Earthquakes close to home

Just today I read that an earthquake that centered in Canada was felt all the way in Parkersburg, WV which is several hundreds of miles away. The bible has always said much about earthquakes and it has been a topic that interests me very much. Below is a link that shows the story of the above mentioned earthquake and an article about what the bible says about earthquakes.

Do earthquakes make you think of things such as the end is near? Do you see an increase in earthquakes in "diverse places?"

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/531176.html?nav=5061

http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php?word=earthquake

I had no idea a gray fox could climb trees!

Recently, my neighbor called me and reported that he saw two gray foxes in his garden. I notified another neighbor that has chickens.

The next day I mentioned to a friend on the golf course that foxes were spotted in our neighborhood. He said: "Gray foxes are a unique creature. They can climb trees, however, a red fox cannot."

Did you know that a grey fox can climb a tree? I had no idea. What in the world am I going to do if a gray fox chases me? I can't jump in the river because I assume they are good swimmers. I can't outrun a gray fox and now I find out they can climb trees and even descend very quickly! What is this world coming to?

Just Tim with a thought about God's creation. For some reason, God saw fit for a grey fox to climb a tree...

http://www.nationaltrappers.com/grayfox.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_fox

Greyfriars Bobby

This is a great story, a true story I might add, of the loyalty of a dog that loved his master so much that he spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray in Edinburgh. What loyalty and what love this dog showed his master. This story has always intrigued me. I have mentioned this loving dog in sermons, classes and bible studies several times over the last 17 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby

MY THOUGHT FOR TODAY: I wonder if PEOPLE thought this much of John Gray? How was his relationships with others? If my dog loves me and thinks I am so wonderful, can this be a true gauge of who I really am and how friendly I am to others?

Know yourself. Don't accept your dog's admiration as
conclusive evidence that you are wonderful."

-- Ann Landers

Now, I have never been a big fan of Ann Landers, but her quote about my dog did make me think.

I was sitting on my back porch on Tuesday evening when a big bang of thunder came. My dog Labby, who is a black lab/dalmation mix was frightened and jumped on my lap even though she knew well that she is not allowed on the wicker furniture. So, here I was enjoying a thunder storm with a 50 pound dog hanging on like a child.

She needed my protection, my care, she trusted me. What a good feeling to know you are needed.

We all know

The real question, I believe that I should be asking myself is: "What do others think of me and how am I perceived by those that know me well?"

Am I approachable? Am I considerate? Do I really care about those that are able to talk back, challenge and see the real me?

Just a thought....

God Shrinking

Just a thought on my mind this morning:

Steve DeNeff wrote a great book called "Whatever Became of Holiness."

It touched the hearts of many and drew many back to the tenants of holiness that we so easily drift away from. One thing I remember mostly about his book is what he pretty much referred to as "God shrinking" or trying to bring God down to where we want Him. He listed 6 side effects of "God shrinking". Here they are:

1. There is no law
2. There is no sin (only alternative lifestyles)
3. No incentive to change our behavior
4. There is no gospel
5. There is little commitment to those who call themselves Christians
6. The whole doctrine of God is disintegrated (DeNeff writes: "The devil does not need to make atheists out of us to win the day. He only needs to remove the idea of the holiness of God from our platforms, bookshelves, seminaries and consciences, and we will soon make atheists of ourselves")

Are we there yet? Are we involved in "God shrinking"? How can we help the church put God back in the place of holiness and kingship where He belongs?

AMAZON LINK:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516E99QNCJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Became-Holiness-Steve-Deneff/dp/0898271568&usg=__hvlijP6HLDwLaCny2bOrSkJOp3I=&h=300&w=300&sz=18&hl=en&start=1&sig2=Bis5dUBxLsUf0xk2S5cxrA&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=vk3iIYKT4eU-GM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwhatever%2Bbecame%2Bof%2Bholiness%2Bdeneff%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1G1GGLQ_ENUS318%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=Ra8YTKTKI8X7lwfngfmYCw

Making Your Father's Day

Fathers Day is upon us. To me this is where summer really begins. I have always enjoyed receiving cards, gifts and hugs from my daughters during this time of the year. Just last week, my oldest daughter, Olivia gave me an early Father's Day card. I have been thinking about every day what the words said. I don't mean the words that came printed inside the card, I mean the words that she wrote in the card. She wrote these words: "I love you soooooooooooooo much papa bear!".

Now that makes a dad feel great! I love both of my daughters with all of my heart and they are exactly what God ordered when they came into this world.

Have you ever wondered what the perfect gift is for a dad? Here is an article you might find interesting if you have a moment to read it:

http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/dad-sense/fathers-day.html

Today I woke up thinking about ideas for a Father's Day sermon. It is usually Thursday before the words go on paper for a sermon outline so this is thinking way ahead. I was thinking about how the Prodigal Son made his father's day when he came back home after wandering for some time.

Luke 15:11-32 is where you will find the story.

If you are reading this blog post today and you are away from your dad in your heart, your relationship to him has become cold over the years, it would make his day if you made amends. Misunderstandings happen. Mistakes are made. Words are said. I encourage you to call your father and talk this Father's Day.

Perhaps you are away from your heavenly father. This, in essence is what was going on in the prodigal son's life. He was away from what his father taught him, away from his roots, away from happiness, strength and peace. His father always wanted him back. When the son came home, it exemplified some things that the father needed to see to bring joy to him. He made his dad's day. We can make our father's day:

1. When we seek our father’s fellowship

2. When we respect his authority
3. When you have a positive spirit
4. When we love our brothers & sisters

A PRODIGAL SON

Does that lamp still burn in my Father's house,
Which he kindled the night I went away?
I turned once beneath the cedar boughs,
And marked it gleam with a golden ray;
Did he think to light me home some day?

Hungry here with the crunching swine,
Hungry harvest have I to reap;
In a dream I count my Father's kine,
I hear the tinkling bells of his sheep,
I watch his lambs that browse and leap.

There is plenty of bread at home,
His servants have bread enough and to spare;
The purple wine-fat froths with foam,
Oil and spices make sweet the air,
While I perish hungry and bare.

Rich and blessed those servants, rather
Than I who see not my Father's face!
I will arise and go to my Father:—
"Fallen from sonship, beggared of grace,
Grant me, Father, a servant's place."

-- Christina Rossetti

So, what are your thoughts this Father's Day week?

Post something about your dad...

Not Far From the Kingdom

One of my biggest fears in spiritual ministry is that I know someone who is "not far from the Kingdom." What in the world is Jesus talking about here? How can a person be not far from the Kingdom of God?

This post is actually part of the sermon I plan on presenting to my congregation this Sunday morning. Just some serious thoughts come up as I am writing this morning.

"Not far but not in" are scary and haunting words! Look at the scripture:

Mark 12:28-34:

²⁸One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

²⁹"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ³¹The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

³²"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.³³To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

I am not trying to be judgmental or imply that we should go out and start analyzing others in their walk with God, but have you ever known or do you know anyone who is "not far from the Kingdom of God?"

If your answer is YES, perhaps you see these people on Sunday mornings at your place of worship. This is where someone that fits this label more than likely is to be seen.

It is an interesting statement indeed. Notice that Jesus did not say that he was IN the Kingdom, but simply that he was NOT FAR from it. The Scribe was not far, but not in.

You see, it is not enough merely to intellectually believe in the truth of God’s Word. We must be willing to act on it, to commit ourselves to follow it. The Scribe was not far from the Kingdom, but he was not in. Not far, but not in it.

Most of what passes for modern, mainstream Christianity is found symbolized in this Scribe. He had given mental assent to the facts of God’s word, yet he had never given himself to God.

We see it all too often in our churches. Pews are populated every Sunday by people who have only an intellectual faith, but not a faith lived out in daily life. They come to church, throw a few dollars in the offering plate, go through the motions, and go home. There is no passionate love for the Lord, no real desire to spend time serving the Lord and no power in their lives.

They are like the people in Jesus’ hometown who had grown up with Him but had never experienced His power by committing themselves to Him.

Could it be that the powerlessness of a church is because so many whose names are on their rolls are not far from the Kingdom, but not in it?

My prayer is that God will show us where we are lacking, where we are weakest. The world has seen so much of the powerless church and possibly even a church made up of leaders that are "not far from the Kingdom."

Where can we do better? What can we do better? What is the world seeing?

God's best to you today-just a thought from Tim