Thursday A La Carte

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

1. How cheap is life in Norway? John Piper (with some insights from CS Lewis) weighs in on the sentence given to the mass murderer who murdered 77 victims.

2. What exactly is "righteous anger?"  Here is one man's take ... quite insightful!

3. Is it possible to think too much ... too often about the cross? Read these thoughts on this question . . . 

4. When God ... life ... doesn't make sense. Here's some brief insights from Jared Wilson. 

5. On a lighter side. . . (note: an adder is a poisonous snake whose diet includes mice!).

Follow Me and I Will Make You Fishers of Men!

One day, as Simon and his brother, Andrew were casting their fishing net into the waters of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus spotted them. He stopped to talk to them. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." How did Andrew and Simon respond to this invitation?  "At once they left their nets and followed him." (See Matthew 4:19-20). I don't know about you - but I find it striking that they did that. They could have said to Jesus, "That sure is an interesting invitation. We are heading over to Starbucks for a latte and we'll talk it over there. So stay tuned. We'll get back to you tomorrow." Nope, didn't go down that way, did it!  Matthew records no hesitation on their part. None whatsoever. They simply left their nets and followed Jesus. Surprising? It shouldn't be. Simon and Andrew realized who it was that was offering the invite. And that made the all the difference for them. 

I love to fish (see pic. It is not doctored in any way. I really did catch that fish all by my lonesome!). But I love to fish for men even more. What a joy to be able to point people to Jesus Christ.  He alone can meet a person's deepest needs. And He alone is the way home. Without Christ, people are lost.  But with Him, they are wonderfully found! The invitation Jesus offered to Simon and Andrew - he offers to all of us.  Are you willing to follow Him and allow Him to make you a fisher of people?

Thanks for listening, 

pj

On the Storms of Life

Last week, as meteorologists were coming out with their thinking on Hurricane Isaac's future path, most predicted a path that would take the storm either over Florida or to the EAST of Florida. Now that we are about 12 hours from landfall, it is becoming more and more certain that landfall will the in the vicinity of New Orleans. Once glance at a map will show the reality of the storm's track is quite a bit different from what the professionals were predicting last week.

In spite of the progress that's been made in tracking storms in the past decade, to accurately predict which way these tropical systems will trek is precarious at best. It almost appears that these storms have a mind of their own! The unpredictability of the paths (and you could add speed of movement and amount if intensification) really does not surprise us. We understand that even though the technology used by the National Hurricane Center is quite complex ... these hurricanes are even more so. Therefore, trying to accurately predict just where these storms will head and how big and ferocious they will be once they get there is a tall task indeed!

All this reminds me of the storms that crash into our lives. Unlike the arrival of hurricanes, we often have no advanced warning. At other times, we can see them brewing on the horizon ... and so we worry and fret as we make predictions of how they will bring us hardship and heartache ... only to see them drift off in another direction. But no matter if storms come our way or steer clear of us, we can always find comfort that the God who sits on the throne of heaven, has his hand upon the steering winds of the storms of life. So when life gets stormy (and it will, note James 1:2 tells us to rejoice WHEN - not IF - we encounter trials of various kinds), we can find comfort, strength, courage and hope knowing that our God is in control of ALL things (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:28). So if you are hurting today, look to the God who loves you and has YOU in HIS loving and powerful grip!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

If Feels Good To Be Loved!

Yesterday, my iPhone rang. I answered with a friendly "hello." The little voice on the other end responded with "Grammy?"  "No, this is Papa. Would you like to speak with Grammy?" "Yes," the little voice replied. So I handed the phone to my wife. "Hello, Ella." And with great passion and enthusiasm, our 3 year old granddaughter asked, "Grammy, can I come over to your house? I love you so much!"  And just the day before when we were driving Ella back to her house she told us as we were driving along, "Grammy and Papa ... I loooovvveee you!"

Wow. It feels good to be loved! And what is true of being loved by a grandchild, child, spouse, friend, etc. - is even more true when it comes to be being loved by God. How so? Human love ... even at its best and purest ... is imperfect. God's love, on the other hand, is a perfect love. If you are a child of God, then he will neither love you more nor less tomorrow than he does today. His love is unconditional and unfailing. He loves us perfectly in His Son. And that, my friend feels good!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

PS - If you unsure if you are a child of God, please check out the web site: Two Ways to Live.

Thursday A La Carte

It's time again for a hodge-podge group of offerings in hope that you will find something to inspire, encourage and equip you in your journey of faith!

1. Here is a fascinating video from the Roman Catholic Church that's worth watching! It's titled, Test of Fire: 2012 Elections.  

2. Want to know how great a difference ten years has made on the Internet? Check this out! 

3. In Pakistan there is an incident brewing involving a mentally disabled Christian who might have to spend the rest of her life in prison for blasphemy. Please pray!

4. Is "should" a dirty word? Ed Welch offers up an insightful answer! 

5. Here's the story of how God changed the life of a Planned Parenthood manager. Truly an "amazing grace" sighting!

6. On a lighter note . . . 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Flash Mobs ... Now Cash Mobs! What's Next?

According to Wikipedia, a flash mob is "a group of people who assemble suddenly in a place, perform an unusual and seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression." Usually the mob is gathered via various forms of social media such as Facebook and/or Twitter. The word was first coined in 2003. Since that time, many videos of flash mobs have gone viral.

Now there is a new kind of mob at work ... it's called a cash mob. Again, citing Wikipedia, a cash mob is "a group of people who assemble at a local business and all buy items from that business." The whole purpose of doing so is to support the local business ... and by extension, the local community. The first cash mob can be traced back to 2011.  And according to the local Lancaster newspaper, the first cash mob appeared in the city of Lancaster this past Sunday when a group of about 100 people mobbed a local downtown merchant for one purpose .... to buy! 

The emergence of these mobs manifests that our society just loves to go after whatever is "new and exciting!"  As a result, there is always a new fad just around the corner. Yesterday it was flash mobs ... today it is cash mobs ... what will tomorrow bring, "gash mobs" with people hitting a city block, gashing tires as they go? Or perhaps "trash mobs" consisting of people hitting an area to clean up trash (many areas could really use such a mob!)? Or maybe "mash mobs," where a group of people get together and mash some grapes or potatoes (for what purpose I would not know!)?

The church is not immune to this chasing after fads (does WWJD ring any bells?). One concern (of many) that I have for today's church is that in chasing after all that is new and exciting ... we have lost a grip on the old and life-changing. I am talking about God's Word and the truths of the gospel that it reveals to us. Please take a moment and read the following quote from pastor and author Kevin DeYoung: 

"The only thing more difficult than finding the truth is not losing it. What starts out as new and precious becomes plain and old. What begins a thrilling discovery becomes a rote exercise. What provokes one generation to sacrifice and passion becomes in the next generation a cause for rebellion and apathy. Why is it that denominations and church movements almost always drift from their theological moorings? Why is it that people who grow up in the church are often less articulate about their faith than the new Christian who converted at forty-five? Perhaps it’s because truth is like the tip of your nose-it’s hardest to see when it’s right in front of you. No doubt, the church in the West has many new things to learn. But for the most part, everything we need to learn is what we've already forgotten. The chief theological task now facing the Western church is not to reinvent or to be relevant but to remember. We must remember the old, old story. We must remember the faith once delivered to the saints. We must remember the truths that spark reformation, revival, and regeneration" (The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism). 

Hmm. Perhaps we need to get back to that old, old gospel and allow its beauty and truth to renew our souls, invigorate our hearts, stretch our minds and strengthen our faith!

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Chew on This as You Begin Your Week.

Thought I would offer up a great quote from A.W. Tozer on the pursuit of holiness.

“Plain horse sense ought to tell us that anything that makes no change in the man who professes it makes no difference to God either, and it is an easily observable fact that for countless numbers of persons the change from no-faith to faith makes no actual difference in their life." 

Tozer is right. Far too many Christians profess a faith that makes little if any difference on how they live out the routines of their lives. Tozer would say they might profess faith in Christ ... but they don't really possess it.

How about you? If you profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ ... what in your day-to-day living would support your claim. Just asking . . . because the eternal welfare of your soul hangs in the balance!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj