I flunked today!
Must do Better!
I want to Preach that Message Again!
I can't wait until next Sunday!
Thank God for His Grace!!!!!!!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Redemptive Seconds
There is a little diddy about a butterfly in China who flaps his wings and the miniscule current from its efforts effects the jet stream which eventually causes a storm somewhere in the world. I am not quite sure if that is how it goes but the point is that the small output from the butterfly has a cumulative effect upon the wind which eventually affects the lives of others.
I wonder if our feeble attempts at affecting the lives of others has a cumulative affect as well. Are there any surly seconds that slip past the possibility of redemption? This question came to my mind last week during our VBS. As I walked around during the week checking out the classes my mind focused on our young kids 2-11 years of age. I wondered if what we were trying to do in presenting Christ to them would really have any effect upon thier lives. Would they experience a saving relationship with Christ and really understand who He is or were we just wasting our time flapping our wings?
I was reminded of my first memorable encounter with the church. I must have been around 8 or 9 and was living with my aunt at the time in a not so good neighborhood. But every summer there was a white church that would come through the neighborhood and pick up the kids who wanted to go to VBS. Most of us went to get the cookies and punch and really weren't interested in much of anything else. But we endured the week of singing and games until the week was over and then it was back to business as usual.
My second memorable encounter was with another white church where I became a member of the Royal Rangers. We went on a canoe floating trip and cooked out and really had a good time. I remember one night of that trip my best friend at the time and I were gathered around a camp fire. The instructor was telling us about Christ and what it meant to have a relationship with him. My friend and I looked at each other and we started crying. He didn't want to accept Christ but I did. I accepted Christ that night but reallly didn't understand the significance of the moment and after we arrived back home it was business as usual.
The moment Christ changed my heart and my life, as far as I know, was in May of 1983. After attending a rodeo in a small town in Oklahoma with my cousin and a friend we were making our way back home to the city. My cousin and his friend had been drinking Corn whisky all afternoon but I refrained. Though my cousin usually did things I was too scared to do I always enjoyed his company. However, upon leaving to come home it strated to rain. My cousin and his friend were heavily enebriated and my cousin shouldn't have been driving but he insisted. We were behind a row of cars about 10 deep and he decided he wanted to pass them all. He pulled out and got up to about 75 to 80 miles an hour. With about 2 cars left to pass the car started to hydroplane. It turned around twice before careening into a ditch. My head hit the windshield and my cousin and his friend in the back seat were severly injured. They were taken to the hospital but other than a slight headache I was okay. The car was heavily damaged but drivable so my cousin ask me to drive it to his house.
The next day, Sunday, without my grandmother asking me, I got up got dressed for church and heard an indellible message entitled "God Makes the Difference" given by John A Reed Jr., pastor of the Fariview Baptist Church, OKC. His message was about Peter and the disciples toiling all night long without catching anything until Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the other side. At that moment I truly believe the Spirit of God wrought salvation in my heart and I responded through repentance.
Was my repentance affected during those redemptive seconds in the month of May 1983 as I heard Pastor Reed preach or was that encounter just the confluence of those earlier redemptive seconds I had experienced earlier in my life? Only God knows. But I am conviced that each second we flap our small wings for Christ is filled with gigantic redemptive possibilites. We may never know who our efforts impact or when God chooses to use our efforts to impact spiritually the lives of others but we must nontheless be faithful to flap our wings and let the "Wind Blow Where it wills"!
I wonder if our feeble attempts at affecting the lives of others has a cumulative affect as well. Are there any surly seconds that slip past the possibility of redemption? This question came to my mind last week during our VBS. As I walked around during the week checking out the classes my mind focused on our young kids 2-11 years of age. I wondered if what we were trying to do in presenting Christ to them would really have any effect upon thier lives. Would they experience a saving relationship with Christ and really understand who He is or were we just wasting our time flapping our wings?
I was reminded of my first memorable encounter with the church. I must have been around 8 or 9 and was living with my aunt at the time in a not so good neighborhood. But every summer there was a white church that would come through the neighborhood and pick up the kids who wanted to go to VBS. Most of us went to get the cookies and punch and really weren't interested in much of anything else. But we endured the week of singing and games until the week was over and then it was back to business as usual.
My second memorable encounter was with another white church where I became a member of the Royal Rangers. We went on a canoe floating trip and cooked out and really had a good time. I remember one night of that trip my best friend at the time and I were gathered around a camp fire. The instructor was telling us about Christ and what it meant to have a relationship with him. My friend and I looked at each other and we started crying. He didn't want to accept Christ but I did. I accepted Christ that night but reallly didn't understand the significance of the moment and after we arrived back home it was business as usual.
The moment Christ changed my heart and my life, as far as I know, was in May of 1983. After attending a rodeo in a small town in Oklahoma with my cousin and a friend we were making our way back home to the city. My cousin and his friend had been drinking Corn whisky all afternoon but I refrained. Though my cousin usually did things I was too scared to do I always enjoyed his company. However, upon leaving to come home it strated to rain. My cousin and his friend were heavily enebriated and my cousin shouldn't have been driving but he insisted. We were behind a row of cars about 10 deep and he decided he wanted to pass them all. He pulled out and got up to about 75 to 80 miles an hour. With about 2 cars left to pass the car started to hydroplane. It turned around twice before careening into a ditch. My head hit the windshield and my cousin and his friend in the back seat were severly injured. They were taken to the hospital but other than a slight headache I was okay. The car was heavily damaged but drivable so my cousin ask me to drive it to his house.
The next day, Sunday, without my grandmother asking me, I got up got dressed for church and heard an indellible message entitled "God Makes the Difference" given by John A Reed Jr., pastor of the Fariview Baptist Church, OKC. His message was about Peter and the disciples toiling all night long without catching anything until Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the other side. At that moment I truly believe the Spirit of God wrought salvation in my heart and I responded through repentance.
Was my repentance affected during those redemptive seconds in the month of May 1983 as I heard Pastor Reed preach or was that encounter just the confluence of those earlier redemptive seconds I had experienced earlier in my life? Only God knows. But I am conviced that each second we flap our small wings for Christ is filled with gigantic redemptive possibilites. We may never know who our efforts impact or when God chooses to use our efforts to impact spiritually the lives of others but we must nontheless be faithful to flap our wings and let the "Wind Blow Where it wills"!
Monday, June 09, 2008
My New Revelation
Tune in tonight @ 7pm for my premier broadcast on the Word Channel. I know, you ask how did he get the hook up for this? Well my qualifier is........ I got a "New revelation"!
I often hear this and wonder what people mean when they say they have "A New Revelation" .
I had an experience last week that I don't know for sure or not if it fits the paradigmn of a new revelation but here was my experience.
Since the beginning of the year we have been working our way through that great Hymn book, the Psalms. Last week we finished up Psalm 11. As I was preparing the lesson something struck me, there are recurrent themes that are evident all through the Psalms, the presence of the wicked, frustration, abandonment, declarations of trust inspite of ones delima, God is great, praise inspite of circmustances etc...
As I thought about this I remembered that Psalm 1 really serves as an introduction into the great mansion of the sacred Psalter and wondered could Psalm 1 be telling us that this is the experience of the one,who though he experiences all of those recurrent themes, will experience in the end, he will be blessed?
Could that mean that deciding not to heed the influence of the wicked, sinneres and scoffers is something that the Blessed Man will have to contend with all of his life as he journeys down the path that the Lord has made for him?
My "new revelation" is that he will have to contend not just once with them but will have to battle thier ungodly influence all of his life.
My new revelation is not new at all and you would agree with me that it's not new in the sense of discovering something that is not there in the text but is new in the sense that I understand more about the text now than I did when I studied it before. In that sense its new and it is only new to the extent that it correctly represents the authorial meaning of the text.
Well I want to end this broadcast by saying that my contract with the Word Channel was voided due to failed negoations on the terms of the contract. But I shall rise again on another day.
LOL.....
I often hear this and wonder what people mean when they say they have "A New Revelation" .
I had an experience last week that I don't know for sure or not if it fits the paradigmn of a new revelation but here was my experience.
Since the beginning of the year we have been working our way through that great Hymn book, the Psalms. Last week we finished up Psalm 11. As I was preparing the lesson something struck me, there are recurrent themes that are evident all through the Psalms, the presence of the wicked, frustration, abandonment, declarations of trust inspite of ones delima, God is great, praise inspite of circmustances etc...
As I thought about this I remembered that Psalm 1 really serves as an introduction into the great mansion of the sacred Psalter and wondered could Psalm 1 be telling us that this is the experience of the one,who though he experiences all of those recurrent themes, will experience in the end, he will be blessed?
Could that mean that deciding not to heed the influence of the wicked, sinneres and scoffers is something that the Blessed Man will have to contend with all of his life as he journeys down the path that the Lord has made for him?
My "new revelation" is that he will have to contend not just once with them but will have to battle thier ungodly influence all of his life.
My new revelation is not new at all and you would agree with me that it's not new in the sense of discovering something that is not there in the text but is new in the sense that I understand more about the text now than I did when I studied it before. In that sense its new and it is only new to the extent that it correctly represents the authorial meaning of the text.
Well I want to end this broadcast by saying that my contract with the Word Channel was voided due to failed negoations on the terms of the contract. But I shall rise again on another day.
LOL.....
Monday, June 02, 2008
BLOG RULES ???
Do the same rules that apply to publishing apply to the blogosphere? I recently read a post of a good friend and found the exact, word for word post on anothers Blog without any citation.
What's up with that?
What's up with that?
Laying Up Heavenly Treasure
The word of God makes it abundantly clear that "one" of the overriding evidences of a repentant heart is how we handle our money and material posessions. (Luke 19:1-10) Our money and material posessions are to be used in such a way that God is honored in every transaction.
Jesus taught that we are to use the money of this world to make wise eternal investments into the kingdom of God (Luke 16:9).
I say that to invite you to help out one of our fellow Pastors here in Oklahoma City, Pastor Terron Gaddis and the Greater Bethel Church. Pastor Gaddis is in the process of erecting a $2Millon dollar house of worship that will be the crown jewel of North East Oklahoma City. They are in the process of selling Bonds to finance the project. The interest rate offered (6%-8%) on the bonds is more than you can get in a passbook or CD and would be a great investment. I purchased a bond some 13 years ago when my home church, Fariview, was selling bonds and it will have doubled by the time it matures in 5 years. My daughter will get at least 2 years of college out of that, I pray.
So this would be a wise investment for those of you who have newborns and youngsters but more importantly it helps further the kingdom of God. And I am sure Pastor Gaddis would appreciate your help.
You can contact the church @ 405.424.1625 to get more information.
" Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through to steal: For where your treasures is there will your heart be also."
Matt. 6:19-21
Jesus taught that we are to use the money of this world to make wise eternal investments into the kingdom of God (Luke 16:9).
I say that to invite you to help out one of our fellow Pastors here in Oklahoma City, Pastor Terron Gaddis and the Greater Bethel Church. Pastor Gaddis is in the process of erecting a $2Millon dollar house of worship that will be the crown jewel of North East Oklahoma City. They are in the process of selling Bonds to finance the project. The interest rate offered (6%-8%) on the bonds is more than you can get in a passbook or CD and would be a great investment. I purchased a bond some 13 years ago when my home church, Fariview, was selling bonds and it will have doubled by the time it matures in 5 years. My daughter will get at least 2 years of college out of that, I pray.
So this would be a wise investment for those of you who have newborns and youngsters but more importantly it helps further the kingdom of God. And I am sure Pastor Gaddis would appreciate your help.
You can contact the church @ 405.424.1625 to get more information.
" Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through to steal: For where your treasures is there will your heart be also."
Matt. 6:19-21
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Faililing At Fasting
Let me first say thanks to all my Blog Heads who pray for our ministry efforts. The way the Lord has blessed Galilee is simply humanly unexplainable and I know it is only through our prayers and our partners that the Lord has honored our prayer requests. Thank you guys. We continue to pray with and for you guys as well.
Today was our first Sunday in about 2 years with an organists. And let me tell you it was a blessing to have him playing for us in service today. He has united with Galilee and will assume the Minister of Music position on next Sunday. How this came about is just humanly unexplainable. I talked with this brother and did some due dillegence and I am just amazed. The cat is saved has a heart for God and His word and is not one of those musicians that is looking to hit the lottery through the church but really wants to honor and glorify God through his musical gift and has a hunger for the word. He has major leauge talent and is playing in a minor leauge situation! God be praised. Before he decided to come to Galilee I told him how it really wouldn't be worth his time to come to our church and how long of a drive it would be and how small of a congregation we were. I just wanted to be up front with the guy. We prayed together and I told him to pray about it but whether or not he decided to come, we, Galilee would sitll priase God and continue to worship as we had been doing. He attended our Bible study a couple of times and even brought his former pastor with him. We talked and I told his pastor the same things I had told him. Needless to say God has honored our prayers. To top it off we have another well gifted young lady who is a musician, organists, who wants to come and join Galilee and use her gift in our music ministry. That is so much like God!!!
I have failed several times over the past couple of weeks to honor my vow to the Lord to fast. There are times where I feel that my pastoral and Christian life is becoming too "Professional". That is doing those things that we are expected to do as Pastors and as believers just for the sake of doing them, without engaging our hearts in what we are doing. When this happens I feel like I am drifting. Ever been there? Fasting and praying during this time and earnestly seeking the presence of God helps to remove the feeling of "professionalism" and helps me to get back the mental and spiritual state of dependence, brokeness and humility before God that I long to have constantly present in my life.
My fast is most often abstaining from all forms of food for a certain period of time. The ironic thing is I work with food on a daily basis and it becomes more of a challenge. But I have been able with God's help to overcome the temptations not to sample the succulent food that is often displayed before my eyes. However, the past couple of times I have committed to Fasting Ihave not been able to keep my focus on the fast and have given in to the physical cravings for food. I know God is able to help me focus and overcome these temptations and long to keep my vow to fast before the Lord. Please keep me in your prayers.
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
2 Cor. 9:25-27
Today was our first Sunday in about 2 years with an organists. And let me tell you it was a blessing to have him playing for us in service today. He has united with Galilee and will assume the Minister of Music position on next Sunday. How this came about is just humanly unexplainable. I talked with this brother and did some due dillegence and I am just amazed. The cat is saved has a heart for God and His word and is not one of those musicians that is looking to hit the lottery through the church but really wants to honor and glorify God through his musical gift and has a hunger for the word. He has major leauge talent and is playing in a minor leauge situation! God be praised. Before he decided to come to Galilee I told him how it really wouldn't be worth his time to come to our church and how long of a drive it would be and how small of a congregation we were. I just wanted to be up front with the guy. We prayed together and I told him to pray about it but whether or not he decided to come, we, Galilee would sitll priase God and continue to worship as we had been doing. He attended our Bible study a couple of times and even brought his former pastor with him. We talked and I told his pastor the same things I had told him. Needless to say God has honored our prayers. To top it off we have another well gifted young lady who is a musician, organists, who wants to come and join Galilee and use her gift in our music ministry. That is so much like God!!!
I have failed several times over the past couple of weeks to honor my vow to the Lord to fast. There are times where I feel that my pastoral and Christian life is becoming too "Professional". That is doing those things that we are expected to do as Pastors and as believers just for the sake of doing them, without engaging our hearts in what we are doing. When this happens I feel like I am drifting. Ever been there? Fasting and praying during this time and earnestly seeking the presence of God helps to remove the feeling of "professionalism" and helps me to get back the mental and spiritual state of dependence, brokeness and humility before God that I long to have constantly present in my life.
My fast is most often abstaining from all forms of food for a certain period of time. The ironic thing is I work with food on a daily basis and it becomes more of a challenge. But I have been able with God's help to overcome the temptations not to sample the succulent food that is often displayed before my eyes. However, the past couple of times I have committed to Fasting Ihave not been able to keep my focus on the fast and have given in to the physical cravings for food. I know God is able to help me focus and overcome these temptations and long to keep my vow to fast before the Lord. Please keep me in your prayers.
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
2 Cor. 9:25-27
Sunday, May 18, 2008
On Reading and Being Read
I am bothered by a nagging perennial problem! I have a small farm leauge of books that I want to start reading and some I want to finish reading but I just can't get to them. To compound the delima I keep picking up books and adding them to the roster, thereby compounding the issue. What should I do?
Several months ago I pledged to myself not to purchase another book until I finished the backlog of books I have partially read or not read at all. But as most preachers probably can identify with, upon my next trip to the book store to pick up something for someone else, I found myself heading to the checkout stand with more than I had planned on purchasing, kinda like going to the grocery store hungry. Which begs the question, what's feeding this insatiable desire to gather more books? Ego, pride, reputation, an honest desire for godly knowledge or some childhood deficit that has gone unchecked? I really don't know but must be honest, there is a certain amount of pride I feel sometime when I walk into my study at home and look at the books I have, some accumulated from seminary others I have picked up over the years. This is of the devil! My collection is miniscule at best but yet my selfish pride rears its ugly head over the matter. When this happens, I beg the Lords forgiveness. I don't know if other pastors struggle with this. I have been in some pastors offices and they have the library of congress in their offices and others who have just a few books here and there. Is there a nexus or correlation here? The more the books the smarter, the better, the more intelligent the preacher? I don't know.
So you know what I did in the midst of my swelling delima? I turned to a couple of my books...lol... and they offered some wise counsel for my struggle.
"A library should be a collection and not just an accumulation of books, a gourmet meal and not a potluck dinner" W. Wiersbe
" The best book is not the one that informs merely but the one that stirs the reader to inform himself. The best book is the book that helps you live and do your best." A.W. Tozer
"Truly on the day of judgement we shall not be examined on what we have read, but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but on how religiously we have lived."
Thomas a Kempis
"But let me hasten to slay another myth, namely, that reading books will of itself guarantee growth and success. No so. Reading is only the key that opens the door to the vault. Assimilating what you read, relating it to what you already know, and practicing it where you serve put the treasure to work paying dividens. It's tragic to open the vault and stand there empty-handed."
W. Wiersbe
"Christian workers who don't read aren't taking in fuel for the mind and food for the soul, and they end up trying to spin out their ministry like a spider's web. Bees have a much better approach. They gather pollen from many sources but manufacutre their own honey. Most people prefer honey to spider's webs."
W. Wiersbe
"Don't buy thin soup, purchase the essence of meat."
"...Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly."
"Little learning and much pride come of hasty reading."
"Books on the brain cause disease. Ge the book into the brain and you will grow."
"Beware of the man of one book (the Bible). He is a terrible antagonist. A man who has his Bible at his fingers ends and in his hearts core is a champion in our Israel, you cannot compete with him, you may have an armoury of weapons, but his Scriptural knowledge will overcome you; for it is a sword like that of Goliath, of which David said, "There is none like it.""
Charles H. Spurgeon
What do my books really say about me? Who cares!
Lord Give me the Book, your Book, the only Book that matters!
Several months ago I pledged to myself not to purchase another book until I finished the backlog of books I have partially read or not read at all. But as most preachers probably can identify with, upon my next trip to the book store to pick up something for someone else, I found myself heading to the checkout stand with more than I had planned on purchasing, kinda like going to the grocery store hungry. Which begs the question, what's feeding this insatiable desire to gather more books? Ego, pride, reputation, an honest desire for godly knowledge or some childhood deficit that has gone unchecked? I really don't know but must be honest, there is a certain amount of pride I feel sometime when I walk into my study at home and look at the books I have, some accumulated from seminary others I have picked up over the years. This is of the devil! My collection is miniscule at best but yet my selfish pride rears its ugly head over the matter. When this happens, I beg the Lords forgiveness. I don't know if other pastors struggle with this. I have been in some pastors offices and they have the library of congress in their offices and others who have just a few books here and there. Is there a nexus or correlation here? The more the books the smarter, the better, the more intelligent the preacher? I don't know.
So you know what I did in the midst of my swelling delima? I turned to a couple of my books...lol... and they offered some wise counsel for my struggle.
"A library should be a collection and not just an accumulation of books, a gourmet meal and not a potluck dinner" W. Wiersbe
" The best book is not the one that informs merely but the one that stirs the reader to inform himself. The best book is the book that helps you live and do your best." A.W. Tozer
"Truly on the day of judgement we shall not be examined on what we have read, but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but on how religiously we have lived."
Thomas a Kempis
"But let me hasten to slay another myth, namely, that reading books will of itself guarantee growth and success. No so. Reading is only the key that opens the door to the vault. Assimilating what you read, relating it to what you already know, and practicing it where you serve put the treasure to work paying dividens. It's tragic to open the vault and stand there empty-handed."
W. Wiersbe
"Christian workers who don't read aren't taking in fuel for the mind and food for the soul, and they end up trying to spin out their ministry like a spider's web. Bees have a much better approach. They gather pollen from many sources but manufacutre their own honey. Most people prefer honey to spider's webs."
W. Wiersbe
"Don't buy thin soup, purchase the essence of meat."
"...Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly."
"Little learning and much pride come of hasty reading."
"Books on the brain cause disease. Ge the book into the brain and you will grow."
"Beware of the man of one book (the Bible). He is a terrible antagonist. A man who has his Bible at his fingers ends and in his hearts core is a champion in our Israel, you cannot compete with him, you may have an armoury of weapons, but his Scriptural knowledge will overcome you; for it is a sword like that of Goliath, of which David said, "There is none like it.""
Charles H. Spurgeon
What do my books really say about me? Who cares!
Lord Give me the Book, your Book, the only Book that matters!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Wise Counsel on Pastoral Blogging
Abraham Pipers advice to Pastor's on Blogging.
http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1156_6_reasons_pastors_should_blog/
http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1156_6_reasons_pastors_should_blog/
Monday, May 12, 2008
Pulling the Thread and Getting Some Rest
Yesterday was a wonderful day! From beginning to end I just thanked God for Sabbath rest. Our worship at Galilee was simply outstanding. Though we didn't have a full house and though I didn't quite feel as I was prepared as I should have been the Lord took our available hearts and offerings and the LORDS presence was evident in our time together.
I focused on a text out of the book of Esther, a book I had never read through completely and had never preached from but the Spirit of God gave me understanding and I actually heard the message I preached. I don't quite know how to explain it but in the preaching moment I am as much a listener as I am a speaker. I often feel a part of the congregation as the word is being proclaimed and its message is as much to me and for me as for anyone else. I had a joyful feeling down in my gut last week and Saturday as I was studying the text. The Spirit of God is helping me to understand more and more each week that a text is not just about the text. There is a theological thread woven through each text of the Cannon that is part of the overall redemptive message of the entire bible. Sometimes in the study I am able to sense the Spirits leading to that thread and in the preaching moment the Spirit will help me to pull the thread so that the truth of the scripture and the word of God unfolds into the laps of the hearers.
In studying the book of Esther my presuppostion in preperation was that the primary message of the book was about God's providence. But I discovered this is the penultimate message of the book. Esther teaches us about God's faithfulness to preserve those who are in covenant relationship with him. How does He do that? By working behind the scenes to providentially arrange the details of our lives so that they ultimately work out for our good and for His glory. That theological implication is seen all the way from Genesis through revelation with the emphasis being Christ redemptive work on Calvary! God be praised!
I had a chance to get some very much needed rest on yesterday. I hung out with my pops (Pator Reed) and watched basketball and slept most of the evening. My wife and her mother and sister and some friends hung at at pops house and it was just a good day of fun family and fellowship. Praise God for seasons of reflective appreciation for life!
"... for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
Matt. 16:17
I focused on a text out of the book of Esther, a book I had never read through completely and had never preached from but the Spirit of God gave me understanding and I actually heard the message I preached. I don't quite know how to explain it but in the preaching moment I am as much a listener as I am a speaker. I often feel a part of the congregation as the word is being proclaimed and its message is as much to me and for me as for anyone else. I had a joyful feeling down in my gut last week and Saturday as I was studying the text. The Spirit of God is helping me to understand more and more each week that a text is not just about the text. There is a theological thread woven through each text of the Cannon that is part of the overall redemptive message of the entire bible. Sometimes in the study I am able to sense the Spirits leading to that thread and in the preaching moment the Spirit will help me to pull the thread so that the truth of the scripture and the word of God unfolds into the laps of the hearers.
In studying the book of Esther my presuppostion in preperation was that the primary message of the book was about God's providence. But I discovered this is the penultimate message of the book. Esther teaches us about God's faithfulness to preserve those who are in covenant relationship with him. How does He do that? By working behind the scenes to providentially arrange the details of our lives so that they ultimately work out for our good and for His glory. That theological implication is seen all the way from Genesis through revelation with the emphasis being Christ redemptive work on Calvary! God be praised!
I had a chance to get some very much needed rest on yesterday. I hung out with my pops (Pator Reed) and watched basketball and slept most of the evening. My wife and her mother and sister and some friends hung at at pops house and it was just a good day of fun family and fellowship. Praise God for seasons of reflective appreciation for life!
"... for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
Matt. 16:17
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