April 30, 2009

Stay full of the presence of God, never allow yourselves to leak down past the point of joy.  It is the joy of the Lord that is our strength.  (Nehemiah 8:10)

Peace

Jim

April 29, 2009

I’m hoping it comes a shower or two today.  My garden could use a drink.

I am thinking about what it means to be full.  Not full as in going to Cracker Barrel and having a “Uncle Hershel Special”, but being full spiritually.  And I’m thinking about how we need to refill often to maintain some kind of peace in our lives because we are like containers with small holes in them, we slowly empty out.

Just keep in mind that we slowly empty out so that we don’t get completely empty.  Refill often.

Peace

Jim

April 27, 2009

I am constantly reminded of how real God is, evidenced through his movement  in the lives of people who trust him.  I suppose that’s why I keep trusting in God, because I see him all over the place.

That puts a spring in my step.

Peace

Jim

April 26, 2009

God is Good.

 

April 25, 2009

I’ve been studying looking ahead to Paradise, the world to come, life after this life, heaven, or whatever we want to call forever in the presence of Jesus.  I’ve been looking at what life might look like from where we are now…looking over everything in front of us and how looking that way makes the mountains out there ahead look rather insignificant.

When anything is held in comparison with the next life it shrinks in size making the mountains more managable.  So I think all of us need to spend more time looking toward heaven so that our vision is not cluttered by seemingly impassable circumstances.  Not looking as in doing nothing while we wait for heaven, but looking as in realizing that we can accomplish much while we wait.

Peace

Jim

April 24, 2009

It is interesting but when I look ahead toward eternity I overlook all sorts of things, at least those things don’t seem so important when I can look past them.  Its sort of like I am on a higher plane and can see over the top of seemingly important things, and I can see the bigger picture ahead.

Looking back is similar.  When I look back at where I’ve been I see where things that I thought were not so good turned out to be not so bad.  And that tells me that If I had been looking ahead during that time, things just might not have looked so bad.

I know that is practically a tongue twister, and if I had more time I could probably say it a little better.  But the gist of the matter is that I need to spend more time looking forward toward the promise of eternity, and lean on my faith a little more.

Peace

Jim

April 23, 2009

Concerning looking ahead to Paradise, C.S. Lewis wrote:

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.  It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

The Apostle Paul said in Col. 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”  A view of eternity prompts a view of God’s love, and it is God’s love that is the driving force behind the work of those called Christian.

Peace

Jim

April 22, 2009

Sometimes I think I haven’t learned very much at all about Christianity.  I’ve spent years studying, preaching, teaching, and I often feel so inadequate.  So what I do is stop.  Then I look back to where I was when I first believed.  From there I can see that I began with this knowledge of God’s love for me, but that’s about all I knew.  And then, from somewhere a long time ago, I look ahead.  I have come a long way…but there is so much farther to go.

But what I have come to understand is that yes I have a long way to go but when I start looking at the end, that is, at Paradise, that makes me want to continue to learn, to act, and to do.  And when I do those things I begin to see how the greatest commandment (loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second greatest, loving my neighbor as myself.  Mark 12:29), I begin to see how the greatest commandment is to guide my learning process.

That is a lot of words to say that when love is the guiding force behind our learning…we grow so much faster.

Peace

Jim

April 21, 2009

I’m thinking this week about looking back.  I mean looking back from where we are in our Christian life, back to when we began to walk with Jesus.

I’ll write more about that tomorrow but for today look back and see the difference between what we were like, and what we are like now.  How does that affect our view of the future?

Peace

Jim

April 20, 2009

Some pictures from the weekend.

Thanks to my friend Joe

In the church parking lot at Turkey Creek

This next one is from two weeks ago in Pigeon Forge.  The “hot light” is a wonderful thing.

The Hot Light !

Got to go, have a joyful day.

Peace

Jim