The Concerns of a Mouse

From the CyberSalt Digest (www.cybersalt.org):

"What food might this contain?," the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed this warning:

"There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it."

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap . . . alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.

In the darkness, she did not see it.

It was a venomous snake whose tail was caught in the trap.

The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. When she returned home she still had a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup. So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient:

But his wife's sickness continued.

Friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

But, alas, the farmer's wife did not get well . . . she died.

So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them for the
funeral luncheon..

And the mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn't concern you, remember: When one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another…

Enormously Gorgeous

From the CyberSalt Digest (www.cybersalt.org):

My Dad says I am Enormously Gorgeous.
I wonder if I really am?

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Sarah says you need to have beautiful long curly hair like she has.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Justin says you must have perfectly straight white teeth like he has.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Jessica says you can’t have any of those little brown dots on your face called freckles.
I do.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Mark says you have to be the smartest kid in the seventh grade class.
I’m not.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Stephen says you have to be able to tell the funniest jokes in the school.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Lauren says you need to live in the nicest neighborhood in town and in the prettiest house.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Matthew says you can only wear the coolest clothes and the most popular shoes.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Samantha says you need to come from a perfect family.
I don’t.

But every night at bedtime my dad gives me a big hug and says, “You are Enormously Gorgeous, and I love you.”

My dad must know something my friends don’t.

- Carla O'Brien.

Steven Furtick on Detours

Here's a clip from Steven Furtick’s blog post Detours to the Destination:

The single greatest thing standing in-between you and God’s plan for your life is not just your preconceived notion of what that life itself should be. It’s also your preconceived notion of the road you should take to get there.

Wow! How many times do we get bent-out-of-shape because we’re stuck on some road that we don’t think will take us where we’re going?

If God said we’re going to a place, we’ll get there... eventually... and usually after many God-ordained detours that He didn't tell us about up-front.

Be sure to read the rest of Furtick’s post Detours to the Destination.

The Litany of Humility

One of my wife's friends recommended this litany as a help during a trying time.

I think this is the first litany I've ever read. There's a lot to think about in these words.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...

From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated [i.e. slandered] ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease...
That others may be chosen and I set aside...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should...

Obituary - Someone Else

Our church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else.

Someone's passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person's share of the work.

Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone's list, "Let Someone Else do it." Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; "Someone Else can work with that group."

It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference.

Someone Else was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do.

Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? When you are asked to help this year, remember - we can't depend on Someone Else anymore.

- Author Unknown

A Warrior Must Fight

Warriors aren't really warriors unless they stand up to the enemy. The warrior that always runs from the battle is just a coward wearing armor and carrying a sword.

 

Saul and the Israelites spent 40 days cowering before Goliath, but David defeated him the day he first heard of him. All it took was a rock and a prayer and a warrior willing to face the giant.

 

How about you?

What giants are on your battlefield?

What fights have you been putting off for the past 40 days (weeks/months/years)?

 

Perhaps it's time to...

- start that fast

- pray that prayer

- make that call

- have that talk

- give up that habit

- surrender that will

- face that giant

Draw the Sword or Keep it Sheathed?

Sometimes a warrior must attack with his sword.
Sometimes he just needs to draw it.
Sometimes it's wiser to keep it sheathed.
Occasionally it'd be best to not carry it at all (when visiting a king or president, for example).

How do you think those circumstances apply to Christians today?

Are there times where quoting scripture is a bad idea?

What does Luke 12:11-12 say about this?

Three Questions to Ask After Every Event

I got these questions from Rick Clendenen, who got them from Dale Yearton.

After every event, get together with the event staff and discuss the following three questions:

• What is the best that happened?
• What is the worst that happened?
• What can we do better?

Worship Set for 8/30/09

What a privilege it was to minister at Cornerstone in Bedford/Judah yesterday! I am especially honored that Pastor Reynolds trusts me to minister while he's away.

I am sure some of the songs I led were new to the congregation, but I still felt God's presence as we united our voices in praise.

A.M. Worship set:
Offering: Come and Go With Me
Friend of God (Gungor/Houghton)
Mighty Is Our God (Greco/Moen)
Let Everything That Hath Breath (Gary Oliver)
We Fall Down (Chris Tomlin)
Word of God Speak (MercyMe)

P.M. Worship set:
We've Come to Praise Him (Richard Smallwood)
Jesus I'll Never Forget
Look What the Lord Has Done
Nothing's Too Big for My God (Nancy Harmon)
Bless the Lord (Hall/Jarnagin/Sasser)
I Need Thee (Robert Lowry)
Offering: More Than Enough (Gary Oliver)

In the evening service, I got to preach as well. As usual, my message had no title, but I did my best to convey the four (!) statements God wanted me to deliver:

1. God's Promises are True.
   But to cash in on the Word, we need to know the Word, keep the Word, and obey the Word.
   References: Jn 14:23, Luke 4:18-19 (a word we can claim since we're part of Christ's body, Luke 8 (parable of the sower)
2. We Need the Holy Ghost
   One reason: To remind us of the Word
   Reference: Jn 14:26
3. We Need Permanency (in God)
   We need to quit playing around and make up our minds we're sticking with God.
   Reference: Jn 15:7
4. We Need to Delight in God
   If lack of desire (to live for God) is a problem, we need to delight in God so that He can place new desires in our heart.
   Reference: Ps 37:4

Seven Categories of Revelation

David Cartledge, in The Apostolic Revolution,lists seven categories of revelation:

1. Reiteration or Re-ephasis of the Bible
2. Concepts that Parallel God's Written Word
3. Non-Biblical Ideas that Do Not Contradict It
4. Revelations that Contradict the Bible
5. Prophetic Direction and Confirmations
6. Supernatural Demonstrations and Signs
7. Nonsense

Over the past 25 years I've been a Pentecostal Christian, I've heard a number of "prophecies", either via interpretation of tongues or through direct speech. Some came to pass. Others did not. Some are still pending.

Cartledge's categories nicely cover the gamut of prophecies I've heard.

Reiteration or Re-ephasis of the Bible
This sort is fairly common, in my opinion. Interpretations or prophecies are often direct quotes from scripture as in "Thus saith the Lord, I am the Lord that healeth thee." (from Ex 15:26).

For what it's worth, I'm always a little amused that most interpreters of tongues deliver their interpretations in King James English. I may be wrong, but I feel like God possibly impressed a concept on the speaker's mind which the speaker then delivered using King James English. I know when God speaks directly to me, it's always in short phrases of contemporary English: "Sit down", "Pray for ____", etc. He has never said, "Sit thou down" (but He probably will now that I've posted this.)

Concepts that Parallel God's Written Word
This sort of revelation delivers a Biblical concept, but one that won't be found word-for-word in Scripture. For example, "God wants you to forgive your brother."

Non-Biblical Ideas that Do Not Contradict It
This sort of revelation isn't found in the Bible at all, but it does not contradict the Bible. Examples could be: "God wants us to hold a revival." or "God wants you to give your car to a missionary."

Revelations that Contradict the Bible
There are some who claim to have received supernatural revelation that is absolutely contradictory to what's written in the Bible.

Some have determined that they married the wrong person and that God wants them to divorce their spouse and marry another -- even though God said in Malachi 2:16 (NIV) "I hate divorce".

The Mormons claim the revelation that the regular Bible was meant for Jews and that the Book of Mormon is the Bible meant for Americans, even though the regular Bible describes its own law as the "perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25) and says it "is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim 3:16-17). Our own Bible is sufficient for both Jew and non-Jew to be made perfect. We don't need another book.

Some oneness Pentecostals have said that oneness doctrine must be understood by revelation, that it can't be understood simply by reading scripture -- even though Paul said scripture was profitable for doctrine (2 Tim 3:16) and James described our law as "perfect" (James 1:25).

Note: Any revelation that contradicts the Bible is a false revelation!

Our Scripture is "given by inspiration of God". It was recorded as "holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost". Our Scripture is a trustworthy record of God's will and word, and God himself will never contradict it. "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom 3:4).

Prophetic Direction and Confirmations
This sort of revelation would lay out or confirm a direction for ministry.

Sometimes the word may come early -- many years before its fulfillment. Therefore, I do not recommend making big immediate changes just because you received such a word. Make sure the Holy Ghost bears witness. Seek the advise of an elder. Cover decisions and actions with prayer. Discern whether God said "do it now" or if He said, "you're going to do this sometime".

Sometimes the revelation comes to confirm things God has already spoken to you.

Supernatural Demonstrations and Signs
This sort of revelation is absolutely supernatural and borders on the miraculous.

It could be a prophetic word saying "God says He heard your prayer this morning when you said ____". Such a word would be delivered by someone who had no way of knowing what had happened.

It could also be a prophetic word saying, "tomorrow, such and such will happen." Again, the speaker would have no way of knowing what would happen.

This sort of revelation could also come through dreams that reveal information or events that either have not yet occurred or that already occurred, but you did not witness.

Nonsense/Prophe-lying
Unfortunately, I think much contemporary "revelation" falls into this category. Too many people "feel" things that God had nothing to do with. Too many people say things that God didn't tell them to say.

Even prophets with genuine gifts sometimes feel so compelled to deliver a "word" that they can blur the line between what God actually said and what they felt like God might have wanted to say. Take Nathan, for example. When David wanted to build a temple, Nathan first said, "Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee" (2 Sam 7:3), but later that night, God told Nathan otherwise.