SEWER SLUDGE - REJOICE! - REALLY?

I had such great plans.  I was going to finish up a few things and then relax and spend some time with Carol after having been gone all week.  But Sunday afternoon MY PLANS suddenly changed.  We discovered water backing up into our laundry tub (that is never a good thing). So I proceeded to try plunging, and pouring a gallon of highly toxic drain cleaner into the drain in hopes of that I could avoid a service call. Nothing worked so much for MY PLANS.  My next thought was perhaps I take off the cleanout cap and see what is going on and do something about it myself.  At this point however the laundry tub (full of highly toxic drain cleaner and sewer water) was higher than the cleanout.  So I took a bucket and slowly emptied the laundry tub.  I moved the washer and dryer to get to the cleanout cap.  Then I got everything in place so that I could slowly drain the remaining liquid from the pipes into some containers I had ready.  I picked up the channel locks turned the cap slowly and it broke giving way suddenly and pouring sewer and drain cleaner out all over.  Not exactly what I had planned.  Several attempts to get something down the drain and a trip to Home Depot left me with no alternative.  I had already invested several hours and nothing had worked.  So I made the call they came they took 15 minutes to snake out the drain and went away with my check.  Not what I had planned. Let’s look at these verses together. 
 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (HCS) Rejoice always!  Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  Don’t stifle the Spirit.

 

I do not remember the exact thoughts that went through my mind when the cap broke and sewer water spewed out at me.  I do not think I was REJOICING.  I had been praying and asking for help.  But now there was nothing left to do I had to call for help. The exhortation here in these verses is to Give THANKS to God not matter what.  WHY?  This is not a pleasant or good thing that happened.  The challenge is not to THANK God that it was not any worse than it was.  The command is to Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you.  I don’t know why this was part of God’s plan for me Sunday - but it was.  I could whine and complain and be in a bad mood or I could accept what had happened and continue to honor the Lord knowing that NOTHING ever catches Him by surprise.  As I was thinking about these verses I came across this comment:  “These verses are not just good advice; they are God’s will for every Christian.” Bible Knowledge Commentary  

So even if I am covered with sewer sludge and my plans are ruined - I can thank God and continue to Rejoice in Him.   WHY?  Because it is God’s Will for me.  I believe it because I TRUST God and His WORD.  So even if it means MY plans are shattered I will thank God for what He is doing and bringing into my life.

 

PRAYER:  Lord God, thank you that You never make mistakes.  Thank You for the hard things in life which remind me that YOUR plan is the one that matters.  Lord, help me to live with a heart full of Thanksgiving and PRAISE. 

TOILET BOWL THEOLOGY

What does a toilet brush have to do with theology?  What could a group of missionaries from all over the world learn from a tool used to clean toilets?  Carol and I had the privilege of being part of conference for missionaries last week.  We were humbled to be with so many of the Lord’s precious servants - many of whom are serving in very hard and sometimes dangerous places. 

As I spoke I started out telling them the story of a young woman from our church in Detroit who had served the Lord at a Christian camp one summer.  She was given the nasty job of cleaning the bathrooms everyday after 100 + young campers had made them filthy.  She was getting down about it and starting to grumble in her heart when the thought came to her that she could actually do this job in a way that honored and glorified God - or she could have a bad attitude and complain.  She decide that each day she would raise that toilet brush towards heaven and dedicate the job ahead of her to the Lord then proceeded to the job well seeking to honor God.  That reminds of these verses. 

Colossians 3:17 (ESV) And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 Colossians 3:17 (NLT) And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

“In the Bible, a person's name represents that person. To do something in the name of the Lord Jesus is to act in a way that is in harmony with His identity and under His authority.” NLT Notes

The Christian Life and Ministry are Hard - many times we have to do things that we do NOT LIKE.  So I have a toilet brush clearly visible in my office to remind me of that TRUTH.  However, it is also there to remind me that I can choose to do the hard things, the difficult things, in my walk with Jesus or in my service for Him in a way that HONORS Him.  If I choose to do that then the toilet brush becomes my symbol of a hard thing done in a way that brings glory to God.  When I do that an amazing thing happens.  I discover that even those hard and distasteful things that I have to do can bring joy and satisfaction.  WHY?  Because I’m doing them for Jesus - I am more concerned with honoring Him with my thoughts, words, and conduct than I am about how awful the task may be.  Part of that process is GIVING THANKS to God for the privilege and opportunity to glorify Him through those difficult things.  What are you facing today that is Hard or unpleasant?  What things are you facing that you just don’t want to go through?  If you will take time to present that task to the Lord Jesus with Thanksgiving you will discover that no matter how hard the Christian life is - no matter how difficult serving the Lord Jesus can be - IT IS WORTH IT!  And that is TOILET Brush theology.

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus I don’t like this task - but I want to do it for You to Honor You.  Thank You for this opportunity which You have given me to do this.   Please help me - give Your strength - Your grace to keep on going.  

Fear - Doubt - Dread - Panic - REALLY?

What thoughts go through your mind when something horrible happens to you?  When Carol fell and broke he kneecap we had all kinds of thoughts and fears running through our minds.  Will the pain ever stop?  Is this really serious?  Will we be able to go and see our girls graduate in Costa Rica?  Will Mark be able to go and speak at the conference for Missionaries?  Fear - Doubt - Dread - Panic all went through our minds.  At times like that Carol and I have learned and continue to learn to go back to or default position, to one basic TRUTH.  God knows what He is doing - He never makes mistakes.  Once we remind ourselves of that Truth once we confess again Lord we TRUST You no matter what - then and only then can we seek God’s help with the Fear - Doubt - Dread - Panic that we are feeling.  Here are some amazing verses that have been an encouragement to me.

Psalm 27:1-4 (NLT) The LORD is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? [2] When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. [3] Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. [4] The one thing I ask of the LORD - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

Have you ever been full of fear?  Have you ever allowed the fear you face to control you?  David makes it very clear that God has the power to deal with any and all of his fears and his enemies easily and decisively.  His fears were perhaps more immediate in the sense that he had enemies literally trying to kill him.  Yet as David speaks about His FEARS and also remembers to put ALL his TRUST in God.

Life Application Study Bible Notes: Fear is a dark shadow that envelops us and ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. Each of us has been a prisoner of fear at one time or another - fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertainty, sickness, or even death. But we can conquer fear by using the bright liberating light of the Lord who brings salvation.  

In choosing to TRUST God and NOT give into his own fears David was putting ALL his confidence in God’s Power NOT in his own strength or ability.  The logic is simple. If the ALL POWERFUL God of the universe is protecting me I have no reason for fear. Even in the middle of an attack David says he will remain confident in God’s Power and Might.  Perhaps the reason David can trust God, even during the heat of the battle, or the darkest night full of fears, is that he has found the answer in seeking out God’s Presence.  David is pursuing God - seeking to be in His presence - seeking to DELIGHT in God Himself.  David wants to Meditate by focusing his heart and mind on God’s Word - focusing his thoughts and even his emotions on the wonder of Who God is and What He is like.  When we are full of FEAR or Facing uncertainty we must seek out God - Pursue Him through His Word and by spending time alone with Him.  We can learn like David to POUR out our Hearts and Fears to Him.

Prayer: Lord, help me to look to you for strength and courage.  Help me not to give into fear or darkness but to seek out Your Light.   Lord God help me to Delight in Your character and to Meditate on Your Word so that I will know you better and Trust You More.

Chocolate Bunnies and Cadbury Eggs

As much as I love chocolate bunnies and Cadbury eggs - that is NOT what Easter is all about. Easter is a celebration that has its roots in the shadow of cross.  The blood stained cross where the despair and anguish of Jesus’ Mother and His disciples was absolute.  The one they loved, the one they followed, the one they were sure was the Messiah.  WAS DEAD.  Jesus was quickly buried and the disciples all went into hiding for fear that the religious leaders. Friday night all day Saturday and through that night the cloud of hopelessness and desolation hung over them.  Then Sunday morning out of sense of love and duty some women went to finish the gruesome task of embalming Jesus body.  Sunday morning - EVERYTHING changed. 
 

Matthew 28:1-4 (NIV)  After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. [2] There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. [3] His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. [4] The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

 

Several women went out to finish the burial process of Jesus which had been very rushed on Friday evening.  Mark 16:3 says that they were concerned with moving the stone away from the tomb.  Either just before they got there or as they arrived an earthquake shook everything.  An angel arrived and rolled away the stone from the entrance to the tomb.  WHY?  Jesus was not there He had been raised from the dead.  Jesus did not need the stone to be moved so that He could get out.  The stone was moved for all the world to see that the tomb was EMPTY! 

Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;

He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose;
with a mighty triumph over His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

PERSONAL:  Lord, You rose with POWER destroying death and it’s power over me.  You broke Satan’s grip over me.  Thank You for dying and for LIVING for me.  Thank You for making it clear for all the world to see that YOU are a RISEN SAVIOR.

JUST A PASSING SHADOW

If you have ever shadow boxed or played shadow tag you know that you can hit a shadow or step on it and you will not affect that shadow in any way shape or form.  It is not substantial and real in the sense that we can hold and touch it.  In many other ways our world seems so real.  We can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste many different aspects of our world. In contrast heaven and eternity seem very unreal to us and sometimes we have a hard time living with eternities values in mind.  That is why it is hard for us to fully grasp what the Psalmist is saying in these verses.                                                                               

Psalm 144:3-4 (NET)  O LORD, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?  Of what importance is mankind, that you should be concerned about them? [4] People are like a vapor, their days like a shadow that disappears.

Psalm 144:3-4 (NLT)  O LORD, who are we that you should notice us, mere mortals that you should care for us? [4] For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow.

In comparison to the universe with the splendor of the stars and the almost unimaginable distances of light years who are we?  Psalm 144 asks that very question.  Why did God take notice of us?  Why has God paid any attention to us at all?  We are not much more than a vapor or breath of wind.  In comparison to God and his creation we are merely a vapor or a shadow.  That really should step all over any illusions we have about our own importance.  Our lives, as real and substantial as they feel to us, in light of eternity and the realities of heaven, are nothing more than a passing shadow.  Yet the God of the universe the creator of all that we see and all that we cannot see still provided a way for us to have a relationship with Him.  It cost the life of His Son Jesus.  But through the death of Jesus we can come to God and ENJOY Him here and now and also throughout eternity. We must always remember that we are just a passing shadow that this world is NOT what it is all about.  We are merely preparing for eternity.  We have to remember that the blink of an eye or the flicker of a shadow that is our life here will pass it will come to and end.  That is when the REALITY of Eternity in God’s presence will start.  What an amazing God we have.  He is Worthy of ALL our praise Worship and adoration.  The old song said it this way:  This world is not my home I’m just a passing through.  My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.  The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door.  And I can’t feel at home in this world any more. 

 

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, help me to remember that this world and everything in is will pass away.  Help me to live with Eternity and the Realities You have promised in mind. 

I HATE GOODBYES!!

I HATE GOODBYES!  It has not always been that way.  When I was in High school I could get caught up in the adventure of being away at camp for 8 weeks and not miss home or family all that much.  But after I married Carol - saying goodbye to her or our daughters when they still lived at home was never enjoyable.  I did - many times - but I never liked it.  Yes once I got into the trip I enjoyed the ministry part of it.  It was always amazing to see God doing wonderful things in the lives of people.  It was exciting to see God use me in some way to encourage or help others.  But getting home was always so wonderful.  I am glad that God understands me and that He does not condemn me that I hate the last couple of days before I actually start a trip.  I am glad that in His compassion He watches over me and gives me the grace to go and watches over Carol and gives her the grace to send me on my way.  I Love these verses that tell us of the compassion of God. 

PSALM 103:13-17 (NLT)  The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. [14] For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust. [15] Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. [16] The wind blows, and we are gone -as though we had never been here. [17] But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him....

Our God is like the perfect father who is both tender and compassionate.  WHY?  Because He knows us He understands us, after all He is the one who made us.  God knows that we are not much more that grass or wild flowers which bloom and die.  We have a life cycle built into us by our God.  We are born we live and we die.  The difference between us and the flowers of the field is that God LOVES US and after we are saved we enter into a personal Relationship with Him.  He loves us with a Love that NEVER FAILS. His Love remains even when we our faith is weak and struggling.  His Love remains even when we struggle to do what He has called us to do.  His love remains even when we have to say goodbye for a time to those we love.  His love and compassion is why we can count on His strength and help during those times when we are struggling. 

Prayer:  O God, You have proved Your Love over and over but especially in knowing and understanding me.  Even though You know me so well You still Love me and have pour out your Love and Compassion on me.  THANK You.  Thank You that you understand that I hate to say goodbye but that I still go trusting You in those times of separation.