Category: Daily Post

It’s Veteran’s Day.

Make sure you reach out and honor those who serve this great country that we live in today.  I know that I will!

And also, it does remind me of a statement made by a very famous veteran. He wasn’t a member of the US Military, however, he still has had a great impact on this country.  It’s that Roman veteran who made this great claim:

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”  Matthew 27:54 NIV

A long time ago I wrote about Romans 7 and the alignment I have with Paul’s thoughts there.  It seemed like a good time to revisit that post.

Take a look:

Double Mindedness

It’s been almost 7 years since I wrote those words. I’m a different person in many ways from that day.  A ‘better’ version of me, I would suggest.  But yet, I still find some much commonality with these words.

²¹So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ²⁴What a wretched man I am!

I suppose I will be a wretched man until the Lord calls me home.  I am so thankful that his blood was shed and my righteousness is based on his righteous and not my own.

Well, that was fun!  I guess half the country is making plans to move to Canada this morning.

Whenever these events happen its good to be reminded of the wisdom of scripture.  Keep doing good!

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴ for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. Romans 13: 1-5

I love a good Peace Lily.

By good Peace Lily, I mean one that springs back.  Do you know what I mean?  You can let that thing go without water for a month.  It will lie down all wilted sad. But when you pour water all of it, it springs back up — standing tall again.

It’s a great example of the restorative power of our Lord – the water of life. Luckily our souls have that same sort of spring back that a Peace Lily has.  Feeling flat like a dried up peace lily? – look to the water for restoration.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul. Psalms 23

Yesterday in the middle of worship, we sang an old hymn that pricked my heart in a way that it had not before.  It’s a song I have song probably hundreds of times, as it was an old favorite year’s ago.  I think it may have been in the worship schedule every other week for a while. Anyway, it had been a while and the words of “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” pierced my heart.

The entire song has lyrics that are raw and gripping, but the last two stanzas just nailed me yesterday

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Sometimes, I feel pretty special and talented.  I mean, I am an Ironman.  But seriously, not one thing that I have ever done compares to the actions of the Christ on the cross.  His actions make me whole, take away my worry and give me something to really focus on each day.  All those other things are just things – ways to give glory to the Christ and show his impact in my life.

Today as you go about the day, think about what you will boast in, and who paid your ransom.

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 53:5 (NIV)