For anybody who has children, you know that a drink bought at your local fast food restaurant can be so much more than a once and done, especially if it is a Styrofoam or plastic cup. It can be a water bottle when times are tight and the kids are thirsty. If you were extremely parched when you ordered your drink it can serve as a trash can to stuff as full as you can with all the trash that seems to end up on the van floor. In a pinch it can even serve as a portapotty when your options are limited. That is where this story begins.
There is a resort in our area that has decided that in the slow season, that is when people are not getting out to play as much golf or play on the lake, also known as November and December, they were just not making enough money. They decided some years ago to start offering residents in the area a night of lights that was to be magical. At first this was a great thing that set you back about ten or fifteen dollars per vehicle, twenty years later and you better put in some overtime, or know some magical trick if you want your family to have that night of lights experience. We have been twice, both times because God graciously placed someone in our path with an extra pass and the desire to share it with someone.
This experience involves I don't know how many million lights along a three or four mile long route around the resort property. With six kids in the car it does not matter how many times they went potty before we left the house, those five words will be incessantly chanted until the issue has been resolved, "I have to go potty". With hundreds of cars being dazzled at any given moment on this magical night pulling over and running to the tree line is just not happening. Enter the empty cup from the moms iced coffee the night before, dad in the drivers seat unaware of the back seat goings on mind you, because the twelve days of Christmas played out in 100,000 lights can be mind boggling. So when I hear the words here dad and feel something being handed to me over my shoulder I don't give it too much thought. Then it happened, suddenly my side and leg were warm and wet all at once! "Oops" comes a voice from right behind me.
My first thought is not, as I assume yours would not be (if you are being honest with me), to look at my son and say hey aren't all these lights really cool, or what are we going to do when we leave here. No at best your coming with something like what in the world was that or I think I said, "please tell me that was not what I think it was". Then I remember the question my wiser, more patient, better half always ask me, "is that how God deals with you when you make a mistake?", and I say, "it's OK buddy, I know you didn't mean to". God's grace is so, not to sound too cliche', amazing. He is so patient with us and He never freaks out when we do something to let Him down or make Him look bad. He just says "forgiven". He holds out that big strong hands and says come to Me. As parents, and especially as dad's, it is our job to model that to our children, and I pray every day that God will develop that un-natural response in me.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Enemies
Proverbs 25:21-22 says "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.". Jesus goes on to elaborate on this subject in Matthew 5:43-48.
I think as we celebrate this advent season and the arrival of Emmanuel, as well as throughout the rest of the year, this verse is so very relevant to those of us who are committed to following Christ. For most of us this time of year inspires feelings of sharing and generosity and putting our best foot forward. We are boldly wearing our faith and that means that people are watching us and waiting for us to crack so they can have a reason to call us a hypocrite or a Pharisee, so we work hard to not let them have that pleasure. We even go out of our way to help the homeless or the underprivileged around us. But how often do you consider your enemies?
First lets consider, who is your enemy? Strong's defines enemy as it is used in this verse as from the Hebrew word pronounced "saw-nay'; to hate (personally): enemy, foe, hate". Those are some pretty strong words, but then again so is the word enemy. When Christ expressed this same idea in Matthew 5, the word he used for enemy was from the Greek word pronounced ekh-thros' which refers to an adversary. Well I can think of plenty of people that fall into that category without even leaving my street, much less my city, state or country. When we think of an adversary that is simply put an opponent.
What is an opponent? Well that's easy, it is someone who opposes you in something. If you are a Christian and you don't have anybody opposing you then you must either never leave your house or you live in a perfect world that the rest of us have not yet discovered. So, that being said, what happens when your co-workers think your too extreme? What about when a family member tramples your spirit? What about the clerk at the grocery store that goes out of their way to remind you that they don't agree with your viewpoint? Is your first response to lash out at them and pray for God to do that cool smiting trick He pulled on Sodom and Gomorrah?
It's in these times that we have to remember these verses and the instructions the writer in Proverbs and Jesus give us. The reason I think this time of years is such an excellent time to put these verses into action is because we're already in a spirit of giving and loving our fellow man, and others regardless of their worldview, love getting gifts, especially at this time of year. So today, and throughout the year, look for ways to bless those "enemies" you encounter everyday, bake them some cookies, look for a need and meet it, pray for them or with them. At the very least you might brighten their day, and you can know that you are honoring God by your actions toward them.
Consider this as you think about these things, if someone is an enemy, an opponent of yours, and you are simply following the Spirits lead in your life or in a particular matter then one of two things is probably true in that persons life; they are being convicted in that area and you are calling them out, or there is a past hurt or pain associated with the matter. They are not truly and enemy of you, but rather of the One that you have laid your life down to allow to live in you and through you.
Until next time,
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Marshall
I think as we celebrate this advent season and the arrival of Emmanuel, as well as throughout the rest of the year, this verse is so very relevant to those of us who are committed to following Christ. For most of us this time of year inspires feelings of sharing and generosity and putting our best foot forward. We are boldly wearing our faith and that means that people are watching us and waiting for us to crack so they can have a reason to call us a hypocrite or a Pharisee, so we work hard to not let them have that pleasure. We even go out of our way to help the homeless or the underprivileged around us. But how often do you consider your enemies?
First lets consider, who is your enemy? Strong's defines enemy as it is used in this verse as from the Hebrew word pronounced "saw-nay'; to hate (personally): enemy, foe, hate". Those are some pretty strong words, but then again so is the word enemy. When Christ expressed this same idea in Matthew 5, the word he used for enemy was from the Greek word pronounced ekh-thros' which refers to an adversary. Well I can think of plenty of people that fall into that category without even leaving my street, much less my city, state or country. When we think of an adversary that is simply put an opponent.
What is an opponent? Well that's easy, it is someone who opposes you in something. If you are a Christian and you don't have anybody opposing you then you must either never leave your house or you live in a perfect world that the rest of us have not yet discovered. So, that being said, what happens when your co-workers think your too extreme? What about when a family member tramples your spirit? What about the clerk at the grocery store that goes out of their way to remind you that they don't agree with your viewpoint? Is your first response to lash out at them and pray for God to do that cool smiting trick He pulled on Sodom and Gomorrah?
It's in these times that we have to remember these verses and the instructions the writer in Proverbs and Jesus give us. The reason I think this time of years is such an excellent time to put these verses into action is because we're already in a spirit of giving and loving our fellow man, and others regardless of their worldview, love getting gifts, especially at this time of year. So today, and throughout the year, look for ways to bless those "enemies" you encounter everyday, bake them some cookies, look for a need and meet it, pray for them or with them. At the very least you might brighten their day, and you can know that you are honoring God by your actions toward them.
Consider this as you think about these things, if someone is an enemy, an opponent of yours, and you are simply following the Spirits lead in your life or in a particular matter then one of two things is probably true in that persons life; they are being convicted in that area and you are calling them out, or there is a past hurt or pain associated with the matter. They are not truly and enemy of you, but rather of the One that you have laid your life down to allow to live in you and through you.
Until next time,
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Marshall
Purpose
Websters defines purpose as "intention" or "aim", with that in mind I guess the purpose of this blog would be to create a record of my thoughts and revelations I receive from God. It is also my hopes that through this written (and by written I mean typed on a keyboard) record, I can encourage others and help them to grow closer to their creator in the only relationship that really makes any difference at all. That you are still reading this at least means you are somewhere between not knowing God at all or in a full on relationship with Him. It also, hopefully, means that something I have said struck a chord with you for some reason. It may mean that you are just bored, and stumbled upon this page by accident. If that is the case, I hope that you will keep reading and that you will consider the things you read in these pages and that, in doing so you will come to understand why I said it is the only relationship that really makes any difference at all.
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