Author: Pastor'sPonderings

Just a guy who asks questions, considers life and tries not to take any of it for granted

“Don’t let my son die!”

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There are no lengths in which a parent will go to in order to save their child!  Few things in this world terrify a parent more than the threat of an illness or death of their child.   As a parent, my worst nightmare in this world is that something would happen to one of my children.  We love them dearly and we want them to live long, healthy lives free of harm and illness.

Such was the case of a royal official.  His story is found in John 4:43-54.   Jesus was back at the place where He had performed His first miracle at a wedding feast.   The wine is long dried up, yet memories of this epic event still linger.  Hearing the news that Jesus, the healer, was back in the area of Galilee, this royal official traveled twenty miles to find Him.  Leaving his sick child behind in this last ditch effort to heal him, the royal official is desperate.   As a parent I can imagine his heart wrenching panic and fear.  His son, whom he loves, is dying.  The distance is great, and yet if Jesus can heal him it will be worth it.

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Finding Jesus, this worried father begs Him to come and heal his sick boy.  With tears streaming down his face and panic in his eyes he makes his plea to Jesus.  “Come!  My son is dying!”  This desperate man is facing his worst fear and not so much with his words, but with his eyes he is pleading with Jesus; “please don’t let my son die!”

Others are gathered there too.   Listening and waiting expectantly for Jesus to do something…something miraculous.  Jesus looks at them and sighs.  They don’t understand who He is.  Their Messiah is standing right there in their midst and yet they still do not believe.  He says to them, “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders you will never believe.”  There is certain sadness in His words.  Jesus understands them all too well, and has struck at the heart of their disbelief.

For a moment, at the words of Jesus, this royal official is afraid He will not come.  There is a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as this last hope seemingly appears to evaporate.  Prompted by this momentary panic, he implores Jesus one last time; “Lord, please come before my son dies.”  Jesus looks at this frightened father and says; “You may go, your son will live.”

The father feels relief as he hears Jesus say those words.  ‘Could it be?  Is my son really healed?’  He hurries off to find out, taking Jesus at His word.  The twenty mile journey will take him over a day to reach home.  Yet while on the homeward trek his servants meet him.  They confirm this long distance miracle: his son is healed and very much a live!  What joy must have filled his heart!  His fears relieved, his son’s health restored!  A parent’s nightmare is lifted and is replaced with a dream come true!

This is what Jesus does.   The healer of the sick, the resurrector of the dead brings us hope and a chance at new life!  To any parent, this is a relief.  But to all Jesus comes and longs for everyone to believe in Him.  He can perform a miracle in your life.  He still heals and binds up the wounds of the sick, and He can still put broken lives back together again.  For this royal official, Jesus provided healing for his dying son.  For all of us, Jesus can and will provide the restoration that we need in our lives.

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From Darkness into Light (Poem)

Taking each moment

breath by breath

leaving my old life

assuming the new.

I don’t deserve this

death was my closest friend

embraced by a moment

found by the light.

Cold, lost and empty

now standing up right.

Could we be salvaged?

Could we be saved? 

Hanging by a thread

my soul in the grave…

 

But you come to me 

when I had nothing else

But you lifted me 

when I was drowning 

I was going down.

 

Confronting my demons

facing my shame

retracing my shadows

for much I’m to blame…

Yet your light falls on me

Binding all of sorrows

soaking up my broken mess

joy becomes me

joy infiltrates all that I am

penetrating my defenses

and redeeming this lost and lonely soul…

this is redemption

from darkness into light.

 

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Sermon Podcast: “Living for God” by Captain Scott Strissel

New Sermon Podcast is up follow it here: http://scottstrissel.podomatic.com/entry/2013-06-23T11_08_34-07_00

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1 Peter 4:7-11 (NIV)
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Sermon Transcript:

Living For God

How to live consistently as a Christian:

1) Be Clear__ Minded__ (v7)

Clear minded implies that we can’t be of two minds about our faith in Jesus…it’s either all in or nothing!  Peter is reminding us that our commitment to God is complete not just a portion but everything…body soul and mind.

Do you have doubts?  Do you struggle with worry?  Are you fearful that you aren’t good enough for this cause of Christ?  Wrong…don’t let second guessing hold you back either!   The mind can be a battle ground that Satan likes to prowl, but if we allow him access he will give you doubt, give you uncertainty of your mission and cause you to doubt you were even called in the first place!

2)Be  Self-Controlled (7b)

Secondly in order to live for God you have to be disciplined.  That’s what self-control means.  How do you control what you put into this body of Christ? How do you maintain your devotion life with God?  How do you continue to live for Him and be clear-minded? You have to exercise self-control and be disciplined.  Our lives can be chaotic at times, we may get so busy that we forget to pray or read His word and that’s when we can starve our spirit.  Did you know that our spirits require sustenance?    How else can we continue to live for God if we’re not reading what He has said to us?  How else can we continue to live for God if we aren’t feasting on his promises and finding peace with His still small voice?  Why are we to be disciplined?

  • Why?  so that you can Pray!(v7)

We some- times doubt prayer…and its effectiveness.  We sometimes doubt that prayer is really THAT vital.  Have you ever had someone tell you that they would pray for you?  Have you ever felt the effects of people gathered together to pray for you?  Sometimes we treat prayer as if it is a secondary after thought.  We pray to get ourselves out of trouble…we pray when times get difficult, but do we actually treat prayer as a primary weapon?

Do you consider prayer to be a primary weapon?  IF you haven’t before I would like for you to consider the potency and power of prayer!  Prayer is vital but it shouldn’t just be used as a reactive weapon…you know what I mean by reactive don’t you?  Prayer shouldn’t be something we just do when something bad happens to us…or happens to someone else.  Prayer ought to be a proactive discipline we should strive to hone in our own life.  Instead of prayer being a reactive thing that we do, we should instead pray over every area of our lives… “Lord thank you for my family, how blessed I am that you have given me this group of dysfunctional people…” Ok maybe not quite like that…but you get what I’m saying?  Pray for people and reflect on the blessings that God has given you!  When we arm ourselves with proactive prayer…do you know what takes place?  We have placed everything already at God’s feet!  We essentially are saying the Lord’s prayer when we do this in that we’re stating in our actions “Lord, thy will be done…in all of my life!”  Living for God implies that our conversations with God are not just reactionary prayers of petition…but we are arming ourselves with His might and His power.  This type of prayer life creates too in us a disciplined lifestyle.  We begin to expect His responses, we begin to converse with Him as freely as if we were talking to a good friend.  We begin to find His hand in our lives and through the things that we experience.  He guides us into a deeper relationship with Him which is holiness.

3) Love_______Deeply_ because it brings

  Forgiveness and Acceptance_(v8)

3rdly in order to live a godly life we ought to love deeply.  When we love deeply and without any kind of hidden agenda or selfish motives we begin to experience Agapa love.  Agappa love is godly love.  Love that permeates who God is…that’s the kind of love that sent Jesus to the cross for us.  That’s the kind of love that doesn’t want us to remain in a state of sinfulness but wants a right relationship with us.  Godly love is something that far too few possess.  When we fulfill that first command to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”  What we are saying is I no longer put the needs of myself first.  I no longer wish to be God in my life…but I am giving God his rightful place in all things.  And in the same breath I am then saying I will also love others as I love myself.

How can this be?  People are tough to love aren’t they?  Especially if those neighbors are seemingly unloveable people.  Yet we are called to love them as we love ourself.  DO YOU?

If we get this love of God right…the rest falls into place.  If we can worship our Lord with all of our hearts instead of just a portion, then we can do this other thing regarding loving our neighbors.

When we love deeply as this scripture passage says we begin to focus less on the transgressions of our neighbors and instead focus more on the grace and love of God who first loved us in our awful state.

This passage says love covers over a multitude of sins…let me ask you…has someone sinned against you?  Has someone wronged you so painfully?  Has someone hurt you to the point that you can seem to find it in your heart to forgive them?  Let God help you…You can’t possibly do this on your own.  You aren’t supposed to.   But when we love as God first loved us this paves the way for healing.  This paves the way for forgiveness and reconciliation.  It won’t be easy, but His grace is enough!  His power can do the impossible!  Do you believe that?

4) Use the Gifts  God_ has given you!

            (V.11)

“Living for God” 1Peter 4:7-11

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Misunderstood or Humorous Church Song Lyrics

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I love music.  I love to sing and play music.  It’s a real passion of mine.  Frequently I will have a lyric or two in my head throughout the day.  Recently a conversation was struck up on one of those social networks about this very topic.  It quickly centered on funny lyrics within songs.  Most of the time these lyrics were written long ago or even recently and the implication or meaning has either been lost or was simply written into a song without much thought.

For example here is one such Meme out there from David Crowder’s ‘How He Loves’

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The truth is though that when we sing these songs sometimes we just accept them for what they are but do we consider what perhaps new comers might think or interpret these songs to be?

In the very same song by David Crowder he penned these words, which were later edited:

‘And heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss.’ Ha!  The first time I read that I had to laugh out loud!  Did he really write that?  Now I know what he was trying to say and I’m not criticizing him for it, he’s done some amazing worship songs.  But I do often wonder what new comers think about these lyrics.

Here are a couple of others:

Song: Come Thou Fount – “Here I raise my Ebeneezer”  most don’t know what that is and some like me think of ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens when we sing that second verse.

Song: My Jesus I love Thee – “And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow” …more like death eww…Not sure I’d be able to sing that with a straight face, however I do know that this was a poem before it was a song.

Song: Word of God Speak – “…and the funny thing is, it’s okay!”  Is it really funny?  Is it really okay?  I don’t know it just seems like a silly line to me.

I know there are other songs out there…and if you know more please share.

Then there are the other misunderstood church hymn lyrics, for example:

“Bringing in the Sheets (Sheaves)”

Amazing Grace: “That saves a wrench (wretch) like me.”

In the Garden: “Andy Walks with me”  (who is Andy?)

“While shepherds wash their socks by night”

I say all of this with tongue firmly planted in my cheek, so I hope I don’t offend anyone out there.  I think it is important to consider what we are singing though before we sing it.  We should also understand that there might be some misconceptions out there and also consider what new comers might be misinterpret from these songs that we sing.

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What am I preaching on?

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How is your soul? 

How is your relationship to God?  To Christ? 

In a world that struggles with acceptance and identity, there should be comfort in the fact that as a family of God, we serve One who accepts us and loves us without strings attached.  

Living for God isn’t easy…but it will be and is rewarding!  

Here’s the passage that I will be speaking on tomorrow…and I really feel that the Lord has something for us to hear from Him on this topic:  

1 Peter 4:7-11 (NIV)
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Tune in tomorrow here on this WordPress blog as we explore this passage together…I will post the podcast of the sermon here as well as some notes…join us!

-Blessings on you today, and may you live for Him! 

 

 

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My Morning (Poem)

The birds are singing – my alarm clock, 

as the sun peaks into my room

bending its way through our sephia blinds

winding up to the bed post

creeping in and under these eye lids…okay

I will rise, embrace this new morning.

 

stepping over discarded toys on the stairs

blurred vision, grog in my head

weighted by a slumbering dream; 

taking promise of the sunrise, 

and the brewer in hand

thick ebony grounds are scooped up, 

some granules, over flowing, coat my fingers…
i let them linger, allowing its redolent flavors to waft..

ignition of the senses, eyes gather focus 

pouring water deep down into its reservoir…

then I wait.  

Shaking cobwebs from the edges of my mind

percolating coffee, smooth romance to my ears

I think to myself, ‘watch pot never percolates’ 

and fathom countless minutes before my cup is poured

taste buds salivate linger and long for this morning’s first taste

as if all other mornings we have be deprived

and never tasted its succulent grace.

This is my morning.  

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General Election…An Officer’s perspective, and a call to a Month of Prayer.

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I’ve read a number of news stories, blogs and opinion pieces on General Bond and her subsequent retirement.  I’ve re-posted some here on my blog as well as commented on others.  I’ve even discussed this topic with other Officers ‘out there’…it’s fodder, news and it all effects us in some small way.  

It’s common to speculate on the sudden departure of General Bond.  It was certainly not something anyone would have anticipated until next year at her ‘scheduled’ retirement date. However, that being said I do think that simply stating ‘personal reasons’ should be respected.  We may wish to know more.  We may yearn to understand why our primary leader within The Salvation Army suddenly retired, but I seriously doubt that our queries and questions with get answered.  Do I wish there had been more information released from IHQ or from General Bond herself?  Of course I do.  But I also feel that if someone wishes to keep private matters private then we ought to respect those wishes.

Obviously one who is in Authority, as General Bond was, could have helped the Army world understand and even accept her sudden departure had more information been included instead the seemingly cryptic notice.  I believe this would have staved off all of this idle speculation.  But what’s done is done.  We as an Army march on!  We still have a war to engage and so engage we will!  

Secondly, I do not think it wrong to question our authority from time to time.  Even authority within our Army needs sharpening.  But we should also temper our questioning with wisdom, prayer and godly prudence.  After all, every authority regardless if it is the General, Commissioner, Colonel, Major, Captain or Lieutenant are all people fallible and imperfect.  But as I say this I also interject that if we are a holiness movement our actions, respect and love ought to permeate even these dialogues and ponderings.  

That being said, I pray for the upcoming proceedings as Commissioners from around the world gather at the High Council in July.

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Month Long Prayer Intiative: 

 

 I also petition that until then (June 21st – July 29th just over a month) that we as an Army enter a season of prayer.  As we pray; lift up our leaders and Retired General Linda Bond, pray for fellow Officers on the field, pray for the Soldiers around the world, this Mission God has placed us in.  

We march on as One Army, but first let’s gather on our knees in prayer!

Sincerely, 

Scott Strissel, Captain.

 

 

 

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Some Say…(Poem)

Some Say

that these moments 

will all fade away 

like the waning of the seasons

never to return again. 

Some say 

there is no turning back

no joy in the journey

no rhyme and no reason.

Some say

all we are is now

nothing waits 

nothing begs us for more.

Some say

our dying breath

each staggered step

leads to nowhere.

Some say…

but fools maybe,

I don’t buy the lie

there’s too much

to fathom that I cannot

comprehend.

Some say

but they don’t

sway me.

I know that I 

have been set free.

That’s what 

saves me, 

This Savior at Calvary

Some Say, 

I Say Believe

He is the way.

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“Questions swirl as Salvation Army leader steps down” BY Mark A. Kellner

 

(Source: http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/20/kellner-questions-swirl-as-salvation-army-leader-s/ )

KELLNER: Questions swirl as Salvation Army leader steps down

By Mark A. Kellner

 

Thursday, June 20, 2013

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

One of the world’s best-known charitable organizations — though not always recognized for the global evangelical Christian church that it also is — suddenly and unexpectedly finds itself needing a new global chief executive.

The 148-year-old Salvation Army, which has its international headquarters in London, announced June 13 that General Linda Bond would retire immediately as international leader. Word of the retirement of Miss Bond, who was elected in January 2011 and assumed office four months later, sent shock waves through the Army’s church community, a fellowship of 1.7 million members worldwide, including approximately 130,000 adults, children and “adherents” in the United States.

The official announcement was direct, if a bit cryptic. It went out over the name of Commissioner Andre Cox, a Swiss Salvation Army officer who since earlier this year has served as the organization’s second in command: “I write to inform you that General Linda Bond is entering into retirement,” Mr. Cox wrote. “Following a period of personal reflection and prayer, General Bond has decided that she should relinquish” the office.

There are several reasons the news sparked concern in some Salvationist precincts. One is that such midterm retirements are rare. Another is that Miss Bond had just returned to London after several days in St. Louis, where she attended a rally with about 3,000 church members. Reports from the event indicated a leader who was quite happy in her role, who gave no hint of the pending announcement.

A chief element for concern is that Miss Bond suddenly left a top administrative job once before: In August 2004, after about two years as leader of the army’s USA Western Territory, which covers 13 states and several U.S. Pacific island areas, she resigned, citing “personal reasons” and without giving notice.

General John Larsson, the army’s then-leader, “accepted her resignation with regret and acknowledged her outstanding contributions during her officership,” according to a report in New Frontier, a regional Salvation Army periodical. Within a year, Miss Bond returned to active service, eventually taking another “territorial command” in Australia from which she was then elected to the top worldwide post.

Requests for additional information from the army’s international headquarters yielded little additional information: “General Bond’s retirement was an entirely personal matter,” spokesman Kevin Sims wrote. Major Dean Pallant, another spokesman, stressed the “personal” nature of Miss Bond’s decision but was unable to provide any further details.

This time, though, one thing is different: Miss Bond’s retirement signals an end to her 44 years of active service as an ordained minister in the Salvation Army church; no return to service is contemplated or even seems possible. A “high council” of international leaders, will convene near London on July 29 with 118 members — 64 women and 54 men — with an average age of 59, according to the army.

Days of prayer and speeches by those selected as candidates will follow, along with a series of votes. No white smoke will appear as at a Vatican conclave, but the winnowing process has some similarities.

Two Americans may well be among the leading candidates for the job, which normally carries a five-year term. One is Commissioner Barry Swanson, who heads Salvation Army operations in the northeastern United States, who was Miss Bond’s second in command from May 2010 until February of this year. Another is Commissioner James Knaggs, a veteran officer and leader of the USA Western Territory once headed by Miss Bond.

Miss Bond’s sudden departure will likely have little effect on the day-to-day operations of the Salvation Army, either globally or in the United States. That said, the army’s church members, clergy and many of its employees might well seek more in the way of an answer than the catch-all of “personal reasons.” Given that the organization’s world headquarters is a glass-walled building — “its glass exterior communicates our transparency,” one leader said at its 2004 opening — some greater openness on this latest executive change would be welcome by many.

• Mark A. Kellner can be reached via email at mkellner@washingtontimes.com.

 

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“Step up and Go!”

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Jesus gathered them together.  The ‘twelve’ probably wondered what was next.  They had been with Him for a while.  They had witnessed miracles by His hand.  Been eye witnesses to the multitudes of people who came to hear Him teach.  Now Jesus called them to Him for some kind of closed door ‘huddle’.  “What would He say?” some of them wondered.  These disciples were still young men and in awe of their Rabbi.

They moved in close as Jesus looked into their faces and smiled.  His smile warmed them, made them feel accepted and loved.  Then He blessed them.  Any disciple would be honored to be blessed by their teacher.  Yet He went beyond the customary blessings.  He gave them authority.  With hands raised and face lifted up, Jesus granted them power and authority over all demons and diseases.  Then, He lowered His gaze and looked once more into their eyes.  He spoke to them and gave them instructions to go and preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Jesus sent them out to do what He had been doing.  They had been witnesses of His words and deeds and now the disciples were to go and emulate the Teacher.  There was a flutter in the stomach.  A tinge of nervousness in the air.  The young men had been instructed to go.  They had been instructed to preach and to heal.  A few wary looks were exchanged.  Someone coughed nervously.

Jesus wasn’t done though.  He gave them additional instructions;  “Take nothing for the journey, neither staff nor bag, nor bread, nor money…don’t even pack an extra tunic.” (Luke 9:3)

Jesus sent His disciples out with nothing yet everything that they would need.   He granted them a kind of authority only the Son of God could grant. They went and did as He had instructed.  Some most likely encountered strong resistance.  Others witnessed the mighty moving of God through their faithfulness.  Every disciple who was sent learned something in their ‘sending out.’

This on-the-field training of the disciples was a turning point for them.  They didn’t have it all  together yet.  But they went.  Jesus empowered them in their sending out.  He gave them what they needed most: authority and experience.

Still to this day Jesus is calling us out.  He is calling us to step up.  He wants to use us for His purposes and to preach the kingdom of God!  The authority is His, but the ability to go is ours.  Will you go where He sends you?  He doesn’t send us out empty handed, but He gives us what we need for the mission!  When you say ‘yes’ step up and go!  Don’t be afraid or fearful of what others might think…He is sending you because He believes in you!

“So they (the disciples) departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.” (Luke 9:6)

A prayer chorus comes to mind:

“For thy mission make me holy, 

For thy glory make me thine, 

Sanctify each moment fully,

fill my life with love divine.”

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