“How do you praise and worship God when death is in the house?” Brian asked. This wasn’t a toss-it-out-on-the-table question. This was reality in Brian’s life.
After two miscarriages, his wife was pregnant again. At eighteen weeks, tests at the doctor’s office showed no heart beat, no signs of life. Brian said, “I don’t care what the world says about what’s in the womb, it’s a baby!” Miscarriage equals death of a precious helpless baby. Brian prayed fervently that God would spare their child.
So how do you praise and worship God when death is in the house?
It’s easy to think of praise as an exuberant style of Christian music and worship as an hour and fifteen minute Sunday pit stop with God.
Here’s the quick lesson. The essence of worship is living a God-honoring lifestyle. And praise? The Bible says, “Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, which is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to God.”
Then praise is speaking out thanks to God in all situations. Does this mean Brian should thank God for the heart rending doctor’s report? No, but he did chose to thank God that He would be with his family no matter what happened. And he chose to thank God for His tangible blessings—salvation, a good church, answered prayers and His faithfulness.
How do you praise and worship God when death is in the house? A decision must be made: I will thank God. I will live a God-honoring life.
Brian decided to have good fruit on his lips. He even praised God when a few days later he felt compelled to seek additional medical advice. This time they found the baby’s heartbeat and within a couple of days the pregnancy returned to normal.
5/27/06
5/20/06
I THOUGHT I WAS A BUM
“Jesus must like this store,” Harvey said. Looking around he could see people enjoying their shopping experience. The printed material at the store said: “Our Mission Statement: To demonstrate the love of Jesus by providing free clothing, Bibles, books, toys, and small household items to people in need. To provide these in an uplifting, clean, Christian store-like setting.”
The place is called The Free Store. Harvey’s eyes-of-Jesus observation is almost definitely right.
Harvey just wandered in to shop one day; now today he’s helping by hanging up used clothes. The lady who runs the store asked him about his statement. “You help bums,” Harvey replied.
The Free Store lady quickly assured him, “I don’t call the people bums.” Yet, she had misunderstood Harvey’s point. He’s only ten years old: “I thought I was a bum.”
So how did Harvey come to the conclusion that he was a bum? He wasn’t born thinking he was a bum. Did you tell him?
With Harvey’s many quirks, its pretty ease to imagine him at least as a miniature bum. Almost what the Bible categorizes as lowly. Lowly: Humble, meek; of or related to a low social or economical rank. The Bible says: “Though the LORD God is high, yet He gives respect, regard and attention to the lowly.”
It is too easy for me to mentally rank people on the “lowly scale” when I see them. Have I every non-verbally conveyed to anyone, child or adult, the message that they are bums? Have you? When we do this, we are in danger of entering into another category—“the proud.”
The Bible verse above continues; “but the proud, God knows afar off.” God help me; I don’t want to be far from you. God, I want to be close to you—like Harvey.
The place is called The Free Store. Harvey’s eyes-of-Jesus observation is almost definitely right.
Harvey just wandered in to shop one day; now today he’s helping by hanging up used clothes. The lady who runs the store asked him about his statement. “You help bums,” Harvey replied.
The Free Store lady quickly assured him, “I don’t call the people bums.” Yet, she had misunderstood Harvey’s point. He’s only ten years old: “I thought I was a bum.”
So how did Harvey come to the conclusion that he was a bum? He wasn’t born thinking he was a bum. Did you tell him?
With Harvey’s many quirks, its pretty ease to imagine him at least as a miniature bum. Almost what the Bible categorizes as lowly. Lowly: Humble, meek; of or related to a low social or economical rank. The Bible says: “Though the LORD God is high, yet He gives respect, regard and attention to the lowly.”
It is too easy for me to mentally rank people on the “lowly scale” when I see them. Have I every non-verbally conveyed to anyone, child or adult, the message that they are bums? Have you? When we do this, we are in danger of entering into another category—“the proud.”
The Bible verse above continues; “but the proud, God knows afar off.” God help me; I don’t want to be far from you. God, I want to be close to you—like Harvey.
5/13/06
WE KILL PEOPLE
“So what are you doing this morning?” I asked my twelve year old cousin Timmy while talking on the phone. “We’re playing video games.”
I asked him which game he was playing. Being out of the video game loop, I couldn’t connect when he told me its title. “So is that the one where you race cars?” Timmy replied, “No, we kill people.”
“We kill people”--his words seemed so casual to him. Yet I couldn’t help verbally reacting with disapproval. Now I don’t know exactly what Jesus would think of Timmy’s video game. Of course I’m thinking He would find it offensive. I couldn’t imagine Jesus playing it.
Here is one reference Jesus made about killing, "Do not fear those who kill the body.”
Does this make sense?
From a challenging-to-perceive perspective, we must realize that Jesus considers physical death more of a life transition rather than an end. He went on to say: “but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body . . .” And big picture wise, Jesus was talking specifically about a person giving up their actual life for the cause of the Christian faith, being a martyr.
Jesus, this is blunt.
Die for my faith? With no fear? O.K. give me a minute; let me put my going-to-church-smile on: “Yes, I can die for my faith in you Jesus.” I can give up my life.
Almost too easy to say. Here’s my life, but I know I’ve guarded my wallet valiantly. I don’t mind dieing; just don’t kill my personal time—I’ve got things to do. My life is Yours, as long as my public image stays intact.
“It’s pretend,” Timmy assured me when I questioned him about killing people.
God, please don’t let my relationship with Jesus be pretend.
I asked him which game he was playing. Being out of the video game loop, I couldn’t connect when he told me its title. “So is that the one where you race cars?” Timmy replied, “No, we kill people.”
“We kill people”--his words seemed so casual to him. Yet I couldn’t help verbally reacting with disapproval. Now I don’t know exactly what Jesus would think of Timmy’s video game. Of course I’m thinking He would find it offensive. I couldn’t imagine Jesus playing it.
Here is one reference Jesus made about killing, "Do not fear those who kill the body.”
Does this make sense?
From a challenging-to-perceive perspective, we must realize that Jesus considers physical death more of a life transition rather than an end. He went on to say: “but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body . . .” And big picture wise, Jesus was talking specifically about a person giving up their actual life for the cause of the Christian faith, being a martyr.
Jesus, this is blunt.
Die for my faith? With no fear? O.K. give me a minute; let me put my going-to-church-smile on: “Yes, I can die for my faith in you Jesus.” I can give up my life.
Almost too easy to say. Here’s my life, but I know I’ve guarded my wallet valiantly. I don’t mind dieing; just don’t kill my personal time—I’ve got things to do. My life is Yours, as long as my public image stays intact.
“It’s pretend,” Timmy assured me when I questioned him about killing people.
God, please don’t let my relationship with Jesus be pretend.
5/6/06
JUNK OR JEWEL?
There it was in the Autotrader. “1994 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon” with 66,061 miles and a price of $4400. Could this be the vehicle God was leading us to?
My wife Nancy and I made the 102 mile trek, praying once more for God’s guidance just before we pulled into the used car lot: “God, don’t let us do anything stupid.”
Before we even drove the Roadmaster my wife said with quiet disgust: “It has rust.” And I’m thinking, “This thing is cool.” I was envisioning this cavernous land cruiser hauling a bunch of kids. Sure it was beat up; but then they couldn’t hurt it. Plus the price, the low-mileage.
After a brief test ride it was time for the private husband-wife conference. Nancy noticed rust, sagging headliner, loose fog light, cracked windshield and what is that smell? I was listening as I thought: “God, this is the car, isn’t it?”
Nancy summed up her view: “This is the ugliest car I’ve ever seen.” And to me I saw its funky, functional character plus the engine ran strong. I loved the Roadmaster.
Decision time-- Roadmaster junk or jewel? We faced the same question the man who allowed Jesus to die on a cross asked: “What is truth?”
Jesus are You who You claim to be or are you a liar? Jesus can’t be both a criminal deserving death and the Savior of the world at the same time. Junk or jewel?
Truth seeking led us to thumbs down on the Roadmaster. Hey there’s always another used car. There’s only one Jesus. And He said, “I am the way . . .” He continues: “. . . the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me.”
So is Jesus junk or jewel in your life?
My wife Nancy and I made the 102 mile trek, praying once more for God’s guidance just before we pulled into the used car lot: “God, don’t let us do anything stupid.”
Before we even drove the Roadmaster my wife said with quiet disgust: “It has rust.” And I’m thinking, “This thing is cool.” I was envisioning this cavernous land cruiser hauling a bunch of kids. Sure it was beat up; but then they couldn’t hurt it. Plus the price, the low-mileage.
After a brief test ride it was time for the private husband-wife conference. Nancy noticed rust, sagging headliner, loose fog light, cracked windshield and what is that smell? I was listening as I thought: “God, this is the car, isn’t it?”
Nancy summed up her view: “This is the ugliest car I’ve ever seen.” And to me I saw its funky, functional character plus the engine ran strong. I loved the Roadmaster.
Decision time-- Roadmaster junk or jewel? We faced the same question the man who allowed Jesus to die on a cross asked: “What is truth?”
Jesus are You who You claim to be or are you a liar? Jesus can’t be both a criminal deserving death and the Savior of the world at the same time. Junk or jewel?
Truth seeking led us to thumbs down on the Roadmaster. Hey there’s always another used car. There’s only one Jesus. And He said, “I am the way . . .” He continues: “. . . the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me.”
So is Jesus junk or jewel in your life?
5/3/06
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