Here is a great proverb for the day. "The tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18)
Careless words can hurt people. Not only can they influence a person's self-worth, they can actually shape that person's destiny. If you doubt that, consider these two stories:
(1) One day in a small country church an altar boy accidentally dropped the communion wine. The officiating priest slapped him and shouted, "Leave, and don't come back!" That boy became General Tito, the brutal communist dictator who ruled the people of Yugoslavia for years.
(2) In a big city cathedral another altar boy dropped the communion wine. His bishop turned to him and whispered reassuringly, "It's okay, some day you'll be a great priest." That boy became Archbishop Fulton Sheen, whose sermons touched the hearts of millions on national television.
Your words either build people up or tear them down. Solomon said, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Here's a truth we don't like to acknowledge; what comes out of our lips reveals what's in our heart, and all our "I didn't mean its" don't change that or undo the damage.
Eugene Petersen writes: "Every day I put love on the line. There's nothing I am less good at. I am far better in competition than love; far better at responding to my instincts to get ahead, than at figuring out how to love another. I'm schooled and trained in getting my own way. And yet I decide every day to set aside what I do best, and attempt to do what I do very clumsily - open myself to the frustrations and failures of loving, daring to believe that failing in love is better than succeeding in pride."
Let's shoot to speak and release words that elevate other people. It shapes their destiny and ours. God Bless you and see ya Sunday....
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Longing for Heaven
Mel Blanc was the voice behind the Warner Brothers cartoon characters in Looney Tunes. At the end of every movie Porky Pig pops up with the same send-off: "That's all, folks!" When Mel Blanc died guess what his family put on his tombstone? "That's all, folks!" But it's not, and deep down we know it. The Bible says God "set eternity in the hearts of men" (Ecc 3:11 NIV). It's a longing that won't go away. It's why the Egyptians built the Pyramids and the Greeks put a gold coin under the tongue of the departed so they could pay the ferryman to cross over the River Styx.
But our longing is not just for a longer life, particularly if longer just means more of the same. A Christian college once sent students door to door to talk to people about spiritual issues. Two of them knocked on one door to find a frenzied mother of three with a vacuum in one hand and a screaming baby in the other, food burning on the stove and a living room so messy it would have qualified as a Federal disaster area. "Are you interested in eternal life?" they asked. "Frankly, I don't think I could stand it," said the mom. We don't want more of just more of the same. We want what's wrong to be put right. We want suffering to stop. We want clean air, meaningful work, honest politicians, clear consciences, ceaseless beauty, and the end of loneliness and war. In other words, we want Heaven. And the good news is, when Christ is your Savior that's where you go when you die!
I love what Revelation 21:3-4 says about Heaven and everything being put right. "(3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
I am also reminded about the words that Jesus spoke that confirm just where our citizenship really is located. He said, we pass from death to life. Many act as though we pass from life to death but actually it is quite the opposite. Let a longing for heaven grow in your heart today.
But our longing is not just for a longer life, particularly if longer just means more of the same. A Christian college once sent students door to door to talk to people about spiritual issues. Two of them knocked on one door to find a frenzied mother of three with a vacuum in one hand and a screaming baby in the other, food burning on the stove and a living room so messy it would have qualified as a Federal disaster area. "Are you interested in eternal life?" they asked. "Frankly, I don't think I could stand it," said the mom. We don't want more of just more of the same. We want what's wrong to be put right. We want suffering to stop. We want clean air, meaningful work, honest politicians, clear consciences, ceaseless beauty, and the end of loneliness and war. In other words, we want Heaven. And the good news is, when Christ is your Savior that's where you go when you die!
I love what Revelation 21:3-4 says about Heaven and everything being put right. "(3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
I am also reminded about the words that Jesus spoke that confirm just where our citizenship really is located. He said, we pass from death to life. Many act as though we pass from life to death but actually it is quite the opposite. Let a longing for heaven grow in your heart today.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Are you losing yourself?
Luke records: "There met Him ten...lepers...they lifted up their voices and said, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!'...He said to them, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And...as they went, they were cleansed" (Lk 17:12-14 NKJV). Leprosy was a slow, painful death. First you lost your fingers and couldn't work, then you lost your toes and couldn't walk, then it attacked your internal organs. Every day you lost a little more of yourself. Here are five helpful insights from this story:
(1) If you feel like you're "losing yourself," turn to Jesus. He can restore what you've lost and give you back your peace and joy.
(2) "Lift up your voice." Away with dignity and decorum! Desperate people do desperate things. God promises: "You will...find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jer 29:13 NIV).
(3) Whatever He tells you - do it. Don't lay down conditions to God. And don't seek an identical experience to somebody else. Jesus told the ten lepers, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." Why didn't He just speak to them or touch them like He did others? Don't question, obey! Faith doesn't demand explanations.
(4) Take a step of faith. Luke records, "As they went, they were cleansed." You've got to walk it out; each step brings you one step closer. But nothing happens till you take that first step of faith.
(5) Start praising God! Only one of the ten lepers returned to give thanks, and Jesus noticed it. You can go to God with confidence for your next answer, when you know you remembered to give Him thanks for your last one.
(1) If you feel like you're "losing yourself," turn to Jesus. He can restore what you've lost and give you back your peace and joy.
(2) "Lift up your voice." Away with dignity and decorum! Desperate people do desperate things. God promises: "You will...find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jer 29:13 NIV).
(3) Whatever He tells you - do it. Don't lay down conditions to God. And don't seek an identical experience to somebody else. Jesus told the ten lepers, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." Why didn't He just speak to them or touch them like He did others? Don't question, obey! Faith doesn't demand explanations.
(4) Take a step of faith. Luke records, "As they went, they were cleansed." You've got to walk it out; each step brings you one step closer. But nothing happens till you take that first step of faith.
(5) Start praising God! Only one of the ten lepers returned to give thanks, and Jesus noticed it. You can go to God with confidence for your next answer, when you know you remembered to give Him thanks for your last one.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
More Lazarus Lessons
I have enjoyed reading the story of Lazarus the last several days. I shared some of this truth on Sunday as we received the offering. Here is some more revelation about this man that Jesus loved that will apply to our lives.
(1) God has a bigger and better plan in mind. Lazarus was dead four days when Jesus arrived. When the Lord waits, it's for two reasons:
(a) That He may be glorified. I found out this week while studying that the Pharisees believed that your spirit left your corpse on the fourth day after you died. So if Jesus had intervened earlier they'd have said, "He wasn't really dead." Hence He told His disciples, "This sickness is ...for the glory of God" (Jn 11:4 NKJV). It's in looking back that we clearly see God's hand at work.
(b) That our faith may be strengthened and built up. Jesus said, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe" (Jn 11:15 NKJV). We will always have some form of difficulty or crisis. Our next crisis will be different from our last one, but the thing that must remain strong is our faith.
(2) God will ask us to remove the hindrances and deal with the stench. "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha...said to Him, 'Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days'" (Jn 11:38-39 NKJV). Are we praying for an answer in one area, while God's telling us to take away the stone and deal with a "stench" buried in another? Surrender, you can't win! When your heart's right with God your prayers will be answered.
(3) God wants to make us a living testimony. Everywhere Lazarus went, without even speaking a word, his life declared that Jesus is Lord. And the same should be true of us. God has saved and raised us up to be a testimony to His grace and goodness.
(1) God has a bigger and better plan in mind. Lazarus was dead four days when Jesus arrived. When the Lord waits, it's for two reasons:
(a) That He may be glorified. I found out this week while studying that the Pharisees believed that your spirit left your corpse on the fourth day after you died. So if Jesus had intervened earlier they'd have said, "He wasn't really dead." Hence He told His disciples, "This sickness is ...for the glory of God" (Jn 11:4 NKJV). It's in looking back that we clearly see God's hand at work.
(b) That our faith may be strengthened and built up. Jesus said, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe" (Jn 11:15 NKJV). We will always have some form of difficulty or crisis. Our next crisis will be different from our last one, but the thing that must remain strong is our faith.
(2) God will ask us to remove the hindrances and deal with the stench. "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha...said to Him, 'Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days'" (Jn 11:38-39 NKJV). Are we praying for an answer in one area, while God's telling us to take away the stone and deal with a "stench" buried in another? Surrender, you can't win! When your heart's right with God your prayers will be answered.
(3) God wants to make us a living testimony. Everywhere Lazarus went, without even speaking a word, his life declared that Jesus is Lord. And the same should be true of us. God has saved and raised us up to be a testimony to His grace and goodness.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Lazarus Lessons
Lesson one: Jesus knows how you feel. At Lazarus' funeral, "Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, 'See how He loved him!'" (Jn 11:35-36 NKJV). This story proves we serve a God who can not only raise the dead, but can "sympathize with us" (See Heb 4:15 NKJV). So if you're grieving today turn to God and allow Him to comfort you.
Lesson two: Jesus can give you back what life's taken from you. He can "restore to you the years" that life has stolen (See Joel 2:25). Claim that promise; take it to the place where you've lost so much, and ask God to replace and renew. Martha said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You" (Jn 11:21-22 NKJV). Instead of saying "if only," pray "even now I know." It's not too late, God can move on your behalf.
Lesson three: Jesus can set you free. "He cried...'Lazarus, come forth!' And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes...Jesus said...'Loose him, and let him go'" (Jn 11:43-44 NKJV). God's Word is greater than the thing that has bound, limited or enslaved you. Even though your mind doesn't fully comprehend it, let your spirit respond to God. Pray with the Psalmist, "Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it" (Ps 119:34-35 NKJV). When you pray such a prayer your faith will grow, and the circumstances that seem impossible will be changed by God.
Lesson two: Jesus can give you back what life's taken from you. He can "restore to you the years" that life has stolen (See Joel 2:25). Claim that promise; take it to the place where you've lost so much, and ask God to replace and renew. Martha said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You" (Jn 11:21-22 NKJV). Instead of saying "if only," pray "even now I know." It's not too late, God can move on your behalf.
Lesson three: Jesus can set you free. "He cried...'Lazarus, come forth!' And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes...Jesus said...'Loose him, and let him go'" (Jn 11:43-44 NKJV). God's Word is greater than the thing that has bound, limited or enslaved you. Even though your mind doesn't fully comprehend it, let your spirit respond to God. Pray with the Psalmist, "Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it" (Ps 119:34-35 NKJV). When you pray such a prayer your faith will grow, and the circumstances that seem impossible will be changed by God.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Complete
When you disregard your positive qualities by telling yourself, "I'm too fat, I'm no good, I never do anything right," you'll always find verification of what you're looking for. Dr. Richard Carlson says: "Putting yourself down reinforces rather than corrects your imperfections by placing unnecessary attention and energy on everything that's wrong, rather than what's right with you.
Why would you do this knowing the only possible result is a negative outlook, more negative feelings and less appreciation for the gift of life? People who regularly put themselves down are often seen as complainers, not to mention the example they set. Everyone has aspects of themselves they'd like to improve, but this doesn't mean you should beat yourself up. Here on earth none of us is ever going to be perfect, but putting yourself down isn't the answer."
The Bible says God "has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Max Lucado writes: "Underline the word perfect. Note, the word isn't better. Not improving. Not on the upswing. God doesn't improve; he perfects. He doesn't enhance; he completes...I realize there's a sense in which we're imperfect. We still err. We still stumble. We still do exactly what we don't want to do...that part of us is 'being made holy.' But when it comes to our position before God, we're perfect. When he sees each of us, he sees someone who has been made perfect through the One who is perfect - Jesus Christ." It's okay to work on improving yourself, but go easy; stop often and remind yourself that you're "being made new...becoming like the One who made you" (Col 3:10 NCV).
Why would you do this knowing the only possible result is a negative outlook, more negative feelings and less appreciation for the gift of life? People who regularly put themselves down are often seen as complainers, not to mention the example they set. Everyone has aspects of themselves they'd like to improve, but this doesn't mean you should beat yourself up. Here on earth none of us is ever going to be perfect, but putting yourself down isn't the answer."
The Bible says God "has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Max Lucado writes: "Underline the word perfect. Note, the word isn't better. Not improving. Not on the upswing. God doesn't improve; he perfects. He doesn't enhance; he completes...I realize there's a sense in which we're imperfect. We still err. We still stumble. We still do exactly what we don't want to do...that part of us is 'being made holy.' But when it comes to our position before God, we're perfect. When he sees each of us, he sees someone who has been made perfect through the One who is perfect - Jesus Christ." It's okay to work on improving yourself, but go easy; stop often and remind yourself that you're "being made new...becoming like the One who made you" (Col 3:10 NCV).
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Picture the wind blowing through the cedars of Lebanon and some of them "humming" in response. And the greater the storm, the sweeter their song. These were called humming cedars. And God uses humming cedars to build strong churches.
In Acts, a couple of humming cedars were incarcerated in a Philippian dungeon, their hands and feet locked in stocks, their backs flogged, the contempt of society heaped on them. How did they respond? "At midnight Paul and Silas were...singing hymns to God...Suddenly there was a great earthquake...the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed" (Ac 16:25-26 NKJV). One old preacher said: "God got so caught up in their praises that He began to tap His big foot. And when God taps His foot, you get earthquakes."
Praise breaks chains and opens doors; it's the strategy for victory. Satan will try to stop you from praising God because he knows:
(a) The importance of praise. "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised" (Ps 48:1 NKJV). (b) The healing effects of praise. God's answer to "the spirit of heaviness" is "the garment of praise" (Isa 61:3). But like any garment, you must put it on.
(c) The power of praise in times of crisis. When Israel was outnumbered by the enemy, God told them to put a choir in front of the army and march into battle. And it worked! "When they began...to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the [enemy]" (2Ch 20:22 NKJV). Don't wait until the battle is over to shout; go to war with the praise of God on your lips and watch Him turn your situation around.
In Acts, a couple of humming cedars were incarcerated in a Philippian dungeon, their hands and feet locked in stocks, their backs flogged, the contempt of society heaped on them. How did they respond? "At midnight Paul and Silas were...singing hymns to God...Suddenly there was a great earthquake...the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed" (Ac 16:25-26 NKJV). One old preacher said: "God got so caught up in their praises that He began to tap His big foot. And when God taps His foot, you get earthquakes."
Praise breaks chains and opens doors; it's the strategy for victory. Satan will try to stop you from praising God because he knows:
(a) The importance of praise. "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised" (Ps 48:1 NKJV). (b) The healing effects of praise. God's answer to "the spirit of heaviness" is "the garment of praise" (Isa 61:3). But like any garment, you must put it on.
(c) The power of praise in times of crisis. When Israel was outnumbered by the enemy, God told them to put a choir in front of the army and march into battle. And it worked! "When they began...to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the [enemy]" (2Ch 20:22 NKJV). Don't wait until the battle is over to shout; go to war with the praise of God on your lips and watch Him turn your situation around.
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