How Great I Art?

" But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great." And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic." (Acts 8:9-11, ESV)

Simon was a man after my own heart. It is so easy to get caught up in this world trying to impress people, trying to show the world how great I am. The world is about personal success. The American Dream is about achieving fame and fortune on your own.

I want people to like me. I want people to see how gifted I am. But the reality is my real purpose is to show people how great God is, and how he has gifted all of us to glorify Him. It is easy to get in the way of that purpose.

Lord, Help me to move out of the way. Let your Glory fall on you alone. May my days and nights be spent on giving you the glory and thanking you for your blessings. Lord, I deserve only death, but through your gracious gift I receive life eternal. Let any Glory that comes my way be deflected to you. Let any greatness that comes my way be only a gift from you. May all see you in my life no matter the circumstances.

How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God,When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars,I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout The universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

The Apostle Peter and the Masters

"And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all." (Acts 3:12-16, ESV)

Yesterday, as we had family and friends over for Easter dinner, we watch the Masters golf tournament. The room, like most rooms in America, was rooting for Tiger, or perhaps just expecting Tiger to win. But the opposite happened. Zach Johnson, a guy that nobody knew, and had won only 1 tournament before, outplayed the field and even the mighty Tiger Woods.

We were all stunned by his performance, expecting him to fade like everyone else had. We expected him to crumble under the pressure. Then we watch him interviewed after completing the last 18 holes and as he watched Tiger come after his score. Teary eyed, he kept mentioning how Jesus helped him through this day. He kept thanking and praising Jesus. We hadn't won the tournament yet, but he still was emotionally overwhelmed with praise and thanks for Jesus.

The room turned from rooting for Tiger to rooting for this humble Zach Johnson. Then it remember me of Peter, who had just healed the cripple beggar, didn't take any of the glory or credit, but gave the rightfuly glory to his Lord.

Lord, help me to remember to give you the glory. Help me to be a witness and to be bold in the works that you do through me.

Unity in What?

" For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."" (2 Peter 1:16-17, NRSV)

What has authority in our life? That is really the question in this postmodern world? Personal experiences are the sole basis for authority in this world. Stories and history are rewritten to accomadate personal experiences and truth. Facts and logic are sidelined as interested but not authoratativie.

The church has gone down this words as well, particularly the PC(USA), long ago we compromised the authority of the Word of God, for the experiences and interpretations of man. In increasing fashion we are experiencing the the outcome of such a decision.

We talk about Unity in our denomination, but what are we unifed about? People say Jesus, but that isn't true, because we debate about who Jesus is and how we know him. We are not unified in our view scripture? So I ask the quest, "What are we unified in?"

Who is it for?

"Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: Say to all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink only for yourselves?" (Zechariah 7:4-6, NRSV)


What a great question. How easily I forget that everything is done for the Lord--even eating and drinking. I think food and taste is their for my pleasure only, but really it is to glorify God. I don't just eat to nourish my body, but I eat to nourish my body so I may glorify the Lord by doing what he has commanded me to do. Even the manner in which I eat should glorify him. Everything is for him--even eating and drinking. It is hard to give up control.

Ornaments on God's Tree

Christmas is a time for christmas trees and traditionaly ornaments. Each family has their own special ornaments. My special ornament is the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. My grammy made it for me when I was a small child. It is getting delicate now- but it still goes on our tree despite my wife's protest. It has always been the first ornament that goes on the tree and it goes dead center so everyone can see the beauty of the tin man--he's shiny!

"Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to talk back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:6-13, NRSV)

Our action, our behaviors are to be an ornament to the doctrine--the truth of Jesus in this world. We are to be shiny ornaments--like the Tin Man--hanging on God's tree to reflect his glory.

Lord this season help me to shine like the Tin Man and may God's glory reveal himself through me so that people may know the blessed hope of Jesus Christ. Let me be a ornament on God's tree.

The Grace of Slowness

"The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9, NRSV)

In times of pain it is easy to call upon the Lord. It is easy to ask him to deliver us from this world. We wait anxiously for his return, particularly in advent. However, the Lord's seemingly slowness is really just grace--because he does not want any to perish. He wants all to have a chance to repent and know him.

Lord, may I learn to be slow to anger, to slow grace to the world.

And God Spoke These Words: Fifth Commandment

"Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12, NRSV)

The previous commands are concern with Honoring God. This commandment shifts away from God to honoring parents. Although the implication is that by honoring your parents you honor God. The literally and understood meaning is not hat you obey everything that you parents tell you to do--because surely they are fallen just as everybody is. However, you honor them in their old age (you take care of them).

Parents have the awesome responsiblity of representing God to their children. Parents have the responsible to teach and disciple their children in the faith. Children are then given the responsiblity to take care of, honor their parents, when their parents retire, or in their old age. What does that look like in our society? Does that mean shipping parents off to nursing homes? Does that mean providing for their care? What does in mean to take care of--to honor them? One of the questions people fail to answer when their consider what to do with their parents when the get older and need to be taken care of is to ask the question is--do I want to be treated the same way when I get old that I am treating or caring for my parents?

Then there is a promise--a promise of long life. However the promise is not an individual promise of long life--but a corporate promise of residing in God's promised land for a long time. If we as a community honor our parents, God will continue to provide mercy on our community. We get to keep receiving God's gracious gifts. The question is what is God's gracious gift? Mainly mercy and grace! (not material!)