Posts Tagged ‘ simple man of God ’
Impact your life with some wisdom and head over to Proverbial Thought!
Jesus would often go to a lonely place to pray. (Luke 5:16)
We are told to pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
A constant conversation. A conversation between you and God.
Prayer is not just going to
a lonely place.
It is a moment by moment
conversation,
Seeking to get to see God
face to Face
To impact your life to impact
a generation.
Keep it simple and find the goodness of wisdom at Proverbial Thought!
Here is keeping it simple: I will just post a quick thought on a topic. Nothing else.
This week’s topic:
The Gospel is that God has a perfect standard that no person has ever been able to perfectly meet. We are all guilty of breaking this standard, of sinning, and there was no way we could ever fix it. So God came in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to perfectly live by that standard, and then He died. His death brought about the forgiveness we needed for our sins. Three days later, He proved He is God by rising from the dead, and those who believe all of this have the hope of a future resurrection and eternity with Him!
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:1-3, ESVFor I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
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The poem today is based on a couple passages of Scripture, Joel 2:12-13 and Acts 4:24-30:
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
Joel 2:12-13, ESV
And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants[f] to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Acts 4:24-30
Therefore, this poem is a prayer for God to help us learn to rend our hearts and to heal our land.
rending
You tell us to rend our hearts
but how can we not with
injustice and pain rampant
are we sure this is not the pit
redeem this land from itself
heal these people so sick
reveal Your heart to all
about what rending is
giving over ourselves to You
and experiencing this
is breaking our spirits
to show others Jesus
Fill your need for wisdom, and go to Proverbial Thought!
This past Sunday I shared a poem about what people need. That was prepared before realizing I would be sharing today’s entry!
The eight season (series, for all of you BBC/British television/Whovian people out there) of the rebooted Doctor Who television show recently kicked off. This season began on August 23rd, setting some BBC America records, and that is compared to last November 23rd’s globally record-setting release of the 50th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor.
There are a lot of people who really like Doctor Who, and, as a Whovian myself, I can understand the passion that goes into following this show.
I read an article recently titled, “Entertainment Geekly: ‘Doctor Who’ is the saddest show on television“. Here is a little excerpt:
One way of looking at this: The Doctor is friends with everybody! But another way of looking at this: The Doctor is never close with anybody. And even when he is close with someone, it won’t last. He’ll leave them behind, or they’ll leave him behind; or they’ll just get older, and he’ll grow a young man’s face. The Davies era immediately played up the Doctor’s loneliness by repositioning him as the Last of the Time Lords: No longer a plucky renegade from an elaborate culture, but rather, that culture’s last remaining memory.
Maybe “sad” is the wrong word for Doctor Who: It’s a show that takes tremendous joy in simple human connection, even as the modern iteration constantly futzes with those connections. (It’s never clear if the Doctor likes his Companions, or loves them, or if he just needs them to be in love with him.) . . .
The central tension of most action-thrillers derives from the fear that someone might die. But because the Doctor will never die, the central tension of Doctor Who is the utter certainty that things will definitely change. Every change is like death, but every change is also like birth. Doctor Who is never bleak—compared to our current apocalypse vogue, it looks positively chipper. . . .
The Doctor never gets to live a normal life, which is his tragedy. (Tune in to a new episode of Doctor Who, and remind yourself that soon–this year, next year, certainly the year after that–the Doctor and his closest friend will say goodbye.) But I also wonder if that’s why, the longer you watch Doctor Who, you find yourself relating less to the every people Companions and more to the Doctor. From our perspective, the world might change, but we always stay the same–as friends come and go, as we move from one place to another. It takes someone else to notice when we become a new person. Maybe that’s why the Doctor always seeks out new Companions: So that the man who never changes can change, over and over again.
It seems to me that Doctor Who is popular because of how it plays off of the loneliness so many people feel. It feeds into the need for hope all people have. Whether it is in relating to his companions or relating to the Doctor himself, people watch Doctor Who because of a need and a desire for a savior.
And it becomes sad when we realize that there is indeed a Savior who can fulfill all of our needs, but so many do not know about Him or ignore Him … or, worst of all, flat out deny Him.
All it takes is to seek God and the forgiveness offered through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
Psalm 25:16-18, ESV
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The message is simple: God is all we need. Everyone. And to make sure we found and filled that need, He came to us.
What did He have to say?
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17, ESV)
“Come to me, all who burden and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
people need
do not be deceived
by what people need
whether a cup of coffee
or that bag of weed
or maybe to see
that we will speak
with people in need
or the guy on wall street
God is able to free
through a simple creed
“Repent. Come to Me.
Let me be what you need!”
Keep your search for wisdom simple and check out Proverbial Thought!
Here is keeping it simple: I will just post a quick thought on a topic. Nothing else.
This week’s topic:
Faith is not just believing that God is in control or that His Word is true.
Faith is taking that first step in the midst of fear and doubt. Faith is moving when you do not want to move. Faith is trusting that God really will work all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) even when the rest of the world is going to Hell around you.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1, ESVBehold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:4
Look past the surface level of worldly wisdom. Find some true wisdom through the thoughts at Proverbial Thought!
You may remember this past week when I shared “Some Final Thoughts About Momma Klem” some of the passages that my mom and I have tried to live by:
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7, ESV“Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”
James 4:11, ESV
Some of the best people in the world, by our standards, may in truth be the worst of humanity, by God’s standards.
Some of the seeming hard-as-nails people may in truth be those with a heart of gold.
In the deepest meaning of truth, only those who know Christ truly have a good heart, for He indwells us, and His grace and love shine through us.
by the surface
going through life judging
by what is on the surface
leads to misjudgments
and can be dangerous
the sweet and innocent
may be scandalous
the nasty looking biker
could be all gentleness
the humanitarian
may be murderous
the homeless guy
may not be homeless
discerning by the surface
is bad for all of us
My mom said to get the Wisdom of God, so start with some of the thoughts found at Proverbial Thought!
Last week, Jesus gave my mom a great big hug and took her Home, one day after her 53rd birthday. The amazing thing is how much joy and love for God was experienced and expressed throughout her final days.
It is hard to stay upset when someone on her way out stresses the importance of our Lord being glorified in the middle of everything.
It was my honor this past Saturday to share about my mom at her Celebration of Life service. I am sharing it with you … plus the last bit I knew I would not be able to say in that moment!
I remember telling my parents when I was a child that I wanted to be just like them when I grew up … only better.
When I first became a Christian, my mom was afraid I had joined a cult, but she could not deny the change in my life.
James 4:6 says, “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” My mom’s response was “Well, I guess I’ll never get grace!”
However, she had a lot of questions, and within a year of my coming to Christ, my parents did to. But mom just asked more questions. As [Pastors] Todd and Scott can attest, she always had questions. Sometimes there were full arguments over Scripture and Christian life. She would often come to me, call me, or message me in some fashion asking if she was sinning for doubting and questioning so many things that came her way.
First, I would remind her that many people doubted, including the Apostle Thomas, and He is a pillar of the Church! And I would always respond with 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Test everything; hold onto the good.”
Back to James 4, in verses 7-8, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
As a new Christian, I often wondered why more people would not help out as much as I did as a new believer. When my parents finally started following Jesus, there was no stopping them! Ask anyone: they dived in head first, helping out everywhere they could.
But my mom had compassion and love for others. She had raised me to not judge anyone, not for any reason, no matter what they looked like, no matter what they acted like. She certainly lived out 1 Samuel 16:7, which says “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Many of you here know how true this is. How many co-workers, youth, and others did she reach with her love and compassion? She very easily lived out 1 Corinthians 9:22, I will just read it: “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” She struggled through her doubts so that with compassion and love she could help others struggle through their doubts that others might be saved.
She learned to live out James 4:9, to “[become] wretched and mourn and weep. [And to] Let [her] laughter be turned to mourning and [her] joy to gloom” so that others would come to know the same Savior she knows.
And as verse 10 says, she learned to “Humble [herself] before the Lord, and [she is exalted].” I think needing to be moved to a larger hospital room to fit all of the guests, and the people sitting here and lining the halls attests to, she has been exalted. And for all of us who know Jesus, we will one Glorious Day see her again.
[What I would have said, but had written down]
My parents have been through many fires and trials in life, and they have grown to live Jude, verses 20-23, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.“
My parents have made it very difficult to do life better than them. I just look forward to that Glorious Day when we all get to reunite with our Lord and remember all of our stories together.
Help wisdom remain strong in you and go to Proverbial Thought!
For too long there has been a common theme in all of Christendom. I liken to World War II in this way:
Winning converts to Christ without discipleship is like the Allies taking Normandy Beach and declaring the war won.
What we have effectively done is convince thousands, millions, or even billions over the decades and centuries that they are saved from their sins only to let them continue living in their sin and ignorance.
Have we given these people false hope?
Do you have false hope?
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
Luke 11:24-26, ESV
Church, let us not only win over but raise up new Christians in the power and knowledge of Christ!
Christian, commit your whole life, every little part, every big thing, your sins and your joys to Christ!
letting them back in
we cast out our demons
and invite Christ in
our lives become clean
and He reigns supremebut why do we do it
why bring back the spirits
why give up on Christ
and re ruin our liveswhy do we let them in
to fall back into sin
we can see through the lies
yet they multiplyletting them back in
undoing what Christ began
why do we let them in
Christmy Lord
start again
Find solid wisdom through the thoughts at Proverbial Thought!
There are some things in this world that are rock solid and others that are softer, more pliable.
Something that should never be seen as pliable is Truth. While some things may not be black and white, set in stone (such as one person thinking the weather is beautiful while another thinks it is horrible) most truths are firm (such as the weather is overcast and rainy).
One truth that is never negotiable, no matter how much someone may want it to be, is that God is real and sovereign, and Jesus Christ is His Son who died for the sins of the world.
On the other hand, there are some things that are just better the softer they are: some cookies and cake, gelatin (without being melted, of course), your seat on an airplane, water after you have been pushed from the side of the pool, Play-Doh, and on and on.
Something that should always be pliable is your heart and mind. While you hold firm to certain truths, you should always be willing to always learn, always love, and always seeking after truth. Just as Play-Doh is soft, pliable, and even fun to shape and mold, so must our hearts be in this world of pain, injustice, and competing attentions.
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
1 Peter 3:8
Here is the thing: you must entrust your Play-Doh heart to the Rock of Salvation. Only in His hands can it be properly and lovingly formed for the greatest good.
Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.
Psalm 26:2
On our own, we will only have some fun, waste some time, and forget to put the lid back on at the end of the day. Then our Play-Doh hearts become hard. In hardness they either become brittle or useless … or both.
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers put me to the test
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known my ways.”
11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter my rest.”Psalm 95, ESV
a simple man of God 