The Rest

What about the rest?

.

.

One of the men, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:15-19

.

.

How sad to think that only one out of the ten returned thanks to Jesus for the cleansing, the healing, the life-transformation that He gave to them. Yet, this is probably proportionate to the thanks I return to God.

.

.

For all that God has done, does our thankfulness - our thanksgiving - fall far short? 

.

.

For all that God is doing is our faith illustrated through our thanks - or lack thereof?

Sinspiration

Last night we hosted a "Singspiration" at the church. It was a wonderful - spirit-filled time of worship and praise through various modern songs. 

A few days before the event I created a graphic and shared it on Facebook hoping to promote the event. I was compelled to take it down when a friend pointed out that I was promoting a "SINspiration". 

Today I was reflecting on a truth I heard a few days ago; "Satan is not creative, he does not create anything. Instead he perverts God's created beauty". 

If allowed, Satan will pervert everything beautiful that God has created - including the very worship of God. 

Let us focus our heads, our hearts, and our hands to God and let us refuse to allow God's beauty to be perverted. 

Revelation 19

Revelation chapter 19 is the first - and only place - that "Hallelujah" is found in the New Testament. Four times, in fact, within six verses. As all of heaven cries out in adoration and worship of God, "Hallelujah".

In Revelation. 19:6-7, John writes, 

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!

But it's not simply the worship of "Hallelujah" that brings me excitment as I read Revelation 19 and it's not just the knowledge that all of heaven unites in this cry of celebration. What brings the most joy to my heart is the occasion of this great heavenly praise. 

John continues in Revelation 19:7-8, 

For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.

This is the wedding day of Jesus Christ, the day when The Church is united with Christ in heaven for all of eternity. 

This passage speaks of the bride (The Church) being made ready. Furthermore, we read of The Church is given fine, perfectly clean, linen to wear for this wedding day. 

Many brides spend weeks, months - even years - to choose their wedding dress. I've even heard of shows devoted to saying "yes to the dress". So I know that choosing the perfect wedding dress is highly important to the bride. Yet this verse states that the perfect wedding gown will be presented to us on the day that we are united with Christ. 

And still, it's not that simple. 

You see, the final portion of verse 8 tells us more. Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.

Let's read Revelation19:6-8 in the English Standard version. Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Did you catch that last phrase? The wedding gown that we are "granted to wear" on the great wedding day - when we - The Church - are united with Christwill be our own "righteous deeds". 

As The Church we are called to be prepared for the day we are united with Christ. Likewise, it is through our righteous deeds that our wedding gown is being prepared as a perfect and spotless robe. 

So Church, let us prepare. Prepare The Way. 

Waiting for the Snow...or Something

Here I sit, at 5:30 on a Sunday morning, waiting - hoping - praying for the snow to start falling. Not only for the snow to start falling but for it to start falling quickly.

I am waiting for the snow to fall at the rate that the meteorologists forecasted these past few days.
I am waiting for the minimum of 8 inches of snow to begin at any moment
I am waiting for the maximum of 14 inches of snow to show up any time.

This "snow storm" was predicted to begin at 12:00 this morning and dump a significant amount of snow on our area through noon today. Yet, as I sit looking out the front window of my home, no snow! A bit of rain, but no snow. This "winter blast" was predicted to bring temperatures into the lower 20s and to continue to fall from there. Yet, as I look at the thermometer on our back patio, we are hanging in around 34 degrees.

It's not often that I pray for snow. No, the reason I and begging for snow this morning is because last night around 8:30 I decided that cancelling our Sunday morning and evening ministries was the most responsible thing to do. The reason that I continue to look out the window, waiting for the first sign of a winter blast is because I hate - let me write that again, I HATE - to cancel a worship service.  

I sat talking with my wife yesterday afternoon - considering and debating whether our services should be canceled today - and I told her how much I hated to cancel a service. Then I told her how difficult it was for me to express, and to explain, why.

Perhaps it is the thought that God's Name will not be praised and glorified in our church this Sunday morning.
Perhaps it is the thought that the Gospel will not be preached in our church this Sunday morning.
Perhaps it is the thought that those within our church family may decide that it is easier to sleep in then to open their Bibles, go to the Lord in prayer, or worship Him on this day that He has made.
Perhaps it is the thought that this may have been the day someone heard the encouragement that they needed or felt the love that they needed to carry help them manage the burdens of life.
Perhaps it is that thought that thousands within our community have never accepted the truth of Jesus Christ in their lives and that they will not have the opportunity to enter a church to do so this Sunday.
Or perhaps it is all of the above and so much more!

So, this morning, as I wait for the snow to begin - I will go and read my Bible, I will pray with my family, I will worship the Lord through song and through the life that He has given me on this day that He has created. And, I will leave everything in God's hands. This is not my problem to worry over and it is not mine to solve.

Praise God

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. This morning I have much to praise God for.

I praise God for the conception of a new life to a young couple at our church. I praise God for a healthy life being born to close friends of ours. I praise God for the hope of new life for my cousin who is receiving a double-lung transplant. I praise God for a new life found in Him in a gentleman in our community this morning.

We are to praise God at all times, in all circumstances - in good times and bad - in plenty and in want - in happiness and sorrow.

I will praise The God that gives and takes away. I will praise The God that holds all knowledge and wisdom. I will praise The God and holds all life and future. I will praise The God from whom all blessings flow - when I understand His ways and when I do not.

May the name of The Lord be praised - now and forever.

I praise God because He exists

I praise God because He exists!

First of all, God is worthy of my praise because He has existed since before time began.

Next, God is worthy of my praise because He will exist throughout all of eternity.

And finally, God deserves my praise because without His existance life would not exist.

So, for all these reasons and so many more, I praise God because He exists.

The Shepherd's Final Response

In the four weeks od advent leading up to Christmas day our church family took part in a teaching series; “And There Were Shepherds”

·         We have looked at the message of the birth of Jesus Christ according to Luke 2.

·         We looked at the response to this message by the shepherds.

·         And we looked at the response that this message requires of each us

Luke 2:8-20 says:

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

We asked questions within the church family:

·         “What will the glory of The Lord bring to you this Christmas?”

·         “How will we (as a church) continue to go and to see this Christmas?”

·         “How will we come to Christ this Christmas?”

·         “How will we act (with love) toward others this Christmas?”

We see the final three responses that the shepherds took;

·         The shepherds returned

o   They returned to their normal environment

§  We too must return to our normal environments

·         Where hearts begin to harden to the thoughts of generosity

·         Where hearts grow cold to the message of Christ

·         Where it’s not as easy to drop Jesus name into everyday conversation

o   They returned to their normal tasks

§  We too must return to our normal tasks

·         Where the drive to achieve and outdo can drive our time and our energy

·         Where the stress and anxiety can overwhelm

·         The shepherds glorified

o   To glorify is to give honor – to impart glory on something – to declare it excellent – to clothe it with splendor.

o   They glorified what they were once unaware of.

·         The shepherds praised

o   To praise is to make promise or vow to something – to  admire – to worship – to devote yourself to.

o   They praised what they were once terrified of.

See, this is what we do – or all called to do;

·         Glorify and praise a God that we were once unaware of

·         Glorify and praise a God that we were once terrified of

·         Glorify and praise a God that is deserving of all our praise and glory

Worship, as defined by Colossians 3:17, is doing “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

As we celebrate Christ’s birth this Christmas season, let us glorify Him

·         When we return to our normal environments and our normal tasks, let us praise Him

o   Let us do everything we do “in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”.

The Unnoticed Servants

This is a great picture of the kids, taken yesterday as we finished up our "nature hike" at the forest preserve near our home.

It's difficult to get a good picture of our kids, this is because they are four and two and when one is in the mood for a picture, the other is not, when one decides to smile, the other decides to act like a fool, when one decides to look at the camera, the other seems to be in their own world. You get the picture, no pun intended.

But, this is a good, quality picture of the kids and I am proud to say that I am the one that captured them in this moment of good behavior, stillness, focus, and smiles.

But I can't take all of the credit.

You see, or rather, you don't see, my wife Kim is really the one that should get the credit for this wonderful picture of our kids. While I knelt down to snap this photo she was galloping around behind me pretending to ride a horse while making all of the actions and noises that go along with it. She is really the one that made this photo a success.

This week we are speaking on the topic of service, serving God, serving the church, serving the community, and serving the world. As I think about this picture and about service, it occurs to me that there are so many that work behind the scenes, making the events, programs, and ministries not only possible but making them a success. So many of these servants don't ever get the recognition or the credit that they deserve and so many never desire it. 

A special word of thanks to all that serve God on a regular basis. Perhaps you feel unappreciated from time to time, as though no one notices the work that you are doing, the time and energy that you are spending to make so many things flow seamlessly. Let me just say that, although you may not be noticed, although you may not be given the recognition or the credit that you deserve, your work is being noticed, your labor is not in vain, and someday real soon you will be given the appropriate reward for all of your service to The Lord.