Author: Pastor'sPonderings

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

Have You Forgotten???

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Psalm 103:2-6  Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Do you have trouble remembering what God has done for you?  Are you lacking in your confidence that He is actually there for you?  Sometimes it’s beneficial to read scripture passages such as Psalm 103 to bring to mind once again in great detail what the Lord has done for all of us.  Look at these verse above once more…it says right at the beginning “forget not all his benefits.”   The psalmist stresses the need to never forget the things that God has done for us, and then he goes on to list them for us, just in case we’ve indeed forgotten.

What Are the Benefits of God?

1.  He forgives ALL your sins!

Not just some of your sins, but all of your sins!  Think of it, what God offers to each and everyone one of us is complete and total absolution for our sins.  The slate is literally wiped clean!  When the slate is wiped clean, we are provided freedom from sin and death.  This first benefit is epic in that we can be brought back into a right relationship with the Father.  No longer do we have to be bound by the shackles of sin, but instead the binds of bondage are taken from us…we are free indeed!

2. He Heals all your diseases:

Don’t misunderstand here, perhaps we may yet have to endure actual physical health issues or struggles, but ultimate we will one day be complete healed and given new heavenly bodies.  But God does in fact still heal His people here on earth.  Miracles do still take place and He can provide this blessing of healing to those He deems in need of it…but the problem arises for us when we consider the question, ‘what if He doesn’t choose to heal  me?’  When we submit our lives to God we take on a vital component of the Lord’s prayer in action in our lives when we pray, ‘Thy will be done.’

3. (He)… redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion

Because God forgive ALL of our sin we have been saved from eternal punishment and instead have been given the right to be called sons and daughters of God!  We have been grafted into the family of God because of Jesus Christ!  He stands before us with nail scared hands and wraps His arms around us and showers us with His love!  Isn’t that awesome to think about?  His love and compassion escorts us into the family and we are able to sit before the Father of all creation because of Jesus and what He’s done for us!

4. (He) “satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s”

Does God provide for you?  Is He not the Jehovah Jireh in your life?   God have given us all that we need, not all that we want.  He provides us with the things that are vital to our lives, but be careful that you don’t mistake wants for needs.  God will always give to his children that which we ask for in His name, not ours.  Make sure the things we ask for aren’t for any selfish intent or prideful purpose, but rather humbly ask for things which God will grant to benefit his children living His kingdom out here on earth right now!  He does satisfy our needs and He will sustain us and renew us within all our energies and motivations.

5.  The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 

Be assured that those who are oppressed, those who are serving Him through difficult circumstances and facing trials and persecution will one day find justice from those who have wronged them.  This isn’t a vindictive statement but a holy truth.  God is Lord of all including those who are unrighteous and those who oppress His people.  Everyone will one day have to stand before God and take account for their actions here on earth.  I know that God will bring His pure and true justice upon us all.  I also know that God still works through the oppressed and impacts this world for His glory regardless if man and their kingdoms oppose His message.  His will always prevails despite the attempts of the enemy to discourage and dismantle His cause.  Know that despite their trials, and even ours that we serve a God who doesn’t fail even if we do.  If we are faithful to Him and do what He asks of us, He will provide the victory even if we do not get to see it fulfilled in our life time.

Have you forgotten?  Do you lack understanding of what it is exactly that God has done for us?  Read this passage again and be encouraged!  Understand the God is on your side and wants you to know that He prevails in and through all things!  Don’t forget these awesome facts and bring them to mind whenever you feel discouraged or downhearted.  May the Lord remind you in your times of trouble that you matter to Him and also what He provides to you still today!

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Burning the Christmas Tree

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I burned the Christmas tree tonight…

warm summer breeze blew in to join

in the ol lang syne and somber tune

which added its fuel as we danced and sang

one last time.

The yule tree, now more of a yule log

hisses at us now, popping and wheezing

replacing the hohoho’s and the cheer,

blazing now here on the second of June.

This dried up timber with its wafting

scent, merriment and good tidings

cracklin’ gladly, roaring in this silent night.

I burned the Christmas tree tonight

and the boughs were a light once

more, brighter than before

in this final leg of festooning

and holiday mirth…and a lowly ornament,

long forgotten, smolders now glowing

amber, brilliantly mixing the fragrance of

the holly and the ivy with the

smells of barbecues and camping days…

and the freshly  mowed green lawn.

The ornament aglow now…although more inflames,

almost reflecting the gifts now discarded

beneath its canopy, and the wrappings

now too far gone having shuffled off their

mortal coils, after advents and deepening snows

of mid february’s gustings.

So too the tree has never been

so alight tonight.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How lovely are your burning branches

The fire bright with summer light

the soothing glow of ember’s might

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree

how lovely to behold you

…one last time.

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Not a part of the Holy Eucharist?

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I had an interesting conversation today. It took place in the parking lot on my way to see someone in the hospital. There in the hospital parking lot this gentleman spotted my uniform and inquired if I was a member of The Salvation Army. I indicated I was indeed and he proceeded to tell me that we did great work for people in need…I could almost hear the ‘BUT’ coming a mile away. Finally after a few additional compliments he came to his ‘but’, when he said, “But you guys are not completely a part of God’s family because you don’t have His holy Eucharist inside you.”

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Wow, what do you say to a complete stranger in a parking lot after only a few pleasantries have just been exchanged? There really wasn’t time to delve into it right then and there, I was on a mission of sorts to visit a parishioner. I found it interesting that in a parking lot I was engaged in a theological conversation…I didn’t have the time to engage.

So since I didn’t then, let me tell you what I would have said.

His argument: We (The Salvation Army & most Protestants) Are not completely a part of the body of Christ because we don’t have the holy Eucharist in us.

I couldn’t disagree more with his pompous take on theology! What he essentially struck me as proud and even elitism. Does God desire practice over faith? Often times religious conflict comes from theological misunderstandings or staunch stubborn persuasions. His assertion was that because we do not practice Communion or partake in Eucharist we are not a part of Christ. Hmm…was it the work of bread and wine that spurred the disciples into converting many at the day of Pentecost? Was it bread and wine that brought the Apostle Paul to the knowledge of Christ?

No! In fact I would contend that the Holy Spirit is an element that many high churches miss out on in their practice of Eucharist. Sure the practice can become ritualistic and lose its meaning, but His Holy Spirit is not mentioned enough within their church practices. How can one participate in Communion/Eucharist and completely miss the point of such a ceremony?

Is the practice of such a ceremony an act of Salvation? I would contend again that it is not! In fact, there are still many churches who say that if people do not partake in Eucharist they aren’t saved. How can this be? Did Jesus say ” Do this in remembrance of me to be saved?” No! He simply said, “Do this in remembrance of me”. What is ‘this’ that Jesus refers to? Was it solely the breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine? I do not believe it to be so. When Jesus later prayed to the Father that his disciples be One just has He and the Father were One, I believe there is significance there. Jesus wanted unity, peace amongst his followers. When they were to fellowship over a meal together, whether it was the Passover or even a simple shared meal the remembrance, I believed was conveyed in their meeting, not just the elements of Eucharist.

Secondly what makes the Eucharist holy? What is holy anyway? I’m sure there will be those who may disagree with me and that’s fine but where does Holiness come from? The only true source of Holiness is God himself. Who is able to bless something in order to make it holy then? Man? Are we ever worthy enough to make something holy in and of our own selves? I’m not denying that His Holy Spirit can’t indwell within us and work through us, but to claim that something is always holy just because of practice is foolish.

When we understand the source of Holiness, then how much weight should we then place of ritual? Is Communion in and of itself a source of Salvation? No. Who does provide Salvation and Redemption from our sins? Jesus himself, through His sacrifice…and “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Did Paul indicated anything in there about breaking bread and drinking wine to save your soul? Is that how we gain access to ‘the body’? No. Confession, belief and faith are the ingredients, if you will, for our salvation!

So what is Eucharist then?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not condemning its practice here by any means. What I am condemning is the ingrained denominational notion that if one does not practice Eucharist regularly they aren’t a part of the body of Christ. That is simply foolishness and a slant to the scriptures that was never meant to be. Should we participate in Communion in church? I think that there is a time and place for it. I think that some very sacred moments can come from it, but do I think that it ought to be practiced every Sunday? No, and here’s why. It loses significance and symbolism, and instead of something sacred can become monotonous and mundane.

Lastly, to the churches who teach that Eucharist is mandated and lack of practice is detrimental to our salvation…think again. Stop dividing the body of Christ! We become elitist when practice replaces holiness, and judgement is measured out by the hands of man. Salvation belongs to Christ, and those who call upon His name will be saved.

There is no perfect church here on earth, just imperfect people striving to be like Christ. When we allow His indwelling to be evident in the outpouring of our faith then, perhaps we have the authority to speak on such things.

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Eye of the Tiger

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Ok…cue the music…let’s get it over with.

Perhaps I am showing my age, but I can remember going over to a friend’s house and cranking up his dad’s stereo and singing at the top of my lungs this song “Eye of the tiger”.  I associated it with Rocky of course, but to me it spoke to the essence of my own life.  It evoked for me a sense of iron determination and if I had that iron determination I could accomplish anything in life!  I played soccer at the time and so I imagined myself out dribbling my opponent and scoring the game winning goal all because I had the ‘Eye of the Tiger’.

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Still today I occasionally think about that song and even though many years have passed since I was young and screaming its lyrics at my friend’s house, I still get a charge out of it.  The song still pumps me up and encourages me to keep on going no matter what obstacles might lay in my way.

In the spiritual realm, many so desperately need to have this ‘Eye of the tiger’ buried within their faith.  Unfortunately it is not uncommon for fellow Christians to get so bogged down by burdens and stress and issues that they abandon their faith all together.  Sometimes when the going gets tough those that lack the proper endurance fade away or simply abandon the cause all together.  How sad it would be to have come so close to grasping the image of Christ in our lives and to just give up when we are spiritually attacked or oppressed.

Do spiritual crisis’ still come to those who are in Christ?  You bet they do, in fact sometimes they often increase instead of diminishing.  The father of lies, Satan himself, would love to deter us and convince us that this path that we’re on is too hard or impossible to continue.  Often times when we see victories for Christ taking place in ministries and in our lives we may face strong spiritual opposition because Satan would love for us to give up and abandon instead of witnessing these victories that God provides.

You and I need the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ in our faith!  We cannot be deterred by the slings and arrows that the evil one throws our way.  But we must also be careful because, we cannot claim victory by and of our own strength.  Our Heavenly Father will supply us our needs and our His strength all we have to do is ask for it and it will be given!

Perseverance is often viewed as keep on keeping on…willful determination in the face of adversity.  We too, must keep going no matter what types of discouragement and obstacles we face!

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”  

Do not give up!  Don’t quit the fight or lose your way!  Embrace this strength that comes from God so that we too can be more than conquerors!

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  Romans 8:378

Do you have the Eye of the Tiger in you today?  

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Better yet do you have the Eye of the Lion of Judah in you today? Don’t quit, your battle is not fought alone!  You are not engaged in this spiritual war in and of your own strength either, He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Phil 1:6)!

Get on with it, stand boldly on your faith and keep on keeping on!

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Bury your head in the sand?

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Contrary to the notion that Ostriches burying their heads in the sand…this is simply not true.  When faced with fear, their first instinct is to run.  And since an Ostrich can run at a sustained speed of up to 40 miles an hour/ 65 km their first instinct is probably their best instinct.

So where did this fallacy of buried heads in the sand come from?  Traditionally Ostriches do not make nests like a traditional bird, since they are so big and most trees couldn’t hold them they will bury their eggs in the sand.  From a distance it can appear that an Ostrich is putting its head in the sand when in fact they are simply checking or turning their eggs.

So what they do in fear is actually out of necessity for the survival of their young.  If they didn’t run very fast and distract other predators from their nests, the Ostrich would cease to exist and suffer extinction.

Isn’t it interest that what we thought was cowardice is really a parent protecting their young?  Perhaps there is something to learn from this huge, fast birds…are we protective of our youth today?  Instead of being fearful of the world around us are we protecting our youth by nurturing them and not really caring how it would appear from the outside world?

Our youth needs us!  They need people of God who will instruct them and protect them from the predators in our world.  Perhaps there is something to learn from the Ostrich, perhaps we might even reconsider what it means to bury our heads in the sand.

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Friends & Cheers…and belonging!

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Isn’t it everyone’s longing and hope in this world to find a place that you belong?  Isn’t that the hope of every person living?  We want to find acceptance, understanding and people who will love us for who we are…truly love us regardless of our faults and flaws.  Isn’t this why television shows like ‘Cheers’ and the more contemporary ‘Friends’ became so popular in the first place?  We find identity within characters who have found this formula don’t we?  We, perhaps covet their meaningful relationships because we too crave this type of deep level of fulfillment in others as well.

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Sure the characters are flawed, have issues, aren’t perfect and yet these characters had people coming back for more each week to find out how their favorite fictional characters were getting on.  These syndicated comedy shows have been so popular that for Cheers they’ve aired followup episodes to please its following, and rumors are they are planning this type of event for the cast fan base of ‘Friends’ as well.

Perhaps it’s loneliness that drives these franchises to popularity, or perhaps they touch on a very familiar topic and emotion in the majority of our world…we want to be loved and find belonging.

Perhaps a passage of scripture that seems obscure or a book in the bible you don’t often read says this to us about God’s love and our search for belonging in this life:  Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Perhaps some of us feel lonely in this life…know that God is with you!  Perhaps some of us feel unloved or unlovable…know that God ‘will quiet you (and your heartache) with his love’!    Perhaps some of us worry about how our bills will be paid, where our next meal will come from or even the relationships (no matter how broken they may appear)…God will rejoice over you!

Do you need to be cheered up today?  Are you in need of Friends?….I know sorry about that play on words there, but God wants to be involved in your life and to remind you that you aren’t alone, you are never alone!  He loves you so much and wants you to find fulfillment in this life through others as well as your relationship to Him.

Be of good cheer. Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.” -Hellen Keller

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Summer break

The school year is closing in on its final days, like the breaths of a dying man. Yet instead of mourning, lamenting and pain a sense of mirth edges and brims its way loose from the windows and doors of the property.

The backpack laddened child chomps at the bit, paces the class room, glances at the clock on the wall as the toll of each minute passing represents a state of academic parole…a three month reprieve which invite pure jovial folly to stare into the classroom.

Soon, very soon the bell will ring, the children will all sing the praises of the freedom by clanging lockers loudly one last time, smiling all the way to the exit signs ready to engage mischief, sleeping in and games in be street…everyone except for the faithful few beginning a chapter of dismal summer school.

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Salt: Flavor & Preserver

“You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Matthew 5:13

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Did you know that salt is not only a flavoring element within food, but is also a preserver of food?  Salt has been one of those ancient ways in which people have used to prevent food from rotting.  So when Jesus told those gathered there that they were salt of the earth, he chose a topic with which the people would understand.  Still today food is of epic importance to our survival as people.  We can last for a long time without it, but food nourishes us, sustains us and provides us with the appropriate vitamins and nutrients.  Without those vital components in life, we will eventually perish.

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Jesus brought his message home to those who would listen that this world is perishing.  All things have an expiration date…yet what will preserve us?  What will make us last a little longer?  What will inject much needed flavor into our world?  The answer is simply those who will follow after God’s own heart!

This world will eventually pass away, and sometimes we may think it may be in our life time when we see unspeakable horrors and violence, humans turning on other humans, death and destruction…our world is a violent place.  Yet, the preserving element of life is God who is the author and sustainer of all things.  When we align our hearts, body and soul to Him, we find that the outpouring of this faith is love, peace, hope and joy…something this world desperately needs more of!

When we display love without strings attached, a joy without ulterior motives other than for others to find this same joy as well, we will inject our worlds with just a little bit of God’s epic flavor.

So how about it?  Are you prepared to be God’s preservationist?  Are you prepared to offer a dying world hope in the eternal one?  Being salt to a flavorless and empty world is what we ought to strive for!

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Another interesting notion in this passage of scripture for us to grasp is that typically all of the salt that was utilized in Israel at the time of Jesus was brought up from the Dead sea, which as you may know is extremely salty.  But there is also something else about the salt content of the Dead sea that you may not know.  The salt deposits within this body of water is full of impurities and often, after time, will lose its flavor.

Jesus instructed, perhaps even pleaded with this audience that we should never lose our flavor.  If we are to provide a flavorless world with the undaunted grace and richness of God then we must be mindful to always draw from His source of power and might.  Because if we stop drawing from Him and instead begin to rely on our own merits and flavor, we will lose the very essence of His character and love to a world so desperate to find hope.

Be flavor and a preserver to this world through the power of the One who sent us out into it!    Never let this hope diminish or lose its flavor!

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By Faith – Memorial Day Thought

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Hebrews 11:1-16 (NIV)
“1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age–and Sarah herself was barren–was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.  12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 Instead, they were longing for a better country–a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.“

 These 16 verses and more make up the ‘Faith’ chapter in Hebrews.  The author evokes for us the necessity of faith in a world so wrought with uncertainties.  He recalls pillars of the faith who took leaps of faith and landed on their feet because of God.  Faith is important in this life.  Faith helps us get through many situations and if we persevere, God will provide the means for our survival.   Do you have faith? 

On this weekend throughout the United States, this country celebrates and looks back at those who have gone on before us.  Our generations who have given their lives for this country…but we too should consider our family members, church members and pillars of our faith who have paved…no blazed the way for us!  The too lived by faith and every time we recall them in our hearts my it spur us on to keep going in our lives!  Their testimonies still live on in our remembering and we ought to not only honor them in our memories but consider the trails we too are blazing in this life at this very moment.

You are an inspiration to others!

Did  you know that?  Little one, children and others will eventually look up to you and in how you conducted your life…will you be an inspiration or a tell tale of how not to live this life?  I want my kids to remember me for being a loving father and godly man…I want my children’s children to consider me when they make crucial decisions.  I don’t say this to be prideful or arrogant but rather I want to live in a such a way that I please the Lord and by the faith provide a long term role model for others to follow as well.

By Faith I Want to Live…do you? 

Just a thought for today!

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