Question of the Week ??

What are your New Year's Resolutions for 2007?

Today's Thought of the Day !! - Anyway

Anyway Lyrics
Artist:Martina McBride


You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
(For those on the Gulf Coast)


You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might never come your way
Dream it anyway
(For the young dreamers)


God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
(But still God knows what He's doing)


This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
(Often times how good this world is has to do with our attitude)


You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway
(For all those who've given up on love)


God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
(No matter how bad things get God still loves you)


You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yea - sing it anyway
(Singing, Preaching, Mentoring, whatever the case may be)


I sing
I love
Anyway


It's like this. We can choose to try, knowing that sometimes we will fail...that sometimes this world will seemingly get the best of us. Or we can simply give up.

A lot of people seem to think that they are failures because they haven't accomplished this or that or because they have made some pretty bad mistakes. But God's Word is packed full of Grace for all of us sinners who seem to be messing everything up.

So when life gets you down in 2007, choose to live anyway, with the knowledge that God still loves you and that there is hope because He sent His Son into the world to show us a way out of our sin and hopelessness.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And as (Jesus) sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."
Mark 2:15-17 (NRSV)

What if I were to say many of us might not like to have Jesus over as our dinner guest? Would you think me insane? Would you say, "Of course Jesus would be welcome in my house and at my table anytime!"

And hopefully that would be true. But the underlying assumption that lies beneath the question of whether or not Jesus is wanted at our table is that he wouldn't be alone. Wherever he went, he drew a crowd. And in this crowd could be found everything from high falootin' folks with PhD's to lepers who barely knew who Moses was. There would be politicians and widows; old men and children; honest dealers and thieves.

Can we believe it would be any different today? Doesn't Jesus still attract a whole host of folks including the ones who are sick and in need? The NLT translation uses these words to describe the Pharisees remarks about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, "Why does he eat with such scum?" And if he were to come into your home, don't you think he would ask if they were welcome as well?

Would you say no to the Savior? Of course not. So what would you say to them if they showed up alone? Would we eat with, be considerate to, put up with, share part of our time with, even clean up after what the Pharisees deemed as "scum".

Do we really want Jesus coming over to dinner tonight?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Bloggy Awards (Coming Soon!)

Is everyone ready for the 2nd annual Bloggy Awards?

Be looking for the much anticipated and prestigious awards that are voted on by you the bloggers of the world. They will begin in January so start thinking about who you will vote on for blogger of the year.

Question of the Week ??

What are you asking for Christmas?

What do you think Jesus would want from you this Christmas?


* UPDATE - We've some good answers to both questions...especially what we can give back this year. If you've not answered, please share some ideas of what Jesus might want any of us to give this year. It won't be bragging. It will be sharing how any of us might show the love of God in a practical way this year.

Christmas is almost hear...lets hear from you. That would be what I'm asking for Christmas. :)

Thought of the Day !!

The angel went to [Mary] and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:28

Mary was really just a child. She was not powerful or famous, but instead ordinary. But most importantly, she was highly favored by God. And the Lord was with her.

Of course, this didn't keep her from going through some very difficult times. Can you imagine what the people said about her when they found out she was pregnant and not wed? Actually, she could have been stoned to death if Joseph had chosen that route. Can you imagine how rough it was on her to be "very" pregnant and ride a donkey cross-country to Bethlehem? For us guys, we can never know that. But we've all seen "very pregnant" women and have heard what they endured without the help of bouncing up and down on a donkey. How about how hard it had to be to see her eldest son being tortured and finally crucified?

How about you? Are you going through any difficult times at this moment? Christmas is coming and it's the most joyous time of the year...for many. For some, though, it's the hardest. Depression sets in for one reason or another. If there is anything (big or small) that is troubling you this season, remember this. Just as the Lord was with Mary...so is He with you. He loves you, for you are highly favored by Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7

There are a lot of people in the world today that still have no room for Jesus. Some of these come as no surprise to us. We expect this out of the Scrooges of the world or the evil dictators or even the peaceful atheists. But what if I were to say that many Christians, while finding an hour a week to go to church, actually have no room in them for Jesus either?

When people don't live out what they proclaim on Sunday morning, then they evidently have little room. When all folks think about are themselves, there's no room in their hearts.

Let us all become the kind of innkeepers that have a "Vacancy" sign up when it comes to Jesus. Lets not only let him in, but share him wherever we go. You and I are what's important to Jesus. And it has to hurt when any of us don't find room for him in our lives.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Let us rejoice and call Him our Lord and Savior! He has come to be all these things and will come again riding on the clouds one day to fulfill all the hopes and dreams of His followers. How's that for good news?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

[Mary said,] "For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him."
Luke 1:49-50

God's mercy and love goes on from generation to generation. It never lessons. How have you been shown His love this year? How can you share it with others that need it most this Christmas?

In the love of Christ,
greg

I Guess I'm no Heretic

You scored as Chalcedon compliant. You are Chalcedon compliant. Congratulations, you're not a heretic. You believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, apart from sin. Officially approved in 451. Chalcedon compliant 75% Modalism 67% Pelagianism 58% Nestorianism 42% Gnosticism 42% Arianism 33% Monophysitism 33% Monarchianism 33% Albigensianism 25% Adoptionist 17% Socinianism 8% Apollanarian 8% Docetism 0% Donatism 0% Are you a heretic? created with QuizFarm.com

Hat tip

An Advent Thought from Our Bishop here in Mississippi

Dec. 15, 2006
"In Our Midst"


"The Lord is in your midst." - Zephaniah 3:17


God comes to be with us. Incarnate, en-fleshed.

As we light the candles of Advent, let us be silent before this awesome
mystery: God comes as a vulnerable child to share every experience of
our lives and then to lift us to abundant and eternal life.

Before this mystery, words are insufficient. Music comes closer to
expressing God's purpose and intent, lifting us beyond words in worship
and wonder.

Emmanuel, God-with-us. May you find some quiet space and time to simply
be in awe of the "wondrous light" of this holy season.

Advent blessings,

Hope

Thought of the Day !!

"Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
Luke 1:30-31 (NLT)

Surprise Mary!!! You're gonna have a son!

But I'm a virgin! So?

But I'm not married! So?

But that's not how I imagined my life! So?

But I'll be stoned! No you won't.

Joseph won't marry me! Yes he will.

For nothing is impossible with God. Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.
Luke 1:37-38 (NLT)

Mary didn't actually say all those things above...except for what is found in the text. Or at least I assume she didn't. But can you just imagine those thoughts going through her mind?

When God calls us today, He rarely uses angels like Gabriel to come in front of us and speak to us. I've not seen any talking burning bushes lately either. For some reason (maybe because our faith isn't as strong these days and needs to be tested) He speaks to us in less obvious ways.

I think God wants to surprise all of us with revelations and callings on a much more consistent basis than we want to admit. One reason might be because these revelations and callings interfere with our lives. They may call for sacrifices to made by us or for us to change something. But I doubt many of us will ever be called to sacrifice and change as much as Mary was called to do.

What has God tried to get you to hear lately? Have you been listening? Have you heard? He shocked Mary with an angelic presence, but if we wait for that to happen to us, we may find out later that we missed the boat. Let's seek God today and ask Him to speak to us. Then we will have to be willing to listen and be patient. For He will speak when He's ready...not when we are.

In the love of Christ,
greg

A Fitting Obituary

I am finally home and trying to check my email. Today has been a long day. I woke up at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. I finally got out of bed and went to Starbucks so I could use their Wi-Fi. It was the first time I'd been to a Starbucks for this and wound up spending about $6-$8 just to log on.

Finally, the funeral came. I was a wreck. I had tried to go over what I would say and had never made it through all the way without breaking down. But I had some folks praying for me...even one praying for me throughout the message. And I got through it. Now it's over, I've made the 4 hour trek home, and I'm beat. I'm going to sleep. But first, I wanted thank each of you for your prayers and to share what I called Wayne's obit. It comes from the song Good Man by Emerson Drive.

When all is said and done
I wanna be the one
Who lived a good life, loved a good wife, and always helped someone in trouble.

On the day they lay me down
I want everyone to gather ‘round
And say he was a father, brother, neighbour and a friend
He was a good man!

This was Wayne. And I have promised God and myself and now you that I will do what I can to help his legacy continue. And when I die, I only hope that it can be said that I was half as good a man as Wayne McCord. My brother...neighbor...friend.

Good-bye brother.

And good-night to everyone else.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !! (In Memory of Wayne)

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 (NIV)

Growing up there were times when I had one best friend and other times when I felt like I didn't have a friend in the world. God has blessed me since accepting His call to ministry with many great friends. Even though to have a "best" something may mean just one, for me it means about three. So I had about three truly best friends as of Sunday evening at 8:30pm. It was then that I lost one.

Some of you will know Wayne McCord. Many will not. But my heart is saddened today as I prepare to preach my best friend's funeral at 2pm. If you knew him, this scripture does not have to be discussed because you saw in him exactly what it meant. It was said the other day that I could get up today and simply say that I don't have a funeral message because if you knew Wayne for his 59 years and didn't get the message, then you never will.

Wayne was a person that you couldn't help but love. He made you feel like you were special. He was always positive and never said a cross word about anyone to my knowledge. His heart and passion was for his ministry in Greenville, MS where he had moved into the worst section of town and lived among the poor and reached out each week, especially to the kids in the neighborhood. To them he will always be remembered as Pastor Mac, the one in the blue house with the carousel in the front yard who showed us that we did have value.

Wayne lived as Christ called him to live. And now that he is gone, for him it is gain. God bless you Wayne. And thank you for showing me how a real Christian is supposed to live. I love you man. And I can't wait to see you again.

In the love of Christ,
greg

P.S. I may or may not get a Thought out tomorrow or Friday.

Thought of the Day !! / Question of the Day ??

I read this today and decided to use it as my Thought of the Day !! as well as Question of the Day ?? It comes from Bibleleague.org.

Luke 1:31 -- "And behold, you [Mary] will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus." (NASB)

You know His name. Many do. How about getting to know Him better this Christmas? How would you describe your relationship to Jesus?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Prayer Request

Dannyg, one of our beloved friends and co-bloggers left a comment on one of my posts. Seeing as how he didn't email it, but put it where others can see, I am hoping this is ok to share. I thought it just too important not to.


DannyG said...
While we are on the subject, (J)'s mamogram came back with "areas of concern". She'll be having a biopsy in the next couple of weeks. Keep us both in your prayers.

7/12/06 9:41 AM

Danny, know that you and (J) are in our prayers. And keep us informed.

Question of the Day ??

Yesterday was "What will hell be like?"

Today is "What will heaven be like?"

Thought of the Day !!

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Matthew 5:42 (ESV)

A story I found somewhere and once used in a sermon goes like this:

There once was a monk who found a precious jewel. The monk was a traveler, and during one of his travels, he met a man. The man had no food and asked the monk for some. The monk, happy to share with the hungry man, opened his bag to get some provisions.

Upon opening the bag, the man saw the jewel. On impulse the man asked the monk if he could have it. Amazingly, the monk gave the precious stone to the man.

The traveler departed quickly, overjoyed with his new possession. However, a few days later, he came back searching for the monk. He returned the stone to the monk and made a request: "Please give me something more valuable, more precious than this jewel. Please give me that which enabled you to give it to me."

A person's earthly instincts would be to keep the jewel, yet a person's spiritual insight tells him or her that the jewel is not as important as another human being.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Prayer for this week

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

* Not original - was one of those stories emailed to me

Question of the Day ??

What do you think Hell will be like?

Thought of the Day !!

For he (Jesus) himself is our peace, who has made the two (Jews and Gentiles) one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Ephesians 2:14-16 (TNIV)

What are our Walls (or barriers)?

What are the walls that divide us today? Actually, there are many. One wall that stands firm between people today is named ego. This wall is built with carefully laid bricks of selfishness. It's when we think of ourselves and think we are better than others.

Another wall that is similar in size and shape to ego is the wall of pride. Its bricks are also made up of selfishness, but it is one that keeps us out of rooms we don't want to go into. Rooms like forgiveness and guilt. This is the wall that keeps us from looking foolish. Petty things can come between people and it's this wall of pride that keeps them from having to apologize or accept the fact that someone else may be right.

The last wall I will speak of is the wall of hate. It stands stronger than any wall actually. It comes in many colors. One is the color of prejudice. Another is of envy. And there are many others.

How many times have you seen a difference of opinion turn to anger? Well anger can lead to hate if we're not very careful. And the wall is up all because we couldn't agree. Sometimes on a big issue, but more often on something that doesn't mean a hill of beans when it comes to the Kingdom of God.

So what are we to do?

First of all, we have to remember that it takes hard work to break down walls. We need help, and we can find that help in Christ Jesus who exhibited ultimate love and forgiveness. We can pray for help and then do our own part...actually go about trying to change ourselves instead of worrying about changing others. This is actually a freeing experience when we have broken down the walls between us. We are free to not have things such as unforgiveness or anger hanging over us. And joy can become complete then.

May this be a day of breaking down walls instead of building them up.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ?? (from last friday)

What do Jesus and Santa have in common?

My favorite answer:


Stephen said...

Beards?

Question of the Day ??

I used a phrase in my sermon this week and again in today's Thought of the Day that needs to be defined. In my Thought (below) I wrote that Jesus better not catch us "dilly-dallying" around. I've always understood this to mean wasting time, but my secretary has informed me that she thought it meant to run around on your spouse.

Which is it? Or does it mean something else all together?

Thought of the Day !!

"Watch out! Don't let me find you living in careless ease and drunkeness, and filled with the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man."
Luke 21:34-36 (NLT)

WATCH OUT! Don't let me find you dilly-dallying around when I come back! – (a pretty straight forward warning if you ask me)

Jesus tells us not to live our lives carelessly or in a drunken state. When a person is drunk, he or she doesn't know much about what's going on around them because of impaired judgment. He or she is always right and thinks mostly about himself/herself. The person has very little control and often times can do much harm to themselves or others. And this is pretty careless.

The thing is that we can all live a life of drunkenness without ever touching a drop of alcohol. We live lives of drunkenness and careless ease when:

1. We live for today and what today will bring us, without much thought of Jesus.

2. We live lives where our actions (and especially lack of actions) will cause harm to ourselves or others in some way or another.

3. We live lives that revolve around how much we earn or what position we have in the community or some other selfish ambition.

4. We live out our lives trying to be a bare minimum Christian who comes to church, gives ten percent, but can't really be defined as a Christian in our dealings throughout the rest of the week. Our judgment is impaired because we think we are something that we aren't.

OR - We can live our lives prayerfully and faithfully trying to be who Jesus wants us to be everyday, while showing our great love of God and each other.

Jesus says that the day where we stand before him will come for every one of us. It may be at the end times. And it may be at our own death. But it will assuredly come. His warning is to simply be ready, not living our lives for ourselves and the things of this world.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Christmas Song Post #1

The Gift
Words and music by Skip Ewing
Performed by Ray Boltz
from "A Christmas Album"

For them there were no presents
Around the Christmas tree
No flashing lights unless you count
The lamp across the street
A fire in a barrel
No chimney and no roof
To most of them Santa Claus
Was the man who made the soup

In an alley was a mother
Two children by her side
Trying hard to keep the spark
Of true Christmas alive
She said we may not have some things
That other people do
But Christmas is for everyone
And we’re God’s children too

Oh and Jesus loves you
And so do I
Think about the baby
And the star up in the sky
I don’t think Santa’s comin’
Cause he don’t know where we live
But who needs Christmas presents
We already have the gift

Well early Christmas morning
While they were still asleep
I packed a box of food and clothes
And walked back to their street
Imagine my surprise
When I saw presents all around
Blankets, toys and winter coats
Beside them on the ground
And the card I read from Santa said
Inside the three of you
The real heart of Christmas
Is still beating strong and true

Oh and Jesus loves you
And so do I
Think about the baby
And the star up in the sky
Santa Claus is comin’
Cause he know where real faith lives
But who needs Christmas presents
We already have the gift
Who needs Christmas presents
We already have the gift
Who needs Christmas presents
We already have the gift

©1996 Acuff-Rose Music, Inc./BMI.


Christmas is a time of joy. But for many, it's a time of sadness. Not everyone will have a family dinner or a bunch of presents around a tree. Many won't even have a roof over their heads.

Then there are those who have to work on Christmas. We may think that is cruel until we have a child that falls and breaks an arm while playing on his/her new toy. It will be then that we thank God that the ER is open. Or what about police or fire fighters who have to work to keep us safe. And finally there are those on the other side of the world who will carry rifles on Christmas day. Their only hope may be that they won't have the occasion to use them.

But Christmas should be a time of joy for everyone. How can we help make that happen? Who might we be able to help out this Christmas? Where could we find ourselves going to share the love of the Savior on His birthday?

Let's share the Gift of Christmas this year with so many people that we won't be able to count them all. Let's give until it hurts this year. Let's come together to help make this Christmas Merry for as many people possible.

Merry Christmas !!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

My posting page is different today. I don't have the options to work with and so I cannot italicize or Bold spellcheck or the other stuff I could do yesterday and everyday since I've been blogging. I can't even preview my post. Has anyone else had this same problem?

Yippieee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S FIXED !!!!

Thought of the Day !!

"Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Luke 21:29-33 (NLT)

Verse 32 of this passage of scripture is one of the most difficult verses for me to understand in the whole bible. In it Jesus says that "this generation" will not pass away before he comes back. But wait a minute Jesus. Hasn't there been many generations to come and go since you walked this earth?

After checking out what some scholars have said, I will briefly paraphrase some different opinions.

1. Jesus (and Luke) believed that the end would come quickly –– within their generation. Jesus himself did say that no one knew the day or hour. But Luke writes this about 3 decades after Jesus death and resurrection. Surely many people have been dying since then and Luke would have to wonder.

2. The word, generation, is imprecise. "The word can refer to a period of approximately thirty years or to a period of an indefinite number of years but characterized by a particular quality such as suffering or waiting or witnessing." (Craddock, Interpretation, 247)

3. This means "the evil generation of humankind", from Adam until the last man and woman who walk the earth.

4. Or, this might refer to the generation of the end. In other words, the end will occur within one generation; the same group that sees the start of the end will see its end" (This is my interpretation.)

It’s clear that the interpretation of "this generation" is, at best, tentative. It’s also clear that this issue is hardly the central theme of the scripture. So let’s not get too bogged down with the issue of what this generation means and understand that the deeper meaning is that Jesus will come again.

Jesus concludes this section with “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever.” --- A reason for hope. No matter how the earth changes…no matter how old it gets…we can be assured that the words of Jesus will still ring true for people. Nothing can stop the Word of God…not earthquakes or famines or floods or wars…and especially not Satan!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God's mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:1-3

Do you know that you know that you know that you know...that you are going to Heaven? Without a shadow of a doubt, do you know that Christ died for you? Yes, even you?

If so, this is called assurance. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is this assurance. It's the assurance of things hoped for. It is the conviction of things not seen.

If we don't have this assurance, then we need to take a closer look at our faith. That's just exactly what John Wesley had to do.

In 1738 John Wesley wrote down in his journal that he felt his heart strangely warmed. It was then that he found assurance for the first time. He was already a priest in the Anglican church. You might think that he should have already had this assurance by then. But he didn't.

Here are his words:
"In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

Wesley received assurance from God. So, how do we receive this assurance? There are two simple steps. First – (The Bible says) ask and it shall be given. Second – be willing to receive it (and what comes with it).

If you have doubts or do not feel that Jesus is with you every step of every day, then ask for this assurance. Pray about it, and then go searching for it in Scripture. I fear that many of us today hear Scripture read to us on Sunday mornings and that is it. If you want to have a close personal relationship with Christ and the assurance that comes with it, you must live with prayer and Scripture.

In the love of Christ,
greg