10 July 2011
Spiritual Encouragement 2
Jul/15/11
“How are you doing?” “What are you feeling?” Kind friends often ask these questions trying to comfort someone in their time of loss, grieving, recovering from catastrophe. The truth is, not every emotion has a name. After the tornados, family members sorted through debris grieving the future they have lost. Moments of anger at the ravages on this planet, mix with the grayness of doom. “Can I survive this?” “Will I have the strength to go on?” Even believers find they are wordless when trying to pray.
That’s OK. Our tender Father has a provision for that. The Holy Spirit, who communicates clearly with our Father, and who is in us in our loss, provides a vocabulary of groanings that bridge the gap. Our emotion needs no name. Our Father still feels with us.
Podcast
That’s OK. Our tender Father has a provision for that. The Holy Spirit, who communicates clearly with our Father, and who is in us in our loss, provides a vocabulary of groanings that bridge the gap. Our emotion needs no name. Our Father still feels with us.
Podcast
Spiritual Encouragement
Jul/14/11
Our widows support group invited a panel of young adult children to come to our event. These young adults had all lost their Dads when they were children. Our new young widows wanted to learn from them. What were their sources of strength? What were there challenges? We all need wisdom. They could help.
They agreed to one issue that had been painful and hurtful to them all: Badly timed spiritual encouragement.
Telling a young child at the church family picnic, “Aren’t you glad your Daddy’s in heaven with Jesus,” is cruel.
Quoting Romans 8:28 anytime near their loss? Once again, badly timed spiritual encouragement.
Remember there were times when Jesus kept silent. And times He simply wept--a good example for us all.
Podcast
They agreed to one issue that had been painful and hurtful to them all: Badly timed spiritual encouragement.
Telling a young child at the church family picnic, “Aren’t you glad your Daddy’s in heaven with Jesus,” is cruel.
Quoting Romans 8:28 anytime near their loss? Once again, badly timed spiritual encouragement.
Remember there were times when Jesus kept silent. And times He simply wept--a good example for us all.
Podcast
God’s Footstool
Jul/13/11
I’ve returned from Africa, my 7th trip there. The continent never ceases to amaze me. Packing to go, I was quite aware that I didn’t know what lay ahead. With every new country, there are views unlike any I’ve seen before. Flavored foods like none other, smells, music, and clothing unique to each area. While packing, I was reminded that this whole universe is simply God’s foot stool. What I’d see and experience would be no surprise to Him.
That reality meant peace in my soul as I packed for the unknown. I did’t know the country. But I know Him. I did’t know this adventure’s surprises. But He knows ME and equiped me for whatever each day brought. And its good to be home.
Podcast
That reality meant peace in my soul as I packed for the unknown. I did’t know the country. But I know Him. I did’t know this adventure’s surprises. But He knows ME and equiped me for whatever each day brought. And its good to be home.
Podcast
God Has A Dream
Jul/12/11
God has a dream. He revealed it in James 1:27. Quoting the Common English Bible, it reads, “True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us.”
To fulfill God’s dream, those of us who are Christ followers would demonstrate by helping the voiceless in their bad times, times of crisis, grief and poverty. That care goes a long way in preventing the world from contaminating us.
We realize that the world’s way is to ignore at best and exploit at worst--a stark contrast to the dream of God’s heart. We see those who are compassionate when its easy. And those who are living God’s dream.
Podcast
To fulfill God’s dream, those of us who are Christ followers would demonstrate by helping the voiceless in their bad times, times of crisis, grief and poverty. That care goes a long way in preventing the world from contaminating us.
We realize that the world’s way is to ignore at best and exploit at worst--a stark contrast to the dream of God’s heart. We see those who are compassionate when its easy. And those who are living God’s dream.
Podcast
Opening Your Heart
Jul/11/11
Opening your heart is not for the faint of heart. If you doubt this, get to know a family with adopted children. Get to know a family who have adopted children from diverse cultures or races different from their own.
They can tell you of the times their hearts have broken. When their love was not enough to fill the hole in their child’s heart. When the world’s bias and unkindness was beyond what they could control. When the damage was beyond their fixing.
You can help. Don’t ask them, “Is that your real child.” (I’m tempted to answer, “No, its my plastic one.”) Our humor gets a little crazy, of necessity.
Read Scripture that tells us that heavens population will be multicolored and multicultural.
The blessings of an open heart are huge.
Podcast
They can tell you of the times their hearts have broken. When their love was not enough to fill the hole in their child’s heart. When the world’s bias and unkindness was beyond what they could control. When the damage was beyond their fixing.
You can help. Don’t ask them, “Is that your real child.” (I’m tempted to answer, “No, its my plastic one.”) Our humor gets a little crazy, of necessity.
Read Scripture that tells us that heavens population will be multicolored and multicultural.
The blessings of an open heart are huge.
Podcast