There once was an older, destitute man. He had lost his family,
his dignity, his work, and all his worldly possessions. The
only thing he had left was his faith in God.
One day, he walked along the city sidewalks; homeless as he
was. Peering around the city buildings, the passing cars, and
sidewalk shoppers - he remembered a time when had the love of
his wife, the comfort of home, and the camaraderie of his many
friends and successful business partners. Just for one moment,
he could feel the love and passion he once used to enjoy. But
then he looked up into the sky, and he could see the graying
clouds rolling overhead; and the wind began to fly past his
ragged shirt sleeves.
Realizing that he was who he was, he knew he had to find
shelter before the rains began to fall. Across the street, he
saw the old city park that he used to visit when he was just a
child. In the far end of the park, he spotted the old gazebo
he'd frequented with his high school sweetheart. Suddenly, the
rain began to fall. These weren't just ordinary raindrops -
they were hard, heavy, and oversized droplets of water that
pelted his head and neck like small stones. His walk turned
into a fast run as he struggled to get under the shelter of the
gazebo. Shaking off his shirt and wiping the wetness from his
cheeks and forehead, the man sat back on the two-seater swing
beneath the gazebo. Then he shook his head in disbelief. "Is
this what life is all about?" he asked, shaking his fist and
peering up toward the grey skies, "What more do you want from
me?"
Just then, the sky began to clear and above the skyscrapers, he
could faintly see some bright hues of red, purple, pink, and
even blue. It was a rainbow; and the sun's rays began to shine
through the break in the clouds. Now sobbing, the man looked
back up into the sky, and he asked, "Are You there, God?" But
there was no audible reply.
A few moments passed when a park ranger made his way up to the
old gazebo, "Top of the day to you, sir," he said to the man.
The man glanced at the ranger as the voice sounded vaguely
familiar. Sure enough, the man remembered the park ranger as a
friend he once knew many, many years in his past.
"I think I know you," the man replied to the ranger, "aren't
you Ed from the country store?"
The ranger was slightly taken aback as he too, recognized the
man. But the ranger's name was not Ed; that was his father's
name. "My name is Paul," said the ranger, stretching out his
hand to the man on the swing, "Ed was my father."
"Oh," replied the man, "I'm Mark Baker," he paused to shake
Paul's hand.
The similarities were uncanny, but Mark certainly remembered
Ed, and this ranger was the spitting image of him.
"How'd you know my dad?" asked Paul.
"Oh, it was so long ago...you wouldn't want to hear how we met,"
replied Mark.
Taking a couple steps beneath the shelter, Paul said, "Humor
me."
Mark explained that he and Ed had met each other in the local
hospital. Mark had gone there to pick up his lab tests where he
and Ed had struck up a conversation while they sat in the
waiting room. By the time all was said and done, he discovered
that he was the perfect match for Ed - the perfect kidney
match. "Needless to say," said Mark, "one thing led to another
and we were kidney partners for life."
"What happened to you?" asked Paul.
"Wall Street called me, greed took me, and I played my last bit
of luck," he replied. Sighing aloud, Mark blinked to clear the
water from his eyes, "and then I lost it all."
"I remember you," said Paul, then he pulled out a photograph
from his wallet, and pointed to two men standing side-by-side
by the old country store, "that's you, and that's my dad."
Peering at the old black and white photograph, he could faintly
make out the faces of the worn picture, "Sure does look like
me, doesn't it?" asked Mark.
Paul began smiling and he replied, "It is you," then he took a
deep breath, "do you know for how long I have been looking for
you?"
Mark simply shook his head, "well, you found me...I wish under
better circumstances."
Just then, Paul placed his hand upon Mark's shoulder, "I wish
my dad would've been able to see you again. He talked about you
all the time...and especially right before he died," Paul sighed,
"because of you, he was able to watch me graduate and get my
high school diploma, and later, he got to hold his newborn
grandson - my son."
"Wow," Mark replied, "I didn't realize that one kidney could do
all that."
"You don't understand, Mark," said Paul, "when he died, he left
you the old country store and the house. It's been waiting for
your return but you never came...until now."
And suddenly, Mark had received his answer...and his solution to
his homelessness. It had been there the whole time but it took
him losing everything before he would rediscover the rainbow of
hope once again.
Even in your darkest hour, when you ask - God shows up in the
most unlikely places.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Direction & Discernment
A man who lived on Long Island was able to satisfy a lifelong ambition by purchasing a very fine barometer. When the instrument arrived at his home, he was extremely disappointed to find that the indicating needle appeared to be stuck, pointing to the sector marked "HURRICANE." After shaking the barometer vigorously several times, its new owner wrote a scorching letter to the store from which he had purchased the instrument. The following morning on the way to his office in New York, he mailed the letter. That evening he returned to Long Island to find not only the barometer missing, but his house also. The barometer's needle had been right - there was a hurricane!
God is the Christian's barometer in life. Trust that He will give you direction in life. Isaiah 26:7 says, "The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth" (NIV). Sometimes it is hard to live by faith especially when you find yourself surrounded by storms and times of testing. But it is only when we fully give over the controls of our lives to God that we can meet our eternal potential.
God is the Christian's barometer in life. Trust that He will give you direction in life. Isaiah 26:7 says, "The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth" (NIV). Sometimes it is hard to live by faith especially when you find yourself surrounded by storms and times of testing. But it is only when we fully give over the controls of our lives to God that we can meet our eternal potential.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Are We Having Fun Yet?
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97 NIV).
Friend to Friend
I was seventeen-years-old when about twenty-five of my jean clad friends and I sat crossed-legged on the floor of our Christian coffee house called The Ancient of Days. Bell bottom hip hugger pants, tie-dyed t-shirts, long straight hair (on boys and girls), platform shoes…we were a sight. We gathered each week for a Bible study led by a twenty-something fellow from the local college. After singing “Pass It On,” the leader grew very serious, lowered his voice, and posed the question: “Who came here tonight to have…fun?”
My hand was the first to shoot up in the air! As a matter-of-fact, it was the only hand to shoot up in the air. I sheepishly looked around the room and mumbled, Wrong answer? I felt as though I had a neon sign over my head blinking HEATHEN! HEATHEN!
With a tisk, tisk, look on his sullen face, the young man, just a few years my senior announced, “We are not here to have fun! We are here to study God’s Word.”
However, what that whipper-snapper didn’t understand was, for me, studying God’s Word was fun! What could be more exciting than discovering answers to the mysteries of creation, seeing Jesus revealed in the Old Testament, uncovering the truths that can set you free? It’s a love story, a murder mystery, a history lesson, a letter from God, and the key to wisdom all wrapped into one. Wow! That is fun. The Bible is filled with treasures waiting to be discovered. It was exciting to me when I was seventeen and it is still exciting to me today. Therefore, you see, it wasn’t the wrong answer after all.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I get so excited learning about You! The Bible is so deeply profound, yet incredibly simple, all at the same time. You have such incredible riches just waiting to be discovered on every page. Thank You that we live in a time in history that we can hold Your Holy Word in our hands. What a blessing! May we never take it for granted. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Now it’s Your Turn
When was the most fun you have ever had studying God’s Word? For some, that will be a strange and uncomfortable question. That’s OK. Just think about it.
If you have children and you read the Bible together, think about the attitude you portray of God’s Word. Do your children think the Bible is exciting or boring? Learn how to ask great questions that make them see the wonder and thrill of learning about God.
Summertime is a time when many Bible study groups take a break. If you’re wondering what to read during the summer months, consider the book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters, just perfect for one chapter a day. Simply read the chapter that coincides with the particular day of the month.
Friend to Friend
I was seventeen-years-old when about twenty-five of my jean clad friends and I sat crossed-legged on the floor of our Christian coffee house called The Ancient of Days. Bell bottom hip hugger pants, tie-dyed t-shirts, long straight hair (on boys and girls), platform shoes…we were a sight. We gathered each week for a Bible study led by a twenty-something fellow from the local college. After singing “Pass It On,” the leader grew very serious, lowered his voice, and posed the question: “Who came here tonight to have…fun?”
My hand was the first to shoot up in the air! As a matter-of-fact, it was the only hand to shoot up in the air. I sheepishly looked around the room and mumbled, Wrong answer? I felt as though I had a neon sign over my head blinking HEATHEN! HEATHEN!
With a tisk, tisk, look on his sullen face, the young man, just a few years my senior announced, “We are not here to have fun! We are here to study God’s Word.”
However, what that whipper-snapper didn’t understand was, for me, studying God’s Word was fun! What could be more exciting than discovering answers to the mysteries of creation, seeing Jesus revealed in the Old Testament, uncovering the truths that can set you free? It’s a love story, a murder mystery, a history lesson, a letter from God, and the key to wisdom all wrapped into one. Wow! That is fun. The Bible is filled with treasures waiting to be discovered. It was exciting to me when I was seventeen and it is still exciting to me today. Therefore, you see, it wasn’t the wrong answer after all.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I get so excited learning about You! The Bible is so deeply profound, yet incredibly simple, all at the same time. You have such incredible riches just waiting to be discovered on every page. Thank You that we live in a time in history that we can hold Your Holy Word in our hands. What a blessing! May we never take it for granted. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Now it’s Your Turn
When was the most fun you have ever had studying God’s Word? For some, that will be a strange and uncomfortable question. That’s OK. Just think about it.
If you have children and you read the Bible together, think about the attitude you portray of God’s Word. Do your children think the Bible is exciting or boring? Learn how to ask great questions that make them see the wonder and thrill of learning about God.
Summertime is a time when many Bible study groups take a break. If you’re wondering what to read during the summer months, consider the book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters, just perfect for one chapter a day. Simply read the chapter that coincides with the particular day of the month.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Love is Love's Food
Love is love's food.
There is a power in Christ's love which conquers, captivates, and
overpowers the man, so that he cannot but love Christ in return.
God’s love has a GENERATIVE power-
our love to him is brought forth by his love to us.
The best way for begetting love to Christ is a sense of the love
of Christ to us. His love is a loadstone to attract our love.
As fire grows by the addition of fuel, so does our love to Christ
increase by renewed and enlarged discoveries of his love to us.
Where much of divine love is perceived by the soul, there will be
a return of affection in some degree proportionate to the measure
of the manifestation. As we pour water into a dry pump when we
desire to obtain more ? so must we have the love of Christ imparted
to the heart before we shall feel any uprisings of delight in Him.
We have all too much cause to mourn the poverty of our love.
Beloved fellow Christian, pray for more open discoveries of the
love and loveliness of Christ, and thus shall your languid passions
move more readily in the paths of obedience.
There is a power in Christ's love which conquers, captivates, and
overpowers the man, so that he cannot but love Christ in return.
God’s love has a GENERATIVE power-
our love to him is brought forth by his love to us.
The best way for begetting love to Christ is a sense of the love
of Christ to us. His love is a loadstone to attract our love.
As fire grows by the addition of fuel, so does our love to Christ
increase by renewed and enlarged discoveries of his love to us.
Where much of divine love is perceived by the soul, there will be
a return of affection in some degree proportionate to the measure
of the manifestation. As we pour water into a dry pump when we
desire to obtain more ? so must we have the love of Christ imparted
to the heart before we shall feel any uprisings of delight in Him.
We have all too much cause to mourn the poverty of our love.
Beloved fellow Christian, pray for more open discoveries of the
love and loveliness of Christ, and thus shall your languid passions
move more readily in the paths of obedience.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Empty Egg
Eight-year-old Steven was mentally retarded and had many
health problems. His health appeared to be growing worse ever
daily. His teacher was concerned his classmates might stop
identifying with him and loving him as they became more aware
of his differences.
In April, the teacher asked the class to put together one
plastic Easter egg filled with a small object representing new
life in the Spring. Thinking Steven might not understand (and
not wanting to embarrass him), the teacher had each child
place their egg on her desk so that she could open each one
individually. She needn't have worried.
The first egg contained a tiny wild flower, which truly was an
indication of new life.
Next, came a rock and the teacher assumed the rock was
Steven's. Her reasoning was that rocks don't symbolize new
life and growth. But a little boy shouted from the back of the
room that the rock had moss on it, thereby showing new life.
The teacher agreed.
A butterfly flew out of the next egg and the little girl that
brought it bragged that the butterfly was hers, and how it had
came from a cocoon, symbolizing new life. The teacher agreed
again.
The fourth egg was empty. The teacher knew this had to be
Steven's egg, and she nervously set it aside, hoping he
wouldn't notice.
As she began to pick up a different egg, Steven excitedly
announced that the empty egg was his! Hesitating, the teacher
replied, "But it's empty!"
"That's right," said Steven. "Just like Jesus' tomb was, and
that means new life for everyone!" The teacher was amazed at
Steven's insight and his love for Jesus.
Later on, at the end of the school year, Steven's condition
worsened and he died.
At his funeral, the children from his class each placed an
empty Easter egg among the flowers. Many of the adults at
Steven's funeral were puzzled by the appearance of all the
eggs, and the message Steven shared with his classmates was
shared again!
An empty tomb some two thousand years earlier gave Steven the
hope of a new life! Although the flowers were beautiful, it
was the empty eggs that shared the message of hope in Eternal
Life through Jesus Christ!
What a wonderful message to share this Easter with those you
love.
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not
here; He is risen!"? Luke 24:5 NIV
health problems. His health appeared to be growing worse ever
daily. His teacher was concerned his classmates might stop
identifying with him and loving him as they became more aware
of his differences.
In April, the teacher asked the class to put together one
plastic Easter egg filled with a small object representing new
life in the Spring. Thinking Steven might not understand (and
not wanting to embarrass him), the teacher had each child
place their egg on her desk so that she could open each one
individually. She needn't have worried.
The first egg contained a tiny wild flower, which truly was an
indication of new life.
Next, came a rock and the teacher assumed the rock was
Steven's. Her reasoning was that rocks don't symbolize new
life and growth. But a little boy shouted from the back of the
room that the rock had moss on it, thereby showing new life.
The teacher agreed.
A butterfly flew out of the next egg and the little girl that
brought it bragged that the butterfly was hers, and how it had
came from a cocoon, symbolizing new life. The teacher agreed
again.
The fourth egg was empty. The teacher knew this had to be
Steven's egg, and she nervously set it aside, hoping he
wouldn't notice.
As she began to pick up a different egg, Steven excitedly
announced that the empty egg was his! Hesitating, the teacher
replied, "But it's empty!"
"That's right," said Steven. "Just like Jesus' tomb was, and
that means new life for everyone!" The teacher was amazed at
Steven's insight and his love for Jesus.
Later on, at the end of the school year, Steven's condition
worsened and he died.
At his funeral, the children from his class each placed an
empty Easter egg among the flowers. Many of the adults at
Steven's funeral were puzzled by the appearance of all the
eggs, and the message Steven shared with his classmates was
shared again!
An empty tomb some two thousand years earlier gave Steven the
hope of a new life! Although the flowers were beautiful, it
was the empty eggs that shared the message of hope in Eternal
Life through Jesus Christ!
What a wonderful message to share this Easter with those you
love.
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not
here; He is risen!"? Luke 24:5 NIV
Monday, April 13, 2009
Eight Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose from the Dead...Continued from page 2
7. The New Testament witnesses do not bear the stamp of dupes or deceivers.
How do you credit a witness? How do you decide whether to believe a person’s testimony? The decision to give credence to a person’s testimony is not the same as completing a mathematical equation. The certainty is of a different kind, yet can be just as firm (I trust my wife’s testimony that she is faithful). When a witness is dead, we can base our judgment of him only on the content of his writings and the testimonies of others about him. How do Peter and John and Matthew and Paul stack up?
In my judgment (and at this point we can live authentically only by our own judgment?Luke 12:57), these men’s writings do not read like the works of gullible, easily deceived or deceiving men. Their insights into human nature are profound. Their personal commitment is sober and carefully stated. Their teachings are coherent and do not look like the invention of unstable men. The moral and spiritual standard is high. And the lives of these men are totally devoted to the truth and to the honor of God.
8. There is a self-authenticating glory in the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection as narrated by the biblical witnesses.
The New Testament teaches that God sent the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.... He will glorify me” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit does not do this by telling us that Jesus rose from the dead. He does it by opening our eyes to see the self-authenticating glory of Christ in the narrative of his life and death and resurrection. He enables us to see Jesus as he really was, so that he is irresistibly true and beautiful. The apostle stated the problem of our blindness and the solution like this: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.... For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6).
A saving knowledge of Christ crucified and risen is not the mere result of right reasoning about historical facts. It is the result of spiritual illumination to see those facts for what they really are: a revelation of the truth and glory of God in the face of Christ ? who is the same yesterday today and forever.
How do you credit a witness? How do you decide whether to believe a person’s testimony? The decision to give credence to a person’s testimony is not the same as completing a mathematical equation. The certainty is of a different kind, yet can be just as firm (I trust my wife’s testimony that she is faithful). When a witness is dead, we can base our judgment of him only on the content of his writings and the testimonies of others about him. How do Peter and John and Matthew and Paul stack up?
In my judgment (and at this point we can live authentically only by our own judgment?Luke 12:57), these men’s writings do not read like the works of gullible, easily deceived or deceiving men. Their insights into human nature are profound. Their personal commitment is sober and carefully stated. Their teachings are coherent and do not look like the invention of unstable men. The moral and spiritual standard is high. And the lives of these men are totally devoted to the truth and to the honor of God.
8. There is a self-authenticating glory in the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection as narrated by the biblical witnesses.
The New Testament teaches that God sent the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.... He will glorify me” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit does not do this by telling us that Jesus rose from the dead. He does it by opening our eyes to see the self-authenticating glory of Christ in the narrative of his life and death and resurrection. He enables us to see Jesus as he really was, so that he is irresistibly true and beautiful. The apostle stated the problem of our blindness and the solution like this: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.... For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6).
A saving knowledge of Christ crucified and risen is not the mere result of right reasoning about historical facts. It is the result of spiritual illumination to see those facts for what they really are: a revelation of the truth and glory of God in the face of Christ ? who is the same yesterday today and forever.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Eight Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose from the Dead...Continued from page 1
3. The disciples were almost immediately transformed from men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Luke 24:21, John 20:19) into men who were confident and bold witnesses of the resurrection (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2).
Their explanation of this change was that they had seen the risen Christ and had been authorized to be his witnesses (Acts 2:32). The most popular competing explanation is that their confidence was owing to hallucinations. There are numerous problems with such a notion. The disciples were not gullible, but level-headed skeptics both before and after the resurrection (Mark 9:32, Luke 24:11, John 20:8-9, 25). Moreover, is the deep and noble teaching of those who witnessed the risen Christ the stuff of which hallucinations are made? What about Paul’s great letter to the Romans? I personally find it hard to think of this giant intellect and deeply transparent soul as deluded or deceptive, and he claimed to have seen the risen Christ.
4. Paul claimed that, not only had he seen the risen Christ, but that 500 others had seen him also, and many were still alive when he made this public claim.
“Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6). What makes this so relevant is that this was written to Greeks who were skeptical of such claims when many of these witnesses were still alive. So it was a risky claim if it could be disproved by a little firsthand research.
5. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian church supports the truth of the resurrection claim.
The church spread on the power of the testimony that Jesus was raised from the dead and that God had thus made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). The Lordship of Christ over all nations is based on his victory over death. This is the message that spread all over the world. Its power to cross cultures and create one new people of God was a strong testimony of its truth.
6. The Apostle Paul’s conversion supports the truth of the resurrection. He argues to a partially unsympathetic audience in Galatians 1:11-17 that his gospel comes from the risen Jesus Christ, not from men. His argument is that before his Damascus Road experience when he saw the risen Jesus, he was violently opposed to the Christian faith (Acts 9:1). But now, to everyone’s astonishment, he is risking his life for the gospel (Acts 9:24-25). His explanation: The risen Jesus appeared to him and authorized him to spearhead the Gentile mission (Acts 26:15-18). Can we credit such a testimony? This leads to the next argument.
Their explanation of this change was that they had seen the risen Christ and had been authorized to be his witnesses (Acts 2:32). The most popular competing explanation is that their confidence was owing to hallucinations. There are numerous problems with such a notion. The disciples were not gullible, but level-headed skeptics both before and after the resurrection (Mark 9:32, Luke 24:11, John 20:8-9, 25). Moreover, is the deep and noble teaching of those who witnessed the risen Christ the stuff of which hallucinations are made? What about Paul’s great letter to the Romans? I personally find it hard to think of this giant intellect and deeply transparent soul as deluded or deceptive, and he claimed to have seen the risen Christ.
4. Paul claimed that, not only had he seen the risen Christ, but that 500 others had seen him also, and many were still alive when he made this public claim.
“Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6). What makes this so relevant is that this was written to Greeks who were skeptical of such claims when many of these witnesses were still alive. So it was a risky claim if it could be disproved by a little firsthand research.
5. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian church supports the truth of the resurrection claim.
The church spread on the power of the testimony that Jesus was raised from the dead and that God had thus made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). The Lordship of Christ over all nations is based on his victory over death. This is the message that spread all over the world. Its power to cross cultures and create one new people of God was a strong testimony of its truth.
6. The Apostle Paul’s conversion supports the truth of the resurrection. He argues to a partially unsympathetic audience in Galatians 1:11-17 that his gospel comes from the risen Jesus Christ, not from men. His argument is that before his Damascus Road experience when he saw the risen Jesus, he was violently opposed to the Christian faith (Acts 9:1). But now, to everyone’s astonishment, he is risking his life for the gospel (Acts 9:24-25). His explanation: The risen Jesus appeared to him and authorized him to spearhead the Gentile mission (Acts 26:15-18). Can we credit such a testimony? This leads to the next argument.
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