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The Musings of a Stubborn Believer

Category: thoughts (page 3 of 4)

Character…

June 8, 2010 / / 1 Comment
Isaiah 3
First comes the seed, then comes the harvest. Once a seed is planted, no amount of sun, or rain, or fertilizer can change the fruit it will ultimately bear. If you want a different crop, the seed itself must be replaced…
Thus it is with our thoughts. First comes the thought, then comes the character. When fostered, no amount of pretending, and no external circumstances can change the fruit it will ultimately bear. If you want a different character, the thought must be replaced…
“Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them. For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” Isaiah 3:10 

A Little Secret…

June 6, 2010 / / 0 Comments
I love misty late-spring mornings.
Maybe it’s because God hides behind mist when He reveals His glory… Or maybe it’s because on such mornings, everything heavy and oppressive is driven away, and nature sings its sweetest melody. Or maybe it’s because the mist makes things grow…
Whatever the case, I’m really drawn. And never does such a morning pass without awakening in me an extra special desire to grow myself. 
Welcome “100 days of Summer.” 
Not the State Police’s vigorous seatbelt/DWI/speeding enforcement initiative, but just a tad bit like it. They set their summer goals and then get extra serious about their jobs during the busy season, and their efforts pay off in decreased accidents and crime. Now what if Christians set tangible goals for growth and service, and then got extra serious about doing their little part, and praying for the rest? Just for 100 days… Do you think it might pay off?
I’ve got a little secret. It would.
I know, because I (along with some of my nearest and dearest) did “100 days of Spring.” 
So join us if you will… Pray about what God wants you to accomplish this summer, and put it on paper. Then work. Check your progress every day. Pray like you’ve never prayed before, and then share your story with someone…
_________________________
That was just the preface. I wanted to tell you what I learned this morning… 🙂
What is about to follow (tomorrow, and the next day, and the next) is a series of posts on my favorite Old Testament book. Since today is day 1, I read chapter 1. Tomorrow, I’ll read chapter 2. Perhaps you’ll read it too, and tell me what strikes you… Even if it is just three words. 🙂 I’ll try to post every day, unless I’m somewhere where neither iPad nor Blackberry have access to the outside world. 
Ok, so here goes… (I love this!)
(Next Post)

No Compromise.

June 6, 2010 / / 0 Comments
Isaiah 1
Judah is a mess… The Lord Himself cries over His chosen ones. 
Brute beasts know their masters, but these people, a peculiar, royal generation, have lost face recognition. They were holy, now they are profane…
It wasn’t always that way though… Verse 21 says this harlot was once called faithful. This den of murder was once a throne of righteous justice. Their vaults and treasuries now filled with dross once contained real silver…
And how did it happen? 
Compromise.
I just have one thought this morning… A thought proven true over and over again by history, and by far too many people I love.
Compromise costs. 
If it takes nothing else, it will cost you your discernment…
And what more can you lose?

Miracles…

April 29, 2010 / / 2 Comments
I have a question.
This one thanks to a dear friend who challenged me to fall asleep last night thinking about Jesus, and miracles…

Jesus spared Himself no pains while He was here, to relieve the sufferings of humanity. And He spares no pains today to relieve the sufferings of sinners. To me, miracles are one of the ways He says “I love you” most profoundly. They are proof of His power, proof of His authority, proof of His fidelity and infinity… 
Gifts of Grace. 

But have you ever stopped to ask yourself if miracles cost Him anything?
–If the gift of life He gave back to Jairus’ daughter, or the widow’s son, was in fact a measure of His own?
Eternal and Creative as He is after all, it seems like He could give without losing. But is that giving?
Maybe He always filled others by pouring out Himself. 
And maybe… He still does. 

You think?

The Price of Liberty

March 21, 2010 / / 2 Comments
Perhaps I shouldn’t wait to post until I feel like I’ll have time to write to my heart’s content… That wont happen any time soon.
So here’s a short thought from my morning…
______________________
Liberty is a costly commodity. If it’s free to anyone, it’s because someone else paid a high price.
Thanks be to God, Someone did…


1 Corinthians 15:57

Triumphant Tale

February 18, 2010 / / 4 Comments

If you want to read a triumphant tale, read Isaiah 29.
It starts out pretty depressing… Woe to David’s city, woe to it’s inhabitants!
Workers of iniquity, blind eyes, thirsting lips, empty souls…
Her enemies, many. Her walls, rubble.
Her prophets, deaf and dumb… Their prophecies, null.
Heads spinning, feet staggering, and hearts far away…
But then comes verse 17.
And it’s as if the prophet lifts his eyes from the here and now, and sees the gleams of a golden morning.
The deaf will hear, the blind will see…
And the darkness? Gone… gone!
Oh, dear child of the Highest… Lift up your eyes.
Behold the morning!
There’s always one coming, you know. It matters not how dark and cold the night. No night has ever been so dark that morning could not come. And no morning has ever been delayed even a second past its appointed time.
We just need to see through darkness.
And want more good news?
The night is always followed by the morning… But the morning will not always be followed by night.
Light will win in the end…

Forgotten…

November 3, 2009 / / 3 Comments

For as long as I can remember, I’ve prayed a prayer something like this:


“Oh, cover me with the shadow of Your wings… I want my self to be hidden. I want people to see You in me…”
A worthy prayer, it seems… Indeed, I still pray it. But lately I’ve been thinking, and I’ve changed the wording just a little bit…
I want nothing more than to come to the end of my day (every day), and have the assurance that someone, somewhere, loves Jesus more because I lived that day. When I have that assurance, no day is too dark to be worth living…
But there’s only one way to accomplish that. Ask for His eyes, His heart, His love, His life…
Be His ambassador. Don’t be afraid of sacrifice. Forget yourself…
Ahh! but see, there it is! Forget… Wouldn’t you rather be a Christian who forgets himself completely in the presence of his God, rather than one who walks through life toting self all around town in a suitcase, hidden all nicely, but available in case of dire extremity? I sure would…
That’s why I changed my prayer–
“Cover me with the shadow of Your wings… I want my self to be forgotten… “

Forever

October 19, 2009 / / 1 Comment

“Till heaven and earth pass away” and then beyond… His righteousness will remain.

It shall forever be to His children a source of strength, and an eternal safeguard.
Like a mountain unmovable is our God…
We cannot rise without Him underneath us; He cannot lift us without our consent.
Get up and climb…
He will never give out on you.

You are the salt… Yes, you.

October 15, 2009 / / 0 Comments
I’m not sure about you, but there have been few kitchen crises more memorable to me than the times we’ve run entirely out of salt… (Living 2 hours from Wal Mart does have it’s disadvantages…)
Well, life without love is like food without salt. Only, you and I are the salt.
Salt does lots of things, a few jump out at me this morning…
Salt is an intensifier…
Without it, porridge is not as tasty, candy is not as sweet, bread tastes empty, potatoes, tofu, & rice… blah! But add a little, and all the best comes alive…
That’s our job. By our influence the best should be brought out in people. We should be intensifiers (advocates, proponents) of every sweet, and pure, and holy, and beautiful thing. Jesus was…
Everything salt touches, changes…
That’s power! And that’s our job too. Leave no spot untouched for the kingdom of Heaven… And when we are His hands, what we touch, His Spirit will change.
And though it has no heat of it’s own, it melts ice…
Oh, I love this one. Sweet Jesus, use me! I have nothing worthy of my own, even to give to You… How then can it be that you will use little me to break hearts of stone, and melt the strongest, coldest, blackest lie…?
Ahh, the mystery of Love! Thy ways are too high for me…
Thanks for loving me. I love You too…

Never Question Love… He knows what He’s doing.

January 6, 2009 / / 0 Comments
I learned something this morning… 
A simple truth – and one it would do us well to remember.
Never has a bitter cup been put to our lips, before Christ our Savior has taken to His own, and drunk the greater half…
Never tell me He doesn’t understand. 
And never question Love… He knows what He’s doing.
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