Day of Praise

Tu, 03/31/15, Tuesday of Holy Week, "Day of Praise"

"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Do you ever feel like you're constantly pushing the rock uphill?

It doesn't need to be that way. 

I can count a number of people off the top of my head who I know are reading this and who are loving life because they're in a season of learning to let go and let the Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting in life. It's as if the rock is rolling down hill. 

It's not about laziness or a bad work ethic. To the contrary, what God tells us in today's verse through Paul is that a relationship with God through Jesus creates more effective, efficient, fruitful, and (dare I say it?) even joyful work.

Read the verse again for yourself, and you'll see it plainly says:
-- faith in our Lord Jesus Christ produces work, 
-- love in our Lord Jesus Christ prompts labor, and 
-- hope in our Lord Jesus Christ inspires endurance. 

So, let's see if we've got this straight. If we just pour out our hearts with faith in Jesus, love in Jesus, and hope in Jesus, then work, labor, and endurance get easier? Yep. That's what it says. 

Now, some of you are going to say, "I don't see it. They call it work because it's work." Well, I would say to you that I understand. And I also will pray for you as you keep rolling your rock uphill.

But the vast majority of you are going to say, "I didn't know that God makes those kinds of promises." And you're going to hold God to His promise because God is not a liar. And you're going to see how work, labor, and endurance get easier when God greases the gears of life by his own working of faith, love, and hope in Jesus Christ in our hearts. 

And it's as if, well, it's as if the rock and the hill just disappear. 

That's the power of the promises of our God!

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Mo, 03/30/15, Monday of Holy Week, "Day of Praise"

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.'" - Acts 17:22-23

When I was in seminary in Philadelphia, PA, I was blessed every night to have a classmate, named Mary Gabler, who led a beautiful little service of prayer and chanting, called Compline. It didn't hurt that Mary had performed on Broadway and sang like someone famous. But what made the service special was a collective hunger for God that was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. 

Whether it was four people or twenty-four people gathered around that single, brightly-burning candle, you could feel God fill the silence and the space of that cavernous church with his unquestionable presence. It wasn't hocus pocus. What it was is that it was late. We were all tired, bone tired, from serving and studying and working three jobs to make ends meet (even with the dirt-cheap white-labeled government food from the food bank that was started by my forty-one year old classmate, Jack Farwig, and his wife, Mary Beth, who needed to feed their five kids.)

Yes, we were all tired and ready for bed, but not so tired to keep many of us from walking to the far end of campus for twenty-five minutes of heaven. 

The leader began by chanting scripture, "Hear my prayer, O Lord." And we chanted the scripture in reply, "Listen to my cry." Then the leader chanted, "Keep me as the apple of your eye." Then we'd reply as one, "Hide me in the shadow of your wings."

Thus began the last words, God's words, that most of us heard audibly each night before the blaring alarm would call us to a new day just a few short hours later.

Now, twenty-five-plus years later, a few times a year, mostly at the beginning of Holy Week before Easter, like tonight, tomorrow night, and Wednesday night, we share that little, slice-of-Heaven, prayer service at our church here in Birmingham.

I tell you all this because it reminds me that there are things in life that just flat out testify to how much we hunger for God. I mean, why do y'all read this little Day of Praise every day and then pass it on to your friends who ask to be put on the list? (A shout out to our newest addition today, Ronnie Harrison in North Carolina, "Hey, Ronnie!") It's sure not because I'm the greatest writer in the world. I'm not fishing for compliments. To the contrary, I write this little thing for the same reason that all of you read it, namely, we all hunger for God. 

And we all want to be a part of a group of people who hunger for God. 

And who find God at Jefferson's while eating wings and discussing Eldredge's "Wild at Heart." And who find God as a group of young moms who want to know if anyone else feels exhausted and bleary-eyed. And who find God as Seniors at a Seniors luncheon, thankful for another day. And who find God hangin' out on the church patio after worship, doin' nothin' but talkin' because it's enough to feed your hunger when everyone's hungry for God. 

When St. Paul said what he said to the Athenians in today's verse, he was saying, "I know something about you folks. You're hungry for God."

People, Paul wasn't a rocket scientist; he didn't even need to be discerning. He had just lived long enough, which doesn't have to be very long, to know that every human being longs to know and yearns to know and hungers to know the God who alone can feed your hunger and fill your soul and quench your thirst and forgive your sin and give you that peace and make your life so worth living that you're willing to give it up so others can have their hunger filled too. 

All Paul did was look for a connecting point, an empty spot that hungered to be filled. And finding that empty spot, Paul pointed it out to them, saying, "For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god."

And then he filled their hunger with the God who alone can satisfy, the God who alone can fill, saying, "Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."

Friends, you have friends, and you have coworkers. You have friends and coworkers who are hungry. And, having God, through faith in Jesus Christ, you have the ability to feed your hungry friends and coworkers. 

Get together. Eat some wings. Discuss a book. See if anyone else feels bleary-eyed. Go to a Seniors luncheon. Hang out on a patio doin' nothin' but talkin'. Find a connecting point. And connect it to Jesus. 

It's enough to feed your hunger when everyone's hungry for God.

And God says that everyone is!

Praise God! 

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Day of Praise

Sa, 03/28/15, "Day of Praise"

"Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon." - Acts 9:43

At the heart of the whole thing is this reality that Peter stayed in the city with a man named Simon, who was a tanner. With this is also the reality that Jesus had changed Peter's name from Simon to Peter. So people named Simon being changed is important here. 

While Peter was at Simon's house, the whole city experienced miraculous visions (eyes), voices (ears), healing (body), and resurrection (new life). Simon's city was totally transformed by God through Peter because Peter was in Christ and because Peter shared Christ in all that he said and did. 

But there's more. 

If you search the various studies, there's this whole big discussion about the meaning of Simon's name. In sum, the consensus is that Simon's name means "hearer". But the discussion around the name Simon is that the result of his hearing depends on what he does or does not do with what he hears. 

It's significant in today's verse that Simon is a tanner, that is someone who patiently works with a hide to make it useful. The connection is that Simon the tanner patiently hears and works with, i.e. he obeys, the word of Christ that Peter imparts to him.

The name "Peter", you may know, means "rock", as in "a sure foundation". So Simon the tanner's city is transformed by visions, voices, healings, and resurrections because the foundation-giving rock of God's word of Christ is obeyed and lived out with trust in God. 

I know that's a lot to follow in a short time, but it's not only interesting to study further if you have a chance, but there's also two simple encouragements to take with us into the day. 

One, if you really care about someone whose life needs help, then be a "Peter". Be someone who explicitly shares the strong, foundation-giving, life-changing word of God about Jesus. Better yet, get to know Jesus personally and introduce Jesus himself personally to people. 

Second, if you want to see your own life and your "city" (the people around you) changed for the better, then don't just listen to God's word, but patiently hear, trust, work with, obey, and live God's word in your life. Be a doer of God's word, like Jesus says plainly in Matthew 7 in the parable of the wise builder. 

"Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon." (Acts 9:43) And it changed the lives of many. 

May God's word dwelling in, with, and through us do the same!

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Fr, 03/27/15, "Day of Praise"

In honor of my wife Amanda's birthday today. 

"All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel." - Acts 6:15

Hey! You're better lookin' than ya think.

Ya see, that's part of your problem. You think too much. What ya need to do is stop thinkin' about how ya look and start believin' how ya look...

...in God's eyes. 

I mean, c'mon, you look in the mirror, and what do ya think? What ya think is what ya see on the outside. 

But God is looking at something else as He says to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Whatever it is you might be lookin' at in the mirror and whatever you might be thinkin' about what you see in the mirror, here's the truth. You are the apple of God's eye (Psalm 17:8). (In case you're not up on Bible-speak, to be the apple of God's eye means that you are beautiful in His eye. Totally handsome.) And you are the apple of His eye because He created you and crafted you in His love, which is a choosing, sacrificial, unconditional love. 

In Deuteronomy 32:10-11, God declares His love of your beauty and handsomeness in this way because you belong to Him. He says that he shields you and cares for you; he guards you "as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft." It's like a 30-year old dad smilin' and pickin' up his 4-year old child and raisin' you high above his head and swingin' you in the air and tellin' you how wonderful you are and how much you mean to him.

You don't think about that as a 4-year old. You just soak it in and enjoy the ride and the words and the love. You don't even think about believin' it. You don't think at all. I'll say it again; you just soak it in and enjoy the ride and the words and the love.

It just is. And there ain't no arguin' about it.

You are beautiful. 

You are handsome. 

It's the beauty and handsomeness and attractiveness and radiance that overflows from a child that is being loved with such a grand and uplifting love that all they can do is laugh and smile and enjoy the breeze in their face as the Strong One lifts them high to the heavens. 

That's what was goin' on with Stephen long ago as spoken of in today's Bible verse, "All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel." (Acts 6:15)

Did ya' catch that? "[Stephen's] face was like the face of an angel." (Acts 6:15)

So what do you think Stephen really looked like?

Eh, eh, eh! Stop! Stop thinkin'!

Stephen was so enjoying the love of God for him in Jesus Christ that he didn't give a second thought to what he looked like. My goodness, he didn't give it the first thought. 

He just enjoyed. 

That he was the apple of God's eye. 

And so are you! You look, well, you look like an angel!

Believe it! Because God says it's true!

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Th, 03/26/15, "Day of Praise"

"When Peter saw this, he said to them: 'Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?'" - Acts 3:12

Today, something will happen, as happens every day, that you will not be able to comprehend. You won't be able to wrap your mind around it. It just won't compute. You will not be able to fix it by your "own power or godliness." (Acts 3:12)

Maybe someone will blatantly run a stop sign as happened to me recently. "How can that be?," you say. "I just don't understand. So let me honk my horn!" As if horn honking really changes anything...except your own blood pressure.

Or maybe, your boss or your neighbor or someone you live with will speak to you with a tone that makes you ask, "What is wrong with people?" And, what? You think asking that question again will suddenly reveal an answer when none of us have yet figured out the answer in all the other days that we've asked it. (Heeey! Pssssst! What's wrong with people is this little thing called sin. Oh, and by the way, it's the same thing that's wrong with you and me too.)

Or maybe, a family member will break some bad news to you. They tell you that a family member has cancer. "I can't wrap my mind around that," you cry. "It pains me to think of them suffering or the thought of them not being around." The mind just can't grasp it, so we grasp a hold of each other in love. And hopefully somebody faiths out a prayer so we can lean into God's grasp on us. 

Yes, today, something will happen, as happens every day, that you will not be able to comprehend, that you will not be able to fix by your "own power or godliness" (Acts 3:12) or strength.

That's what happened to Peter in today's Bible verse. "A man who was lame from birth (Acts 3:2)" asked Peter and John for money. And Peter hadn't a clue what he should do. So he did the only thing he could do when the mind and the biceps and the wallet are impotent. Oh sure, you would think he poured out the problem to Jesus in prayer, though it's not said explicitly that Peter did. 

What he did do, we know, was even better.

Peter poured out Jesus onto the problem. "Peter said, 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.'" (Acts 3:6)

And just like that, it was taken care of. "And instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God." (Acts 3:7-8)

Now, the people, who knew the lame man and saw him walk and jump, they just couldn't wrap their minds around it and "were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:10) So Peter spoke to the befuddled crowd as noted in today's verse. "When Peter saw this, he said to them: 'Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?'" (Acts 3:12) And then Peter said, "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see." (Acts 3:16)

Friends, did you get that?

Not "by our own power or godliness." (Acts 3:12) 

"It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see." (Acts 3:16)

Today, something will happen, as happens every day, that you will not be able to comprehend. You won't be able to wrap your mind around it. It just won't compute. You will not be able to fix it by your "own power or godliness." (Acts 3:12)

Pour out Jesus on it.

His "name and the faith that comes through him [will] completely [heal it], as you [will] see." (Acts 3:16)

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

We, 03/25/15, "Day of Praise"

[Peter said,] "These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.'" - Acts 2:15-17

Most of you underestimate yourself. 

God wants to do great things through you. God is working to do great things through you. Since the day that Jesus was raised from the dead, God has been pouring out His Holy Spirit to wash you, to immerse you, to baptize you with His Holy Spirit. 

I heard people just yesterday, as I do everyday, talking about their awakening to the things of God, to the Spirit of God. 

I heard other people worried about, well, other things. 

God wants everyone to awaken more each day to the things of God, to the Spirit of God. Isn't that what God says in today's verses? "I will pour out my Spirit on all people (Acts 2:17)."

If you're a person, you're included in "all people."

Oh sure, I know that some people believe that this stuff that I'm talking about was just in Bible times, that the Spirit was a Bible times thing, that miracles stopped with the Biblical Twelve Apostles. 

Like I said earlier, most of you underestimate yourself.

Years ago, I read the late John Osteen's book, "Becoming a Man of Unwavering Faith". It talks about what every human being experiences on a daily basis, namely, the world is full of people and forces that are trying to talk you out of claiming and living in the blessings and power that God has wanted you to have since His Son, Jesus, died for you and rose from the dead so He could live in you with authority and power by way of God's Holy Spirit. Joyce Meyer talks about the same stuff in "Knowing God Intimately". 

I know that there are some out there reading this who think I'm crazy. But, since I'm a Christian in the Lutheran tradition, I'll point to the example of Martin Luther, who was not perfect to be sure but who lived outside "Bible times" in the power of the Holy Spirit, standing up to forces of nature, government, ecclesiastical authority, and the Devil himself. Luther had a marvelous sense of humor, a sharp mind, strong morals, a beautiful family, an amazing record of hospitality and almsgiving, and a keen understanding that the present moment is the most precious moment. And he had all this while constantly attacked by guilt, depression, and political and "churchy" opponents. 

Martin Luther had this amazing life, though, not because he was special. But because he came, by God's grace, to learn and believe and then know with deep conviction that God wanted more for him than guilt, depression, and political and "churchy" opponents. 

God wanted Luther to know the blessings and power of the Almighty Living God through His Son, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, which filled Luther and unleashed a courage, a marvelous sense of humor, a sharp mind, strong morals, a beautiful family, an amazing record of hospitality and almsgiving, and a keen understanding that the present moment is the most precious moment.

And God wants all that for you too! 

Isn't that what God says in today's verses? "I will pour out my Spirit on all people (Acts 2:17)."

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Tu, 03/24/15, "Day of Praise"

"Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." - Mark 16:8

This is a very interesting ending to the Gospel of Mark.

Trembling, bewildered, fled, said nothing to anyone, afraid.

Those are hardly terms that you'd use to start a church today. They're not happy terms. They're not contemporary music material. They're not terms of material prosperity.

But they're real.

And they're terms which create a crossroads. They force a decision.

You can either reject them altogether or you can say in faith, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"

Just out of curiosity, let me ask you a question, "How many times a day do you think you stop and say, 'Lord, what do you want me to do?'"

As a Christian in the Lutheran tradition, I'm a part of a tradition that holds to what's called a "Theology of the Cross." Very simply, historically, we Lutherans spend time considering the horror and ugliness of the cross of Jesus. As with a few other Christian traditions, we observe Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, which also are not happy and joyful times.

But they create a crossroads. They force a decision. You can either reject them altogether. Or you can say in faith, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"

That's what things do that are characterized by "Trembling, bewildered, fled, said nothing to anyone, afraid." (Mark 16:8)

They force us to decide if we're going to go it alone. Or are we going to reach for Almighty God, and call on his name, and ask for his wisdom, his counsel, his help, and his strength.

Real life is filled with a thousand of these moments everyday. A thousand crossroads. 

God wants to be your God, your wisdom, your counsel, your help, and your strength.

Call on Him.

He will answer.

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Mo, 03/23/15, "Day of Praise"

But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. -
Luke 23:5-7

Well, this is a simple praise.

In today's verse, Pilate passes the buck and dumps his situation on Herod. Herod will do the same to Pilate. Tragically, because of our sin, we all tend to pass the buck.

Fortunately, God is different. In the cross of Jesus, God says, "The buck stops here." Instead of passing on problems, God in Christ bears our problems, our wounds, and all the ugliness and consequence of our sin. The buck stops here with Jesus Christ. There is no passing it on to the next guy like Pilate and Herod did to each other and we do to each other in our weakness and sin.

So, when you're frustrated and wondering, "Will this ever end?", then look to Jesus. Because with Jesus, the Son of the Living God, the buck stops here.

Lean on Him. Cast your cares on Him because he loves you and cares for you.

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Sa, 03/21/15, "Day of Praise"

Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

When Jesus died for us on the cross, he took away something, namely the penalty for our sin that belonged to us. 

But he also gave us something.

He gave us heart. 

His heart. 

"Take heart!" Jesus said in today's verse. 

He gave us his heart because the troubles of this world eat at our heart, erode our heart, and cause us to lose heart. So Jesus died to pour out his heart, to give us his heart, so our hearts would be renewed. 

Friends, God, through Christ, is offering to renew your heart, to make it whole again, so your joy can be restored. 

And we all want joy, don't we?
I mean, what's the alternative? A weary, heartless, joyless existence. 

My wife and kids and I laugh together everyday. And I mean everyday. Recently, my 16-year old son said that his friends like our family because we laugh together, we're fun, we have heart. My 19-year old daughter is constantly bringing her friends to our home from her college. We sit around and talk. We laugh. It is a heart-filled time. We smile. We read the Day of Praise together. We take heart...Jesus' heart...because he pours it into our family, our friendships, and our home by the power of his Holy Spirit.

My daughters, including my 22-year old at Auburn, both lead Christian fellowships at their church and in their school. They tell me about these things, like Calley did a few days ago and Cassidy did recently too.

I tell you these things, not because our family is special, but because there is heart to be had. 

Jesus' heart. 

Where people are willing to believe that the troubles of this world are not all that there is in this world. 

And where people are willing to believe that the troubles of this world are far from the greatest power in this world. 

Jesus, the Son of God, has overcome the world!

That's why he says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

Take heart, Dear Friends! Take Jesus' heart! He freely offers it to you!

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Fr, 03/20/15,"Day of Praise"

"It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." - John 13:1

The reason today's verse means so much to me is because I know how much it means to many of you. And it means so much to many of you because of what's going on in your lives. 

Hey KS, I'm talkin to you. Hey LS, I'm talkin to you. Hey CT, I'm talkin to you. In fact, if you're reading this, I'm talkin to you as I've gone through the whole Day of Praise recipient list and prayed for you individually, along with your circumstances, circumstances which most of you shared when you asked to be on this list and additional circumstances which many of you share as you reply from time to time.

It means a lot to us, doesn't it? When somebody knows us and our circumstances and when they make time for us, to love us and encourage us and pray for us, it means a lot, doesn't it?

And yet, as much as our love and encouragement and prayers mean to us as we share with one another, how much more are we loved by our God through His Son, our Savior, Jesus, the Christ? How much does God's love mean to us?

"Having loved his own who were in the world, [Jesus] now showed them the full extent of his love." (John 13:1)

And what exactly did Jesus do in order to show them the full extent of his love at this point of his earthly life?

He washed their feet.

He suffered for their sin, literally down to the bloody bone.

He died for them, took their place on the cross.

And he conquered the power of their sin, which is guilt.

Then he rose from the dead to pour out the promised Holy Spirit so he could live in the hearts of all who would receive him in faith.

And he conquered the power of their death, which is fear. (Fear is paralyzing. It opens the door to spiritual attack.) Jesus conquered our fears. Give your fears to Jesus.

Then he went to heaven and prepared a place for us. He went to His Father's house and prepared a place for you and me.

Then he poured out his Holy Spirit so that he could live in us and dine with us. Day after day after everlasting and eternal day.

Some of you, at this point, are in a hurry and need to go. So you're in a hurry for this devotion to be done. I understand. More importantly, God understands.

But for those of you who have another minute or two, I just wanted to tell you about an old woman in our church who lost her mind a couple years before she died. She was receiving Holy Communion at her nursing home. Upon being told all that Jesus did in order "to show the full extent of his love" for her, this old and mindless woman was clearly taking time to think about it. After taking it all in, she smiled and glowed and said, "He did all that for me?"

Friends, if you have a minute later today, maybe you could revisit the above list of things that Jesus did in order "to show the full extent of his love" for you. 

Because the answer to the question is, "Yes, He did all that for you." And he did it because he knows you and your circumstances and so he makes time for you, to love you and encourage you and pray for you.

It means a lot, doesn't it?

Pass it on and...

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Th, 03/19/15, "Day of Praise"

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." - 

Proverbs 3:5-6.

 

What's in front of you today?

 

Is there anything where you're thinking "I'm worried about that" or wondering "how's that going to unfold"?

 

My day's filled with things that make me think and wonder. I'm guessing yours is too. Praise God!

 

Praise God because God has "made a way" for all these things to work out well. Everything from a way out of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) to a way through the meetings and matters of the day (Proverbs 16:9), God has made a way.

 

This is why God encourages us in today's verse to "acknowledge the Lord in all our ways" because in all our ways, God has made a way.

 

Live today believing that, come what may, God will guide the way.

 

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

We, 03/18/15, "Day of Praise"

 

Acts 10:22-23 - "The men replied, 'We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.' Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests."

 

Remember Fantasy Island? Mr. Roarke. Tattoo ("de plane, de plane"). An island where tasteful dreams came true.

 

One tasteful dream that I hear is "I wish I lived in Bible times."

 

Truth is...you can. And you don't even need Mr. Roarke.

 

In today's verse, God gives a simple way to live in Bible times...invite people into your home and share a talk about Jesus, just like Cornelius and Peter did.

 

Now inviting people in your home does have a price...a little time and food. But that's a lot cheaper than Fantasy Island.

 

And your experience will be real!

 

So pick up the phone. Invite some folks over. Share some food, fellowship, and faith.

And let the good times, the Bible times, begin again!!!

Praise God!

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Day of Praise

Tu, 03/17/15, "Day of Praise" plus, St. Patrick's Day

Short word from me, then one of my favorite St. Patrick prayers.

"I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope." - Psalm 130:5

What are you waiting for?

Some wait for weekends. Some wait for holidays. Some wait on somebody else.

In today's verse, God calls us to wait on Him, to wait on the LORD.

In case you don't know, when the LORD wants us to wait on the LORD, it's not the same as a lord wanting us to wait on a lord.

The LORD is The One Who Is Over All Things. A lord is over some little thing.

So when the word of the LORD tells me He's going to make something right, then I'll throw my whole being into waiting however long it takes. Why should I care how long? He's the LORD! He's Over All Things. So I can calm down and wait.

Now I don't have this waiting on the LORD thing perfected. Guess you don't either. But he's teaching us. So we can be patient. By his grace we'll learn to wait and hope in his word.

Praise God! And be blessed by this beautiful prayer of St. Patrick.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

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