Christmas History Buffer
Christmas Day has historically been known as a day of peace. But, did you know that the first time Christmas was celebrated as a holiday was in the year 98. It would be another 40 years before it was officially adopted by the church as a Christian festival.
It wasn't until the fifth century that the day of its celebration became permanently fixed on the 25th of December. Prior to then, it was celebrated in April, May and sometimes December, but most frequently in January.
The story is told that the iconic music evangelist, Ira Sankey was asked to sing one Christmas eve while traveling by steamboat up the Deleware River. He sang the "Shepherd Song" to the delite of the crowd. When he had ended his song, a rugged man with sun-aged skin approached him and asked if Mr. Sankey had served in the Union Army? "Yes, in the spring of 1860!" Mr. Sankey answered. The man then asked, "Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a certain bright, moonlit night in 1862?" Sankey, obviously surprised, said he had indeed.
The stranger replied "Me too, but I was a Confederate soldier. I was hidden in the shadows, but I could see you clearly. I determined to end your life. As I raised my musket and drew aim, you suddenly raised your eyes to heaven and began to sing. I was moved, so I took my finger off the trigger and thought to myself, 'I will let him finish his song. I can shoot him afterwards.'
But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly:
'We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way.'
Those words stirred up many memories in my heart. As a child, I had heard my mother sing that song many times. When you had finished your song it was impossible for me to take aim at you again. I thought, 'The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty."
God moved in to spare Ira Sankey and Ira went on to become one of the most notable revivalist singers of American history. Thousands can trace their conversion experience to one of the many revivals he led with Evangelist Dwight L. Moody.
What a great and might God we serve. I hope that as you celebrate Christ this Christmas, your prayer will be, "let their be peace on earth and goodwill to all men." Take time with your family to celebrate Christ. He is great and mighty to save!
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fearless
Have you ever been crippled by fear or worry?
1 Samuel 10:22 They asked the LORD again, "Has he arrived here yet?" The LORD answered, "He's hiding among the baggage."
In the Old Testament, a young man was selected by God to be the first ever King of a nation. This man's name was Saul. When it came time to announce the king, Saul couldn't be found. Why? Because he was hiding in the baggage!
Fear can easily grip our lives and bring us to a stand still. But it needn't be so. From this Bible Story, we can discover that fear is overcome when we:
Give God Control of Our Lives! God has created us to love Him, trust Him and choose Him. He wants you to choose him and give him control of your life today. It is imperative to remember that this is a daily submission of your will to His will. It is also important to remember that God still wants you to use your skills, experience, etc. However, it is in our weaknesses that He is most glorified.
Saul struggled his entire life with fully trusting God. Whenever he did trust God fully and give Him control, Saul was able to defeat mighty armies. Whenever he slipped back into self-control, he was humiliated and defeated.
Worship instead of Worrying! Worry and worship are two opposite concepts. Worry is an expression of a lack of trust. Worship is an expression of total trust. When we Worship God it is impossible to worry.
Hiding in the baggage is not an expression of trust in an almighty God. Saul was worried sick, so he embarrassed himself by hiding. However, when God's spirit overcame him, he enlisted an army of 330,000 soldiers overnight and defeated the strongest know army of the day.
Let God change who you are! This starts with accepting the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. It continues as we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us. When Saul allowed God to change his heart, God made Sauls name great. Unfortunately, later in Saul's life he turned away from God and even sought out a fortune teller. That utlimately cost him his life.
Don't let fear cripple you. Fear is the opposite of faith. Trust God! Believe what He has told you and do great things.
Monday, May 9, 2011
How Great is our God?
"Daddy, How big is God?"
It seems like an innocent enough question, but for a seminary "Preacher Boy" just learning theology, it was a bucket of cold water on a sweltering summer day, immediately snapping me into the reality of the moment. The theologian asking the question? My four year old son.
Have you ever noticed the relativity of size?
The captain of a cruise ship loves to tease his passengers as they pass beside one of the largest structures in the world, a huge vertical wall of ice protrudes hundreds of feet into the air. As the ship appears to pull dangerously close to this horrendous structure, the captain asks, "Who can hit that wall of ice with a baseball?" One man stands up and hurls the ball as hard as he can. The ball travels 20 or 30 feet, but then it seems to hang in the air without ever coming closer to the ice structure. When it finally loses momentum and drops into the ocean, it is obvious that the iceberg is so large, that while it feels like it is feet away, in all actuality it is miles away! There is absolutely no way to gain a perspective on its massiveness ~ you are just too small and the iceberg is just too large. Even if your mind could grasp the sheer magnitude, that is only about 1/9th of the total mass. 8/9ths still lie below the water line.
How Great is Our God?
This was my realization last night as I watched Louie Giglio describe the vastness of the universe. Our LifeGroup sat transfixed, hanging on the words, the graphic footage from the hubble telescope, every description stretching our minds like a rubber band, dangerously close to the point of breaking.
God opened his mouth and said, "Light!" and out of his mouth comes the sun ~ 27 million degrees Fahrenheit! A burning mass of energy 109 times larger than the earth.
What kind of God is this?
God measured the entire universe with merely the span of His hand. Imagine, God holds up his index finger and thumb, each on polar opposite ends of the universe. And the universe fits between his fingers.
How Big is this God?
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God celebrated by 3 billion Christians worldwide today. The God who humbled himself into the form of a man, setting aside His divinity to be brutalized for our transgressions. Beaten for my wrongs. Allowing himself to be killed in my place for my wickedness. Giving me life, hope, a future! What is man that this God is mindful of him?
Just a few weeks ago, my family drove to Washington, D.C. Driving into the city, we begin to catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument. It is huge! And as you get closer to it, it becomes even taller. When I finally stood at the base of the mammoth stone structure, I gazed upward. I felt like maybe if I stretched a little, I could reach up and touch the the tip of it with my finger. So I tried. I didn't come close. Standing at the base of that giant, I felt really small.
I can tell you how big the iceberg is, someone smarter than I came up with elaborate ways to measure it. They can send out a satelite and then look back to earth and figure out its size using complex calculations on complex machinery. There is actually a blueprint for the Washington Monument, so I can find that information for you as well.
But when it comes to God, our calculations aren't complex enough, there are no blueprints, he is the architect of the universe. All I can do is come closer to His feet, gaze up in amazement and stretch. And while I will never be tall enough to reach up to Him, he is willing to reach down and come closer to me.
Discover Jesus Christ!
How big is God? You will have to discover that for yourself.
I can only tell you that today, after 14 years as a pastor, I discovered that He is bigger than I had ever imagined before.
Take the Stand!
It seems like an innocent enough question, but for a seminary "Preacher Boy" just learning theology, it was a bucket of cold water on a sweltering summer day, immediately snapping me into the reality of the moment. The theologian asking the question? My four year old son.
Have you ever noticed the relativity of size?
The captain of a cruise ship loves to tease his passengers as they pass beside one of the largest structures in the world, a huge vertical wall of ice protrudes hundreds of feet into the air. As the ship appears to pull dangerously close to this horrendous structure, the captain asks, "Who can hit that wall of ice with a baseball?" One man stands up and hurls the ball as hard as he can. The ball travels 20 or 30 feet, but then it seems to hang in the air without ever coming closer to the ice structure. When it finally loses momentum and drops into the ocean, it is obvious that the iceberg is so large, that while it feels like it is feet away, in all actuality it is miles away! There is absolutely no way to gain a perspective on its massiveness ~ you are just too small and the iceberg is just too large. Even if your mind could grasp the sheer magnitude, that is only about 1/9th of the total mass. 8/9ths still lie below the water line.
How Great is Our God?
This was my realization last night as I watched Louie Giglio describe the vastness of the universe. Our LifeGroup sat transfixed, hanging on the words, the graphic footage from the hubble telescope, every description stretching our minds like a rubber band, dangerously close to the point of breaking.
God opened his mouth and said, "Light!" and out of his mouth comes the sun ~ 27 million degrees Fahrenheit! A burning mass of energy 109 times larger than the earth.
What kind of God is this?
God measured the entire universe with merely the span of His hand. Imagine, God holds up his index finger and thumb, each on polar opposite ends of the universe. And the universe fits between his fingers.
How Big is this God?
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God celebrated by 3 billion Christians worldwide today. The God who humbled himself into the form of a man, setting aside His divinity to be brutalized for our transgressions. Beaten for my wrongs. Allowing himself to be killed in my place for my wickedness. Giving me life, hope, a future! What is man that this God is mindful of him?
Just a few weeks ago, my family drove to Washington, D.C. Driving into the city, we begin to catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument. It is huge! And as you get closer to it, it becomes even taller. When I finally stood at the base of the mammoth stone structure, I gazed upward. I felt like maybe if I stretched a little, I could reach up and touch the the tip of it with my finger. So I tried. I didn't come close. Standing at the base of that giant, I felt really small.
I can tell you how big the iceberg is, someone smarter than I came up with elaborate ways to measure it. They can send out a satelite and then look back to earth and figure out its size using complex calculations on complex machinery. There is actually a blueprint for the Washington Monument, so I can find that information for you as well.
But when it comes to God, our calculations aren't complex enough, there are no blueprints, he is the architect of the universe. All I can do is come closer to His feet, gaze up in amazement and stretch. And while I will never be tall enough to reach up to Him, he is willing to reach down and come closer to me.
Discover Jesus Christ!
How big is God? You will have to discover that for yourself.
I can only tell you that today, after 14 years as a pastor, I discovered that He is bigger than I had ever imagined before.
Take the Stand!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Pondering Leadership
My coach, Pastor Gary Combs, handed me a book yesterday that has captivated my attention. It is a must read for every senior pastor in my opinion.
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni
is an enjoyable and enlightening read. I sat down and read nearly the entire book last night.
Lencioni takes the reader down an imaginative journey paralleling two companies, one with an obsession for maintaining a healthy culture and the other with an equal obsession of maintaining a healthy bottom line.
While it is expected that a leader will grow the organization, it is equally right to expect that a leader will guard the culture as well. If you practice what Lencioni preaches, you will discover that not every qualified leader is a good fit.
The four disciplines that the book identifies are 1) Build and Maintain a Cohesive Leadership Team, 2) Create Organizational Clarity, 3) Overcommunicate Organizational Clarity, 4) Reinforce Organizational Clarity Through Human Systems.
This book will shape your leadership style if you will let it. I believe it is on par with Collins business classic, Good to Great
. I would encourage you to pick up your copy today, read it through once and then come back and read it again with a highlighter, pencil and paper. You are sure to glean a wealth of knowledge that will help you become an extraordinary leader!
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni
is an enjoyable and enlightening read. I sat down and read nearly the entire book last night. Lencioni takes the reader down an imaginative journey paralleling two companies, one with an obsession for maintaining a healthy culture and the other with an equal obsession of maintaining a healthy bottom line.
While it is expected that a leader will grow the organization, it is equally right to expect that a leader will guard the culture as well. If you practice what Lencioni preaches, you will discover that not every qualified leader is a good fit.
The four disciplines that the book identifies are 1) Build and Maintain a Cohesive Leadership Team, 2) Create Organizational Clarity, 3) Overcommunicate Organizational Clarity, 4) Reinforce Organizational Clarity Through Human Systems.
This book will shape your leadership style if you will let it. I believe it is on par with Collins business classic, Good to Great
. I would encourage you to pick up your copy today, read it through once and then come back and read it again with a highlighter, pencil and paper. You are sure to glean a wealth of knowledge that will help you become an extraordinary leader!
Monday, January 17, 2011
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