Sheep Food

  When God repeats Himself…repeatedly…there is good reason for it.   He means it. And it must be important.   He also realizes we tend to be a tad slow in ‘getting it’ as well. There’s a reason He likened us to sheep. I’m told sheep are not very bright animals.   Years ago when I was finishing up my degree to be a teacher, I remember hearing this nugget of info that always stuck with me: The average child needs to hear a certain truth or principal seven times before they ‘get it’. (I’m paraphrasing here). That is why there is much needed repetition of those learning blocks to be taught, in the younger grades especially.   I also remember hearing that when a child has learned something incorrectly, that it takes even more repetition …as if they need to ‘unlearn’ before they can ‘learn’ a certain truth. I’m going to assume you understand why this might be so. And remember, I’m talking about the ‘average’ child here. I know there are over-achievers out there who get it the first t

  You gotta love those short verses that are inserted throughout scripture that can seem relatively hidden until the Holy Spirit brings it to your attention. Happens all the time for students of the bible who have a hunger for the truth and read it regularly…or maybe not so regularly.   Take for example back in the book of Exodus when God was bringing all those plagues on Egypt setting up the stage for their deliverance from the bondage of Pharaoh. God had just instructed Moses to stretch out his hand as the ninth plague was about to fall….the plague of darkness which fell over the land of Egypt, “darkness which may even be felt.” (10:21)   We read in vs. 22 that Moses did as instructed and that “here was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days”…so dark that they could not see one another not did anyone rise from their place for three days.   And here’s that verse I was mentioning: “But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” (23)   Did you catch that? 

  Why it matters…   Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” (4:1)   It is important to note here, for clarification, that not all who read that statement are ‘sons/children of God’ as he made it quite clear in Romans 8:14 that ‘those who are led by the spirit of God, these are the sons/children of God.’   There really is more to this ‘faith thing’ than just saying ‘Lord, Lord’, or “I believe”. (Matt 7:21) Paul goes on in that passage in Galatians “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (vs. 28) Again, we are not all the children of God, rather those who are following Him are. John would write later how you can tell the difference as to who the children of God are and the children of the devil are. (1 John 3:10) Have I ever mentioned before how beneficial it would be to go look up these verses that I give you here? ;-)   And

  God does not need a PR firm working for Him.   Never has and never will. But it is clear that many pulpits have never received that memo given all the various versions and spins that are projected about Who God is.   The range is wide and expansive…. ranging from fire-breathing-hell-and-brimstone-deity to some sappy-greasy-grace icon who is fine with whatever is popular at any given time.   When God chose to ‘introduce Himself’ to the descendants of Abraham after they had spent 400+ years in bondage in Egypt, enslaved to the whims of various Pharaohs, He did it in grand style. You can read about it in the book of Exodus. God raised up Moses, and then using a series of plagues and such, led several million Israelites out of Egypt with soldiers in hot pursuit. The parting of the Red Sea was a dramatic display of what God was capable of doing which included ridding the freed slaves of their enemies.   Then the story gets really interesting. God saw to it that their immediate needs w

  A couple of weeks ago, I waded back into the ‘book of the law’, otherwise known as Deuteronomy. That book makes lots of folks uneasy. I think I know why…as it should make folks uneasy. I had been looking over the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses to teach the people who were about to enter the Promised Land. You might say he was reviewing them again as the first generation of folks died out in the wilderness for seemingly dismissing the importance that God had placed on His new laws. (1 Cor 10:1-11)   So many sincere believers today express a desire wishing they could ‘hear God’s voice’ in a clearer manner and even more specifically, know what God’s will was for them. Don’t you? Interesting fact about the millions who wandered in the wilderness back in Exodus who first received the Law…they never had a problem with hearing God’s voice and/or knowing what His will was for them.   Their problem was DOING what He clearly made known to them.   We also know from scripture (M

  Who doesn’t like a good road trip? Especially when it is a long-awaited destination you have desired to see. You know, one of those ‘bucket list’ destinations you’ve had for years. I think for many, actually mapping out and planning the trip is nearly as satisfying as the trip itself.   I would suggest that classic road trips fall into one of two categories. The first one is the ‘we are in no big rush to get there’ category as we have multiple planned stops along the way as well as ‘unplanned stops’ to visit places that catch our eye and interest as we travel. Photographers usually lean towards these. Just ask my wife.   Then there are those trips you make where the final destination is the goal and you can’t wait to get there. ‘X’ marks the spot where you have planned to arrive for whatever the purpose of your road travel is. Maybe it’s a week on a sandy ocean beach in a secluded bungalow for a time of much needed R&R. Perhaps you are the mountain-hiking type and have s

  Sometime back, I was with a couple of men who were long-time believers, or admitted followers of Christ. In other words, they would unashamedly tell anyone they were ‘of the Christian faith.’ In the course of the casual conversation, one of them, whom I had only met for the first time made a comment that puzzled me. Referring to the idea of ‘pointing people to Christ’ he alluded to the fact he was excited to finally be able to point others to a particular individual as an ideal “example as to who or what Christ looks like”.   He was actually referring to an actor who was portraying the role of Christ in a popular drama series. And I will say, the actor really does a great job ‘acting’ in this well-written scripted role. And it was this follow up statement he made that I want to address here today.   As I said, having only met this man for the first time, I have no idea of what is in his heart or how he lives his life but he alluded clearly to the fact that his own life was not wor

  Abiding is about awareness. An awareness that you are walking in fellowship with your creator. And not because you ‘need’ to be, or ‘should’ be. Rather it is because you ‘desire’ to be… to be with Him. Always.   I can remember as if it was yesterday, the engaging discussion I had with an off-duty SW airline pilot who was making his way back to his home base as a passenger and we spent the entire flight discussing our faith. He was a Mormon and I was…well…a ‘rookie’ pastor still wet behind the ears having finished up my first year behind the pulpit. Our conversation was not a theological debate but on the contrary, a very civil discussion that was concluded with this question he asked of me as the plane descended:  “What do you believe then a person needs to do to enter the eternal kingdom?”   As the plane touched down I looked at him and shrugged my shoulders and responded: “I kind of believe that the only people going to heaven are people who love Jesus.”   That was some 30+ y

  What do you think?   When Jesus told a crowd who had gathered that unless they too repented, they would all ‘likewise perish’, (Luke 13:1-5), was He threatening them? Was He giving them an ultimatum and condemning them to hell if they didn’t straighten up? Or was it simply a warning given in love?   Messaging can often be lost in the tone and manner in which it’s delivered. We’ve probably all been guilty of tainting the message at one time or another.   If a fireman enters the 10th story office building you are trapped in and instructs you to follow him out or you will die, is that a warning or a threat?  If a fishing vessel captain approaches you as your small craft is sinking in shark infested waters and he throws you a line and hollers for you to grab hold so he can pull you aboard…is he threatening you or rescuing you?   I want you to listen to this verse from Romans where Paul asks: “Do you not know it is the kindness of God that leads you to repentance?” (2:4)   Think about t

  “Did I do that, or did I just think I did that?”   Who has never asked themselves that question before? For me, it is usually when I’m a half mile away from the house wondering if I closed the garage door, or unplugged the iron, or left…whatever…opened or unlocked, etc.   I made mention of James’s warning yesterday about being careful to not just be a ‘hearer’ only of the word and not a ‘doer’. The latter leads us down the patch of deception.   Do we do that…or just think…we do that? Scripture admonishes us to test ourselves, to examine our hearts, to meet regularly with other like-minded believers exhorting one another, spurring one another on…encouraging each other in the faith, lest we fall away or depart from the faith in following God, being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb 3:12) (2 Cor. 13:5)   Self-examination can be good. Granted, some become overly obsessed with it to the detriment of their own emotional/mental health. But I think there are plenty more wh

  I know….yesterday’s post left some of you scratching your heads asking: ‘Huh?” It’s okay. I get it. There are times when we come across a series of passages from the word where it seems like too big a bite to swallow. And it’s not because it was ‘too much’ word; rather it could be it just doesn’t ‘fit’ with what we’ve always believed or have been taught. Two things to consider here:   First, remember when Jesus came the first time, He didn’t ‘fit’ with what the majority of those who were anticipating His coming expected either. God is kind of like that. If lots of folks ‘missed Him’ the first time, we should not get so confident that it could not happen again. We need to be careful here.   And Second, I’m not asking anyone to agree with what I’m presenting here. Rather, I’m presenting lots of ‘information’ from the bible for your consideration. Before you go into a common default setting to reject something from the word because it doesn’t fit within your framework of doctri