Monday, August 27, 2012

450

"Jesus Christ is the strongest, grandest, most fascinating personality to ever grace the earth, but a careless messenger with a wrong method, can reduce all His Magnificance to sheer boredom...and, it's a sin to bore a kid with the Gospel..." from Jim Rayburn's Diaries of Jim Rayburn

Friday, August 24, 2012

449

But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses you would believe in me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say? - John 5:45-47

What do you set your hopes on?

What you set your hopes on accuses you. It condemns you and will only give you what it can but nothing more and therefore will leave you empty, hollow, unfulfilled and insecure.


Thursday, August 23, 2012

448

Just reading John 7 this morning. It's a scene straight out of your book. Jesus displays shrewdness at its best..."the right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right." It takes his time then shows up, avoids those planning to kill him, and furthers his Father's purpose.

Thanks for the insight, Rick. Wouldn't have seen it without your book. 

ned

and check out "Shrewd" by Rick Lawrence

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

447

John 5:39-40 "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."

There is a quantum leap between knowing about Jesus and placing your life in his hands.

Friday, August 17, 2012

446

John 5:21 "The Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it."

If you read these words to say - the Son only gives life to those that please him - then there may not be a more depressing verse in Scripture...

BUT, if these words are not saying that - they are saying this: it gives the Son pleasure to give us life - it is for this reason he came - to give life...and there is nothing holding him back from this desire - in fact, it is his royal pleasure!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

445

John 5:19 "Whatever the Father does the Son also does, for the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does."

By the Son we know the Father.
- the Father gives life.
- the Son gives life.
- the Father does not judge.
- He has entrusted all judgement to the Son.
- the Father is to be honored.
- the Son is to be honored and will glorify the Father.


Monday, August 13, 2012

444


I love this...

In the dream I was being pulled down a whitewater rapid that was a thrashing and torrential river. I was thinking, I am going to die.  I was aware of being full of fear. In my thrashing about, trying to stay afloat, my wrist hit something.... I assumed it was a branch in the water. I grabbed it. It turned out to be a "pool ladder" handle sticking way out into the river from the bank. I pulled myself in, exhausted. I looked back at the river thinking,That was lucky - for sure I would have died. Then I woke up. Adrenalin was pulsing through me, and my heart was literally pounding. So I just for up (three thirty in the morning) and came to church to "keep the Lord company." While I was thinking about this dream I heard, by faith, "What did you think of the dream?" I thought, It was fortunate that the ladder handle was there and I was able to get out and save my life. The Lord said, by faith, "What if I told you the river was Me?" That stunned me at first. Then I said, "I am willing, and will, jump back in... willingly and gladly... Bring it on. If it's You, I want all of You that You will give me. I trust You for wherever you take me. I'm going to trust and enjoy the ride." And I jumped back into the River. 

- bob krulish

excerpt taken from Shrewd by Rick Lawrence

Friday, August 10, 2012

443

John 4:27-42

The Samaritan woman is John's first example of evangelism. What does she do? (1) She tells people her experience. (2) She brings people to Jesus. (3) She gets out of the way so people can have their own first hand knowledge. "We have heard for ourselves. Now we know that this man is the Savior"


Thursday, August 9, 2012

442

John 4:27-42 "my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

the Samaritans were ready to believe. They believed first because of the woman's testimony. Then they believed because of their own experience. Jesus stayed with these outsiders, these inconvenient neighbors, for two days. I love that. I love that you loved these people. Your food was to be with the unloved.  You love spending time with the likes of me!


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

441

John 4:27-38 "my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work"

It brings to mind Deut 8:3 "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

Bread might fill our stomachs. But it's God who fills our hearts. He is the filler of our Being. Doing his will, taking in his word - these are the food for our souls...




Tuesday, August 7, 2012

440

John 4:1-15

Then thing that strikes me this morning is that you were tired from your journey. Perhaps even more physically tired than your disciples. Were you out of shape? I find this difficult to believe. I have in mind that you were a type of superman. I'd like to have a savior who could beat me in a race, someone who would have to slow down for me to keep up. What if it was the other way around? What if I had to slow down to your pace? What if that is your invitation? "Friend, you're running too fast, sit down here with me at the well where I can offer you something truly life giving."


Monday, August 6, 2012

439

John 3:36 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

For us, everything, our very life, depends on this one thing: what we do with Jesus. Do we place our life in his hands? Or do we place our lives in our own? That is the key decision we have to make in this life. If you have been trusting your own devices and ready to try something else - put your faith in Jesus. I can help you if you need help.


Friday, August 3, 2012

438

John 3:34 "God gives the Spirit without limit."

verse 35 "The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands."

In two verses, we get the first clear reference to the Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit. There is no limit to what God has given to the Spirit. God has placed everything into the Son's hands. Father, Son, and Spirit fully God, fully sharing the power, authority, and blessing amongst one another...then offering this life to us...

verse 36 "whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

More on this later...

Thursday, August 2, 2012

437

John 6 "gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."

Jesus gives offers us more than enough. But it's like a fine meal. It's delicious. It's succulent. It's more than you could ever ask for or imagine...but it's the dinner conversation he's after...the relationship. In a few days, no matter how wonderful that meal was, you're going to be hungry again. Does it mean Jesus  doesn't love you? Does it mean what you had a few days ago wasn't real? No! It means it's time to eat again. To hunger and thirst for that meal, that relationship - that is what Jesus is after. He provides more than we could want, but he offers his everlasting supply in portions, so we will need to return over and over and over again.



Wednesday, August 1, 2012

436


Here's a dangerous, crazy thought from an otherwise sober (and very eminent) biologist, Bernd Heinrich. He's thinking about moths and butterflies, and how they radically change shape as they grow, from little wormy, caterpillar critters to airborne beauties. Why, he wondered, do these flying animals begin their lives as wingless, crawling worms? Baby ducks have wings. Baby bats have wings. Why not baby butterflies?
His answer — and I'm quoting him here — knocked me silly.
"[T]he radical change that occurs," he says, "does indeed arguably involve death followed by reincarnation."
Angels playing to a caterpillar.
Robert Krulwich/NPR
What?
So he says it again: "[T]he adult forms of these insects are actually new organisms."
I'm sorry. Maybe I didn't hear that right ...
"In effect, the animal is a chimera, an amalgam of two, where the first one lives and dies ... and then the other emerges."
What he's saying is, while a moth appears to be one animal, with a wormy start and a flying finish, it's actually two animals — two in one! We start with a baby caterpillar that lives a full life and then dies, dissolves. There's a pause. Then a new animal, the moth, springs to life, from the same cells, reincarnated.
According to this theory, long, long ago, two very different animals, one destined to be wormy, the other destined to take wing, accidently mated, and somehow their genes learned to live side-by-side in their descendants. But their genes never really integrated. They are sharing a DNA molecule like two folks sharing a car, except half way through the trip, one driver dissolves and up pops his totally different successor. Driver No. 2 emerges from the body of driver No. 1.
Really?
When this theory was first proposed (not by Bernd, but by an English zoologist), eminent scientists scoffed.
Said Duke biologist Fred Nijhout, this idea fits better in "The National Enquirer than the National Academy (of Sciences)." Said paleontologist Conrad Labandiera, "You must be kidding!"
But Donald Williamson, a zoologist from the University of Liverpool in England, wasn't kidding. And if Bernd Heinrich is now warming to this notion, it's time to take a closer look at Death And Resurrection in insects.
The Death And Resurrection Cycle?
Many insects begin life as worm-shaped, leggy, tubular thingies that spend lots of time eating. We call them grubs or maggots or caterpillars, and they are programmed by a set of genes that sit in their DNA, spelled out in chemical letters, A, C, T and G.
Caterpillar DNA.
Robert Krulwich/NPR
Notice I've put my "caterpillar" instruction genes on the left side of the DNA. The instructions on the right side are, temporarily, silent.
So the caterpillar grows and grows until one day, it spins itself a silk coverlet (a cocoon) or a harder pupa or chrysalis container that dangles off a twig and it goes ... well, silent.
Cocoon
Robert Krulwich/NPR
This phase is, as Heinrich puts it, "a deathlike intermission." Inside, these caterpillars shrink, shed their skin, their organs dissolve. Their insides turn to mush. Most of their cells die. But lurking in the goo are a few cells (the so-called adult or "imaginal" cells) that at this moment jump into action, reorganize all the free-floating proteins and other nutrients and turn what was once caterpillar into ... here comes the resurrection ... a moth!
Butterfly.
Robert Krulwich/NPR
What's happened, says Heinrich, is that the caterpillar section of the DNA has been turned off, and the butterfly instructions have been turned on.
"[T]here are indeed two very different sets of genetic instructions at work," he writes, and this switch, turning "caterpillar" off, turning "butterfly" on, means that "most of one body dies and the new life is resurrected in a new body."
Two In One
There is no controversy about the mechanics I just described; it's the explanation that's new and controversial. The old view was that over millions of years, animals evolved this habit of switching from one set of instructions to the other. The new view is that this is not one animal gradually changing shape, but rather instructions for two different animals sandwiched together and this change is so radical, says Bernd, "with no continuity from one to the next, that the adult forms of these insets are actually new organisms."
A caterpillar is born and dies; a butterfly is resurrected from its juices.
It's a stunning idea. (But with all kinds of problems: How to explain two very different creatures from different ancient species "mating"? Usually, they can't do that. How do you get DNA to not mix, so that the two creatures stay distinct? How do you define "death"?)
But still, I can't stop thinking about this. If cross-species matings were once possible, who knows what you could die and turn into? Could dandelions dream of becoming spruce trees? Could tadpoles, instead of morphing into frogs, become catfish? This is silly, I know, but radical metamorphoses, from tadpoles to frogs, maggots to flies, grubs to beetles, remain largely mysterious, so new explanations are intriguing, even if they startle. (Especially if they startle.)

Monday, July 30, 2012

435

Oswald pointed out something today, I've been thinking about for the last several weeks...

"Jesus did not commit Himself to them...for He knew what was in man." John 2:24-25

"Many of the cruel things in life spring from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts; we are true only to our ideas of one another...The refusal to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering in human life. It works this way - if we love a human being and do not love God, we demand of him every perfection and every rectitude, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; we are demanding of a human being that which he or she cannot give. There is only one Being who can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ."

Thursday, July 26, 2012

434

My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. - John 4:27-38

The Samaritans were ready to believe. They believed because of the woman's testimony. Then they believed because of their own experience with Jesus. He stayed with them two days! These outsiders! These inconvenient, unlovely neighbors. That neighborhood most would travel out of the way to get around, that you chose to deliberately travel through. Then stay there two days! Most of the time in Scripture, Jesus is quick to leave a place. This is the first time you stayed! Why? Because your food was this kind of thing. You got jazzed up at life change. I love that. I'm that way to.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

433

John 3:30 "He must increase; I must become less."

My eyes gravitate to these words. They captivate me. John, the famous Baptist, is talking about popularity, influence, and power. He chose to diminish his own in order to increase Jesus's. Wow! Jesus in his character would not have sought this outcome for himself. In a sense, he needed to be given it. And John, in his humility, freely offered what Jesus did not ask for.

It is not in God's character to seek fame. It is up to his believers to make him famous.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

432

http://bstrait.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/a-miracle-inside-the-the-aurora-shooting-one-victims-story/

this is the story of Petra Anderson, who survived the Colorado shooting last week.

Monday, July 23, 2012

431

John 3:1-8 "the wind blows where it pleases."

I'm thinking about how a seed is planted by the wind. I'm thinking about how the wind catches a sail. I'm thinking about how wind shapes rocks, mountains, the ground we live upon.

The invisible wind is one of the most powerful forces on earth. And you, Lord, say that you work like it. You are unpredictable. Strong or gentle, you are always at work. Always moving. Slowly shaping all that is.

Friday, July 20, 2012

430


Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Message

Or maybe I spoke too fast...because we've come to my favorite part: "I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!"

There is something wild and wonderful and exciting and adventurous and beautiful and significant and, well, pleasurable in living all out for Jesus. There is. 

Nothing's holding you back. Nothing really. Go for it! 

Get in on the action! Go!!!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

429


Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Message

"I did it all because of the Message."

What motivates you to be a Christian? I confess much of mine is selfish. It makes me feel good. I think it is good for me...I don't think that this was Paul's motivation. I'm just guessing. 

It was true. And it was life and death. I think that was enough for him. 

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

428


Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Message

I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view

This is what Atticus teaches Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. To learn to see things from another person's porch. To walk around in their skin for awhile. 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

427

Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Message


Does the scope of your life encompass all people, every kind of people, or do you edit your evangelism...thank God those before us did not. 

Monday, July 16, 2012

426

We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our very lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. - 1 thessalonians 2:8


Gospel living is genuine living. Living life genuine. Nothing hidden. Nothing held back.


Friday, July 13, 2012

425

John 2:18-25

"destroy this temple"

Jesus knew from the beginning what would happen to him. It's a strange response to the people
s question of his authority. I guess what Jesus is saying is that his actions will prove his authority. Actions speak louder than words. I need to act what I want to say.

Then there are these words "Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man." Again strange words. What amazes me is that Jesus knew our hearts and yet he still came! He still loved us! He still went through with his mission.

Maybe he knew our hearts better than we do. Maybe he knew how helpless and broken they are. Jesus could not stand idly by when God had given him the power and authority to save us.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

424

John 2:12-17

Jesus knows how to make and use a whip! How does that knowledge inform my day to day understanding of who Jesus is and what he is doing in my life?

I don't know what to make of your whip skills other than the fact that you are not passive. You are not weak. You are not intimidated. You are not a coward. You do not stand idly by in the face of injustice. You stand squarely on the side of justice. You do not flinch.

I am such a fearful man. I cower in the face of injustice so often...too often.


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

423

John 2:12-25

"Zeal for your house will consume." I love your passion Jesus. Your passion for God, your Father. For how little we make Him. For how we take Him for granted. For how we think and try to manipulate and abuse His mercy and grace. Help me experience and live in and through and out of your passion.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

422

John 2:1-11

Six jars to the brim = 150 gallons!

150 gallons of wine! That's a ridiculous, wasteful amount. You couldn't drink that much in a month. That's like 300 two liter bottles. Over 600 bottles us wine.

What are you trying to show us Jesus?

That you have the ability to accomplish and provide vastly more than we could ever need, ask, and even imagine...

Thinking about the wine you used to symbolize your blood during the Last Supper. Was this miracle at the Wedding at Cana a foreshadowing? Were you saying my blood is more than sufficient. More than even your parched, broken soul could ever need, ask or even imagine...yes, Jesus, your blood covers all our sin. Amen

Monday, July 9, 2012

421

John 2:1-11

"You saved the best till now."

We hear it said to "save the best for last." But you, Lord, saved the best till now. I love that, Jesus. I want to experience your best now in my life. There's no reason to save it when you give your gifts to us from a limitless storehouse.

Forgive my ingratitude. May I be a good receiver today, in Jesus name.


Sunday, July 8, 2012

420

I apologize I have not been nuggetting very consistently lately. I've been attempting something new. Something old actually. A conventional quiet time. Coffee. Prayer. Journalling. Read Scripture. Study what it says. Let God draw me to a verse, a phrase, a word, perhaps something else altogether. Sit with it. And Pray some more. It's been fantastic.

I'll be sharing nuggets again starting tomorrow. But wanted to offer this encouragement to you to try a good old fashion quiet time today.


Friday, July 6, 2012

419

Mother Teresa
“Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, and his hand in every happening; This is what it means to be contemplative in the heart of the world. Seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor.”
― Mother TeresaIn the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers

Thursday, May 24, 2012

418

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

Colossians 1:9

My dear friends are leaving for Korea on Saturday morning to pick up their child! We had the great privilege of praying with them last night. We've been praying for them the last year. And they've been praying about this for years beyond that.

And soon we will meet God's answer to our prayers.

Who are you praying for?

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

417

I was really blessed by this


  1. Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
    Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
    When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
    His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
    His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
    • Refrain:
      I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
      For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
  2. “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
    And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
    Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
    His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
    His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
  3. Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
    When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
    I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
    His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
    His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

416

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.


1 John 4:9


I love this verse. It's so clear. John lays it out for us this is it...


And what does he say?

Jesus. God packed all his love into a man named Jesus - who exchanged his life for ours - wow. But as powerful as Christ's death and resurrection is - it's His life that enthralls me to him. If God is like Jesus, then what an amazing universe this is.




Monday, May 14, 2012

415

Heard this on the radio today, quoting from a book that I think is called Lonely in the Crowd.

If we don't learn how to be alone, we'll always be lonely. 

Jesus is a great example of this. He demonstrated the importance of solitude. In turn, he was rarely lonely. I think of the Garden of Gethsemane when I write, rarely.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

414

"Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger..."

Matthew 4, The Message

If you knew you were going to be tempted to use your power to make food appear out of thin air, would you prepare for it by fasting for over a month?

Hmmm...

What's going on here?

This is one of those do not try at home moments. Because Jesus is Jesus. We are not. At the same time, God often works best in and through our weakness. So if you are hungry, tired, lonely, angry, afraid...take heart! God is at work. You'll be surprised at how he can use it not just in your life but also in others.

Monday, May 7, 2012

413

"While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed."

This is a prayer challenge: this week, one morning, set your alarm clock early (way before dawn) and pray.


Thursday, May 3, 2012

412

"Jesus went off with his disciples to the sea to get away. But a huge crowd from Galilee trailed after them...He told his disciples to get a boat ready so he wouldn't be trampled by the crowd."

Mark 3. The Message 


Solitude was important to Jesus. And if he needed it, you better believe we do. We see here that Jesus didn't let the urgent things pressing in on him keep him from it. He fought for his solitude. It was that important.


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

411

"Love Christ, and then do what you like, for you will like the right. You will be free!"

E. Stanley Jones.

focus on Christ... and everything else truly does fall into place... O Lord have mercy on me, I am often out of focus.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

410

"Blessings keep our awareness of life's holy potential ever present. They awaken us to our lives... With each blessing uttered we extend the boundaries of the sacred and ritualize our love of life."


Ann Voskamp

Monday, April 30, 2012

409

Eucharisteo means "to give thank," and give is a verb, something that we do. God calls me to do thanks. To give thanks away. That thanks-giving might literally become thanks-living."


Ann Voskamp

Friday, April 27, 2012

Thursday, April 26, 2012

407

"God does not give rights but imparts responsibilities - response-abilities - inviting us to respond to His love-gifts."

Ann Voskamp

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

406

"Receiving God's gifts is a gentle, simple movement of stooping lower."

Ann Voskamp

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

405

"But is it any wonder? That word humility itself comes from the Latin root humus - the kind of earth that grows good crops. God gives the earth to the humus-people, the humble ones."

Ann Voskamp

Monday, April 23, 2012

404

"How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it! - was that it? I had just held evidence of it. The joy of small that makes like large."

Ann Voskamp.

Friday, April 20, 2012

403

"Trust is the bridge from yesterday to tomorrow, built with planks of thanks."

Ann Voskamp

Thursday, April 19, 2012

402

"Worry is the facade of taking action when prayer really is."

Ann Voskamp

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

401

"Praying with eyes wide open is the only way to pray without ceasing."

"Love is not blind; love is the holy vision."

Ann Voskamp

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

400

"The art of deep seeing makes gratitude possible. And it is the art of gratitude that makes joy possible."

Ann Voskamp

Monday, April 16, 2012

Friday, April 13, 2012

398

the next few days, I'll be sharing some of my favorite lines from Ann Voskamp's beautiful book: One Thousand Gifts.

"The only real prayers are the ones mouthed with thankful lips."

Thursday, April 12, 2012

397

from Humilitas

Then there is General Stanley McChrystal's assessment of what should be done in Afghanistan. 

"I have found in my experience that the best answers and approaches may be counter-intuitive. The opposite of what it seems you ought to do is what ought to be done. So, when I'm asked the question, What approach should we take in Afghanistan? I say, humility."




Wednesday, April 11, 2012

396

taken from Humilitas by John Dickson

Jim Collins, the Stanford University business analyst and author of the best-selling Good to Great conducted a five-year study exploring what turns good companies into great ones. He defined a "great" company as one that experienced a turn-around in which it financially outperformed the market trend by at least three times for a fifteen-year period. One classic example is Gillette, best known for shaving products. Betweeen 1980 and 1995 the company enjoyed cumulative stock returns 7.39 times greater than the general stock market. Only eleven companies in the US made Collins's "great" category. Most notable were those that didn't make the cut, including Coca-Cola, Johnson&Johnson, Walmart and General Electric, companies that only outperformed the market by 2.5 times.

Many observers were surprised to learn that one of the key factors in all eleven good-to-great companies during the growth phase was what Collins describes as Level 5 Leadership - that is, leadership marked by two characteristics: steely determination and an attitude of humility. Collins records the puzzlement of his research team at the consistency of this finding:

"We were surprised, shocked really, to discover the type of leadership required for turning a good company into a great one. Compared to high-profile leaders with big personalities who make headlines and become celebritities the good-to-great leaders seem to have come from Mars. Self-effacing, quiet, reserved even shy - these leaders are a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. They are more like Lincoln and Socrates than Patton and Caesar."

Collins's 2009 book How the Mighty Fall bears out the flipside - when successful companies become arrogant, it often spells their downfall.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

395

Some Radical Prayers for you to consider:




* A Prayer for Protection *
(To be prayed before ministry.)

In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of his Cross and his Blood, we bind up the power of any evil spirits and command them not to block our prayers. We bind up the powers of earth, air, water, fire, the netherworld and the satanic forces of nature.

We break any curses, hexes or spells sent against us and declare them null and void. We break the assignments of any spirits sent against us and send them to Jesus to deal with them as he will. Lord, we ask you to bless our enemies by sending your Holy Spirit to lead them to repentance and conversion.

Furthermore, we bind all interaction and communication in the world of evil spirits as it affects us and our ministry.

We ask for the protection of the shed blood of Jesus Christ over _______.

Thank you, Lord, for your protection and send your angels, especially St. Michael, the Archangel, to help us in the battle. We ask you to guide us in our prayers: share with us your Spirit’s power and compassion. Amen.

(Prayers by Dr. Francis MacNutt)



* Prayer To Be Set Free *
(To be prayed following ministry.)

Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing with us your wonderful ministry of healing and deliverance. Thank you for the healings we have seen and experienced today.

We realize that the sickness and evil we encounter is more than our humanity can bear, so cleanse us of any sadness, negativity or despair that we may have picked up. If our ministry has tempted us to anger, impatience or lust, cleanse us of those temptations and replace them with love, joy and peace.

If any evil spirits have attached themselves to us or oppressed us in any way, we command you, spirits of earth, air, fire, water, the netherworld or the satanic forces of nature, to depart – now – and go straight to Jesus Christ for him to deal with you as he will.

Come Holy Spirit: renew us – fill us anew with your power, your life and your joy. Strengthen us where we have felt weak and clothe us with your light. Fill us with life. Lord Jesus, please send your holy angels to minister to us and our families—guard us and protect us from all sickness, harm and accidents. (Give us a safe trip home.)

We praise you now and forever, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and we ask these things in Jesus’ Holy Name that he may be glorified. Amen.

(Prayers by Dr. Francis MacNutt)

Monday, April 9, 2012

394

Sorry, I went on vacation and didn't plan ahead...Here is something I've been pondering this last week.

These words from our brother Saint Augustine: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

And these words: Our hearts are insecure until they find their security in you.

I invite you to ponder these, or if you would like think of others. The list goes on and on...

Sunday, April 1, 2012

393

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" asked Nathaniel.

"Come and see," said Philip. 

When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked. 

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathaniel declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

John 1:43-41

I'm going to try and only write one more thing about this passage. Jesus says, "You shall see greater things than that..." Jesus looks at this man and Jesus, with his God eyes, can see the adventure he is about to take him on. 

And think about the adventure for one minute. Nathaniel's going to hold bread that gets multiplied a thousand times! Nathaniel is going to witness a dead child come back to life. He is going to see the blind see, the dead hear, the broken healed. He's going to perform miracles himself. Nathaniel's going to witness his mentor pursue his Father with reckless abandon. He's going to watch Jesus pray. It's going to impact him so much, he's going to doubt that he's ever prayed before. But he is not ashamed. He is changed. He learns to pray. He learns to walk as Jesus walked. All the way to his own sacrificial death. Nathaniel, you haven't seen anything yet. And Jesus knows - and he says to him - what do you say? Ready or not - here we go!


Thursday, March 29, 2012

392

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" asked Nathaniel.

"Come and see," said Philip. 

When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked. 

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathaniel declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

John 1:43-41

Yesterday, I wrote: Jesus addressed the very thing Nathaniel needed addressing. 

Here's a question: why would Jesus do this? The only thing we know about Nathaniel is that he hates Jesus' hometown. He sounds like a cynical man to me. He is highly critical and highly opinionated - basically a pain in the you-know-what. What would Jesus want with him?!

But look at what Jesus sees in him: When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

That sure is different than: Here is a real pain in the you-know-what!

Jesus saw something special in this intense man. He saw what, more than likely, a lot of other people didn't see. Believe it or not, Jesus sees you with those same kind of eyes. He can see past the crud to the real God-designed you. And that is who he speaks to. That you!


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

391

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" asked Nathaniel.

"Come and see," said Philip. 

When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked. 

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathaniel declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

John 1:43-41

Yesterday, I pointed out: Clearly, we see that Nathaniel has some major doubts about what his friend Philip has told him about Jesus. 

Notice how differently Jesus approaches Nathaniel compared to how he approached Philip. With Philip, FINDING him was enough. With Nathaniel, Jesus knows he needs to address his doubts. He says, "I saw you under the fig tree." What is that? How am I supposed to know! You see, that's the point. Only Nathaniel understood what happened under the fig tree. Maybe it was something painful. Maybe it was his special place to pray. Whatever happened there was significant enough that it calmed every single one of Nathaniel's fears. Jesus loves us and your friends so much he will do whatever it takes to reach them. Some have fears, some have doubts, some have brokenness, some (like me) have all the above. Jesus meets each one of us where we are - in our junk. So look for him in your junk. You just might find him there - addressing that thing you most desperately desire. 


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

390

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" asked Nathaniel.

"Come and see," said Philip. 

When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked. 

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathaniel declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

John 1:43-41

Yesterday, I wrote: THE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO FOLLOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

Here we see what following Jesus does to Philip. He does to others what Jesus did for him. He FINDS Nathaniel. The same thing Jesus did to him. Jesus FINDS Philip. But here is the critical thing to notice: He doesn't try to be the savior. He points Nathaniel to the Savior, Jesus. "Come and see" he says. Clearly, we see that Nathaniel has some major doubts about what his friend Philip has told him about Jesus. But Philip trusts that Jesus is big enough to answer his friend's doubts. Philip is so head over heels for Jesus that he believes that if Nathaniel just gets a glimpse of Jesus, he'll be changed forever. 

The point to remember when we are following Jesus. We are not becoming him. We become aligned with him - in order to come and see things the way he does and point others the same direction: to Him!


Monday, March 26, 2012

389

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" asked Nathaniel.

"Come and see," said Philip. 

When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked. 

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathaniel declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

John 1:43-41


Yesterday, I wrote this: The meaning of life is to follow Jesus. It is. It really is. I can't state it too strongly. THE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO FOLLOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

The secret to the real, full life-you-always-wanted is life in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It's not becoming Jesus Christ. It's not becoming a better person. It's not unlocking the inner you. It's a relationship. You only become you by and through a relationship with Jesus. The more you give yourself over to this relationship, the more alive you become, the more YOU you become. 


Sunday, March 25, 2012

388

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."


Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."


"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" asked Nathaniel.


"Come and see," said Philip. 


When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."


"How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked. 


Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."


Then Nathaniel declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."


Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."


John 1:43-41


I have to tell you: This is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. Why? Well, we get to see so many sides to Jesus, that's why!

First thing we see is that Jesus FINDS Philip. Jesus is a pursues individuals. He was about to leave for Galilee but before he departs, he's got to find Philip. He wants Philip. He seeks him out. Then, Jesus tells him, what I believe are Jesus' two favorite words: follow me. 


The meaning of life is right here: to follow Jesus. More on that tomorrow.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

387

Frederick Buechner on Repentance

"To repent is to come to your senses. It is not so much something you do as something that happens. True Repentance spends less time looking at the past and saying, "I'm sorry," than to the future and saying, "Wow!"

My friend Kevin Miller pointed out that true repentance is less "turning from" and more "turning toward". I like that.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

386

We were with dear friends last night. Charlie, one of the dear friends (they all were), mentioned one of the great prophesies...that young men would see visions...that old men would dream dreams. We were with young and old, you see. And the beauty of the evening was that they were indistinguishable, interchangeable - which I see now is the point of Joel's great prophesy. Because it's young men who usually dream dreams. It's the old that see vision. But in God's world, there is no age. The young are old. The old are young.

Outwardly, Paul says to the Corinthians, I am wasting away. Inwardly, I am becoming new day by day.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

385

Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

John 1:40-42



Jesus here also picks on a theme started by this Father. He names Simon. He calls him Cephas, which means Rock. In Greek, Petra, Peter. How cool is it that our Heavenly Father gives out nicknames? I think it's astoundingly cool. 


In Revelation 2:17, Jesus says "I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." Some folks have surmised that when we meet Jesus face to face he will reveal to us who we really are  - or, and more importantly, who we really are to him. Whether that is true or not, it would be plenty cool to me if he simply gave me a nickname. 

Thursday, March 15, 2012

384

Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

John 1:40-42


The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother. Brings to mind another brother tandem. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil...And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother, Abel?" 


"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"


Simon's brother Andrew is the redemption of Abel's brother Cain. Andrew was the true brother. He was his brother's keeper. We don't know why Simon wasn't there the first day. But thanks to his brother, he didn't miss out on the second, the third, or the rest of eternity.