Archives

...now browsing by author

 

November 28

Tuesday, November 28th, 2023

I found myself saying quite a few times this past month during my sermons that “we have been blessed to bless others.” (Sure is different than that clap-trap of the health/wealth people who bless themselves with planes, mansions, cars, etc). What has been given to us in the way of material blessings was never intended on being kept to ourselves or to enrich our lives. Being selfish is never a fun thing to see or to experience.

The same can also be said about something else: being hurt. When we are hurt-either by God (so we think) or by someone else-one of several reactions takes place: 1) we scream and shout in anger; 2) we “hole up” or withdraw within ourselves. We become almost numb to the world; or 3) we use that pain to help others. The first two are often out go-to reactions. “This pain is so deep the only person to blame is God. If not, then you, the one who caused it.” Or as I’ve mentioned, to withdraw in numbness, wondering if this pain will ever go away.

The third option is the best and preferred reaction. Instead of wallowing in anger and self-pity or misery, use this experience to help someone else. There is a saying” “Hurting people hurt people” and sadly, that is true. Childhood trauma acted out later is a perfect example of that. But let’s flip flop that:

Hurting people help people

Hurting people can turn their hurt and agony and pain and distress into empathy for others. Instead of turning inward and focusing inwardly, turn that pain outward and let your hurt minister/help someone else. Allow your life lessons-and if you are a follower of Jesus the lessons the Holy Spirit is teaching you through the Word and others-to make your heart sensitive to other hurting people.

I’ve noticed one HUGE gain from that: focusing on others-helping others-helps ease your own pain and aids in healing. If nothing else, the joy you feel from helping someone else is worth the effort. Don’t waste pain. Use pain to see another through different eyes.

***********************************************************************

On Sunday morning, Jo’s sister went to be with Jesus. She has been in a nursing facility with diabetes, kidney dialysis, and dementia which went into full bore Alzheimer’s. It was a blessing in more ways than one. We leave this morning for Sandusky, OH to meet tomorrow with the nursing home and the funeral home (all arrangements were made a couple of years ago) and the graveside committal is Thursday morning. Following the service we plan to head to Columbus, OH to see our daughter and grandson. We will be back home Friday. You can pray for safe travels and you can pray for a smooth transition for all Jo needs to take care of.  I am not sure about posting any devotion over the next few days. It will depend on my availability. Thanks.

Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

November 27

Monday, November 27th, 2023

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get lost? I’m not talking about those who are what we affectionately call “directionally-challenged.”  🙂 They are those who couldn’t read a map or follow directions to save themselves.

I’m talking about those who are “small.”  Not height-wise. They feel small. Unsure of themselves. Insecure to a point. They are those who feel that what they do doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. What they do often seems insignificant to the “bigger” people or things.

Years ago the late Francis Schaeffer wrote a book entitled No Little People, No Little Places. Not only is that a great book title, it is a great thought. The world is filled with people who feel “little.” Tragically, we have often been the ones who have made them feel that way.

Allow me two examples-one social and one Biblical.

* I recently read that when the funeral procession for the late Queen Elizabeth took place, thousands of soldiers were deployed to escort the casket. Insignificant? To the outsider. But not according to one soldier who said, “It was an opportunity to do our last duty for Her Majesty.”  One of thousands but what an outlook!

* In the Old Testament, the Levites were commissioned by God to set up and tear down the Tabernacle. Along with that to carry the furniture. What a seeming meaningless job. Set up. Tear down. Carry. Set up. Tear down. Carry. You get the point. Sounds like boredom to me. Sounds insignificant. We know the names of Moses, Joshua, Aaron, and others. Can you name one of the Levites?

Nothing we do-in service to God-is small. Nothing is insignificant. I may be the pastor of the church but in the eyes of God it is no more important than the teacher of children; the nursery worker who takes wonderful care of a child so the parents can worship; the one who does the Power Point; the one who runs the live stream; the one who controls the sound; the one who cleans up after the worship gathering is done; the janitor who cleans for Sunday; or myriads of others.

Why? Because there are no little people. In church. In life. That is one of the reasons I tell our waitress “Thanks for waiting on us today” (and leave a generous tip if they have done a good job). That is why I try to thank the hotel clean up crew, or the one who works in a gas station, or makes sure things are clean in a bathroom. Why? I repeat: because there are no little people.

Do you take the time to recognize and thank those who have seemingly insignificant jobs?

Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

November 22

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023

Throughout the month of November, I have been encouraging the people of the church I pastor to take time to be truly thankful. Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and I will not be posting until Monday (unless I get a wild hair to do so), I thought I would do what I have encouraged them to do and write down some things I am grateful for. This list is by no means exhaustive. It is a starting point, maybe a guide for you as well.

*For the God who loved me and continues to love me; sent His Son to die for me; gave His Spirit to live in me; promised the return of His Son; and for all He has given me, I give the highest praise of all. Words fail to adequately express my gratitude.

*For my wife of 50+ years who has stuck with me through all kinds of stuff. I don’t deserve her.Thank you for doing life with me.

*For my two adult daughters who call me “Dad,” the loftiest word in the English language. They continually bless my life with their love and presence.

*For Braden, my one and only grandson, who is forging his way in life, in sports, and in the world. May he always know how proud Grandpa is of him (even though as a 17 year old he now finds other things more important than sitting on Grandpa’s lap and watching Transformers movies). 🙂

*For the church family called Owen Valley Christian Fellowship (OVCF) I am honored to pastor. I started my 19th year this past Sunday. To say how truly blessed and grateful I am to be their pastor cannot be expressed. I pray the Gospel is preached; Jesus is Honored; Grace is offered; Lives are Changed; and Obedience is Encouraged. I truly hope that those who find their way to OVCF can say, “I’m home.”

*For you who read “Shadow.” Thanks. Blogging is not what it used to be in popularity or influence. Life changes. But each day I journal during my Encounter Time at my kitchen table before anyone stirs (maybe even the mice if there are any). 🙂 As I journal, I write my thoughts and musings which become my daily posts here at “Shadow.” Each day you get to read my heart and mind. How scary is that? 🙂 I do hope these devotions spark a desire in you to know Jesus deeper, and to face life in His strength. Selfishly, I wish more would read, but I’m thankful to you for reading. And, of course, it is all up to Him as to what happens with “Shadow.”

Have a grateful Thanksgiving my friends. May you truly find much to be grateful for.

Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: , , , , ,

November 21

Tuesday, November 21st, 2023

I’d like to follow up on my devotion from yesterday.

There is another rule of interpretation/Bible study besides the one from yesterday (“Let Scripture explain Scripture”). The one for today is “A text without a context is only a pretext.”  Interpreted: the failure to see surrounding verses, historical narrative and setting can lead to a whole lot of problems.

Yesterday’s passage was from Matthew 7:1-5. With that I presented the very common comment, “You have no right to judge me, to tell me that I’m wrong, or that my behavior is unacceptable in God’s eyes.” That is used in defense of sin: adultery, homosexual activity, “white” lies, and just about any other sin we want to justify doing.

But remember the context quote? Check out Matthew 7:15-16- “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.”  (NLT) That section ends with verse 20 saying, “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

Question: how can we identify a wolf in sheep’s clothing if we don’t (ahem) judge them? It is called discernment. But here’s the thing: it is not discernment based on our bias or personal opinion. It is based on…wait for it…what the Bible says. Every thought, every opinion, every decision, every judgment we form or express MUST BE and MUST FIND its source in the Word of God! If what we say or do does not find its root in God’s Word; if it does not find its anchor in God’s Word, then its a pretty fair assessment that it is false.

We need to be “fruit inspectors.” (Matt. 7:16-20). Last I looked a fruit inspector has to form a judgment and decide whether the fruit is good or not. The Apostle Paul wrote, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (ESV)

So, judging/discerning is an absolute must. Always compare what you are being told and taught to the Word of God.

Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

November 20

Monday, November 20th, 2023

There is a basic rule of interpretation for Bible Study that is important: let Scripture explain Scripture. A favorite method of some people when reading the Bible is the pick-and-choose method. Some may call it the-hunt-and-point method.  Here is how it works: a person cherry-picks a verse here, another one there, and maybe another one there to form a thought or belief.

There are, of course, multiple dangers in that method.  Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who used that method to decide what to do. One day he opened his Bible and pointed and it said, “Judas went out and hung himself.”  Wow! That didn’t say much. So he closed his Bible, opened it again and pointed. This time it said, “Go and do likewise.”  Yikes! He hurriedly closed his Bible, reopened it and pointed. This time it said, “Whatever you hand finds to do, do quickly.”  🙂  I know it is a fanciful story but it does show how some read the Bible and how dangerous it can be to take that approach.

In my reading this morning, I was in Matthew 7 (I’m starting over in the NT reading from the New Living Translation. Since I had finished reading through twice last year in the ESV, I decided to just start again in Matthew 1 and use the NLT). Anyway, in Matthew 7 there are  two passages which cause a lot of angst and consternation and even vehement speech, with one of them especially being a “clobber verse” in reverse. A “clobber verse” is one of those verses that Biblically conservative people are accused of using to clobber those who refuse to follow the teachings of the Bible. This is one in reverse in that it is a favorite of those who don’t like being told they are morally wrong. They like to throw this one in the face of the one who has shared biblical truth with them.

Those verses are Matthew 7:1-5. It says, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”

You know how that is used. “How dare you judge me! How dare you tell me that what I am doing, the lifestyle I’ve chosen, the choices I’m making are wrong! Who died and left you boss?” This person wants to live by his/her own standards and the devil be hanged if anyone tells him differently.  Take a risk and say something and you are judging. Guaranteed these verses will be thrown into your face.

But we can’t lose sight of the other passage in Matthew 7 that throws some light on understanding that passage as one Scripture helps explain another. Read Matthew 7 on your own and let me know what Scripture you think will be referenced…TOMORROW.

Due to the length of this devotion today, tune in tomorrow for the rest of my thoughts on these two passages.

Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

#JustDoIt!

Friday, November 17th, 2023

Victory

There is a profound difference between thankfulness as a concept and thankfulness as a practice. This is true in so many ways. Take, for example, car companies. Every year they have a grand extravaganza of a car show.  Included in this show are “concept cars.” Cars of the future. Cars that are dreams of people. But in most cases, they remain concepts. I’ve seen some wild ideas that are just that…ideas. How much more practical to reveal a car that is a reality.

Think for a moment about gratitude. People who think rightly about God’s provision are thankful, and rightly so. And they say so. Thankers (that is not a word according to spell check) feel something because their gratitude is felt, sometimes deeply. We may stumble on words or how to express our thanks (like when we are put on the spot in a crowd), but we have this overwhelming sense of gratitude for what we have received.

This week I am continuing my series on More Than a Holiday by talking about “we have been blessed to bless others.” There is no better way to say thanks than to pass along that thanks by doing something for others. So, after a look at the 10 lepers in Luke 17 we will be going to James 2 and try to put a “handle” on some practical ways to show gratitude.

Join us in person if you are able. If not, please watch our live stream. We meet at 9:00 and 10:45. I look forward to seeing you or hearing you were watching.

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , , ,

November 16

Thursday, November 16th, 2023

I began reading an old book yesterday. It was first published in 1983; the second edition in 2009; and a third edition-a commemorative one-in 2019. The book is entitled Run With the Horses by the late Eugene Peterson. He found his title from Jeremiah 12:5. Peterson’s own Message Paraphrase puts it this way: “So, Jeremiah, if you’re worn out in this footrace with me, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can’t keep your wits during times of calm, what’s going to happen when trouble break loose like the Jordan in flood?” The NLT translates it: “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?

The subtitle for the book is “The Quest for Life at Its Best.” Trust me when I say it is not another Joel Osteen knock-off. You won’t read more “your-best-life-now” drivel.  On the contrary. Here is what you will get a sample of:

Vitezlav Gardovsky, the Czech philosopher and martyr who died in 1978, took Jeremiah as his “image of man” in his campaign against a secret society that carefully planned every detail of material existence but eliminated mystery and miracle, and squeezed all freedom from life.  The terrible threat against life is ‘that we might die earlier than we really do die, before death has become a natural necessity. The real horror lies in such a premature death, a death after which we go on living for many years.’ (pp.18-19)

Sort of like living with a dementia or Alzheimer’s patient. They may go on living for many years after their diagnosis, and yet not really living.

Jeremiah was ready to abandon his unique calling because of opposition and self-pity, but that moment God nailed him with the words of Jeremiah 12:5. It is like he is saying, “Life is difficult, Jeremiah. Are you going to quit already? Are you going to quit at the first opposition?” We would say, “Are you going to run home to mommy, Jeremiah, are you going to run with the horses?”

I know what I want to do. I want to “run with the horses.” Wild. Free. With purpose. Engaging and enjoying life. What about you? Are you going to quit, give up, throw in the towel, be put out to pasture (ahem), or…run with with horses?

I seldom do this but a song from years ago came to mind. If you have a chance check out Dark Horse by John Fischer. Sorry I can’t find any lyric video but the lyrics are plain. Hint: its from the 1970s. And yes, I was listening to CCM way back in those dark ages. 🙂

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , ,

November 15

Wednesday, November 15th, 2023

Some people today like to complain about the church: “It’s made up of a bunch of hypocrites.” (Most definitely true). “All the church does is tell you a list of what is right and what is wrong and the wrong is always longer than the right.” (There is some truth to that). “They are insufferable and no better than me.”  (Given that we are all sinners that is a true statement).

So my answer to those statements? Yep. Yep. And Yep. And I’ll also say, “Welcome to my world.”

I don’t say that because I’m a pastor; I say that because they describe me. I am a hypocrite at times because I don’t always practice what I preach.  (Shocker!!) I don’t always live up to the standard God has set. I am sometimes judgmental (although I try really hard not to be). And sometimes I am no better than anyone else, in that sin gets its grip on me.

All this hit me last night as I sat and read. I’m rereading a novel called Dancing Priest (DP) by Glynn Young, a fellow blogger. It is one of 5 in a series about a young man named Michael Kent. I’ve read DP several times before, but it has been a few years since I last read it. I look for books to read at home which are different from my normal fare, so I have decided to read the entire series again. In DP Michael is assigned a parish (church) in San Francisco…much to his surprise. He applied for Malawi in Africa. In the ensuing conversation with his sponsor, he found out why.

Michael, the future of our church is in grave doubt. If there is a future, then you and others like you are that future. It will be better for you to be on the periphery than at the center because the center is rotting and collapsing. The future of the church is at the edges, and there you’ll find a willingness to abandon what’s dead, to meet the spiritual need, to fearlessly preach the Gospel-that is our way to survival. (p.163). A few paragraphs later he tells Michael, “You are a remarkable young man. You will do great things, Michael, not as the world defines them, but great in the way God defines them.” (p.164)

Honestly? That’s what I want. At my age (71) I know I have less years to live than I have lived. But nothing says that with the remaining years I have to sit on the sidelines and watch the world go by. I want to abandon what’s dead and to fearlessly preach the Gospel.

To my way of thinking, nothing else will do.

***************************************************************************************************************

Note: Check out Dancing Priest and the whole series by Glynn Young on Amazon. Start with DP and I guarantee you will decide to get and read the rest.  And no, Glynn did not pay me to say that! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Posted in InTheShadow | 14 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

November 14

Tuesday, November 14th, 2023

Perhaps you have heard the saying, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” That phrase is used to state the obvious: what you have just been told is a bold-faced lie.  I just read this morning about someone who made a bold-faced lie.

It is probably a familiar story/Scripture to many of you. The wise men has followed the star and it took them to Jerusalem. There they inquired about the star and asked a question that set a lot of folks on high alert: “Where is the Messiah to be born?” (Mt.2:4). The one with the biggest knee-jerk reaction was Herod. Leave off the “knee” and you have the kind of individual he was. But he was far more. Power hungry despot. Suspicious. Vengeful. Mad (as in crazy). Jealous. Words fail me to be able to truly describe how bad evil this man truly was.

So when he says to the wise men, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.“ (2:8), the words which flow off our tongue are “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” He had absolutely no intention of worshiping the Messiah, except on the edge of a sword. (2:16-17)

Bob Dylan once sang “You Gotta Serve Somebody.” (1979). Herod did…himself. We all serve/worship some one or some thing. It may not be as blatant a lie as Herod’s, but the failure to serve the Living, Triune God when we say we do truly echoes “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” At least Herod’s was blatant.

WHOM/what to you worship? Before you answer, please remember we have Someone who knows our every thought.

Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , ,

November 16

Monday, November 13th, 2023

We all have a story. We all have a past. We all have a present. We all will have a future (although as Doc Brown says in Back to the Future: “Our future hasn’t been written yet.” Doc Brown is right, and he is also wrong.  We don’t know what the future holds. God does. He has written our future. What that all means is a discussion for another day).

I repeat: we all have a story. I’ve been reading each morning from a book entitled Limping with God by Chad Bird. It is a book solely committed to tell the life of Jacob. Jacob’s name means “supplanter, deceiver” and it seems his whole life was one big story on that idea. Many incidences in his life stand out, which would require far more space than I am able to give right now, but two stand out head and shoulders above the others. One was in Genesis 28 where Jacob dreamed of a stairway to heaven (yeah…don’t go there.  🙂 ). The other is in Genesis 32 as he goes to meet Esau and wrestles with God and comes away with a limp.

There is much to learn from diving into that story, but one I read this morning stuck. Mr. Bird writes, “Jacob limped into the future bearing the burdens of his past-burdens that were lightened by the memory of the God who christened him with a new name.” (p. 174).  BTW: that new name was Jacob to Israel.

We all carry scars of our past. Jacob’s (Israel’s) was a limp where his fellow wrestler (God) touched him on his hip because Jacob said he would not let him go unless he blessed him. Thus, the limp.

I have discussed this before: anyone who think becoming a follower of Jesus releases us from a tough time in life is whacked. No where, NO WHERE, does God promise us an easy road. Quite the contrary, what He does promise is that our present and future might be a life of pain from our skirmishes and scars, but one in which we are never left alone.

Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

« Older Entries