I was mulling over a recent conversation I had with a disenchanted Christian brother. He was upset with me. So upset that he was considering rescinding his invitation for me to speak to his group. Seems he’d heard I was pretty open about who I have fellowship with. He’d read the words I wrote: “If God calls a person his child, shouldn’t I call him my brother?” And, “If God accepts others with their errors and misinterpretations, shouldn’t we?"
He didn’t like that. “Carrying it a bit too far,” he told me. “Fences are necessary,” he explained. “Scriptures are clear on such matters.” He read me a few and then urged me to be careful to whom I give grace.
“I don’t give it,” I assured. “I only spotlight where God already has.”Later I had a great thought. A why-didn’t-I-think-to-say-that? insight.
If the subject resurfaces, I’ll say it. But in case it doesn’t, I’ll say it to you. (It’s too good to waste.) Just one sentence:
I’ve never been surprised by God’s judgment, but I’m still stunned by his grace.
Story after story. Prayer after prayer. Surprise after surprise.
Seems that God is looking more for ways to get us home than for ways to keep us out. I challenge you to find one soul who came to God seeking grace and did not find it. Search the pages. Read the stories. Envision the encounters. Find one person who came seeking a second chance and left with a stern lecture. I dare you. Search.
You won’t find it.
Seems to me God gives a lot more grace than we’d ever imagine.
We could do the same.
I’m not for watering down the truth or compromising the gospel. But if a fellow with a pure heart calls God Father, can’t I call that same man Brother? If God doesn’t make doctrinal perfection a requirement for family membership, should I?
And if we never agree, can’t we agree to disagree? If God can tolerate my mistakes, can’t I tolerate the mistakes of others? If God can overlook my errors, can’t I overlook the errors of others? If God allows me with my foibles and failures to call him Father, shouldn’t I extend the same grace to others?
One thing’s for sure. When we get to heaven, we’ll be surprised at some of the folks we see. And some of them will be surprised to see us.
Max Lucado
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Trimming and Prunning... John 15
John 15: 2 ERV
"He cuts off every branch of mine that does not produce fruit. He also trims every branch that produces fruit to prepeare it to produce even more."
How much yard work do you do? Did you realize that God is the master gardener! Where are you in respect to this verse?
I have a hard time understanding it, I must say. I don't know what to do with the first part and can't understand the second part. I feel the prunning process in my life at different times. I feel that the Lord allows me to go through things so that I will learn and grow. However, there are many times where I wish there was a different way to learn those lessons. I trust that God has a plan and the he know the way that I need to be prunned.
How does this verse hit you? Let me know your thoughts!!!
Stay Strong, PLD
STP, an IronMan
"He cuts off every branch of mine that does not produce fruit. He also trims every branch that produces fruit to prepeare it to produce even more."
How much yard work do you do? Did you realize that God is the master gardener! Where are you in respect to this verse?
I have a hard time understanding it, I must say. I don't know what to do with the first part and can't understand the second part. I feel the prunning process in my life at different times. I feel that the Lord allows me to go through things so that I will learn and grow. However, there are many times where I wish there was a different way to learn those lessons. I trust that God has a plan and the he know the way that I need to be prunned.
How does this verse hit you? Let me know your thoughts!!!
Stay Strong, PLD
STP, an IronMan
Friday, January 12, 2007
The Touch of God...by Max Lucado
In Scripture the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast: infected by a condition he did not seek, rejected by those he knew, avoided by people he did not know, condemned to a future he could not bear. And in the memory of each outcast must have been the day he was forced to face the truth: life would never be the same.
The banishing of a leper seems harsh, unnecessary. The Ancient East hasn’t been the only culture to isolate their wounded, however. We may not build colonies or cover our mouths in their presence, but we certainly build walls and duck our eyes. And a person needn’t have leprosy to feel quarantined.
The divorced know this feeling. So do the handicapped. The unemployed have felt it, as have the less educated. Some shun unmarried moms. We keep our distance from the depressed and avoid the terminally ill. We have neighborhoods for immigrants, convalescent homes for the elderly, schools for the simple, centers for the addicted, and prisons for the criminals.
The rest simply try to get away from it all. Only God knows how many individuals are living quiet, lonely lives infected by their fear of rejection and their memories of the last time they tried. They choose not to be touched at all rather than risk being hurt again.
Some of you have the master touch of the Physician himself. You use your hands to pray over the sick and minister to the weak. If you aren’t touching them personally, your hands are writing letters, dialing phones, baking pies. You have learned the power of a touch.
But others of us tend to forget. Our hearts are good; it’s just that our memories are bad. We forget how significant one touch can be. We fear saying the wrong thing or using the wrong tone or acting the wrong way. So rather than do it incorrectly, we do nothing at all.
Aren’t we glad Jesus didn’t make the same mistake? If your fear of doing the wrong thing prevents you from doing anything, keep in mind the perspective of the lepers of the world. They aren’t picky. They aren’t finicky. They’re just lonely. They are yearning for a godly touch.
Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. Will you do the same?
From Just Like Jesus Copyright 1998, Max Lucado
The banishing of a leper seems harsh, unnecessary. The Ancient East hasn’t been the only culture to isolate their wounded, however. We may not build colonies or cover our mouths in their presence, but we certainly build walls and duck our eyes. And a person needn’t have leprosy to feel quarantined.
The divorced know this feeling. So do the handicapped. The unemployed have felt it, as have the less educated. Some shun unmarried moms. We keep our distance from the depressed and avoid the terminally ill. We have neighborhoods for immigrants, convalescent homes for the elderly, schools for the simple, centers for the addicted, and prisons for the criminals.
The rest simply try to get away from it all. Only God knows how many individuals are living quiet, lonely lives infected by their fear of rejection and their memories of the last time they tried. They choose not to be touched at all rather than risk being hurt again.
Some of you have the master touch of the Physician himself. You use your hands to pray over the sick and minister to the weak. If you aren’t touching them personally, your hands are writing letters, dialing phones, baking pies. You have learned the power of a touch.
But others of us tend to forget. Our hearts are good; it’s just that our memories are bad. We forget how significant one touch can be. We fear saying the wrong thing or using the wrong tone or acting the wrong way. So rather than do it incorrectly, we do nothing at all.
Aren’t we glad Jesus didn’t make the same mistake? If your fear of doing the wrong thing prevents you from doing anything, keep in mind the perspective of the lepers of the world. They aren’t picky. They aren’t finicky. They’re just lonely. They are yearning for a godly touch.
Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. Will you do the same?
From Just Like Jesus Copyright 1998, Max Lucado
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Wow, Amazing
Isn't it amazing that the God we serve, the creator of the universe, the Infinite and Almighty, came to this earth in the form of man and in John 13 humbled himself to wash the Apostles feet! What an amazing thing. We can't really relate to this physical act of service because our culture is so different than theirs. This was the job for the lowest slave! Jesus humbled himself to the lowest position possible to engage in this activity. That blows me away!
God himself washed their feet!
And then he asks them: "Do you understand what I have done for you?"
They might have a little clearer understanding since foot washing was something that was done in that day, but not by Jesus, God himself!
In chapter 12, Jesus tells them if they are going to serve him, they must follow him. That is tough. They must be thinking, "We have to do this for others?" Yes, Jesus followed up the washing of their feet with the statement, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." You know that would radically change their thought process; much like many things Jesus taught them changed their thought process.
Why do you believe in Christ? Because he did things like this. "He showed them the full extent of his love!" 13:1
This story is amazing!
Stay Strong, PLD
STP, an IronMan
God himself washed their feet!
And then he asks them: "Do you understand what I have done for you?"
They might have a little clearer understanding since foot washing was something that was done in that day, but not by Jesus, God himself!
In chapter 12, Jesus tells them if they are going to serve him, they must follow him. That is tough. They must be thinking, "We have to do this for others?" Yes, Jesus followed up the washing of their feet with the statement, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." You know that would radically change their thought process; much like many things Jesus taught them changed their thought process.
Why do you believe in Christ? Because he did things like this. "He showed them the full extent of his love!" 13:1
This story is amazing!
Stay Strong, PLD
STP, an IronMan
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