Posted on November 19, 2008 at 8:06am.
A couple of weekends ago I spoke on finding God’s will and said that the will of God is not a tightrope but a road to get on. Melissa pointed me (thanks Melissa) to a verse from Ephesians that Women’s Ministry had used a while back as their verse for the year. “You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is present in all.” (from the Message) What a great picture of how life is to be lived. We need to get on the road and travel together with the Lord and with one another.
Posted on November 18, 2008 at 9:56am.
I am doing something that I usually manage to avoid. I am spending a couple of days sitting quietly before the Lord. For me,those times usually involve prepping for the next sermon or thinking through the next steps for the ministry. I hope these days are different. A number of you have asked me where my spiritual food comes from - the answer is times like these. There will be those of you who will say that it not anywhere on your radar what with work, family and all the activities that accompany life. I am sure that “waiting on the Lord” looks different for each of us but I do believe we need to wait. The author of Lamentations says this: “it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Waiting on God to act, to speak, to enter our worlds - oh how important it is. I hope you will ask the question, “What does it mean to wait on the Lord?”
Posted on November 7, 2008 at 7:51am.
Driving around Charlotte the past couple of days has been eye opening. The trees look as though they are on fire - the colors are amazing. It is a picture of the creativity of God. So many kinds of trees and so many different shades of color. As spectacular as nature is it is nothing compared to the marvel of a human life. We are made in the image of the creator which sets us apart from all of creation. The creator also is our savior. That truth is something to be amazed at and thankful for.
Posted on November 6, 2008 at 11:26am.
I came across these words today from George MacDonald a Scottish pastor (1824 - 1905).
“O God’ I said, and that was all. But what are the prayers of the whole universe more than expansions of that one cry. It is not what God can give us, but God that we want.”
May that be the cry of my own heart. To be able to truly say that I want God more than anything he might give me. I wish I could have dinner with MacDonald he knew something I really need to learn.
Posted on November 5, 2008 at 7:07am.
The election is over, we have a new President and many other new leaders. Some folks are thrilled this morning and some are disappointed. As a believer, regardless of my personal preference, how do I respond? I went back to the Bible to help me keep my response a balanced one. I don’t want balance based on what the political experts tell me - I want to know how God would have me respond. Paul says an amazing thing in Romans 13:1. “...for there is no authority except that which God has established.” He further says, in I Timothy 2, we are to pray for all who are in authority in order that “we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” As I pray for those in authority Paul reminds us that our lives are to be lived in a manner that reflects Christ which includes how I speak, how I treat others particularly those I don’t agree with.
So as we pray for President Obama and all the other leaders nationally, state-wide and locally who will lead over the next four years we also need to pray for how we will choose to live as followers of Christ Jesus.
