Every generation of Christians has the responsibility and the privilege to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to our contemporaries. Our challenge is to tell the truth of Jesus Christ boldly, yet humbly. Lovingly, yet graciously. Passionately, yet gently. Piece of cake, right? Sure! (Okay, I admit it’s easier for me to write about some of this stuff than to do it.)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Knowing God and Loving God
“…[N]o one can pretend to love God while rejecting all desire to know Him better and to study His perfections in the truth He has revealed to us about Himself.”—Thomas Merton. When we really love God, it is only natural that we have a genuine desire to know him better. So we pray—this is communicating with God. And we read his word—in which God reveals Himself.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Experiencing The Reality of God
There is a difference between “knowing facts” about God and “experiencing” the reality of God and knowing Him, in a firsthand way. “It is one thing to be told God is holy; it is quite another experience his holiness. The former might impress you, but the latter will compel you to live a holy life yourself.” Henry & Richard Blackaby
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Obeying God In The Little Things
Obedience to God in the little things of life can be very important. Sure, they are, by definition, “little”. But, the accumulation of obedience to God in the little things, over a long time, can end up being a very big thing.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
God's Love For Us Is Firm And Unwavering
Nothing “in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom.8:39. When we know that God’s love for us is a firm, unwavering, unconditional commitment, then we experience security, peace, and even a sense of victory. We understand that no matter what life throws at us “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Saturday, December 25, 2010
One Service At 10 a.m. -- First Church of God, Oak Lawn
On Sunday, December 26, 2010, we will be having ONE service at 10 o'clock a.m. Hope to see you there. Merry Christmas!!!
I'll be speaking on the subject: "After Christmas...Then What?"
First Church of God
4600 W. 111th Street
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
708-636-2620
I'll be speaking on the subject: "After Christmas...Then What?"
First Church of God
4600 W. 111th Street
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
708-636-2620
God Is With Us. Merry Christmas!
One of the remarkable things the Bible tells us about God is that he is not distant. He’s not a God “out there” who set the wheels of the universe into motion and then said, “Alright. I got it started for you. Now, you’re on your own. Good luck!” The Bible tells us that, actually, God is personal. God is intimate. He is Immanuel, the angel reminded Joseph, which means: God is with us. Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Do You Believe In Christmas?
If you believe in miracles. If you understand that it is better to give than to receive. If you believe that humility can be a profound form of strength. If you believe that God really does love you and care about you and that your life is meaningful. If you believe that we really do NEED a Savior. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior. Then, guess what? YOU believe in Christmas! Merry Christmas fellow believer!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Humility Does Not Come On Its Own
Humility is not natural to us. It must be consciously pursued. Andrew Murray says it like this: “…Humility is not a thing that will come on its own. It must be made the object of…prayer, faith and practice.”
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Keeping No Record of Wrongs
What would it be like for the people in your life if you never brought up their mistakes and sins from the past? What if you never used their past errors against them? “Love…keeps no record of wrongs.” 1Cor.13:5(b) Let’s think about it this way: What would it be like if the people in our lives never brought up OUR mistakes and sins from the past? That sounds pretty good, huh?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Be Still And Spend Time With God
How can we possibly pay attention to God when we are inundated with messages, all day long, in a culture like ours? It’s hard, isn’t it? This is why those with spiritual depth tell us: Go some place quiet, regularly, and get away from the calls, images, e-mails, commercials—yes, the online activity, too—and be still and listen for God.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Love Is Part of Who God Is
We are not loved by God because we are just so darned lovable, rather, we are loved by God because unconditional love is a part of God’s nature. The amazing love of God is not attributable to us, it is attributable to Him. It’s an extraordinary blessing, to put it mildly, that God is who He is.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
All Of Life Is Meaningful
Some people say that “everything counts”. In other words, there are no neutral moments in life, everything that happens is either moving us in the right direction or moving us in the wrong direction. I suppose this could be viewed as a form of pressure, like, “Oh boy, everything has to be a big deal, now, huh?” But I prefer to think of it this way: All of life is meaningful—even the little moments.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Encouraging Scripture Passages
Occasionally, someone will ask me if I can recommend a few passages of scripture that provide words of encouragement and hope. Or, similarly, passages that offer some of the inspiring promises of God. That would be a long list, indeed, and I have never attempted a comprehensive compilation of such verses.
However, in an effort to provide some help along those lines, listed below are some scripture passages that have been a source of inspiration to me. I have written these passages on index cards and I read them often in order to fill my mind with positive thoughts and helpful, wise promises from God. Again, this is not intended to be an exhaustive listing, it’s just an attempt to provide a little help.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” --Philippians 4:8
OLD TESTAMENT
Joshua 1:7-8
1 Chronicles 4:9-10
Psalm 23
Psalm 37:3-5
Psalm 108:13
Psalm 111
Psalm 112:7
Psalm 118:24-25
Psalm 125:1-2
Psalm 147:10-11
Proverbs 3:5-6
Proverbs 11:25
Proverbs 13:4
Proverbs 16:3
Proverbs 19:8
Proverbs 23:17-18
Ecclesiastes 10:10
Isaiah 54:17
Jeremiah 29:11
NEW TESTAMENT
Matthew 7:7-11
Matthew 11:28-30
Matthew 16:24-25
Matthew 17:14-20
Luke 12:22-32
John 13:34-35
John 14:11-14
John 15:16-17
Romans 8:1-2
Romans 8:16-17
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:35-39
Romans 12:2
Romans 15:13
1 Corinthians 15:57
2 Corinthians 2:14
2 Corinthians 9:8
Ephesians 2:8-10
Ephesians 3:16-21
Philippians 2:1-11
Philippians 4:4-7
Philippians 4:11-13
Philippians 4:19
Colossians 1:10-14
Colossians 3:1-17
Colossians 3:23-24
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Hebrews 13: 5-6
James 1:2-4
1 John 4:4
1 John 5:14-15
Christ-Like Love Is The Destination
If you are a follower of Christ and His Spirit is alive in you, you will become more loving. You will! In fact, for true followers of Christ, we could say it this way: Christ-like love is your destiny. He will complete the work He has begun in you. That truth is a wonderful blessing, isn’t it?
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wisdom Is Valuable
Wisdom emerges when knowledge and experience come together in such a way that helpful, insightful judgments about the effective living of life are understood and pursued. Wisdom does not make a person flawless or without error but it is a wonderful and highly valuable attribute. “For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” Prov. 8:11
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Love Is More Than A Feeling
Love is sometimes presented as being, essentially, a positive emotion—a feeling. It is more accurate and more helpful to understand love in terms of unwavering commitment to the well-being of those we love and corresponding actions in service of those we love.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
God Has Not Deserted Us
There are times when God seems like He’s hard to find. And there are other times when He seems like He’s almost impossible to avoid. It’s helpful for us to know that, either way, He still loves us and He hasn’t deserted us.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Rebuilding Trust
It is very difficult to rebuild trust after is has been violated. But with time and with regular deposits of faithful love, and with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, it can be done. Take heart, with God all things are possible, even broken trust can be rebuilt.
Monday, December 13, 2010
E-Flash From Dan, Dec. 13, 2010
Dear E-Flash Friends;
A friend said to me, recently, “People go to church on Christmas and Easter.”
I said, “Good. I’ll be seeing you at church pretty soon, then, right?”
He laughed and said, “I’m not one of those people.”
Despite the tricky reply, my friend has a valid point. A fairly good number of people will go to church on Christmas or Easter when they might not frequent church services very often during other times of the year. So, that presents us with an opportunity!
We will be celebrating Christmas this Sunday, December 19th at 9am & 11am. And we will also be celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve, at 9pm.
I hope you are planning on attending these services (I know I am) and I would like to ask you to pray with me about inviting someone to these services. This could be a time where one of our friends could encounter God in a fresh and meaningful way—perhaps even an eternity-altering way. Wouldn’t that be cool?
I’m excited about Christmas…because I’m excited about Jesus! I hope you are, too.
Love and blessings….and Merry Christmas to you!
Dan
P.S. The day AFTER Christmas is Sunday, this year. I will be speaking on the subject: “After Christmas, Then What?” We will be combining the 9am and 11am services for one big, thrilling, praise-filled, inspiring service at 10 am! If you miss this one you will be kicking yourself for the rest of the year. (Actually, that will only be 5 more days. But still. That’s a long time to be kicking yourself.)
The Beauty of Simplicity
In a culture like ours that is strongly oriented towards more, more, more, it can be an incredible relief to discover the simplicity and beauty of less.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Speaking The Language of God's Kingdom
Heard noted theologian, Bishop N.T. Wright, speak a while ago. He said, love is the language we will speak in God’s coming kingdom. But we can learn to speak it now. I really liked that line. “Love” is the language of God’s kingdom. Here’s a good question for us: are we becoming more and more fluent in God’s language?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Having Our Beliefs & Values About God Settled
It’s helpful when certain key beliefs & values are “settled” in our minds before significant challenges and difficulties arise. “When we are in the midst of bewildering circumstances, that is not the time to make conclusions about what God is like. We should have already reached our conclusions before we entered the difficult experience.” Henry&Richard Blackaby.
Friday, December 10, 2010
You Are Valuable To God
God cares about you and you are valuable to him. “Says who?” Says, Jesus…“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matt.10:29-31. (In my case, it’s getting much easier to count those hairs on my head.)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
God Always Makes Obedience Possible
When God tells us what to do He always makes it possible to be obedient. Admittedly, there may be times when obedience represents a very significant challenge, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, God always ensures that obedience is POSSIBLE. (Okay, it was pretty darned easy to write this comment. Now, with God’s help, I’m going to try to live it.) J
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wanting What's Best For Others
If I really love someone, I want what’s best for that person, and I will pursue what is best for that person even if what is best for him/her is not what benefits me the most. The Bible says that love is not self-seeking, it is other-focused.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
How's Your Heart?
Because Jesus is Holy, his standards for us have to do with MORE than just compliance to external behaviors. Jesus’ standards for us involve having a heart that’s been changed by the Holy Spirit, a heart that’s soft and compassionate, a heart that’s caring, a heart that reflects the genuine presence of God. How’s your heart, these days?
Monday, December 6, 2010
Loving God & Doing His Will
When we see someone who is obedient to God, we’re seeing someone who loves God. Genuine love for God reveals itself in compliance with the will of God. A person who says, “I love God” and then actually does what God says to do, is demonstrating that the words he has spoken represent the authentic condition of his heart. (Check out 1John5:3)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
God Wants Our Transformation
Sometimes, what we want is not the same as what God wants for us. That idea is expressed well in this quote: “God’s purposes are not the same as ours. We want him to indulge us; he wants to transform us.” Henry & Richard Blackaby
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Wanting Those We Love To Flourish
“…Love means creating for another the space in which he might flourish, at the same time as he does this for you.” [Philosopher, Terry Eagleton] To “flourish” means to make steady progress. A person who is flourishing is “thriving” in a good and positive way. This is what we desire for those we love. We attempt to assist this flourishing in practical ways for those we love.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Good Is The Enemy of Great
Author Jim Collins, says that “Good” is the enemy of “Great”. In other words, it is easy to settle for “good” in our endeavors and not pursue “great” because good is…well…it’s good. What’s wrong with good? Answer: Nothing. But that’s precisely why it’s so easy to settle for good and that’s precisely why, oddly enough, good is the greatest enemy of great.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
God's Love Makes A Difference
If you know that God’s love is real and if you have experienced the truth of God’s love, how could it NOT impact your life? “We naturally expect that those who have had a glimpse of divine love will exhibit more courageous love in their lives than they have had before. We do not expect perfection, but we expect the experience to make a difference.” [David Elton Trueblood]
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Some Wise Advice I Was Given
When I was first trying to identify and understand my calling to ministry, my pastor gave me these wise words of advice: “If God has NOT called you to pastoral ministry but you go ahead and enter into it, you will be miserable. However, if God has called you to pastoral ministry, you will never find peace and joy doing anything else.”
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