisoned, beaten, rejected, and deserted by friends all because of his faithfulness in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

No doubt there were times when he was lonely, dejected, and he needed encouragement and comfort.  Paul knew that God provided comfort in life’s most difficult moments and he learned that sometimes God’s comfort comes in the form of friends and fellow laborers along the Christian pathway.  That is how he describes Titus.  God comforted Paul by sending Titus to him in times of great difficulty and challenge.  Titus, like Ozelia, could have easily greeted Paul with the words, “Good to see you!”  Such a greeting spoken in love and genuine concern can profoundly touch another person.  Paul experienced this from Titus and was forever grateful.

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o you have an Ozelia Gingles in your life who serves as a source of comfort and encouragement to you?  Is there someone whose mere voice can change your outlook and perspective on your situation?  If so, thank God for them.  However, we can carry the question one step further and ask ourselves if we are serving as a source of comfort for someone else.  Are we being Ozelia Gingles to those around us?  Are we bringing comfort to those we meet?  Are we letting God use us to help others as He used Titus to comfort Paul?  Have you said, “Good to see you” to someone today? 

Go Back The Way You Came

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oday we take a look at a brief moment in the life of Elijah.  We find him in a cave where in hiding, fearing for his life because Jezebel has threatened to kill him.  While in this cave, God speaks to Elijah and teaches him a great truth.  God is always near and is always aware of Elijah’s circumstances.  When God speaks, it is often in the tones of a gentle whisper instead of mighty, supernatural acts.  It is always God’s still small voice that strengthens, reassures, and encourages all those who follow him.

After his experience in the mouth of the cave, Elijah receives new instructions from God. These instructions were difficult words for Elijah to hear and, I am sure, caused some concern on his part.  1 Kings 19:15-18 records God’s plans for Elijah as he prepared to leave the cave: “The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.  Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

Look at the very first sentence of this passage.  Can’t you just imagine that Elijah’s mouth dropped open!  Had he heard the Lord correctly?  Perhaps, he was mistaken.  It seemed that the Lord had just told him to go back and to go into the desert!  Surely, the Lord didn’t mean that! Back there, his life was in danger.  Back there, people wanted him dead.  Back there, he had no friends, no support, and no one he could count on.  But God’s words were clear, “You will go back there!”

Have you ever been in this situation?  You have just experienced a wonderful display of God’s power in your life and you are ready to move forward but God says, “Go back!”  Sometimes, that is the hardest thing to do.  God is asking us to retrace our steps, to walk over ground we have already covered and to buy the same piece of real estate twice.  This may mean staying on a job when you are ready to move forward, it may mean going back to a place where people reject you, or it may mean returning to a relationship which is painful.  Whatever the situation, God asks us to return to it, even though it may be a desert.

But there is also great hope in this passage.  Let’s not leave Elijah standing in the cave, his mouth opened, wondering what has happened to his world.  God continues by telling Elijah to anoint two new kings and a new prophet.  Although Elijah will return by the same road, he will not be the same man.  The message he carries and his life’s purpose have both changed.  God is at work and Elijah is now part of that plan.

You see, Elijah felt he was all alone, that he was the only one left to do battle for God.  Yet, the Lord tells him very plainly that Jehu and Hazael, whom Elijah will anoint as kings, and Elisha, who will succeed Elijah as prophet, and seven thousand others have not bowed the knee to the pagan God Baal.  Elijah is not alone and as he leaves the cave, everything has changed!  Notice that Elijah took the same way back but he did not go back the same way he came.  Think about that for a moment.  The road was the same, the man was not!!

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oday you may be identifying with Elijah.  God has asked you to go back the way you came, back to the desert, back to a dry and lifeless place.  But God does not intend for you to go alone.  Although you walk a familiar path, your message and purpose are new and fresh.  God is at work ahead of you.  He knows where you are going and He knows the best way to get you there.  The road may be the same, the people around you may not change, and your present circumstances may seem dry and hopeless.  Rest assured and take courage my friend.  God never gives us an assignment, no matter how difficult or challenging, but that He gives us His own divine presence for comfort and His own strength for the journey.  Go back down that same road confident that God goes with you.  Sometimes the greatest blessings in life come when God tells us, “Go back the way you came!”

Burn It Into Your Memory

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 remember the first personal computer (PC) I ever saw.  It was in 1985 during my senior year at college.  The college administration made a concerted effort to keep abreast of the newest forms of technology so that students could attain computer literacy by using the latest technology available.  A few of the guys on my hall purchased their own computers and the craze of owning one of those little boxes began.

I finished college in May of 1985 and in January of 1986; I purchased my very own PC.  I was ecstatic as I pulled it out of the boxes, plugged in all the wires, threw the switch and waited for it to boot up.  The ability to write papers, letters, notes, and store them on a floppy disk was cutting-edge stuff.  My machine had two floppy drives, the kind with the large, black, flexible disks.  Each disk held a whopping 256K of information and I wondered how I would ever have enough information to fill one.  The hard drive was unheard of and CD-ROM storage would have sounded like something from a science fiction movie.

Things sure have changed in the past twenty years.  Now we have computers that are extremely fast, we connect with computers all over the world via the Internet; we can listen to music, watch videos, and beam pictures of ourselves in real time over a phone line or cable modem.  We rarely store things on floppy disks anymore, opting for hard drives, CD-ROM’s, and DVD disks. 

My computer now has a CD-ROM drive that allows me to save my information onto CD’s designed to store information.  A laser beam “burns” the information onto the disk’s surface where it is permanently stored.  One CD holds the equivalent of over 2500 of the disks I used in my first computer!!!  What’s more is that the information I store on the CD is permanently burned into the disk, becoming an integral part of its structure.

In Jeremiah 31:33, we read about a similar process.  In this passage, Jeremiah writes, “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD.
I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  This beautiful passage of scripture looked forward to the day when the nation of Israel would be restored and brought back to the land God promised on oath to Abraham.

Notice what God says about His relationship with His people.  No longer will the law be written on parchment or on scrolls.  Instead, God promises to write it in their minds and on their hearts so it will be a permanent fixture for them.  God’s word will no longer be external but it will be internal, an integral part of His people.

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his is a wonderful promise to Israel and also one that we Christians can claim as well.  God’s law, His word, is an integral part of our lives.  According to Hebrews 12, “The word of God is living and active…” and Deuteronomy 32:46-48 tells us that all the words God spoke to Moses were “not just idle words but they are [our] life.”   In essence, God ensures us that His word will be burned into our minds so we always remember it and it will be burned into our hearts so we always live according to it.  Have you made a permanent copy of God’s word in your heart today?

A Time For Praise And Worship

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immy was a bit confused.  He had made the varsity football team without question but he was having a difficult time making sense of the coach’s letter informing him of the upcoming practice schedule.   Each day’s practice began precisely at 9:00 and he was to report to the locker room at 8:30 to dress out in his pads and practice uniform.  All of this information seemed perfectly logical to Jimmy, who had been playing football since he was six years old.

The information concerning practice times was followed by a brief explanation of how each practice would be conducted.  The players were to take the field at 9:00 for warm-up exercises. This, however, is not what caused Jimmy’s confusion.  Pre-practice exercising was standard and to be expected.  The source of the confusion was one brief statement made by the coach in the middle of this paragraph.  The statement read, “You will exercise your muscles for thirty minutes and then you will play a full game.”

The words, “and then” bothered Jimmy terribly.  Wasn’t playing the same thing as exercising?  Wasn’t’ he using every fiber of his body to play the game just has he had used those muscles during warm-up?  How could there be only a thirty-minute practice session?  Did the coaches not want him to exercise his body during the game?  If this were the case, the season would be a long one and not very productive.

Jimmy’s dilemma may seem a bit elementary but when you stop and think about it, he does ask a good question.  What about playing a football game is not exercise?  A player on the field must be in constant motion, using all his muscles, all his knowledge, all his mind, and all his heart to give his best performance.  He must do this from the beginning of the game to its end if he intends to be victorious.  Otherwise, he will probably find himself on the bench watching the game instead of participating in it.

There seems to be a growing trend in our churches that can be equally confusing to worshipers.  Bulletins and orders of service from all types of churches more and more set aside a special time in their services called, “Praise and Worship.”  Now, let’s stop and think about this for just a moment and we will find ourselves in the same predicament as Jimmy.  Can praise and worship be relegated to a specific time or to a specific place in our services?  What about the remainder of the service is not praise and worship?

Now, don’t misunderstand me, I am not being critical of preparing people for worship.  However, I find it confusing to separate praise and worship into small segments.  The entire service, especially the sermon and prayer time, should be a time when we praise and worship God.  In fact, there should be no time in our lives when God is not praised and worshiped.

David said as much in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  Here, David gives us the correct perspective on praise and worship.  We are to continually praise and worship God. In fact, our lives are to be a source of continual praise and worship of our Lord.  There is no time when we should cease to praise God and we should make praise and worship our lifestyle.  Worship should not simply be something we do; but it must emanate from who we are on the inside.  We must worship God in spirit and in truth, as Jesus told the woman at the well, or we do not worship Him at all.

   

Although true worship is what God wants us to offer Him the mere act of worshiping, of just going through the motions, does not make us worshipers. True worship must come from the heart from an intimate knowledge of who God is and what He has done for us. Our worship, then, should dictate our actions instead of our actions dictating our worship.

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s we seek to enter into more effective and God-centered worship in our churches, let us remember that we are to worship God always.  Worship is not to be found in a building and we cannot look to the pastor to do worship for us.  We should pray for him and look to him as he leads us in corporate worship.  But if we don’t worship personally, if there is no worship in our daily lives, if we don’t take time individually to worship and praise God, then there will be no true praise and worship in our churches.  We must worship individually if we are to worship corporately.  How is your praise and worship time coming today?

An Exact Number

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n exact number,” that’s what my mom had said.  She knew that in a few moments the phone would ring and my grandfather would be asking about the number of quarts of green beans she had canned the night before.  This was always his routine.  No matter what the season, grandpa always called every morning at 6:45, checking to see how we were doing.  But during the summer months, when we were putting up vegetables in the pantry or freezer, he always asked about the number of pints, quarts, or bags of vegetables my mom had prepared.

Whenever he asked, he expected an exact number; approximations were not good enough for him.  Grandpa wanted to know the exact count.  I was never sure whether he was keeping his own tally but it wouldn’t have surprised me to learn that he was.  He always wanted to make sure we had enough of everything we needed and if the count was less than he thought it should be, he would find more vegetables for us to preserve.  He didn’t stop until he was satisfied we had enough food to last us through the winter.

Such love and concern always amazed me and made me feel very special.  No matter what was happening our lives, grandpa’s call was always a sure thing and his desire to make sure we had everything we needed provided great security and stability to my own life.  I could always count on that call and that meant a great deal to me, especially as a young boy.

Jesus’ disciples must have felt this way as he taught them.  His teaching was filled with examples of God’s love and concern for His children.  He took every available opportunity to show them how much God loved them.  His parables were filled with examples, a father looking for his wayward son, a shepherd searching for the one lost sheep, and a man who stopped by the side of the road to help a wounded stranger.  All of these stories reassured his listeners that God loved them, that he cared for them, and that nothing escaped His notice.  Whatever happened to them, He knew about and whatever they needed, He was aware of.

But perhaps one of the greatest statements Jesus ever made about the love of God and His concern for us is to be found in Matthew 10:30.  In this one sentence, Jesus communicates just how much God knows about us and just how closely He maintains watch over our lives. Jesus said, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”  

Wow, what a statement!  Three small words, very, all, and numbered should make us all feel loved and secure.  By the word very, Jesus means that the least detail of our lives doesn’t escape God’s notice.  By the words all and numbered, Jesus tells us that God’s concern for us isn’t approximate, it is total.  God doesn’t know the approximate number of hairs on our head but He knows the exact number!

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f my grandfather wouldn’t settle for anything less than the exact number of jars of vegetables in our pantry, how much more do you think God cares for you?  How much more attention does He give you on a daily basis?  Lots!  In fact, God gives you His full attention, not just at 6:45 a.m. but at every waking moment of the day and every sleeping moment of the night.  You are never out of His reach, never out of His view, and never out of His mind!   What a wonderful and awesome God we serve.  What a privilege to be called His child!!”

A Gentle Whisper

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any nights I lay in my bed on Main Street and listened to the telltale signs of an approaching midnight train.  The railroad tracks were located right across the street from our home and I always knew when a train was coming. The dishes in our kitchen cabinets would begin vibrating with a low rhythmic hum.  Soon after, the panes of glass in the windows and the entire front door would join in the music, creating a feeling of harmony and security as the train grew ever closer.

Just as the engine passed our home, the engineer would pull down on the whistle, sending a sharp shrill through the air, splitting the silence that had reigned only moments before.  As the whistle disappeared into the darkness, the familiar sound of the boxcars moving along the tracks, their wheels pounding out a steady rhythm, filled the hole in the air left by the train’s whistle. At such times, all communication was impossible because the sound of the train was overwhelming.

After a few minutes, the last car passed by, the rhythmic hum of the railroad cars stopped, and the kitchen returned to its slumber.  All was still and quiet.  The silence was almost deafening but in the stillness, I heard something I hadn’t been aware of before the train’s passing.  There, in the darkness, I could hear the steady ticking of the grandmother clock in our living room.  The pendulum swung back and forth, marking the passage of the night.  As I listened, I relaxed and dozed off into a deep, peaceful sleep. Had it not been for the train, however, I would have taken little, if any notice of the ticking clock in the next room.

The prophet Elijah could identify very well with my experience.  After confronting the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and defeating them, he was running for his life.  Jezebel, the queen, had promised to treat him exactly as he had treated Baal’s prophets.  Elijah heard the sound of the oncoming train and decided to seek shelter as far away from those tracks as his feet would carry him.  As we look at our scripture today, Elijah is in hiding, worried, scared, and unsure of what the future holds.  He has just experienced a mighty move of God in his life but now it seems that all signs point to his destruction.

God, however, has something else in mind for Elijah and we need only look at a few verses from 1 Kings to understand how God works, not only in the life of Elijah, but in our lives as well.  1 Kings 19:11-13 reads, “The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD , for the LORD is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD , but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

There are three distinct things Elijah learned in this passage.  First, if we are to meet God, we must go where He calls us.  We cannot meet Him on ground of our choosing.  Elijah was told to go out and stand on the mountain, not to remain in the cave where he was.  Second, God doesn’t always appear in a flash of fire or a cloud of smoke.  Elijah experienced a strong wind, an earthquake, and a raging fire.  But each time the Scriptures tell us that God was not in these phenomena.  Instead, Elijah heard a gentle whisper (a still small voice in the King James Version) and God was in that whisper. Third, when we become aware of God’s presence, we are humbled.  Like Elijah, we need to cover ourselves, stand in God’s presence, and worship Him. 

There is so much we need to learn from this passage, especially about our Heavenly Father.  He approaches us, not with lightening, or fire, or anything else we conjure up in our minds, but with a gentle whisper.  God is always intimate with us, like a father with his child.  He loves us and cares for us and wants to make Himself known to us in a very real and intimate way.  Earthquakes, strong winds, and fires are sources of fear.  God wants us to approach Him confidently, not out of fear.  The Bible tells us plainly that we are to fear the Lord, that is to respect Him, but it never tells us to be afraid of Him. 

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lijah learned that day that God is always near. He is as near as our breath, as near as our thoughts, and as near as the beating of our hearts.  He chooses to communicate with us, not with whistles and peals of thunder, but through the loving caress of a gentle whisper. Do you hear Him speaking to you today? 

A Lesson On Main Street

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ain Street was a wonderful place!  On this street, I met my first and best friend, on this street I learned to walk, and on this street I learned to ride a bike.  I received my first skinned knee on Main Street; I got into my first fight on Main Street, and it was on Main Street that I learned just how much my mom, dad, brother, sister, family and friends loved me.

I remember so many occasions when the traffic on Main Street stopped my play and turned my thoughts elsewhere.  Some cars were headed toward town, and some were headed the other way, going to who knew where.  From our front yard, I could see in both directions.  To my left, I could see the stop light and some of the buildings of our town.  To my right, Main Street stretched a great distance until it curved out of sight.  I was convinced that this is where the world ended because when cars went around that curve they disappeared!

My dad worked just up the street from our home.  Every day he would come home for lunch and in the evening he would walk home for supper.  I can still see him as he walked down the sidewalk on Main Street and I remember running to meet him and jumping up into his arms and him carrying me the rest of the way home.  However, there was one time when dad’s walk home wasn’t’ the most pleasant experience for me.  It was the first time I remember him disciplining me and, like most other things in my life, it happened on Main Street.

It was around lunch time and I was standing in our front yard watching the cars go by.  Not satisfied with being an observer, I decided it would be fun to participate.  So, I began throwing small stones at the passing cars, not realizing what I was doing.  Several cars passed by and the stones fell harmlessly in front, behind, or on the other side of them.  One stone, however, performed perfectly, hitting a car and causing the driver to stop!  As luck would have it, my dad was walking down Main Street and saw the whole thing!  Moreover, he knew the driver of the car and that made it even worse.

When he got to me, he took my hand, led me into the house, and he gave me a spanking.  Then, he did something far worse, he made me call the lady whose car I had hit and apologize to her.  I remember daddy standing me up on the counter.  He dialed the number, got the lady on the phone, handed it to me, and made me apologize.  Through tears and sobs, I finally got it out.  There had been no damage to the car, but there had been damage to my character and daddy knew how to fix it!  It wasn’t fun at the time, but I learned my lesson and I learned respect for my dad.

The writer of Hebrews knew that the Christian life is not without its moments of discipline.  He understood that we get out of line, that we do things we shouldn’t or fail to do the things we should.  The writer also understood that God, like our human fathers, will not tolerate character flaws in us and He will discipline us so that we grow to spiritual maturity, doing what is right and pleasing in His sight.

In Hebrews 12:9-10, we have a vivid picture of why God disciplines His children. “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!  Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.”

There are so many truths locked in these two verses.  Discipline teaches us respect for our earthly fathers because we know that they discipline in order to teach us right from wrong.  But they discipline us for only a little while, then we go out on our own, armed with the knowledge and experience they have provided.  But God disciplines us for life and He does so for our own good.  Left to ourselves, we would never lead holy lives.  We need God’s discipline and instruction in order to please Him.

God’s discipline does have a purpose.  The closing words of this passage tell us plainly that God disciplines us for one purpose and one purpose only, “that we may share in his holiness.”  Think about that!  God disciplines us so that we can have a relationship with Him.  He disciplines us in order to remove everything from us that keeps us from living according to His will and His commands. 

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ust like my dad, God will not tolerate harmful behavior.  He will not let us get away with anything, not even a little stone-throwing.  God’s aim is not to make us comfortable, but to teach us right from wrong.  Sometimes that teaching involves discipline and God teaches His best lessons on Main Street!

You Are Clear For Take Off!

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he DFW airport is a place of constant activity.  At anytime during the day or night airplanes take off and land at a steady pace.  The sky above the Metroplex area is always filled with planes that are either leaving the airport or are awaiting permission to land.  It is not unusual, especially at night, to see multiple sets of landing lights as the planes make their final approach to the airfield.

Driving to the airport is also an adventure.  People are always making a mad dash to catch that last-minute flight and it seems that the traffic on the ground is as congested as the traffic in the air.  Yet, amidst all this seeming confusion, the flights at DFW take off and land on schedule and, with very few exceptions, everything runs pretty smoothly and according to plan.

As you enter the airport and pick up your parking ticket, you are immediately faced with one of three traffic control towers.  These towers are the brains of DFW. Nothing happens, not one plane lands or takes off, not one plane enters or leaves a gate, without the permission or the knowledge of the people in the tower.  They stand guard over the entire complex, keeping abreast, not only of all the planes on the ground, but of every plane on approach to DFW.  One can only imagine the atmosphere in that tower as several controllers keep careful vigil over their radar screens, tracking every movement of every plane in the air and on the ground.

Would it surprise you to know that this example clearly demonstrates the way God watches over his children?  Do you realize that nothing you do escapes the loving eyes of your Heavenly Father?  Everything we do, every move we make, every trial we face, and every joy we experience captures God’s attention.  What a comforting thought this should be to us today.  When we feel as if life is upside down and that nothing makes any sense, we must remember that God is in the control tower, observing us, making sure that all conditions are favorable so that we arrive safely and on time.

Deuteronomy 11:12 speaks of God’s watchful eye and of his promise to oversee every aspect of our lives.  Before the Hebrew children entered the Promised Land, God already knew where they were heading and all of the obstacles they would face.  He had watched over the land for centuries, preparing it for their arrival.  However, God also prepared the people so that they would be ready to take the land once they arrived safely in it.  Let’s look at what this passage of scripture says. “It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.”

Here, in this passage is one of the most wonderful promises God gives us.  Notice that His eyes were on the land “continually, from the beginning of the year to its end.”  That means God’s eyes never left the land.  He always kept vigil over it, knowing every move that was made in it and He waited until the conditions were right for the people to enter.  God watched over the land because He had promised it to Abraham’s descendants.  God will never break His promises and He will never forget them.

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o, if God carefully watches over the land where we are heading, doesn’t it make sense that He would diligently keep His eyes on us as well?  Yes, His eyes are on us all the time.  They never leave us and His presence is always with us, no matter what we are facing or what our circumstances tell us.  God keeps watch over us from the beginning of the year until its end.  God sits in the control tower of our lives, making sure that all conditions are favorable for us to taxi to the run way and take off.  As long as we maintain contact with Him, we can be assured of arriving at our destination safely and on time.  Are you cleared for takeoff today?

You Can Count On It!

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lex had been looking forward to this day for a long time.  Vacations were always special in his family because his parents always chose exciting and interesting things for him to see and do.  His dad always asked for Alex’s input when they were planning the vacations and sometimes his parents actually heeded his advice.  But this summer vacation was special because Alex had planned the whole thing.  His dad had told him a little over a year ago to decide where he wanted to go and the family would make plans for the following summer.

At first, Alex thought this would be a cinch. There were so many places he hadn’t seen and so many things he hadn’t done and he believed that making a choice wouldn’t be all that difficult.  However, he soon realized that making preparations for a vacation, especially for a family, could be a formidable task. 

Early on he decided he wanted to go west and his father said that would be an excellent choice since the family had not ventured further than the Mississippi River in their travels.  But that was still a lot of real estate to cover.  Every week, it seemed some new place crossed his mind, or he saw a commercial on television, or learned something new in school.  The task was becoming almost impossible but his dad was persistent, it had to be Alex’s choice. 

Finally, one Thursday afternoon in November, Alex hit the door beaming with delight and smiling like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland.  Earlier that morning, his class had watched a film on geysers and other natural phenomenon. Alex had been taken with the footage of a geyser in Yellowstone National Park called Old Faithful.  The narrator had said that the geyser erupted approximately every hour or so and that people from all over the world came to see it.  The geyser had never failed and could always be counted on to give a spectacular performance.

Alex decided right then and there that his family would make the pilgrimage to Yellowstone to visit Old Faithful and his parents heartily agreed.

All of us could be Alex in this story.  There is something exciting about choosing places to visit and striking out on our own.  But we soon find that life offers us so many things from which to choose that the task is daunting and intimidating at times.  Many things peak our interests and we don’t know which ones are best for us.  Like Alex, we become overwhelmed, and perhaps a little frustrated.

But Alex’s choice does carry a great kernel of truth for us today.  What we are all searching for is someone we can count on, someone who is faithful, who keeps his word and his promises no matter what.  We want to count on them in the same way Alex was counting on Old Faithful to fulfill all the expectations he had for his family’s vacation.

God is what we are looking for.  In this world of shifting morals, ever changing values, where the lines between right and wrong often get blurred, we need to know that God is faithful to us.  We must know and understand that God always keeps his promises to us, that he is always aware of us, that he never forgets us, and that he never, never, never leaves us alone.  Joshua wanted to impress this upon the Israelites so they would remember God’s love for them.

In Joshua 23:14 he says, “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.” At the end of his life, Joshua could look back and see how God had kept all his promises.  God had promised Abraham descendants that could not be counted and Joshua was looking at a nation.  God had promised a homeland, and Joshua was standing and living in it.  God had promised to always protect them and he had given them rest on every side.  All these things God promised and all of them came true. Not one promise failed!

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his is the same God we worship today and these same promises are ours!!  Look back over your life and you will see the many ways and the many times God has fulfilled his promises to you.  His word never fails.  His word is true and just and will always accomplish his purposes.  Just like Old Faithful, you can count on him to come through for you right on time!

Tassels To The Left

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ay 25, 1985 stands in my memory as one of the most important events in my life.  On that day, in front of parents, family members, and friends, I walked across the stage and received my college diploma.  Since our college was small, we held the ceremony outside on the front lawn underneath the trees.  Our registrar, Dr. Burts, had taken great pains to explain to us over and over again the proper procedure for receiving the diploma from the president and the proper manner in which we were to conduct ourselves.

Finally, the moment came and we walked out of the main building, through the faculty, and took our places.  There was much pomp and circumstance.  The orchestra played, all the faculty members were present in their hoods and gowns, all the guests arrived on time, and the keynote speaker was warmed up and ready to go.  The stage was decked with the banners and flags of the college and the entire community, from the college president to the local soda shop owner, attended the event.

After a few songs, after recognizing several people who had made contributions to the college, and after the keynote address, it was time to receive our degrees.  We all listened intently for our names to be called. That was the signal to walk across the stage and receive the diploma in our left hand, not forgetting to shake the president’s hand with our right.  As soon as we received the diplomas, we remembered to perform the last gesture that would make the ceremony complete.  After receiving the diploma, we were to change our tassels from the right of the mortar board to the left, signifying we had graduated with a college degree.

The idea of the tassel, however, is not a recent one.  Would it surprise you to know that the Old Testament actually talks about tassels and has a specific purpose for them?  Let’s take a quick look at a passage from the book of Numbers and see what God has in mind when he instructs the Israelites to put tassels on their garments.

In Numbers 15:39, the Scriptures tell us, "It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot.”  Here, God is talking about the prayer shawl that was used to cover the heads of the people.  It was a single cloth with tassels along the edge of the garment.  Notice the role these tassels were to play in the prayer life of God’s children.

The tassel served as a reminder of God’s commandments.  The people were always to keep God’s commandments in their minds and in their hearts.  They were to remember the mighty acts God performed in bringing them out of Egypt and they were never to forget to place God first in their lives and to follow his commands.  But God didn’t want the people just to remember his commandments; he wanted them to follow them and to obey them.  He knew that if the people got their eyes off of him and on the things of the world, they would encounter great hardship and misery.  The same is true for us today.  Unless we keep God foremost in our lives, we run the risk of breaking fellowship with him and encountering all kinds of trials, difficulties, and outright catastrophes along life’s road.

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s there a tassel in your life today?  Is there something to remind you of God’s great love and care for you?  When you come to God in prayer do you remember how much he loves you and how much he wants the very best for you?  Have you turned your tassel to the left?  Have you graduated and increased in your knowledge of the living God? Why not start today?

Weightlifting 101

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he weight room in our high school gym was one of the most popular places on campus.  This was especially true for the guys training for football, basketball, track and field, or baseball, a sport for which our town remains well-known and respected.  However, the weight room was not only used by student athletes.  Some of the teachers and coaches used the facilities to remain in good physical shape.

Each day after school, guys would pour into the gym, dress out, and begin their exercise routines.  Some would use free weights, others would use the available machines, and the rest would do exercises or spot for those lifting. All those using the weight room had one goal, to increase their strength, reduce their body fat, and build muscles.

The results of their labor were evident.  Not long after they started training, all the guys began taking on a different appearance.  They grew bigger and stockier.  Their increased size and strength evidenced their dedication to become physically fit.  However, there was another by product which could not be seen but was just as real.  That by-product was pain. 

Before entering training, everyone knew that pain would be a part of the process.  In order to build muscle, you have to tear muscle.  Tearing a muscle is never fun and it is never done without pain. But without pain, without constant training and stretching, muscle does not grow, strength is not increased, and a good physical condition is not maintained.

This same principle applies to our spiritual conditioning as well.  If we mean to grow spiritually, we must exercise our faith.  This is never easy and it is never pain-free.  If you’ve ever tested your faith, if you’ve every increased your ability to trust God, chances are you’ve paid a visit to God’s weight room.  The only way to grow more faith is to be torn, stretched, and strained so that your faith in him can grow.

This is what the James had in mind when he wrote the following, “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:3-4).  Just as an athlete’s goal through training is to perfect his body, so the goal of spiritual training is to perfect our souls.  Notice that James says that the goal of the spiritual workout is perfection.  He does not mean we will be perfect, we’re human.  However, he does suggest that we will be complete, lacking in nothing.

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od’s goal for us as Christians is to be complete in him.  We achieve this only by increasing our faith and our trust in him.  In order for our faith to grow, it must be tested, stretched, and strained.  Only when this happens can new and stronger faith grow.  God does not leave us to go through this alone.  He is there beside us, watching us, making sure the load does not over burden us.  He knows just how much weight is needed to make us stronger in him.  So, are you up for some spiritual bench pressing today?