Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.                                                              
                                           Proverbs 16:20 (NIV)

Have you ever met a know-it-all?  You know, someone who thinks that they know everything there is to know about something and nobody can argue with them or convince them otherwise.  I'm sure I've been one at times in my life.  Maybe you can even recount a time or situation where you were one too.
 
But the truth is that only the Lord knows it all.  Yet still many people go around thinking that their beliefs about God or their denomination's stance or their style of worship, etc. is the only correct way.  What we all have to do is remember that we can be wrong from time to time, or that even though we have it right, someone else may also. And so, we should always be willing to learn.  Always be willing to open your mind, for you never know when you might actually be wrong.    

Of course, we need to be smart too.  We shouldn't just believe anything that anybody tells us either.  Test the validity of what others say by Scripture, your reason, your experience on the subject and the tradition of the Church.  

C.S. Lewis, along with others, claimed that if a belief had not passed the test of time in the Church that it could not be valid.  Yet there are many new ways of thinking popping up everyday.  So I want to emphasize that I'm not saying that we should merely accept everything, but that we should be open to listening to others and then trusting in God to help us through.

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 !!

(Jesus says) "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." 
                                                                        John 15:7-8 (NRSV)  
  
There are many out there, including several TV evangelists, who take this verse and others like it to form their own type of gospel.  It's where we are told that whatever we ask for will be given to us by God if we have enough faith (and so often if we send enough money).  That would mean that many of us don't have enough faith evidently.      
  
But that is not what Jesus is telling his disciples here.  First of all, we will get what we ask for if, and only if, we abide in Christ.  If we abide in Christ, then we share his love and compassion and desire for God's will to be done.  This means that we're not going to go out and claim a new car or house in the name of Jesus.  Instead, our desires will be consistent with the will of God.  

Part of producing fruit means thinking about God's wishes instead of our own.  I once read an article about the famed TV evangelist Jim Bakkar, who was imprisoned for fraud.  According to this article he found out during his prison term that asking for money and all that came with it just brought about pain and a desire to have more.    

During this time, and while old Tammy Faye was divorcing him, he reread the scriptures and saw what was truly important.  He realized that was bearing fruit, not asking what we can gain, but what we can do for others.  And after his release he started working with a street ministry.

Abiding in Christ means loving God and neighbor and having Christ guide and motivate us.  It means loving one another as Christ loves us.  It means inviting others into the relationship that we already have with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  It means sharing the peace that Christ affords us with those that we come in contact with.

If we will abide in Christ and allow Him to abide in us, we will receive much more than we can ever imagine.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

As they sat down to eat, [Jesus] took the bread and blessed it.  Then he broke it and gave it to them.  Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
                                                                      Luke 24:30-31 (NLT)

This is the night following the morning of the Resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus has been walking with two believers on the way to Emmaus, but they didn't recognize him.  God had closed their eyes.  As their time together came to an end though, their eyes were opened to the Truth...to Jesus. 

Having our eyes opened to some truth can be exciting, scary and enlightening all at one time.  It might be some sin in our lives.  It might be someone who is in need.  It might be that we've been wrong in our thinking about something.  It might be an opportunity to make a difference.  It could be a number of things.

I wonder what my eyes need to be opened to today?  What might you need God to open your eyes to?  Are we willing to ask?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
                                                                    Psalms 94:19 (NLT)

We all have doubts at some point in our lives (possibly many points).  It might be a doubt about the existence of God.  Or it might be doubting our own ability to do something.  Possibly the doubt is whether or not someone can pull through.  And often times we doubt others.  

When doubt begins to take control of your mind, what do you do?  Do you let depression set in?  Are you a take charge kind of person who tries to alleviate the doubts by your own power (for instance, doing something you doubt someone else can or will do)?  Or do you turn to God to find your peace in anxious and overwhelming situations?

Is there anything in your life that's causing turmoil now?  Do you think there will be in the future?  God wants you to know that no matter the burden, He can help you through it.  No matter what it is you doubt about life, He already has the answer.  Come to Him and let Him renew your hope.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.
                                                                             Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

As Christians we are people who are free.  But we also have not been given a license to sin either.  We are free to choose.  And those of us who are Christians will choose to love God and each other.  That is the true nature of a Christian.  If we don't have this, how can we honestly call ourselves by that name?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

     Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

     “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

                               Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)

Like Peter we want to limit the amount of forgiveness that we will give to someone.  Personally, I think Peter was probably thinking to himself that seven times was a pretty good number of times.  It actually seems like a lot of forgiveness and is more than most anyone else would bother to forgive someone.  But this was still limited forgiveness. 

How many of us don’t want to go as far as Peter did?  How often is forgiveness not even an option?  Or maybe you’re willing to give a person a second chance.  But a second failure would mean absolutely no more forgiveness of the offense…whatever it might be?

Jesus answered Peter; “…not seven times…but seventy times seven”.  What he means is that we are to continue to forgive, no matter what. 

Forgiveness is not approving or excusing or even pardoning what someone has done.  What forgiveness does is this.  It chooses not to keep a record of the wrongs done to one self.  It refuses to punish someone for what they did…unless it was a crime and there is legal punishment involved.

Forgiveness is an inner condition where we rid ourselves of bitterness instead of holding on to it and allowing it to pull us down.  So take Jesus’ advice / teaching / command, and forgive.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

                                                                Matthew 5:48 (NLT)

Be perfect?  Did Jesus really suggest that we be perfect?  Yes.  He even went as far as to say to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.  How are we supposed to be sinless?  Is Jesus not demanding something that is impossible for us imperfect humans? 

Of course not.  Jesus wouldn’t burden us with something we could not do.  To understand this better, let’s look at this verse in its context.  Jesus is teaching about love.  He goes as far as telling us that we must love our enemies.  That would take some pretty radical love.  God the Father has this kind of love.  In the his letter to the Romans Paul writes that we were all enemies of God at one time.  Yet while we were still sinful enemies, God sent His Son to die for us (who were enemies).

Jesus teaches that we are to have perfect love.  And this is obtainable in this lifetime, otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have commanded us to love our enemies or love each other as He loves us.  When we love like Jesus, we put others before ourselves.  When we perfect love, we sacrifice ourselves for others.  When we’ve reached perfection, we have the love of God in us.

Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
                                                                                  Romans 6:1 (NIV)

Some people believe that after they're saved and baptized that they can do whatever they wish. Now this may sound ludicrous to you.  But the fact is that there are those who,though not claiming this belief, go on living the same sinful life after they have accepted Jesus.  Or maybe they change for a month or a year or so.  Then after a short while they go back to being the same old person they once were.  They are the rocky soil that the seed of God's Word was placed in, the soil where it could not take root. 

By no means are we expected to be perfect.  And by know means are we expected to keep to a rigid law feeling guilty for every sin we commit.  Jesus came and died to end both of these things.  What He wants from us is to believe and accept the salvation He has for us, while also changing our lives to the best of our ability to be more like His.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.

                                Matthew 7:24 (NLT)

Jesus teaches two things here.  One is to listen, and the other is to do.

Many people in our churches today are great biblical scholars.  But sadly, many are not.  These have not listened to what Jesus has taught in the bible or what the Church has taught through the years.  Also, they’ve taken bits and pieces here and there to form their own belief system.  So often I find myself having conversations with people who tell me this or that truth and inform me that it’s in the bible but cannot tell me where.  In reality, this so-called truth is more likely something someone told them or something that they want to believe.  Jesus says we must listen, or else we will be in trouble. 

Knowledge is good.  We must know what Jesus and the Church teaches.  But knowledge is only relevant when it’s translated into action.  We must learn to put what we learn into action and not simply sit and enjoy a devotion or listen to a sermon and say to ourselves, “good thoughts” or “good sermon”.  They are not “good” unless we put them into practice.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.  This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
                                                                     Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

I have a pet peeve.  It's when people don't think of others. 

I hate it when someone needs to move over a lane in traffic and no one will allow them to.  I hate it when someone decides to take over the conversation and not let the other person have a word.  I hate it when someone working at a cash register speaks more to friends than the person being waited on.  On the other hand, I hate it when a person being waited on is rude to the cashier.  I hate it when people think it's okay to share their problems with you, but when you do the same they act like it's no big deal because their problems are worse.  I hate it when people expect you to drop everything when they need you, but they're always busy when you need them.  I hate it when people feel that they have the right to get mad at you, but that if you get mad at them, it's the end of the world.  I hate it when somebody talks to everyone in the room, but neglects that one person that no one else seems to be talking to. 

I have a pet peeve.  It's when people think of themselves, but not of others.  I also have an even bigger pet peeve.  It's when I'm the one not thinking about others.  We are all called to live by the Golden Rule of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us.  But do we forget that at times and treat others the way we think that they should be treated or in a negative way because of whatever mood we're in?

My pet peeve is when we think of ourselves, but don't think of others.  What about you?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

      Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask."
      Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." 
      "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day."
                                                          John 11:21-24 (NLT)

We see here that Martha believed in the resurrection of the dead at some appointed time in the future.  We also see that she believes in Jesus and that God will give him anything he asks for.  But it seems that the hopelessness that comes with death has clouded the belief that this could ever include anything that would help her brother now.  It never occurs to her to ask for Jesus to bring her brother back from the dead.  She'd seen him heal and cast out evil spirits, but never anything like that.

We can often times be like Martha here.  We believe Jesus can do anything…that is…except something miraculous for us.  And though we claim a belief in miracles, we don’t always expect them to happen in our midst.  Maybe it's because we've never witnessed them.  We've heard about miracles like instant healing and God doing something unbelievably awesome in people's presence.  But maybe it was never when we were around, so we assume it just happens to other people.

We believe that the sunrise and sunsets are miracles of God and that the birth of a child is a miracle.  But we’ve gotten use to seeing these.  We've seen doctors say that they don't know how a boy or girl survived the operation or that they didn't expect someone to heal as well as they did and call these miracles.  But could it be that we don’t really believe that God will supernaturally heal someone without the help of a doctor?  Could it be that we believe God could fill our sanctuary next week, but we don't necessarily believe He will?  Could it be that we dumb down our prayers and don’t pray for the spectacular…just in case it won’t happen?

This week ask God to help you believe.  Then pray for miracles...expecting them to happen.  Maybe they won't happen right away or in the way you ask.  But maybe they will.  Expect that God is listening and waiting for us to simply ask with true faith, to seek His will, and to glorify Him with that same faith.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
                                                          John 15:1-2 (NLT)  

If you're a gardener, you know how much work a garden can be.  It takes time and effort.  It takes making sure it's watered when there's been no rain.  It means fertilizing.  It means getting on your hands and knees and working in the dirt.  It also means cutting off the old dead parts of your plants that produce no fruit or vegetables so that you can get more out of them.  

Growing grapes, whether in Palestine or America is a tedious job.  The vines have to be kept up daily.  For the best results, the grapes cannot touch the ground, and the vines have to be pruned often.    

Now the vine is the main stem that comes from the root.  And there are branches that come off of it.  Some will bear grapes and others will not.  A knowledgeable vine grower will be able to tell these two apart and will cut off the ones that won't produce.  In doing this, the better branches will grow more and produce more because they don't have to share their nutrients with the useless ones.  

In our own lives there are dead useless branches coming out of our lives.  They may be habits or lifestyles or hobbies or any of a number of things.  These dead branches can be detrimental to our spiritual lives or to our Christian witness.  What might be in your own life that needs to be pruned or cut out all together.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"...The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
                                                                      1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

When God looks at your heart, what does He see?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
                                                            1 John 3:18 (NIV)

On one hand, words are very strong.  The old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is simply not true.  Words can be devastating.  And once said, they can never be taken out of the memory of the person that they are said to even if all is forgiven.  

On the other hand, however, words are weak when used to show love.  That is, unless they're backed with actions.  The letter of James tells us that faith without works is dead.  I say the same goes with love.  If one says these words to a spouse that he/she abuses in any way, then there is no love.  If a friend says I love you sister/brother, but isn't willing to stand by the other in a time of need, there is no love.  And the same is true in any case where love is spoken while not shown.  

Francis of Assisi, who lived around the 12th century and began the Franciscan order of monks, would teach his order to preach the Gospel and when necessary use words.  Francis knew that his monks could speak the Good News all they wanted, but if they didn't show it by the way they lived, they would never be effective.  In the same way, you can tell others that you love them, but it won't mean a thing if you don't show them.  

Let us continually show our love to each other and to God with our words, but also with our actions.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

     "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
     "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
                                                                     John 13:33-35 (TNIV)

Jesus tells the disciples that he must go away, and that where he is going, they cannot go.  He had already told this to the Jews, which in the Gospel of John actually means the Jewish leaders.  And now he is telling his followers.

This had to be hard to hear.  Peter was probably not the only one thinking that he would follow Jesus to the death.  Others were probably thinking "well, why not.  Why can't we follow you?"  For some it probably seemed as if they had followed for so long, that they wouldn't know what to do if Jesus left them.  They left their jobs, which were probably being done by someone else by now.  Their lives had been left behind.  Bridges may have been burned.  Who knows?  But the one thing that they knew was that they didn't want Jesus to leave them.  

This would've been a lump in your throat, gut wrenching time for these disciples.  But in the midst of this time of anxiety and doubt, Jesus teaches.  As so often was the case, Jesus taught them when they needed it the most.  

Jesus had been glorified.  He was going to be glorified on the cross.  And he was leaving.  What that left the followers with was each other.  They were called to take up with each other right where Jesus would leave off.  They were to love one another.  And not only love each other, but more importantly, love each other as Jesus loved them.  And others would know that they were true disciples of Jesus by their love for one another.  

So our call today is to go out and love one another, just as Jesus has loved us.  Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to go to the cross and give up his life for us.  Now this call of love doesn't mean that we'll all become martyrs and die for our faith.  It does mean, however, that we'll give up our own sense of ego (or our own self) and foster a sense of community, loving each other as we love ourselves.  How we love, and show our love, is the sign of our faithfulness.

So Jesus is calling us this day to show our faithfulness by loving each other just as he has loved, is loving and will always continue to love us.  

In the LOVE of Christ,
greg