Christianity At It's Finest

He walks into church on his tip-ties, one hand in his father's and fingers from the other hand shoved in his mouth.  He is a cute little blonde that we see always smiling, always hugging.    He wants to be with his daddy, whom he adores.  He has a wide forehead, a flatten nose and deep set eyes.  He appears to be calm and a happy child.   His name is Carson and he goes to my church.  He has a rare genetic problem, Smith Magenis Syndrome. 

With two older brothers and a younger sister, he is a force to be reckoned with.  He wants to do what his sister, two years is younger does.  He tries to speak, and does get a few words out, though not a conversationalist.  Carson's ability to communicate is limited.  This syndrome affects his sleep, his learning abilities, and may cause hearing loss as he grows older.  But Carson keeps going on, and so does his family.  His mom doesn't let us see what happens at home, too much.  Carson is like the energizer bunny that never quiets.  He can quickly get in to anything just in the three minutes she leaves the room to take a bathroom break.  She has three other children that need her attention too.  Her husband is there as much as a working father can be, but a lot of dealing with Carson and the others fall on her.  But, this weekend is about Carson.

Our church held a benefit for his mounting medical bills.  Until the insurance catches up and certain things are decided, it is scary to think what they have to endure.  The benefit was tonight as an auction.  Several community businesses, people from our church, and all over to help this family out.  It was Christianity at it's finest.  Bids were made, friendly banter exchanged, and the love for one family, for one little boy has been felt.  This is what God wants us to do.  Help those who can not help themselves.  Take care of those who need and accept it.  Our minister, who is also Carson's grandfather always goes to the song, "Little Is Much When God is In It."  Have you seen a little do great big things because God blessed it?   Praise God and thank him for his blessings.

Be the Doorman!

I am so uplifted by Psalm 84 today!  Yesterday was my birthday and I was crazy busy from the time I woke up, until I sat down on my couch at 8:30 last night.  I think I was asleep by 9:30.  Good thing I DVR'd CSI.

After that last few Psalms of crying out to God, this one is all praise to him.  I know of songs that were wrote because of inspiration of this chapter and I love that.  Another Bible verse or two, I can say I know. 

I love the tenth verse.  I would rather be the doorman for God's house, than a visitor in an evil man's tents.  That is so true.  To be the lowest on the totem pole in heaven is still better than climbing the ladder of deceit.

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,
   LORD Almighty!
² My soul yearns, even faints,
   for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
   for the living God.
³ Even the sparrow has found a home,
   and the swallow a nest for herself,
   where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
   LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
   they are ever praising you.
 ⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
   whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
   they make it a place of springs;
   the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength,
   till each appears before God in Zion.
 ⁸ Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty;
   listen to me, God of Jacob.
⁹ Look on our shield, O God;
   look with favor on your anointed one.
 ¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
   than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
   than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
   the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
   from those whose walk is blameless.
 ¹² LORD Almighty,
   blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Revenge, is it so sweet?

When I was little, I am sure that when another child took my toy, I tried to take it back.  As a pre-teen, I would scheme ways to get back at all those kids who hurt my feelings, made me mad and upset me.  Revenge, on paper, seems to always give a purpose when in the planning stages.  You can feel the satisfaction of how the other person should react, and in your minds eye, it is the perfect plan.  But, how far do you actually take it? 

Revenge is like most everything else.  It sounds good on paper, but when you actually follow through with the plan, it leaves you empty.  You have the weight of the shame and guilt on your shoulders like a heavy blanket.  Plus, it usually doesn't make the person you took the revenge on look at you in the same light.  I am not one who honestly likes or plots revenge.  I do not spend a lot of time thinking on what to do to get back at someone.  It's not in my DNA, I think.  Now, as an adult, I have better things to do than worry about how to avenge myself.  some of you may call this a flaw.  That I let people step all over me and take advantage of me.  I have never thought of it as being taken advantage of.  If I had a problem with that, I would speak up.  They say I am too nice.  I say it is less effort to be nice to someone than fight them on it. 

As I was reading Psalm 83, this was the thoughts that came to my mind.  God needs to be the avenger, not us.



 ¹ O God, do not remain silent;
   do not turn a deaf ear,
   do not stand aloof, O God.
² See how your enemies growl,
   how your foes rear their heads.
³ With cunning they conspire against your people;
   they plot against those you cherish.
⁴ “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
   so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
 ⁵ With one mind they plot together;
   they form an alliance against you—
⁶ the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
   of Moab and the Hagrites,
⁷ Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
   Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
⁸ Even Assyria has joined them
   to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
 ⁹ Do to them as you did to Midian,
   as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
¹⁰ who perished at Endor
   and became like dung on the ground.
¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
   all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
¹² who said, “Let us take possession
   of the pasturelands of God.”
 ¹³ Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
   like chaff before the wind.
¹⁴ As fire consumes the forest
   or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
¹⁵ so pursue them with your tempest
   and terrify them with your storm.
¹⁶ Cover their faces with shame, LORD,
   so that they will seek your name.
 ¹⁷ May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
   may they perish in disgrace.
¹⁸ Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
   that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

"The 'gods' know nothing..."

Psalm 82

 ¹ God presides in the great assembly;
   he renders judgment among the “gods”:
 ² “How long will you defend the unjust
   and show partiality to the wicked?
³ Defend the weak and the fatherless;
   uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
⁴ Rescue the weak and the needy;
   deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
 ⁵ “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.
   They walk about in darkness;
   all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
 ⁶ “I said, ‘You are “gods”;
   you are all sons of the Most High.’
⁷ But you will die like mere mortals;
   you will fall like every other ruler.”
 ⁸ Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
   for all the nations are your inheritance. 

When I read this Psalm, my first thought was toward the Libyan leader,  Moammar Gadhafi.  Now normally, I wouldn't give him much thought.  But with all the unrest in the  Middle East and his country is at the for front of the news right now.  He said in a speech, today, that his country wants glory and that he wants to be a marytr.  He describes the protesters in Tripoli, Libya as misguide youth that have been given drugs and money to attack the government buildings and police.   He goes on to say, "You men and women who love Gadhafi ... get out of your homes and fill the streets," he said. "Leave your homes and attack them in their lairs."

God tells us that these 'gods' know nothing.  They will die just like you and me.  They are no better than us.  Our one true God will judge them as he will judge the earth.  Pray for our brothers and sisters that are in the Middle East.

It's that easy...

Some days it is just hard to concentrate.  Some days, all you want to do is tune out everything.  We are all good at hearing only what we want to hear, and not paying attention to anything else.  Our minister says that God gave you two ears to hear and one mouth to speak, so you should do twice as much listening as you do speaking.  Sometimes, if you would only listen and hear what was being said, conflicts would be squelched, miscommunications would be at a minimum and God's promises would reign.

In Psalm 81, God promises that if his people (us) would listen to him and follow him, he would take care of their enemies and he would take care of their needs.  Would that be wonderful?  God taking care of everything we need and will satisfy us if only we simply listen.  It is that easy.  God doesn't ask us to do hard things.  Listening is one of the most simple things we can do for anyone.  I just had a co-worker come to me and tell me about her weekend.  She got some sad news.  She didn't ask for my advice, she just wanted someone to listen for a bit.  God just wants the same.  He wants us to really listen, with both ears.  He wants us to take in his commands obey them, and he will give us what we need.  How simple is that?


Psalm 81

¹¹ “But my people would not listen to me;
   Israel would not submit to me.
¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
   to follow their own devices.
 ¹³ “If my people would only listen to me,
   if Israel would only follow my ways,
¹⁴ how quickly I would subdue their enemies
   and turn my hand against their foes!
¹⁵ Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him,
   and their punishment would last forever.
¹⁶ But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
   with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Shine On Us

In this section of the book of Psalms, we are going through a series of prayers.  The people feel that God has abandoned them.  God never abandons you.  He may step back and let you do your own thing to teach you a lesson, but He won't ever leave you or forsake you.  Jesus tells us that.  Some of these prayers are depressing.  But this one, chapter 80, is not as sad.  As with a lot of the hymns, this one was made into a song.  I like the verse that is repeated throughout this chapter several times.  I call it the chorus.  It is found as verse three, verse seven and verse nineteen.  Those three verses bring hope.  All God has to do is look at you and you may be saved, if you are willing.

 ⁷ Restore us, God Almighty;
   make your face shine on us,
   that we may be saved.

Our God

In Psalm 79, the verse that stays with me is the last verse.  And below the verse is a song that I hope we will be singing very soon in church.  This is how I want to praise God!

Psalm 79
¹³ Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
   will praise you forever;
from generation to generation
   we will proclaim your praise.
Our God
Written and Sung by Chris Tomlin
 
Water you turned into wine, opened the eyes of the blind there's no one like you none like You!
Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
What could stand against.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
Then what could stand against.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!