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 were tried and convicted of brutally murdering 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 !!

"I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don't tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. "But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first!"
                                      Revelation 2:2-4 (NLT)
 
The Revelation of John is what Jesus shows John to write down.  And at this point He wants John to speak to the Church of Ephesus these observations. 

Jesus compliments them on their hard work and patient endurance.  He appreciates the fact that they fight against bad theology and evil in general.  He takes notice of the fact that through everything they have not quit Him. 

BUT! 

There's that word that changes things.  In this case it changes the tone of the letter.  It goes from being complimentary to being critical.  The Ephesians had continued to work for Jesus, BUT they had forgotten the reason they began.  They had lost their passionate love that resulted in them being hard workers in the first place.

We can go to church and have a very good resume of good works.  But if we decide when and where and whom to serve...if we simply do the works of God because we have too or because it's what we're supposed to do and so we do it begrudgingly...then we've lost something.  Let us remember that doing the right things for the wrong reasons just ain't good enough.  We should never forget the love that brought us into the Kingdom in the first place.  If anyone does, then seek it like a precious jewel or a hidden treasure.  Because that's what love of God and each other truly is. 

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 !!

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 !!

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

                                                               Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

I have often times heard the last sentence of this passage (and even quoted it).  "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" is used to help others see that with Christ all things are possible. 

But how often have we read the verses that precede this statement?  Paul is saying that because he has Christ, he can be happy whether he is on top of the world or in a ditch.  If we ask and allow Him to, Christ will give us the strength we need to be wealthy and still give much away...to succeed and still be humble...to live with our heads just above water and still not constantly complain about what we don't have...to be laid off or replaced and still be able to love our neighbor...to be displaced by a natural disaster that has demolished everything we had and still love God. 

If we ask, we shall receive.  Ask for strength from Christ, no matter what your place in life, and He will share it with 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 !!

     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 !!

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 people approached 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.  Then 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.  This 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 worshiping God. And if you don't, your lines won't get said!
In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise."
                                                                      Nehemiah 9:5 (NIV)

I remember Vacation Bible School in my childhood days.  We would sing songs about Jesus at the top of our lungs.  I also remember being a volunteer youth worker in my home church and traveling with the youth to a conference in Knoxville.  I remember the songs about Jesus that were being song with such exuberance. 

There was excitement and passion within the voices and the hearts of those VBS kids and youth in Knoxville.  I assume that this is part of the reason that Jesus was adamant about us becoming like the children if we desired to enter the kingdom. 

Our scripture today tells us to "Stand up and praise the LORD...."  When was the last time your enthusiasm brought you to your feet praising God?  Let us all remember the faith of the little child that doesn't stop him or her from getting excited and praising God with true passion and joy. 

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

Thought of the Day !!

If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong.

                                                                        1 John 1:8-9 (NLT)

 

Lets all try to be more honest with ourselves today and really look for where we're sinful.  Maybe it would be good to meditate on this long and hard over the next couple days and bring what God shares with us to church Sunday morning or evening, praying for forgiveness and leaving the sins there.  Just think about it.  You might find out that it does you some good both inwardly and outwardly.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life.

                                                                                 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

 

Knowing Jesus better means growing in our relationship with him.  We do that through finding out more about him and speaking to him constantly, while allowing him to speak back. 

 

When we do this, His divine power (being used through God's Holy Spirit) enables us to do things we couldn't do before we grew in this relationship.  For instance, before I had a strong relationship with Jesus, I was a follower.  In high school I would do just about anything to be accepted by others, even if it was something bad.  But now, I know I am accepted by my Lord and Savior and do not feel as though I have to do anything to be accepted by others.  And this has led to me living a more godly life.

 

This is merely one example of how the divine power of God gives us everything we need for living a godly life.  Jesus knows each and every one of us and sees where there are things in our lives that we can battle on our own, but will never win.  For the temptation to do them is too strong.  If we will only seek the help of our Savior, his divine power is enough to defeat whatever the devil throws at us.  It may not be all at once, but as your relationship grows, so will your ability to fight sin. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

                                                                1 John 4:10 (NLT)

 

Giving up the most important thing in your life so that someone else can benefit from it is about the surest way that I can see of displaying "real love". 

 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

     And God spoke all these words:
     I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
     You shall have no other gods before me.
     You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
                                                                       Exodus 20:1-6 (NIV)

In last night's sermon I believe I shocked some folks with a statement I made.  I said that Michelle loves Jesus more than she loves me and that is the way it should be.  There are many bad things we can put before God that we sometimes think of as gods or idols.  But what I was saying is that even wonderful gifts from God can become gods/idols when we place the created before the Creator. 

Look at Abraham.  Though God knew that He wasn't going to allow Abraham to take the life of his son Isaac, Abraham was taught a lesson that God comes first, even before family.  I think we fail to realize that our lives were designed to be familial.  We are to honor our mothers and fathers.  We are to leave them and become one forever with our mate.  We are to see other Christians as brothers and sisters.  But even then, Christ is the head of the body.  He is the piece that makes everything else work.

I want my wife to love Jesus more.  I want her to have Him be first in her life.  If she loves me with all her heart and more than anything else, then her love for me is not endless.  It will always be missing something.  It will never be a great as its potential to be.  This is because when Christ comes first, He guides our love and the pieces all fit into place.  Then it is not a love that will only last a lifetime.  It's a love that can live up to its potential for eternity. 

God created us this way.  Place God/Jesus first in your life over everything, and everything will get better.

In the love of Christ,
greg