How Committed Are You?

A chicken and a pig went for a walk around the farm. As they passed the farmer’s window, they noticed a wonderful breakfast prepared for the farmer and his wife on the breakfast table. As they peeked closer, they noticed bacon and eggs on the plates.

The pig and chicken were silent for a moment as they took in the impact of what they saw. Finally, looking at the eggs, proud of her contribution, the chicken said, "now that was a sacrifice!" The pig looked at the bacon on the plate, turned to the chicken and said, "Yes, for you it is a sacrifice. But for us it is total commitment!"

Good point, Pig, good point! While the chickens are involved, the pigs are committed totally.

So what are you, when it comes to following Christ, a pig or a chicken?

Have a great weekend, move past being involved, and go to church for Heaven’s sake!

What's in a Name?

I always find baby names interesting. Some parents should be locked up for what they name their kids! I saw a website the other day that had a list of the most unusual names. Wow!

Five people named their kids Tequila. Do you think they were drinking? A dozen named their precious one Juvenal (yes, it is misspelled, but does it matter?). I wonder what the middle name is? Delinquent?

Notorious is growing up in various parts of the country. Wonder what he (or is it she?) is going to do to live up to his/her name?

God names and renames people through his-story. If you have committed your life to Christ, then he has renamed you. He looks past what your parents called you, reaching a level of love and intimacy to where you are now "Son" or "Daughter." And he puts "beloved" in front of that.

Let that sink in. You are a beloved son or daughter of the Almighty God, the maker of heaven and earth. He loves you more than you know. He is for you and not against you.

Ps 103:13 — As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

Today I am going to work on living up to the name I have received from the creator of this world.

Trapped by Holding On

Think Along 101

Trapped by Holding On

In Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, he talks about simple monkey traps used by indigenous people in various parts of the world.

To make the trap, you hollow out a gourd, leaving an opening just large enough for a monkey to get his open hand through. Once the gourd is securely chained to a tree, you place inside it some nuts or rice—something the monkey desires to eat.

The monkey reaches into the gourd to grab the food, but his fist full of food is too large to pull out of the hole. He’s trapped! He pulls and yanks in vain. He will not let go. Even when the hunters arrived to check the trap, he will not let go. His life ends because he will not let go.

Before you judge the monkey’s stupidity, stop and think about all the stuff that we hold onto that is destructive. How much misery do we create simply because we will not let go?

There is power available in Jesus to let go. Sweet freedom awaits!

Romans 6:22

Now that you have been set free from sin. . ., the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

What do you need to let go?

Psalm 100

 
Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.


Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

The Wilderness

As soon as Jesus is baptized, he is led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. The wilderness was hostile territory, a lonely place fraught with danger.

Why was he led there? To be tested, strengthened, and to get ready to serve as the Messiah. What has that to do with us? A lot, I think.

The Bible speaks a lot about testing, temptations, and trials. These things come to develop us, to mature us, to help us become better servants of others. God is interested in your difficulties and problems, but I think he is more interested in what you become as a result of them.

James says this in the first few words of his letter.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Here we go Monday! Here we go New Week! Allow the trials of the week to draw you closer to the One who loves you more than you know.

Be a Lover

Joe walks into a post office one day and sees a middle-aged, balding man standing at the counter methodically placing "Love" stamps on bright pink envelopes with hearts all over them. The man then takes out a perfume bottle and sprays scent all over them.

Joe’s curiosity gets the better of him, so he goes up to the man and asks him what he is doing. The man says, "I'm sending out 1,000 I Love You cards signed, ‘Guess who?’"

Joe probes further, "Why?"

The man explains, "I'm a divorce lawyer."

So that’s kinda funny!

There is a serious thing to think about though, and it comes from Proverbs 6:19. There are some things that God hates, including, "a person who stirs up conflict in the community."

Be a lover, a peacemaker, and attend church this weekend for Heaven’s sake!

Imagining God

Voltaire said, "God created man in His image, and man has forever been trying to return the favor."

Anne Lamott says, "You can safely assume that you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."

There’s a lot to consider in both of those quotes! The point is that we do tend think that God thinks like us. Right?

That’s why it’s crucial to think and communicate in a community where Scripture has authority, where diversity is present, and where people are striving lovingly to come to honest views about life.

We may not always agree but we never need to hate.

By the way, I don’t think God hates FAQS - frequently asked questions!