Quiet House

I have four children, so there is rarely a quiet moment around the house. This past week my oldest daughter has been at church camp and my wife took our three youngest children to her parents for Independence Day weekend.

Our house grew a bit quieter on Monday, after we took our daughter to camp. But on Wednesday, when my wife and I three youngest left, the house crew silent.

To be fully honest, I thought that I would enjoy the time alone. I looked forward to getting some extra work and reading done while the family was away. And, I look forward to watching television and sleeping in.

Of course I missed my wife and children from the moment they left, however I was enjoying having the house and the television to myself. 

But by Thursday morning - less than 24 hours after they left - that I was missing them terribly. I woke up to complete silence, no beds or breakfast to make, no one to pick up after and no one to talk with. Almost two days later, here I sit, still missing my family terribly! 

As I walked through Walmart today I thought of how different life would be if I were single - if I lived alone. I cannot - I do not want to - imagine my life without my family. 

Whether you live alone or not, are single or married, have several children or none at all, you were not meant to be alone. 

There is something within each one of us that longs for family or friends - or both. There is something within each one of us that  desires a life in community. 

The Toenail

This morning I had the privilege of preaching on 1 Corinthians 12 and the fact that - as Christians - we are a part of the body of Jesus Christ (sermon audio is available here).

As I preached I pointed out that we are all given different gifts, talents, abilities, and resources that are to be used to build up and unify The Church. Furthermore, even if we feel as though we are insignificant or that we play a small part in The Church, we are an indispensable part of the body of Jesus Christ. We may look at ourselves as inconsequential or ugly, but Jesus has called us to be just who we are, to embrace our part in His body (The Church), and to rejoice that we are a part of His body.

After the message, as I greeted friends in the foyer, one woman said to me; "I think I'm the toenail on the little toe that you were talking about this morning". I began to chuckle as I thought about the way I described the toenail on the little toe, even a toenail that has a case of fungus growing on it.

But then something caught my eye. I saw the bright red nail polish on the toes of a little girl as she walked through the foyer. Her toe nails were beautiful - even the tiny little toenail.

What is God has created you and equipped you to be the toenail? For many He has!

Right now you may feel like you've got a bad case of fungus growing in your life - be that sin, depression, low self worth, or some other factor. One purpose of Jesus' crucifixion on the cross was so that we might look to Him for all cleansing and healing.Look to Jesus and let Him forgive, encourage, and lift you up.

What's more, God will cover your blemishes - your very unsightly qualities. He will not only bring cleansing and healing to you, He will make you shine as one to be admired.

What if God has created you as the toenail? Rejoice and be glad, you are the toenail of Jesus Christ!

What if God's purpose for you is that of a painted and polished toenail? What if your sole purpose is for others to look at you and realize just how beautiful the foot on the body of Jesus Christ is?

So let Him cleanse you and bring healing to you until you shine and admirable.

Myths of Parenting

Today's devotion was too good not to share. I found that it particularly hit close to home for me, and two of my main struggles as a father. 

Two myths of parenting:
(1) Good parents always keep tidy homes.
(2) Good parents must always be "right".

Seeing Messes

This weekend I will celebrate 12 wonderful years of marriage to my wife. Each year that passes I feel that we grow closer together as we share in the highs and lows of marriage, parenthood, and life. And, while I feel that we have a great marriage and a unity in our marriage, there is one thing that we greatly differ on. We do not see messes the same way! 

When I enter a room, I see the clutter - clothing, toys, and everything that is out of its place - in the room. Likewise, when I enter a room, I see the dirt - crumbs, dust, cobwebs  in the room. Now, when this clutter or dirt is someone else's home, it doesn't bother me nearly as much as if it were in my own home. When this clutter or dirt is in my home, I cannot relax until it is cleaned up. This has proven to be a problem in the past, as you can imagine. 

For years this was a point of contention between my wife and I in our home. I would enter the house after a day of work and immediately begin to pick up and to clean up the house - not just one room, but every room. Why? Because it bothered me and I knew that I would not be able to relax until it was completed. My wife would say, "just come and sit down and relax". But I can't, this mess has to be cleaned up. 

(Let me pause here and clarify that our home is not a mess. Our home hasn't really been a mess in the 12 years that we have shared a home together. So when I write that it is a "mess" understand what I mean is that there is a smudge on the window, a doll on the floor, toothpaste in the sink, or a  couple popcorn kernels on the floor.)

As I wrote before, for years this was a point of contention between my wife and I in our home. However, one day we both realized something about our spouse. She realized that I do not mind cleaning, I somewhat enjoy it (more than the cleaning itself, I enjoy the final - clean - result). She came to the understanding that I enjoy cleaning and that it not only helps me relax, it also helps me release the stress that I have acquired throughout the day. And what I realized about her is that she she does not see messes in the same way that I do. In fact, to my wife it's not a mess.

My eyes were opened to the fact that my wife's eyes see Inge differently.

So, when my eyes see the mess, what is she seeing? She is seeing the handprints of our 14-month-old on the picture window and remembering that she stood there this morning yelling "bye bye" as I pulled out of the driveway. She is seeing the doll that our 9-year old held as she braided it's hair this afternoon - this doll that now has the super-complicated braid that my daughter and her mom have been practicing for weeks. She is seeing the toothpaste with a hint of blood in it after our six-year old lost his first tooth and now speaks slower and with a unmistakable lisp. And she is seeing the popcorn kernels that remind her of how she got to sit, cuddle, and eat popcorn with our 4-year old during his first day of summer break as they watched Handy Manny this morning. 

Perhaps my wife and I do not see messes in the same way. But, I thank God for the way she sees the "messes" in our home. And I wouldn't want it any other way. 

We Have A Problem

Just a couple of weeks ago, during a physical, I found out that I have another hernia in need of surgical repair.

I had a hernia surgically repaired twenty years ago, when I was 13 years old. After the surgery, the surgeon told me two things that I still remember to this day. First, he said that I had probably had the hernia since I was 3. He also stated that I was likely to develop another hernia in the years to come. 

So, here I am, at the age of 33 facing the news of a second hernia. It could be much worse. And while a hernia repair is a fairly routine, outpatient surgery, the news still came as quite a shock during my recent physical. 

The doctor asked me if I had dealt with any pain from the hernia and, of course, I said "no". I had no idea that I had a hernia! 

However, since receiving the news, I can't stop thinking about my hernia. And, I am feeling the pain quite regularly and severely. 

Tonight, as I sat dealing with some sharp pains, I thought of how similar this situation is to our sin. 

There was a time in each of our lives that we were unaware of our sin problem. We had no idea that our sin was keeping us separated from the God that created us and loves us. 

But once our sin problem was brought to our attention, we began to deal with our reality. We were plagued by the nuisance  of our sin problem and painful consequences that our sin problem posed for our lives - now and forever. 

After a recent visit to a surgeon I was told that I could choose to get the needed surgical repair and take care of the problem right away. However, I was also given the option of waiting until the hernia got worse, at which time I could schedule the surgery. The surgeon did warn me that if I waited too long - and if the hernia got too severe - I would have the risk of gangrene setting in. 

In the same way, once our sin problem has been exposed - once we are diagnosed as sinners in need of salvation through Jesus Christ - we have a choice. We can accept His gracious gift of salvation right away and be free of our guilt, our shame, and the eternal consequences of our sin problem. Or we can continue to deal with the reality of our sin problem and refuse to free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Of course, there is always the risk of waiting to long. 

And while gangrene is a horrible consequence, eternal separation from

God is much worse - and irreversible.

So, in view of your sin problem, what will you do? 

Three Questions At Night

I recently began asking these three questions to my children before we pray at night: 

What do you want to thank God for?

What do you need to ask God to forgive you for?

What do you need to ask God to help you with?

The Kingdom of Heaven

Since a very young age, I was taught The Lord's Prayer. I have particularly found memories of saying The Lord's Prayer when we would gather at my grandparents for a special meal - for holidays or special celebrations.

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come. 

Thy will be done in earth, 

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive them that trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

But deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

The other day I was meditating on the words of The Lord's Prayer, specifically on the phrase Thy  Kingdom come.

John the baptist had a single message that he repeated throughout his ministry

• Matthew 3:2; Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.
• Mark 1:15; The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!

Likewise, Jesus had a single message that He repeated throughout His ministry

• Matthew 4:17; From that time on Jesus began to preach,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
• Luke 10:11; Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.

Jesus even called His followers to bring this same message

• Matthew 10:7; As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

In Matthew 5, Jesus begins His most famous teaching, “The Sermon on the Mount”, and He begins by announcing various blessings to the people listening to Him.

• The first blessing that Jesus announces relates to His Kingdom message
  • Matthew 5:3; Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• The last blessing that Jesus announces also relates to His Kingdom message
  • Matthew 5:10; Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The way Jesus announces these blessings to the poor in spirit and he persecuted is much different than the way He was preaching – and teaching – to the masses.

• There is a distinct difference between the knowledge that “the Kingdom of heaven is near” and this “ownership” of the Kingdom that Jesus announces to the broken and the persecuted – “theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”.

I could tell you that the Kingdom of heaven is near, and you may believe me, but that won’t make a difference in your life.

John 3:3; Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

• We must SEE – recognize – the Kingdom of God by being born again

Mark 10:15; Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

• We must RECEIVE – acknowledge and accept – the Kingdom of God
• We must ENTER the Kingdom of God – but how?

John 3:5; Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

• We must ENTER the Kingdom of God by being born of water and spirit – transformation

Matthew 7:21; Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

• We must ENTER the Kingdom of God by doing the will of God, our Father

Acts 14:22; We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God

• We must ENTER the Kingdom of God by going through hardships and persecution

Matthew 5:20; For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

• We must ENTER the Kingdom of God by accepting Christ’s righteousness as ours

1 Corinthians 6:9; Wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

• We will INHERIT the Kingdom of God when we become righteous through Christ

1 Corinthians 15:50; Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

• We cannot INHERIT the Kingdom of God unless we are fully transformed by God

The message for us, today, is simple; the Kingdom of heaven is near

• We must first SEE IT
• Then we are able to RECEIVE IT
• We must then ENTER IT
• So that we may INHERIT IT