Even though I used the verses from Matthew 25 the other day, as I related some stories from the sermon time on Sunday, they come up today in my regular reading, and I visit them again in a little different setting.
The Biblical section is entitled The Parable of the Sheep and Goats, and concerns some actions taken, or not taken, by people that show their priorities. Jesus praises the sheep group and chastises the goats. In fact, praise and chastisement are too mild an outcome, the actions of the people (with animal designations) affect their eternal destination.
Jesus says:
"I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me."
These folks did something, and what they did showed the character of their lives, they cared about others. If their lives consisted of these kinds of actions, they understood most of what Jesus taught about relationships. Others became the focal point of their lives, not themselves.
It is too easy for me to look at these actions and see one that I occasionally do, like go into prison and visit some guys, and pat myself on the back and say I qualify for praise on this. What about all the other stuff? Do I even notice someone in need, much less actually help them? Do people actually register on my radar screen except when I can gain something from them?
I know my selfish self, and, even though I can maybe put a check next to one line of the verse, too often these other lines show my true heart:
"I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes"
God, You have given me so much. Help me to love others like You do.
I need to live like a sheep and not just pretend to be one.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
A Second Testimony
Yesterday, I reacted a little to one of the testimonies from the service on Sunday morning. For any who might have watched the video of that service and stopped with the young lady's testimony, I invite you, and others who did not watch at all, to the second in that service.
A young man (and I know, all people are young to me) told his story. It was a powerful presentation, one that spoke of an abusive childhood, an angry teen time, and a wasteful young adult time. In short, it was the type of early life that can take a man down the wrong road in a hurry. Bubba ( how about that for a good South Georgia name) West was that young man, and he has been in our church for some time. I only knew him as a member and one time golf foursome companion, but had no idea of what had happened to him before that time.
I know all of our stories are different, but Bubba's and mine were poles apart. Home environment, parents, schooling and conversion were all very dissimilar. It is thrilling to hear how God reached down and grabbed him out of the life he was living, but hard to relate to.
I think of my children as they would have listened to this, as even now I encourage them to take the time to hear it with their families, because it is that powerful, what would they think? And my two teenage grand children, they have seen some of the bad part of the world of their peers I know, but what do they know of this kind of life?
We surely do not want our kids or grand kids to get so far away from God, that they are in danger of losing all touch with Him, and sinking into the life of depravity that Bubba depicted. God can meet a man or woman anywhere, but, as you can tell from the emotions of that testimony, it took a dramatic turn around in his life to put him on the right path.
How much better to have put God first in the earlier years and spent those wasted years in service for Him.
Anyway, her is the web address for the video, please watch and listen and put yourself there.
http://www.livestream.com/sscc/video?clipId=pla_f3f5bc3c-1c51-4741-8402-521e1872d5a8&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb
A young man (and I know, all people are young to me) told his story. It was a powerful presentation, one that spoke of an abusive childhood, an angry teen time, and a wasteful young adult time. In short, it was the type of early life that can take a man down the wrong road in a hurry. Bubba ( how about that for a good South Georgia name) West was that young man, and he has been in our church for some time. I only knew him as a member and one time golf foursome companion, but had no idea of what had happened to him before that time.
I know all of our stories are different, but Bubba's and mine were poles apart. Home environment, parents, schooling and conversion were all very dissimilar. It is thrilling to hear how God reached down and grabbed him out of the life he was living, but hard to relate to.
I think of my children as they would have listened to this, as even now I encourage them to take the time to hear it with their families, because it is that powerful, what would they think? And my two teenage grand children, they have seen some of the bad part of the world of their peers I know, but what do they know of this kind of life?
We surely do not want our kids or grand kids to get so far away from God, that they are in danger of losing all touch with Him, and sinking into the life of depravity that Bubba depicted. God can meet a man or woman anywhere, but, as you can tell from the emotions of that testimony, it took a dramatic turn around in his life to put him on the right path.
How much better to have put God first in the earlier years and spent those wasted years in service for Him.
Anyway, her is the web address for the video, please watch and listen and put yourself there.
http://www.livestream.com/sscc/video?clipId=pla_f3f5bc3c-1c51-4741-8402-521e1872d5a8&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb
Monday, July 9, 2012
Two Prepositions, How Do They Differ?
Sometimes there is no formal sermon at church, and yesterday was one of those times. Instead we heard living testimonies from two individuals. These folks had taken the words of Jesus literally and gone and done what He said. Those messages are always a challenge to me because they make me consider why I do what I do, and who is it for.
As an example, one young lady talked about going to Haiti where she used her nurses training to help those people down there. She used the verses from Matthew 25 as her focal point:
"Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me."
As I listened to her speak, I thought back to the times I had served in prison. How many times had I gone in and interacted with those men without even thinking why. Oh sure, I knew that we were going in to give them hope, to show them that they were not forgotten, but were human beings, not just a number locked up away from society. I could even tell you the passage, written a few lines above the one quoted above which said:
" I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me."
How many times did I actually see that I was serving Jesus? Did I see Him in the faces of those men? Did I realize that my words and actions were to Him, not just those persons in front of me?
Not for Jesus, to Jesus!
The thing I need to do now is to unpack all of that last statement that I wrote. What does the use of those two prepositions mean? How do I get my mind around that question?
PS: for those who want to hear what the young lady said, and also the gentleman who gave his testimony go to:
http://www.livestream.com/sscc/video?clipId=pla_f3f5bc3c-1c51-4741-8402-521e1872d5a8&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb
As an example, one young lady talked about going to Haiti where she used her nurses training to help those people down there. She used the verses from Matthew 25 as her focal point:
"Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me."
As I listened to her speak, I thought back to the times I had served in prison. How many times had I gone in and interacted with those men without even thinking why. Oh sure, I knew that we were going in to give them hope, to show them that they were not forgotten, but were human beings, not just a number locked up away from society. I could even tell you the passage, written a few lines above the one quoted above which said:
" I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me."
How many times did I actually see that I was serving Jesus? Did I see Him in the faces of those men? Did I realize that my words and actions were to Him, not just those persons in front of me?
Not for Jesus, to Jesus!
The thing I need to do now is to unpack all of that last statement that I wrote. What does the use of those two prepositions mean? How do I get my mind around that question?
PS: for those who want to hear what the young lady said, and also the gentleman who gave his testimony go to:
http://www.livestream.com/sscc/video?clipId=pla_f3f5bc3c-1c51-4741-8402-521e1872d5a8&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Be Prepared
I thought about this motto from the Boy Scouts this morning: Be Prepared
I think about the preparation of the professional golfer, not only how he or she prepares for their work over a long period of time, but how they prepare for one day in a tournament. After watching a little bit of the Greenbrier Open yesterday afternoon and reflecting back on a lot of books I have read, I tried to get into the mind of a player. As I sit here this morning, I try to put myself into the place of a man that I see at church on the Sundays that he is not involved in trying to make a living playing on the PGA tour.
Jonathan Byrd, tied for 2nd place along with 4 other guys, going into Day 3 at the Greenbrier site in West Virginia, has spent hours honing his game, but how does he prepare for the pressure of this particular day near the top of the leader board?
Of course, I do not know for sure, but I can imagine that he will spend time on the range this morning, getting the feel of his swing. He will be on the putting green, testing the roll and speed of the greens on the course, and he will develop his game plan for attacking the course that he has played for the last 2 days. In short, he will be attempting to get his physical side to be ready to hit his shots.
Then there is the emotional and mental side of the game. How in the world do you get that under control in order to play in that pressure cooker? The answer lies in the area of control.
I read this statement by Jonathan, earlier this year:
"I realized that control of a game with many variables is impossible. Whatever I treasure the most will control my heart. Whatever controls my heart will control my behavior. May God be my treasure. HE is big enough."
Is he sitting down and taking the time to connect with his God this morning at the same time I am? Could be and that preparation is the most important for golf and for life.
Will he win the tournament? Only God knows that, but he will be a winner in the eyes of The One Who Matters most.
Then I hear "Go Thou and Do Likewise".
I think about the preparation of the professional golfer, not only how he or she prepares for their work over a long period of time, but how they prepare for one day in a tournament. After watching a little bit of the Greenbrier Open yesterday afternoon and reflecting back on a lot of books I have read, I tried to get into the mind of a player. As I sit here this morning, I try to put myself into the place of a man that I see at church on the Sundays that he is not involved in trying to make a living playing on the PGA tour.
Jonathan Byrd, tied for 2nd place along with 4 other guys, going into Day 3 at the Greenbrier site in West Virginia, has spent hours honing his game, but how does he prepare for the pressure of this particular day near the top of the leader board?
Of course, I do not know for sure, but I can imagine that he will spend time on the range this morning, getting the feel of his swing. He will be on the putting green, testing the roll and speed of the greens on the course, and he will develop his game plan for attacking the course that he has played for the last 2 days. In short, he will be attempting to get his physical side to be ready to hit his shots.
Then there is the emotional and mental side of the game. How in the world do you get that under control in order to play in that pressure cooker? The answer lies in the area of control.
I read this statement by Jonathan, earlier this year:
"I realized that control of a game with many variables is impossible. Whatever I treasure the most will control my heart. Whatever controls my heart will control my behavior. May God be my treasure. HE is big enough."
Is he sitting down and taking the time to connect with his God this morning at the same time I am? Could be and that preparation is the most important for golf and for life.
Will he win the tournament? Only God knows that, but he will be a winner in the eyes of The One Who Matters most.
Then I hear "Go Thou and Do Likewise".
Friday, July 6, 2012
Golf and Life
I have heard it said quite a few times that the game of golf is a lot like the living of a life. Now I am not always sure of how these two "games" coincide with each other, bur maybe some of my readers can give me a clue.
For instance, I have been consciously trying to play a different game than has been my norm over these past years. I find that, since I do not hit the ball very far, I must find other ways to post a decent score. Therefore I have come up with some things that I try to do in order to accomplish this goal. Today this new plan seemed to pay off, so I will share my secrets.
1. Stay out of the woods
2. Stay out of the water
3. Keep your eye on the ball when striking it
4. Don't try to kill the ball
5. Don't three putt
6. Try no superhuman miracle shots
7. Bogey is an acceptable score
Since 7 in the Bible is the number of perfection, just following these 2 negative rules and the 5 positive ones, should equate to a good game.
Now, to make this into a Biblical lesson, I must take these 7 and get them to correspond to the Christian Life. Since there must be some wisdom gems here, I need to know what they are.
Any suggestions?
Come on, Think!
For instance, I have been consciously trying to play a different game than has been my norm over these past years. I find that, since I do not hit the ball very far, I must find other ways to post a decent score. Therefore I have come up with some things that I try to do in order to accomplish this goal. Today this new plan seemed to pay off, so I will share my secrets.
1. Stay out of the woods
2. Stay out of the water
3. Keep your eye on the ball when striking it
4. Don't try to kill the ball
5. Don't three putt
6. Try no superhuman miracle shots
7. Bogey is an acceptable score
Since 7 in the Bible is the number of perfection, just following these 2 negative rules and the 5 positive ones, should equate to a good game.
Now, to make this into a Biblical lesson, I must take these 7 and get them to correspond to the Christian Life. Since there must be some wisdom gems here, I need to know what they are.
Any suggestions?
Come on, Think!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Moaning or Moving
Right at the end of the reading for today, in Psalm 18, is a verse that reads:
"The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me."
That can be a scary verse when I stop to really think about it. Do I want God to deal with me on this basis? I know myself and my thoughts, my motives and my actions, and I have to exclaim like Isaiah:
"Woe is me".
Then I think of all the celebrations surrounding yesterday, all the hoopla about America, its founding and its strength. Then there is all the moaning about how we are going downhill at such a rapid pace, how people are not living like they should, how politicians are out for their own good, how the moral climate is causing God's hand to be withdrawn from our nation, and then the verse from II Chronicles 7 comes to mind:
" if my people, who belong to me, humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, and repudiate their sinful practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."
God says, if my people will do this. His people bear the responsibility, both as to the withholding of God's blessing and the restoration of it, and I am included in both of these actions.
So, if God says that He will deal with me according to my righteousness and the cleanness of my hands, and, in the same way, He deals with The United States of America how scary is that?
Today is July 5, 2012 and the parades are gone, the fireworks are but a memory and the grand oratory only a passing thought. I may live in the shadow of the greatness of our past, but my responsibility is the present and the building of the future.
Will I wring my hands and quote Isaiah when he says, "Woe is me", or Todd Beamer, as he said on September 11, 2001, "Let's Roll"?
"The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me."
That can be a scary verse when I stop to really think about it. Do I want God to deal with me on this basis? I know myself and my thoughts, my motives and my actions, and I have to exclaim like Isaiah:
"Woe is me".
Then I think of all the celebrations surrounding yesterday, all the hoopla about America, its founding and its strength. Then there is all the moaning about how we are going downhill at such a rapid pace, how people are not living like they should, how politicians are out for their own good, how the moral climate is causing God's hand to be withdrawn from our nation, and then the verse from II Chronicles 7 comes to mind:
" if my people, who belong to me, humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, and repudiate their sinful practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."
God says, if my people will do this. His people bear the responsibility, both as to the withholding of God's blessing and the restoration of it, and I am included in both of these actions.
So, if God says that He will deal with me according to my righteousness and the cleanness of my hands, and, in the same way, He deals with The United States of America how scary is that?
Today is July 5, 2012 and the parades are gone, the fireworks are but a memory and the grand oratory only a passing thought. I may live in the shadow of the greatness of our past, but my responsibility is the present and the building of the future.
Will I wring my hands and quote Isaiah when he says, "Woe is me", or Todd Beamer, as he said on September 11, 2001, "Let's Roll"?
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
July 4, 1993 and a Prayer
July 4th is an important day in American History. It symbolizes the break from England and Independence and Freedom, and it lives today as a celebration of what the Founding Fathers achieved. They could not know what would develop from their acts, but they were led to take the risk. They were willing to sacrifice their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor for their dream. They stood for something, and they persevered. We are all the recipients of that dream.
Yes, 1776 was an important July 4th and their have been others in the history of this country. In 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, giants among the founders, died. In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, the Union won at Gettysburg and also at Vicksburg, two battles that went a long way in deciding the fate of this country.
But today my mind goes to a more personal July 4th. In 1993, our first grandson was born in Reston, Virginia. His grandmother and I were hosting a get together of some of our old friends at our place in Apison. The celebration was going along fine when we got a call from Dwayne that his firstborn was about to enter the world. We quickly sent our guests home, packed up, went to the airport, got the plane out and took off for the DC area. Dwayne and Karen's first child was born that day, Sawyer Austin Bowman, and the whole city of Washington, DC celebrated with a tremendous fireworks display on the National Mall that night, as they have every year since then. It was a momentous day.
Now Sawyer is 19, a rising sophmore at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. He has been blessed with a great family, great parents, a good mind, a winning personality and a soft heart for others. He has a great work ethic which has led to success in the classroom and on the athletic field. If there is one word that comes to my mind this morning it is POTENTIAL. He has the abilities to go far in whatever he chooses to do in life.
All of which leads me to spend some time, in the quiet part of this early morning, praying for him on his day, a day in which his life spreads out before him like the brightness of a summer day.
First of all I pray that God would fill Sawyer with a love that will characterize his life. A love for God, a love for Jesus and a love for family and others. A love for country and for all those who have given themselves so that he might stand where he does today, looking out at a life of great potential. Give him a love of the past, a love of the present and its opportunities, and a love that will guide his life in the future, a love based on Your love for him and that results in an outpouring of his love for others.
Secondly, I pray that You, God, will reach into his life in a personal way, guiding his decisions, leading him to men and women and fellow students who will nurture him and give him wise counsel. Make him a man like David of old, a man after God's own heart. Help him to recognize Your call on his life, so that he might live a life of purpose for others, not a life of personal gain for himself.
Sawyer is special, God made him that way, and I'm glad he is my grandson.
Yes, 1776 was an important July 4th and their have been others in the history of this country. In 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, giants among the founders, died. In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, the Union won at Gettysburg and also at Vicksburg, two battles that went a long way in deciding the fate of this country.
But today my mind goes to a more personal July 4th. In 1993, our first grandson was born in Reston, Virginia. His grandmother and I were hosting a get together of some of our old friends at our place in Apison. The celebration was going along fine when we got a call from Dwayne that his firstborn was about to enter the world. We quickly sent our guests home, packed up, went to the airport, got the plane out and took off for the DC area. Dwayne and Karen's first child was born that day, Sawyer Austin Bowman, and the whole city of Washington, DC celebrated with a tremendous fireworks display on the National Mall that night, as they have every year since then. It was a momentous day.
Now Sawyer is 19, a rising sophmore at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. He has been blessed with a great family, great parents, a good mind, a winning personality and a soft heart for others. He has a great work ethic which has led to success in the classroom and on the athletic field. If there is one word that comes to my mind this morning it is POTENTIAL. He has the abilities to go far in whatever he chooses to do in life.
All of which leads me to spend some time, in the quiet part of this early morning, praying for him on his day, a day in which his life spreads out before him like the brightness of a summer day.
First of all I pray that God would fill Sawyer with a love that will characterize his life. A love for God, a love for Jesus and a love for family and others. A love for country and for all those who have given themselves so that he might stand where he does today, looking out at a life of great potential. Give him a love of the past, a love of the present and its opportunities, and a love that will guide his life in the future, a love based on Your love for him and that results in an outpouring of his love for others.
Secondly, I pray that You, God, will reach into his life in a personal way, guiding his decisions, leading him to men and women and fellow students who will nurture him and give him wise counsel. Make him a man like David of old, a man after God's own heart. Help him to recognize Your call on his life, so that he might live a life of purpose for others, not a life of personal gain for himself.
Sawyer is special, God made him that way, and I'm glad he is my grandson.
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