Friday Coffee with PJ

Ahh .... morning coffee time! Yes! The best way (at least for me) to start my day!  Thanks for joining me for a few random thoughts.

1. This week I read an article about a person who left the evangelical church. Now, I will ignore the need to define "evangelical" (although I perhaps should define it, because the term is such a broad one and means many different things to many different people). This person claimed that, among other things, she became disillusioned with the "lilteral" approach to interpreting the Bible. In her own words, "I have long had trouble with a literal reading of the Bible that deliberately ignores the historical, sociological, and religious contexts in which the various Biblical texts were written." As I reflected on that ... I thought, Hmm. I have heard this argument against a "literal" reading of the Bible so often (and I believe her view of a "literal" interpretation of the Bible is certainly NOT my view ... read on). Yet I never hear people argue that other pieces of literature should not be read "literally." The word "literal" has so much baggage with it ... I prefer the words "plainly" or "naturally." --- i.e. the Bible should be read like any other book, taking into account its various genres, use of figurative language and symbolism, the historical and cultural context in which it was written, etc. And as we do this, we must also remember the Bible is not like any other book in that it was inspired by God Himself. It is His revelation of His will, nature, and character AND His plan for us (which includes the glorious plan of redemption through his Son Jesus!). Bottom line, I believe that the Bible is (in Kevin Deyoung's words) knowable, necessary and enough. But for fallen humanity who balks at submitting to God ... when the revelation of God butts up against the "wisdom" of man, then all of a sudden ... the "literal" interpretation is not to be accepted. And that is a sad place to end up! 

2. We have had a great week of VBS here at Grace Church! What a privilege it is to introduce these little ones to Jesus Christ! I always think of my own experience whenever VBS rolls around. It was in the city of Harrisburg at Melrose Gardens Grace Brethren Church where I recall first hearing the words of John 3:16. I was eleven at the time. Although I don't believe that marked my conversion, it did put me on a path that would, at age 16, lead me to the cross. So ... every  year I make myself available to serve in our VBS because these little children matter to Jesus (Mark 10:13-16). And if they matter to Jesus, they had better matter to us! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj 

A Prayer for Your Wednesday

We can learn much from those who have gone before us in the faith. These men and women have left behind a wealth of biblical writings and devotional thoughts. Many of these individuals had a fervent faith that we need to imitate. I hope from time to time you will make an effort to spend some time reading what these saints of yesteryear have left for us to examine. With a little bit of effort, we can mine many gold nuggets of great value that will provide us with much encouragement for our own spiritual journey.

Here is an old prayer and a great prayer. I would encourage you to spend a few moments praying it back to God. You will be better for it!

Gracious and holy Father, 

please give me:

Intellect to understand you; 

Reason to discern you;

Diligence to seek you;

Wisdom to find you;

A spirit to know you;

A heart to meditate upon you;

Ears to hear you;

Eyes to see you;

A tongue to proclaim you;

A way of life pleasing to you;

Patience to wait for you; and

Perseverance to look for you.

(A prayer of Benedict, 480-547- AD)

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Is the same-sex marriage battle lost?

Many have spoken to me of late as to their discouragement concerning the apparent demise of traditional marriage and the growing acceptance of homosexual marriage. I encourage you to take a few moments to read what Jim Denison has to say about the battle for marriage as defined by our Creator-God.


Is the same-sex marriage battle lost?

Thanks for stopping by ... and don't forget to SEIZE THE DAY by knowing and living God's Word!
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Ahh ... time for that wonderful cup of coffee! Why not pour yourself a cup and join me for a few random thoughts.

1. On our recent vacation, my wife and I enjoyed the 1.5 mile hike up the gorge in Watkins Glen State Park. The climb up involved over 800 steps (fortunately not all at once). The trail follows the stream which runs through the gorge. It is a fabulously beautiful (at at times refreshingly wet) hike! As I think back on how the rushing waters turn this way and that as they cascade down through the gorge, I think of what God tells us in Proverbs that a king's heart is like a stream of water that God turns as HE wills (Proverbs 21:1). Even the "mightiest" on earth are not independent of the will of Almighty God! Certainly this reality should bring us much comfort in these turbulent days in which we live! Our sovereign God has a plan and he is working that plan! And there is absolutely NOthing that can stop Him!

2. Also on our vacation, we connected with some long time friends. We had a delightful evening with them, enjoying catching up with one another AND discussing a variety of topics related to our faith journeys. Sharon and I left their home with full stomachs and warm hearts. All of which reminded us that friendships are worth every bit of our effort to nurture and grow. Far too often we allow our pursuit of "stuff" get in the way of things that really matter ... one of which are the friendships that God blesses us with! So ... if you have a friend in your life whom you have not contacted lately, stop what you are doing right now and contact them. You will be glad that you did!

3. When I got back in the office this morning, in addition to three different meetings I have had, I have been trying to catch up with the email that piled up in my absence. Well, after a couple of hours, I am almost there (keep in mind, more came in today that I had to deal with!). I plan to finish up tomorrow morning. My mind is a bit fried at this point. But think with me about God. How many more "emails" in the form of prayers does he receive in a day. Millions ... in thousands of different languages. Yet he handles EACH ONE with care, wisdom, and immediacy. That blows me away! What a mind! What a God! WOW!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

As you pour your cup of Joe (and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do!), please pull up a chair and join me for just a couple of random thoughts. 

1. For the past number of years, I have served on the board of a small Jewish mission with an every growing ministry! Hebrew Christian Fellowship has been engaged in reaching Jews for Messiah Jesus since 1943! Among the number of affilitated ministries in the land of Israel is Israel College of Bible. Erez Soref, the president of ICB has been to Grace Church twice in the past. In recent years, the college has seen an explosion of growth of an ever expanding student population. And what is most exciting about the students is not the number of them ... but who they are. The student body includes both Israeli Jews AND Arabs! All coming together as one to study God's Word!  One of the ministries of ICB is Five Alive. It is a weekly video devotional based on one of the five books of Moses (hence the name FIVE alive!). David Salinger, son of John and Ruth Salinger whom we as a church supported for many years, is featured in this Five Alive video. I encourage you to take the five minutes required to watch it! You WILL be blessed! You may also want to take an additional two minutes to watch this endorsement of ICBC from NFL record setting kicker, Jason Elam who played in the NFL for 17 years (for the Broncos and Falcons). Enjoy! 

2. Not only was yesterday (June 12th) my wife's birthday, it was also the first day of a week long vacation. I looked up the word "vacation" in the dictionary and found this definition: a respite or a time of respite from something. Now the word "respite" is not a word I typically use, so I consulted a dictionary again and found that "respite" means an interval of rest or relief . So putting those two definitions together, I see that a vacation is an interval of rest or relief from something. In this case, the "something" would be the daily grind of my work. Ahh. I am more than ready for that! Most of my time off will be spent just doing this and that with my wife and stopping in on some "old" friends! So as I am getting some needed respite, please pray for me. I'll be back next week with some more food for your soul!

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

"Mirror, mirror on the wall . . . "

"Mirror, mirror on the wall" are familiar words to children of all ages. Spoken by the wicked queen in the tale of Snow White, they flow out of a heart of vanity and pride. We Christians would do well to follow her example of looking in the mirror. But not some magic mirror. Rather, it is the mirror of God's word that we must stand before and look (James 1:22-25). To help you do so, here are some great questions for self evaluation, written almost 60  years ago by A. W. Tozer. in his book, The Root of the Righteous. They are as probing and penetrating now as they were then!

1. Of what do we think when we are free to think of what we will?

2. What object gives us inward pleasure as we brood over it?

3. Over what do we muse in our free moments?

4. To what does our imagination return again and again? 

I encourage you to spend some time reflecting on these questions. Then measure your answers with what God's Word says is important! You will be better for it! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

It's that time again to grab you favorite cup of morning brew (or if it's later in the day, perhaps some other beverage) and join me for a few random, but I trust, relevant thoughts.

1. Life can be hard. Very hard at times. When difficulties crash into our lives and bowl us over, it is very easy to lose perspective. When that happens, we often (not always, but far too often) tend to cast a blaming look toward heaven. After all, if God is indeed sovereign and in control of all things, then he could have easily kept this trial from causing us so much pain. Right? My friend, it is at this point that we must proceed with faith. Yes, God is sovereign, but yes God is good. And when "stuff happens" that crushes the life out of us, we must, by faith, recall to our minds that the God who loved us enough to die for us still has us firmly in his grip. Whatever is happening to us and around us is part of his good and perfect plan for us. Ultimately it is all for HIS glory and our good. Elias Pledger, a Puritan pastor from yesteryear understood this need for faith in the face of adversity. "Hear" what he had to say. . .

"Faith is not used only for our entrance into grace, but also for our continuance and progress through all temptations and difficulties. Faith and prayer must be as the breathing of our souls to keep the heart alive. We must trust the Lord in every change and condition of life. A trusting Christian in this strength may challenge all the gates of hell. 'When I am afraid, I put my trust in you' (Psalm 56:3). Afraid? Alas! Who is not? But what course will you take then? Believe. Use faith always, and have it now!" (Elias Pledger) 

2.  Stewardship. This was a word once heard routinely in churches. Not so much anymore. Yet the concept of stewardship is indeed a biblical one. In fact, one cannot follow Jesus without practicing it. So . . . just what is stewardship and what does the Bible have to say about it? I strongly urge you to click here to read just what biblical stewardship is all about. For at the end of the day, what you do with all that God has loaned to you speaks volumes about your relationship with him!

3. What do you say to a Christian friend who loses a parent who, to the best of their knowledge was not a believer in Jesus Christ? How do you encourage and comfort someone in that situation? Randy Alcorn, author of one of the most exhaustive books on heaven, also has a website (Eternal Perspective Ministries). Here is how one of his staffers answers this question. It is good stuff!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Serve One Another!

Recently I took my Nissan Versa to the Nissan dealership where I bought it. They serviced and inspected the vehicle.  They told me it would take about an hour or so to complete.  Sure enough, just a bit over an hour later, I was out the door and on my way.  I wish more of life worked as smoothly!

The next day I received a follow-up email from the dealership.  They asked me a few short questions about the service I received and then thanked me for bringing the car to them.  As I completed the brief survey, I remember thinking to myself, “Now that’s how to run a business!”  Here was a car dealership that really cared about me and what I thought about their service.  

God calls us to service – not ourselves (which is what so many of us spend most of our time doing!) – but others!  In Galatians 5:13 the Apostle Paul writes ”You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” As we strive to obey God’s command to serve, let’s follow the example of this dealership.  Determine to do your very best as you minister to the needs of those around you.  In doing so, you will help others and honor God.  And isn’t that what life is supposed to be about?

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Don't Bash ... Do Pray!

When our president's decisions, as the one yesterday which resulted in the freeing of five "hardest of the hardcore" (John McCain's words) Taliban prisoners, it is easy to begin "Obama bashing!" Now by this I am not referring to the asking of legitimate questions in a civil manner. No. Bashing goes way beyond this. Bashing involves name calling, character assassination and more! Is this an appropriate response to for a Christ follower ... no matter how wrong we might believe his decisions to be?

God gives the answer to this question in his Word, and it is found in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: God calls us to pray for those in authority (which obviously would include our president). So as Christians who desire to put into practice God's Word, let's put off the bashing and put on praying in its place. Yes ... continue to engage in the political discussion. Weigh in with your disagreement (and the reasons for it). But as you do so ... please don't forget to pray! As the book of Proverbs reminds us, God can even change the hearts of kings (Proverbs 21:1)!

Yesterday I came close to crossing the line (and perhaps did) in bashing the president. At the very least I failed to pray for him. I apologize. Today, I have renewed a commitment to pray each day for President Obama. Will you join me?

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj