Saturday, November 26, 2011 - "How to Love People FOR DUMMIES"

"So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks of them." 

2 Corinthians 5:16 NLT 

Walter is one nasty, grumpy, cussing old man.

    We watched part of a video of comedian Jeff Dunham using his talent for ventriloquism to create characters based on stereotypes. (Disclaimer: the bleeps were so numerous we stopped watching.) There was a crotchety old man named Walter, the Dead Terrorist Achmed, and a redneck named Bubba J.  Through the mouths of these "dummies" he said things he couldn't say without them, voiced unapologetic stereotypes and stated biases that would blackball him if it weren't for those little guys with their humorous faces.  
     We do the same thing with a different set of dummies. "Righteous indignation" handles all our grudges. "Spot Light" points out other people's sins to avert eyes from our own. "Reputation" labels people as "bad influences" to keep our families at a safe distance.       However, when Jesus said, "Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you," (Matthew 5:44), He tore these dummies away and exposed us as the voices behind these unloving, unkind, unChristlike attitudes and comments. 
     Father, You are Love and You embrace the least of these, including me. Who are we to think we're better? Forgive us when we label people as unworthy of our forgiveness, our time, our attention, our friendship, our compassion.  Help us minister without regard to age, color, creed, religion, appearance, or their response to our efforts.  When we're tempted to judge or label others, put a picture of our own hypocrisy before our eyes and bring us to our knees in repentance.  Speak Your healing, loving words to anyone who needs them through us today.  
In the Name of Jesus, Love in human form


"Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked."
1 Corinthians 13:5


"As we have opportunity, let us do good to all."
Galatians 6:10


"Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.'
1 John 4:7

Thursday, November 24, 2011 - Thanksgiving Blessing

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

"I will wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken."

Psalm 62:1

May your list of blessings far exceed your list of requests today.

May you find a quiet hour to reflect on the God Who reigns.

May your day in every way celebrate how God has carried you through the year,

how His Presence is with you today,

and how He'll be with you through the winter ahead.

May thanksgiving and praise be on the menu 

and may you enjoy seconds and thirds!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 - Biggest Losers Are Smarter than Stones

Rock speakers: some stones
are smarter than others.
 

"Praise the LORD!
I will thank the LORD with all my heart as I meet with His godly people.
How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! 
All who delight in Him should ponder them.
Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty.
His righteousness never fails.
Who can forget the wonders He performs?
How gracious and merciful is our LORD!
He gives food to those who trust Him;
He always remembers His covenant. . . 


Reverence for the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom.
The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey Him.
Praise His name forever!"  Psalm 111:1-5, 10


I love the title of the show "The Biggest Loser" since the biggest loser is, in fact, the winner of not only losing the most weight, but of changed habits and a changed lifestyle.  I have a feeling God will award on a similar basis: 
He may have a series of  "Biggest Loser" awards for those who lost themselves in:
* thanksgiving to Him for every blessing;
* wonder at His works;
* reverence at His holiness;
* praise for His faithfulness;
* His unconditional and unfathomable love.
* giving back to Him and to others;
* His Word to learn, teach and preach God's Will;


This Thanksgiving I want to lose myself in Him, knowing I'll find what my heart desires.
Father, You taught us through Your Son that if we want to keep our lives we must lose them.  Strengthen us against self-preservation and free us from holding anything back from You.  You deserve our thanks for every good gift. You deserve our praise for Your faithfulness, daily protection and guidance. You deserve our reverence because You are the One True, Holy, Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God.  We owe You our love and service and can never repay what You've poured out on us.  Forgive us when we let mealtime blessings - even longer than usual Thanksgiving blessings - suffice for a relationship with You. Draw us into loving Your Word more with every reading and draw us into Your sweet, healing Presence more with every prayer.  
In the Name of Jesus Who said,  "If they (My disciples) kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise." (Luke 19:40) Make us smarter than stones, Lord.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - Losing Weight for the Holidays

"I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, 

not to spend My time with those who think they are already good enough." 

Luke 5:32 

     We all have a few extra pounds we could lose to make the holidays more meaningful.  Dr. Luke passed along a prescription from the Great Physician that, if taken to heart, will prepare us to enjoy a lighter, brighter season.
     We need to:
   
1. Drop the gavels and stop judging others to lose the weight of being judged. 
"Stop judging others, and you will not be judged." Luke 6:37a


2. Throw the thought machine overboard that cranks out criticism to avoid the weight of its force as it comes back on us like a boomerang.
"Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you." Luke 6:37b


3. Let go of the grudges we carry so the freedom of forgiveness can rush through us. 
"If you forgive others, you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37c


4. Kiss those heavy masks of hypocrisy goodbye and loosen the logs in our own eyes.  
"How can you think of saying 'Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye." Luke 6:42


Father, we're obsessed with our physical weight when You look on our heavy hearts and see the obesity of sin. It seems the only exercise we get sometimes is pointing our fingers and flapping our jaws. Forgive us, Lord, and help us love sincerely, purely and with hearts freed from these old ways. Cleanse us from all that hurts You and that keeps us from being like You. Guide us to let go of burdens that weren't meant for us to carry. May we sacrifice judging, holding grudges, plotting revenge, and masks of hypocrisy in favor of resting in Your God-ness and Goodness.  
In the Name of Jesus Who called us to
"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:29

Monday, November 21, 2011 - Dreams, Green Shoes and Toilet Paper

"O LORD, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. 

You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away.  . . Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! 

Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it!""

Psalm 139:1-2, and 14    

      God connected two big dots in my spiritual life this morning: my eerily prophetic dreams and the book "When God Winks at You."   
     Before you think I'm getting all weird on you, let me explain about the dreams.  A friend asked me several years ago "Do you think God speaks prophetically to us through dreams?"  This uncharted, unpredictable type of spiritual discussion makes me nervous, so I gave her a knee-jerk, fear-based reaction, babbling something to the effect of "dreams just tell us what's bothering us below the surface."  God heard me and asked, "Really?"
     That night began several years of dreaming things that would come true the next day. The first time it happened during a visit with Tom's parents in Florida.  I had forgotten my raggedy sandals and dreamed I was shoe shopping with Tom's mom. After she followed me through the shoe department, I turned to say, "Let's go," when we both saw a pair of green shoes between us.  She laughed and asked me, "Do you want me to buy those for you? I will if you'll wear them!" 
     If I had remembered the dream the next morning it would've fit my explanation of a dream: I forgot my sandals, needed some new ones, and Tom's mom and I often shop together.  Nothing weird about that, except for the "green" part.  However, I forgot the dream until later that day when she and I went to buy a few groceries. Next to the supermarket was a department store and I asked, "Do you mind if I check in here for a pair of sandals since I forgot mine?"  She said, "I'll go with you."  We wandered through the shoe department, but I didn't see anything I liked and turned to tell her, "Let's go" when we spotted between us a pair of green sandals and, you guessed it, she laughed and said, "Do you want me to buy those for you? I will if you'll wear them!" 
     The dream flooded back and haunted me the rest of the day.  In a daze I kept asking, "Why?" and "What does it mean?"  And so began a stream of dreams similarly filled with odd situations, useless information, and specific details I couldn't have predicted (green shoes??).  This "gift" scared me until I realized, it wasn't a gift but God's gentle reprimand not to tell people what He does and doesn't do: "Don't tell people I don't speak through dreams because I can and do if I choose to teach personal lessons that way."
     Now for the second dot: Each night before we go to bed we read a "Godwink testimony" from the book "When God Winks at You."  My first stop this morning was the bathroom where there was no tissue on any of the three holders.  That's when last night's  dream hit me: Nick called from the bathroom to ask me, "Do we have any more toilet paper?"  and I said "yes" and hunted some down.  God smiled and winked at me: "I know where you are and I know the most intimate details of your life, the deepest secret thoughts in your head, the deepest fears of your heart, your comings and goings, and when you need to replace the bathroom tissue."  A warm feeling bubbled up in my soul and burst into laughter because God is with me, He cares, and He speaks through whatever He chooses, from dreams and green shoes to toilet paper. 
     God Almighty, Omnipotent Father, thank You for Your constant Presence and interaction with us. Open our eyes to see You working and our ears to hear You speaking.
Keep us from making any assumptions about how You work or communicate.  Free us to hear You, to respond in love and to obey every leading. May we allow Your Presence to be our comfort as we learn to be comfortable in Your constant Presence. 
In the Name of Jesus Who lives as one with You and calls us to do the same

Friday, November 18, 2011 - A Vast Difference

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

 1 John 1:8

    How can we protect our children from falling away from a life of faith? We teach them the vast differences between us and God. 

*Humans fail, but God never fails.  

"Her (Jerusalem's) prophets are arrogant; they are treacherous men. 

Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law. 

The LORD within her is righteous;

He does no wrong.

Morning by morning He dispenses His justice, 

and every new day He does not fail,

 yet the unrighteous know no shame."

Zephaniah 3:4-5

*Parents, even Christian parents, make serious mistakes, but 

God works perfectly in us without a hitch or glitch.  

"Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close." 

Psalm 27:10   

*Friends break promises, but God faithfully keeps His covenant with His people. 

"a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which  God, Who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,"

Titus 1:2

*Church members take their frustrations out on other people through moodiness, distance and general grumpiness, but             

God is Love, never changes, never leaves or forsakes us, and keeps an open-Arm policy. 

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8

"I the LORD do not change." Malachi 3:6

"God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 

*Christians have been known to hold longtime grudges, but 
God forgives each time we ask. 

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just 

and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 

1 John 1:9

*People only half-live due to secret sin and private issues, 

but God shines His Light in our darkness and brings healing and wholeness. 

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought peace was upon Him, 

and by His wounds we are healed."

Isaiah 53:5

*Humans exalt themselves and other people only to end up constantly disappointed,

when Jesus humbled Himself and proved worthy of our complete and constant devotion.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who being in the very nature God,

 did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, 

being made in human likeness. 

And being found in appearance as a man, 

He humbled Himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!" 

Philippians 2:6-8

*Some leaders prove to be wolves in sheep's clothing who mangle and steal life, 

but Jesus, the Lamb of God, gives us abundant life in Him for eternity. 

"Watch out for false prophets. 

They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." 

Matthew 7:15 

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them."

Ephesians 5:6-7

"Then next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 

'Look, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!'"

John 1:29

*Believers need accountability and fellowship to stay in God's Will; 

God stands alone as good and challenges us to test, try and prove His goodness. 

"From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

Ephesians  4:16

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. 

Test Me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'"

Malachi 3:10

     These vast differences mean we can't put anyone on a pedestal for our children to follow. Our job is to lead them to test, try and prove for themselves that God alone deserves their trust.  As our children grow in their faith we need to avoid handing them our quick answers in favor of praying with them for God's answers. This same principle applies to all our spiritual relationships because each time we pray with someone we take them into the Presence of the God Who stands ready to help them. When we stop short of God's Presence to offer someone our own opinions, answers or comfort, we deprive them of a personal faith-building experience. If we're not careful, we allow them to confuse our words with His Word.  As an added blessing, allowing God to have that pedestal all to Himself frees us to live honestly and openly as imperfect humans working alongside other imperfect humans to perfect our faith in the only perfect One.  
Lord, forgive us for wanting and giving the easiest way, the quickest answers, and the shortest shortcuts. There are no magic pills or perfect people to follow and we miss blessing after blessing when we try to put anyone but You on a pedestal. Guide us to trust You enough to help other people trust You.  Stop us from secretly thinking we have to help You fulfill Your promises or uphold Your character, but open our mouths to testify to all the ways You've fulfilled Your promises in our lives. Keep us from being stumbling blocks to anyone's vision of You or relationship with You.
In the Name of Jesus, the only One Who ever lived a perfect life on this earth! 


Inspired by Live Loved, by Max Lucado

Thursday, November 17, 2011 - Wrap, Don't Warp

"The world of the generous gets larger and larger."

Proverbs 11:24 (the Message) 

    One day last week Nick said he thought it would be cool to be able to "warp" from place to place, from era to era.  It took me two seconds to see how we would ruin our lives with such a "gift."  Relationships would evaporate completely as we warped past each other and never stayed in one place long enough to build one. Who would stay put and keep the home fires going? Where and when would home be?  Where would we go to get wrapped in love, joy and peace? 
     We've already warped our lives and relationships to the point many people feel isolated and lonely on a daily basis and those feelings are keener during the holidays when we all dream of Norman Rockwell Thanksgivings and Thomas Kincaid Christmases.  If you're one of these people, feeling out of touch, out of the loop, and out of sorts, you're not alone.  Each of us feels it to some degree for different reasons, different losses, different choices, different distances.  It reminds me of when I learned that everyone in a crowded room felt the same way I did: shy and hesitant to initiate conversations, yet we quickly judged each other as unfriendly or "snobby."  
     God designed us so that when we wrap other people into our lives, our own fire grows a little brighter, our own loneliness eases.  Christ calls us to take the initiative and open our doors and hearths to each other, to be hospitable and loving.  I foresee a toasty Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas for believers who stop wishing they could warp here or there to make plenty of room at their tables, in their hearts and around their hearths this year.
Father, may we not plan picture perfect holidays that leave out the very Spirit that we celebrate. May we be conscious of people around us who hurt with fresh losses and holidays without someone, holidays away from family or in new places.  Use us to minister through hospitality to whomever You lead. May we be Christlike and loving, kind and giving, receptive and unselfish.  Thank You for using us to help others survive and thrive during the holidays.


In the Name of Your Son Who invites even me to heaven's table 


"Every day they continued to meet in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."  
Acts 2: 46-47 (NIV)


Inspired by Live Loved, by Max Lucado