Posts filed under General
Beheadings and the Christian Conscience
With more and more violent persecutions being committed against Americans and Christians by Islamic militants (not to mention Hindu radicals or North Korean atheists), we western Christians are being forced to deal with matters we'd prefer to ignore or not think of often.
Warriors Unite!
Unity . . . A Two-Sided Coin
So, it is late...my typing stinks at all hours of the day...and I am blurry visioned. So, why you writing this then Lori...( I heard you ask me that.) Well, I have has this on my mind since Pastor Keith preached today. So, you can blame your pastor for this late night blog. (Great big hehe there).
Now, here is my thinkin. Luke 23:12 talks of a very unholy alliance..a unity that went beyond jealousy, envy, power struggles, race differences, common hatred. It talks about a unity of two, based solely on their mutual cowardice..their mutual small characters. .their mutual disregard for Jesus.
Luke 23:12 says these men, (Pilate and Herod) who had been enemies before this day, were now fast, united friends. Really...really...are you kiddin me? Two men who hated each other...jealous, envious, and after their own glory, united as one...how did that happen? Well, it is simple really. Misery loves company. These two men were called upon to do the right thing..be men of honor. ..men who could have and should have saved an innocent man's life on that ordained day. They could have taken the hard road and chosen Jesus...but they were cowards and gave him over to die. This immediately bound them together. This stand against Jesus...this stand against right..this stand against holiness bound them together like stink on a dog (ummm..cliff says something like that but he is asleep so...that is the best I got). Anyway, that led me to thinking. Do we do that? Why, yes we do. How many times in our sin do we turn from the people in community who are loving us enough to warn us about our sin..loving us enough to hold us accountable for our sin...and who do we turn to? Well, usually to someone who believes the way we do. We turn to those who "get us." We turn to those who "know what it is like." We turn to those who don't make us feel bad like, well, those holier than thou people. I have seen this in people who have left the church under discipline. They group up like minions in the "I hate CBC army" and talk about their woes and all that is wrong with that place. Boy, I would love to camp out at Herod...Pilate... and All the people under discipline's doorstep ..but the hard truth is I am guilty if this too. I hate the truth about my sin. I want other women to affirm me in it, so often, when I am confronted, I just go find new best friends. Friends who know how to walk on eggshells without cracking them...friends who understand that if you say anything I do not agree with (who cares if its in the Bible) well, I won't play with you anymore. God forgive me for that. Today, I was sick because I could identify so well with these two scoundrels. Oh my word Lori...grow up in Jesus. Just because the natural is that misery loves company of like minds does not mean I have to go along. I can beg God to transform me and help me not conform to flesh. How about you? Are you united to another for the purpose of the glory of God? Are you united to those consumed by him and aching for his holiness? Or...are you uniting yourself with those whose sin makes your sin ok? Are you united with those who have chosen something over Jesus, just like you? Are you seeking out relationships that point you to Jesus or relationships that point out how right and good you are?
Are Essential Oils Essential?
I have gout. All good preachers do. C. H. Spurgeon had it. John Calvin had it. I rest my case.
Faithful Until the End
Every time I turn the news on or pick up a paper or get on facebook (cause we all know everything posted on facebook is true for sure) I see accounts of Christians around the world who are being mocked, jeered at, tortured, beaten and killed for their faith. My heart is heavy for them and their families. I do not and cannot imagine their great sorrow or sacrifice.
Courage - Then and Now
June 6, 1944. D-Day.
Women and Their Homes
Proverbs 14:1...a wise woman builds her home but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
Why Do We Say, "Happy Memorial Day?"
Hundreds of thousands of mostly men, and some women, have died in combat on behalf of the United States of America. And, many brave men risked their lives and fortunes just to even try this experiment in world history that we call "America."
Survival Mode in the Wilderness
I am living in what I call survival mode right now. Struggling with losing a daughter to marriage...struggling to stay connected to my husband after 29 years of marriage...struggling with feelings of failure and loss that I cannot find words for. So...I am just sitting in the desert...waiting. I am waiting for the manna from heaven...for the drink of water from the well of life...waiting to not feel strangled and without air...to be able to draw a full breath without my heart breaking. The wilderness is unmapped, unknown. I do not care for it...but I do trust the God who created the wilderness just like he did the sky...ocean...forest. I trust that if he created the wilderness.....he is in charge of it. I know that he has not left me nor forsaken me...even if I cannot feel him around me. I am waiting then on him. I choose not to trust my feelings...not to trust what is in front of me...not to trust my circumstances..but to trust in the great I AM...my precious Savior who has never forsaken me. He is with me..he is working all things to my good. He is busily conforming me to the image of his son. I choose to trust Him instead of me. I am sure that he who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. He will continue to support me...to love me...to grow me. He is faithful and I am thankful.
And the Grammy Goes To . . .
Apparently Americans are no longer free to get up and walk out on a performance or awards show or speech without being accused of all sorts of crazy vile things. (Funny thing, I have people get up and walk out while I'm preaching nearly every Sunday. Some return. Others stay gone. But nobody is accusing them of crazy vile things.)