Fire
The fires in the Los Angeles area are really getting out of hand. So glad that the wind is not too bad. Julie works in La Canada which was threatened but seems to be OK now.
Great Free Software
I came across a great company that has great software, all with free version for both Mac and Windows. It's called NCH Software. Terrible name but great software. Check it out at http://www.nchsoftware.com/software/thanks.html?software=Scribe&version=4.30
God is Always Working
Why does it surprise us when it becomes so evident that God is working? God spoke to me today a few times through the lives of people at church.
There was a young couple visiting for the first time. They had recently moved to downtown LA. They visited with a church in Orange County and someone there said they should come a visit with us. They did and they said they liked it. They were young adults and one of them works at Warners Bros. I didn't know anything about them before today but God did. He was working. God was saying to me, "Just because you didn't see me working doesn't mean I am not at work. Walk by faith."
That was just one of the stories that came to life for me today. There was another that was too amazing to even tell right now. I hope I can tell it one day.
There was a young couple visiting for the first time. They had recently moved to downtown LA. They visited with a church in Orange County and someone there said they should come a visit with us. They did and they said they liked it. They were young adults and one of them works at Warners Bros. I didn't know anything about them before today but God did. He was working. God was saying to me, "Just because you didn't see me working doesn't mean I am not at work. Walk by faith."
That was just one of the stories that came to life for me today. There was another that was too amazing to even tell right now. I hope I can tell it one day.
You Got Questions? God’s Got Questions.
Something goes wrong. You lose your job. Your income drops. A close friend learns they have cancer. The things that can go wrong form a pretty long list, don’t they?
When the hard edge of life hits you, you are immediately shocked out of your peace (or complacency) and you cry out in pain. For Christians this pain is doubled. We thought God was Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. We knew the Hebrew word and everything and still its seems like God’s provision for us has dried up.
We start to question God. That’s a nice way of putting it. Sometimes we start to get angry at God, feel sorry for ourselves and question our faith in one pathetic rant after another.
I know you have questions about God. I’ve got them as well. However, in your disappointment with God’s performance, God has some questions for you. I love these questions. They bring me back to where I really am, rather than that pretend place where I thought I was (often called the “You expected God to do what?” land). God is not going to hold back with these questions. He will confront you with the truth and it may hurt. Are you ready? Brace yourselves.
“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” Job 38:3, 4. Where were you when God created the universe? That’s right. You weren’t anywhere. You weren’t even a thought in any human heart. You have come late to this party and you need to understand that one who created the party knows a whole lot more about that you do.
“Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?” Job 38:5. Who did that? Who created the seas? Who gave orders to the sun and it obeyed? That’s right. God did. And what can you do? That’s right. Not much. God is not holding back. He isn’t being nasty. He is just trying to give you some perspective on your situation. You asked questions. If you can question God, certainly He can question you. And His questions haven’t finished.
“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?” Job 39:1, 2. What do you really know about your environment? Maybe a little if you watch the Discovery Channel. But do you care for the doe as she goes through her pregnancy? No, you don’t. Because you can’t. God can and he does. He even knows the number of hairs on your head and you question His concern for you.
“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings towards the south?” Job 39:26. Come on, you are pretty smart. Does your intelligence (or that of all people) give rise to something as spectacular as a hawk in flight? No you can’t. God can and does it a million times a day with the millions of creatures He created.
God has one final question for you. “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”” Job 40:2. Now that you have seen who you are questioning, do you still presume to correct Him? I love the answer of one who had suffered so much pain and loss.
“I am unworthy--how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer--twice, but I will say no more.”” Job 40:4, 5, NIV.
God is in control. Even, when it looks like He isn’t, know that He is. That’s what faith is. Believing in the invisible and the unbelievable.
Your suffering is not an insignificant thing to God. He loves you more than you will ever know. Don’t turn from Him just when you are about to learn the next and most important lesson in your journey with Him.
When the hard edge of life hits you, you are immediately shocked out of your peace (or complacency) and you cry out in pain. For Christians this pain is doubled. We thought God was Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. We knew the Hebrew word and everything and still its seems like God’s provision for us has dried up.
We start to question God. That’s a nice way of putting it. Sometimes we start to get angry at God, feel sorry for ourselves and question our faith in one pathetic rant after another.
I know you have questions about God. I’ve got them as well. However, in your disappointment with God’s performance, God has some questions for you. I love these questions. They bring me back to where I really am, rather than that pretend place where I thought I was (often called the “You expected God to do what?” land). God is not going to hold back with these questions. He will confront you with the truth and it may hurt. Are you ready? Brace yourselves.
“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” Job 38:3, 4. Where were you when God created the universe? That’s right. You weren’t anywhere. You weren’t even a thought in any human heart. You have come late to this party and you need to understand that one who created the party knows a whole lot more about that you do.
“Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?” Job 38:5. Who did that? Who created the seas? Who gave orders to the sun and it obeyed? That’s right. God did. And what can you do? That’s right. Not much. God is not holding back. He isn’t being nasty. He is just trying to give you some perspective on your situation. You asked questions. If you can question God, certainly He can question you. And His questions haven’t finished.
“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?” Job 39:1, 2. What do you really know about your environment? Maybe a little if you watch the Discovery Channel. But do you care for the doe as she goes through her pregnancy? No, you don’t. Because you can’t. God can and he does. He even knows the number of hairs on your head and you question His concern for you.
“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings towards the south?” Job 39:26. Come on, you are pretty smart. Does your intelligence (or that of all people) give rise to something as spectacular as a hawk in flight? No you can’t. God can and does it a million times a day with the millions of creatures He created.
God has one final question for you. “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”” Job 40:2. Now that you have seen who you are questioning, do you still presume to correct Him? I love the answer of one who had suffered so much pain and loss.
“I am unworthy--how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer--twice, but I will say no more.”” Job 40:4, 5, NIV.
God is in control. Even, when it looks like He isn’t, know that He is. That’s what faith is. Believing in the invisible and the unbelievable.
Your suffering is not an insignificant thing to God. He loves you more than you will ever know. Don’t turn from Him just when you are about to learn the next and most important lesson in your journey with Him.
I'm Back
I'm back to blogging. Facebook doesn't give me enough therapy or enough space. Either I'm too crazy or too verbose or both.
Check out my church's website. It is great, the church and the website. http://www.glendalechurchofchrist.org
You can still find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/glittle1
I am working on a few projects at the during the hazy days of summer
1. Website designed to help people learn how to preach the message of Jesus
2. A small book on the God of All Comfort.
3. Eating right!
Can only do it with His strenght
Check out my church's website. It is great, the church and the website. http://www.glendalechurchofchrist.org
You can still find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/glittle1
I am working on a few projects at the during the hazy days of summer
1. Website designed to help people learn how to preach the message of Jesus
2. A small book on the God of All Comfort.
3. Eating right!
Can only do it with His strenght
No More Blog
I have decided to stop blogging. It has been good therapy for me but I find Facebook more helpful to my mental health and so I will be using it from now on.
What Brand of Jesus Do You Prefer?
Every product we buy has so many brands. You get a lot of choice. Walk down the store aisle and choose your favorite brand. Order a salad at a restaurant or a sandwich and what do you get? At least 5 choices of dressing and bread.
We make a serious mistake when we deal with Christianity that way. Being a Christian is simply about following Jesus. It starts with his love for us, his sacrifice for us and our faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8). The rest of our lives then should be a walk with Him and with others who share faith in Him.
Yet, it seems that most generations before this one have turned this life with Jesus into a brand. And not just one brand called Jesus. But a multiplicity of brands centered around ideas, people and preferences. And even though this generations show a strong rejection of Christians brands it would not surprise me if they fell into the same trap previous generations have.
Even the term, Christian, has been turned into a brand that has come to have a fairly specific political, doctrinal and social meaning that appears to be at odds with Jesus, Himself. We used to think of America as a Christian nation. This week’s Newsweek magazine questions whether that branding of America is still valid. My question is, “Was it ever a Christian nation?”. Only people can be Christians. I wish whole nations could become Christian but none ever have. You can’t baptize a nation. Jesus never asked us to. He told us to preach the gospel to people and baptize people. God’s vision is for all nations to flow into His kingdom (Isaiah 2:2).
You don’t have to pick a brand of Christianity. Jesus wants you to pick Him, not a brand (Matthew 11:28-30). He wants you to be a follower of Him not a supporter of a religious tradition. Christ’s church is simply a bunch of followers of Jesus who God has linked by the cross. It isn’t a brand. It does not supersede our relationship with God through Christ. It does not intercede for us with God. The followers of Jesus are the church.
Christianity isn’t a political, nationalistic, evolutionary movement. It is a movement in people’s hearts. Our choice of Jesus only transcends all political ideology (no matter how “Christian” it sounds, all national boundaries and all cultural evolutions. Being a follower of Jesus involves connecting with the heart and will of God.
You don’t have to choose which brand of Jesus you want. There is only one Jesus (John 3:16) and He is the one who does the choosing. And He chooses you and waits for you to accept that choice.
George
We make a serious mistake when we deal with Christianity that way. Being a Christian is simply about following Jesus. It starts with his love for us, his sacrifice for us and our faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8). The rest of our lives then should be a walk with Him and with others who share faith in Him.
Yet, it seems that most generations before this one have turned this life with Jesus into a brand. And not just one brand called Jesus. But a multiplicity of brands centered around ideas, people and preferences. And even though this generations show a strong rejection of Christians brands it would not surprise me if they fell into the same trap previous generations have.
Even the term, Christian, has been turned into a brand that has come to have a fairly specific political, doctrinal and social meaning that appears to be at odds with Jesus, Himself. We used to think of America as a Christian nation. This week’s Newsweek magazine questions whether that branding of America is still valid. My question is, “Was it ever a Christian nation?”. Only people can be Christians. I wish whole nations could become Christian but none ever have. You can’t baptize a nation. Jesus never asked us to. He told us to preach the gospel to people and baptize people. God’s vision is for all nations to flow into His kingdom (Isaiah 2:2).
You don’t have to pick a brand of Christianity. Jesus wants you to pick Him, not a brand (Matthew 11:28-30). He wants you to be a follower of Him not a supporter of a religious tradition. Christ’s church is simply a bunch of followers of Jesus who God has linked by the cross. It isn’t a brand. It does not supersede our relationship with God through Christ. It does not intercede for us with God. The followers of Jesus are the church.
Christianity isn’t a political, nationalistic, evolutionary movement. It is a movement in people’s hearts. Our choice of Jesus only transcends all political ideology (no matter how “Christian” it sounds, all national boundaries and all cultural evolutions. Being a follower of Jesus involves connecting with the heart and will of God.
You don’t have to choose which brand of Jesus you want. There is only one Jesus (John 3:16) and He is the one who does the choosing. And He chooses you and waits for you to accept that choice.
George
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