Friday Coffee with PJ

Friday morning means coffee and a couple of random thoughts that I hope will be of help to you as you strive to live your faith in Christ.

1. One thing I always find interesting about political conventions. They (both the Democrats and the Republicans) always only showcase "one side." Now it is obvious why they do it - they want to win in the general election. So we get it. But transferring this "looking-at-one-side" to the real world can really get us confused and out of sync. So we must be careful. We must especially be careful that we do not do this when looking at only "one side" of God. Often I hear people say something like, "I like to think of God as ...." Usually the word they fill in that blank with is something like "loving" or "gracious" or "good" or "faithful." And it is true. God is all of these and we need to be VERY thankful that he is! But isn't the God revealed in the Bible also "just" and "holy" and "wrathful?" Of course he is. The Apostle Paul, in writing to the CHURCH in Rome, urged them to "consider the kindness and the severity of God" (Romans 11:22). And in the book of Hebrews we are told, in words written to Christians, that "our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29). It seems to me that today's Church in increasingly looking at God in a "one-sided" manner. Yes God is a God of incredible and amazing love! But he is also a God of terrifying holiness (do a study of those in the Bible who came face-to-face with God and be prepared for some face plants!). Only as we understand just how awesome God is in his holiness, justice, wrath, etc. .... will we truly understand and rejoice in his love, mercy and grace!

 2. Controversy. It is everywhere. No matter where you go, or where you turn, you will find controversy. Even the one event that perhaps brings the world together like no other is not immune to it. Of course I am talking about the Olympic Games. Just one week from today the Summer Games will have its opening ceremonies in Rio De Janeiro. And in our day of seeming endless controversy, the Olympics has its share (think Russian doping scandal and athletes housing issues ... just to name a few). And if you don't like controversy ... well you may want to plan three month excursion to the moon because more controversy is sure to be coming our way as the presidential election heats up. What saddens me about all of this is that the differences we all have in so many varied arenas of life cannot seem to be discussed in a civil and kind way. Instead of trying to understand one another we tend to attack those with whom we disagree. I could go on a lot longer about this ... but let me suggest one simple step all of us can take toward a way we can "defuse" heated conversations about controversial matters....let's just purpose to LISTEN to UNDERSTAND what the others are saying. That, my friend, will go a long way toward bringing back civil discourse in this country to where it needs to be. And to my fellow followers of Christ ... let's practice the admonition of the Apostle Paul to the Church at Colosse:

"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person" (Colossians 4:5-6).

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ (inludes recent update on my wife, Sharon)

Friday morning (like EVERY morning for me) means COFFEE! So if you are reading this in the morning hours, please pour yourself a cup of java and join me for a few random thoughts (and if it's afternoon, iced coffee is great for these hot and humid days - especially if you drink decaff!).

1. Back in June in one of my three sermons on Isaiah chapter forty (one of the greatest portraits of our awesome God in all of the Bible), I quoted the following words of A.W. Tozer found in his classic book, The Root of the Righteous:

“Probably the most widespread and persistent problem to be found among Christians is the problem of the lack of spiritual progress. Why, after years of Christian profession do so many persons find themselves no further along than when they first believed?”

“The causes of this lack of growth are many. It would not be accurate to scribe the trouble to one single fault. One there is, however, which is so universal but it may easily be the main cause: failure to give time to the cultivation of the knowledge of God. The Christian is strong or weak depending upon how closely he has cultivated the knowledge of God.”

I believe Tozer is spot on with his thoughts. True when he wrote them over  half a century ago. Just as true (if not more so) today! How well do you know God? What are you doing to get to know him better? Vital questions to ask yourself today! 

2.  We live in such an "instant" society. When we want something, we want it NOW! Ordering online shows just how true this is. Consider with me Amazon, one of the largest online retailers in the world. For several years, Amazon has offered Prime members free two-day shipping. So if you order on a Monday ... you are guaranteed delivery on Wednesday. However, when Amazon first offered this service, if you ordered on a Friday, you would receive your shipment on Monday. But that has changed. Now you will receive your goods on Sunday! And since that is still not good enough for many, Amazon has been offering same day delivery (Prime Now) in over two dozen larger urban markets around the country. This desire for instantaneity has sadly infiltrated into our spiritual lives. Therefore we expect spiritual growth to come quickly and with little effort. And when this is not the case, we grow discouraged and do little more than "tread water." The New Testament over and over again tells us that we must "make every effort" (2 Peter 1:5-11) and "train" ourselves for godliness (1 Timoth 4:7). So ... what are you dong to "train" yourself to be godly? You might very well be thinking to yourself ... "Right, John! Like I have any spare time to train for godliness! I am running from the time I crawl out of bed ... get the kids up ... feed them breakfast ... get ready for work ... drop them off at the babysitter's ... and put in a full day at the office .. and then go through an evening routine that is just as hectic as the morning. Where am I going to find the time to do anything else?Isn't going to church a couple of Sundays each month enough?" If I just described your thoughts (and I am guessing I am for many of you), let me suggest a short and a very readable book that just might go a long way in changing your life: Simplify Your Spiritual Life: Spiritual Disciplines for the Overwhelmed.  If you order it and read it, you will not be disappointed! 

3. Last Saturday our men's ministries sponsored a night out to the local minor league baseball park to see the hometown Lancaster Barnstarmers play. I took along with me a dear friend, Paul Klawitter, whom I unfortunately don't get a lot of face time with (we see each other probably every-other-year). You see he lives in Dijon, France which is a bit of a "hike" from Lancaster, PA. I first met Paul,who

now serves Encompass World Partners as Sr. Director of International Church Planting, back in 1984. At the time he was an elder at Bon Meade Grace Brethren Church in Coraopolis, PA (near Pittsburgh) and I was a young pastor looking for a new church ministry. We connected over the phone and immediately hit it off. Within two months of that initial phone conversation, I was moving my young family from Philadephia to Pittsburgh for the next chapter of my pastoral ministry career. Even though I served alongside of Paul for a brief six months (he and his wife moved to the Philadelphia area to begin seminary at my alma mater, Biblical Theological Seminary in preparation for their deployment to France), we have kept in touch over the years. Because of our friendship, I believe I am a better man, a better pastor, a better husband and dad. In our Facebook world of shallow relationships, it is so refreshing and necessary to have friends like Paul. I thank God I have a few of these! 

4. Finally a quick update on my wife: We saw Sharon's orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday of this week. After discussing with Sharon her progress in the last 6 weeks, checking out her knee and closely examining the x-rays, he told us that he has "a gut feeling" that Sharon's broken femur is healed. But since the x-rays are still not conclusive, he ordered a nuclear medicine bone scan for Sharon for next Thursday, July 28th. We will then go back to see him on August 10th for the results. Hopefully it will confirm what he suspects but cannot completely confirm via the x-rays and clinical evidence alone. Thanks for your prayers. 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj
 

Friday Coffee with PJ

It's Friday! It's coffee day! (well, EVERYDAY is coffee day for me!) .... but today I hope to share some thoughts with you over a cup of coffee (or maybe in the midst of this heat and humidity you might want to drink your coffee on ice ... or even go for some iced tea - not quite the caffeine kick but still better than nothing!).

1. Facing a presidential election with the two most unpopular candidates in the history of presidential politics ... many of us are at a quandary as to how to vote. My son-in-law sent me an open letter written by Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska. According to my son-in-law it was "exceptionally well written." I agree! I think you would find it helpful. You can find it here. 

2. On Wednesday of this week, a portion of Lancaster County experienced significant flooding. The area involved was primarily East Lampeter Township and a small portion of West Lampeter Township. Both of these municipalities are located just east of the city of Lancaster. I live in Willow Street, just south of the city. Whereas the flooded areas (aproximately 4 miles or so north east of my location) received upwards of 7 -8 inches of rain (in just a few hours) ... my rain gauge measured a mere 1 1/2 inches. A friend who lives just a few miles southwest of me told me that he had barely enough rain to water his lawn! Another friend who lives just a few miles further from me said they saw no rain at

all!  Wow! From flooding basements and stranded cars to just some cloudy skies ... all within just a few miles! Amazing but not all that surprising. That is the nature of summer Thunderstorms. They can develop in one area and totally miss nearby areas. And what happened one Wednesday is the weather effect known as "training." This occurs when storms develop and slowly move over the same area over an extended period of time. This is what results in the high rainfall amounts. This reminds me of life. All of us go through storms. I may be going through one ... and you may not. Storms have a way of developing ... dropping their pain and hardship ... and then moving on. At times, the storms of life do "train" where they come one right after another. And this makes life tough! Now ... I don't know where you are in your life journey. Maybe the sun is shining and has been shining for quite some time. Or perhaps you are in the midst of a flooding "storm." But whatever the case, we must always keep in mind that our God is sovereign over the circumstances of our lives. So if the sun is shining and "all is well" in your life --- then you need to THANK God for this blessing!  But it you are struggling through hardship --- then you need to TRUST God through it, knowing that his eye is upon you and he has you firmly in his grip!

3. Finally ... today I must officiate a memorial service for an individual who many would say died before his time. His death is just another reminder of how fragile life is. Every single one of us will one day follow in this man's footsteps. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that "It is appointed unto to man to die once, and after that comes judgment." All of us will die. But there is an "after that" (death). And what comes after death is judgment. My friends are you ready for that judgment? It is coming as certain as death will one day come calling for you. If you are not sure you are ready ... I urge you to take a few moments to check out two ways to live: the choice we all face. 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

It's good to be back with you all after a week of vacation. My wife and I traveled to up state Pennsylvania where we enjoyed a few days of total relaxation. But for now ... pour yourself a cup of coffee (go ahead Gary, you might actually enjoy it!) and join me for a few random thoughts.

1. One of our vacation stops was the quaint little town of Punxsutawney. Even though most of you have probably never set foot in this small town (last week was our first visit), you have doubtless heard of it and actually seen a portion of it on television and internet reports come every February 2nd (by the way, the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day, was NOT filmed in Punxsy ... it was filmed in Woodstock, IL). Punxsutawney is the home of the most famous groundhog in the world (sorry Octorara Orphie!). Every Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil predicts whether or not we will have an early spring. If he sees his shadow and returns to his burrow, we will have 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, an early spring is just around the corner. According to a display located at Gobblers Knob, approximately 30,000 people descend upon Punxsatawney every February 2nd (my wife and I were trying to figure out where

they parked all the cars!). All to see some furry, chubby creature prognosticate the weather! I think it's sad that a groundhog can draw such a crowd ... but in many churches across America where the main attaction is God ... all too often people find a whole lot of excuses not to attend worship services. How about YOU? Do you make involvement in a church family a priority of your weekly schedule? If you don't, other things will quickly take its place and before you know it, you will be doing other things on Sundays. And that, my friend, will be to the detriment of your faith. 

2. Do you ever think about how our society is so interested in quick fixes.  If we have a problem (headache, need to lose weight, depressed, etc.) there must be a pill that we can take to solve our problem (now I realize there are times that popping a pill does help).  However, often the solution to a problem is far more involved than just a prescription.  Hard work, lifestyle adjustments, discipline – these are often what’s needed to overcome whatever it might be that continues to nag us. Take personal finances for example. All too often we are spending money we don't have to impress people we don' like. And because we want to keep up with everyone else around us when it comes to having the latest technology or a bigger house, we end up piling up our personal debt. And when the pile gets deep, we look for some sort of easy fix to get out of the mess we have made.  My friend, we could wish life’s problems could all have easy fixes. But they don't.  And when it comes to growing in our faith, Paul tells us to “discipline ourselves for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:12).  We need to stop looking for the quick fix.  Instead, let’s roll up our spiritual sleeves and get to work – striving to grasp spiritual maturity in Christ.  All by HIS grace and for HIS glory!

MID MORNING UPDATE: One blogger that I follow is Dr. Jim Denison. He writes on truth and culture from a biblical perspective. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you should be familiar with his name and his writings. Jim lives in Dallas where, last night, law enforcement was hit hard (greatest loss of life in a single event since 9-11). As of this moment, five officers are dead. When I heard the news late last night, I was so troubled with this ... another act of violence following so many other acts of violence across the past couple of months ... that I found it difficult to sleep. I found encouragement in Jim's cultural commentary today. I encourage you to read it! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj