Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Love Of Christ

Today I ventured out and went to church. Sitting around the house and being partially disabled is not something I do well. I had a good day though, the knee held up pretty good and it was just nice to get out and talk to people. We went to church early so I could help run slides, and while we were practicing, Pastor Gary came up and handed me two hundred dollars cash and said someone gave it to him to give to us to help out with bills while I was off work. I immediately had a dilemma. On one hand I greatly appreciate this persons generosity, on the other I almost felt guilty for someone giving me so much when there are so many others in need. Obviously God laid it on this persons heart to give this large gift and there is no doubt it will help pay bills while I'm not pulling in a full pay check.


John 13:33-35 says;

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

I have found that people are always watching, and when we show love to one another they see the goodness and love of Jesus Christ. I don't want this persons love shown to my family to go unseen. Let this post be a witness to the fact that the love of Christ is alive and well and given in abundance.

Thank you for your Love!

Friday, September 28, 2007

God Creativity


John 21

John Chapter 21

I find this final chapter of John to be an interesting chapter. It is the final chapter in the Gospel of John and one that finds the disciples going back and doing what they did before they met Christ. It starts out with the Disciples sitting around and gathered together at the sea of Tiberias. One thought I have here is why are they sitting around doing nothing? Simon Peter stands and says “I’m going fishing” and the other six of them rise and say they will go with him. I’m unsure as to why the disciples are back at the sea and not out spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Maybe this fishing trip arises out of hunger, maybe because they are unsure of what to do. If the later is the case, then maybe they are just simply doing what they know how to do. So we see Peter step up and start to lead, but to what and to where?

So as they are out fishing Jesus shows up on the shore and calls out to them “Friends haven’t you any fish?” He tells them to put their nets out on the right side of the boat and they will catch fish. One thought here, first of all Jesus knows they haven’t caught anything because he’s Jesus, second he doesn’t suggest, but tells them to put their nets on the right side of the boat. I just think it’s interesting that they are fishing on the left side (unclean side) and Jesus comes along and tells them to fish on the right side (the clean side) and when they do it Christ’s way, they catch more than they can haul in. When John realizes who it is, he tells the others and specifically Simon Peter. Simon, who has taken off his outer garment puts it back on and dives into the water and swims to shore. Question – Why did he put his outer garment back on? Was it because the water was cold? Was it because he was modest? Or was it a way to cover himself up because he was ashamed that he was caught doing something besides what Christ had told them what to do? It is also thought that he might have been fishing naked, which would have been normal back then, and he simply puts his loin cloth back on before going into the water. The other thought is that he might have tied up the loose parts of his outer garment so that it would not get caught up while he was swimming.

They come ashore and Christ, who had not been fishing, has fish and bread cooking on an open fire. This speaks to the provision of Christ just like the feeding of the five thousand and the wedding feast where he turned water into wine. He invites them to eat and to also bring some of the fish they had caught. During this time Christ begins to ask Simon Peter if Peter loves him. This is interesting because Christ asks Simon three times, the same number of times that Simon had denied Christ. The first time he instructs Simon to feed his lambs, the second to take care of His sheep, and the third to feed His sheep. This is a picture of a well-rounded Shepard. Christ is the ultimate Shepard and He is commissioning Simon Peter to take care of the flock that Christ has gathered.

There is so much more information in this chapter, all the neat rabbit trails of details that could be taken, but these have stood out to me and I thought them to be interesting.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Let Us Kneel

Psalm 95:6

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

This verse tells us to bow down before the Lord. As we worship the Lord, let us consider worshipping with our whole body in response to all that He is and has done.

Worship is something that we do. It is an acceptable attitude expressed such as Abraham did as he bowed down. Worship is purely and solely for the Lord and should be a natural outflow of an inward attitude of our pure affection.

I Corinthians 12:12 The Body

Well I have survived. I made it through the surgery and even watched. I know I said that I was going to be completely out, however, they have some pretty amazing drugs that alter your confidence levels. God is an amazing engineer, even though I only saw the inside of my knee, I realize that everything has a propose, everything works together for a reason. I was amazed that they could take a ligament from another part of my leg and turn it into a new part for my knee. That’s an example of one part of the body replacing or helping another part of the body.

I Corinthians 12:12 says, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ."

As the body of Christ, we ought to be helping one another with their function in the body. Whether that is in the form of assisting, or encouraging, or funding, or praying for them. As the “Body” we need to consider how we effect and work with other parts of the body and recognize what a great God we serve.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Appreciated

I'm not one that likes to be fussed over. I prefer to be the one fussing and taking care of others, that's how I'm made up. I haven't even had my surgery yet and I have had many phone calls asking "How are you?" and "What can I do for you?" I know people care for me and it is nice to know that so many do, it's just hard to know that I will be a burden to those I love even for a day. I suppose that this is the way I have always been. I helped my parents take care of my brother David for most of my childhood, he had Muscular Dystrophy. Even though I would rather have been out playing most of those days, I know that it ingrained in me a concern and compassion for others. I also suppose that others have that ingrained in them as well. So as much as it makes me uncomfortable to have others do for me, I guess it does them good to do something that makes them feel good as well.

So to all of you who have called out of concern and offered meals and prayers, I say an honest Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Darkside Of The Unknown

WOW, look at this I'm posting, such an amazing thing.

It seems as though shortly,I will have plenty of time to do so. A little over a month ago I asserted myself in a game of touch football and ended up tearing my ACL and damaging my Meniscus. This Wednesday the 26th of September, I enter into unknown territory (aka the Dark Side), the operating room. There they will reconstruct my ACL and take out the damaged cartilage. I will be laid up for a short while, I say a "short while" in the most optimistic way possible.

As many of you know I weld by trade, and I have had the unfortunate opportunity to weld some of the equipment and implants they use in surgery. I have seen things that no man should see, things that should never be allowed to see the light of day. Things that should be outlawed in 50 states. I have told myself that after seeing such instruments of torture, that I would never go into surgery. It appears as though I have been mistaken. I will join the ranks of those able to set off a metal detector even when they walk through naked. I will succumb to the horrifying experience of staples, screws and foreign metal instruments entering my body, some to take up permanent residence. The only good thing is, I will be completely out, let me say that again COMPLETELY OUT. My ears will not be graced with the sound of the bone drill or screw drill. No sir, I will be sawing logs under mans best friend called IV sedation.

See you on the flip side.