On Knowing God

How well we know God is of the utmost importance (as the words of Sinclair Ferguson quoted below make so clear). Given this, I am quite concerned at the ignorance of God that exists among numbers of Christians today. Many worship a caricature of God that is far removed from the reality of God as revealed in Scripture. 

SOOO .... how well do YOU know God? And what are you doing to get to know Him better?

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Thanks for joining me for some more random thoughts to chew on while you drink your morning "Joe!".

1. It was a lot of fun watching the weather forecasting community attempt to cover up their total miss on this past Wednesday's forecast. Projected snow accumulations for our area ranged from 4 to 10 inches. Some even mentioned the possibility of a foot of the white stuff. But at the end of the day ... my front yard was no different in color than at the start of the day. I will say ... shoveling my driveway was never easier!  This missed forecast is just a reminder that in spite of all of our technology and knowledge ... we are still limited human beings. We can make some educated projections about the future (and really, the weather guys are usually right, at least in the short term forecasting department), but there is only ONE who is able to predict the future -- and HE is God! I am so glad that when I read the Scripture that talks of the future, I do not have to worry that it may or may not happen. If God says it will ... it will. No doubt about it! 

2. This morning I sighted the first robins in our neighborhood. The past few years, I always spotted the first robins in February. Not sure why it wasn't until March 7th this year. But ... I am not complaining. That is a sure sign that spring is not far away! And I am all for spring! Bring on the warmer weather!  Amen and Amen!

3. Even though the turbulence in the Central African Republic has settled down, the issues that led rebels to nearly topple the current government are far from resolved. Please pray for my friend, Agustine Hibaile and his family. Pray for safety. But most of all, pray for open doors of ministry for Augustine as he seeks to bring the light of Jesus Christ into the highest levels of government (click here for more info on his ministry, the Center International for the Development of Ethical Leaders ... a.k.a. CIDEL).

4. Next week is another milestone for me. I will hit my 57th birthday. My wife asked me how I felt about that. Hmm . . . well, there's the sore heel of my right foot, the chronic pain in my neck, the off and on stiffness of my fingers - and I am sure I am just getting started with all that goes along with the aging process. I recently read one nationally known pastor say that he thought old age was a gift from God. For the older we get ... the less firm our grip becomes on THIS life and we are much more prone to look forward to the NEXT! Hmm .... I think he's onto something there!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj 

Thursday A La Carte

Here are this week's offerings ... enjoy!

1. It's great to see a real life situation where a teen shows he has "caught" the values of his parents. His is a heart warming story that brought tears to my eyes . .. 

2. Here's an interesting NASA video about the asteroid that exploded over Russia. A fascinating watch!

3. I could not agree more with David Murray as he discusses what he believes to be life's most essential skill. 

4. Ouch! This very brief read got me. I encourage you to take the 90 seconds it might take for you to read this ... but be ready to be slammed! Six Types of Selfishness will speak to you - IF you are teachable! :)

5. On a lighter note ... an older clip but one that had me laughing! 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

The Gift of the Scriptures!

Psalm 119 is one of my favorite psalms ... in fact, it is one of my favorite chapters in all of the Bible. Why so? Because it expresses to us in no uncertain terms (and in amazing language) the significance and value of God's Word. Sam Storms, in his wonderful devotional book, More Precious Than Gold: 50 Daily Meditations on the Psalms, gives this summary of this wonderful psalm: 

Well said, Sam!  Concerning God's Word ... there are three prayers to pray from the psalm which would benefit us greatly.

- "Incline my heart toward your Word!" (Psalm 119:36)
- "Open my eyes to your Word!" (Psalm 119:18)
- "Order my steps by your Word!" (Psalm 119:133)

Be sure to take some time today (and everyday!) to dig into the valuable gift of God's Word. And as you do ask God to incline your toward His Word, open your eyes to its truth and order your life according to what you read (HEAR it ... and then PUT IT INTO PRACTICE!).

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

What Time Is It?

Since I am considering a return trip to India later this year, I got to reflecting on my past trips there. As I did, I thought about some of the cultural differences between the United States and India. One of the greatest is the view of time here vs. there. Here, time is cherished as a very valuable commodity ("time is money"). Therefore, Americans can become very impatient waiting in long lines or irritated by a "chatty" cashier. Americans also value punctuality. Nothing is more bothersome to many then when a work colleague is late for a meeting or when a concert doesn't get going "on time!".

In India it is very different. Time is not nearly as valued as relationships. Punctuality is measured by hours ...not minutes. I learned this on my very first trip. We were preparing for a dedication of a new health clinic. The stated start time was 4:00 PM. The actual start time was approximately 5:30. And was anyone upset by that? Of course  - us five Americans who were present!

So when it comes to the use of time. Who's right? Americans or Indians? The answer? Both! One view is not better than the other, although I believe we Americans could learn something from our Indian friends (and I will leave it to Indians to say whether or not they could learn something from us Americans!). Sometimes I find myself wishing that we could be a bit more relaxed when it comes to our schedules. I think the Indians (and other cultures which are similar) are on to something here. Relationships are important ... and they are more important than the tick of the clock and the date on the calendar.

So what am I suggesting? Throw away your planning calendar and ditch your watch? Of course not! To do so would place you in a lot of hot water with a lot of people (after all, we live in the United States, not India!). But what I do suggest is that we all make relationships (and the cultivation of them) a priority. Build them into your schedules. Life is about far more than getting done the most you can accomplish in a 24 hour period. Take some of your valuable time and spend it with someone you love! Your live will be richer for it!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Got Faith?

The Bible is clear that faith is an important element of the Christian life. Our faith journey begins with faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and continues in faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). In fact, without faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). So to state that faith is important is in reality an understatement (perhaps better said, "faith is  indispensable"). Without faith - we are doomed!

SO ... with that preface, here's a quote from Chuck Colson which I ran across this morning. I found it to be quite thought provoking. Hope you do, too!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

This morning ... some more random topics to "dunk" in your morning coffee . . .

1. Isn't it easy to practice "Monday morning quarterbacking?" Far too often I find myself being critical of someone else and how they do things or handle certain situations. Lately, when I catch myself doing this, I remind myself that I am not walking in their shoes and therefore must be careful in making judgment calls that very well may be far from the truth. After all, I do not know all that particular person is facing in his or her life at that moment. When Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, lest you be judged," I think this sort of scenario was one that he probably had in mind (among others).

2. I don't really follow college basketball. But I did notice that Penn State beat Michigan on Wednesday night. In fact, it was the prominent story on both ESPN's and CBSSPORTSLINE's college basketball websites yesterday morning. Why so newsworthy? Thus far this season, State had lost 14 consecutive Big Ten Conference games. With the season almost over, it was looking more and more like PSU would finish the season without a single win within the conference. And so after the team knocked off Michigan on Wednesday ... it is no wonder that the fans stormed onto the floor in a wild post-game celebration. Now what made this such big news is that Michigan came in to State College with a 23-4 season record. They were also ranked as the fourth best college team in the entire nation. Many were projecting them to be a #1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. Wednesday night's loss may very well change that! This was indeed a situation of David slaying Goliath! No one gave the Nittany Lions a chance to win the game. Yet they did! This reminds me of the reality that all of us face certain "Goliaths" in our lives. And all of us, with God's help, can slay them as well (Philippians 4:13)! So press on in faith - no matter how huge the obstacles are that may lay in your path!

3. Today I turned the calendar. It is now March 1st, which is the first day of meterological spring. However, the forecast into next week looks nothing like spring! But, I will not despair because I knows the weather will finally at some point catch up with the season - and that's good news, because I just love spring time! Why? After the long, cold, dark months of winter, I so enjoy feeling the warm sunshine and gentle breezes of spring. I also delight in watching all of nature come back to life. It reminds me of THE holiday of spring: Easter. Easter, of course, is the holiday on which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Brutally executed. Laid in a tomb. But now ALIVE! And because he lives, we too will live (John 11:25-26). So as you watch nature come back to life across the course of the next number of weeks, allow that to remind you of the greatest return to life ever recorded in human history - and rejoice that we serve, love, worship a LIVING Savior!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj