From Devotions for the Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley
He slowly turned his eyes to explore each of our faces; then he began to speak, deliberate and restrained. In the next few minutes he revealed an astonishing addition to my understanding of who he was.
“When I arrived at my first church,” he began, “weeds had taken the place over. The building was in shambles. Five pastors had come and gone in three years. No one in the community had any confidence that I would be any different, so no one come to worship.
“My wife and I patched and painted and replaced the broken windows. Over time we restored the church building to a functional state. I made calls around the community, but still no one seemed the least bit interested.
“So, not know exactly what to do, I decided to prepare and preach my sermons as if the place was full. Every Sunday morning I stepped into the pulpit and preached my best sermons to empty pews – completely empty pews except for my wife. Every Sunday for three years I preached as though the place was packed, but in reality it was still emplty.
“Finally, after three strained years, God gave us one family. He became our Sunday School superintendent – his kids were the only ones we had in Sunday School. Slowly, over the next few months, however God began to bless. He rewarded my faithfulness all those years. My preaching to an empty church may not have been smart, but it was faithful; I was patient, and I perservered” (page 9-10)
All I can say is Amen.
And ask, how many of us would have quit the first month, first year, second year or even the third year. What if the ministry the Lord has provided us did not show fruit for 3 years? Would we persevere, would we be patient and wait on the Lord?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Gratitude
Lovers of Jesus,
Have you showed your gratitude for His love this week, this day, this hour, this moment?
From Morning and Evening by C.H. Spurgeon
Gratitude
April 9, Morning
Luke 23:27 ‘And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.”
“They weep about innocence being mistreated, goodness being persecuted, love bleeding, and meekness about to die. But in my heart there is a deeper and more distressing reason to mourn. My sins were the scourges that lacerated those blessed shoulders. My sins crowned with thorns that bleeding brow. My sins cried, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” My sins laid the cross on His gracious shoulder.
Jesus being led to die is sorrow enough for one eternity, but my having been His murderer is more, infinitely more grief than one poor fountain of tears can express.
It is not hard to guess why those women loved Him and wept, but they had no greater reasons for love and grief than my heart has. Nain’s widow saw her son raised from the dead (Luke 7:15), but I have been raised in newness of life. Peter’s mother-in-law was cured of a fever (Mark 1:30), but I was cured of the greater plague of sin. Mary and Martha were blessed with His visits (Luke 10:38), but He dwells in me. His mother gave birth, but He is formed in me as the Hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27).
I have a debt as great as these holy women. Let me equal them in gratitude or sorrow:”
Mike’s prayer
Lord, today and even in this moment, may I let Your love for me overwhelm every thought, concern, emotion so out of this may I live for You. May I fulfill your command as given by Jesus in Mark 12:30-31.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment great than these.”
Amen!
Have you showed your gratitude for His love this week, this day, this hour, this moment?
From Morning and Evening by C.H. Spurgeon
Gratitude
April 9, Morning
Luke 23:27 ‘And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.”
“They weep about innocence being mistreated, goodness being persecuted, love bleeding, and meekness about to die. But in my heart there is a deeper and more distressing reason to mourn. My sins were the scourges that lacerated those blessed shoulders. My sins crowned with thorns that bleeding brow. My sins cried, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” My sins laid the cross on His gracious shoulder.
Jesus being led to die is sorrow enough for one eternity, but my having been His murderer is more, infinitely more grief than one poor fountain of tears can express.
It is not hard to guess why those women loved Him and wept, but they had no greater reasons for love and grief than my heart has. Nain’s widow saw her son raised from the dead (Luke 7:15), but I have been raised in newness of life. Peter’s mother-in-law was cured of a fever (Mark 1:30), but I was cured of the greater plague of sin. Mary and Martha were blessed with His visits (Luke 10:38), but He dwells in me. His mother gave birth, but He is formed in me as the Hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27).
I have a debt as great as these holy women. Let me equal them in gratitude or sorrow:”
Mike’s prayer
Lord, today and even in this moment, may I let Your love for me overwhelm every thought, concern, emotion so out of this may I live for You. May I fulfill your command as given by Jesus in Mark 12:30-31.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment great than these.”
Amen!
Monday, December 29, 2008
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver is one of the men I have come to admire and one whose life about whom I enjoy reading. He was born in Diamond, Missouri, which was called Diamond Grove when he was born. He is considered to be the main person who thought to use crop rotations with cotton, peanuts and soybeans. This helped save the depleted soil of the South when it had become almost useless with only cotton production for years. He also found many uses for peanuts, even though he was not the inventor of peanut butter as some people like to report.
Personal note: I have a link to Diamond since a few miles outside of the town is where my mother, Mary, was born.
He was a Christian and, like Mabel, depended on the Lord for his life and inspiration. Here are a couple of quotes from him as he was sharing on his dependence on the Lord for answers.
From the book by Lawrence Elliott which is a biography, George Washington Carver – The Man Who Overcame
“On getting things done – “Back of my workshop there is a little grove of trees. One has been cut down. It makes a good seat. I have made it a rule to go out and sit on it at 4 o’clock every morning and ask the good Lord what I am to do that day. Then I go ahead and do it.” (Page 200)
Sharing a story with some young people on his questions to God.
“Oh, Mr. Creator, why did you make this universe?”
Softly he went on with the story: “And the Creator answered me. ‘You want to know too much for that little mind of yours,’ He said. ‘Ask me something more your size.’
“So I said, ‘Dear Mr. Creator, tell me what man was made for.’
“Again He spoke to me, and He said, ‘Little man, you are still asking for more than you can handle. Cut down the extent of your request and improve the intent.’”
“And then I asked my last question. ‘Mr. Creator, why did You make the peanut?’
“ ‘That’s better!’ the Lord said, and He gave me a handful of peanuts and went with me back to the laboratory and, together, we got down to work.” (Page 156)
Question: What if we took our ‘walking orders’ every morning from the Lord and fulfilled them as well as Carver did?
Lord, may You be glorified in our lives every moment. Amen.
Personal note: I have a link to Diamond since a few miles outside of the town is where my mother, Mary, was born.
He was a Christian and, like Mabel, depended on the Lord for his life and inspiration. Here are a couple of quotes from him as he was sharing on his dependence on the Lord for answers.
From the book by Lawrence Elliott which is a biography, George Washington Carver – The Man Who Overcame
“On getting things done – “Back of my workshop there is a little grove of trees. One has been cut down. It makes a good seat. I have made it a rule to go out and sit on it at 4 o’clock every morning and ask the good Lord what I am to do that day. Then I go ahead and do it.” (Page 200)
Sharing a story with some young people on his questions to God.
“Oh, Mr. Creator, why did you make this universe?”
Softly he went on with the story: “And the Creator answered me. ‘You want to know too much for that little mind of yours,’ He said. ‘Ask me something more your size.’
“So I said, ‘Dear Mr. Creator, tell me what man was made for.’
“Again He spoke to me, and He said, ‘Little man, you are still asking for more than you can handle. Cut down the extent of your request and improve the intent.’”
“And then I asked my last question. ‘Mr. Creator, why did You make the peanut?’
“ ‘That’s better!’ the Lord said, and He gave me a handful of peanuts and went with me back to the laboratory and, together, we got down to work.” (Page 156)
Question: What if we took our ‘walking orders’ every morning from the Lord and fulfilled them as well as Carver did?
Lord, may You be glorified in our lives every moment. Amen.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Morphing of Mabel #6 (Final)
Two final thoughts on Mabel
Here is a woman who was deaf, blind, could not walk, cound not care for herself or even feed herself. From society’s estimates, she was not living a life of value. Society would say she did not have any quality of life. However, I believe from the divine estimate, she was living a life of glory. She brought God’s Glory to the young man who shared the story and the author, John Ortberg. Her story has touched me many times even during this time of sharing with you. You have been impacted by Mabel, if I can be so bold to say, if you have read her story. Mabel has given us all a touch of the glory of Christ. What a legacy she left!
The other thought is how Mabel lived in the presence of her Lord daily, minute by minute. How are we to do this? How about ‘practicing His presence?’ How about living in our spirit? Singing songs of worship, offering prayers of praise, sacrificing in worship by acts of service and meditating on His Word. Mabel practiced these and was able to say, “He's all the world to me. And then Mabel began to sing an old hymn:
Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all.
He is my strength from day to day,
Without him I would fall.
When I am sad to him I go,
No other one can cheer me so,
When I am sad He makes me glad.
He’s my friend.”
Amen and Amen.
Here is a woman who was deaf, blind, could not walk, cound not care for herself or even feed herself. From society’s estimates, she was not living a life of value. Society would say she did not have any quality of life. However, I believe from the divine estimate, she was living a life of glory. She brought God’s Glory to the young man who shared the story and the author, John Ortberg. Her story has touched me many times even during this time of sharing with you. You have been impacted by Mabel, if I can be so bold to say, if you have read her story. Mabel has given us all a touch of the glory of Christ. What a legacy she left!
The other thought is how Mabel lived in the presence of her Lord daily, minute by minute. How are we to do this? How about ‘practicing His presence?’ How about living in our spirit? Singing songs of worship, offering prayers of praise, sacrificing in worship by acts of service and meditating on His Word. Mabel practiced these and was able to say, “He's all the world to me. And then Mabel began to sing an old hymn:
Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all.
He is my strength from day to day,
Without him I would fall.
When I am sad to him I go,
No other one can cheer me so,
When I am sad He makes me glad.
He’s my friend.”
Amen and Amen.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Morphing of Mabel #5
My thoughts on the ‘Morphing of Mabel’
John Ortberg spends the rest of the book describing different spiritual disciplines which will bring us to a place to be ‘morphed’ like Mabel.
You will notice the list of activities which the storyteller thought impacted Mabel’s life. They were “suffering, solitude, prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, fellowship when it was possible, giving when she had a flower or a piece of candy to offer.” This is a solid list of spiritual disciplines and unless I miss something were practiced by our Lord, himself. I believe these were the ‘God things’ given to her to bring her closer to the Lord.
One of the chapters in the book is titled, ‘Training Vs. Trying,’ with a section on Training Vs. Trying To Be Like Jesus. He writes, “Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely. This is what the apostle Paul means when he encourages his young protégé Timothy to “train yourself in godliness.” This thought also lies behind his advice to the church at Corinth: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
If a person wants to dive deeper into the disciplines there is a good (and deep) book by Dallas Willard titled The Spirit of the Disciplines, Understanding How God Changes Lives. One of the quotes I have marked in my copy says, “Full participation in the life of God’s Kingdom and in the vivid companionship of Christ comes to us only through appropriate exercise in the disciplines for life in the spirit.” Italicizes are the author’s, not mine.
My prayer is that each of us pray for a longing of heart to participate with the Spirit in solitude, prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, fellowship, giving and (yes, even) suffering to bring us closer and closer to our Lord. May our heart longingly wait each day for this time with Him exercising whatever discipline we choose? If we do this we will be ‘morphed’ daily like Mabel. Amen!!
In the next post I will provide a different idea about the story of Mabel.
John Ortberg spends the rest of the book describing different spiritual disciplines which will bring us to a place to be ‘morphed’ like Mabel.
You will notice the list of activities which the storyteller thought impacted Mabel’s life. They were “suffering, solitude, prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, fellowship when it was possible, giving when she had a flower or a piece of candy to offer.” This is a solid list of spiritual disciplines and unless I miss something were practiced by our Lord, himself. I believe these were the ‘God things’ given to her to bring her closer to the Lord.
One of the chapters in the book is titled, ‘Training Vs. Trying,’ with a section on Training Vs. Trying To Be Like Jesus. He writes, “Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely. This is what the apostle Paul means when he encourages his young protégé Timothy to “train yourself in godliness.” This thought also lies behind his advice to the church at Corinth: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
If a person wants to dive deeper into the disciplines there is a good (and deep) book by Dallas Willard titled The Spirit of the Disciplines, Understanding How God Changes Lives. One of the quotes I have marked in my copy says, “Full participation in the life of God’s Kingdom and in the vivid companionship of Christ comes to us only through appropriate exercise in the disciplines for life in the spirit.” Italicizes are the author’s, not mine.
My prayer is that each of us pray for a longing of heart to participate with the Spirit in solitude, prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, fellowship, giving and (yes, even) suffering to bring us closer and closer to our Lord. May our heart longingly wait each day for this time with Him exercising whatever discipline we choose? If we do this we will be ‘morphed’ daily like Mabel. Amen!!
In the next post I will provide a different idea about the story of Mabel.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Morphing of Mabel #4
The story of Mabel concludes:
"The answer, I think, is that Mabel had something that you and I don't have much of. She had power. Lying there in that bed, unable to move, unable to see, unable to hear, unable to talk to anyone, she had incredible power."
Here was an ordinary human being who received supernatural power to do extraordinary things. Her entire life consisted of following Jesus as best she could in her situation: patient endurance of suffering, solitude, prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, fellowship when it was possible, giving when she had a flower or a piece of candy to offer.
Imagine being in her condition and saying, "I think about how good he's been to me. He's been awfully good to me in my life, you know. . . . I'm one of those kind who's mostly satisfied." This is the Twenty-third Psalm come to life: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want."
For anyone who really saw Mabel-who was willing to "turn aside" - a hospital bed became a burning bush; a place where this ordinary and pain-filled world was visited by the presence of God. When others saw the life in that hospital bed, they wanted to take off their shoes. The lid was off the terrarium. Then the turn came, with a catch of the breath, and a beating of the heart, and tears. They were standing on holy ground.
Do you believe such a life is possible for an ordinary human being? Do you believe it is possible for you? This is promised in the gospel-the good news proclaimed by Jesus: "The kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." The good news as Jesus preached it is that now it is possible for ordinary men and women to live in the presence and under the power of God. The good news as Jesus preached it is not about the minimal entrance requirements for getting into heaven when you die. It is about the glorious redemption of human life - your life.
It's morphing time.
Next post will be my thoughts and impressions of the story.
"The answer, I think, is that Mabel had something that you and I don't have much of. She had power. Lying there in that bed, unable to move, unable to see, unable to hear, unable to talk to anyone, she had incredible power."
Here was an ordinary human being who received supernatural power to do extraordinary things. Her entire life consisted of following Jesus as best she could in her situation: patient endurance of suffering, solitude, prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, fellowship when it was possible, giving when she had a flower or a piece of candy to offer.
Imagine being in her condition and saying, "I think about how good he's been to me. He's been awfully good to me in my life, you know. . . . I'm one of those kind who's mostly satisfied." This is the Twenty-third Psalm come to life: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want."
For anyone who really saw Mabel-who was willing to "turn aside" - a hospital bed became a burning bush; a place where this ordinary and pain-filled world was visited by the presence of God. When others saw the life in that hospital bed, they wanted to take off their shoes. The lid was off the terrarium. Then the turn came, with a catch of the breath, and a beating of the heart, and tears. They were standing on holy ground.
Do you believe such a life is possible for an ordinary human being? Do you believe it is possible for you? This is promised in the gospel-the good news proclaimed by Jesus: "The kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." The good news as Jesus preached it is that now it is possible for ordinary men and women to live in the presence and under the power of God. The good news as Jesus preached it is not about the minimal entrance requirements for getting into heaven when you die. It is about the glorious redemption of human life - your life.
It's morphing time.
Next post will be my thoughts and impressions of the story.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Morphing of Mabel #3
Story of Mabel continues:
It was not many weeks before I turned from a sense that I was being helpful to a sense of wonder, and I would go to her with a pen and paper to write down the things she would say. . . .
"During one hectic week of final exams I was frustrated because my mind seemed to be pulled in ten directions at once with all of the things that I had to think about. The question occurred to me, 'What does Mabel have to think about-hour after hour, day after day, week after week, not even able to know if it's day or night?' So I went to her and asked, 'Mabel, what do you think about when you lie here?'
"And she said, 'I think about my Jesus.'
"I sat there, and thought for a moment about the difficulty, for me, of thinking about Jesus for even five minutes, and I asked, 'What do you think about Jesus?' She replied slowly and deliberately as I wrote. . .:
I think about how good he's been to me. He's been awfully good to me in my life, you know. . . . I'm one of those kind who's mostly satisfied. . . . Lots of folks wouldn't care much for what I think. Lots of folks would think I'm kind of oldfashioned. But I don't care. I'd rather have Jesus. He's all the world to me.
"And then Mabel began to sing an old hymn:
Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all.
He is my strength from day to day,
Without him I would fall.
When I am sad to him I go,
No other one can cheer me so,
When I am sad He makes me glad.
He’s my friend.
“This is not fiction. Incredible as it may seem, a human being really lived like this. I know. I knew her. How could she do it? Seconds ticked and minutes crawled, and so did days and weeks and months and years of pain without human company and without an explanation of why it was all happening-and she lay there and sang hymns. How could she do it?
Final post on Mabel's story tomorrow, however stayed tuned for later posts to read what John Ortberg says about how we can have what Mabel has. Amen.
It was not many weeks before I turned from a sense that I was being helpful to a sense of wonder, and I would go to her with a pen and paper to write down the things she would say. . . .
"During one hectic week of final exams I was frustrated because my mind seemed to be pulled in ten directions at once with all of the things that I had to think about. The question occurred to me, 'What does Mabel have to think about-hour after hour, day after day, week after week, not even able to know if it's day or night?' So I went to her and asked, 'Mabel, what do you think about when you lie here?'
"And she said, 'I think about my Jesus.'
"I sat there, and thought for a moment about the difficulty, for me, of thinking about Jesus for even five minutes, and I asked, 'What do you think about Jesus?' She replied slowly and deliberately as I wrote. . .:
I think about how good he's been to me. He's been awfully good to me in my life, you know. . . . I'm one of those kind who's mostly satisfied. . . . Lots of folks wouldn't care much for what I think. Lots of folks would think I'm kind of oldfashioned. But I don't care. I'd rather have Jesus. He's all the world to me.
"And then Mabel began to sing an old hymn:
Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all.
He is my strength from day to day,
Without him I would fall.
When I am sad to him I go,
No other one can cheer me so,
When I am sad He makes me glad.
He’s my friend.
“This is not fiction. Incredible as it may seem, a human being really lived like this. I know. I knew her. How could she do it? Seconds ticked and minutes crawled, and so did days and weeks and months and years of pain without human company and without an explanation of why it was all happening-and she lay there and sang hymns. How could she do it?
Final post on Mabel's story tomorrow, however stayed tuned for later posts to read what John Ortberg says about how we can have what Mabel has. Amen.
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