“A spokesperson advised today that the Pillsbury Doughboy has died due to repeated pokes to the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in one of the largest funeral ceremonies in recent years. Dozens of celebrities turned out including Mrs. Butterworth, the California Raisins, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker and, the Hostess Twinkies. The graveside was piled high with flours, as long-time friend Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy describing Doughboy as "a man who never knew how much he was kneaded." The Doughboy rose quickly in show business but his later life was filled with many turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Still even as a crusty old man he was a roll model for millions. Doughboy was survived by his second wife, Play Dough. They have two children and one in the oven. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes. Doughboy will be missed by many who loved to poke fun at him.”
I received the preceding “obituary” recently. I know you will immediately recognize it as humor, but after I read it I began to think of what others might write following my death. It caused me to spend a few moments in self-examination. As always, I ended at the same place. Though I have been, and now am a sinner, the grace of God through Jesus Christ is more than sufficient to keep me. Toward the end of the Apostle Paul’s life, he wrote the following
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:8-14 ESV).
If we desire to reach the end of our lives with as few regrets as possible, having “run the race” with as much victory as Paul, the following practical suggestions will be helpful.
1. First, run with maximum effort. Paul said, he had focused “all his energies.” We ought to ask ourselves how much effort do we really exert when it comes to living our lives as God would have us live.
2. Second, run with the assurance of forgiveness. Paul forgot “the past” looked “forward to what lied ahead.” It is just another way of saying never let past failures or future fears rob you of present joy.
3. Third, run to the end. Paul said he strained to “reach the end of the race.” It is so easy to quit in the face of difficulty. There is an end to all of our races. There we will find the prize of eternal life in Christ. Just don’t quit running!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Predictions for the New Year
I’m sure you’ve noticed that each year almost all the major newsmagazines put out an issue with special pictorial sections recalling people and events that made news during the previous year. Many of the magazines also include articles by experts predicting what they expect to see happening in the years ahead. A few of these predictions have proven amazingly accurate, while others couldn’t have been more wrong. I remember my senior year in high school, experts predicted that by 1985 technology would have taken over so much of the work we do that the average American work week would be only 22 hours long and that we would work only 27 weeks a year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be in deciding what to do with all our leisure time. Well, I don’t know about you, but that prediction certainly missed the mark as far as my life was concerned!
In fact, most of us seem to be very busy people. We’re always in a hurry. We walk fast, talk fast, and eat fast. And after we eat, all too often, we stand up and say, "Excuse me. I’ve gotta run." Someone observed, "We’re the only country in the world that has a mountain named `Rushmore.’" Steve Wright, a comedian, says that he bought a microwave fireplace, and now he can spend a whole evening in front of the fire in only 8 minutes.
So here we are, beginning the first full week of 2012. I wonder how we’ll do this year? Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time? In 365 days, when it is all over, will we be looking back with joy, or with regret? Will we be looking at the future with anticipation, or with dread? There is a passage of Scripture that I believe can be of help to us as we look forward to the year
“So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (Ephesians 5:15-17 NLV).
I think that in this passage the Apostle Paul presents some important lessons that we need to consider. Let me suggest two practical things to do this year.
1. First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited. The Psalmist also tells us to number our days so that we will develop a heart of wisdom. Time is the only irreplaceable resource we have. Once it is spent, it is gone forever. Use your time wisely in the pursuit of His will purpose in your life.
2. Second, we must make the most of every opportunity, but don’t become overloaded. We’re overloaded with commitments. We’ve committed ourselves to go here and there, to take part in this activity and that social function. As a result we soon begin meeting ourselves coming and going because we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments. The same is true with our possessions, work, and even information. We simply can’t absorb it all. We need to simplify our lives. We need to slow down.
In fact, most of us seem to be very busy people. We’re always in a hurry. We walk fast, talk fast, and eat fast. And after we eat, all too often, we stand up and say, "Excuse me. I’ve gotta run." Someone observed, "We’re the only country in the world that has a mountain named `Rushmore.’" Steve Wright, a comedian, says that he bought a microwave fireplace, and now he can spend a whole evening in front of the fire in only 8 minutes.
So here we are, beginning the first full week of 2012. I wonder how we’ll do this year? Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time? In 365 days, when it is all over, will we be looking back with joy, or with regret? Will we be looking at the future with anticipation, or with dread? There is a passage of Scripture that I believe can be of help to us as we look forward to the year
“So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (Ephesians 5:15-17 NLV).
I think that in this passage the Apostle Paul presents some important lessons that we need to consider. Let me suggest two practical things to do this year.
1. First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited. The Psalmist also tells us to number our days so that we will develop a heart of wisdom. Time is the only irreplaceable resource we have. Once it is spent, it is gone forever. Use your time wisely in the pursuit of His will purpose in your life.
2. Second, we must make the most of every opportunity, but don’t become overloaded. We’re overloaded with commitments. We’ve committed ourselves to go here and there, to take part in this activity and that social function. As a result we soon begin meeting ourselves coming and going because we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments. The same is true with our possessions, work, and even information. We simply can’t absorb it all. We need to simplify our lives. We need to slow down.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Unleash the Power - Part 4
The third thing we need to do in order to unleash the power of prayer into our lives is to pray seeking understanding. As we walk with God we need for Him to give us understanding or we will become disillusioned and end up walking away or spending all of our time frustrated.
"Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk – it's all free! Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:1-2,9 NLV).
There is a marked difference between my thoughts and God’s thoughts. A situation can take place in my life and I can give you my opinion in a heartbeat. I am learning that my opinions and judgments are oftentimes wrong. What I need is understanding, and understanding concerning life begins and ends at the throne of God. It doesn’t matter the situation, if we do not have God’s understanding then our walk with Him can be devastated by our erroneous conclusions. Mrs. Hanover can testify to what I am saying.
Mrs. Hanover had been praying for her husband to come to know Christ for years when he was suddenly killed in an automobile accident. She became so angry with God for not answering her prayers that she stopped serving him for more than five years. Her conclusion was wrong, God had answered her prayers, but she didn’t know it. What Mrs. Hanover didn’t know was that on May 7th, a young man named Roger Simms was hitchhiking his way home after getting out of the army. His heavy suitcase made Roger tired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sigh to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped. The passenger door opened. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. "Going home for keeps?" "Sure am," Roger responded. "Well, you’re in luck if you’re going to Chicago." "Not quite that far. Do you live in Chicago?" "I have a business there. My name is Hanover."
After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to him about Christ. But he kept putting it off until he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, "Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important." He then proceeded to explain the way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishment the Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was going to be ejected from the car. But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger. "This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."
Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. A receptionist told him it was impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself in the presence of a lovely woman in her fifties. She extended her hand. "You knew my husband?" Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when hitchhiking home after the war. "Can you tell me when that was?" "It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army." "Anything special about that day?" Roger hesitated. Roger wondered if he should tell her about sharing Christ with her husband, but since he had come so far, he decided that he might as well take the plunge. "Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day." Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, "I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him." "And," said Roger, "Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?" "He’s dead," she wept, struggling with words. "He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see, thought God had not kept His promise." Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, "I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!"
We need understanding or we, like Mrs. Hanover, will become disillusioned with God and walk away. When we come to God not asking for a handout, but with hands lifted up in dependence and adoration of His glory and majesty, then something awesome takes place. God changes us from powerless people content with sitting on the sidelines to powerful people who will be used to bring Him honor and glory. God is stirring within me a serious call to prayer. I want to invite you to unleash His power in your life by turning to Him in prayer. Don’t pray seeking power, pray seeking the face of God and in turn, without you ever recognizing what is going on, He will empower you with His power - power that cannot be overcome. Pray seeking intimacy… pray seeking dependency… pray seeking understanding. That will unleash the power!
"Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk – it's all free! Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:1-2,9 NLV).
There is a marked difference between my thoughts and God’s thoughts. A situation can take place in my life and I can give you my opinion in a heartbeat. I am learning that my opinions and judgments are oftentimes wrong. What I need is understanding, and understanding concerning life begins and ends at the throne of God. It doesn’t matter the situation, if we do not have God’s understanding then our walk with Him can be devastated by our erroneous conclusions. Mrs. Hanover can testify to what I am saying.
Mrs. Hanover had been praying for her husband to come to know Christ for years when he was suddenly killed in an automobile accident. She became so angry with God for not answering her prayers that she stopped serving him for more than five years. Her conclusion was wrong, God had answered her prayers, but she didn’t know it. What Mrs. Hanover didn’t know was that on May 7th, a young man named Roger Simms was hitchhiking his way home after getting out of the army. His heavy suitcase made Roger tired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sigh to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped. The passenger door opened. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. "Going home for keeps?" "Sure am," Roger responded. "Well, you’re in luck if you’re going to Chicago." "Not quite that far. Do you live in Chicago?" "I have a business there. My name is Hanover."
After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to him about Christ. But he kept putting it off until he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, "Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important." He then proceeded to explain the way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishment the Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was going to be ejected from the car. But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger. "This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."
Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. A receptionist told him it was impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself in the presence of a lovely woman in her fifties. She extended her hand. "You knew my husband?" Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when hitchhiking home after the war. "Can you tell me when that was?" "It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army." "Anything special about that day?" Roger hesitated. Roger wondered if he should tell her about sharing Christ with her husband, but since he had come so far, he decided that he might as well take the plunge. "Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day." Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, "I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him." "And," said Roger, "Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?" "He’s dead," she wept, struggling with words. "He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see, thought God had not kept His promise." Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, "I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!"
We need understanding or we, like Mrs. Hanover, will become disillusioned with God and walk away. When we come to God not asking for a handout, but with hands lifted up in dependence and adoration of His glory and majesty, then something awesome takes place. God changes us from powerless people content with sitting on the sidelines to powerful people who will be used to bring Him honor and glory. God is stirring within me a serious call to prayer. I want to invite you to unleash His power in your life by turning to Him in prayer. Don’t pray seeking power, pray seeking the face of God and in turn, without you ever recognizing what is going on, He will empower you with His power - power that cannot be overcome. Pray seeking intimacy… pray seeking dependency… pray seeking understanding. That will unleash the power!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Unleash the Power - Part 3
“When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:19-25 NLV).
The second thing we must do to unleash the power of prayer in our lives is to pray seeking a greater dependence upon God. No matter who you are, there are things in your life that eat away at your soul. You know in your heart that it is building a wall between you and a deeper walk with God. You are embarrassed. You are discouraged. You wish you could do something to alleviate your predicament, but you seem powerless to do so. For some it may be a fiery temper that causes you to fly off the handle and hurt those that you love. Some may harbor hate-filled feelings in their heart for people of another race or may look down on those who do not have the financial means that you do. For others it may be a dependence on drugs or alcohol to help you escape your problems. Some here may lack discipline and your lack of discipline causes you to make promises that you rarely keep. The list goes on and on. God never intended for us to become enslaved by the things that plague us. What He does intend is for us to throw up our hands in surrender to His holy power; power that is able to deliver us from the shackles of sin’s slavery. God wants us to know in our hearts that we are completely dependent upon Him for everything - the air we breath, our ability to get out of bed in the morning, the continued blessing of our relationships, our material possessions and the ability to make a living, and most importantly, our salvation.
On February 7, 1997, Dr. Ben Carson stood up to address the 45th Annual National Prayer Breakfast. When former Vice President Al Gore’s young son, Albert III, nearly died of injuries sustained when he was struck by a car in 1989, one of the consulting physicians was Dr. Ben Carson, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Achieving such acclaim hasn’t been easy for Dr. Carson. Growing up without a father in inner-city Detroit, the doctor told a hushed audience that day how he once tore open the forehead of a fellow classmate while clutching a metal lock in his fist; how he tried to stab a youngster in the abdomen with a knife; and how he went after his own mother wielding a hammer. When he was young his temper was out of control. Dr. Carson finally reached the end of his rope and after one outburst he ran into the bathroom of his house where he said, "I got on my knees and prayed."
Ben Carson learned as a young boy that he was totally and completely dependent upon Almighty God. He knew that he couldn’t even control his temper without God’s help much less achieve any of his dreams. As Ben Carson concluded his speech to the audience at the prayer breakfast he credited his incredible turnaround so many years ago to his mother and God, whom he called his heavenly and earthly Father. The God who has been at work in Ben Carson’s life also wants to work in our lives if we will but let Him. We need to realize that we are dependent upon Almighty God and confess that to Him continuously.
The second thing we must do to unleash the power of prayer in our lives is to pray seeking a greater dependence upon God. No matter who you are, there are things in your life that eat away at your soul. You know in your heart that it is building a wall between you and a deeper walk with God. You are embarrassed. You are discouraged. You wish you could do something to alleviate your predicament, but you seem powerless to do so. For some it may be a fiery temper that causes you to fly off the handle and hurt those that you love. Some may harbor hate-filled feelings in their heart for people of another race or may look down on those who do not have the financial means that you do. For others it may be a dependence on drugs or alcohol to help you escape your problems. Some here may lack discipline and your lack of discipline causes you to make promises that you rarely keep. The list goes on and on. God never intended for us to become enslaved by the things that plague us. What He does intend is for us to throw up our hands in surrender to His holy power; power that is able to deliver us from the shackles of sin’s slavery. God wants us to know in our hearts that we are completely dependent upon Him for everything - the air we breath, our ability to get out of bed in the morning, the continued blessing of our relationships, our material possessions and the ability to make a living, and most importantly, our salvation.
On February 7, 1997, Dr. Ben Carson stood up to address the 45th Annual National Prayer Breakfast. When former Vice President Al Gore’s young son, Albert III, nearly died of injuries sustained when he was struck by a car in 1989, one of the consulting physicians was Dr. Ben Carson, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Achieving such acclaim hasn’t been easy for Dr. Carson. Growing up without a father in inner-city Detroit, the doctor told a hushed audience that day how he once tore open the forehead of a fellow classmate while clutching a metal lock in his fist; how he tried to stab a youngster in the abdomen with a knife; and how he went after his own mother wielding a hammer. When he was young his temper was out of control. Dr. Carson finally reached the end of his rope and after one outburst he ran into the bathroom of his house where he said, "I got on my knees and prayed."
Ben Carson learned as a young boy that he was totally and completely dependent upon Almighty God. He knew that he couldn’t even control his temper without God’s help much less achieve any of his dreams. As Ben Carson concluded his speech to the audience at the prayer breakfast he credited his incredible turnaround so many years ago to his mother and God, whom he called his heavenly and earthly Father. The God who has been at work in Ben Carson’s life also wants to work in our lives if we will but let Him. We need to realize that we are dependent upon Almighty God and confess that to Him continuously.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Unleash the Power - Part 2
Yesterday we saw that the first step to unleash the power of prayer in our lives is to pray seeking intimacy. When we humble ourselves before God we should seek first and foremost to come to know the Father in a deeper way. If our prayer time is full of our words then our prayers are merely full of us. If I want to get to know you then I need to be quiet and listen to you share your heart with me. When we come to know God in a deep, personal way, a sense of security will permeate our being and we will be able to live free in His grace. Intimacy with the Father will lead us to a desire to know Him more and more in a deeper way than we’ve ever experienced before. This is the impact of Jesus’ words to His disciples just before His death:
"I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow. I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you.” (John 15:9-16 NLV).
Norma Jean Mortenson. Remember that name? Norma Jean’s mother, Mrs. Gladys Baker, was periodically committed to a mental institution and Norma Jean spent much of her childhood in foster homes. In one of those foster homes, when she was eight years old, one of the boarders raped her and gave her a nickel. He said, “Here, Honey. Take this and don’t ever tell anyone what I did to you.” When little Norma Jean went to her foster mother to tell her what had happened she was beaten badly. She was told, “Our boarder pays good rent. Don’t you ever say anything bad about him!” Norma Jean at the age of eight had learned what it was to be used and given a nickel and beaten for trying to express the hurt that was in her. Norma Jean turned into a very pretty young girl and people began to notice. Boys whistled at her and she began to enjoy that, but she always wished they would notice she was a person too, not just a body or a pretty face, but a person.
Then Norma Jean went to Hollywood and took a new name, Marilyn Monroe, and the publicity people told her, “We are going to create a modern sex symbol out of you.” And this was her reaction, “A symbol? Aren’t symbols things people hit together?” They said, “Honey, it doesn’t matter, because we are going to make you the most smoldering sex symbol that ever hit the celluloid.” She was an overnight smash success, but she kept asking, “Did you also notice I am a person? Would you please notice?” Then she was cast in the dumb blonde roles. Everyone hated Marilyn Monroe. Everyone did. She would keep her crews waiting two hours on the set. She was regarded as a selfish prima donna. What they didn’t know was that she was in her dressing room vomiting because she was so terrified. She kept saying, “Will someone please notice I am a person. Please.” They didn’t notice. They wouldn’t take her seriously. She went through three marriages, always pleading, “Take me seriously as a person.” Everyone kept saying, “But you are a sex symbol. You can’t be other than that.” Marilyn kept saying, “I want to be a person. I want to be a serious actress.”
And so on that Saturday night, at the age of 35 when all beautiful women are supposed to be on the arm of a handsome escort, Marilyn Monroe took her own life. She killed herself. When her maid found her body the next morning, she noticed the telephone was off the hook. It was dangling there beside her. Later investigation revealed that in the last moments of her life she had called a Hollywood actor and told him she had taken enough sleeping pills to kill herself. He answered with the famous line of Rhett Butler: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!” That was the last word she heard. She dropped the phone, left it dangling. Claire Booth Luce in a very sensitive article asked, “What really killed Marilyn Monroe, love goddess who never found any love?” She said she thought the dangling telephone was the symbol of Marilyn Monroe’s whole life. She died because she never got through to anyone who understood.
You can get through to God. He wants to understand. He wants to be intimate with us. He wants us to have the power of joy in our lives! The first step to getting it is to pray seeking an intimate relationship with Him. Like a thirsty man seeking water, like a hungry man seeking food, run to Him each day. Like two lovers rushing toward each other’s arms, rush to Him!
"I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow. I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you.” (John 15:9-16 NLV).
Norma Jean Mortenson. Remember that name? Norma Jean’s mother, Mrs. Gladys Baker, was periodically committed to a mental institution and Norma Jean spent much of her childhood in foster homes. In one of those foster homes, when she was eight years old, one of the boarders raped her and gave her a nickel. He said, “Here, Honey. Take this and don’t ever tell anyone what I did to you.” When little Norma Jean went to her foster mother to tell her what had happened she was beaten badly. She was told, “Our boarder pays good rent. Don’t you ever say anything bad about him!” Norma Jean at the age of eight had learned what it was to be used and given a nickel and beaten for trying to express the hurt that was in her. Norma Jean turned into a very pretty young girl and people began to notice. Boys whistled at her and she began to enjoy that, but she always wished they would notice she was a person too, not just a body or a pretty face, but a person.
Then Norma Jean went to Hollywood and took a new name, Marilyn Monroe, and the publicity people told her, “We are going to create a modern sex symbol out of you.” And this was her reaction, “A symbol? Aren’t symbols things people hit together?” They said, “Honey, it doesn’t matter, because we are going to make you the most smoldering sex symbol that ever hit the celluloid.” She was an overnight smash success, but she kept asking, “Did you also notice I am a person? Would you please notice?” Then she was cast in the dumb blonde roles. Everyone hated Marilyn Monroe. Everyone did. She would keep her crews waiting two hours on the set. She was regarded as a selfish prima donna. What they didn’t know was that she was in her dressing room vomiting because she was so terrified. She kept saying, “Will someone please notice I am a person. Please.” They didn’t notice. They wouldn’t take her seriously. She went through three marriages, always pleading, “Take me seriously as a person.” Everyone kept saying, “But you are a sex symbol. You can’t be other than that.” Marilyn kept saying, “I want to be a person. I want to be a serious actress.”
And so on that Saturday night, at the age of 35 when all beautiful women are supposed to be on the arm of a handsome escort, Marilyn Monroe took her own life. She killed herself. When her maid found her body the next morning, she noticed the telephone was off the hook. It was dangling there beside her. Later investigation revealed that in the last moments of her life she had called a Hollywood actor and told him she had taken enough sleeping pills to kill herself. He answered with the famous line of Rhett Butler: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!” That was the last word she heard. She dropped the phone, left it dangling. Claire Booth Luce in a very sensitive article asked, “What really killed Marilyn Monroe, love goddess who never found any love?” She said she thought the dangling telephone was the symbol of Marilyn Monroe’s whole life. She died because she never got through to anyone who understood.
You can get through to God. He wants to understand. He wants to be intimate with us. He wants us to have the power of joy in our lives! The first step to getting it is to pray seeking an intimate relationship with Him. Like a thirsty man seeking water, like a hungry man seeking food, run to Him each day. Like two lovers rushing toward each other’s arms, rush to Him!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Unleash the Power - Part 1
“Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him.” (Ephesians 1:15-19 NLV)
In 1907, the great preacher E.M. Bounds wrote these powerful words which are still challenging the hearts of God’s people to this day:
“God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men...What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer. (Preacher and Prayer, E.M. Bounds, 1907, p. 5,7)
This is Paul’s prayer for those he loves. This is also my prayer for you. Over the last forty years the Lord has allowed me to have an insight into some of the most intimate details of people’s lives. I have arrived at some conclusions that burden my heart. I am convinced that most of the followers of Jesus are beaten down and living defeated from day-to-day. Satan has convinced scores of believers that they are losers, inept, and ineffective in their Christian walk. As a result they have taken a seat on the sidelines of life in exchange for the satisfaction of knowing that if they do nothing then they won’t have to face failure ever again. Satan is having a field day with the foot soldiers of the Kingdom! God’s desire for you and for me is that we would unleash the power He has provided for us in order that we might live each day to His glory and honor. God’s desire for each of us is that we might live in the fullness of His presence and come to understand the immeasurable grace and power that He has for us as we seek His heart.
One of the greatest barriers that prevent us from unleashing God’s power for our lives is our misunderstanding of prayer. Far too many believers today understand prayer to be some kind of "heavenly 911." I’m not suggesting that God doesn’t want us to cry out to Him when we are in the throes of despair and needing help, but if that is our primary understanding of prayer then we are in trouble. I want to suggest three keys to unleashing the power of God in our lives through prayer. You need to know something as we begin. If you pray simply to have power you will miss it and find yourself powerless. Today I will only mention them. Tomorrow we will start looking at each in depth.
1. Pray seeking intimacy. When we humble ourselves before God we should seek first and foremost to come to know the Father in a deeper way.
2. Secondly, we need to pray seeking a greater dependence. God never intended for us to become enslaved by the things that plague us. What He does intend is for us to throw up our hands in surrender to His holy power; power that is able to deliver us from the shackles of sin’s slavery.
3. Thirdly, we need to pray seeking understanding. As we walk with God we need for Him to give us understanding or we will become disillusioned and end up walking away or spending all of our time frustrated.
As we have begun a New Year, make a commitment today to pray in these three ways. As you do, the promise of God is that you will find and possess His power over the world, the flesh, and the devil.
In 1907, the great preacher E.M. Bounds wrote these powerful words which are still challenging the hearts of God’s people to this day:
“God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men...What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer. (Preacher and Prayer, E.M. Bounds, 1907, p. 5,7)
This is Paul’s prayer for those he loves. This is also my prayer for you. Over the last forty years the Lord has allowed me to have an insight into some of the most intimate details of people’s lives. I have arrived at some conclusions that burden my heart. I am convinced that most of the followers of Jesus are beaten down and living defeated from day-to-day. Satan has convinced scores of believers that they are losers, inept, and ineffective in their Christian walk. As a result they have taken a seat on the sidelines of life in exchange for the satisfaction of knowing that if they do nothing then they won’t have to face failure ever again. Satan is having a field day with the foot soldiers of the Kingdom! God’s desire for you and for me is that we would unleash the power He has provided for us in order that we might live each day to His glory and honor. God’s desire for each of us is that we might live in the fullness of His presence and come to understand the immeasurable grace and power that He has for us as we seek His heart.
One of the greatest barriers that prevent us from unleashing God’s power for our lives is our misunderstanding of prayer. Far too many believers today understand prayer to be some kind of "heavenly 911." I’m not suggesting that God doesn’t want us to cry out to Him when we are in the throes of despair and needing help, but if that is our primary understanding of prayer then we are in trouble. I want to suggest three keys to unleashing the power of God in our lives through prayer. You need to know something as we begin. If you pray simply to have power you will miss it and find yourself powerless. Today I will only mention them. Tomorrow we will start looking at each in depth.
1. Pray seeking intimacy. When we humble ourselves before God we should seek first and foremost to come to know the Father in a deeper way.
2. Secondly, we need to pray seeking a greater dependence. God never intended for us to become enslaved by the things that plague us. What He does intend is for us to throw up our hands in surrender to His holy power; power that is able to deliver us from the shackles of sin’s slavery.
3. Thirdly, we need to pray seeking understanding. As we walk with God we need for Him to give us understanding or we will become disillusioned and end up walking away or spending all of our time frustrated.
As we have begun a New Year, make a commitment today to pray in these three ways. As you do, the promise of God is that you will find and possess His power over the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
He Made All Things
O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. (Psalm 89:8-16 ESV).
In his novel, "The Magician's Nephew," C.S. Lewis describes in stunning detail, the creation of the incredible mythical land of Narnia, sung into existence by Aslan the Lion. Among the witnesses to the event was a character known as Uncle Andrew. Though Uncle Andrew witnessed the entire creation, he still refused to see it for what it was. Lewis' narrative is brilliant:
"When the Lion had first begun singing, long ago when it was still quite dark, Uncle Andrew had realized that the noise was a song. And he had disliked the song very much. It made him think and feel things he did not want to think and feel. Then, when the sun rose and he saw that the singer was a lion ('only a lion,' as he said to himself) he tried his hardest to make himself believe that it wasn't singing and never had been singing-- only roaring as any lion might in a zoo in our own world. 'Of course it can't really have been singing,' he thought, 'I must have imagined it. I've been letting my nerves get out of order. Who ever heard of a lion singing?' And the longer and more beautifully the Lion sang, the harder Uncle Andrew tried to make himself believe that he could hear nothing but roaring. Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."
That last sentence is very perceptive. It describes those who, though they see creation all around them, refuse to admit there's a Creator. Some even try as hard as they can to make themselves believe there isn't, with devastating results. Lewis goes on:
"Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. Uncle Andrew did. He soon did hear nothing but roaring in Aslan's song. Soon he couldn't have heard anything else even if he had wanted to. And when at last the Lion spoke and said, 'Narnia awake,' he didn't hear any words: he only heard a snarl. And when the Beasts spoke in answer, he only heard barkings, growlings, bayings and howlings. And when they laughed, well, you can imagine."
Can you see a Creator in the things He's created? Or have you convinced yourself He's not real? Do you hear only barkings, growlings, bayings and howlings when the voice of the Creator may be trying to get through to you? He made all things and calls us to worship His glory.
In his novel, "The Magician's Nephew," C.S. Lewis describes in stunning detail, the creation of the incredible mythical land of Narnia, sung into existence by Aslan the Lion. Among the witnesses to the event was a character known as Uncle Andrew. Though Uncle Andrew witnessed the entire creation, he still refused to see it for what it was. Lewis' narrative is brilliant:
"When the Lion had first begun singing, long ago when it was still quite dark, Uncle Andrew had realized that the noise was a song. And he had disliked the song very much. It made him think and feel things he did not want to think and feel. Then, when the sun rose and he saw that the singer was a lion ('only a lion,' as he said to himself) he tried his hardest to make himself believe that it wasn't singing and never had been singing-- only roaring as any lion might in a zoo in our own world. 'Of course it can't really have been singing,' he thought, 'I must have imagined it. I've been letting my nerves get out of order. Who ever heard of a lion singing?' And the longer and more beautifully the Lion sang, the harder Uncle Andrew tried to make himself believe that he could hear nothing but roaring. Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."
That last sentence is very perceptive. It describes those who, though they see creation all around them, refuse to admit there's a Creator. Some even try as hard as they can to make themselves believe there isn't, with devastating results. Lewis goes on:
"Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. Uncle Andrew did. He soon did hear nothing but roaring in Aslan's song. Soon he couldn't have heard anything else even if he had wanted to. And when at last the Lion spoke and said, 'Narnia awake,' he didn't hear any words: he only heard a snarl. And when the Beasts spoke in answer, he only heard barkings, growlings, bayings and howlings. And when they laughed, well, you can imagine."
Can you see a Creator in the things He's created? Or have you convinced yourself He's not real? Do you hear only barkings, growlings, bayings and howlings when the voice of the Creator may be trying to get through to you? He made all things and calls us to worship His glory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
