Thought of the Day !!

"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
Luke 17:7-10 (NIV)

Let me share a story with you about a famous evangelist, D. L. Moody. Moody was hosting a Bible Conference in Massachusetts in the late 1800’s. Many of the participants came from Europe. Following the European custom of the time, they left their shoes outside their room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. They didn’t know that there were no hall servants in America.

Walking down the dormitory halls that night, Moody noticed the shoes and wanted to make sure that his guests were not embarrassed. He gathered up the shoes, went to his room and began to clean and polish them. During the night, an unexpected friend came by and caught him in the act of this good deed.

The following morning the foreign visitors opened their doors and found their shoes shined. They didn’t know by whom. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference a different person volunteered to shine the shoes in secret each night. Moody, and the other volunteers, saw doing whatever good for their European guests as their duty. And if that meant cleaning their shoes and receiving no accolades for it…so be it.

This parable that Jesus shares is probably no one’s favorite. As a matter of fact, my dislike of it stems from the fact that I truly believe that our service should come out of love, not duty. But I guess that when we love God with all our hearts, and serve Him because of this, we still have this duty (or obligation), we just don’t see it that way.

I think what Jesus is saying here is that God doesn’t owe us anything for living good Christian lives. His love, forgiveness and blessings that He gives us are a matter of grace, not something we’ve earned. So why should we visit the sick…care for those in need…forgive each other…love each other? Because we’re supposed to…because it’s our duty…because when we do, it brings a smile to God’s face and warm feeling to His heart. That’s enough reward for those who love Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Matthew 9:10-13 (NIV)

The Pharisees wouldn't have anything to do with those who had sinned. Jesus would.

The Pharisees cared more about law than love and grace. Jesus didn't.

The Pharisees condemned people for where they were at in their lives. Jesus showed mercy by calling the people lost in sin to come to him.

Which will we be more like?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
Luke 17:3-4 (NIV)

Forgiveness is not a suggestion in the Gospels. It's a command. As a matter of fact, in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus tells us that if we don't forgive others, then our Heavenly Father won't forgive us.

But this isn't what God wants for us. He sent His only Son to die so that our sins would be forgiven and so that we would have a way out. What He requires is that we show the same love and forgiveness to others.

Several years ago while I was still living in Memphis, a tragic event happened just across the river in West Memphis, AR. Three young men brutally murdered three eight-year-olds. It was all over the news. When the three guys were brought to trial, the father of one of the victims suddenly rushed at them screaming, “I’ll chase you all the way to hell!”

It’s certainly understandable how the father had to have anger like he’d never had before in his life. But there is something almost prophetic about his words. If we allow our hatred for those who have wronged us to go unchecked, it will eventually destroy us.

Forgiving each time is exactly what God does for us. And so it’s what He expects from us too.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.
Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

Lets face it. It is much easier to find fault in others than in our own selves. But in reality nobody's perfect. So if people have to put up with my faults, should I not also try to put up with theirs? The next time you are about to get upset at someone else because of some fault of theirs, think about an imperfection of your own. Maybe that will help you to be humble and gentle as Paul teaches us all to be.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Luke 17:1-2 (NIV)

This couple invited their best friends, who didn’t attend a church anywhere, to go to church with them. They started going for a while and got interested in the things going on there. They attended a revival at their new church and found Jesus and turned their lives over to him and then joined the church.

These new Christians were truly excited and wanted to a part of the church in any way possible. So they started going to Sunday night Bible study. They attended the couples Sunday school. They joined the choir. The husband started going to the men’s breakfast and the wife joined the women’s group.

The wife goes to her first meeting of the ladies group where they all gather and begin talking. To the wife’s surprise, they start complaining about the pastor. Then they move on to how one particular lady in the church needs to have more control over her kids in church…”they’re just going to turn out to be no good like their dad”, they say.
Before long the wife joins right in so that she’ll fit in with the rest of the ladies. When they decide it’s time to do their devotion, the leader choses to speak about how they should love everyone as Christ loves them.

On the same evening, the husband receives a call from the man who invited him to church. He asks him to cover for him. It seems that he’s been cheating on his wife and is asking the husband to give him an alibi. When asked, “Is that the Christian thing to do?” The reply is that a real friend would. And so he does.

And Jesus said that it would be better for a person to thrown to his or her death in the sea than for that person to cause another to sin. Maybe we should look at our selves and ask if we’re causing anyone to sin.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT)

There are many times I have been angry about something in my lifetime. Sometimes this anger has been justifiable anger where I had good reason to be angry. Sometimes my feelings got hurt and I just thought I had good reason to be angry. And at other times I had no right to be angry at all.

The biggest problem with anger is that it can fester and develop into multiple sins. Anger can lead to unforgiveness, revenge, harsh words, and many more sinful emotions or actions. This anger, at its extreme can become hate. And this is about as far from God as we can venture because God is love.

So our anger can be the thing that leads us far away from God. But on the other hand, it is allowing God's Son to grow in us that will help us fend off anger and the awful things that it can lead to. When, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have Christ abiding in us, we will grow in the love of Christ and find it harder and harder to become angry.

If you are angry with someone right now, I suggest getting that anger in check. Forgive, or ask for forgiveness. Be more like Christ would have you be, not like the devil is trying to make you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:2-3 (NLT)

Wow. Let heaven fill our thoughts. What does that mean?

I think it means that instead of focusing on what we can accomplish here on earth, we should focus on what we can accomplish in heaven. Or as Jesus put it, we should focus on the treasures we can store up in heaven instead of here in this world. I'm also led to think about the Lord's Prayer where we pray "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." When we focus on God's will for His kingdom and how we may be of help to Him in bringing it about, our thoughts are filled with heaven.

Of course letting heaven fill our thoughts is not only about thinking how we can do the work of Christ in God's kingdom. It's also asking for and allowing God to fill them with things such as goodness and peace and assurance. I think that when we let heaven fill our thoughts, we think more about the good things that are happening and that can happen in God's name. We think about how blessed we are instead of how much we've had to struggle. We think about how happy we can be even when we don't have all the worldly possessions we desire.

So let heaven fill your thoughts this day...this week...this lifetime. And allow Jesus to fill your soul.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Psalms 103:1-2 (NIV)

Have you praised God today? Did you wake with the Lord on your lips? Have we remembered to thank Jesus for all that He's done for us?

Our God is an awesome God who deserves our praise. Let us not get so caught up in ourselves and our day that we forget to tell Him thanks.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

[God says,] "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you."
Isaiah 66:13 (NIV)

Often times when a small child hurts itself, it runs to momma for loving care. Every family is not the same of course, and sadly, every mother is not a good mother. But in a perfect world all mothers would bring about comfort to their children.

And in an imperfect world God brings about comfort to all, no matter what the family setting. Our God is not just some deity up there that cares nothing for what He's created. He cared enough about you and about me to come live among us. He cares enough even now to listen to us, share His Holy Spirit with us, mourn with us, laugh with us and bring comfort to us.

When you think you're all alone in this world, keep in mind that there's always someone else there that cares. God walks with us, sometimes carrying us when things get too tough. And our Lord will never leave us.

May we all seek to imitate our Father in Heaven by bringing comfort to those in need that are around us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another.

Luke 21:5-6 (NLT)

Each year thousands of people visit old antebellum homes or grand cathedrals or historic landmarks…places that have stood the test of time. I remember the first time I went to Stone Mountain right outside of Atlanta. There, carved in the side of the Mountain is a Confederate Memorial Carving depicting three Confederate heroes of the Civil War: President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson. The entire carved surface measures three-acres, and the carving of the three men towers 400 feet above the ground. What an awesome sight it is to look up at from the bottom.

Why do we people want to see these historic sites that have stood the test of time? Maybe it’s because we live in a culture where things just don’t last. We have to get a warranty on our vehicles because they aren’t expected to make it the whole 5 years that we’ve financed them for. We buy disposable diapers, disposable razors…disposable this and that. And then we sack them up in plastic bags that may not even last until we get them home. Could it be that we seek out these places because we’re looking for something substantial?

So I go to this huge rock right outside of Atlanta, GA, and I say…Look at this stone! The disciples do the same thing when the see the magnificent Temple. “Jesus, look at these stones! Aren’t they beautiful? Man, this is such a wonderful place filled with so much history. Surely it will always be a testimony to God’s people.” But instead of agreeing with the disciples, Jesus predicts the impending doom of the great Temple.

Again, all the stones that make up our lives will pass away. All except one. And that’s the Rock of Christ Jesus. He’s the one that came to earth to teach us hope and will come again bringing about salvation. He’s the only one we can put our trust in.

If it’s true that we really are looking for something substantial in this ever-changing world of ours, we need look no further than to the skies, wherein lies our hope of God. If we trust in ourselves and our own devices to make it through this life, all we will have accomplished in the end is obtaining a 6 foot piece of land. But if we trust in Christ Jesus to lead us through this life and follow his ways…salvation will come…and with it will come something more substantial than we can ever imagine.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

God has great plans for all of us if we will only submit to Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders and said to him, ‘Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?’
Luke 20:1-2 (NRSV)

The religious rulers come to Jesus and ask the question, “By what authority are you doing all these things?” It’s not just his teaching that’s in question here; it’s the events of the past day. For it was then that Jesus came into the Temple and drove out the moneychangers and those making his Father’s house a “den of thieves”.

The religious rulers want to know what gives Jesus the audacity to come into their backyard and take control of their people. Even though they are asking for the wrong reasons, at the heart of this debate between Jesus and the religious rulers lies a legitimate question. By what authority does Jesus do and teach the things that he does? What gives him the right?

If you'll look at the root word for authority, you'll find the word author. It only makes sense that the author of something (or the creator) would be the one who has authority over it.

Jesus…being God’s Son…being God Himself…being in the beginning when everything was created…is Himself the Author of creation. And thereby He becomes the one with all authority to teach what He…or what His Father…determines is valid or true. He alone knows what's best for us and what will bring us true joy.

We can't take part of the teachings of Jesus and say we believe them and will live by them, while discounting other parts. This is because the one who has the authority to teach the parts we like also teaches the parts we don't. And all the teachings are for our own benefit and to bring us closer to each other and to Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.
Psalms 63:1-2 (NLT)

Are these your thoughts and feelings today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Peter told them, "You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me that I should never think of anyone as impure."
Acts 10:28 (NLT)

Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right."
Acts 10:34-35 (NLT)

A man came into a worship service one Sunday morning and went down towards the front and chose a pew to sit on. As he sat, he heard a snicker from the lady behind him. After a few moments of discussion in the back another man came to the pew where he was sitting. As the stranger sitting in the pew looked up and smiled, the other asked, "Don't you think you'd be more comfortable worshiping with a church of your own color?" And the stranger quietly got up and left.

At the same time at another church across town a stranger came in and sat down. He chose to turn to the snickering lady behind him and stretch out his hand for a friendly handshake. The lady got up and went to the back. Then a couple of men came from the back and proceeded to tell the stranger where the local mosque was. And the stranger quietly got up and left.

A man came into yet another church in this town and sat down. This one bowed his head in prayer immediately. Three men came down from the back and surrounded the poor man that was wearing torn rags and had a displeasing smell about him. The leader of the group remarked, "We can tell you're homeless. We've taken up some money for you. If you'll come with us, we'll get you some information about where you can go. Please hurry, services are about to begin." And the stranger quietly got up and left.

Jesus came into the presence of His Father who asked Him, "I thought you were going to go down there and worship this morning?" And Jesus' reply was, "They didn't want me there."

In the parable of the sheep and the goats found in Matthew 25, Jesus basically tells us, "What you did for the least of these, you did for me. What you didn't do for the least of these, you did not do for me."

Who would you welcome into your church...your home...your life? Or asked another way, who would not be welcome by you in any of these three?

I love the quote by Peter where he says "I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality." If this is true, then why are we Christians so often guilty of doing it? Maybe we all need to ask God who we may show partiality to and ask for forgiveness.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For we speak as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)

As Paul writes to the people of Thessalonica here, he is in the process of remembering his prior visit with them. He reminds them that he and his companions had nothing to hide and that their message was authentic. In doing so, he claims that their "purpose is to please God, not people."

This is something that we might claim as well. But our claim doesn't necessarily make it true. Oh I don't mean that we are lying when we say that our purpose is to please our God. I mean that we want it to be, but in reality we may be trying to please others or ourselves. And maybe we don't even realize it.

Of course this may not be the case with you. But shouldn't we all be willing to test ourselves daily to see just what our motives really are?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Romans 12:3-5 (NLT)

As a man called by God to be a preacher and pastor, I’ve been given a great responsibility. I also might have influence over some that other Christians don’t. But I’m no more special than anyone else in my congregation. In the same way, our Sunday School teachers and Bible Study leaders are no better than their students. Your job in the church, or how much money you give, or your position on the Church Council or Board does not make you better or worse than any other Christian.

We need to evaluate ourselves often so that we humbly check our egos to make sure we don’t think of ourselves as better than anyone else. This is because it's easy to compare ourselves with others and think that we're better than them in some way or another. This is what the devil tempts us to do. But God gives us His Word that teaches us to make an honest evaluation of ourselves, measuring ourselves "by the faith that God has given us" instead of by other people.

Our bodies have several different parts to make them function. All of them are important. It’s the same within the body of Christ. Some may perform menial tasks, while others get the more glorified roles. Some work behind the scenes, and others lead in public. Some are good at words, while others are good with their hands.

One thing is for sure. All are needed. And all are just as important in God’s eyes. Let us make sure that we do an ego check to make sure we don’t think too highly of ourselves.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 (NIV)

Paul was one who really knew what it was like to suffer. He'd been beaten, flogged, imprisoned and even stoned (and miraculously survived the stoning). So when he makes this statement, we hear it from one who's a pretty good authority on the subject of suffering.

We all suffer to varying degrees. Some of us are lucky enough to suffer relatively little while on this earth. We'll never know what it feels like to go to bed for the 2nd or 3rd day without food. We'll never know what it looks like to wake up in a war zone. We'll never have to try to go home to a place that has been destroyed by a natural disaster.

Some suffer more than others, but the fact is that we will all suffer. And this should not be taken lightly. I hate it when someone says, "I know how you feel" or "Well, everything will be better one day." In actuality nobody knows exactly how another person feels and even though things WILL be better one day when we get to Heaven, it's normally said because the one saying it doesn't know what else to say. And it doesn't change the fact that we're suffering in the here and now.

So what do we do. We realize that some sufferings can actually make us stronger. They are the lessons of life that we learn from. Some will break us down and make us more dependent upon the one who created us. And some will seemingly not have any purpose. Of course only God knows that for sure. But the key is to lean heavily on your Lord to help you through any situation and know that He often uses others to help you. And even though we don't just say that things will be better one day and leave it at that...the fact is that they really will be. For God has so much planned for you and me who love Him and believe in His Son.

So listen to Paul as he tells us that nothing compares to what is to come for you and me...not even our sufferings.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
2 Samuel 6:14-16 (NIV)

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. had thoughts about going into the ministry before becoming a Supreme Court Justice. He said that he may have done so if certain preachers he knew hadn't looked and acted like undertakers.

Are we acting dead? Nobody wants to be a part of something that's dead. They want to be a part of something that's alive. If the Church is going to be alive, people must get excited about what we can do.

Michal didn't think what David did was proper. Many people today might not think expressing yourself during worship is proper. There is a difference, however, in not being reverent and showing joy. You are irreverent when what you show is fake.

Joy and excitement can be displayed in many ways – from shouting "Hallelujah, Amen!" to a subtle hand held in the air to a smiling tear filled face. There's no right or wrong way to express your excitement, as long as it's genuine and not being done to bring attention to yourself.

How about you? Are you excited about worshiping the Lord your God?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared.
Luke 5:13 (NLT)

In this story a leper comes to Jesus and asks to be healed. I love this story because of what comes next. Jesus doesn't proclaim the leper clean. He doesn't say, "You are healed!" No, the very next thing that Jesus did was touch the leper.

This seemingly insignificant detail is so important. This leper had not felt human touch in who knows how long. And the absence of this, along with being set apart from the community and having to proclaim to people that he was unclean if they came near must have been devastating to this man's emotional state. After so long of being looked down upon or avoided, you will eventually come to feel that you are of no value.

What Jesus did was give this man his sense of self-worth back first by doing something no one else was willing to do. He touched him while the leper was still unclean and even possibly contagious. Jesus healed physically and also psychologically. He healed his body and heart.

This is what Jesus wants to do for God's children as well. Is there I time when you felt worthless? Jesus wants to give you value. Is there I time when you felt like you didn't matter? Jesus wants to show you that you do.

And then there are those out there today like the leper. They may have no skin disease, but they're avoided just the same. They are the ones who've fallen through the cracks and have become homeless. Maybe they smell because they haven't have a home to bath in. Maybe they're drinking because they've given up on anything else to heal them. Maybe they look and even act different. But maybe that wasn't always the case. And maybe they need someone to touch them instead of crossing to the other side like the people did when they saw the leper in Jesus' day.

We all need to fit in. We all need to know we're loved. We all need to love. It doesn't matter if we're penniless or rich. The Bible says we are worthless without love. Jesus wants to heal us by bringing us love. And he wants to use us to heal others.

I love the fact that Jesus touched the leper first before healing him. Don't you?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Psalm 29:2 (NIV)

Back in the 19th century there was a man who lived in Copenhagen named Soren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher who was concerned about the life of the Danish church. He wrote a discourse in which he asked the question of how we approach worship in 1843. But it still raises important issues for us today.

Kierkegaard said that most of the people had grown used to going to plays. For us today, we'd have to add going to movies as well.

We go in, take our seat and sit back to watch what happens. And we become the audience. What's important is what happens on the stage, or on the big screen. We're there to watch, to be entertained.

But what happens when we come to worship? We come in, and we take our seat. Then, according to Kierkegaard…too often…we sit back to watch what happens. We take our place and become the audience.

Sometimes we are invited to join in the singing or repeat some words. But there isn't really a lot of difference. We're the audience. And as such we watch what is happening up on stage, while being entertained. (If you don't believe the part about being entertained, ask yourselves if you were visiting and heard a boring preacher, if you'd come back or not.)

Kierkegaard explained that in worship everything should be turned upside-down. T his is because worship isn't about us…or even for us. It's about and for God. We're not the audience. In worship, God is the audience. He's sitting in the seats, watching and listening to our worship.

But if God is the audience, who are the actors? Kierkegaard says that those who are in the congregation are the actors! Those on stage are the directors, not the entertainers. And together all in the church speak the lines, offer the praise and act out the parts.

It's a radically different way of looking at worship. It means that you can't just come and sit, because the most important stuff doesn't take place up front at the pulpit or piano or choir loft! You can't come and just watch. You're invited, you're encouraged, you're required to participate, to be a part of worshipping God. And if you don't, your lines won't get said!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:16 (NIV)

How do you think the Apostle John came to the conclusion that God is love?

I figure, being with Jesus for so long and knowing him so well, John saw the love that Jesus embodied. He saw the love that Jesus had for his family...his friends...the children...the poor...the sick...the lame...the prostitutes...the tax collectors...and even his enemies. Jesus was the true living-breathing-walking definition of love. He spoke love. He taught about love. He showed love.

So if John were to do the math, he would come up with the simple algebraic formula that we all learned in high school math (if a = b and a = c then b = c also). In other words, if Jesus = love and if Jesus = God, then God must also = love.

The gist of this is simply that Jesus' life equated to love in every aspect of it. As Christians, we are supposed to have the desire to be like Christ. So the real question is what are our own lives equating?

In the love of Christ,
greg