Category Archives: God

Apr 23

Laughing At God

Posted on by

I enjoy laughter. In fact, I find myself spending a great deal of time laughing. I believe laughter is one of God’s great gifts. We all should do a better job of bringing laughter into our lives. However, just as laughter can be a good thing, it also can be a bad thing. For example, have you ever laughed at an inappropriate time?

One of the inappropriate times for us to laugh is in response to God and His promises. Perhaps we have never truly laughed out loud at God, but we have probably laughed to ourselves at the thought of some of the very promises God has made.

This was an area where Abram struggled. God promised Abram he would have a son (Gen. 15:1-6). Unfortunately, he and his wife Sarai apparently got tired of waiting on God and decided to take matters into their own hands. Sarai gave Abram her servant, Hagar, and he slept with her and she conceived and bore him a son (Gen. 16:1-6).

Just when Abraham was probably feeling good about having a son, God tells him Ishmael, the son of Hagar, was not the son of promise. Instead, God was going to bless Abraham and Sarah with their very own son. Here’s the problem: instead of being excited, Abraham fell on his face and laughed at God. He thought he and Sarah were too old to have children (Gen. 17:16-17). Sadly, Sarah responded in the same way (Gen. 18:9-15).

Can you imagine laughing at God? We may not be able to imagine it, but we all have done it. When we read the promises God has made to us in His word, do we have faith that God will bring those promises to pass? If we don’t, then we are laughing at God and His promises. When we fail to believe what God says, we in essence are laughing at what God says.

Abraham and Sarah laughed at God because they doubted. The promise He made seemed illogical. Let’s not make the same mistake as Abraham and Sarah. Friends, always remember, “we walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Jan 07

When Your Greatest Teacher is a 3 Year Old

Posted on by

It was only three short years ago that my life was completely turned upside down. Most of the time when this happens it’s never a good thing. Having your world turned upside down usually involves some aspect of heartache and pain, but not this time. On January 6th, 2012 at 8:19 a.m. God blessed Miranda and me with a little baby boy. Little did I know that this small bundle of joy would be one of my greatest teachers; a teacher from whom I would learn some of life’s most important lessons more fully.

As a parent you are suppose to teach your children, to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). That was and still is my plan for Caden. However, in the three short years he has been a part of our lives, he has taught me much about some of life’s greatest lessons. He has taught me about love, patience, care, concern, affection, kindness, joy and a host of other things. But, perhaps the greatest lesson of all deals with God’s love.

I have always been told about how much God loves me. As a minister, I have spent a great amount of time telling others how much God loves them as well. However, until I had my own son, I don’t think I ever truly understood the depth of God’s love for me.

The apostle John wrote, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:9-11).

God’s love for us as His children is unlike any kind of human love. I love my son with all my heart. And yet, as much as we love our children, it fails in comparison to the love God has for us as His children. His love for us propelled Him to offer His only son as a sacrifice for sin so we could have hope of salvation from the wages of our own sins. According to Paul, the wages of our sins is death (Rom. 6:23).

Friends, God loves YOU so much He was willing to offer up His only son to suffer humiliation, shame, torture and even death so you might be able to spend an eternity with Him. Jesus himself said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

God loves the whole world and every one living in therein. And yet, although His love is universal, His abounding love is very much personal towards each one of us. Augustine said, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”

The love of God is truly hard to comprehend. The closest I have come to comprehending God’s love for me is by examining the love I have for my one and only son. It is an amazing kind of love; a kind of love that would propel me to do anything for him and his well-being.

Yesterday my son Caden celebrated his 3rd birthday. I don’t know where the last three years have gone, but it has been the greatest three years of my life. I hope and pray God will bless our family with many more wonderful years together. With those years may God work through my son to teach me many more important lessons along the way, lessons I might otherwise never truly understand.

Happy 3rd birthday, Caden! Daddy loves you more than words can say.

 

Dec 19

The Most Unlikely People Pt. 2: The Shepherds Were Overlooked

Posted on by

Pen, Diary and Glasses                                              Photo Credit: Generationbass.com via Compfight cc

Yesterday, I asked the question, “Why would He pick them? Of all the people in the world, why would God pick some of the most unlikely to be a part of some of the most amazing news?” If you did not have an opportunity to read that article, click here.

One of the reasons I believe God picked the shepherds was because they were overlooked. I know this may sound like an oxymoron, but consider this with me for a moment. The shepherds were overlooked because of who they were…shepherds. I know there have been many respectable shepherds throughout Jewish history, but at the time of the birth of Jesus, shepherds were anything but respectable. They were looked down upon because of their occupation. Shepherds were considered simple, uneducated and most often poor. They were definitely not the kind of people one would expect God to use to reveal such amazing news.

Not only were they overlooked because of who they were, the shepherd were overlooked because of what they did not have. Remember, a lot of shepherds were poor. Think about a lot of the nativity scenes you see this time of year. Most of them do not even have the shepherds present at the manger. Instead, most nativity scenes have the wise men present with their gifts. The problem with this is the wise men never went to the manger. They went to see Jesus in a house at a later time (Matt. 2:11). If this is the case, then why would a lot of nativity scenes have the wise men at the manger instead of the shepherds? Perhaps the reason is because unlike the wise men, the shepherds had nothing to offer. Jesus was the King of Kings, the expected one who was to come. He deserved the very best people had to offer. Sadly, for those shepherds, they probably had nothing to offer to the great King of Kings.

You see, the shepherds were overlooked because of who they were and what they did not have. And yet, God chose them anyway. Why? Why not choose people of greater importance?

By picking the shepherds God was demonstrating the importance of such people in his plan.

Remember what the angel told the shepherds? “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

God chose the shepherds to teach us a valuable lesson. God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35). We are all the work of His hands (Job. 34:19).

Like the shepherds, there is nothing special about most of us. We are just common, ordinary people who have nothing to offer the King of Kings. And still, we have a place in God’s story. No matter who we are, what we do, or what we have or do not have, we all have a place in the story of the savior. The savior came to bring good news of great joy for ALL people, including people like you and me.

Praise be to God for His decision to choose such unlikely people!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

 

 

Dec 18

Why God? Why Such Unlikely People?

Posted on by

Green fields revisited
Photo Credit: EssjayNZ via Compfight cc

Really? Why would He pick them? Of all the people in the world, why would God pick some of the most unlikely to be a part of some of the most amazing news?

“8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)

In the age of social media, anyone can break important news. It is no longer famous newscasters bringing breaking news into our homes, it is anyone who has access to social media. This can be both good and bad. It is good from the standpoint we receive news quicker than ever before, almost immediately right after it happens. However, the bad side of this is that sometimes the breaking news is not really true. Just think back to last week and all the “breaking reports” about Nick Saban accepting the head coaching position at the University of Texas. Someone broke the news and sent the state of Alabama in a panic. Fortunately, for all the Alabama fans in the world, it was not true.

When news breaks it is important to have a credible and reliable source. Thus, since this is the case, why would God choose to reveal some of the greatest news in the history of the world to some of the most unlikely people? Why didn’t He reveal it to the religious leaders in Jerusalem? Why didn’t He choose to tell someone of more social importance? Why reveal it to and through shepherds.

Over the course of the next few days I will write about why I believe God chose such unlikely men like the shepherds to reveal some of the most amazing news the world has ever known. See you tomorrow!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

QUESTION: Why do you think God chose such unlikely people to break such an amazing story to the world? Leave your answers in the comments section below.

Dec 04

God Owes Me, Right?

Posted on by

You Owe Me

Have you ever felt like you were owed something? Maybe you held the door open for someone, but they hardly noticed. Deep down you thought to yourself, “How ungrateful can a person be? They could have at least said thank you.” Or maybe you stop in the middle of traffic to allow a car to pull out of the spot they had been stuck in for several minutes, only to have them pull out without a wave or smile as if you didn’t do anything to help them. You probably thought to yourself, “They could have at least waved.”

Welcome to the wonderful world of pride. It’s a world many of us have traveled through. Any time we do something for someone else, we sort of expect them to do something in return, don’t we? If I hold the door open for you, you say thank you. If I let you pull out in front of me while traffic is busy, you give a friendly wave. If I let you cut me in line at Chic-fil-A, you tell me what a good American I am. We think we are owed something in return for our service.

What about with God though? I highly doubt any of us would ever admit to thinking God owes us, but most likely we do. Think about it like this. Let’s say you live a Christian life to the highest standard. When people look at you they know you are a person of God; it’s written all over you by the things you say and do. You never miss an opportunity to worship and praise God. About the worst thing you ever did was talk back to your momma and you only did that once because you received the worst spanking of your life after you did. You are about as good of a Christian as there has ever been. Your life is good and you are tremendously blessed by God.

Then one day everything changes. One day you lose your job. One day your marriage falls apart. One day you find out someone less qualified got the job you really wanted. One day the only child you have is taken from you. One day a parent or spouse leaves you. One day you are diagnosed with a terrible illness. One day something happens to you that completely turns your world upside down. How do you respond?

Chances are you respond the same way a lot of us might respond; you want to know why God allowed this to happen to you. How could He let this happen after all the years of service you have given Him? You have done a lot of good in His name. You have dedicated your life to Him. What is He doing up there? He’s certainly not taking care of you. He owes you, right?

Jesus, when talking to His disciples about service, said, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17:10). Jesus taught His disciples that obeying what they had been taught and being faithful in service, didn’t entitle them to anything.

When we don’t like what happens in our lives, let’s not be so quick to get angry with God, no matter how faithful we have been. Remember, our faithfulness was our duty. We are servants. We are here to serve Him. God doesn’t owe us anything for our service to Him. He’s already paid for our service by the sacrificial gift of His Son on the cross. Jesus hung where we should have hung (Rom. 5:8) and even that was something we were never owed.

God doesn’t owe us anything but we owe Him everything!

Now that’s Something to Think About!