Tag Archives: spiritual growth

The First Mowing

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my pseudo-elizabethan garden

my pseudo-elizabethan garden

I finished my first mowing of the spring season the other day. I am very happy that the green grass is back and growing!

The hard thing about the first mowing is figuring out just how to go about it. After the long winter, the guidelines that were well-worn into the grass by the end of summer are all gone. It is like starting from scratch.

Life can be kind of like the first mowing can’t it? I mean, one minute everything is going along at its pretty pace and then suddenly a winter of an interruption moves into place and before you know it all your neatly organized systems of living, all your patterns, your regimens are broken.

In the middle of the interruptions we keep wishing for things to get back to normal.

The child is sick and we say “When the sickness is over and he’s well again we’ll get things back to normal.”

In the midst of the bankruptcy we keep reminding ourselves “It will all be back to normal soon.”

But when all is said and done and the chilly trial is coming to its glad conclusion what I have discovered is that what I once considered normal has disappeared. The lines of normal which once seemed so clearly etched into the lawn of my life have up and gone. It seems that just when I am all set for normal to return what was normal has ceased to exist.

As I started up my mower the other day I quickly realized my dilemma. I couldn’t see the old lines I used to follow and I had forgotten where they were. You would think after a hundred times mowing the lawn it would be simple to just pick up where I’d left off, but something had changed over the winter. I burned some brush opening new areas of lawn. The snow plows had chopped up another section. A branch fell here. Some new seedlings I wanted to keep had sprouted in odd locations there. My old methods didn’t fit anymore.

Maybe you have been through a trial. Maybe life has changed unexpectedly and now you are finding what used to be normal no longer fits. What’s a body to do?

1. Let go of old patterns that no longer fit. Nothing stays the same forever except God. Come to it that He is the only One who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

2. Embrace the opportunity to try something new. What was normal no longer is but God can bless the new patterns of your life as much as He blessed the last maybe even more so.

3. Give yourself a break as you begin to change. As I was mowing the new pattern into my lawn I realized that some of the new things I was trying to get the lawn done were not working or looking so good. That’s OK. It is only the first mowing. I have a whole summer ahead to get it right and so do you!

 

Heaven Pt. 147: In the Lion’s Den

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Mel4

I cry out to God Most High
    to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
    disgracing those who hound me. 
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.

4 I am surrounded by fierce lions
    who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
    and whose tongues cut like swords. Psm 57:2-4

    Let’s just face it. This world is a lion’s den. Oh not everyone out there is a lion but there are enough to go around,  sho’ nuff. If you make it through to your full seventy years chances are you are going to run into at least one ravening lion. I’m not talking about a skunk or a badger or even a nasty dog of a person. The lions are those who not only annoy your steps but who threaten your very existence. They have the power to steal your dreams and reduce your hopes to rubble. They are the people who stand like shadows on the edge of your nightmares waiting to pounce and take everything that seems good and gracious in life.  In the Bible they are the Serpents, the Cains, the Pharaohs, the Sauls and the Judas’.

   So what’s a person to do when facing a lion? Do what the psalmist did. Do what Daniel did. Cry out to God and let Him be the one to shut the mouth of the lion. We serve a God who doesn’t expect us to fight our own battles. He expects us to give the battle over to Him. If He needs our help He will be sure to tell us. More often than not He will probably tell us…

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ 2 Chron. 20:17

Preparing For Peace

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Oude Kerk, Delft

Oude Kerk, Delft

 

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Eph. 6:15

      Last night I began a new series on I Corinthians 13 with our Wednesday night crowd. It’s called Ferocious. I began my final preparations for the class yesterday morning. After an hour of prayer I set up the “classroom in the sanctuary: I set up the dividers and broke out the portable white board ; I created my teaching space and printed out the hand outs and the big classroom sign I had created for the event; Then I set about creating the Spotify music list I wanted playing as people arrived . But preparation for the class actually began a long time ago before I was even asked to teach : There was the actual writing of the blogs from which the class is derived, the life lessons I had to go through so that I could grasp some of the material, and over the last months the organizing of all that material into a cohesive unit that would draw people for seven weeks of classes.

     I got thinking of all this preparation in light of Ephesians 6:15. Paul admonishes “let your feet be  shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Eph. 6:15″. 

    Now there was a time I thought peace was the important part in that verse and it probably still is; But today I am focused on the fact that I’ve been missing that little word “preparation” . The Greek word is “hetoimasia”, which is,”the act of preparing or the condition of a person or thing so far forth as prepared” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

    I have been begging for just a little peace for a while now which means I have been asking God to quiet things down in my life and those lives around me. But like my class I am realizing that peace isn’t something that just happens. In fact Jesus said that life in this world would never offer peace outright“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.

    The world can only ever offer trouble. Peace doesn’t come from circumstances it comes from Jesus and I am coming to it that accessing the peace of Jesus involves intentional planning just like my class does. If I am to have peace I must prepare a peaceful heart for myself in the midst of a world that is never going to be overly peaceful. So how am I going to prepare my heart for peace? God has shown me three things I am to do.

1. I am going to pray focused on God rather than on problems:Isaiah 26:3 reads “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

The longer I live as a Christian the more I learn that effective prayer is about praying in the positive and not about praying out the negative.

2. I am going to intentionally schedule quiet time. I had a coaching session yesterday in which I realized I need an intentionally scheduled quiet time away from people AND electronics if I am going to maintain a peaceful attitude throughout the week. I need to schedule some time alone in a garden or by a lake.

3. I am going to begin to schedule with the word “no” in mind.  If I am to prepare for peace I have to start living within the boundaries of God’s expectations for me and I have to stop being guided by the expectations of others.

These are three things I feel I need to do to prepare for peace. What are some of the things you do to create peace around yourself?

Heaven Pt. 146: Nothing Hidden

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sun_viewed_through_camera_lens

From heaven the Lord looks down

and sees all mankind;

14from his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth—

15he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do. Psalm 33:13-15

There are so many things about this world I just don’t “get”.  I don’t “get” why God heals one guy from cancer but lets another die. I don’t “get” why one girl is rescued from human trafficking and another is left to live out her days in bondage. I don’t  “get” why some days I can look temptation square in the eyes and deny it any power at all and on other days it seems like a battle just to stay spiritually alive never mind victorious. It’s a good thing the spinning of the globe doesn’t rely on my understanding, because if it did I am quite sure the world would come to a screeching halt.

The world doesn’t rely on my understanding. Fortunately it doesn’t have to. I may not understand much of anything (and the longer I live as a Christian the more I come to understand that I really understand almost nothing of everything) but God knows everything about everything. He sees all mankind and understands the depths of every man and woman’s heart. He understands and knows our motives and he “gets” how every inner-working interplays with every other inner-working on the planet. He gets the butterfly effect…good golly He is the butterfly effect! So if today there is something you don’t “get” just commit it into the hands of the One who is Wisdom!

Heaven Pt. 145: the Right Hand From Heaven

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sun_viewed_through_camera_lens

6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call. Psalm 20:6-9 KJV

She smiled at me. Her most disarming smile it was. “Oh! It is so good to see you. I  heard about….I just think that’s the most wonderful idea… all kinds of support I’m sure.”

My blood ran cold and I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder  to see who was getting ready to stick the knife in my back. It was something of the lie that floated behind her smiling eyes. I couldn’t hear her words of encouragement through the static of her actual agenda.

Like me, I’m sure you’ve been to the place of dangerous shadows more than once. Every step on that field is spongy and sure to give way at a moment’s notice. But how we walk in the face of impending danger designates us faithful or otherwise. Do we answer trouble real or perceived with our own strength, our own show of arms or do we remember that success is found only in the name of the Lord our God?

God has promised salvation by the power of His right hand. God has promised to hear our cries from His throne in Heaven…if we make them. And there’s the rub! If we want God’s salvation…if we want God’s saving strength to flow into us we have to seek it. We must pray!

If we pray, God will help. If we try to help ourselves and exclude God from the process God will watch from a distance.

So what do you do when your heart is overwhelmed? What do you do when you are in trouble? Do you just knuckle down and work harder? Do you fight and scheme in your own strength? Or do you go to the God of all power and might and solicit His aid?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Ma. 11:28-30

Heaven Pt. 144: Two Things We Can’t Hide From

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The “Heaven Posts” are a word study through the Bible concerning the use of the word “Heaven”. sun_viewed_through_camera_lens

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

 Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words,

whose voice is not heard.

 Their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,

which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

  Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

and its circuit to the end of them,

and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

the rules of the Lord are true,

and righteous altogether.

 More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

  Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 19:1-12a

Anywhere you go on the face of the Earth you are going to be confronted with the heat or the light of the sun. In some places it is warmer. In some places it’s light lasts longer but wherever you go it is always there.

Likewise the Word of the Lord is inescapable. Even those who have never been exposed to it somehow know the core of it and are convicted of the depths of their own sin.

Paul says it this way: “

 what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,7 in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things…28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do bwhat ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Rom. 1:18-32

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them Rom. 2:12-15

We can pretend it isn’t so. we can cover our eyes and say “I can’t see the light.”

We can close our ears to the gospel and say “I can’t hear you!”

But in the end there are two things everyone will have to attest to: The sun shone on our lives and the gospel message was true!

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.  Phil. 2:9-13

Dear reader let me encourage you to give your life to Jesus today! Choose Him as your only God.

Heaven Pt. 143: You Can’t Fix Stupid! But Jesus Can!

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100_0350Psalm 14

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 Only fools say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!

2 The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
3 But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.[a]
No one does good,
    not a single one!

   Growing up, I was the kid who just couldn’t seem to fit in with the crowd. I was clumsy, slow and chubby. I excelled at music and drama and academics. I had an interest in all things paranormal and worst of all I dressed funny. It seemed there was at least one thing in me everyone could dislike. Sometimes it bothered me that I wasn’t more widely accepted by my peers.

My father, always quick with the pithy sayings once told me, “Son you can always fix your issues. You’re a smart kid. Just be glad of that, because you never can fix stupid!”

I recalled that little memory more than once and would tell myself, “Yeah J, at least your not stupid.”

Then I learned it wasn’t true, at least not in God’s eyes. His standards had nothing to do with how well I played baseball or soccer, the fact I only fit into “husky” jeans, played the flute in fourth grade,  could diagram sentences or believed firmly in UFOS. His standards for considering me wise had everything to do with my level of true righteousness and even by the time I was twelve I knew I couldn’t claim anything close to the perfection He required. I came to a point where with the Psalmist I realized my sin made me a stupid fool. In fact the Bible said everyone in the whole world was in the same boat with me.

Thankfully, the Bible doesn’t end leaving us “stupid”. The story starts with the naked truth,

“2 The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
3 But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.[a]
No one does good,
    not a single one!”

It continues on with God coming to help stupid people like me.

Now, you can say, ” Oh PJ don’t call yourself stupid.”

I know in our culture foolish sounds a little better than stupid, but folks, it really amounts to the same thing. We are a race that has a capacity to touch Heaven and yet, even when we are told this, our genetic predisposition is to deny that fact and to continue in sin on the broad way to an eternity of torment. If that ain’t stupid I don’t know what is.

But I digress. God helped us by sending His son Jesus to die on a cross and then by breaking the power of death as He raised that same Jesus from the dead.

I cannot claim to have the wisdom that kept me from ever sinning. But I can claim the wisdom that embraced the only plan God ever gave for saving myself. I have discovered, His grace is enough!

Y’know I never did become the cool kid with all my peers. Accepting Jesus didn’t make me “Awesome” in their eyes. But being smart enough to realize I couldn’t fix my own problems… smart enough to realize I needed Jesus, well that has made me accepted by God and I have gotta tell you that is a pretty amazing feeling.

Pray with me:

Lord I realize that my sin has made me a fool in your eyes. I confess I have lacked wisdom. I confess without your help I cannot follow the ways of wisdom or righteousness. Jesus please forgive me for every time I have failed. Forgive me and help me to change. I don’t know how to change myself. I lack the knowledge. I lack the wisdom but I know you have it for me. Help me God. My life is yours. Thank you for coming to my rescue.

Amen.

Heaven Pt. 142: So What Are You Going To Do?

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Mel11

In the Lord I take refuge.
    How then can you say to me:
    “Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
    they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
    at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
    his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;
    a scorching wind will be their lot.

7 For the Lord is righteous,
    he loves justice;
    the upright will see his face. Psalm 11

This world needs warriors! The Earth needs men and women sold out to Christ who are not going to back down in the face of “overwhelming opposition”. It would seem the foundations are being destroyed. The nations are falling into the quagmire of  bad-politics, bad economies and even worse moralities.

Oh I hear the cry as well as you do…”Run! Hide! Protect Yourself! Flee to the mountains! Withdraw! Christianity is a lost cause!”

Christianity may leave the face of the Earth but that will be via the rapture not because it is a dying religion. The foundations might be destroyed but to that event I give the same answers my forbears gave when the Roman Empire collapsed..”It is on Christ the solid rock I stand! All other ground is sinking sand.”

In the end we have a better reason to hope than anyone  else on earth has. Our hope is in Jesus and as the old song goes “Jesus never fails”. So, Warrior Christian don’t flee to the mountains. God sees you from Heaven! He has your cause and He has your back. Run towards the burning building and see who you can rescue from it!

Turbo Follow Week 9

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imagesCA74DISE

 

This is our final Turbo Follow blog! As you know  Cornerstone Church Winchendon is into week  9 of a congregation-wide study written by, Daniel McNaughton and Bryan Koch, entitled Follow: Learning To Follow Jesus. Each Sunday our pastoral staff has been preaching from one of the seven attributes covered in the book while the congregation has read the daily devotions and participated weekly in a life group focused around the topic at hand.

 

The group I am tasked with leading has been dubbed “Turbo Follow”. Rather than approaching the class as a traditional Bible study we have chosen to act as an accountability group. The class begins with a brief overview of the daily devotionals. Then participants break into smaller, accountability groups. Each group participant asks questions of their fellows concerning the teachings. At the end of each class individuals are asked to decide what God would have them do in light of what they have learned. Then we pray for each other.  

As I said, this is our  last post for the Turbo-Follow group. I hope you  had fun. Please let me know this week what you have been learning as you have FOLLOWED!

Last week we had our discussions on Learning to manage our lives through Christ’s power.  Here is a synopsis of each day’s devotional material:

 

Day 1: God wants you to learn to manage your thought life.

Day 2: God wants you to learn to manage your money.

Day 3: God wants you to learn to manage your body.

Day 4: God wants you to learn to manage your words.

Day 5: God wants you to learn to manage your time.

Day 6: God wants you to learn to manage your gifts and talents.

Here are the questions we asked of one another in our group:

  1. Of the “Managing devotions” which one stood out to you the most?

 

 

  1. What made that particular devotion stand out to you?

 

 

  1. What area of management does God want you to cooperate with Him on?

 

 

  1. How are you going to practically cooperate with Him?