Great big dog and pride.

Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)

Pride goes before destruction,

    a haughty spirit before a fall.

Simon was a rascal. A great big, handsome brute of a dog who loved to get the best of you. Gentle with children, wily with adults. His owner’s pride often took a fall while walking him as he never knew when he would decide to take advantage of a moment's inattentiveness. He would be strolling along enjoying their daily walk, proud of being able to handle his big fellow on the end of the leash, when suddenly when in mid-stride, he would bolt.

Many a neighbor was left howling with laughter as they witnessed him being jerked into the air behind Simon, while hanging onto his leash for dear life as his feet hit the pavement on the fly and directed him to the nearest telephone pole where he could fling his arms around it in order to bring them both to a screeching halt. But this was only the beginning of their enjoyment and his continued lesson in learning the art of humility. For the next step involved picking the splinters out of the side of his face that hit the pole, while trying to look nonchalant about the whole affair in order to save the small scrap of what was left of his pride and dignity.

Humility is a hard lesson to learn. It is a necessary one however, for as the Scriptures tell us, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. And how our enemy the devil loves to see the destruction and fall of our plans, our spirits and our relationships.

Much like Simon, the evil one is always prowling around waiting and watching for those moments of inattentiveness in our lives as Christians. Moments when we take our eyes off Jesus, His will and way, to covet our own. At such times, if we are not quick to recognize and reverse our folly, our spiritual feet can be yanked out from beneath us in the blink of an eye, leaving us feeling humiliated in front of friends, family, and most especially our Lord.

Simon was simply a rascal who loved a bit of fun. Satan however is our arch enemy whose purpose is to destroy the works and will of God in his people. So look out! Be attentive! Stay focused on Jesus and you won't be left trying to nonchalantly remove the splinters of spiritual humiliation from your spirit and memory at the end of the day.

Dear Lord, we love your humility which led you to lay aside your kingly crown for a time that you might come to earth and dwell among us. Teach us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

Let go or get dragged

James 3:16  (NIV) 

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

The name "Benedict Arnold" is synonymous with "traitor." But he was actually a loyal citizen of what was to become the United States, a gallant soldier and a five-star general. Wounded twice in battle, he was highly respected for his military leadership. He even enjoyed the friendship of George Washington.

But during the Revolutionary War, Arnold saw five subordinates promoted over him, and the blow to his esteem was more than he could manage. The injury to his pride was far greater than those physical injuries he sustained in battle. So he laid plans to get revenge.

In 1780, he attempted to betray vital West Point to the British. He later moved to England and was paid a sum of money to compensate for his property loss, but he was never fully accepted in British society. He eventually returned to trading and died a mostly unsuccessful and unhappy man. His downfall was not greed -- his problem was rather one of jealousy.

Do you know who is the most difficult person to love? It is easy to love friends and not too difficult to love those less fortunate than ourselves. It certainly isn't easy loving enemies, but sometimes the person most difficult to love is the one who is MORE fortunate than we are. The one who receives the promotion we deserved. The one who gets the recognition we desired, the honor we sought or the affections of the lover we had hoped to win. It is easy to resent those who seem to be more fortunate.

As someone once said, "Let go, or get dragged. Unless you let things go, you should be prepared to have that thing drag you around until you do let it go." Even envy. Let it go or get dragged. Besides, if you ever want to grab onto something good, you'll need a free hand.

Dear Lord, help us to let go and not get dragged. We pray that we would not get caught in jealousy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Truth

Luke 18:11  (NIV)

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

When the full impact of the potato blight struck Ireland, the general public opinion in Britain was that the Irish brought this disaster upon themselves. Even though Ireland was, by this time, officially part of the United Kingdom, they certainly were not being treated as equals.

There was only one crop that completely failed in Ireland, and that was the one crop they were allowed to keep for themselves: Potatoes. All other crops flourished, and these would have been more than enough to feed the Irish had it not all gone to Great Britain. In 1847, 500,000 Irish, young and old alike, died of starvation. Cholera, dysentery, high deadly fevers, scurvy and typhus rampaged through the Irish population, killing so many people that it wasn't even possible to keep proper records of all the deaths, and there weren't even enough coffins for the burials. As a result, reusable drop coffins became the norm. These contained a trap door at the bottom. They were used to drop a body in its grave, then they were returned to pick up another body!

Meanwhile, 4,000 ships loaded with 17,000,000 pounds of Ireland-produced foods, 10,000 heads of cattle and 4,000 horses and ponies headed for Great Britain and the British enjoyed fine meal and good health.

Such an attitude can be seen in certain denominations and churches. "Praise God that I am nothing like the scum of the earth. I hold the truth! Anything else does not matter!" They are proud of having "the" truth, but unfortunately, their "truth" consists of doctrine. Even though they profess to follow Jesus, their doctrine is put above all else, and these children of God don't even realize that only Jesus can claim to be Truth: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, NIV)

What happens when such superiority rampages through a church? It gives the congregation a false sense of security, while many of their members starve for spiritual food and are left wanting.

Are you spiritually hungry? Come directly to Jesus. Only He can truly feed you: "He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." (Luke 1:53, NIV) After all, it's not about us, but about Jesus!

Dear Lord, help our focus be on You and not the church we go to. Thank You that You are the truth and that You can feed us spiritually. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The King the Widow and Pride

Proverbs 16:19 (NIV)

Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed

    than to share plunder with the proud.

There was once a king who wanted to build a church that would honor him. He would personally supervise the work and only he would provide the money for its erection. The glory was to be his, and it was intended that by this means his name would be revered and remembered by successive generations. In fact, he forgot God in the matter altogether.

In due course the church was finished. On its completion he commanded that a tablet be placed on the side of the building on which his name would be carved, together with the information that he was the sole builder and benefactor.

The church was opened with great pomp and ceremony, and the king retired that night well pleased with himself. But that night he dreamed that an angel came down from heaven and erased his name from the tablet and put in its place that of a poor woman.

When the king awoke next morning, he dismissed the dream from his mind. The next night he had the same dream. Again the angel erased his name from the tablet and replaced it with that of the poor woman. He awoke next morning, irritated, but soon put it from his mind. The third night again the angel came, and again his name was removed and replaced with that of the poor woman.

He arose next morning very angry and demanded that a search be carried out for a woman of that name. It was discovered that there was a poor woman of that name who lived on the side of the hill on which the church was built. He sent for her, and she came frightened into his presence. He demanded to know what she had done to spoil the glory of his work.

She answered: "Sir, I love the Lord, and was pleased to see the church being built to His glory. I wanted to give something, but I knew your wish, so all I did was to give the horses some hay and water as they toiled up the hill with the building blocks. I did nothing more, Sir."

Suddenly the king saw that an action so simple and full of love to God had done more to endow the building than all his money. She had done more for the glory of God with her handfuls of hay and water than he had done with his magnificent gifts. So that it might be a lesson to both himself and his people, he commanded that his name be erased from the tablet and the poor widow's name carved there instead.

Dear Lord, help us have a humble spirit. Help us set aside our pride and do all things onto the Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Happy Mother's Day 2015

Proverbs 31:28 (NIV)

Her children arise and call her blessed;

    her husband also, and he praises her:

Mothers Day, the day when we remember all mother did for us, and all she taught us.

Our Mothers taught us LOGIC: ''If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me,'' as well as, ''If everyone else jumped off a cliff would you do it too?''

Our Mothers taught us WEATHER: "It looks as if a tornado swept through your room!"

Our Mothers taught us HUMOR: ''When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.''

Our Mothers taught us GENETICS: ''You are just like your father!''

Our Mothers taught us ANTICIPATION: ''Just wait until your father gets home.''

Our Mothers taught us about RECEIVING: ''You are going to get it when I get you home.''

Our Mothers taught us RELIGION: ''You better pray that will come out of the carpet.''

Our Mothers taught us about STAMINA: ''You'll sit there until all that spinach is finished.''

Our Mothers taught us THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: ''I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.''

Remember:

The mother makes the house into a home.

And Jesus makes the lady into a great mother.

Invite Jesus into your heart. Jesus will make you into a woman of greatness.

Your children deserve the best.

With Jesus in the Mother’s heart, it will be a happy home.

Happy Mother’s Day

Dear Lord, thank You for our mothers. We pray that You will Guard each of them with Your strong arms. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Herring Gull and being content

Luke 17:37(NIV)

 “Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

In Britain, they have herring gulls. They have a piercing, laughing call that instantly evokes in the sense of the seaside. One day, as a male herring gull swooped down to take a French fry out of his  hand while his back was against the railing. As he looked into the cold eye of the seagull he thought they were definitely bigger and a bit scary up close!

Anyone eating fish and chips outside on the railings of a seaside promenade is definitely running the risk of losing their meal, not to mention the scaring of any chip-holding small children!

With the advent of large landfill sites, gulls have migrated inland. Consequently, you have them at the university, where they play on the tops of the tall, cliff-like buildings, swooping down into the midst of the people there, and onto the scraps that are dropped or left out by the unsuspecting.

Herring gulls are opportunist scavengers with a strict pecking order, and they are ruthless bullies. They play "Who is the king of the castle?" To see who is the biggest and meanest. To the winner go the rewards. In similar manner, the vultures Jesus mentions fight over carrion in the Middle East.

God wants us to avoid the unnecessary contests in thought, word, and deed.

1 Corinthians 3:3 - For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

We have nothing to prove because we all receive what we have by grace. We rejoice because the Holy Spirit abides in us. Yes, while it is still light, we can proclaim His kingdom by being faithful and obedient to His call in thought, word, and deed.

Dear Lord, help us not envy others, or seek to climb the ladder, or dwell with our pride. Grant us with a renewed, godly wisdom, joy, and humility. In Jesus' name, Amen.

A lesson from an eagle and a block of ice.

2 Timothy 2:26 (ESV)

And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

When you think that sin doesn't get a hold of you think about the eagle in this story.

The story is told of an eagle perched on a block of ice just above Niagara Falls. The swift current carried the ice and its majestic passenger closer to the edge of the great precipice. The cries of other birds and animals warning the eagle of danger that lay ahead were to no avail. "I have great and powerful wings," he boasted. "I can fly from my perch at any time. I can handle it." Suddenly the edge of the falls was only a few feet away. The torrent of water rushed the block of ice over the great falls. The eagle spread his powerful wings to mount up over the impending doom only to discover too late that his claws had become frozen to the cake of ice.

None of us is immune to the consequences of sin.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would not get trapped in our sins. We pray that we would let You guard our hearts from the temptations around us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.