Month: February 2012

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Table Of Mercy

At the church I worship with each Sunday, we partake in a memorial we call communion or the Lord’s Supper where we “remember Christ’s death of the cross, and proclaim his resurrection until he comes again”.  Sometimes before that time, we will sing a song called “Come to the Table of Mercy”.

Anyway, that song has rumaged through my head all morning, as the idea of giving and receiving mercy seems so strong with me today.  (Especially living with a 15-year-old son – more about that later this week.)

Today, since the topic of extending mercy seems right on the tip of my mind, it seems appropriate to remind you of the benefits of being a merciful person.  Oh, and quite simple reminder of a definition I found this morning – Mercy is like a judge finding you guilty, but then withholding any punishment.

17 The merciful man does himself good,
But the cruel man does himself harm. Proverbs 11:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 
   7 “Blessed arethe merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Matthew 5:7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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A Valentine’s Poem

A little familiar poem for today:

1 Corinthians 13

1 I may speak in different languages of people or even angels. But if I do not have love, I am only a noisy bell or a crashing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand all the secret things of God and have all knowledge, and I may have faith so great I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing. 3I may give away everything I have, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing if I do not have love. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.5 Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. 6 Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. 7 Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.

8 Love never ends. There are gifts of prophecy, but they will be ended. There are gifts of speaking in different languages, but those gifts will stop. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will come to an end.9 The reason is that our knowledge and our ability to prophesy are not perfect.10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not perfect will end.11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways.12 It is the same with us. Now we see a dim reflection, as if we were looking into a mirror, but then we shall see clearly. Now I know only a part, but then I will know fully, as God has known me.13 So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.

New Century Version (NCV)

 

So, what are you going to do with this great thing?

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Get a Different Name Day

Here we are on Valentine’s Eve anticipating the most famous holiday in February, when it seems today bring us two outstanding observances.

Today is Get a Different Name Day.  Which is funny, because yesterday, I was showing Amy the author’s name of a book I am reading.  The book “Erasing Hell” is written by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle.  That’s right, Sprinkle.  I was telling Amy that she should have a classroom name like artists have stage names.  Could you imagine if your first grade teacher was Mrs. Sprinkle?  That’s an incredible first grade teacher name.

I think I might consider Vladimir VonHoffingburger, or maybe I would choose a last name I didn’t have to spell all the time.  I am going to spend a little time today thinking about something else that might make more sense.  What about you, what name would you choose, if you could choose your name?

Ultimately, I am pretty happy with what good ol’ Mom and Dad choose, but I am glad I was able to get a different name but placing my faith in the Christ

 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 New International Version (NIV)

and as it says in Isaiah

And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God

That’s a pretty good name to take on, don’t you think!

Oh, today is also Clean Out your Computer Day!  So while you are considering your different name, delete some of those old documents, and clear out that browser history, but don’t delete you bookmark to the Daily Buffet!

 

 

 

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Presence and Praise, and Fruit

It’s Friday!  Yeah.

I have been thinking a lot this week about being present and oddly enough trying to understand God’s presence.  That’s a little deeper theology then this blog usually goes into. ( Not, saying that this is a shallow and touchy feeling blog – but is it?) It was these Psalm that led me there

Psalm 100 (NIV)

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Later in the week, I found this video from one of my favorite contemporary teachers – Francis Chan.  Take a look, i think it’s 4 minutes well spent and is pretty motivating, especially for me this week.

Catalyst Atlanta 2011 | Francis Chan from Catalyst on Vimeo.

The gist of the video – without our God, we can do nothing. Hm, I think having some connection there might just be a good thing.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 English Standard Version (©2001)

Enjoy the weekend! and Stay in his presence.

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Make It Count

Nike has a new promotion this year, called Make it Count. The purpose of the promotion, besides selling clothes and shoes, is to motivate a person to work out each day in a way that counts.

My favorite tweet about this so far has been.

Saying the word “fartlek” doesn’t count. Running fartleks #counts.

There’s just something about the word fartlek that makes the day better.

This whole idea seems pretty familiar, and it is actually pretty motivating.

So what are you doing to make it count spiritually? Will it be helping the broken, teaching, loving, forgiving? Talking about it doesn’t count! Doing it does!

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26 NIV)