reading from yesterdays message

many have asked for the reading that I shared in yesterday’s message…here you go…

He is the first and the last. He’s the beginning and the end.
He’s the keeper of creation and the creator of all.
He’s the architect of the universe and the manager of all times.
He always was. He always is and He always will be.
He is unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, and never undone.
He is light, love, and longevity and Lord.
He is goodness, kindness, gentleness, and God.
He is holy, righteous, mighty, pure, and powerful.
His ways are right. His word is eternal. His will is unchanging. His mind is on me.
He’s my redeemer. He’s my savior. He’s my guide.
He’s my peace. He’s my joy. He’s my comfort. He’s my Lord. He rules my life.
I serve Him because His bond is love.
Because His burden is light. Because His goal for me is abundant life.
I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise and the power of the powerful.
He’s the ancient of days. He is the ruler of rulers.
He’s the leader of leaders. He’s the overseer of over-comers.
He’s the sovereign Lord of all that was, is, and is to come.
He will never leave me. He will never forsake me. He will never mislead me.
He will never forget or overlook me.
When I fall He lifts me up. When I fail He forgives. When I’m weak He’s strong.
When I’m lost He’s my way. When I’m afraid He’s my courage. When I stumble He steadies me. When I’m hurt He heals me. When I’m broken He mends me. When I’m blind He leads me.
When I’m hungry He feeds me. When I face trials He is with me.
When I face persecution He shields me. When I face problems He comforts me.
When I face loss He provides for me. When I face death He carries me home.
He is everything to me.
He’s everything to everybody, everywhere, anytime, in every way.
He is God and He is faithful.

monday quotes

“The theory that there is a God who made all of the world accounts for the evidence we see better than the theory that there is no God. Those who argue against the existence of God go right on using induction, language, and their cognitive faculties, all of which makes far more sense in a universe in which a God has created and supports them all by his power.” – Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (Dutton Adult, 2008)

“To you, I’m an atheist; to God, I’m the loyal opposition.” – Sandy Bates, in the Woody Allen film “Stardust Memories” (1980)

“Everyone wants to eat like Americans on this globe. But if they do, we’re going to need another two or three globes to grow it all.” – Daniel W. Baase, AgResources Company (New York Times, March 9, 2008)

“Seven in 10 American children live with two parents; two-thirds live with two married parents; and six in 10 children live with both of their biological parents.” – (Source: Baptist Press, March 7, 2008)

“Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.” – “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)

“According to a study presented at a February 2008 American Stroke Association conference, cat ownership has a positive effect on heart health. Those with cats who participated in the study showed a 30 percent reduction in the risk of heart attack, even after taking into account important biological risk factors.” – (Source: U.S. News and World Report website)

dallas

Dallas Willard: You are the uniquely designed creation of a thoroughly good and unspeakably creative God. You are made in His image, with a capacity to reason, choose, love that sets you above all other life forms. God’s aim in human history is the creation of an all-inclusive community of loving persons with Himself included as its primary sustainer and most glorious inhabitant. He is even now at work to bring this about. You have been invited, at great cost to God Himself, to be part of this radiant community. You, right there in your life. You will not only survive death, you yourself were made to bear an eternal weight of glory you cannot now even fathom, and you will one day know.

march madness

To the thousands (ok, maybe dozens) of loyal (or even just sporadic) readers of the Between Sundays blog you are invited to participate in a little March Madness.

Join in the madness by clicking here …

The group ID# is 102585 and password is: compasschurch

searching for god

All that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.

C.S. Lewis

tim keller is scary smart

Reading Tim Keller’s new book, “The Reason For God” – good stuff.

If you haven’t read Keller before let me warn you in advance that this isn’t the Max “mocha extra froth” Lucado type read that is common in Christian writing these days. Nope. This is some heady stuff that isn’t recommended to be read if you are operating heavy machinery.

I couldn’t handle this book if I was listening to it on tape, but reading it and being able to pause and think deeply about what I just read has been helpful.

Here is a great quote from this solid work…

“If you pick and choose what you want to believe and reject the rest, how will you ever have a God who can contradict you?

You won’t! You’ll have a Stepford God! A God, essentially, of your own making, and not a God with whom you can have a relationship and genuine interaction.

Only if your God can say things that outrage you and make you struggle (as in a real friendship or marriage!) will you know that you have gotten hold of a real God and not a figment of your imagination.

So an authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. It is the precondition for it.”

- Tim Keller, The Reason for God, p. 114

family movie night

From the Christian Film & Television Commission…the 10 best movies for families:

Ratatouille
Enchanted
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Bella
The Game Plan
In the Shadow of the Moon
Shrek the Third
The Ultimate Gift
Nancy Drew
Bridge to Terabithia

quote of the day

“It is extraordinary power from God, not talent, that wins the day. It is extraordinary spiritual unction not extraordinary mental power, that we need. Mental power may fill a chapel but spiritual power fills the church with soul anguish. Mental power may gather a large congregation. but only spiritual power will save souls. What we need is spiritual power.”
– Charles. H. Spurgeon

self-deception

Maybe I’m bamboozled,flummoxed (new words for a new week) and confused. I can’t be certain because, by definition, if I was certain I wouldn’t be confused. I freely admit my bewilderment.

I’m sobered by our remarkable capacity for self-deception. We can hear clear teaching from Jesus and say, “We don’t get it.” Really? How is that? Is His instruction too complicated?

What about “Love the Lord your God” don’t we understand?

What about “Love your neighbor” can’t we grasp?

What about “Come, follow me and I will make you
fishers of men” escapes our comprehension?

Are the fundamental teachings of Jesus imprecise and vague? Was Jesus too ambiguous? Do we simultaneously comprehend and ignore his instruction? (Mark Twain admitted to more scriptural understanding than he preferred when he said, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.”)

What if we discover our protests about Jesus’ direction have more to do with rebellion than ignorance?

What if we ascertain our remonstration (a new phrase for the week) is birthed in selfish ambition rather than feigned longing for greater clarity?

What if Jesus meant what he said? What if we know precisely what Jesus meant when Jesus said what he said?

What if we just don’t like what Jesus said?

What then?