Monthly Archives: July 2015
Pastor Wrinkles: Little Heroes, Big World Pt. 3
Today we are stepping into part three of the sermon series, “Little Heroes. Big World”. If you have missed Pt. 1 or Pt. 2
they can be found Here and Here.
Haggai said,
Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’
6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Haggai 2: 2-9
You see, God knew the struggle going on in the hearts of the Israelites. He knew that the people or at least some of the people, realized exactly how much greatness they had lost. He knew that while the temple they had built was a restoration, it was also a reminder of just how weak they had become. God was calling the people of Jerusalem to do some pretty heroic things at that particular time and the people were realizing that their strength would not be enough. They were little heroes with little power in a big world.
Today God is in the business of restoring many of us as well and He is telling us about big plans He has for us, for our families, for our lives. And like the Israelites of Haggai’s day, we are coming to understand that while God has restored us the plan of God is bigger than us and that we are little heroes with little power in a very big and very scary world.
Frankly, that is just how God intended it. He knows we are little heroes with little power in a very big and scary world. Still, He intends that we should move forward with His plans no matter how big, no matter how scary, no matter how impossible those plans seem.
How does that seem to you?
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Symbols
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Symbol.”
This week the Daily Post has asked us to display and elaborate on symbols that are meaningful to us.
I suppose it won’t surprise anyone who knows me that the cross or the crucifix is one of the symbols that is most important to me. Every time I look to it I remember,
he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53: 5,6
I am also reminded that because Jesus died and rose again, We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[h]
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[i]56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Cor. 15:51-57
But I have other symbols which run a close second to the cross such as…
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Ge. 9:12-16
And also…
which stands for freedom, liberty and responsibility. And finally…
this symbol reminds me, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.” I Cor. 13:4-8
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Pastor Wrinkles: Little Heroes, Big World Pt. 2
Today we are continuing with part 2 of the series, “Little Heroes, Big World”. If you missed part one check it out HERE.
Now on to today’s post
Before we begin in earnest, I want to bring a little context to the verses we read in part one of “Little Heroes, Big World”. For some of you this might be old news but when reading Scripture understanding the context, the story that is going on around the Scripture, is very important in helping us understand the Scripture itself.
In order to understand our text in Haggai 2, we have to go back to the year 588 B.C. In that year the city of Jerusalem was attacked by the Babylonian armies under King Nebuchadnezzar. The walls were breached after a two-year siege and in 586 B.C. the people of Jerusalem, totally beaten and starving, were led away into a 70 year exile in the city of Babylon
After about 50 years of slavery in Babylon a new King, named Cyrus, rose to the throne and he allowed the Jews to return to their homeland to rebuild the temple which had been destroyed in 586 B.C.
Some of the Jews returned and they rebuilt their houses but for many years no work was done on the temple. Then God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to remind the people that they were supposed to be building a temple. The people obeyed and rebuilt the temple and on the day it was dedicated in 516 B.C. the people all gathered. The Book of Ezra tells us that the young people cheered because the new Temple was built. But the old people who had seen Solomon’s Temple wept because the new Temple was nothing in comparison to the original. The sound of weeping and cheering mixed together and grew so loud that people could hear it for miles away but could not understand exactly what the sound was because it was so mixed.
Into this confusing harangue Haggai the prophet stepped and he spoke the words we read in part 1.
How would you have felt in this situation? Jubilant or saddened?
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Share Your World With Cee 2015 Week#27
It is time once again to share a little bit of myself with the world!
If you want to join in this forum of sharing click the icon above and go to Cee’s spot and share your own thoughts!
Here are this week’s sharing questions posed by the lady herself:
What is your favorite month of the year?
I love the month of June into the beginning of July. The days are heading towards their longest frame and everything in our hemisphere smells so fresh, sweet and clean. The lilacs blossom along with the apple trees. Then the black locust comes out smelling all of grapes and jasmine, followed by the wild roses and then the cultivated roses and then just as the real heat of summer kicks in the spices start to release their fragrance.
Do you drink coffee at all?
Only five cups a day so not all the time but I suppose its enough. 🙂
Until then I imagine I will treat myself daily to my favorite treat of all…good coffee.
Coffee in Delft
Coffee In Maine
What was one of your first moneymaking jobs (other than babysitting or newspaper delivery)?
My father owned a restaurant so one of my first jobs was as a dishwasher. We dishwashers in those days washed dishes, cleaned bathrooms, swept, washed and vacuumed floors, peeled potatoes, kept inventory and played fetch for the cooks. It was fast paced and I really liked it (except the working on Sundays part).
List: If you play video/computer games list 5 games you like?
This question is entirely inapplicable to me. I am not sure I can even name five video games never mind play them!!!
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I am so grateful I made it through the sermon this last Sunday. Our District Superintendent just happened to stop by on Sunday morning for a visit (he’s the AG equivalent of a bishop). strangely when he came in I wasn’t even nervous. That must have been God. This week (even though it is almost over) I am looking forward to getting more writing done!
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Pastor Wrinkles: Little Heroes, Big World
I recently had the privilege of preaching the Independence Day Message at Cornerstone Church in Winchendon. The message I preached was entitled, “Little Heroes, Big World”.
Over the next several days I will excerpt the sermon for us here so that we can have discussions on what we see in the Scripture.
Our opening Text is from the Book of Haggai chapter 2 verses 2-9
Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’
6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Haggai 2: 2-9
I, of course, have my ideas but I would love to hear from you what stood out to you in this passage.
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Cee’s B&W Challenge: Large Subjects
This week Cee has challenged to bring Black & White to life in a big way by showing photographs of large subjects.
You can click the icon below to see how Cee and her contributors have largely expressed themselves.
Now, I thought to myself when I saw the topic, “What could be larger than the Giant’s Causeway?”
According to legend the causeway was built by the giant Finn MacCool as a road to Scotland so he could fight the giant Benandonner there. The story tells us that Finn went to Scotland but when he saw how big Benandonner was he fled back to Ireland only to be followed by his Scottish enemy.
Finn knowing he was outmatched implored his wife Oona for help. Oona helped Finn by dressing him as a baby and sticking him in a cradle. When Benandonner arrived, the story goes, Oona explained that the “baby” in the cradle was actually Finn’s son rather than Finn himself. Now giant’s are not known for their intelligence, and so it would seem Benandonner was outwitted by Oona; So the great Scottish giant returned home destroying the bridge behind him, assured that if he was nearly outsized by Finn’s baby he would never be a match for the giant himself.
This is called the Giant’s pipe organ. It is said that on a windy night you can still sometimes hear Finn playing a tune for his dear wife Oona. And who would not play a tune for such an obviously intelligent woman?
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A Lingering Look At Windows: Not Windows Anymore
Castle Dunleevy
The Rock Of Cashel
I haven’t participated in Dawn’s “Lingering Look Posts” in a long time. Time hasn’t really allowed me to participate in very much this year. Once upon a time I could write four posts a day. These days if I get five posts out a week I am doing “wicked good”, to use a New England colloquialism.
But when I saw Dawn was doing “Windows That Aren’t Windows Anymore”, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to post a few pics.
Please check out Dawn’s blog by clicking the underlined words above. I hope you have enjoyed my un-windows Here is one more set.
Bricked in Guiness
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Deep In My Soul
More from our c.cada artists.
June 20th several of us artists participated in Art In The Park hosted by C.cada. For those that do not know what C.cada is, it is a community for Christian artists who get together and practice their art form whether it be writing, painting, pencil drawings, water-color, photography, wood carving, musical/instrumental, fabric art, etc. Pastor J- Joseph Elon Lillie over at Lillie-Put is the founder of C.cada and if you would like to see other artists from C.cada including our founder go to artistdayapart.com.
Our founder Pastor J asked the artists to write a piece of poetry keeping in mind the songs that we were going to be singing on the 20th. You will see the list of songs we sang followed by my poem Deep In My Soul.
Song list:
It Is Well
You Are My All In All
Holy and Anointed One
You Alone
Complete
Forever
Deep In My Soul
by…
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A Nice Place to Visit
Here for a visit. Here to work and build His kingdom.
When I was a kid my dad would take the family to Logan airport. We’d park on the upper open-air parking area and just watch the jets fly in and fly out. He also took us to the railroads depots there, too, to watch the trains rumble in and out. As a nine or ten-year-old, those trips had the allure of excitement and adventure. Later on in life, I was impressed with the cultural experiences that were available in Boston. But I also became aware of the crime, the poverty, and the impersonality of city life.
In this life, there are so many things that make living here wonderful. But just like in the city (and towns for that matter), there is an opposite side of life that isn’t so pleasant. What God intended to bless man with, man has, in some way, perverted His work. Think of just…
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Lillie-Put 