HEART THOUGHTS…from Helen
Ezekiel 36:9 “I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown”.
Our garden flopped. It’s been a number of years since we attempted to plant a vegetable garden but decided to try it this spring. My husband knows how to grow a garden; his last effort resulted in more vegetables than I knew what to do with. But that was in another place in another time long ago. This year we decided on just a small plot of ground for a few tomato plants, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers and hot peppers.
We plowed, we planted, we fertilized, we watered, and we waited. The plants came up nicely, all but the cucumbers which succumbed to dogs and a resident rabbit. We trellised the tomato plants. The squash bushes did bear fruit until our hail storm. The tomato plants grew and produced tiny tomatoes which never got much bigger. Some ripened but they’ve all been small. It’s been a disappointment over all.
We’ve come to the conclusion that we failed to prepare the soil as we should. There’s always ‘next year’, right?!
In the garden of my life, I wonder if I’ve been a disappointment at times. Scripture gives so many illustrations of gardening, but I love the one from John 15:1 especially: “I am the True Vine and My Father is the gardener.” Consulting with the Master Gardener always pays off. Perhaps my soil needs plowing. That’s not a pleasant thought but gardens must be plowed each season. It’s not that one turning of the soil will do for life.
This morning I ran across this verse from Ezekiel 36 that spoke to me. “I am concerned for you…you will be plowed and sown.” The Lord God, our Gardener cares enough about us to plow us under seasonally. He knows our soil and just what fertilizer it needs to grow the crop He has in mind.
The plowing isn’t fun, unless you’re the one doing it, and not the one being plowed. Reminds me of the poem of Amy Carmichael:
The toad beneath the harrow knows
Exactly where each tooth point goes
The butterfly upon the road
Preaches contentment to that toad.
Father, Gardener of my soul, thank you for plowing and preparing me for what you have prepared for me.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Plowing, planting, planning
HEART THOUGHTS…from Helen
Ezekiel 36:9 “I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown”.
Our garden flopped. It’s been a number of years since we attempted to plant a vegetable garden but decided to try it this spring. My husband knows how to grow a garden; his last effort resulted in more vegetables than I knew what to do with. But that was in another place in another time long ago. This year we decided on just a small plot of ground for a few tomato plants, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers and hot peppers.
We plowed, we planted, we fertilized, we watered, and we waited. The plants came up nicely, all but the cucumbers which succumbed to dogs and a resident rabbit. We trellised the tomato plants. The squash bushes did bear fruit until our hail storm. The tomato plants grew and produced tiny tomatoes which never got much bigger. Some ripened but they’ve all been small. It’s been a disappointment over all.
We’ve come to the conclusion that we failed to prepare the soil as we should. There’s always ‘next year’, right?!
In the garden of my life, I wonder if I’ve been a disappointment at times. Scripture gives so many illustrations of gardening, but I love the one from John 15:1 especially: “I am the True Vine and My Father is the gardener.” Consulting with the Master Gardener always pays off. Perhaps my soil needs plowing. That’s not a pleasant thought but gardens must be plowed each season. It’s not that one turning of the soil will do for life.
This morning I ran across this verse from Ezekiel 36 that spoke to me. “I am concerned for you…you will be plowed and sown.” The Lord God, our Gardener cares enough about us to plow us under seasonally. He knows our soil and just what fertilizer it needs to grow the crop He has in mind.
The plowing isn’t fun, unless you’re the one doing it, and not the one being plowed. Reminds me of the poem of Amy Carmichael:
The toad beneath the harrow knows
Exactly where each tooth point goes
The butterfly upon the road
Preaches contentment to that toad.
Father, Gardener of my soul, thank you for plowing and preparing me for what you have prepared for me.
Ezekiel 36:9 “I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown”.
Our garden flopped. It’s been a number of years since we attempted to plant a vegetable garden but decided to try it this spring. My husband knows how to grow a garden; his last effort resulted in more vegetables than I knew what to do with. But that was in another place in another time long ago. This year we decided on just a small plot of ground for a few tomato plants, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers and hot peppers.
We plowed, we planted, we fertilized, we watered, and we waited. The plants came up nicely, all but the cucumbers which succumbed to dogs and a resident rabbit. We trellised the tomato plants. The squash bushes did bear fruit until our hail storm. The tomato plants grew and produced tiny tomatoes which never got much bigger. Some ripened but they’ve all been small. It’s been a disappointment over all.
We’ve come to the conclusion that we failed to prepare the soil as we should. There’s always ‘next year’, right?!
In the garden of my life, I wonder if I’ve been a disappointment at times. Scripture gives so many illustrations of gardening, but I love the one from John 15:1 especially: “I am the True Vine and My Father is the gardener.” Consulting with the Master Gardener always pays off. Perhaps my soil needs plowing. That’s not a pleasant thought but gardens must be plowed each season. It’s not that one turning of the soil will do for life.
This morning I ran across this verse from Ezekiel 36 that spoke to me. “I am concerned for you…you will be plowed and sown.” The Lord God, our Gardener cares enough about us to plow us under seasonally. He knows our soil and just what fertilizer it needs to grow the crop He has in mind.
The plowing isn’t fun, unless you’re the one doing it, and not the one being plowed. Reminds me of the poem of Amy Carmichael:
The toad beneath the harrow knows
Exactly where each tooth point goes
The butterfly upon the road
Preaches contentment to that toad.
Father, Gardener of my soul, thank you for plowing and preparing me for what you have prepared for me.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Dried Grape or Raisin, Your Choice
According to the Sun Maid website, in 1872 William Thompson of Sutter County, California, brought the Sultanina seedless grape to California. The first year his new grapes escaped the flooding that destroyed many of the crops in the area. In 1873, he was not as fortunate. A serious drought left the grapes dried on the vine. Refusing to accept what appeared to be the inevitable; Thompson harvested the dried grapes and marketed them as “Peruvian Delicacies.” The grapes became known as “Thompson seedless” and the California commercial raisin industry was born.
There are many people in our world like those dried grapes. The hot dry winds of adversity have blown upon them so long that they can not see any hope for their life. If you know someone like this, tell him/her there is hope. Our God is in the business of adding the living water of Jesus Christ to the lives of those who have been dried out by life. This life giving water brings both life and flavor to the life of any individual that is willing to receive it.
History is filled with individuals who have overcome their circumstances through the grace of God. Through God’s grace they have become raisin people, if you will. One of the many is David Ring. David was born with cerebral palsy. He became an orphan at an early age in life. His childhood was marked by constant ridicule from his peers. Due to the nature of his condition, he was unable to remain with any one family for long. He was cast about from family to family. David was a prime candidate for one who would dry up on the vine of life.
When he had reached the end of his rope, he received the living water of Jesus Christ. Through his relationship to Christ he learned self-acceptance. He refused to allow his handicap to define him as a person. With a spirit that refused to remain dried up on the vine and with the enabling power of God, David has become a nationally known speaker. When one first sees him come to the podium to speak, the tendency is to feel pity. The effects of his cerebral palsy on his movement and on his speech are evident. After he speaks for a few minutes, one loses the sense of pity and realizes this is a man who refused to remain dried on the vine. He chose to respond to the call of God on his life and become a true raisin of a man.
One of David’s favorite lines in the introduction of his testimony is, “I have cerebral palsy-What’s your problem?” With this simple pointed question, he makes his listeners look at their own lives. Many immediately begin to see that the things that oppress them are small in comparison. They see that they are not destined to stay dried on the vine, Instead, they can become raisin people, if they will receive the living water, which God wishes them to have.
Are you in a dry place in life? Don’t believe those voices that tell you there is no hope. Look to the one who is in the business of taking dried out lives and making them into raisin people and believe that you too can become one.
There are many people in our world like those dried grapes. The hot dry winds of adversity have blown upon them so long that they can not see any hope for their life. If you know someone like this, tell him/her there is hope. Our God is in the business of adding the living water of Jesus Christ to the lives of those who have been dried out by life. This life giving water brings both life and flavor to the life of any individual that is willing to receive it.
History is filled with individuals who have overcome their circumstances through the grace of God. Through God’s grace they have become raisin people, if you will. One of the many is David Ring. David was born with cerebral palsy. He became an orphan at an early age in life. His childhood was marked by constant ridicule from his peers. Due to the nature of his condition, he was unable to remain with any one family for long. He was cast about from family to family. David was a prime candidate for one who would dry up on the vine of life.
When he had reached the end of his rope, he received the living water of Jesus Christ. Through his relationship to Christ he learned self-acceptance. He refused to allow his handicap to define him as a person. With a spirit that refused to remain dried up on the vine and with the enabling power of God, David has become a nationally known speaker. When one first sees him come to the podium to speak, the tendency is to feel pity. The effects of his cerebral palsy on his movement and on his speech are evident. After he speaks for a few minutes, one loses the sense of pity and realizes this is a man who refused to remain dried on the vine. He chose to respond to the call of God on his life and become a true raisin of a man.
One of David’s favorite lines in the introduction of his testimony is, “I have cerebral palsy-What’s your problem?” With this simple pointed question, he makes his listeners look at their own lives. Many immediately begin to see that the things that oppress them are small in comparison. They see that they are not destined to stay dried on the vine, Instead, they can become raisin people, if they will receive the living water, which God wishes them to have.
Are you in a dry place in life? Don’t believe those voices that tell you there is no hope. Look to the one who is in the business of taking dried out lives and making them into raisin people and believe that you too can become one.
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Power of Influence
During my years of ministry, I have attended several of John Maxwell’s seminars and I have read several of his books. In the first seminar I attended, he gave a definition of leadership that has stuck with me through the years. He reduced his definition for leadership to one word, influence. Over the years I have read other books, but I haven’t found a better definition. It is concise, simple and at the same time profound. Real leaders do more than hold a title or occupy a position. They influence their world and bring about change in the lives of those they lead. You can see this principle active in homes, businesses, sports, politics, churches, entertainment and all other parts of society.
If leadership is influence, it is critical that we recognize it can be negative or positive. A true leader will lead. The question is, “Where will he/she lead?” Our “Founding Fathers” influenced those they led and created a nation that is in my opinion the greatest nation in the world. On the other hand, Adolph Hitler influenced a nation and led it down a path that caused immeasurable suffering for the world.
Because of its awesome power to change things for good or evil, leadership carries with it a tremendous responsibility that can’t be cast aside. Parents, pastors, religious leaders, famous athletes, politicians, rock stars, movie stars and any others who have some one looking to them for direction can not escape this responsibility.
The higher the profile in society the greater the responsibility the leader has. Richard C. Halverson, former Chaplain to the US Senate, wrote, “Whether a man likes it or not--if he’s in a place of leadership--he will be influencing others. He has no right just to consider himself! He must think in terms of his influence. This is a part of the price of leadership! Not just the man himself--but what happens to those who follow in his footsteps--is the serious responsibility of the leader--the big man! This is inescapable! ‘To whom much is given--much shall surely be required!’—Jesus.”
The responsibility of a leader is a fact. How a leader responds will be the basis upon which he/she will be judged. Ultimately, each leader will be judged by the only perfect leader the world has known. I speak of course of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
If leadership is influence, it is critical that we recognize it can be negative or positive. A true leader will lead. The question is, “Where will he/she lead?” Our “Founding Fathers” influenced those they led and created a nation that is in my opinion the greatest nation in the world. On the other hand, Adolph Hitler influenced a nation and led it down a path that caused immeasurable suffering for the world.
Because of its awesome power to change things for good or evil, leadership carries with it a tremendous responsibility that can’t be cast aside. Parents, pastors, religious leaders, famous athletes, politicians, rock stars, movie stars and any others who have some one looking to them for direction can not escape this responsibility.
The higher the profile in society the greater the responsibility the leader has. Richard C. Halverson, former Chaplain to the US Senate, wrote, “Whether a man likes it or not--if he’s in a place of leadership--he will be influencing others. He has no right just to consider himself! He must think in terms of his influence. This is a part of the price of leadership! Not just the man himself--but what happens to those who follow in his footsteps--is the serious responsibility of the leader--the big man! This is inescapable! ‘To whom much is given--much shall surely be required!’—Jesus.”
The responsibility of a leader is a fact. How a leader responds will be the basis upon which he/she will be judged. Ultimately, each leader will be judged by the only perfect leader the world has known. I speak of course of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Monday, July 11, 2011
That Is Not My Call
Following a severe thunder storm my wife asked our five year old granddaughter, if the storm had frightened her. She replied, “We were out in it and it frightened me some. I said a little prayer asking God to make it stop. Then I thought that is not my call is it?”
It amazes me how, not realizing it, children can be incredibly profound. Her response had no element of fear or frustration over the situation being completely out of her hand. She was content to know it was in God’s hands. I pray that simple sense of trust will follow her and will comfort her when she grows older and the storms of life swirl around her.
Her response brought to mind a sermon I heard at a pastor’s conference early in my ministry. I can’t remember the preacher’s name but I remember the sermon title, the scripture and the three points he brought forward. The title was “God of the Whirlwind.” His scripture was Nahum 1”3b: “In whirlwind and storm is His way and clouds are the dust beneath His feet (NASB).” His three points were God was before the whirlwind, God was in the whirlwind and God will be there when the whirlwind is over.
It appears to me this is an important message for our generation, since we tend to move from one whirlwind to another. The storms of uncertainty in our country today are blowing hard. It seems to me that the fear and frustration among our people grows with each passing day. Much of this unrest revolves around the economic conditions in the country. For many Christians, the greatest storm is the downward spiral of standards of morality. For others it is the fear brought about by medical problems. The list of possible life crippling whirlwinds could go on forever and still miss the one in your life.
Whatever the whirlwind is in your life, I have good news for you from the not so well known prophet, Nahum.
“The Lord is good, (Perfect)
A stronghold in the day of trouble, (Powerful)
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Personal)
Nahum 1:7 NASB (bold print added)
Prayer: Lord, help each one of us to take our eyes off the whirlwind in our life and to focus on the perfect, powerful and personal God who we worship. Amen
It amazes me how, not realizing it, children can be incredibly profound. Her response had no element of fear or frustration over the situation being completely out of her hand. She was content to know it was in God’s hands. I pray that simple sense of trust will follow her and will comfort her when she grows older and the storms of life swirl around her.
Her response brought to mind a sermon I heard at a pastor’s conference early in my ministry. I can’t remember the preacher’s name but I remember the sermon title, the scripture and the three points he brought forward. The title was “God of the Whirlwind.” His scripture was Nahum 1”3b: “In whirlwind and storm is His way and clouds are the dust beneath His feet (NASB).” His three points were God was before the whirlwind, God was in the whirlwind and God will be there when the whirlwind is over.
It appears to me this is an important message for our generation, since we tend to move from one whirlwind to another. The storms of uncertainty in our country today are blowing hard. It seems to me that the fear and frustration among our people grows with each passing day. Much of this unrest revolves around the economic conditions in the country. For many Christians, the greatest storm is the downward spiral of standards of morality. For others it is the fear brought about by medical problems. The list of possible life crippling whirlwinds could go on forever and still miss the one in your life.
Whatever the whirlwind is in your life, I have good news for you from the not so well known prophet, Nahum.
“The Lord is good, (Perfect)
A stronghold in the day of trouble, (Powerful)
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Personal)
Nahum 1:7 NASB (bold print added)
Prayer: Lord, help each one of us to take our eyes off the whirlwind in our life and to focus on the perfect, powerful and personal God who we worship. Amen
Friday, July 8, 2011
God’s Compliance Officers
The first job my oldest son had after graduating from college was with OSHA. When I told people that he worked for OSHA, their replies were generally two fold. First, they would say that a government job was a good job to have. Second, they would say they bet no one liked to see him coming. They were right on both counts, especially the second one. During the years he worked with OSHA, he learned that no one looked forward to his coming and few had kind words for him, when he arrived. He was often subjected to verbal insults, most of which were mumbled and not spoken out loud. While he didn’t make the rules he was hired to enforce them, making him the focus of people’s dissatisfaction
As I have reflected upon my son’s job as an OSHA compliance officer, I couldn’t help but think that it was not unlike the job of the Old Testament prophets and modern day preachers. They were and are God’s compliance officers. Today, they still don’t make the rules but they remind the people when they disobey them. When they speak words that reveal sin in their lives, people rebel and speak harshly about them.
Through the centuries the heart of man has changed very little. He is still is reluctant to hear the truth of God’s Word. He would rather hear words that make him feel good than words that bring conviction to his soul. Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy about a time when people would refuse to hear sound doctrine. He wrote: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (II timothy 4:3, 4 NIV). There have been individuals who fit this description in every generation. In response God’s prophets have been called upon to continue to preach the truth of his Word regardless of their angry responses.
I read that John Wesley asked young preachers who he was training two questions when they would return from a Sunday of preaching. He would ask, “Did anyone get angry?” and “Did anyone get convicted?” If a young man answered no to both questions, Wesley would discontinue theirs training. This may sound harsh but it isn’t a bad test to render. Those who God calls to speak His Word are called to speak the words of comfort and encouragement but they are also called upon to speak words of truth that bring conviction. We need more individuals who are willing to stand for the truth of God’s word, regardless of the cost. God may use their faithfulness to bring the revival that we need in our nation today.
As I have reflected upon my son’s job as an OSHA compliance officer, I couldn’t help but think that it was not unlike the job of the Old Testament prophets and modern day preachers. They were and are God’s compliance officers. Today, they still don’t make the rules but they remind the people when they disobey them. When they speak words that reveal sin in their lives, people rebel and speak harshly about them.
Through the centuries the heart of man has changed very little. He is still is reluctant to hear the truth of God’s Word. He would rather hear words that make him feel good than words that bring conviction to his soul. Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy about a time when people would refuse to hear sound doctrine. He wrote: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (II timothy 4:3, 4 NIV). There have been individuals who fit this description in every generation. In response God’s prophets have been called upon to continue to preach the truth of his Word regardless of their angry responses.
I read that John Wesley asked young preachers who he was training two questions when they would return from a Sunday of preaching. He would ask, “Did anyone get angry?” and “Did anyone get convicted?” If a young man answered no to both questions, Wesley would discontinue theirs training. This may sound harsh but it isn’t a bad test to render. Those who God calls to speak His Word are called to speak the words of comfort and encouragement but they are also called upon to speak words of truth that bring conviction. We need more individuals who are willing to stand for the truth of God’s word, regardless of the cost. God may use their faithfulness to bring the revival that we need in our nation today.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Living Free
Chrysostom, a fourth century patriarch of Constantinople, was a great example of being free indeed. One of the stories attributed to him had to do with an occasion when the Roman Emperor demanded that he renounce his faith. The emperor’s first threat was to have him banished from the kingdom, if he refused to deny his faith in Christ. To this threat Chrysostom replied, “You cannot because the whole world is my Father’s kingdom.” The second threat was to take his life. Again he replied, “You cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.” The third threat was to take all of his treasures. His reply was, “You cannot, for my treasure is in heaven where my heart is.” Finally the emperor threatened to drive him away from anyone who may befriend him, leaving him all alone. Chrysostom had a ready reply. He said, “You cannot, for I have one Friend from whom you can never separate me. I defy you for you can do me no harm.” Chrysostom had learned the secret of living free under the most adverse conditions.
We do not face this kind of threat because of our religious faith. We are blessed to live where we can worship as we please. While we have political freedom, many of our people have not learned to live free. They remain enslaved to their own passions, habits and fears.
Jesus provided for us a way to live our lives totally free. He said, "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘if you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…So if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”(John 8:31, 36 NASB). From these verses there appears to be three steps to realizing genuine spiritual freedom.
The first step is to believe in Jesus. In the scriptures belief in Jesus is more than an intellectual accent to the reality that He lived. Belief refers to the belief He was who He said that He was. It is the belief He is the answer to man’s sin problem. It is the belief He is the Savior and that through Him the relationship that was broken by sin can be restored.
The second step has to do with abiding in His word. While we have everything we need to live free, when we believe and receive Christ, we do not experience our freedom until we learn to abide in His word. When we abide in His word, it becomes the governing force in our lives.
The third step is to grow in our understanding of the truth. John 14:6 (NASB) reads, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” Jesus did not say he knew the truth; He said “I am the truth”. As our understanding of Him grows, we become equipped to truly live free, because He becomes the source of our freedom.
When we walk this path step by step we come to understand what it means to be “free indeed”. Chrysostom understood. Fear of death, loneliness, loss of treasure did not bind him. He found all that he needed in Christ. We have much to learn from his example.
We do not face this kind of threat because of our religious faith. We are blessed to live where we can worship as we please. While we have political freedom, many of our people have not learned to live free. They remain enslaved to their own passions, habits and fears.
Jesus provided for us a way to live our lives totally free. He said, "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘if you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…So if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”(John 8:31, 36 NASB). From these verses there appears to be three steps to realizing genuine spiritual freedom.
The first step is to believe in Jesus. In the scriptures belief in Jesus is more than an intellectual accent to the reality that He lived. Belief refers to the belief He was who He said that He was. It is the belief He is the answer to man’s sin problem. It is the belief He is the Savior and that through Him the relationship that was broken by sin can be restored.
The second step has to do with abiding in His word. While we have everything we need to live free, when we believe and receive Christ, we do not experience our freedom until we learn to abide in His word. When we abide in His word, it becomes the governing force in our lives.
The third step is to grow in our understanding of the truth. John 14:6 (NASB) reads, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” Jesus did not say he knew the truth; He said “I am the truth”. As our understanding of Him grows, we become equipped to truly live free, because He becomes the source of our freedom.
When we walk this path step by step we come to understand what it means to be “free indeed”. Chrysostom understood. Fear of death, loneliness, loss of treasure did not bind him. He found all that he needed in Christ. We have much to learn from his example.
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