This morning, my Bible reading was from Matthew 23 and 24. There are several things about the "signs of the times" that interested me in Matthew 24, but I've just chosen the following passage as an example. I find it interesting that we all claim to believe that the return of Christ is near, that these are "last days" and that time on this earth is short, but I rarely, if ever, feel like I'm living that way. I feel like I'm shouting, "Hey, the robber's coming!" but I haven't even locked my own house down, so why would anyone take me seriously.
Matthew 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
I guess my discussion question for today is this: How do our daily lives reflect our convictions that hell is real, time on earth is brief, and people I see every day are in danger of spending eternity separated from Christ?
Monday, May 14, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Facing The Giants
So, I finally got around to watching the movie half my family is raving about, Facing the Giants. I expected it to be fully of cheesy acting and a predictable story line. And, it was. BUT, none of that stopped me from being completely moved to tears as the plot climaxed. You see, this movie isn't about a coach or a football team. It's about God, the invisible actor in the drama of all our lives, and the reason I think this movie works is that God plays Himself. The story is way too unbelieveable unless magnificent, sovereign God is the story writer, unless He truly is over and above all things, and the lessons of our lives: the football games, parental confrontations, opportunities for moral failure, longings to have children, and anything else that crosses our paths in a didactic manner are ultimately about our relationship with Him, His glory manifest in our lives. Then, and only then, is this one of the best films I've given my time to in a very long time.
My favorite scene takes place between Coach Taylor and the man who comes by the school each week to pray for the students by walking the halls and running his hand over their lockers, Mr. Bridges. Mr. Bridges tells Coach Taylor the story of two farmers who are both praying for rain. Even though both have prayed for rain, only one farmer goes out and prepares his land to receive the rain.
A couple of weeks ago, my attention was focused on I John 5:14-15 which says, "And this is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked of Him." So, as I look at my prayer list, at the things I most long to see the Lord accomplish in my life as well as in the lives of my loved ones, I ask myself, "If I know this is request is according to God's will, then how am I 'preparing for rain?'" How am I waiting, not just in anticipation, but with expectation?
A Few Things I Learned Last Night
2 Peter 1:3-5
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge ...
~> Faith is the foundation of godly character.
~> Until, I believe that God is who He says He is, and that He can and will do what He says He will do, I will never consistently choose goodnesss (moral excellence).
~> Faith is living in such a way that God is the greatest reality in my life. His voice is louder than any other contradicting temptation. When there is a choice to be made, I choose Him, His way, believing that He sees what is done in secret and rewards what nobody else even knows.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge ...
~> Faith is the foundation of godly character.
~> Until, I believe that God is who He says He is, and that He can and will do what He says He will do, I will never consistently choose goodnesss (moral excellence).
~> Faith is living in such a way that God is the greatest reality in my life. His voice is louder than any other contradicting temptation. When there is a choice to be made, I choose Him, His way, believing that He sees what is done in secret and rewards what nobody else even knows.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Tribute
So, I’m headed to a funeral in a couple of hours for a man who touched more lives than I think we could accurately count. Tom is one of the first people I remember meeting at PBC when we first started visiting there my 7th grade year. He had gray hair pulled back in a long ponytail, bright blue eyes that always seemed to twinkle with a secret, and a very mischievous laugh. He played the guitar and sang Rock ‘n Roll songs with Jesus lyrics. I thought he was crazy. Then, I met his wife, Brenda. She is sweet and kind, not easily flustered, and very wise. Their son and I were in the same class from 7th grade through 12th. Brenda discipled me when I was in the 8th grade, Tom taught a Bible study in their home and when their daughter, got to junior high, I discipled her. Our lives were inextricably intertwined for a time, and the memories are buried deep inside of me.
I didn’t see them much after high school. I left most of PBC behind me when I moved to Abilene, or, at least I tried to. However, anytime there was a bridal shower or a baby shower to be hosted, you could guarantee Tom and Brenda would be at the center of it, continuing to celebrate life with the hundreds of kids that had come through their home over the years. I laughed a few years ago when I found out that the guys from my parents young marrieds’ class were attending a guys’ Bible study at their house. I don’t think Tom could have stopped investing in young lives if his life had depended on it.
But, there’s more to the story. Tom used to drive me nuts. He was rowdy and unpredictable. He said whatever was on his mind and seemed to take pleasure in embarrassing me by calling me out to pray or quote scripture in front of large audiences. If he heard I’d been on a date, those twinkling eyes would dance with glee as I sat in his livingroom, and, without regard to who was present, he’d ask for all the juicy details. Tom seemed to always be in trouble at church, too. He was forever ruffling feathers over some issue or another, being asked to step away from this ministry or that until things died down. People, including myself at times, weren't always ready for Tom's insistence on calling things like he saw them.
Monday morning, my best friend since junior high, Lauren, called at 7:30 a.m. Even though I was awake and studying my Bible at the time, I still consider that an ungodly hour, and I know she agrees, so I could only assume she had something important to tell me. Her voice sounded really confused as she told me what she’d just heard. Tom was dead. He died at home on Sunday afternoon, very unexpectedly. 52 years old. Dead. Bryan had called Kelly who called Amber who called Lauren. It was a long chain, but a tight one, and a reliable one. Still, it was too unbelievable. I called another friend with a close Prestonwood tie. She answered the phone with the words, “Yes, Kristen, it’s true. Tom's gone.” Evidently, he was working in the backyard and suffered a massive heart attack. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy says he shouldn’t have lived as long as he did based on the damage to his arteries.
It feels so surreal. Even today. But, the last few days of this week, I’ve had a good opportunity to reflect on his life. I expected to remember all of the things that drove me nuts. But, I didn’t. I could only remember the good things. You see, Tom Bailey is a part of my testimony. Three things stand out to me specifically when I recall his impact on my own life.
1) Tom never let a Bible study go by that he didn’t tell us repeatedly, “God always honors obedience.” And, I swear, everytime I’m tempted to take an easy way out, to willfully disobey, I hear Tom saying that over and over again. God always honors obedience. I hear myself saying it to others when I’m teaching or counseling. And, you know what I’ve discovered? God always honors obedience.
2) When I was 17, I began to seriously doubt my salvation. I was six years old when I committed my life to the Lord. How in the world could I have known what I was doing? I was a mess. I sat with Tom and Brenda at their kitchen table, distraught, confessing my worst fears. Tom just smiled at me and sent me home with instructions to pray, to ask the Lord to reveal to me if I was truly His. That night, I’ll never forget. The memories were so clear. I could see the afternoon before I was saved. I could remember how lost I felt, how convinced I was that Jesus was returning soon and I was not prepared to go with him. I could remember the night that my dad was tucking me into bed, and I cried out to him not to turn the lights out because I needed to know Jesus. Tom didn’t try to convince me of my salvation, he pointed me back to Jesus.
3) Finally, Tom was the man with the puzzles in my previous blog.
I still can’t believe I’m going to Tom’s funeral today. It seems so wrong. But, more than I’m sad that he’s gone, I’m so glad that he lived. I seriously doubt whether Tom or Brenda would remember any of those encounters, but they were life changing for me. God’s economy is so different from ours, isn’t it?
I didn’t see them much after high school. I left most of PBC behind me when I moved to Abilene, or, at least I tried to. However, anytime there was a bridal shower or a baby shower to be hosted, you could guarantee Tom and Brenda would be at the center of it, continuing to celebrate life with the hundreds of kids that had come through their home over the years. I laughed a few years ago when I found out that the guys from my parents young marrieds’ class were attending a guys’ Bible study at their house. I don’t think Tom could have stopped investing in young lives if his life had depended on it.
But, there’s more to the story. Tom used to drive me nuts. He was rowdy and unpredictable. He said whatever was on his mind and seemed to take pleasure in embarrassing me by calling me out to pray or quote scripture in front of large audiences. If he heard I’d been on a date, those twinkling eyes would dance with glee as I sat in his livingroom, and, without regard to who was present, he’d ask for all the juicy details. Tom seemed to always be in trouble at church, too. He was forever ruffling feathers over some issue or another, being asked to step away from this ministry or that until things died down. People, including myself at times, weren't always ready for Tom's insistence on calling things like he saw them.
Monday morning, my best friend since junior high, Lauren, called at 7:30 a.m. Even though I was awake and studying my Bible at the time, I still consider that an ungodly hour, and I know she agrees, so I could only assume she had something important to tell me. Her voice sounded really confused as she told me what she’d just heard. Tom was dead. He died at home on Sunday afternoon, very unexpectedly. 52 years old. Dead. Bryan had called Kelly who called Amber who called Lauren. It was a long chain, but a tight one, and a reliable one. Still, it was too unbelievable. I called another friend with a close Prestonwood tie. She answered the phone with the words, “Yes, Kristen, it’s true. Tom's gone.” Evidently, he was working in the backyard and suffered a massive heart attack. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy says he shouldn’t have lived as long as he did based on the damage to his arteries.
It feels so surreal. Even today. But, the last few days of this week, I’ve had a good opportunity to reflect on his life. I expected to remember all of the things that drove me nuts. But, I didn’t. I could only remember the good things. You see, Tom Bailey is a part of my testimony. Three things stand out to me specifically when I recall his impact on my own life.
1) Tom never let a Bible study go by that he didn’t tell us repeatedly, “God always honors obedience.” And, I swear, everytime I’m tempted to take an easy way out, to willfully disobey, I hear Tom saying that over and over again. God always honors obedience. I hear myself saying it to others when I’m teaching or counseling. And, you know what I’ve discovered? God always honors obedience.
2) When I was 17, I began to seriously doubt my salvation. I was six years old when I committed my life to the Lord. How in the world could I have known what I was doing? I was a mess. I sat with Tom and Brenda at their kitchen table, distraught, confessing my worst fears. Tom just smiled at me and sent me home with instructions to pray, to ask the Lord to reveal to me if I was truly His. That night, I’ll never forget. The memories were so clear. I could see the afternoon before I was saved. I could remember how lost I felt, how convinced I was that Jesus was returning soon and I was not prepared to go with him. I could remember the night that my dad was tucking me into bed, and I cried out to him not to turn the lights out because I needed to know Jesus. Tom didn’t try to convince me of my salvation, he pointed me back to Jesus.
3) Finally, Tom was the man with the puzzles in my previous blog.
I still can’t believe I’m going to Tom’s funeral today. It seems so wrong. But, more than I’m sad that he’s gone, I’m so glad that he lived. I seriously doubt whether Tom or Brenda would remember any of those encounters, but they were life changing for me. God’s economy is so different from ours, isn’t it?
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