Did you hear about the 28-year-old guy with over 300,000 followers on Twitter? I heard a report on CNN about this guy who moved back in with his parents and started tweeting the funny things his elderly father says. One of the quips from his dad was something like, "Don't touch the bacon, I'll take care of the bacon and you take care of whatever it is you do...I guess nothing!"
That is good stuff! And it made me think about sharing a few classic quotes from L.D., who has served First Church as pastor-teacher for the last 37+ years. The guy oozes wisdom (often in a witty sort of way)! And when it comes to pastoral effectiveness most people would agree that L.D. is the man! Since I'll be following him as First Church's next pastor, I'm doing my best to pick up as much from L.D. as possible.
This weekend L.D. shared what he called his "agenda" (yeah, he quite unapolegitcally said he had one!). For the last four decades L.D.'s driving agenda has been: "to see as many as possible, as soon as possible, by all means possible, come into the house of God." That statement met with rousing applause from the congregation.
I can definitely get into following that kind of passion for reaching those who need Jesus! After all, wasn't that also God's "agenda"? Oh yeah...John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
GETTING AHEAD OF GOD
Joshua chapter 9 got me this week! It deals with how people called the Gibeonites deceived Israel. God instructed Joshua to avoid making treaties with any inhabitant of the Promised Land. But the Gibeonites pretended to be a wayfaring people from a land far, far away. They pulled off the ruse to the last detail.
The Gibeonites donned old clothes, saddled their donkeys with moldy bread, cracked cheese, and old wineskins, and wore worn-out flip flops. When Israeli investigators searched their supplies they were convinced that these people had travelled a great distance. The truth was that they lived just down the road and had cities that were the class of Canaan!
The key to the deception is in verse 14, "The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." Israel saw their stuff, but did not see through their sham! And the result of rushing into a decision without seeking God first? Deception! From that day forward the Gibeonites were like a thorn in Israel's side.
When I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that most of my decisions are made without "inquiring of the Lord" first. No, not the big "life" decisions like career choices. Not even ministry related choices like what sermon to preach. It's more often the conclusions I draw about things like which car to buy, when to take vacation, and daily things like the TV shows I watch. As a result of leaving God out of those decisions more often than not, I know I've been deceived. If I'd only inquired of God first, I'm sure I would not have wasted 2-hours of my life last week watching Obama's address to Congress -- and certainly not the talking heads arguing over what he said afterwards!
I think I'll take to heart a little more God's great advice in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
The Gibeonites donned old clothes, saddled their donkeys with moldy bread, cracked cheese, and old wineskins, and wore worn-out flip flops. When Israeli investigators searched their supplies they were convinced that these people had travelled a great distance. The truth was that they lived just down the road and had cities that were the class of Canaan!
The key to the deception is in verse 14, "The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." Israel saw their stuff, but did not see through their sham! And the result of rushing into a decision without seeking God first? Deception! From that day forward the Gibeonites were like a thorn in Israel's side.
When I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that most of my decisions are made without "inquiring of the Lord" first. No, not the big "life" decisions like career choices. Not even ministry related choices like what sermon to preach. It's more often the conclusions I draw about things like which car to buy, when to take vacation, and daily things like the TV shows I watch. As a result of leaving God out of those decisions more often than not, I know I've been deceived. If I'd only inquired of God first, I'm sure I would not have wasted 2-hours of my life last week watching Obama's address to Congress -- and certainly not the talking heads arguing over what he said afterwards!
I think I'll take to heart a little more God's great advice in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
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