PK’s Corner September 2011
Psalm 105:4 “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.
This past weekend, our youth group participated in an annual event that we host called “Romans and Christians”. In this game, we find a large field and set up a light. The object for the youth is to find the light, and then go and bring others to the light. The trick is to avoid the “Romans”: these are the adult leaders with flashlights. If caught, the Christians (youth) must go to prison where they must share their faith story and convert the guard to Christianity in order to leave. Each year the attendance has increased and this year we hosted 79 youths.
The kids will tell you how fun and exciting it was to run in the dark and avoid getting caught, but I think the most important thing was the jail time. Here, the youth have an opportunity to share what they believe and why. In seeking the light, they find reason for following the light of the world.
What about you, how often do you seek the Light? How often do you take time to share your faith journey? Or do you?
Sometimes we forget that the Light is actually seeking us, wanting to bring us out of the darkness. Have you heard the call, have you seen the Light? If not, take time to know the Light of the world, and if so, then share that story with someone, for the Light is seeking them also.
Amen
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Prime Directive
Pk’s Corner August 2011
The Prime Directive:
Deuteronomy 6: 4 “Hear of Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength”.(NLT)
In the Sci-fi programs “Star Trek” there is one thing that binds all the story lines together, and that is the “Prime Directive”. The prime directive dictates that the travelers cannot and will not interfere with a developing civilization, in any way. Thank goodness we have a different prime directive.
Our prime directive is to whole heartedly love God. We are called to make God the center of our universe, not just an afterthought. Notice that the scripture does not say “You will love the Lord your God with only the upper part of your heart”. No, we are called to love God with every fiber of our being, to put our all into love and worship of this God who only gave us the best
This prime directive was reiterated when Christ was asked “What is the greatest commandment”. The point is, we are supposed to be focused on God all of the time, not just some of the time. Even in church we must remember the reason we are there, and that is to bring honor and glory to God. We cannot allow ourselves to get bogged down by worldly ideas of success, nor let the world convince us that God is just “out there”. We need and must have a God centered life in ourselves and our church.
Now, you are given the prime directive. When you read the scripture, instead of Israel, put in your name. You see, God has called you to love God all the time with everything you have. The really cool thing is that God has already started loving you with everything God has. We must love God, because it is the only way to truly know what love is all about.
Listen up world, you must Love God with everything you have and are. Amen
The Prime Directive:
Deuteronomy 6: 4 “Hear of Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength”.(NLT)
In the Sci-fi programs “Star Trek” there is one thing that binds all the story lines together, and that is the “Prime Directive”. The prime directive dictates that the travelers cannot and will not interfere with a developing civilization, in any way. Thank goodness we have a different prime directive.
Our prime directive is to whole heartedly love God. We are called to make God the center of our universe, not just an afterthought. Notice that the scripture does not say “You will love the Lord your God with only the upper part of your heart”. No, we are called to love God with every fiber of our being, to put our all into love and worship of this God who only gave us the best
This prime directive was reiterated when Christ was asked “What is the greatest commandment”. The point is, we are supposed to be focused on God all of the time, not just some of the time. Even in church we must remember the reason we are there, and that is to bring honor and glory to God. We cannot allow ourselves to get bogged down by worldly ideas of success, nor let the world convince us that God is just “out there”. We need and must have a God centered life in ourselves and our church.
Now, you are given the prime directive. When you read the scripture, instead of Israel, put in your name. You see, God has called you to love God all the time with everything you have. The really cool thing is that God has already started loving you with everything God has. We must love God, because it is the only way to truly know what love is all about.
Listen up world, you must Love God with everything you have and are. Amen
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Pray
Pray
Acts 1: 14a “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer…”
Prayer according to Webster is the act of addressing a divinity or earnest request. We as believers in the Way know that prayer is talking with God. Prayer is the conversation that heals, assures and leads us in our lives, and yet we tend to overlook this vital part of our spiritual lives.
We belong to a God who wants to be part of our lives. God didn’t create us and then say “Go away, you bother me”. God is truly interested in us and desires relationship, and the key to any relationship is COMMUNICATION.
Jesus taught us to pray, and practiced it every day. We too are called to lift up prayers to God. In my own life, if there is no prayer, life gets skewed. Prayer is what keeps the way straight and the eye focused on the Kingdom of God.
As members and friends of Doniphan UMC, I urge everyone to lift up prayers, for the church, for the community of faith, for one another. But don’t just talk, listen and hear what God has to say. Make time everyday to be alone with God, if necessary write it in your schedule. Prayer is truly the engine of faith. Prayer can bring peace, and change to your lives, it can bring strength and triumph, and it will bring you closer to God.
If you don’t believe me, believe the Bible, and if you haven’t started, get on your knees and just talk with God. You see, God answers knee mail.
Amen
Acts 1: 14a “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer…”
Prayer according to Webster is the act of addressing a divinity or earnest request. We as believers in the Way know that prayer is talking with God. Prayer is the conversation that heals, assures and leads us in our lives, and yet we tend to overlook this vital part of our spiritual lives.
We belong to a God who wants to be part of our lives. God didn’t create us and then say “Go away, you bother me”. God is truly interested in us and desires relationship, and the key to any relationship is COMMUNICATION.
Jesus taught us to pray, and practiced it every day. We too are called to lift up prayers to God. In my own life, if there is no prayer, life gets skewed. Prayer is what keeps the way straight and the eye focused on the Kingdom of God.
As members and friends of Doniphan UMC, I urge everyone to lift up prayers, for the church, for the community of faith, for one another. But don’t just talk, listen and hear what God has to say. Make time everyday to be alone with God, if necessary write it in your schedule. Prayer is truly the engine of faith. Prayer can bring peace, and change to your lives, it can bring strength and triumph, and it will bring you closer to God.
If you don’t believe me, believe the Bible, and if you haven’t started, get on your knees and just talk with God. You see, God answers knee mail.
Amen
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Petra
Matthew 16:18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. (NRSV)
Simon, was renamed and called Peter. This is a rendition of the Greek word for “Rock” or Petra. I find it interesting that Jesus states that this rock, on which the church is built will be so strong that the gates of Hades will not prevail.
Think about what Jesus is saying. The gates of Hades implies that Hades is static, not moving, that it is truly a dead place, a place of stagnation. It has gates and thus it cannot move, nor be moved, but must stay where it is. Hades will not improve or live. It isn’t meant to improve, but just rot. Anything that stays in one place too long tends to rot and wither, and thus you have a vision of Hades, eternal rot and death within the walls.
But the church is built on a rock. In ancient times, rocks were the projectiles of choice used to break down city walls. With the Church being built on the Rock, we are called to break down walls of stagnation and death, to roll through hate and oppression. The church is supposed to be a movement to help people know Christ, not a fortress to keep people out.
This call, and the Great Commission reminds us that we are called to move. The Church is a place of dynamic work, not stagnating death and we, who are on the rock, are called to knock down those gates, for they cannot and will not prevail.
The Church in Christ is what Rocks the world.
Amen
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. (NRSV)
Simon, was renamed and called Peter. This is a rendition of the Greek word for “Rock” or Petra. I find it interesting that Jesus states that this rock, on which the church is built will be so strong that the gates of Hades will not prevail.
Think about what Jesus is saying. The gates of Hades implies that Hades is static, not moving, that it is truly a dead place, a place of stagnation. It has gates and thus it cannot move, nor be moved, but must stay where it is. Hades will not improve or live. It isn’t meant to improve, but just rot. Anything that stays in one place too long tends to rot and wither, and thus you have a vision of Hades, eternal rot and death within the walls.
But the church is built on a rock. In ancient times, rocks were the projectiles of choice used to break down city walls. With the Church being built on the Rock, we are called to break down walls of stagnation and death, to roll through hate and oppression. The church is supposed to be a movement to help people know Christ, not a fortress to keep people out.
This call, and the Great Commission reminds us that we are called to move. The Church is a place of dynamic work, not stagnating death and we, who are on the rock, are called to knock down those gates, for they cannot and will not prevail.
The Church in Christ is what Rocks the world.
Amen
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Hope, Patience, Prayer
Romans 12:12 (Contemporary English Version)
12Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.
I once listened to a motivational tape by Zig Ziglar. One of the comments that he made was ,”if you have hope in the future then you have power in the present”. This is a truth that is often overlooked by the church and feared by a sinful world. For you see, hope allows us to see that our current situation is temporary. We can be patient in time of trouble because we have hope in a future hapiness.
In Christ, we are given hope through a bloody cross and an empty tomb. Our God ended our fear of death, and for the world, that is the only fear it can truly hold over us. Hope is what let us see the end of death and the beginning of true life. Hope is what allows us to continue on, even in the face of the impossible.
But hope cannot do it all alone, it also takes something else. Communication with the giver of hope is essential in feeling hope in our lives. Prayer is that communication with God that strengthens us and assures us that we can make it through troubling times. Jesus taught us to pray, and showed us that talking with the Father is absolutely essential in our walk of faith. If we do not talk with God, then we tend to listen to the world and its message of death.
Prayer is the key to life, because through prayer, we know hope, and with hope is the power to be patient in times of trouble. What this country needs, and what we need is deliberate, focused, purposeful time with the Master, in essence prayer.
Amen
12Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.
I once listened to a motivational tape by Zig Ziglar. One of the comments that he made was ,”if you have hope in the future then you have power in the present”. This is a truth that is often overlooked by the church and feared by a sinful world. For you see, hope allows us to see that our current situation is temporary. We can be patient in time of trouble because we have hope in a future hapiness.
In Christ, we are given hope through a bloody cross and an empty tomb. Our God ended our fear of death, and for the world, that is the only fear it can truly hold over us. Hope is what let us see the end of death and the beginning of true life. Hope is what allows us to continue on, even in the face of the impossible.
But hope cannot do it all alone, it also takes something else. Communication with the giver of hope is essential in feeling hope in our lives. Prayer is that communication with God that strengthens us and assures us that we can make it through troubling times. Jesus taught us to pray, and showed us that talking with the Father is absolutely essential in our walk of faith. If we do not talk with God, then we tend to listen to the world and its message of death.
Prayer is the key to life, because through prayer, we know hope, and with hope is the power to be patient in times of trouble. What this country needs, and what we need is deliberate, focused, purposeful time with the Master, in essence prayer.
Amen
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Not Enough?
PK’s Corner April 2011
Matthew 14:18 “Bring them here to me.” (HCSB)
The feeding of 5000 people with just 5 loaves and 2 fish is truly a remarkable feat. It is even more remarkable when we realize that they only counted the males of the group. Truly this is a miracle of enormous proportions.
But, the one thing I have learned in my Christian journey is God does not work in a vacuum. There was a teaching here, and all too often we miss it. This small lunch was not enough to feed more than one person. It was so small, the disciples were almost apologetic in when they brought it too Jesus. But Jesus knew better. He knew that something great can come out of something small.
God can take our weakness and turn it into the greatest of strengths. God is glorified when we give God everything, including what we consider small and worthless. The greater gift in the temple was the widow’s mite, not the overflowing bags of gold. The one lamb was more important than the flock, the broken prodigal meant more than all the servants, and yes the fish were more filling than all the burgers money could buy.
When we give with all we have, when we give up everything , that is when God is glorified. The boy gave out of his poverty, the widow gave her last two coins, the Syrian woman, her last ounce of dignity and Jesus gave his last drop of blood.
All these gifts, given even though there was nothing else, is the giving God desires, the letting go of all we hold dear.
Give God your all, not just your best, but you’re worst also, not just you joy, but your pain. Even if we think it is insignificant, God can turn it into Glory.
If you doubt that, look at what God did to an instrument of torture called the Cross.
Amen
Matthew 14:18 “Bring them here to me.” (HCSB)
The feeding of 5000 people with just 5 loaves and 2 fish is truly a remarkable feat. It is even more remarkable when we realize that they only counted the males of the group. Truly this is a miracle of enormous proportions.
But, the one thing I have learned in my Christian journey is God does not work in a vacuum. There was a teaching here, and all too often we miss it. This small lunch was not enough to feed more than one person. It was so small, the disciples were almost apologetic in when they brought it too Jesus. But Jesus knew better. He knew that something great can come out of something small.
God can take our weakness and turn it into the greatest of strengths. God is glorified when we give God everything, including what we consider small and worthless. The greater gift in the temple was the widow’s mite, not the overflowing bags of gold. The one lamb was more important than the flock, the broken prodigal meant more than all the servants, and yes the fish were more filling than all the burgers money could buy.
When we give with all we have, when we give up everything , that is when God is glorified. The boy gave out of his poverty, the widow gave her last two coins, the Syrian woman, her last ounce of dignity and Jesus gave his last drop of blood.
All these gifts, given even though there was nothing else, is the giving God desires, the letting go of all we hold dear.
Give God your all, not just your best, but you’re worst also, not just you joy, but your pain. Even if we think it is insignificant, God can turn it into Glory.
If you doubt that, look at what God did to an instrument of torture called the Cross.
Amen
Thursday, February 24, 2011
It is Written
PK’s Corner March 2011
Isaiah 49:16a “ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;”
“I will never forget you…” how many melodramatic movies have had that line. “I will never forget you…” are supposed to be words that bring comfort in a time of sorrow, and often they are a promise that is kept. But humans do tend to forget, and time heals wounds of the heart.
But imagine someone who wants to remember you so much that they are willing to carve you name in their hand. This is what God does; our name is in God’s hands. We can never be forgotten or forsaken because God knows us.
We are never alone. God holds us in the palm.
And if you think about, how did our name get engraved on God’s palm, could it be with a rusty spike at a place called Golgatha? Be assured, God never forgets God’s children. The question is, are you a child of God?
Amen
Isaiah 49:16a “ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;”
“I will never forget you…” how many melodramatic movies have had that line. “I will never forget you…” are supposed to be words that bring comfort in a time of sorrow, and often they are a promise that is kept. But humans do tend to forget, and time heals wounds of the heart.
But imagine someone who wants to remember you so much that they are willing to carve you name in their hand. This is what God does; our name is in God’s hands. We can never be forgotten or forsaken because God knows us.
We are never alone. God holds us in the palm.
And if you think about, how did our name get engraved on God’s palm, could it be with a rusty spike at a place called Golgatha? Be assured, God never forgets God’s children. The question is, are you a child of God?
Amen
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