Lesson From a Message Board

I asked this question recently on a message board--

"Just wondering how often you use stuff from the message board here in your sermons. Or how helpful is the day to day stuff you learn here in your preaching?"

My own answer to my question--

"I find a lot of things here. Mostly about myself which necessarily means it ends up in my preaching. Often the discussions and the points raised cause me to pause and consider and re-consider what has been said.

I have been forced to examine what I believe, I have repented more than once as a result of something I ‘saw’ from this message board.

I am driven to my Bible and I must do as the Bereans did--
Acts 17:11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

I also find that revelation will come as a result of what someone else has said. That the Lord will speak through this message board and drive me to search for the truth of what being a Christ-follower fully means.

Some things are easy to share--the fun of a photograph of four dozen pairs of shoes laid out in symmetry and color coordinated. Other things from here are hard to tell, the pain filled story of someone (Anyone) feeling abandoned and lost because the church has misplaced her Compassion and has taken it out on Anyone.

The hard stories are needful for my people to hear. Now I know that ya’ll probably don’t have any homophobic people in your congregations, but I have. I need to hear and be touched by the hard stories. Jesus demands we tell the hard stories—so the Good News will continue to be good.

Hardly “divulging confessional secrets” except that it is my own confession which I willingly divulge in my preaching. If I can admit that I have been wrong about something the folks will have courage to repent as well.

This message board abounds with wisdomfull things.

I need all the wisdom I can get and I’m gleaning the corners of this field and am being well-fed.

peace"

Reflections from a fishpond

I wrote--"Another one of those spontaneous, in situ revelations.

I have a small goldfish pond in my front yard and I like to spend some time out there watching the fish and dragonflies and other critters who live around that place.

I usually feed the goldfish a few times a week—somehow they seem to know when it is time to eat, I think they feel the vibrations as I walk up to the edge of the pond.

Anyway a few years ago I was feeding the fish and one of them was blind—she/he had cataract looking eyes.

Again anyway, whenever I would sprinkle the fish food into the water the other fish would come around the food and begin eating. The blind fish would also show up but usually never got anywhere near the food even though its mouth would be making all the proper moves in order to eat but it never really connected with dinner. I would watch that fish and be completely filled with pity and compassion for it so I would purposely drop some food right in front of the fish so it would get something to eat.

One day as I was feeding that fish the Lord spoke to me and said ‘Jim, you are just like that poor fish! You expend a lot of energy, go through the motions, your mouth going and going, trying to get something but left on your own you come up empty and hungry. If it weren’t for Me dropping just what you need in front of your blinded eye face you would starve to death.’

Of course He was right. I realized then and now that if the Lord had not provided for me on a daily basis I would be starving and lost and undone. What a loving Father I have, One who provides for all my needs and is the source and provider of my daily bread. Oh the riches of His mercy and His goodness toward me."

Steve said--"Jim, you're right on about us starving if it weren't for the grace of the Lord dumping stuff in our laps.It makes me wonder, though... can't we learn to sense the vibrations of the Master's footsteps and look in the right direction?"


I replied--"Of course we can learn that, actually we must learn that. That’s what discipleship is all about.

Getting to hear and know the sound of the Lord—whether it be the sound of His voice, or His certain sounding footsteps, or His scent in our noses, or even to recognize His shape or His shadow, even we aren’t seeing too clearly. I have friends (the ones I know well) that I can see 100 yards away and I know it’s him or her.

I have to learn--
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, (Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; KJV) because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. NLT

I have to observe Him--
John 15:15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

I have to imitate Him--
Matthew 10:25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master.

I have to be so infused with the learning of Him that ‘it is no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me’--
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

This prepares me to recognize Him in whatever way He chooses to reveal Himself to me at any one particular time. Often the Lord comes to me in ways which if I did not know Him in some of His own peculiar ways I might miss Him. I might miss His approach."

Remembering June 6th

Remembering June 6th 1968

A voice of faith and reason fell silent.

Bobby we hardly knew ye!

"We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We've had difficult times in the past. And we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it's not the end of disorder. But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land."

(Interrupted by applause)

"Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people. Thank you very much."

(Applause)

Robert F. Kennedy - April 4, 1968 on the assassination of Dr ML King




Also remembering June 6, 1944
my Uncle Joe--my Dad's brother,
killed at Normandie on D-Day while liberating Europe
from the Nazi's.

Thanks Uncle Joe

My rights!!

Some random thoughts--

As Christ-followers what rights are we allowed to keep? I hear a lot of talk about the rights we have—happiness, peace, boundaries, love, self-esteem, and others.

Doesn’t the Gospel teach that when we are in Christ we forfeit our own rights and our own lives as well?

Luke 14:25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. 28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost.

“No one should be surprised that they cannot come to believe so long as, in deliberate disobedience, they flee or reject some aspect of Jesus' commandment (to come). You do not want to subject some sinful passion, an enmity, a hope, your life plans, or your reason to Jesus' commandment? Do not be surprised that you do not receive the Holy Spirit, that you cannot pray, that your prayer for faith remains empty! Instead, go and be reconciled with your sister or brother; let go of the sin which keeps you captive; and you will be able to believe again! If you reject God's commanding word, you will not receive God's gracious word. How would you expect to find community while you intentionally withdraw from it at some point? The disobedient cannot believe; only the obedient believe.”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer - from Discipleship p65-66 Fortress Press

"...it could well prove to be a major turning point in our life if we would ask ourselves if we really do intend to be life students of Jesus. Do we really intend to do and be all of the high things we profess to believe in?” Dallas Willard. Adapted from The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God. Reprinted in The Christian Century, 1998.

Too often we want to get out of this cross carrying business. We protest-
'I have rights! I have the right to stop turning the other cheek, I have the right to be angry, I have the right to go my own way and live my own life.'
We look to be rid of what God has given us to endure—

“Perseverance, translated literally, means: remaining underneath, not throwing off the load, but bearing it. We know much too little in the church today about the peculiar blessing of bearing. Bearing, not shaking off; bearing, but not collapsing either; bearing as Christ bore the cross, remaining underneath, and there beneath it - to find Christ. If God imposes a load; then those who persevere bow their heads and believe that it is good for them to be humbled - remain underneath! For remaining steadfast, remaining strong is meant here too; not weak acquiescence or surrender, not masochism, but growing stronger under the load, as under God's grace, imperturbably preserving the peace of God. God's peace is found with those who persevere.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer - from A Testament to Freedom 291 from A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer Carla Barnhill, Ed., HarperSan Francisco, 2005

2 Corinthians 1:5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ… 8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. NLT

Spring Is In The Air

So spring is here in Tennessee.

The dogwoods are flowering and the redbuds have peaked. I've got some irises ready to open and this is the first year I've had 5 tulips.

Passover and Orthodox Easter are almost here as well.

Once again I'm reminded of deliverance and resurrection.

I thank God and our Father for sending His only Son for us.

He Is Risen, Indeed

So Christ emerges victoriously from the tomb.

He has conquered sin and death and hell!

He is our Champion!

Revelation 1:18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. NLT

A great day!

It was a beautiful day today here in Tennessee.

I called pastor friend-who is also a best friend-David, and asked him if he wanted to go with me and cut thorns.
I'm fashioning a crown of thorns for the cross on the altar for tomorrow night's service.

We ended up in a hollow with no cars, people, noise.
Just some crows and turkey buzzards flying above us.
Talking about Jesus, a clear blue sky, feeling surrounded by
a 'great cloud of witnesses'.

Sensing the Spirit at work in our lives.

It was a great day!