Monthly Archives: December 2011

Benefits Of Christian Meditation

It doesn’t look like a hen sitting still… in one place… all day… is doing anything important, but a closer look proves she is providing her chicks warmth to ensure life.  The same is true of Christian meditation.  It may not look like anything is going on from the outside, but it is an important activity in order to know God better.

Consider the benefits and blessings of Christian mediations (Follow up from yesterday’s post).  These are some of the blessings that God grants (In His time and manner) as a result of meditating upon His Word…

He makes it easier to bear hardship and difficulty (1 Cor 10:12-13),

He strengthens us in the midst of life’s most difficult times (1 Peter 5:10),

Our hope is placed on the eternal God rather than this quickly passing life (Heb 11:24-26),

We learn contentment the world cannot take from us (1 Tim 6:6-10),

We perceive the brevity of life with a view to eternal things (1 Jn 2:17),

We are taught that choosing best over good is of tremendous value (Phil 1:9-11),

We learn that God plus nothing is better than all the riches this world can offer (Ps 84:10),

Our hearts are insulated from the evil one (Ja 4:7-8),

We learn to trust God without reservation no matter what we see around us (Pr 3:5),

We learn that life events are working for us a weight in glory that is better than we can imagine (Ro 8:18),

We learn that everything that happens to us is for our ultimate good… from God’s loving hand (Ro 8:28),

We come to know that nothing… absolutely nothing… can separate us from God (Ro 8:38-39).

These 12 things are but a miniscule scratching of the surface of the benefits of meditating on God’s Word.

Turn off the TV.  Put down the i-Pad.  Remove distractions from you… and meditate long upon God, His Word, and His works.

“Busy-ness” And Not Having Time To Eat

Our lives are no more busy than those who lived 2,000 years ago.  If you doubt this, consider what is written in Mark 6:31…

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, (Jesus) said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. (NIV)

Busy-ness and a hurried life has been around for thousands of years!  In my view, busy-ness is a tool of Satan to keep us from walking closely with God.  The result of busy-ness is that we have lost the art called Christian meditation.  Christian meditation is the ability to take a verse of Scripture… a Biblical truth… or a God-ward idea and muse upon it for a significant enough time so that we find food for the soul.

Work… ball practice… dance lessons… piano lessons… house work… studies… ball games… school… church (?)… go here… go there… do this… do that… hurry… wait… stop… go… all to the point that our substance is 10 miles wide and 1 inch deep.  We prefer sound bites to serious discussions on any topic… especially related to Christian doctrine.  And that is a shame…

Consider the following… dare I say… MEDITATE upon the following passages…

Josh 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Ps 1:2 His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Ps 4:4 Ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.

Ps 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Ps 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night…

Ps 77:12 I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Ps 119:15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Ps 119:55 I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law.

Ps 119:97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Ps 119:148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.

Ps 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.

2 Tim 2:7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

When The Light Goes On!

To see illustrated what it looks like when a person has a spiritual blind spot taken away by God, look at this  clip from Deal Or No Deal.  Amy showed this to me and I had to blog about it.  Afterward I have a couple of thoughts of spiritual nature…

Very much similar to this video… here are a few things to think about regarding God, Salvation, and Scripture:

No matter how hard WE try, until the light comes on IN a person… as a gift from God… they won’t/can’t/aren’t able to see, know, and understand the truth about themselves being a sinner in need of salvation.

No matter how obvious it may be to us, people can see the truth… hear the truth…  and THINK they understand when in reality THEY DON’T!

When God gives a person understanding about Jesus… afterward… they wonder how they could’ve ever missed it!

When helping a person to see and understand the Gospel, be patient.  When God reveals to them their need of salvation AND that it is only through Jesus Christ, it WILL happen.  Until then, you can’t do anything to bring it about!

For these reasons we pray for God to take away the blinders and open a person’s heart so that they do see the truth… turn from their sin… and trust Christ for salvation.

A Book You MUST Read

That’s a headdy bog post title… but I mean it.  I finished reading “The Life of God in the Soul of Man” by Henry Scougal last week (Click here).  This book has been in print over 300 years!  THAT is a testimony to it’s worth of reading.

Scougal (1650-1678) produced a number of works in his brief life while a pastor and professor of divinity at King’s College, Aberdeen. His greatest production is by consensus, The Life Of God In The Soul Of Man, which was originally written to a friend to explain Christianity and give spiritual counsel. This short treatise displays unusual perception and maturity for one so young. In fact, this work was almost universally well-spoken of by the leaders of the Great Awakening, including George Whitefield, who said he never really understood what true religion was till he had digested Scougal’s treatise.

In addition to his literary productions, Henry Scougal was also noted for his piety and his clear grasp of scripture, aided in turn by his proficiency in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, and some of the cognate oriental languages. Taken out of the world at the young age of twenty-eight by tuberculosis, perhaps the words preached at his funeral service most aptly characterize the man, for there it was declared of Henry Scougal that – “he truly lived much in a few years and died an old man in eight and twenty years.”

The Most Amazing Christmas Truth

THE most amazing thing about Christmas is called The Incarnation.  God became human.  That is THE most amazing meditation anyone can have on this day we call Christmas.  Think about it!

God the Son… with an eternal existence past… the Creator of the Universe… the One that holds all things together… the On that angels eternally worship… became a HUMAN BABY.

A baby… the most vulnerable and dependent of all creations.  A baby… that needed everything provided for him.  A baby… that cried, slept, woke up at odd hours, and had to be potty trained.  The Son of God Himself divested himself of deity somehow while retaining it completely in human form.  He became a human being… just like you and me.

God the Son… omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent… became a human being!  How?  I don’t know… but I do know why!  So that he could live the life I should have lived and died the death I should have died so that I could be vested with all His holiness and perfection (Which is true of every believer).  The imputation of Christ’s perfection is the reason a believer can enter the presence of God.

Through the incarnation, Jesus (Who was 100% God AND 100% human) He experienced ALL the things any human being would ever experience it… to the fullest.  The loss of a parent… stomach cramps… the joy of playing with friends… skint knees… poverty… being misunderstood… temptations of EVERY kind (Yet without sin… even in thought).

THIS is what puts me into a state of awe and wonder!  THIS is what even angels in heaven long to understand.  THIS is what is the greatest marvel… mystery… and miracle of all the ages.  The Incarnation… celebrated on the day we call Christmas… is the moment when GOD broke into history in a manner no one expected, but He had planned in eternity past, to save ever person who would believe.

Praise be to God!

Today In Bethlehem…

Luke 2:8-20

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying…

14  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

CLILCK HERE for Christmas Lord’s Supper meditation…

Note: The picture is of the traditional place in Bethlehm where Jesus was born.

Biggest Loser In Heaven

Some of you know I’ve lost some weight since July 20, 2010.  Three weeks ago I had lunch with a friend who hadn’t seen me in over a year.  It was cool watching him do double takes!  He kept saying, “Dude!  I can’t believe that’s you!”  (I have a spiritual point to make… just stay with me).  To Lose Weight do this:  1) Decrease caloric intake, 2) Increase Activity!  Simple… straight-forward… cheap (Walking & jogging).  That is from my “Health & Ministry” class in Seminary 25 years ago.

Bodily transformations are most easily seen on The Biggest Loser.  Check these out…

  The most recent biggest loser lost (I think) 220 pounds!  That got me thinking about heaven.  While I do believe we will know each other, I think there will be some shocking surprises when we finally see each other IN HEAVEN.  Let me explain…

On earth we are horribly ravaged by sin and it’s effects.  We have visible imperfections we’re all too aware of.  A slightly lazy eye… an unsightly mole… hair loss… one ear higher than the other… a disproportioned body… body mass… an eye that periodically twitches… fingers that tremble… wrinkles and scars (Those are all me).  Then there are imperfections that are not so easily seen at first glance… an odd sounding voice, character flaws, propensity toward melancholy, personality imperfections, pride, and things we do that get on people’s nerves (Me again).

But one day… OH what a great and marvelous day… ONE DAY we will all “Be changed!”  In more ways than just from flesh to spirit.  We will be like Jesus in all His glorious perfection!  The transformation will be absolutely complete in every conceivable way… and then some!  We will be our PERFECT selves, unmarred by sin, without so much as a single blemish or spot.  As will everyone else in heaven.

In heaven I imagine it will be 10,000 x 10,000 x 10,000 times what people say who knew us as a small child, then don’t see us until we’re in our 20s… “Oh my!  It IS you!  Wow have you changed a LOT!  Last time I saw you was when you were 5!  You are so handsome (Pretty).  If you hadn’t told me who you are I wouldn’t have recognized you!”

That day is coming… in heaven… for all who know Christ.  That day will be when all things will be made new (Perfect)!  On that day we will finally fulfill ALL that God intends us to be… FOREVER.

Really, Do You Want To Be Happy??

Really… do you want to be happy?  Do you want to have a joy that the worst tragedies in life cannot touch?  If so, honestly answer these questions first:

Are you willing to believe someone outside yourself as to what happiness, joy, and peace are?

Are you willing to follow what someone else tells you about how to attain happiness, joy, and peace?

Now… How much do you desire to be happy with inner joy and peace?

Do you desire them as much as you need to breathe…

Do you desire them as much as you need to eat in order to live…

If you answered the first two questions quickly… you haven’t thought on them deeply at all.  Also, until the second two statements are how much you are motivated toward happiness, joy, and peace… you will not attain them.  Assuming that you desire happiness, joy, and peace… AND that you are willing to concede a “yes” answer to the first two questions above… here are the answers you need to believe…

Your relationship to God through Jesus Christ must be the first all consuming desire of your life (Matthew 6:33)…

Glorifying God must be the number one priority and motivation for everything you do (1 Cor 10:31)…

Only when you desire God as much as you need to breathe and eat to live will you find what you seek (Matthew 5:6)…

Only when you desire godliness as much as you require water to live will you find what you seek (Col 3:3-4)…

Only when you are willing to die… literally… to know God in all His fullness through Jesus Christ will you find what you need (Luke 14:26-27).

Those thoughts aren’t mine… they are from the Lord.  They are what HE had decreed is the only way to being truely happy, joyful, and content.  The option is either follow His commands or don’t and as a result always be chasing rainbows.

Below is a video that is aimed at one kind of success… but the message applies to what is written above.  The difference is the world’s success versus REAL success…

Tebow- In Game Microphone

I played football.  I know what is said on the field.  I know what in game intenisty brings out in people through their words.  I’ve listened to other players who were “miked-up” during the game… and there were a LOT of bleeps.  Trust me… if just ONE time Tebow had said ANYTHING worthy of being bleeped out, it would be big news.  So try listening to Tim Tebow during a game (Against Chicago where they won in overtime).  Finally… you’ll hear what he prays on the field.

UPDATE: 12/20/11, 10:30 AM… Tebow Interview after loss to New England Sunday (CLICK HERE).  This is a well written and thoughtful article.

CLICK HERE for my previous post about Tim Tebow…

Pastor’s Pastors

Pastors have pastors.  Let me introduce some of mine to you.

Last Thursday Pam and I had dinner with three dear and precious pastor friends and their wives.  This group includes one Church of Christ pastor, one Non-denominational pastor, one PCA Presbyterian pastor, and me… a Southern Baptist pastor.  Now THAT is diversity!  Sadly, the leading senior member of our group and his wife aren’t in the picture…

We have sweet fellowship and love being in each other’s company.  There is a concern, care, and love for one another that time and distance does not affect.  The sight of my friends and the sound of their voices are comforting and pleasing.  Each encourages the other… there is a desire to linger and not part company… the major topic of discussion is God’s work in our lives and in those we’re called to serve as Shepherds.  We enjoy discussing joys we’ve found in Scripture and how God reveals Himself to us.  There is wweet fellowship indeed among us every time we’re together!

I met with my Pastor Friends every Thursday for about a year before I was called to serve Huffman Baptist in Birmingham.  We’d spend an hour or so listening to and encouraging each other.  We’d pray for our families… churches… and God’s glory in our ministries (This was thee sweetest part of our time together for me).  And the fellowship continued throughout the week as we kept in regular contact with each other.  The only thing I didn’t like about the group was that we had to part each other’s company too soon each Thursday.

God… thank you for sweet Christian fellowship.  It is a momentary slight preview of what heaven will be like which will last eternally.  Jim, Scott, and Mark… I love you guys!

Christmas Meditation 2011

Galatians 4:4-7

My theology of Christmas begins in Galatians 4:4-7…

“When the fullness of time had come…”  What does “fullness of time” mean?  How are we to understand what “the fullness of time” is?  I have a few thoughts to consider…

It means Jesus was born when GOD determined it was to happen.  It also means that GOD set the world stage into an order that was the perfect time for Jesus to be born!  GOD was massively involved in the event we refer to as Christmas… the time when Jesus was born.  For example…

Consider the unique time into which Jesus was born.  The Pax Romana (Peace of Rome).  The one time in world history when there was no war.  Ease of Travel as a result of the Pax Romana & their road system.  The widely spoken language of Greek.  Jesus was born at the exact time chosen by GOD.

“When the fullness of time had come… GOD…” We must keep the focus of Christmas where it should be… on God.  Primarily, God the Father.  GOD planned it… GOD willed it… GOD initiated it.  Christmas is 100% a GOD thing from beginning to end.

God was powerfully active in the events associated with Jesus’ birth as the prophets foretold: The Messiah’s (Jesus) birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), Slaughter of baby boys (Mt 2:16-18 with Jer 31:15), His name & office… Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace (Is 9:6-7) just to name a few…

God’s activity included fulfilling Malachi 3:5-6 thru Zechariah & Elizabeth’s child John (Lk 1:5-25).  God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin named Mary to tell her she would bear God’s child (Lk 1:26-38).  GOD sent another angel to Mary’s future husband Joseph in a dream telling him the child she was carrying was by the Holy Spirit & would be the Savior (Mt 1:18-25).

CLICK HERE to read the rest…

For The Hurting At Christmas

These are excellent thoughts from Thom Rainer…

I have watched and admired my son, Jess, and his wife, Rachel. They lost their son, Will, in February of this year. Their pain and grief are real and often intense, but they have leaned on Jesus Christ to give them comfort, strength, and hope.

As we enter this Christmas season, I am aware that their pain is often rekindled. They no doubt are grieving that their little boy will not be opening gifts. They will not see his wide-eyed excitement of the season. They hurt deeply.

They are not alone.

So Many Hurting

I hurt deeply for those who see empty places at their meals for Christmas. They so wish they could give gifts to those who are no longer here. The video at the end of this post is a powerful reminder of the grief that is so very real during this season.

I hurt for those who are struggling with serious physical problems this Christmas. I pray regularly for my brother, Sam, who recently had open-heart surgery. His recovery was well on its way, and then he suffered two strokes. This Christmas will be very different for him.

So many have serious physical problems. So many have loved ones who do.

So Many Needing Help

There are others who can’t buy gifts this season. They barely have the funds to buy food for their families. So many unemployed. So many struggling financially.

I hurt for those who have gone through the agony of a divorce. No matter what the circumstances, their Christmas will be so different and so lonely. My heart aches for their children who will have to split their holidays between two parents.

I hurt for the families of our men and women in the military who will not see their loved ones this Christmas. They will be without the physical presence of someone they love because that person is putting his or her life on the line for our country, and for you and me.

Similarly, many will not see other loved ones this Christmas because they are serving on the mission field. The cause of the gospel is their priority; but it doesn’t mean our missionaries and their families don’t feel the pain of loneliness during Christmas season.

So Many Struggling

I hurt for those who live under the dark cloud of depression. They don’t want the pain; but they often feel it more intensely during the holidays.

Indeed there are so many who are hurting and struggling. I could go on and on about the pain and suffering in this world, and how it is often exacerbated during the holiday season.

The Hope of the Gospel

I pray that those who are hurting will, somehow in the midst of their pain, see the hope of the gospel. I pray that they will see the eternal hope of the resurrection that followed Christ’s sacrifice on a bloody cross.

And I pray that many of us will be messengers of the hope of the gospel. Sometimes a kind word can make a world of difference to someone hurting. Sometimes we need to sacrifice our own comforts to give to others in need. Sometimes we need to sacrifice the convenience of our own holiday festivities to reach out to someone who is hurting.

On the back of our Christmas card this year, Nellie Jo and I included these words: “We give glory to God for the life and death of our grandson, William Thomas Rainer. His eternity is secure because of the work of the Savior whose birth we celebrate.”

In the midst of our own pain, we have the hope and promise of the gospel.  May we ever be messengers of that gospel to those who are hurting and need to see that hope.  Merry Christmas.  This Christmas season, I think I mean that more than ever.