Sometimes, the people who really love us will challenge us. This challenge probably will not feel fun or easy, but if we will receive the challenge with maturity and grace, growth will occur in the relationship and growth will occur in our lives.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
I'm Just As Shocked As Anyone About This
Last night, there was a knock at the door and several large men dressed in black suits said, “You need to come with us.”
I was stunned, of course, and said, “Who are you? What is this all about?”
They spoke with British accents and said, “It will be best if you simply come with us. Your questions will be answered later.”
I feared, somewhat, for my safety. But I was also very intrigued. In fact, my curiosity was more compelling than the concern for safety, so I went with the men and shortly their limousine dropped us at the airport. I was whisked into a beautiful jet that was decked out in finery the likes of which I’ve never seen before.
“What is going on?” I asked. “Where are we going?” I rubbed my hand on the passenger seats which were appointed in a fine, soft, expensive leather.
Settling into their seats, the gentlemen smiled, sipped their tea, and said, “Cheerio, old boy, it won’t be long and you’ll have your answers.”
The flight was pretty lengthy and at one point a stern-looking woman dressed in a formal twill suit came to me and began to give instructions regarding what she called “proper protocols”.
Once again, I said, “But what is this all about? I still don’t know what the point of all this is. What’s happening? Where are we going?”
In response to my questions the stern looking woman—I later found out her name was Beatrice—instructed me to practice saying the names “Kate” and “William”.
“Why?” I asked “What does this mean? Who are you people?”
But Beatrice simply smiled and said, “Try it again, go ahead, you can do it, ‘Kate’ and ‘William’…there you go.”
Many hours later the jet landed and I was quickly escorted to a large black SUV that was waiting for us at our destination. When we pulled up to the back entrance way of a beautiful structure—a structure that I recognized from pictures I had seen as the Westminster Abbey Church
We walked into a hidden back entrance of the church and a small team of people immediately began preparing me for the ceremony which was going to begin, shortly.
So, for all of you who were wondering and calling and sending e-mails, that’s the answer to your questions. That is basically the story of how I ended up officiating at William and Kate’s Royal Wedding. And believe me, I’m just as shocked as anyone about all of this.
P.S. If you look very carefully—you have to really squint to do it—you can see me in the wedding photos. I’m the one with the awesome, cool, pointy hat.
E-Flash From Dan -- Should We Desire Suffering?
Dear E-Flash Friends;
Somebody asked me recently if the Bible indicates that Christians should desire suffering. The person asking me the question referenced Philippians chapter 3, vs. 10 where the Apostle Paul writes about wanting to “suffer” with Christ “sharing in his death”.
The questioner said, “I love Jesus and I want to know Him and love Him more—I really do—but I don’t know if I could ever get to the point that I could honestly say that I desire suffering.”
I understand that feeling. The thing about suffering is that it’s no fun.
[ …By the way, I’m known, worldwide, as the master of understatement.]
Seriously, though, I don’t think the point that Paul was making is that we should actually desire suffering. What Paul was ultimately interested in was: “knowing” Christ in a very intimate and genuine way. And Paul understood that to really know Christ, suffering would inevitably be involved because Jesus, Himself, suffered and all those who walk closely with Him will experience some degree of suffering. He said so. (For example, check out John 16:33.)
So, I would not explain the attitude that Paul is describing as a desire for suffering—I’m not so sure that would be a healthy attitude. However, I would describe his attitude with the word “willing”. Paul was willing to suffer. But it’s important to keep in mind that the willingness to suffer is not for suffering’s sake. Paul was willing to suffer because he understood that it was a necessary part of helping him know Christ better.
I hope you are experiencing the ups and downs of life in a way that is drawing you closer to Him!
Love and blessings,
Dan
What Do You See When You Look At The Stars?
Some people look up at the stars and say, “Where are you, God?” Other people look up at the same stars and say, “What I’m seeing leaves me in awe at the wonder of God’s workmanship.” I am in the second group. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Ambushed By Love
A friend of mine found herself ambushed by love in an unexpected way. She found herself experiencing compassion and genuine concern towards people for whom she did not normally have these types of feelings—occasionally this unexpected compassion was even directed toward strangers. She considered this love to be a work of God in her life. I do, too.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
To Avoid Deception, Be Intimately Familiar With The TRUTH
Deception can happen to anyone if we’re not careful. The effectiveness of deception is found in the fact that it often happens gradually. One of the most effective ways for us to avoid deception is to be intimately familiar with TRUTH. We can do this by making a habit of regular reading and study of God’s word and by regular and consistent exposure to solid, credible biblical teaching.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Agape-Style Love Is Active
One of the words for love, in the Bible, is “agape”. This form of love is active. It does something. It serves others and cares for others in tangible ways. “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
Monday, April 25, 2011
Life Works Well When We Encourage Each Other
Hope and Encouragement generally happen most effectively when we are in the company of others. This is why the Bible instructs followers of Jesus to continue to gather together to encourage each other. [See, Heb. 10:25.] We are created in such a way that your faith encourages me and my faith, hopefully, encourages you.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Jesus Is Victorious And We Rejoice...Happy Easter!
We rejoice!!! The grave couldn’t hold him! Sin couldn’t trip him! Death couldn’t defeat Him. And Satan couldn’t stop Him! He is victorious…and He will always be victorious! All glory, honor, praise and worship to Jesus Christ the Lord! Happy Easter to all!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
E-Flash From Dan -- Easter Greetings!
Dear E-Flash Friends;
Sitting in my office here at the church—all the books from the big book crash have been cleaned up—and it’s quiet right now but later this evening (Saturday, 5pm) the celebration will begin. I’m excited. I’m excited about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
You say, “Dan, you talk about being excited every year.”
You’re right, that’s because I’m excited every year. How can I not be?
After all, Almighty God, the creator of all that exists, loves you.
Almighty God offers eternal life to you because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Almighty God wants you to experience resurrection power.
Almighty God has crafted a story that exalts His Son. It is a story of power, redemption, truth, love and grace—and He invites you to be a character in that story.
All of those factors are worthy of some rejoicing and some excitement, wouldn’t you agree?
If I see you at the Easter services, I look forward to saying “hi” and giving you a hug. If I don’t see you at the Easter services, please accept my best wishes for a blessed and Happy Easter. If you’re reading this and you have no idea who I am …well, please just ignore this message and go on about your business.
Happy Easter!
Love and blessings,
Dan
P.S. Here’s a new video. It’s brief. I think you might enjoy it.
Click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RllavwQyoE
But In Fact Christ Has Been Raised From The Dead
”If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.” 1Cor.15:17. If the resurrection of Jesus didn’t happen then our faith is “useless”—not according to a panel of atheists but according to the Bible, itself. But Paul, the man who wrote 1Corinthians, was an eyewitness to the risen Jesus and he says, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.” Amen!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thank You, Lord Jesus
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-6. Thank you for your mercy and goodness for one such as me, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Exalt Jesus
If we exalt ourselves, we will be diminished, as a result. If we exalt Jesus He will perfectly handle our proper place in the big scheme of things.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Weep With Those Who Weep...Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice
The Bible tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15. This is one of the ways that we stand with others and give them support. And it is an important way of expressing our love for others.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Video: Making And Recording of Worship Team CD
This link connects to a video regarding the recording of our new worship team CD. The CD will be available free of charge at the upcoming Easter services, this weekend.
Easter Services: Saturday, April 23, 5pm & Sunday, April 24, at 9 & 11am.
Click here for video!
.
Easter Services: Saturday, April 23, 5pm & Sunday, April 24, at 9 & 11am.
Click here for video!
.
God Is The Unchanging Rock of Stability We Need
It’s interesting to think that “change”—which is a constant aspect of human life—is neither necessary nor desirable for God. He does not need to change because He is already Holy. He is Complete in every way. He is Perfect. Part of what makes God such a place of security for us is that He is an UNCHANGING ROCK of stability in a world that can be quite turbulent and chaotic.
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Infamous Bookshelf Crash
Yesterday, I put the key into the lock and turned the knob, just like I do every Sunday morning. Then I opened the door to my office and experienced a split second of incomprehension. There’s a fraction of a second when you see something extraordinary and strange that the mind doesn’t completely comprehend what the eyes are clearly viewing.
In the first moment, as my mind struggled to make sense of what I was seeing, the site in my office struck me—at the same time—as some type of natural disaster and the work of thieves who must have broken in and ransacked the place. Hundreds of books lay strewn around the entire office space. Chairs had been knocked over. My acoustic guitar lay on the ground—I wasn’t sure at that point if it was damaged in such a way that it would be unplayable. Papers were scattered about. Figurines and other knick knacks from my shelves lay on the floor broken.
It really did look as if a small tornado had somehow entered the space of my office and danced around the room for a minute, or so.
I immediately looked up at the ceiling because there are two skylights in the office and I wondered if one of them had been broken. Burglars? No, apparently not.
But as my brain assessed the nature and patterns of the mess that lay before me, the story of what had happened became quickly apparent. There are five long bookshelves, held by several metal braces which are attached to the wall directly behind my desk. Those bookshelves held a total weight in the hundreds of pounds. In fact, I hadn’t given the weight of all those books a lot of thought—unfortunately—but in light of what happened it has occurred to me that the weight of those hundreds of books was probably well over a thousand pounds.
Those bookshelves were probably installed on that wall back in the mid 1960’s when the church was built. For over 45 years, those bookshelves have been fighting admirably against the laws of gravity. Well, gravity finally won out. The braces which had been screwed into the wall were literally ripped from the points in which they were anchored and the shelves along with everything they contained fell forward in what must have been a fairly spectacular crash.
I stood there with my mouth open looking at the dramatic results of that crash and the gigantic mess it created.
Many of the people who saw the aftermath of the “infamous bookshelf crash” said to me, “Dan, first of all, close your mouth. Second, it’s a good thing you were not sitting at your desk when this happened. You probably would have been very seriously injured.” True.
If you could stand in my office and look at the chaotic scene—as many folks did on Sunday morning—I think you’d agree with that assessment of things. I would have been beaten up pretty badly if I would have been at my desk when the big crash occurred. In fact, several people have said, “Actually, Dan, you might not be here if you would have been sitting at your desk when this occurred. That’s a lot of weight and a lot of stuff to come crashing down on a person.”
Again, if you could see the scene firsthand you would understand how that could be true.
You say, “Are there any lessons that you’ve learned from this unusual experience?”
Yes, there are.
1. I still believe you can’t have too many books. This must be true because it’s mentioned in numerous books. But I do believe you can have too many books on one bookshelf apparatus. (It turns out that that’s a fairly important distinction to be aware of.)
2. Purchase more books on the Kindle (Kindle is an electronic reading device). One 10 ounce Kindle can hold about 1500 books. That’s a much more efficient weight distribution.
3. Even seemingly safe offices can be dangerous places. You never know.
4. Always be ready to meet Jesus. Because life is unpredictable.
5. Always be ready to meet Jesus. Because the most important thing in life is knowing Jesus.
6. Always be ready to meet Jesus. Because your bookshelves might be plotting against you.
I’m ready to meet Jesus, but I thank Him that He protected me yesterday!
Even Though Love Can Be Difficult...It's Still Worth It
Love seems like it ought to be the most simple, most natural reality in the world—and, I suppose, that in a way, it is. But there are also aspects of love that are hard—those aspects that we call “tough love”. But let’s not give up on love when it’s difficult. The Bible says, “Let love be your greatest aim.” 1Cor.14:1 (NLT) Love is worth it.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
It's A Great Blessing To Know That God Loves Us
Knowing that there are people who love us is good and it’s important, it provides us with a certain sense of stability and security. But when we really know that God loves us we have an assurance that grounds our life in a fundamentally significant way and we have a solid foundation upon which a meaningful life can be built.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Time Flies
As we get older it feels like time goes by more quickly. Of course time doesn’t actually go faster, but as we accumulate experiences our perspective of time changes and it feels like it’s going faster. This changing perspective can actually be very positive. Does it feel like time is going very quickly? Yes? Me too. So, with God’s help let’s try to use our time wisely….for Him.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Importance of Loving People More Than "Things"
It would be sad to come to the end of life and realize that our primary relationships were shallow, empty and broken because we had spent life loving and pursuing THINGS more than PEOPLE.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
What Is Possible With God?
Sometimes when life is difficult and a few things haven’t worked out the way I’ve expected, I find myself feeling frustrated and maybe even a little bit cynical. In those times, my expectation of “what is really possible” diminishes. That’s when it’s important to remember that God is still God. HE has not diminished in the least. “With God all things are possible.” Matt.19:26 [Jesus]
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sometimes Love Looks Different Than We Expected
We’re always a little bit shocked when someone who loves us allows us to fall down. But under certain circumstances allowing someone to fall down is the loving thing to do. For example, we have to allow a small son or daughter to fall down so that he or she can learn to walk. Sometimes true love looks different than we expected.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Value of Expressing Our Thoughts To Others
Often, it can bring great clarity to our thoughts to express them to someone else. There’s a precision and tangibility involved in the process of putting the thoughts into words; hearing ourselves say the words; and seeing the response on a person’s face as he hears our words that is surprisingly helpful to us in understanding our own thoughts. It reminds us again that God has built into us a need for others.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
One Of The Best Things We Can Do About The Future Is To Live For God Now
One of the things that we know for sure about the future is that we do not know anything “for sure” about the future. Any of a limitless number of things could possibly happen to change our certain plans for the future. So, one of the most important things we can do about the future is to know God and live for Him, NOW. No matter what the future holds, if we are walking with God, it will be alright.
Friday, April 8, 2011
When Trouble Comes...That's When We Need Support From Others
In the course of great trouble, or pain, or difficulty, some folks have a strong tendency to isolate themselves. The irony is that this is precisely the time when we need the support, the accountability, the objectivity, the wisdom, the encouragement, and the love of others the most. When trouble comes don’t pull away from others, rather, lean into community.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
What Is The Truth About Jesus?
Many of the attempts to discredit Christianity have their roots in attempts to discredit the nature and identity of Jesus. If Jesus is nothing, then Christianity is nothing. What is the truth about Jesus? The Bible says, someday… “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil.2:10-11
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The God of The Universe Is Exactly The God I Need!
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” Ps.103:8. Wow, that’s fantastic! Because of my flaws and inconsistencies and imperfections, I need exactly that—a God who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. Who would have ever guessed that the God of the universe is precisely the God I would need? Cool.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Trusting God In Difficult Times
Here’s a fair question: Does trusting in Christ really make a positive difference when extraordinary difficulties come in our lives? Answer: Yes! I’ve accumulated a pretty good amount of experience observing people in difficult circumstances and, yes, trusting in Christ truly makes a positive difference. But one of the key words there is this one: Trusting.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Walking With God During The Ordinary And The Out-Of-The-Ordinary
Life often seems to consist of lots and lots of typical, ordinary, day-in and day-out routine which is, then, occasionally punctuated with some kind of crazy, stressful, out-of-the-ordinary happening. One of my goals is to walk closely with God during both the ordinary and the out-of-the-ordinary.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Love The Wise & Experienced Ones In Our Lives
People who have lived a long time have accumulated many experiences. The insight and perspective that come with this long-term life experience is important and it means that older folks often have something valuable to offer us. Continue to cultivate loving relationships with the seniors in your life…they deserve to be loved.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Having Respect For Important Virtues
It’s important for us to revere and respect important character traits like loyalty, trustworthiness, courage, honor, duty, etc. Young people—and, for that matter ALL people—need to see, in tangible ways, that these virtues are highly valued and respected. C.S. Lewis eloquently communicates this idea: “We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)