I recently heard about a teen having a total of 3,000 text messages in one month. That's 3,000 texts either sent or received.
Last night I preached to a roomful of teenagers at Central Church of God. In the middle of my sermon, I laid this line on them:
"God will not text you His plan for your life."
Pretty good, huh?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Mercy!
I've been kind of lazy lately as my number of blog posts would indicate. But honestly, I either haven't been able to find the time to post, or I haven't had anything to say. I think I'm through posting just for the sake of posting. But I wanted to share a thought today:
"He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities."
~ Psalm 103:10
This single verse of Scripture changes everything, doesn't it?
God has not dealt with us according to our sins. That's mercy. I deserve punishment. Death should be my just reward. I am like the woman brought before Jesus in John 8 .... "caught in the act of adultery." I'm guilty. Caught in the act. Can't hide it. Can't talk my way out of it. He's got me dead to rights.
But like that woman in John 8, He didn't deal with me according to my sins. He didn't reward me according to my iniquities. He extended mercy to a woman caught in the very act of sin. Mercy!
This is not new, is it? We all know about mercy. It's all around us. It's throughout the pages of our Bibles. In fact, maybe we know a little too much of God's mercy. Maybe it's so familiar, we tend to take it for granted. That's an easy place to get to. But it's a dangerous place to be.
When you read the words of Psalm 103:10, what do you do? Do you wanna shout? Fall on your face in praise and thanksgiving? Or is it just another verse in the Bible to you? "Ho hum. That's nice. Now let's move on to something else. Let's get to the good stuff, okay chaplain?"
We need to be in awe of the mercy of God.
"He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities."
~ Psalm 103:10
This single verse of Scripture changes everything, doesn't it?
God has not dealt with us according to our sins. That's mercy. I deserve punishment. Death should be my just reward. I am like the woman brought before Jesus in John 8 .... "caught in the act of adultery." I'm guilty. Caught in the act. Can't hide it. Can't talk my way out of it. He's got me dead to rights.
But like that woman in John 8, He didn't deal with me according to my sins. He didn't reward me according to my iniquities. He extended mercy to a woman caught in the very act of sin. Mercy!
This is not new, is it? We all know about mercy. It's all around us. It's throughout the pages of our Bibles. In fact, maybe we know a little too much of God's mercy. Maybe it's so familiar, we tend to take it for granted. That's an easy place to get to. But it's a dangerous place to be.
When you read the words of Psalm 103:10, what do you do? Do you wanna shout? Fall on your face in praise and thanksgiving? Or is it just another verse in the Bible to you? "Ho hum. That's nice. Now let's move on to something else. Let's get to the good stuff, okay chaplain?"
We need to be in awe of the mercy of God.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
We Must be 'In Him'
"Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in Him."
~ Augustine, The Confessions of Saint Augustine
~ Augustine, The Confessions of Saint Augustine
Monday, May 18, 2009
The W-H-A-T in the Sand?!
A new twist on a worn-out poem. Enjoy.
One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
and there I dropped you on your butt."
"Because in life, there comes a time,
when one must fight, and one must climb.
When one must rise and take a stand,
or leave their butt prints in the sand."
~ author unknown
One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
and there I dropped you on your butt."
"Because in life, there comes a time,
when one must fight, and one must climb.
When one must rise and take a stand,
or leave their butt prints in the sand."
~ author unknown
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Happy Odd Day
Today is May 7, 2009 ..... or 05/07/09.
Happy Odd Day! A day made especially for guys like me.
Happy Odd Day! A day made especially for guys like me.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Constant Call of God
This is one of my absolute favorite passages of Scripture:
1In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
2Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
4And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
5Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
7He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
~ Isaiah 6:1-8
Imagine walking into your church on a Sunday morning and finding the scene Isaiah depicted here. It wasn't just good music or an inspiring sermon Isaiah saw and heard. It was the Lord! It was a scene straight out of the throne room of heaven. What would you do?
I'm guessing we'd all do just what Isaiah did: We'd fall on our faces and cry out, "Woe is me!"
After his sins were purged, Isaiah heard the voice of God, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"
Most scholars say that this was the of Isaiah's call to ministry. I disagree.
Read it again. This wasn't God calling a man named Isaiah. It was a man named Isaiah hearing the call of God. So what's the difference?
It's simple. This call of God goes forth from His throne all the time. God is constantly calling out for a response from a man willing to go. Isaiah heard it and responded with, "Here am I. Send me!"
Have you heard His constant call? How will you respond?
1In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
2Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
4And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
5Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
7He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
~ Isaiah 6:1-8
Imagine walking into your church on a Sunday morning and finding the scene Isaiah depicted here. It wasn't just good music or an inspiring sermon Isaiah saw and heard. It was the Lord! It was a scene straight out of the throne room of heaven. What would you do?
I'm guessing we'd all do just what Isaiah did: We'd fall on our faces and cry out, "Woe is me!"
After his sins were purged, Isaiah heard the voice of God, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"
Most scholars say that this was the of Isaiah's call to ministry. I disagree.
Read it again. This wasn't God calling a man named Isaiah. It was a man named Isaiah hearing the call of God. So what's the difference?
It's simple. This call of God goes forth from His throne all the time. God is constantly calling out for a response from a man willing to go. Isaiah heard it and responded with, "Here am I. Send me!"
Have you heard His constant call? How will you respond?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Obituary of Common Sense !
Today, we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense.
Common Sense lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the Millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools; hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness.
For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in from rain, the early bird gets the worm and life isn't always fair.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's okay to come in second.
A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including feminism, body piercing, whole language and new math.
For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in from rain, the early bird gets the worm and life isn't always fair.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's okay to come in second.
A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including feminism, body piercing, whole language and new math.
But his health declined when he became infected with the "if-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus. In recent decades, his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing federal legislation.
He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened auditors. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies; when reports were heard of six year old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; when a teen was suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch; when a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but couldn't inform the parent when a female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.
He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened auditors. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies; when reports were heard of six year old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; when a teen was suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch; when a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but couldn't inform the parent when a female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.
Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.
As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments, regarding questionable regulations for asbestos, low-flow toilets, smart guns, the nurturing of Prohibition Laws and mandatory air bags.
Finally, when told that the homeowners association restricted exterior furniture only to that which enhanced property values, he breathed his last.
As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments, regarding questionable regulations for asbestos, low-flow toilets, smart guns, the nurturing of Prohibition Laws and mandatory air bags.
Finally, when told that the homeowners association restricted exterior furniture only to that which enhanced property values, he breathed his last.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son Reason. His three stepbrothers survive him: Rights, Tolerance and Whiner.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Refusing Fear
Have you turned on the news yet this morning? If so, you know there is a new panic sweeping the world: Swine Flu! That and salmonella from eating raw alfalfa sprouts (although I'm not sure why anyone would eat raw alfalfa sprouts to begin with.) But the big concern, the one that has governments issuing travel advisaries and warnings of epidemics and pandemics, is swine flu.
I'm not quite sure quite how we ought to react to the dire warnings I'm hearing this morning. After all, these are the same people who were absolutely certain a few years ago that bird flu was about to ravage the world's population. And do you remember the Y2K panic, and all of the other public scares that have failed to materialize?
It seems to me that we have numerous governmental and other various public agencies and organizations, including the media, who work to keep the public in a state of fear, or at least elevated concern about something all the time. Maybe it's all about headlines, or public funding, or ratings. I don't know.
But I'm making a choice this morning. I'm choosing not to participate in the "Great Swine Flu Panic of 2009". I'm choosing the promise of God that has stood the test of time longer than any of these public fear frenzies.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Or of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not approach you.
~ Psalm 91:5-7
I'm not quite sure quite how we ought to react to the dire warnings I'm hearing this morning. After all, these are the same people who were absolutely certain a few years ago that bird flu was about to ravage the world's population. And do you remember the Y2K panic, and all of the other public scares that have failed to materialize?
It seems to me that we have numerous governmental and other various public agencies and organizations, including the media, who work to keep the public in a state of fear, or at least elevated concern about something all the time. Maybe it's all about headlines, or public funding, or ratings. I don't know.
But I'm making a choice this morning. I'm choosing not to participate in the "Great Swine Flu Panic of 2009". I'm choosing the promise of God that has stood the test of time longer than any of these public fear frenzies.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Or of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not approach you.
~ Psalm 91:5-7
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
My Earthday Tribute
It's 'Earthday'.There's a lot of hype these days concerning the earth and how we can and should maintain it. But there is a danger we tend to fall into. As human beings, we don't seem to be able to keep things in their proper perspectives. In the case of today's "enviro-hysteria", we have fallen into that trap once again. The Apostle Paul described it like this in Romans 1: "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."
The creation should never be our priority. The Creator should. That's the way it was intended to be. The creation is intended to glorify the Creator, God. As God's agents on this earth, we do have a responsibility to care for it. After all, God did give us charge over it all. The Bible says: Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." (Genesis 1:26)
It's simply a matter of proper perspective. We must keep in mind what the Scripture says in Pslam 24:1, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." It's all His. Not ours.
So here's what I believe Earthday ought to be all about (of course, from God's Word in Genesis 1):
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
3Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5God called the light day, and the darkness He called night And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
6Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
7God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
8God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
10God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.
11Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so.
12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.
16God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.
17God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."
21God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
22God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
25God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
2The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
3Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5God called the light day, and the darkness He called night And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
6Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
7God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
8God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
10God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.
11Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so.
12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.
16God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.
17God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."
21God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
22God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
25God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Learning To Be ...
"... you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
~ 1 Peter 2:5
"Living stones ... being built up as a spiritual house." How are you fitting in?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
What a Week!
Easter Sunday morning worship service at Charlotte Correctional Center was beyond words. Attendance blew my mind. I've never seen that many inmates on a Sunday morning. Never!
The praise band rocked and I preached as hard as I ever have. What a thrill.
Last night we graduated the current class of inmates in our Father Accountability Program. I'm proud of every one of them. I think they "get it."
We've got Olivia with us this week (Sunday - Thursday.) We're having a ball with her. She's so sweet and an incredibly smart little almost-two-year-old.
My life is better than I could have ever imagined.
The praise band rocked and I preached as hard as I ever have. What a thrill.
Last night we graduated the current class of inmates in our Father Accountability Program. I'm proud of every one of them. I think they "get it."
We've got Olivia with us this week (Sunday - Thursday.) We're having a ball with her. She's so sweet and an incredibly smart little almost-two-year-old.
My life is better than I could have ever imagined.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
What if ...?
Holy Week and here's what's on my mind:
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins."
~1 Corinthians 15:17
Gonna be quite an Easter message.
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins."
~1 Corinthians 15:17
Gonna be quite an Easter message.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
How to Get a God-Sized Job Done
I have many favorite characters in Scripture. Actually, I'm not sure you can have more than one "favorite" anything, can you? So there are many that I admire greatly and find inspiration from. But there is one guy who captures my imagination maybe more than any other. His name was Bezalel. We don't know much about him at all. But what the Bible does tell us, I like.
After Moses had led the people of Israel out of Egypt, they camped at the base of Mount Sinai. That's where God called Moses to come up and receive from Him ordinances and laws for the people of God to obey. And it's where God gave Moses instructions for building the Tabernacle, the place where God Himself would dwell among the people. God's instructions were intricate and required precision workmanship. It was a huge undertaking for people who had only known hard labor as slaves for four hundred thirty years. Frankly, they didn't have the skills or the know-how to accomplish the task God had given to them. They'd been making bricks in Egypt their whole lives. But brick-making wasn't going to be part of this job. What were they to do?
That's where my guy, Bezalel, comes in. Exodus 31 says: Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying, "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.
God gave His people a job to do. Then He gave a man the wisdom, and the skills and ability to do the job. They didn't know how to do it. And God knew that. But that didn't stop the plan of God. God just took an old brickmaker and turned him into a skilled craftsman able to produce the beautifully intricate work that He wanted done.
He'll do the same in us.
"And for this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." ~ Colossians 1:29
After Moses had led the people of Israel out of Egypt, they camped at the base of Mount Sinai. That's where God called Moses to come up and receive from Him ordinances and laws for the people of God to obey. And it's where God gave Moses instructions for building the Tabernacle, the place where God Himself would dwell among the people. God's instructions were intricate and required precision workmanship. It was a huge undertaking for people who had only known hard labor as slaves for four hundred thirty years. Frankly, they didn't have the skills or the know-how to accomplish the task God had given to them. They'd been making bricks in Egypt their whole lives. But brick-making wasn't going to be part of this job. What were they to do?
That's where my guy, Bezalel, comes in. Exodus 31 says: Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying, "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.
God gave His people a job to do. Then He gave a man the wisdom, and the skills and ability to do the job. They didn't know how to do it. And God knew that. But that didn't stop the plan of God. God just took an old brickmaker and turned him into a skilled craftsman able to produce the beautifully intricate work that He wanted done.
He'll do the same in us.
"And for this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." ~ Colossians 1:29
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Measure of Greatness - Part 2
Another thought on the perceived greatness of "great men":
"The cemeteries of the world are filled with indispensible men"
~ Charles DeGaulle
"The cemeteries of the world are filled with indispensible men"
~ Charles DeGaulle
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Heaven Smiled Sunday
One of the things I enjoy most in my ministry is a class I facilitate each Monday evening in the prison called Father Accountability. Father Accountability is a 13-week class designed to enhance parenting skills and to encourage men to step up and be the dads God designed them to be. Because the majority of the inmates in the class have never had a dad in their own lives, it can be a challenging endeavor to simply get them to see that fatherlessness is not the norm and that being a good father to their children is not 'mission impossible' for them.
Week 8 of our 13-week journey together is always special and a lot of fun for all of us. On week 8, we move our class meeting to Sunday afternoon and invite the children of the inmates in the class to come and spend the afternoon with their dads. We call it "PlayDay", and that's exactly what we do: We play. From board games to cards to reading to our children, for one afternoon the surroundings are pushed into the background and its just families enjoying time with one another.
This past Sunday was PlayDay for the current group of dads in the class. As the families arrived there were the typical hugs and kisses as some greeted children they hadn't seen in up to two years. As the families settled in for the afternoon together there were smiling faces all around.
But I noticed one inmate, Derrick, seemed a bit reticent. He was worried his teenage son may not come. Maybe no one would bother to bring him. Or maybe he wouldn't even want to come. While others laughed and played, Derrick waited.
Thankfully, Derrick's son did come. An hour late. As they shared time together I found myself wondering what Derrick was thinking. I hoped the visit was going well.
When our time ended and the visitors filed out, the inmates thanked me repeatedly for arranging the afternoon for them. A few said it was the best time they could remember having with their children. Ever.
Last evening in class, Derrick shared a little bit about his visit with his son. It was hard at first. Awkward. But it went well. So well that his son has asked to be included on Derrick's regular visiting list.
Then Derrick said that as our PlayDay came to an end, he did something he'd never done before: He hugged his boy. He reached out and drew his son close, and hugged him. He said that was awkward, too. But it felt good. He felt like a father.
Something powerful happened here this past Sunday. A father hugged his son for the very first time. A son experienced the loving embrace of a dad who has missed most of his life.
And I think I know God well enough to say He smiled Sunday.
Week 8 of our 13-week journey together is always special and a lot of fun for all of us. On week 8, we move our class meeting to Sunday afternoon and invite the children of the inmates in the class to come and spend the afternoon with their dads. We call it "PlayDay", and that's exactly what we do: We play. From board games to cards to reading to our children, for one afternoon the surroundings are pushed into the background and its just families enjoying time with one another.
This past Sunday was PlayDay for the current group of dads in the class. As the families arrived there were the typical hugs and kisses as some greeted children they hadn't seen in up to two years. As the families settled in for the afternoon together there were smiling faces all around.
But I noticed one inmate, Derrick, seemed a bit reticent. He was worried his teenage son may not come. Maybe no one would bother to bring him. Or maybe he wouldn't even want to come. While others laughed and played, Derrick waited.
Thankfully, Derrick's son did come. An hour late. As they shared time together I found myself wondering what Derrick was thinking. I hoped the visit was going well.
When our time ended and the visitors filed out, the inmates thanked me repeatedly for arranging the afternoon for them. A few said it was the best time they could remember having with their children. Ever.
Last evening in class, Derrick shared a little bit about his visit with his son. It was hard at first. Awkward. But it went well. So well that his son has asked to be included on Derrick's regular visiting list.
Then Derrick said that as our PlayDay came to an end, he did something he'd never done before: He hugged his boy. He reached out and drew his son close, and hugged him. He said that was awkward, too. But it felt good. He felt like a father.
Something powerful happened here this past Sunday. A father hugged his son for the very first time. A son experienced the loving embrace of a dad who has missed most of his life.
And I think I know God well enough to say He smiled Sunday.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Measure of Greatness
As everything in our society is seemingly shaken to its core, we are finding out the truth about many who were believed to be "great men." From powerful politicians to well-to-do financiers, from the financial titans of Wall Street to the titans of the auto industry in Detroit the measure of all men is being taken. They're being exposed. And they are being found lacking.
Abimelech was one of Israel's leaders during the time of the judges. The Bible says he ruled over Israel for three years. During his reign, it looked like Abimelech was a great success. He maneuvered his way to power and defended his throne with stunning success. He exhibited strong leadership characteristics. Everything seemed to go his way. Despite his success, there was one thing that was always against him: God.
God was against Abimelech because of the way he achieved his successes. He used and abused, and even murdered to get where he was. He schemed to gain power, and schemed even harder to keep it. And God was not pleased. In fact, God brought about the end of Abimelech in a shocking way. The Bible says a woman dropped a millstone from the top of a roof onto his head and crushed his skull.
He wasn't killed by a mighty warrior or a skilled soldier in the line of duty. He was killed by a woman with a millstone and an attitude. Indeed, it was God who repaid the wickedness of this seemingly great man.
The story has always been the same. If God is not pleased, if He does not approve of our lives, all of our "success" is destined to fail. We may have the approval of those around us. We may even have some proclaiming us to be great.
But the only opinion that matters is God's.
Abimelech was one of Israel's leaders during the time of the judges. The Bible says he ruled over Israel for three years. During his reign, it looked like Abimelech was a great success. He maneuvered his way to power and defended his throne with stunning success. He exhibited strong leadership characteristics. Everything seemed to go his way. Despite his success, there was one thing that was always against him: God.
God was against Abimelech because of the way he achieved his successes. He used and abused, and even murdered to get where he was. He schemed to gain power, and schemed even harder to keep it. And God was not pleased. In fact, God brought about the end of Abimelech in a shocking way. The Bible says a woman dropped a millstone from the top of a roof onto his head and crushed his skull.
He wasn't killed by a mighty warrior or a skilled soldier in the line of duty. He was killed by a woman with a millstone and an attitude. Indeed, it was God who repaid the wickedness of this seemingly great man.
The story has always been the same. If God is not pleased, if He does not approve of our lives, all of our "success" is destined to fail. We may have the approval of those around us. We may even have some proclaiming us to be great.
But the only opinion that matters is God's.
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