Thursday A La Carte

Here are this week's offerings. I hope you find something that will help you in your journey of grace!

1. John Piper encourages parents to require obedience of the children. Excellent stuff!

2. Tim Challies shares 18 Things I Will Not Regret Doing with My Kids AND 18 Things I Will Not Regret Doing with My Wife. If you are a parent or a husband ... or both, you need to read what he has to say!

3. Did you ever wonder how God views people? Mike Emlet from CCEF answers this question in this brief video clip. 

4. As we stand on the threshold of the month of November, here is a brief devotional from Alistair Begg on the Importance of Thanksgiving. 

5. On a lighter note . . . 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Busy Doing Nothing?

I don’t know about you, but I love the cartoon family of Bill Keane. Perhaps it is because his “keane” sense of humor is much more keen than mine! In one of my favorite Family Circus cartoons, little Billy and his younger brother are watching squirrels scampering about gathering acorns from the ground.  Billy says to his brother, “Look at those squirrels. They’re real busy and they have nuttin’ to do!”

How many of us are real busy doing “nuttin?” We scurry from one activity to the next while accomplishing little if anything for God and His Kingdom. I encourage you to take some time out and evaluate your life.  Time is too valuable a resource to waste. Let’s seize the moment and live it for Jesus! Before your time of evaluation pray these words: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

Carpe Diem (Seize the Day!),

Pastor John 

On Being Relevant

I hear and read a lot these days about the need for the church (and Christians) to be “culturally relevant.”  The dictionary defines the word “relevant” as “having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand.” In effect, to be culturally relevant is to have a bearing on or a connection with our culture.  This means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  Many, I am afraid, in the pursuit of cultural relevancy have emphasized the wrong things and lost sight of the main thing.  (Are you with me?) 

My approach to the Christian life is the K.I.S.S. approach (Keep It Simple Smitty). So as I consider the need to be culturally relevant (and it is a need – no one will give us a hearing if we walk around acting and looking like Yoda from Star Wars!), I believe it boils down to the main thing. If we pursue this main thing – we will ALWAYS be “culturally relevant.” So just what is this “Main Thing?”  We find it in Matthew 22. Jesus was asked to identify the greatest commandment in God’s Law (The Jews believed there were 613 of them!).  In Jesus’ response we find what I believe is the main thing.  If we practice this main thing – we WILL be relevant. Listen to what Jesus said about the greatest commandment: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  (Matthew 22:37-39)   

So there you have it.  Do you want to be “culturally relevant?”  Do you want to have a bearing on and a connection with the people around you?  Learn to love God with all you are and have – AND love the people in your life as you love yourself.  As you do this – God will work through you to impact your world. 

Thanks for stopping by . . .

 PJ 

Friday Coffee with PJ

Due to being away the first three days of this week at our fellowship of churches, East Focus Retreat (held in Ocean City, MD - click on link for photos of which I am in a couple), I have no random thoughts to share with you this week. In fact my only thought is that I have to get a sermon ready ... because it's Friday and Sunday's coming! But ... here is a quote for you from Pastor Tim Hodge of Grace Family Church in New Holland, PA.  "Chew" on this as you begin later today to enjoy a (I trust) well-deserved weekend break from your job!

"While happiness is desirable, holiness is essential. There will be times when you feel like Elijah in the desert seated under the broom tree lamenting of your lonely stance. Know that in the times when you feel at your worst, God is working at his best" (Tim Hodge).

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Life Boringly Ordinary?

In the first chapter of his book, Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches, author James Hamilton writes these compelling words:

"We have been lulled to sleep by the ordinariness of our lives. Our senses have been dulled by the humdrum of one day after another. We need to see God as he is. We need to be convinced that Jesus is reigning as the risen King. We need to have him speak to the situation in our churches. We need to know that God is right now on his throne, in control in Heaven, worshiped by myriads upon myriads of the heavenly host. We need to see the way that God will pulverize wickedness, obliterate those who oppose him, and set up his kingdom. The Book of Revelation has exactly what we need."

If you find yourself being "lulled to sleep by the ordinariness of your life," then you need to pick up your Bible, open to Revelation, the Bible's final book. In this book of tomorrow, you will find much hope for today. And if you really want to dig deeper as you read, check out this online commentary. 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Talk that Drains!

Sometimes what I read in the newspaper makes me laugh – or cry – or both.  Other times I find myself grimacing, as when I read the following: "Some psychological experts say folks who whine and complain all the time can suck the energy and health out of those around them." Come now.  Do we really need psychological experts to tell us that?  All of us know people whose native tongue is whine-ish or gripe-eese.  Spend enough time around these people and when you walk away you feel like you’ve been run over by a bus (or at the very least a large SUV!). So when we see these people coming our way, we usually do our best to duck out of their way! But I think we can learn a valuable lesson from the whiners and gripers in our lives.

When we  talk, we must watch the tone and content of our words.  Negative talk (griping, complaining, sarcasm, etc.) will tend to discourage and dishearten those who hear (ala the bus or large SUV).  On the other hand, positive talk (kind, thankful, encouraging, etc.) will build up those who hear.  Let’s purpose to be a blessing to those around us today.  But this is not easy.  Our tongues seem more prone to grumble than express thanks.  We need help.  In fact, we need supernatural help – and lots of it.  So let’s get in the habit of praying the following to God each day “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalms 141:3).  It is so easy to be negative, isn’t it?  That’s why we need His help!

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

God Always Gets It Right!

Thomas Watson was the chairman of IBM from 1920’s into the 1950’s.  He grew IBM into an international giant.  At the time of his death in 1956 he was one of the richest men in the world and was called the world’s greatest salesman.  Here is a quote from this very successful business man:

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”

Did he get it right? Sorry, Tom ... but you blew that assessment! But God – on the other hand – always gets it right!  And in the Bible he reveals to us all that we need to know about him … about ourselves  .. about life – both here on earth and for all eternity!

Sometime this week, pull out your Bible and read through Psalm 119:1-175. It will give you a fresh perspective on just how valuable the Bible really is! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj