Scripture Verses that Caught my Attention today: Ezekiel 29:2-3 Mortal, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:
I am against you,
Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great dragon sprawling
in the midst of its channels,
saying, “My Nile is my own;
I made it for myself.”
Observation: The king of Egypt had forgotten that he was just a human.
Application: The lessons these last few days seem to revolve, in part, around a false or over-rated sense of personal accomplishment and pride. The above lesson is a case-in-point. “My Nile is my own; I made it for myself” is about as brash as one can get.
I’m 50. This morning I ran 12 18-second sprints at around ¾ speed up and down our 1/3-mile lane. Not bad for my age. I’m very grateful to still be able to do things like that. But this is still not really MY body. It’s on loan to me and, although it is currently in pretty decent shape, it only takes one fall or slip or accident or even disease to change things in a hurry. I’m reminded of author Jim Collins telling of his wife being diagnosed with cancer even when she was in the height of her physical condition.
Rivers, bodies, money, relationships…they are all ours only in the form of loan.
Thankfully, should we ever happen to forget such basic principles, the Lord will almost assuredly offer a subtle or not-so-subtle reminder.
Prayer: Lord, help us to always see you, as an old version of the Apostles’ Creed puts it, as the “maker of heaven and earth.” In that way we can hopefully then see ourselves as simple stewards of what you have been so gracious as to provide. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings today included: Ezekiel 29-32 and Revelation 11)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Today's Workout
Warm-up followed by:
--Burpees
--Side Plank
--Burpees
--Side Plank (other side)
--Burpees
--Regular Plank
--Inverted Rows
--Outside-elbow Mountain-Climbers
--Inverted Rows
--Outside-elbow Mountain-Climbers
--Inverted Rows
--Cross-Body Mountain-Climbers
Done.
--Burpees
--Side Plank
--Burpees
--Side Plank (other side)
--Burpees
--Regular Plank
--Inverted Rows
--Outside-elbow Mountain-Climbers
--Inverted Rows
--Outside-elbow Mountain-Climbers
--Inverted Rows
--Cross-Body Mountain-Climbers
Done.
Pride Vs Thanksgiving
Scripture Verse that Caught My Attention Today: Ezekiel 28:5 By your great wisdom in trade
you have increased your wealth,
and your heart has become proud in your wealth.
Observation: The problem wasn’t really the wealth so much as the pride in the wealth. That makes it a false god.
Application: There is such a fine but important line between pride and simple thanksgiving. Pride in one’s own accomplishments tends to create division—self-perception of me vs them.
“I did this, whereas they were only able to do that…so there!”
This type of thinking, however subtly disguised, is most certainly natural but not particularly helpful. It’s definitely not loving and tends to reveal false securities as well. For example, would someone who has ‘accomplished’ whatever it is that he or she has accomplished suddenly think less of him or herself if it was all suddenly taken away?
Our mind plays tricks on us. The mind can convince us that we are better than we really are and it can also convince us that we are worse than we really are. Either extreme is a travesty.
Only in Christ can we see ourselves for who we really are—sinners who are nevertheless marked by the cross of Christ and claimed by this crucified and risen one to live our lives rooted in him…seeing our ultimate value in relation to what he has done for us and continues to do for us.
In such things there is no room for pride, though there is plenty of room for expressions of thanksgiving.
Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of our pride and claim our reasons for thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings today included: Ezekiel 25-28 and Revelation 10)
you have increased your wealth,
and your heart has become proud in your wealth.
Observation: The problem wasn’t really the wealth so much as the pride in the wealth. That makes it a false god.
Application: There is such a fine but important line between pride and simple thanksgiving. Pride in one’s own accomplishments tends to create division—self-perception of me vs them.
“I did this, whereas they were only able to do that…so there!”
This type of thinking, however subtly disguised, is most certainly natural but not particularly helpful. It’s definitely not loving and tends to reveal false securities as well. For example, would someone who has ‘accomplished’ whatever it is that he or she has accomplished suddenly think less of him or herself if it was all suddenly taken away?
Our mind plays tricks on us. The mind can convince us that we are better than we really are and it can also convince us that we are worse than we really are. Either extreme is a travesty.
Only in Christ can we see ourselves for who we really are—sinners who are nevertheless marked by the cross of Christ and claimed by this crucified and risen one to live our lives rooted in him…seeing our ultimate value in relation to what he has done for us and continues to do for us.
In such things there is no room for pride, though there is plenty of room for expressions of thanksgiving.
Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of our pride and claim our reasons for thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings today included: Ezekiel 25-28 and Revelation 10)
Moving Forward by Faith
(Forgot to post this yesterday. Sorry.)
Scripture Verse that caught my attention today: Ezekiel 24:18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
Observation: Sometimes the prophets suffered painful realities themselves.
Application: I know of at least two bishops who have gone through extremely difficult times with members of their respective family. One had a son who took his own life. Another had a son who was so challenging at home that his parents had no choice but to entrust him to the courts.
Those must have been extremely challenging times for these bishops. Many other bishops and pastors have worked their way through similar experiences. The same of course is true for a great many laypersons who have their own stories to share.
I’m not necessarily equating prophets and bishops and pastors together, but the fact remains that Christian leadership brings its own challenges, sometimes especially close to home. While I certainly hope and pray that I won’t have to go through the same kind of experiences as some of my esteemed colleagues, if I do go through those types of experiences, I pray that I will, like them, receive just enough grace to help me through such a profound time of need.
Prayer: Lord, you say that your grace is sufficient. That’s what we’re all counting on. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings included: Ezekiel 22-24 and Revelation 9)
Scripture Verse that caught my attention today: Ezekiel 24:18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
Observation: Sometimes the prophets suffered painful realities themselves.
Application: I know of at least two bishops who have gone through extremely difficult times with members of their respective family. One had a son who took his own life. Another had a son who was so challenging at home that his parents had no choice but to entrust him to the courts.
Those must have been extremely challenging times for these bishops. Many other bishops and pastors have worked their way through similar experiences. The same of course is true for a great many laypersons who have their own stories to share.
I’m not necessarily equating prophets and bishops and pastors together, but the fact remains that Christian leadership brings its own challenges, sometimes especially close to home. While I certainly hope and pray that I won’t have to go through the same kind of experiences as some of my esteemed colleagues, if I do go through those types of experiences, I pray that I will, like them, receive just enough grace to help me through such a profound time of need.
Prayer: Lord, you say that your grace is sufficient. That’s what we’re all counting on. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings included: Ezekiel 22-24 and Revelation 9)
Monday, September 3, 2012
Thanksgiving
Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: Psalm 111:1 Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Observation: Thanksgiving is a good way to start the day.
Application: Recently I’ve begun a practice of journaling down three things I’m thankful for near the beginning of the day, usually right after devotions. The thanksgivings that come to mind are for things big and small. Sometimes I think being thankful for little things is best. Simple pleasures or things that bring a smile to one’s face serve as gentle reminders that we are not our own but were bought with a price. Thanksgiving need not be limited to a holiday in November.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be thankful. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings today included: Ezekiel 20-21, Psalm 111, and Revelation 8)
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Observation: Thanksgiving is a good way to start the day.
Application: Recently I’ve begun a practice of journaling down three things I’m thankful for near the beginning of the day, usually right after devotions. The thanksgivings that come to mind are for things big and small. Sometimes I think being thankful for little things is best. Simple pleasures or things that bring a smile to one’s face serve as gentle reminders that we are not our own but were bought with a price. Thanksgiving need not be limited to a holiday in November.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be thankful. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings today included: Ezekiel 20-21, Psalm 111, and Revelation 8)
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Stepping up to Fitness
This morning's workout took advantage of the local football stadium. I simply ran up the stairs (raising knees up moderately high) for 18 seconds and then down the stairs for 27 seconds. I repeated that process 12 times for a 9-minute workout.
The Word of the Lord?
Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: Ezekiel 15:1 The word of the LORD came to me:
Observation: This phrase is both audacious and common in Ezekiel. The phrase occurs 62 times in the Bible and the vast majority of them are in Ezekiel (49 occurrences) and Jeremiah (10).
Application: True, I’m a preacher, but I still wonder how one can say with assurance, “the word of the Lord came to me.” However, in some ways it is less audacious than the 428 occurrences of it’s cousin phrase “thus says the Lord.” The latter is present tense, whereas the former is in the past tense.
There have perhaps been times when I have looked back over something I’ve said and felt that perhaps what I had spoken (often without even realizing it at the time) was the word of the Lord. So I guess it does seem feasible to look back and consider various things spoken that seemed to have a special godliness to them. In that sense I guess I can perhaps relate to Ezekiel.
The harder thing to imagine is knowing in the moment that the word of the Lord is before us. How does one know that such things are a word of the Lord and not just the wishful thinking of the speaker?
I have no real answers to that question this morning other than the profound belief that through faith God does use us to convey sacred truth.
Crazy, I know…on what basis can I or anyone else possibly make such a claim?
I don’t know.
But there have been times when people have indicated to me in one way or another that the sacred truth of God has been shared. For some reason I believe them.
Prayer: Dear God, as the opening lines of a hymn put is, “Lord speak to us that we may speak.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(readings today included: Ezekiel 15-16, Psalm 70, and Revelation 6)
Observation: This phrase is both audacious and common in Ezekiel. The phrase occurs 62 times in the Bible and the vast majority of them are in Ezekiel (49 occurrences) and Jeremiah (10).
Application: True, I’m a preacher, but I still wonder how one can say with assurance, “the word of the Lord came to me.” However, in some ways it is less audacious than the 428 occurrences of it’s cousin phrase “thus says the Lord.” The latter is present tense, whereas the former is in the past tense.
There have perhaps been times when I have looked back over something I’ve said and felt that perhaps what I had spoken (often without even realizing it at the time) was the word of the Lord. So I guess it does seem feasible to look back and consider various things spoken that seemed to have a special godliness to them. In that sense I guess I can perhaps relate to Ezekiel.
The harder thing to imagine is knowing in the moment that the word of the Lord is before us. How does one know that such things are a word of the Lord and not just the wishful thinking of the speaker?
I have no real answers to that question this morning other than the profound belief that through faith God does use us to convey sacred truth.
Crazy, I know…on what basis can I or anyone else possibly make such a claim?
I don’t know.
But there have been times when people have indicated to me in one way or another that the sacred truth of God has been shared. For some reason I believe them.
Prayer: Dear God, as the opening lines of a hymn put is, “Lord speak to us that we may speak.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(readings today included: Ezekiel 15-16, Psalm 70, and Revelation 6)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
