Good Morning!
My good friend Fred pointed out a mistake I made in yesterday’s Good Morning. The sentence should have read:
I can assure you that my friends who aren’t getting “fed” at their current church didn’t get “fed” at their former church and won’t get “fed” at any church they attend in the future UNLESS they choose to take part in the preparation of the meal.
Sometimes the fingers don’t type what the mind thinks. But this does allow me to reiterate the point that personal growth in Christ begins when we take responsibility for our own personal growth. I have a lot of preacher friends – but not one of them can MAKE me grow in Christ. Growing is a decision that the individual has to make for themselves.
Well, Miss N is back in Southern Regional with another blockage – and I am alone here at home – with the exception of the dogs and the cats and the fish. It is a strange feeling for a guy who has never lived alone. It’s true. I went from my Momma’s house to Miss N’s house without a break. So being alone is a unique experience for this feller. And it reminds me that many people feel very alone – even in the midst of a crowd. We can do something about that – by just being a friend.
I read with interest an article on Fox News website regarding atheists knowing more about religion than any other group. The author was the president of the American Atheists. You can imagine what he had to say about this – or you can go out on the website and read the article. There were several points that he missed on – he even claimed that preachers receive a tax-free living. I know my preacher friends are glad to hear that – but, please, do report your income and pay your taxes. As with most people who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, the author equated Christianity with religion. Well, folks, since religion is a man made system of works designed to reach God and Christianity is a relationship desired by God, the poor atheist got it all wrong. Atheists may know about religion – but they haven’t got a clue about the relationship.
Every facet of what Jesus did was an expression of God’s love for us. Paul said this:
Romans 5:1-8 (English Standard Version)
Peace with God Through Faith
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Our salvation is not a matter of us reaching some lofty goal set by man but a simple step of trust in God’s completed action in Jesus Christ. If only we could convince those who work so hard at not believing…
Today is going to be a good day. I already know it and am looking forward to it.
Agape’
Mr. Jim
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Workers in the Kingdom
Good Morning!
A good friend and I were talking and she mentioned that she was disappointed that she had not been asked to serve on any committee in her Methodist church. Having served on the Nominating Committee on several occasions, I cannot imagine anyone being omitted from consideration. But our conversation got me to thinking... and, boy, are you in trouble when I begin thinking.
In my opinion, the sign of a healthy congregation – whether it be ten or ten thousand – is the number of folks involved in the ministry. We are commissioned to not only share the Good News of Jesus Christ but to teach those who choose Christ everything He taught us. In short, we are to help people get involved.
There is an old principle called the 10/90 Principle. Ten percent of the people do 90 percent of the work and give 90 percent of the resources. Hopefully your church doesn’t fit this principle – or even come close. But if it does, you can help effect a change by getting involved yourself. If you are already involved, you can help change it by encouraging a brother or sister to get involved – and perhaps even leading them to involvement.
Let’s face it – God has given the ministry of reconciliation to EVERY believer – not just the preachers, deacons, and Women’s Missionary Union – or whatever it is called in your fellowship. To accomplish this goal, God has given you Spiritual gifts to use and talents to use. Use them! Don’t let them atrophy.
One of the complaints I hear on occasion from folks who are unhappy with their church is that they are “not being fed”. Well I have a question – when do the servants eat – before or after serving the dinner? You see, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord, I became a bond servant. I am not supposed to eat until I have finished serving and the Master says “eat”. The truth is that when I am involved in the work of the ministry, I get a whole lot more out of it than if I am just sitting, waiting to be served. I get a whole lot more excited about the accomplishments of God when I am involved in the process than if I am merely an observer. I can assure you that my friends who are getting “fed” at their current church didn’t get “fed” at their former church and won’t get “fed” at any church they attend in the future UNLESS they choose to take part in the preparation of the meal.
I have taught Bible studies for almost forty years and I KNOW that the best studies occur when everyone in attendance has studied the Scripture, prayed over it, thought about its history and its current application. Conversely, when the student population has depended on Mr. Jim’s vast (cough) wealth of knowledge (get real), not much has been learned and the studies are pretty flat.
The point is that God has prepared you for service and expects you to serve Him. So do it!!!
(Now I will step off my soapbox …love ya!)
Agape’
Mr. Jim
A good friend and I were talking and she mentioned that she was disappointed that she had not been asked to serve on any committee in her Methodist church. Having served on the Nominating Committee on several occasions, I cannot imagine anyone being omitted from consideration. But our conversation got me to thinking... and, boy, are you in trouble when I begin thinking.
In my opinion, the sign of a healthy congregation – whether it be ten or ten thousand – is the number of folks involved in the ministry. We are commissioned to not only share the Good News of Jesus Christ but to teach those who choose Christ everything He taught us. In short, we are to help people get involved.
There is an old principle called the 10/90 Principle. Ten percent of the people do 90 percent of the work and give 90 percent of the resources. Hopefully your church doesn’t fit this principle – or even come close. But if it does, you can help effect a change by getting involved yourself. If you are already involved, you can help change it by encouraging a brother or sister to get involved – and perhaps even leading them to involvement.
Let’s face it – God has given the ministry of reconciliation to EVERY believer – not just the preachers, deacons, and Women’s Missionary Union – or whatever it is called in your fellowship. To accomplish this goal, God has given you Spiritual gifts to use and talents to use. Use them! Don’t let them atrophy.
One of the complaints I hear on occasion from folks who are unhappy with their church is that they are “not being fed”. Well I have a question – when do the servants eat – before or after serving the dinner? You see, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord, I became a bond servant. I am not supposed to eat until I have finished serving and the Master says “eat”. The truth is that when I am involved in the work of the ministry, I get a whole lot more out of it than if I am just sitting, waiting to be served. I get a whole lot more excited about the accomplishments of God when I am involved in the process than if I am merely an observer. I can assure you that my friends who are getting “fed” at their current church didn’t get “fed” at their former church and won’t get “fed” at any church they attend in the future UNLESS they choose to take part in the preparation of the meal.
I have taught Bible studies for almost forty years and I KNOW that the best studies occur when everyone in attendance has studied the Scripture, prayed over it, thought about its history and its current application. Conversely, when the student population has depended on Mr. Jim’s vast (cough) wealth of knowledge (get real), not much has been learned and the studies are pretty flat.
The point is that God has prepared you for service and expects you to serve Him. So do it!!!
(Now I will step off my soapbox …love ya!)
Agape’
Mr. Jim
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
He Took Our Stripes
Good Morning!
Isaiah 53:4-6 (English Standard Version)
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Have you ever heard the term “whipping boy”? Here is how the term is defined on Wikipedia:
A whipping boy, in the 17th and 18th centuries, was a young boy who was assigned to a young prince and was punished when the prince misbehaved or fell behind in his schooling. Whipping boys were established in the English court during the monarchies of the 15th century and 16th centuries. They were created because the idea of the divine right of kings, which stated that kings were appointed by God, and implied that no one but the king was worthy of punishing the king’s son. Since the king was rarely around to punish his son when necessary, tutors to the young prince found it extremely difficult to enforce rules or learning.
Whipping boys were generally of high birth, and were educated with the prince since birth. Due to the fact that the prince and whipping boy grew up together since birth, they usually formed an emotional bond, especially since the prince usually did not have playmates as other children would have had. The strong bond that developed between a prince and his whipping boy dramatically increased the effectiveness of using a whipping boy as a form of punishment for a prince. The idea of the whipping boys was that seeing a friend being whipped or beaten for something that he had done wrong would be likely to ensure that the prince would not make the same mistake again.
The life of a whipping boy was usually one of sorrow and pain,[citation needed] but, sometimes, they were rewarded by the princes they served. King Charles I of England made his whipping boy, William Murray, the first Earl of Dysart in 1643 after he had been living in the palatial Ham House since 1626 under the request of King Charles I.
Whipping boys were some of the earliest "fall guys". The other parallel is the scapegoat, a practice in the early Middle East, and one referred to in the Old Testament, where one goat was sacrificed, but another was sent out to bear the burden of sins.[1] The children's book The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman, which is about a prince and his whipping boy, was the winner of the Newbery Medal in 1987. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A whipping boy was the substitute when the prince misbehaved and deserved punishment. When we read Isaiah 53, we see Jesus being described as our substitute for our sins. Sometimes we forget that the work of the cross was not about Jesus being martyred but about Jesus being sacrificed for our sins. He suffered the agony of the cross so you and I could be reconciled with God. Here’s how Paul put it:
2 Corinthians 5:21 (English Standard Version)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus accepted the punishment I deserved so that I could be made at one with God. Why would He do that? The answer is simple: He loves me. And that thought makes for a good day…
Agape’
Mr. Jim
Isaiah 53:4-6 (English Standard Version)
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Have you ever heard the term “whipping boy”? Here is how the term is defined on Wikipedia:
A whipping boy, in the 17th and 18th centuries, was a young boy who was assigned to a young prince and was punished when the prince misbehaved or fell behind in his schooling. Whipping boys were established in the English court during the monarchies of the 15th century and 16th centuries. They were created because the idea of the divine right of kings, which stated that kings were appointed by God, and implied that no one but the king was worthy of punishing the king’s son. Since the king was rarely around to punish his son when necessary, tutors to the young prince found it extremely difficult to enforce rules or learning.
Whipping boys were generally of high birth, and were educated with the prince since birth. Due to the fact that the prince and whipping boy grew up together since birth, they usually formed an emotional bond, especially since the prince usually did not have playmates as other children would have had. The strong bond that developed between a prince and his whipping boy dramatically increased the effectiveness of using a whipping boy as a form of punishment for a prince. The idea of the whipping boys was that seeing a friend being whipped or beaten for something that he had done wrong would be likely to ensure that the prince would not make the same mistake again.
The life of a whipping boy was usually one of sorrow and pain,[citation needed] but, sometimes, they were rewarded by the princes they served. King Charles I of England made his whipping boy, William Murray, the first Earl of Dysart in 1643 after he had been living in the palatial Ham House since 1626 under the request of King Charles I.
Whipping boys were some of the earliest "fall guys". The other parallel is the scapegoat, a practice in the early Middle East, and one referred to in the Old Testament, where one goat was sacrificed, but another was sent out to bear the burden of sins.[1] The children's book The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman, which is about a prince and his whipping boy, was the winner of the Newbery Medal in 1987. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A whipping boy was the substitute when the prince misbehaved and deserved punishment. When we read Isaiah 53, we see Jesus being described as our substitute for our sins. Sometimes we forget that the work of the cross was not about Jesus being martyred but about Jesus being sacrificed for our sins. He suffered the agony of the cross so you and I could be reconciled with God. Here’s how Paul put it:
2 Corinthians 5:21 (English Standard Version)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus accepted the punishment I deserved so that I could be made at one with God. Why would He do that? The answer is simple: He loves me. And that thought makes for a good day…
Agape’
Mr. Jim
Monday, September 27, 2010
Encouragement
Good Morning!
I am sure I have said it before but I am enjoying the study of 1st Thessalonians in our Sunday meetings. The church in Thessalonica, from all indications, was not one of those “super” churches – you know, the ones that have thousands of attendees and seemingly an unlimited budget. In fact, indications are that the church at Thessalonica was a struggling church – one undergoing a lot of stress. A number of my preacher friends understand what that means – tight budgets, discouraging results, a sense of ineffectiveness. So Paul sent Timothy to check them out – and Timothy came back with some surprising news. The church WAS having an impact!!!
Adversity isn’t always bad – in fact, adversity can build strength. The problem is that when one is close to the situation they cannot always see the positive results. Sometimes they need someone from the outside to take an objective look. And sometimes they need someone to just give them an encouraging word.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (English Standard Version)
13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
In our study, the question was posed “when do you think of someone constantly”. Well, when do you? I think it is when the person is important to you. Paul is telling the people of the church in Thessalonica that he thanks God for them constantly – they are on his heart. And why? Because they got it – when Paul, Silas and Timothy shared the message of Jesus Christ, the people accepted the message as being from God.
We live in a day and age when people want to pooh pooh the word of God as being just another book written by men. Many people do not recognize the dynamic nature of this collection of 66 books. If they just took the time, they would see how it fits so closely together and would be amazed. And they would see how current it is.
The result of the belief in the message was that the word of God was at work in these people. The struggling church at Thessalonica was having a big impact in Asia Minor. Why? The church was on a major thoroughfare of the region. People passing through heard the message these people preached in word and deed – and many believed. The same thing happens today. You can be assured that God uses you dynamically when you commit to Him.
So – don’t be discouraged. God is using you…
Agape’
Mr. Jim
I am sure I have said it before but I am enjoying the study of 1st Thessalonians in our Sunday meetings. The church in Thessalonica, from all indications, was not one of those “super” churches – you know, the ones that have thousands of attendees and seemingly an unlimited budget. In fact, indications are that the church at Thessalonica was a struggling church – one undergoing a lot of stress. A number of my preacher friends understand what that means – tight budgets, discouraging results, a sense of ineffectiveness. So Paul sent Timothy to check them out – and Timothy came back with some surprising news. The church WAS having an impact!!!
Adversity isn’t always bad – in fact, adversity can build strength. The problem is that when one is close to the situation they cannot always see the positive results. Sometimes they need someone from the outside to take an objective look. And sometimes they need someone to just give them an encouraging word.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (English Standard Version)
13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
In our study, the question was posed “when do you think of someone constantly”. Well, when do you? I think it is when the person is important to you. Paul is telling the people of the church in Thessalonica that he thanks God for them constantly – they are on his heart. And why? Because they got it – when Paul, Silas and Timothy shared the message of Jesus Christ, the people accepted the message as being from God.
We live in a day and age when people want to pooh pooh the word of God as being just another book written by men. Many people do not recognize the dynamic nature of this collection of 66 books. If they just took the time, they would see how it fits so closely together and would be amazed. And they would see how current it is.
The result of the belief in the message was that the word of God was at work in these people. The struggling church at Thessalonica was having a big impact in Asia Minor. Why? The church was on a major thoroughfare of the region. People passing through heard the message these people preached in word and deed – and many believed. The same thing happens today. You can be assured that God uses you dynamically when you commit to Him.
So – don’t be discouraged. God is using you…
Agape’
Mr. Jim
Friday, September 24, 2010
Love Who?
Good Morning!
Matthew 5:43-48 (English Standard Version)
Love Your Enemies
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God is good to us. You might wonder why this Good Morning begins with this passage and the statement that God is good to us. Last night in our Bible study on Psalms 28, we heard David calling on God to whack his enemies – and the question was posed “where does love your enemies come into play here”. The question is valid – because we do see many references asking for God’s vengeance to come upon those who harm us. It is completely human to desire God strike back on our behalf. BUT …
Hatred is a cancer that can destroy you. Hatred takes your focus from God and from goodness and puts it on the object of hate. Jesus understood the psyche of mankind. He understood the devastating effect hatred could cause in a life. And He wants to protect us from this emotion – to give us an out.
But why tell us to love our enemies? Why not just ignore our enemies? Why pray for our enemies? Well, I see a couple of possibilities:
(1) Loving your enemies requires you to change your viewpoint. I can tell you that loving someone who had wronged me is not easy – in fact, within my own power, it is impossible. I have to call upon God to help me deal with the emotions that led to my counting someone as an enemy. In short, God and me have to have a little talk – God doing the talking, me doing the listening. These “conversations” can take some time – because I have to deal with other emotions: anger, bitterness, the desire for vengeance, and the like. But God slowly opens the door to my understanding – and helps me to see where love is possible.
(2) Praying for a person helps you to begin to value them again. All of us make mistakes in life. Some of those mistakes are grievous – causing much harm, sometimes intentionally – and sometimes unintentionally. Those who have become our enemies may have in the past been our friends – and we have permitted the unkind act or comment to impact that relationship. And we are bearing the burden of these hurt feelings. Praying for the person helps us to release the hurt feelings (can we call that forgiveness?) and to see them from a more gentle perspective.
God doesn’t want us to be eaten up with hatred. He wants us to experience the good feeling of loving one another. That is why I say God is good to us.
So, can we call on God to take vengeance on our enemies? Yes! But only if you have some … try loving them and praying for them first.
Have a blessed weekend. Happy birthday to Miss N on Sunday.
Agape’
Mr. Jim
Matthew 5:43-48 (English Standard Version)
Love Your Enemies
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God is good to us. You might wonder why this Good Morning begins with this passage and the statement that God is good to us. Last night in our Bible study on Psalms 28, we heard David calling on God to whack his enemies – and the question was posed “where does love your enemies come into play here”. The question is valid – because we do see many references asking for God’s vengeance to come upon those who harm us. It is completely human to desire God strike back on our behalf. BUT …
Hatred is a cancer that can destroy you. Hatred takes your focus from God and from goodness and puts it on the object of hate. Jesus understood the psyche of mankind. He understood the devastating effect hatred could cause in a life. And He wants to protect us from this emotion – to give us an out.
But why tell us to love our enemies? Why not just ignore our enemies? Why pray for our enemies? Well, I see a couple of possibilities:
(1) Loving your enemies requires you to change your viewpoint. I can tell you that loving someone who had wronged me is not easy – in fact, within my own power, it is impossible. I have to call upon God to help me deal with the emotions that led to my counting someone as an enemy. In short, God and me have to have a little talk – God doing the talking, me doing the listening. These “conversations” can take some time – because I have to deal with other emotions: anger, bitterness, the desire for vengeance, and the like. But God slowly opens the door to my understanding – and helps me to see where love is possible.
(2) Praying for a person helps you to begin to value them again. All of us make mistakes in life. Some of those mistakes are grievous – causing much harm, sometimes intentionally – and sometimes unintentionally. Those who have become our enemies may have in the past been our friends – and we have permitted the unkind act or comment to impact that relationship. And we are bearing the burden of these hurt feelings. Praying for the person helps us to release the hurt feelings (can we call that forgiveness?) and to see them from a more gentle perspective.
God doesn’t want us to be eaten up with hatred. He wants us to experience the good feeling of loving one another. That is why I say God is good to us.
So, can we call on God to take vengeance on our enemies? Yes! But only if you have some … try loving them and praying for them first.
Have a blessed weekend. Happy birthday to Miss N on Sunday.
Agape’
Mr. Jim
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Storms
Good Morning!
We haven’t had too many storms lately – but I can always tell when a storm is approaching. My two dogs, Lilliput and Ladybug, are very afraid of thunder and lightning so when a storm is in the offing, they are glued to me or to Miss N. There is just something about a storm that makes you want to be close to your Master.
Many of us are facing storms in our lives. Some of the storms are of a financial nature: job loss; pay reduction; too much debt. Some of the storms are emotional: divorce; loss of the affection of a child or another loved one; loss of self esteem. And some of the storms are physical: health or accident; approaching death. Each storm may have different origins – but all storms are difficult to face alone.
I am reminded of a storm that struck the disciples. The incident happened right after Jesus spoke on the mount and healed a leper, a servant and Peter’s mom. It begins with Jesus wanting to sail over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee:
Matthew 8:23-26 (English Standard Version)
Jesus Calms a Storm
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." 26And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
One has to wonder why the disciples were so afraid. After all, had they not been present to hear Jesus speak to the thousands gathered on the hillside? Had they not witnessed the leper being made whole – or see the faith of the Roman centurion? Weren’t Peter and Andrew present when their mom was healed? I think they were – so why were they so frightened in the midst of the storm? But then, why are we?
Storms are a part of life. Actually, it seems like we make them focal points of life. How often to you hear people talking about the amazing weather we had before Katrina struck in 2005? Or, in the case of most of us down here in Atlanta, about the mild winters we have? No – we talk about Snow Jam – a snowstorm that occurred in 1982 and paralyzed the city for three days.
Should we be focused on the storms? I think so – because storms test where we stand. Look at what Jesus said about His disciples … “O you of little faith”. At this point in their discipleship, the disciples needed to gain a little more strength in their faith. They needed to see Jesus rise and rebuke the winds and the sea … and there be great calm. They needed to know Jesus has it all under control. We need that too!
When the storm strikes and Lilliput and Ladybug are stressed, I call them to me. I rub their heads and give them a reassuring pat and speak to them calmly, telling them everything will be okay. They depend on their master to do this for them. So do we…
Agape’
Mr. Jim
We haven’t had too many storms lately – but I can always tell when a storm is approaching. My two dogs, Lilliput and Ladybug, are very afraid of thunder and lightning so when a storm is in the offing, they are glued to me or to Miss N. There is just something about a storm that makes you want to be close to your Master.
Many of us are facing storms in our lives. Some of the storms are of a financial nature: job loss; pay reduction; too much debt. Some of the storms are emotional: divorce; loss of the affection of a child or another loved one; loss of self esteem. And some of the storms are physical: health or accident; approaching death. Each storm may have different origins – but all storms are difficult to face alone.
I am reminded of a storm that struck the disciples. The incident happened right after Jesus spoke on the mount and healed a leper, a servant and Peter’s mom. It begins with Jesus wanting to sail over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee:
Matthew 8:23-26 (English Standard Version)
Jesus Calms a Storm
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." 26And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
One has to wonder why the disciples were so afraid. After all, had they not been present to hear Jesus speak to the thousands gathered on the hillside? Had they not witnessed the leper being made whole – or see the faith of the Roman centurion? Weren’t Peter and Andrew present when their mom was healed? I think they were – so why were they so frightened in the midst of the storm? But then, why are we?
Storms are a part of life. Actually, it seems like we make them focal points of life. How often to you hear people talking about the amazing weather we had before Katrina struck in 2005? Or, in the case of most of us down here in Atlanta, about the mild winters we have? No – we talk about Snow Jam – a snowstorm that occurred in 1982 and paralyzed the city for three days.
Should we be focused on the storms? I think so – because storms test where we stand. Look at what Jesus said about His disciples … “O you of little faith”. At this point in their discipleship, the disciples needed to gain a little more strength in their faith. They needed to see Jesus rise and rebuke the winds and the sea … and there be great calm. They needed to know Jesus has it all under control. We need that too!
When the storm strikes and Lilliput and Ladybug are stressed, I call them to me. I rub their heads and give them a reassuring pat and speak to them calmly, telling them everything will be okay. They depend on their master to do this for them. So do we…
Agape’
Mr. Jim
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Broken Spirit
Good Morning!
I know I have sung the song hundreds of times in the past. I have often referred to the song at “the Baptist Anthem” but that is unofficial. It is a song that was penned in 1939 – and was the last song that E.M Bartlett, Sr. wrote before he had a stroke and died two years later. The words are so familiar … and yet, Sunday a phrase in the second stanza of the second verse jumped off the page and grabbed my attention. The phrase was “and then I cried, Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit”.
What was the author talking about? Was it a personal tragedy that led him to write these words? I don’t know. But I do know that a lot of us deal with broken spirits. We live in a world where broken hearts are common; where loneliness is all around us; where people go through the motions of living without any of the joy of life. I have good news for you … God loves you – especially when your heart is broken and your spirit is crushed. But don’t misunderstand – God doesn’t want you hurting but it is when you are hurting God becomes real. David put it like this:
Psalm 51:14-17 (English Standard Version)
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Again, look at a Psalm that talks about what God does with a broken heart:
Psalm 147:3 (English Standard Version)
3He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
Folks, these are promises from God to you for your times of brokenness. These are promises that Jesus will come and heal your broken spirit. What a blessing to know that our Father, God, cares about us when we are broken – crushed – by life. How encouraging to know that God returns the joy of life to us. Several years ago, one of my babies nearly lost that joy of life – but God returned it – and today that child testifies of His goodness everyday.
Yes, there is Victory in Jesus. A great song for a good day:
Victory in Jesus
Words and Music by E.M. Bartlett
© 1939 - Administrated by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.
All rights reserved
1 Corinthians 15:57
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing pow'r revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,"
And somehow Jesus came and bro't
To me the victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I'll sing up there
The song of victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
God bless each of you today.
Agape’
Mr. Jim
I know I have sung the song hundreds of times in the past. I have often referred to the song at “the Baptist Anthem” but that is unofficial. It is a song that was penned in 1939 – and was the last song that E.M Bartlett, Sr. wrote before he had a stroke and died two years later. The words are so familiar … and yet, Sunday a phrase in the second stanza of the second verse jumped off the page and grabbed my attention. The phrase was “and then I cried, Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit”.
What was the author talking about? Was it a personal tragedy that led him to write these words? I don’t know. But I do know that a lot of us deal with broken spirits. We live in a world where broken hearts are common; where loneliness is all around us; where people go through the motions of living without any of the joy of life. I have good news for you … God loves you – especially when your heart is broken and your spirit is crushed. But don’t misunderstand – God doesn’t want you hurting but it is when you are hurting God becomes real. David put it like this:
Psalm 51:14-17 (English Standard Version)
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Again, look at a Psalm that talks about what God does with a broken heart:
Psalm 147:3 (English Standard Version)
3He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
Folks, these are promises from God to you for your times of brokenness. These are promises that Jesus will come and heal your broken spirit. What a blessing to know that our Father, God, cares about us when we are broken – crushed – by life. How encouraging to know that God returns the joy of life to us. Several years ago, one of my babies nearly lost that joy of life – but God returned it – and today that child testifies of His goodness everyday.
Yes, there is Victory in Jesus. A great song for a good day:
Victory in Jesus
Words and Music by E.M. Bartlett
© 1939 - Administrated by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.
All rights reserved
1 Corinthians 15:57
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing pow'r revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,"
And somehow Jesus came and bro't
To me the victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I'll sing up there
The song of victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
God bless each of you today.
Agape’
Mr. Jim
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