I really love the movie, "Amazing Grace." It got even better the second time around for me. That's been my prayer lately - that I would be overwhelmed by the grace and mercy of God and in turn, that I might be a person of grace and mercy.
One day about six months ago, I was having a very "self-centered" morning and realized it. I decided I wanted to hear Chris Tomlin's, "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)." So I went onto iTunes and tried to buy it, but for some reason, the computer wouldn't let me. After spending a frustrated half-hour I turned the computer off and probably thought something like, "All I wanted was to hear, 'Amazing Grace,' to get out of this rut, and look where that got me!" But I decided to go downstairs and turn on the radio, and remember thinking, "What if maybe, just maybe, God would let that song be on right now. Sure enough it was..." I definitely think God has a sense of humor. And He definitely wants us to rely fully, on Him. Why do I ever doubt His love? And why, despite my attitude, does He do little things like that?
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Thoughts on Being Full - a letter from a friend
"On one of our hikes in Drakensberg...'As we spent a few hours just reflecting and journaling by the side of a waterfall, I was meditating on those mysterious places in Ephesians where it talks about the "fullness" of God. I was struck by the way the whole river gorge had been slowly carved out by the water. With each passing flood-time, the river can hold more and more water, till what was once a tiny trickle becomes a mighty river. It's like the whole Christian life is about God slowly wearing away our stubborn stony hearts and making them bigger so he can fill them. His goal is to enlarge our hearts so that we can grow in our capacity to feel both joy and sorrow; to both receive and give love, and to hold more and more of God's presence in our lives. In heaven, as Jonathan Edwards says, we will all, like cups, be filled to the brim with joy; but some of our "cups" will have grown larger than others, more able to hold the fullness of joy. Enlarge my heart, O God. Carve me away as this stream chisels this rock - beats it, dissolves it, carries it away. Let me be, not a shallow riverbed, but a worn-away canyon, able to hold both deep mourning and deep rejoicing.' "-Abigail Cooley
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
On Death - credit to Luis Palau "The High Definition Life"
I recently read Luis Palau's, "The High Definition Life." It provoked much thought. There were two stories in particular that really rung near to my heart of late...longing for heaven...Here they are:
My friend Joe has a son named Peter. When Peter was seven years old, his family moved. He did not much care for that since it meant leaving behind Mr. Whittle, a trusted family friend. They would now be 2,000 miles apart.
One morning at breakfast the family received a phone call saying Mr. Whittle was dying of cancer. Once Peter heard the news, he rose from the table and ran to his room. Joe thought his son must be really broken up and told the other to, "Leave him alone."
Before the rest of the family finished eating however, Peter returned with a piece of paper - and a request. "Dad, would you send this letter to Mr. Whittle before he dies?"
"All right, Peter, I'll do that for you. But can I read it before you send it?"
"Oh, sure."
Here's what it said:
"Dear Mr. Whittle, I hear you're going to heaven. Isn't that great? Your friend, Peter."
Story number 2:
When Dave (Kraft) was 28, doctors diagnosed him with terminal cancer. His friends prayed but it became obvious the Lord wasn't going to heal him. Finally Dave transferred to a hospital close to his father.
"You know what Luis," his father said. "My son is about to go. I feel so eager he goes to be with the Lord. I can't stand to see my boy suffer so much. I wish you'd pray."
So he prayed first: "Lord would you take David home today? We can't stand to see him suffer."
The next morning Dr. Kraft said, "Last night I went to the hospital and David said, "Dad, come here. Put your arms around me." So I did. He then said, "I want to sit up, Dad...I know I'm going to be with the Lord. I want to thank you because you've been a terrific father. Tell mom I love her. You've both been such a great example. You showed me the way to the Lord, and I want to thank you before I go to be with Him. Dad, I want you to pray with me because I won't see you for a few years and I want to talk with the Lord together with you."
Dr. Kraft choked up but told his son, "Dave, before I pray, I want to tell you something. You lucky guy, you are going to see the Lord before I do. Just think, David - tonight you are going to see Moses, Joseph, David, Paul. You lucky guy. I should have gone before you, but you are getting there before me...David, best of all, you are going to see the Lord Jesus. Promise me one thing. When you see the Lord Jesus, would you tell him your father loves him very much?"
They then prayed together and Dr. Kraft left the room after saying, "Dave, I'll see you in heaven."
David died at 4 that morning.
Those are two beautiful stories to me...
My friend Joe has a son named Peter. When Peter was seven years old, his family moved. He did not much care for that since it meant leaving behind Mr. Whittle, a trusted family friend. They would now be 2,000 miles apart.
One morning at breakfast the family received a phone call saying Mr. Whittle was dying of cancer. Once Peter heard the news, he rose from the table and ran to his room. Joe thought his son must be really broken up and told the other to, "Leave him alone."
Before the rest of the family finished eating however, Peter returned with a piece of paper - and a request. "Dad, would you send this letter to Mr. Whittle before he dies?"
"All right, Peter, I'll do that for you. But can I read it before you send it?"
"Oh, sure."
Here's what it said:
"Dear Mr. Whittle, I hear you're going to heaven. Isn't that great? Your friend, Peter."
Story number 2:
When Dave (Kraft) was 28, doctors diagnosed him with terminal cancer. His friends prayed but it became obvious the Lord wasn't going to heal him. Finally Dave transferred to a hospital close to his father.
"You know what Luis," his father said. "My son is about to go. I feel so eager he goes to be with the Lord. I can't stand to see my boy suffer so much. I wish you'd pray."
So he prayed first: "Lord would you take David home today? We can't stand to see him suffer."
The next morning Dr. Kraft said, "Last night I went to the hospital and David said, "Dad, come here. Put your arms around me." So I did. He then said, "I want to sit up, Dad...I know I'm going to be with the Lord. I want to thank you because you've been a terrific father. Tell mom I love her. You've both been such a great example. You showed me the way to the Lord, and I want to thank you before I go to be with Him. Dad, I want you to pray with me because I won't see you for a few years and I want to talk with the Lord together with you."
Dr. Kraft choked up but told his son, "Dave, before I pray, I want to tell you something. You lucky guy, you are going to see the Lord before I do. Just think, David - tonight you are going to see Moses, Joseph, David, Paul. You lucky guy. I should have gone before you, but you are getting there before me...David, best of all, you are going to see the Lord Jesus. Promise me one thing. When you see the Lord Jesus, would you tell him your father loves him very much?"
They then prayed together and Dr. Kraft left the room after saying, "Dave, I'll see you in heaven."
David died at 4 that morning.
Those are two beautiful stories to me...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
'Dem Bones...
I remember my mom and dad singing a silly song growing up...'Dem bones, 'dem bones, 'dem dry bones...and I have no idea what it meant or was even about...but Ezekiel has a lot more to say about bones...
I was reading in Ezekiel the other day and feeling down about the world and how dead it can be - spiritually, emotionally, etc. In Ezekiel, God places the prophet in a valley. A valley of dead bones. I can imagine vultures lurking and stench and despair. Particularly in a valley. Perhaps there were so many dead because a battle had taken place. Perhaps it was a funeral pit for the poor or rejected? I wish I knew the context. But God placed the prophet there saying, "Son of Man, can these bones live?" (It's as if He's testing Ezekiel, asking, "Do you believe I can do the impossible?") And God tells him to prophesy that they will. (Almost as if to say, "Even you testifying and believing, even your faith, is a gift from Me). (I don't know, I think that may say something about predestination there...) So Ezekiel prophesies, and the bones begin to crackle and shake, maybe creak...muscles and ligaments start to grow (I think I might have passed out). And God breathes life into them. He acts. And they are made alive. This is the gospel! Our dead, decaying, spiritual, emotional bones are raised from the dead, put back together, and made alive. Literally and figuratively! There is hope for this hurting and dying world!
I was reading in Ezekiel the other day and feeling down about the world and how dead it can be - spiritually, emotionally, etc. In Ezekiel, God places the prophet in a valley. A valley of dead bones. I can imagine vultures lurking and stench and despair. Particularly in a valley. Perhaps there were so many dead because a battle had taken place. Perhaps it was a funeral pit for the poor or rejected? I wish I knew the context. But God placed the prophet there saying, "Son of Man, can these bones live?" (It's as if He's testing Ezekiel, asking, "Do you believe I can do the impossible?") And God tells him to prophesy that they will. (Almost as if to say, "Even you testifying and believing, even your faith, is a gift from Me). (I don't know, I think that may say something about predestination there...) So Ezekiel prophesies, and the bones begin to crackle and shake, maybe creak...muscles and ligaments start to grow (I think I might have passed out). And God breathes life into them. He acts. And they are made alive. This is the gospel! Our dead, decaying, spiritual, emotional bones are raised from the dead, put back together, and made alive. Literally and figuratively! There is hope for this hurting and dying world!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Do You Love Me More Than These?
John 21:15 "So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."
There are a few things that strike me about this verse...well really this passage. First of all, the disciples who had spent so much time with Jesus do not know it is Him, until finally, "that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.'" I wonder if it is because he was closest to the heart of Jesus. He could read the looks on Jesus' face long before the others could...Perhaps He was too far off for them to recognize at a distance, but the disciple Jesus loved recalled the time Jesus had done this before. Jesus' trademark.
But then Peter throws himself into the sea. I'd like to think it was because of his great love for Jesus. That kind of reckless abandon that thinks, "Not even the push of the water can hold me back from Jesus! It's faster for me to swim than to wait for this boat to get in!" (The only strange thing about that is he puts his outer garment on). And so, perhaps it comes as a shock that Jesus would even think to ask Peter if he loves him...but we'll get to that in a sec.
Someone I think highly of once told a group of us about his three kids. His oldest kid - very cute, perhaps the most competitive child ever born, and very stubborn. The middle child - so tenderhearted and selfless - they didn't know where he came from. (Both parents were very stubborn too, or so he said). The youngest - just a baby but seemingly more stubborn than the firstborn. So he proceeded to tell us of all their flaws and imperfections and how the middle child had just recently gotten a pea stuck up his nose. And yet, this dad loved his kids and moved me to choke back tears as he described his son's soccer game. His middle child was running around, letting the other kids catch up sometimes when he felt sorry for them (something the oldest would have despised), sometimes falling down, just running around...but this dad was so proud. He said he wanted to shout, "That's my son," to everyone around him. He was beaming with elation in one of those great parent moments. And then he said, "And that's how God sees us...crazy, imperfect people with peas stuck up our noses, running around like we don't have any idea what's going on...and yet there He is...He knows our flaws...He knew Peter's flaws...and yet He's beaming..."That's my child!" I know he denied me, but I still love him.
And Jesus, knowing all the imperfections of His disciples...their fear that drove them to abandon Him...wants to have breakfast with them. An informal setting. Perhaps to assuage their guilt. Let's just have breakfast...I mean, they'd already seen Him once since He died (chapter 20 verse 19)...He'd said, "Peace be with you then..." I wonder if they understood that He WAS peace. "I am with you...Peace be with you..." But here He is again and this time He wants to have breakfast and talk to Peter about love.
Simon (notice He doesn't say Peter), do you love Me more than these? (I wonder what the context of "these" means?)
Yes, Lord...I just jumped into the water when I saw you...
(I jumped into the water the first time too...and walked on it until I lost sight of You).
Simon, do you love Me?
Yes, Lord...You KNOW I do...
Simon (notice He's pretty up close and personal in using his name), do you love Me?
And Peter, pretty sad, maybe even offended (I probably would be...) says,
"Lord, You know all things; (I know you're God now...that lesson took me awhile), but you know all things...You know I love you."
...and yet, Jesus then tells him how he (Peter) is going to die. But as if to say, "Don't worry, it'll all be alright if you just fix your eyes on Me," He says, "Follow Me!"
And sadly...instead of looking Jesus in the face and doing just that, Peter turns around and sees the disciple Jesus loved...and perhaps jealously asks, "Well what about him?" (If I'm going to die, what about Him?)
His eyes are taken off Jesus yet again...Only this time he's not sinking in water but into the depths of himself.
But Jesus says, "This isn't between you, me, and him...YOU follow ME!"
(It's as though Jesus is not going to stop asking us that question...When we think we've finally got it all together..."Joy, do you love Me? No, not my people, do you love ME?! I know you learned that then, but are your eyes on ME...NOW?!" Like Peter, it grieves me that He has to ask so often.)
There are a few things that strike me about this verse...well really this passage. First of all, the disciples who had spent so much time with Jesus do not know it is Him, until finally, "that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.'" I wonder if it is because he was closest to the heart of Jesus. He could read the looks on Jesus' face long before the others could...Perhaps He was too far off for them to recognize at a distance, but the disciple Jesus loved recalled the time Jesus had done this before. Jesus' trademark.
But then Peter throws himself into the sea. I'd like to think it was because of his great love for Jesus. That kind of reckless abandon that thinks, "Not even the push of the water can hold me back from Jesus! It's faster for me to swim than to wait for this boat to get in!" (The only strange thing about that is he puts his outer garment on). And so, perhaps it comes as a shock that Jesus would even think to ask Peter if he loves him...but we'll get to that in a sec.
Someone I think highly of once told a group of us about his three kids. His oldest kid - very cute, perhaps the most competitive child ever born, and very stubborn. The middle child - so tenderhearted and selfless - they didn't know where he came from. (Both parents were very stubborn too, or so he said). The youngest - just a baby but seemingly more stubborn than the firstborn. So he proceeded to tell us of all their flaws and imperfections and how the middle child had just recently gotten a pea stuck up his nose. And yet, this dad loved his kids and moved me to choke back tears as he described his son's soccer game. His middle child was running around, letting the other kids catch up sometimes when he felt sorry for them (something the oldest would have despised), sometimes falling down, just running around...but this dad was so proud. He said he wanted to shout, "That's my son," to everyone around him. He was beaming with elation in one of those great parent moments. And then he said, "And that's how God sees us...crazy, imperfect people with peas stuck up our noses, running around like we don't have any idea what's going on...and yet there He is...He knows our flaws...He knew Peter's flaws...and yet He's beaming..."That's my child!" I know he denied me, but I still love him.
And Jesus, knowing all the imperfections of His disciples...their fear that drove them to abandon Him...wants to have breakfast with them. An informal setting. Perhaps to assuage their guilt. Let's just have breakfast...I mean, they'd already seen Him once since He died (chapter 20 verse 19)...He'd said, "Peace be with you then..." I wonder if they understood that He WAS peace. "I am with you...Peace be with you..." But here He is again and this time He wants to have breakfast and talk to Peter about love.
Simon (notice He doesn't say Peter), do you love Me more than these? (I wonder what the context of "these" means?)
Yes, Lord...I just jumped into the water when I saw you...
(I jumped into the water the first time too...and walked on it until I lost sight of You).
Simon, do you love Me?
Yes, Lord...You KNOW I do...
Simon (notice He's pretty up close and personal in using his name), do you love Me?
And Peter, pretty sad, maybe even offended (I probably would be...) says,
"Lord, You know all things; (I know you're God now...that lesson took me awhile), but you know all things...You know I love you."
...and yet, Jesus then tells him how he (Peter) is going to die. But as if to say, "Don't worry, it'll all be alright if you just fix your eyes on Me," He says, "Follow Me!"
And sadly...instead of looking Jesus in the face and doing just that, Peter turns around and sees the disciple Jesus loved...and perhaps jealously asks, "Well what about him?" (If I'm going to die, what about Him?)
His eyes are taken off Jesus yet again...Only this time he's not sinking in water but into the depths of himself.
But Jesus says, "This isn't between you, me, and him...YOU follow ME!"
(It's as though Jesus is not going to stop asking us that question...When we think we've finally got it all together..."Joy, do you love Me? No, not my people, do you love ME?! I know you learned that then, but are your eyes on ME...NOW?!" Like Peter, it grieves me that He has to ask so often.)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
1 Peter 5:6-7
Check this out...
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." - NASB
God cups us in His hands. "When we are humble God places His hands above us to cover us and beneath us to carry us...Humility hails the presence of God and He cups us in His hands. What better place to be?" - Tim Grissom
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." - NASB
God cups us in His hands. "When we are humble God places His hands above us to cover us and beneath us to carry us...Humility hails the presence of God and He cups us in His hands. What better place to be?" - Tim Grissom
Favorite Quote
"It comes down to this, at least for me. When there is not a beating heart to give to the Lord, you give what shreds you have. When there is not a willing spirit, you give a broken one. When there are no limbs and muscles and strength to exert, when there is only the feeling of death, then you give him a corpse. Then whatever is left after the dying, whatever by God's grace comes back - it is born of Him. And so the dying is a kind of birth, a second chance with a different kind of life. It is the kind of life that is lived after everything else is lost and there is nothing left to lose, which I suppose, is the kind of life we should have been living all along." - Wayne Mack, Facing Forward
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
