COMMITTED TO THE LORD
(Trust in the Lord ... he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6)
I used the Scriptures from the Old Testament and the New Testament, printed at the bottom of this Blog, in a Memorial Service yesterday.
The following are some reflections on those Scriptures which
I pray will be of value in your life.
Read each scripture before reading the reflection. Use your own Bible or those printed at the end of these thoughts. I used the Good News Bible for the quotes.
Psalm 27:1: This has been my life verse. I it used when I traveled alone from Guatemala to Minnesota after graduating from eighth grade.
I have used many times when facing challenges. I read it with Jeannie when she being prepped for surgery to remove the cancer in her breast.
I used it each time I prayed with a member of my church facing surgery or other significant medical procedure over which they had no control.
This is a great affirmation of God’s presence no matter what we may fear.
Fear is a dark shadow enveloping and ultimately imprisoning us ...
Fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertainty, sickness ...
Ultimately death ...
Fear can be conquered, according to this passage,
and by using the bright light of the Lord,
Who brings salvation.
The Shadow of Darkness and Fear is Dispelled by remembering and
Trusting the Lord who is the Stronghold of our lives.
Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24: Describes God as all-seeing, all-knowing,
all-powerful and ever-present. God knows us. God is with us.
God’s Greatest gift is Allowing us to Know God.
Sometimes we don’t let people know us completely for fear
they will discover something about us they won’t like.
We try hiding from God when we do something wrong.
Matthew 10:30 Jesus says: God knows everything about us ...
even to the number of hairs on head.
God knit us together. We are wonderfully made us.
The value of a piece of art comes from the creator.
Our days of life ordained for us written before one came to be.
God loves us. God is with us through every situation ...
God guides, wherever we are. Nothing can separate us from God.
Psalm 84:1-12: God’s living presence is our greatest joy,
helping us grow in strength, grace and glory.
Nehemiah 8:10 The Joy of the Lord is my Strength ...
The Psalmist Longs for the courts of the Lord means desiring to be
in God’s presence...
Pilgrimage though Valley of Baca (means “weeping”-struggles)
Similar to the Shadow of death ... in Psalm 23:4.
Sometimes we have to go through dark, scary and dangerous places
before reaching our desired destination.
Philippians 4:4-9: The Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote
this letter. Yet he uses the word joy 17 times in 4 chapters.
Lesson: inner attitude does not need reflect outer circumstances.
Joy came from knowing no matter what he faced, Christ was with him
It is easy getting discouraged with unpleasant circumstances ...
Joy comes when Christ dwells within us and knowing Christ is near ...
There was a song I learned as a child: JOY, which taught us that true joy comes when we keep our priorities straight.
Jesus, Others, You.
Focus on vs. 8 if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think
about...
9 whatever you have learned or received or learned ...
or seen in me – put into practice.
What a great recipe for life! We tend to focus on everything that is going wrong rather the excellent, praiseworthy etc.
Colossians 3:10-14: Put on a new self, which is being renewed each and
every day. Learning is a life-long process.
Applying lessons, is like dressing each day.
Only instead of clothes ...
Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, patience. Forgiving as the Lord has forgiven you
vs. 3:17 Whatever you do ... do it in the name of the
Lord Jesus giving thanks...
3:24 Since you have received an inheritance from the Lord as reward ...
Be Committed to the Lord & Doing God’s Will ..
Galatians 5:22-23: This is the Fruit of the Spirit evidenced in our lives:
overflowing to others when we allow the Holy Spirit
living in us: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control.
The Spirit produces these character traits found in Christ’s life.
They Can’t obtain them by trying to get them on our own.
John 15:4-5 Jesus said: Remain in me and I will remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine...
I AM the vine, you are the branches remain in me and
you will bear much fruit.*
I Corinthians 15:35-58: Addresses the Resurrection of the Body.
Our present bodies are perishable and prone to decay.
Resurrection bodies will be transformed, not limited to laws
of nature.
Hope in times of suffering. Death no longer a source of dread and
fear.
Christ overcame death ... we will when we leave our earthly bodies
Because of resurrection nothing we do is in vain.
Believing Christ has won the ultimate victory,
impacts how we live now and
Allows us to commit our lives to the Lord, Trusting Him to lead us,
no matter how challenging the way may be.
* John 15:4-5 is the Inspiration for the title: onthevine, of this Blog.
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
(Good News For Modern Man)
Psalms 21:1: The Lord is my light and my salvation;
I will fear no one.
The Lord protects me from all danger;
I will never be afraid.
Psalms 139:1-18, 23-24:
Lord, you have examined me and you know me.
2 You know everything I do;
from far away you understand all my thoughts.
3 You see me, whether I am working or resting;
you know all my actions.
4 Even before I speak,
you already know what I will say.
5 You are all around me on every side;
you protect me with your power.
6 Your knowledge of me is too deep;
it is beyond my understanding.
7 Where could I go to escape from you?
Where could I get away from your presence?
8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there;
if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.
9 If I flew away beyond the east
or lived in the farthest place in the west,
10 you would be there to lead me,
you would be there to help me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
or the light around me to turn into night,
12 but even darkness is not dark for you,
and the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
13 You created every part of me;
you put me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because you are to be feared;
all you do is strange and wonderful.
I know it with all my heart.
15 When my bones were being formed,
carefully put together in my mother's womb,
when I was growing there in secret,
you knew that I was there—
16 you saw me before I was born.
The days allotted to me
had all been recorded in your book,
before any of them ever began.
17 O God, how difficult I find your thoughts;
how many of them there are!
18 If I counted them, they would be more
than the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you...
23 Examine me, O God, and know my mind;
test me, and discover my thoughts.
24 Find out if there is any evil in me
and guide me in the everlasting way.
Psalms 84:1-12:
How I love your Temple, Lord Almighty!
2 How I want to be there!
I long to be in the Lord's Temple.
With my whole being I sing for joy
to the living God.
3 Even the sparrows have built a nest,
and the swallows have their own home;
they keep their young near your altars,
Lord Almighty, my king and my God.
4 How happy are those who live in your Temple,
always singing praise to you.
5 How happy are those whose strength comes from you,
who are eager to make the pilgrimage to Mount Zion.
6 As they pass through the dry valley of Baca,
it becomes a place of springs;
the autumn rain fills it with pools.
7 They grow stronger as they go;
they will see the God of gods on Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty.
Listen, O God of Jacob!
9 Bless our king, O God,
the king you have chosen.
10 One day spent in your Temple
is better than a thousand anywhere else;
I would rather stand at the gate of the house of my God
than live in the homes of the wicked.
11 The Lord is our protector and glorious king,
blessing us with kindness and honor.
He does not refuse any good thing
to those who do what is right.
12 Lord Almighty, how happy are those who trust in you!
NEW TESTAMENT LESSONS
Philippians 4:4-9:
4 May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord.
I say it again: rejoice!
5 Show a gentle attitude toward everyone.
The Lord is coming soon.
6 Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God
for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.
7 And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding,
will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
8 In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things
that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true,
noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.
9 Put into practice what you learned and received from me,
both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives
us peace will be with you.
Colossians 3:10-14:
10 and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself.11 As a result, there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all.
12 You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. 14 And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.
Galatians 5:22-23:
22 But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, and self-control.
There is no law against such things as these.
I Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-44, 50, 53-58:
35 Someone will ask, How can the dead be raised to life?
What kind of body will they have? 36 You fool! When you plant a seed in the ground, it does not sprout to life unless it dies.
37 And what you plant is a bare seed, perhaps a grain of wheat or some other grain, not the full-bodied plant that will later grow up. 38 God provides that seed with the body he wishes; he gives each seed its own proper body...
42 This is how it will be when the dead are raised to life. When the body is buried, it is mortal; when raised, it will be immortal. 43 When buried, it is ugly and weak; when raised, it will be beautiful and strong. 44 When buried, it is a physical body; when raised, it will be a spiritual body.
There is, of course, a physical body, so there has to be a spiritual body...
50 What I mean, friends, is that what is made of flesh and blood cannot share in God's Kingdom, and what is mortal cannot possess immortality...
53 For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal;
what will die must be changed into what cannot die.
54 So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: Death is destroyed; victory is complete!
55 Where, Death, is your victory? Where, Death, is your power to hurt?
56 Death gets its power to hurt from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law.
57 But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady.
Keep busy always in your work for the Lord,
since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
UNIVERSAL CONDITION
Dr. Glen A. Thorp October 16, 2011
I Timothy 6:3-21, Luke 16:19-31 (All Rights Reserved)
“UNIVERSAL CONDITION”
INTRODUCTION: Some of the richest people I know are poor
Some of poorest people I know are rich.
It is not what we own that is important.
It is what we do with what we have &
whether we are content with what we have.
There is a universal condition which all people have in common, whether living in the United States, Korea, Angola, the Congo, Colombia, Israel, Egypt, Spain, France or Syria which may lead to personal or national conflict.
That universal condition is Discontentment.
Proverbs.30:7-9 says:
7 “Two things I ask of you, LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
Rich caught in endless cycle. “The one who dies with most toys, wins.” Solutions: Wealth, Fame, Filling Time or Withdrawing.
Greek Philosophers defined contentment as
autarkeia - self-sufficiency, autonomy & autocratic.
Frame of Mind completely independent of all outward or external things.
Contentment comes from an inner attitude towards life
Those having wealth & power don’t have to flaunt it.
Henry VI, Shakespeare, Third Act draws a picture of the king wandering through the country un-recognized. Meeting two gamekeepers he tells them he is the king. One of them asks:
“If thou be king, where is thy crown?”
The king gives this great answer:
“My crown is in my heart, not on my head,
not decked with diamonds & Indian stones,
nor to be seen: My crown is call’d contentment
a crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.
Epicurious wrote: “The secret to Contentment:
Add not to a man’s possessions,
But take away his desires.”
Christianity does not promote poverty.
There is no virtue in being poor. (Blessed are the poor ...)
It acknowledges what I Timothy 6:7 says:
We brought nothing into the world & it is clear
that we can take nothing with us when we die.
Beatles’ Songs: Which best expresses your attitude towards money:
Money (That’s what I want) or
Money Can’t Buy Me Love?
ILLUSTRATION: A close friend worked hard & long hours
became a millionaire. That was not his goal. It was the result of his labor & investments. He was proud of doing it on his own. Not quite:
• long hours meant his family was neglected.
• drain on his energy & health.
• a major law suite took away years of life & finances.
• result he was divorced from his wife.
“I would give anything, money, if I could have my wife back”
Jesus said: What good is it for a person to gain
the whole world but loose her/his soul?
Read Luke 16:19-31. It is a parable ( a story with a point) taught by Jesus about a Rich man & a poor man named Lazarus ... Notice what the rich man asks in vs. 27, 28 & Abraham’s responses.
Jesus also said: Seek first the kingdom of God and these thinngs will be given to as well. (Matthew 6:33)
We acknowledge that all we have comes from God.
We are not autonomous: Don’t need anything or anyone.
There is no such thing as a self-made person.
Wealthy Barron - discovered minerals:
gold, silver, diamonds, oil etc.
Used cheap labor ...
Business person - Markets products or services
Needs customers...
Athlete or Actor - Someone: discovered him/her, developed his/her talent.
payed to see him/her play or act.
Autonomy often leads to loneliness.
That is not what the Greek Philosophers & definitely, not Paul, meant by “contentment.”
“Happiness/Contentment comes from relationships.
Paul, nearing the end of his life, writes to Timothy: (6:6)
Do you want to be rich?
You are when you are content.
On another occasion Paul wrote: (Philippines 4:11-12)
I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances.
I know what it is to be in need.
I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any & every
situation, whether fed or hungry, in plenty or in want.
Contentment comes when we escape the servitude to things & find our wealth in the love, friendships & especially our friendship with God made possible through Jesus Christ.
TRANSITION: It is that love & friendship we celebrate each Sunday.
1. God loved us so much that he came in human form.
Jesus took our place of condemnation,
dying that we might live.
We read a story or see a movie where some saves another’s life.
What is the response? “Because you saved my life,
I owe you.”
Jesus saved out lives, yet ...
we owe nothing except gratitude.
2. We are God’s children, so are those born in bamboo huts.
We each came into the world the same.
We each will leave this world the same.
What is the difference?
We have been given opportunity, good diet,
medical care, education & an atmosphere of support.
Acknowledge it all as God’s provision.
Use it wisely
Share what we have learned & earned with others.
We enjoy:
The Good News given to us.
The beautiful churches which have been entrusted to us
What will we do with what we have received?
Paul writes:
You are people of God:
Walk with shoulders straight,
head high.
Given commission from God.
I Timothy 6:11-16 Pursue: (Greek Words - Translated)
dikaiosune: Right Relationships - God, others, self.
eusebeia: Godliness - Aware of God’s presence.
pistis: Faith - Fidelity to God.
agape: Love - Love of God for us.
hupomone: Patience - Victorious endurance.
paupatheia: Gentleness - Doesn’t blaze into anger for
for its own wrongs, but
for wrongs against others.
- Humility that all one has comes from God &
- Pride of calling from God.
Remembering our Baptism:
Our Helplessness
Public Confession of Faith
All we have comes from God.
Joel 2:23, 26 Affirms how we respond to God for all that God
provides for us:
Be glad, oh people of (insert you city),
rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.
He sends you abundant showers, but autumn & spring rains..
You will have plenty to eat, you are full &
you will praise the name of the Lord.
Stuart Hamblem “had a series of highly popular radio programs on the West Coast or the United States (1931-1952.)
He composed music & acted with others stars as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers & John Wayne ...Hamblem didn’t cope well with the pressure ... sought relief in alcohol ... which often landed him in jail for public brawling & other destructive behavior...
In 1949 he attended a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles.
His life was dramatically changed when he turned his life over to Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior. He described this as “the turning point” of my life. He was fired from his radio career when he declined to continue with his radio station’s sponsor’s beer commercials. Hard times were upon him. During this struggle, John Wayne took him aside & told him “your troubles started when you ‘got religion’ & asked if it was worth it all. Hamblen answered simply, “Yes.”
Then John said, “You liked booze so much. Don’t you ever miss it?”
The answer was “no.” John continued:
“I don’t understand how you could give it up so easily.”
Hamblen’s response was “It’s no big secret. All things are possible with God.” To this John said,
“That’s a catch phrase. You should write a song about it.”
He did and it is called: It Is No Secret . The first verse is:
“The chimes of time ring out the news Another day is through
Someone slipped and fell Was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strenght Your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened For I bring hope to you.
It is no secret, what God can do What he's done for others, he'll do for you With arms wide open, he'll pardon you It is no secret what God can do. With arms wide open, he'll pardon you It is no secret what God can do.”
I Timothy 6:3-21, Luke 16:19-31 (All Rights Reserved)
“UNIVERSAL CONDITION”
INTRODUCTION: Some of the richest people I know are poor
Some of poorest people I know are rich.
It is not what we own that is important.
It is what we do with what we have &
whether we are content with what we have.
There is a universal condition which all people have in common, whether living in the United States, Korea, Angola, the Congo, Colombia, Israel, Egypt, Spain, France or Syria which may lead to personal or national conflict.
That universal condition is Discontentment.
Proverbs.30:7-9 says:
7 “Two things I ask of you, LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
Rich caught in endless cycle. “The one who dies with most toys, wins.” Solutions: Wealth, Fame, Filling Time or Withdrawing.
Greek Philosophers defined contentment as
autarkeia - self-sufficiency, autonomy & autocratic.
Frame of Mind completely independent of all outward or external things.
Contentment comes from an inner attitude towards life
Those having wealth & power don’t have to flaunt it.
Henry VI, Shakespeare, Third Act draws a picture of the king wandering through the country un-recognized. Meeting two gamekeepers he tells them he is the king. One of them asks:
“If thou be king, where is thy crown?”
The king gives this great answer:
“My crown is in my heart, not on my head,
not decked with diamonds & Indian stones,
nor to be seen: My crown is call’d contentment
a crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.
Epicurious wrote: “The secret to Contentment:
Add not to a man’s possessions,
But take away his desires.”
Christianity does not promote poverty.
There is no virtue in being poor. (Blessed are the poor ...)
It acknowledges what I Timothy 6:7 says:
We brought nothing into the world & it is clear
that we can take nothing with us when we die.
Beatles’ Songs: Which best expresses your attitude towards money:
Money (That’s what I want) or
Money Can’t Buy Me Love?
ILLUSTRATION: A close friend worked hard & long hours
became a millionaire. That was not his goal. It was the result of his labor & investments. He was proud of doing it on his own. Not quite:
• long hours meant his family was neglected.
• drain on his energy & health.
• a major law suite took away years of life & finances.
• result he was divorced from his wife.
“I would give anything, money, if I could have my wife back”
Jesus said: What good is it for a person to gain
the whole world but loose her/his soul?
Read Luke 16:19-31. It is a parable ( a story with a point) taught by Jesus about a Rich man & a poor man named Lazarus ... Notice what the rich man asks in vs. 27, 28 & Abraham’s responses.
Jesus also said: Seek first the kingdom of God and these thinngs will be given to as well. (Matthew 6:33)
We acknowledge that all we have comes from God.
We are not autonomous: Don’t need anything or anyone.
There is no such thing as a self-made person.
Wealthy Barron - discovered minerals:
gold, silver, diamonds, oil etc.
Used cheap labor ...
Business person - Markets products or services
Needs customers...
Athlete or Actor - Someone: discovered him/her, developed his/her talent.
payed to see him/her play or act.
Autonomy often leads to loneliness.
That is not what the Greek Philosophers & definitely, not Paul, meant by “contentment.”
“Happiness/Contentment comes from relationships.
Paul, nearing the end of his life, writes to Timothy: (6:6)
Do you want to be rich?
You are when you are content.
On another occasion Paul wrote: (Philippines 4:11-12)
I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances.
I know what it is to be in need.
I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any & every
situation, whether fed or hungry, in plenty or in want.
Contentment comes when we escape the servitude to things & find our wealth in the love, friendships & especially our friendship with God made possible through Jesus Christ.
TRANSITION: It is that love & friendship we celebrate each Sunday.
1. God loved us so much that he came in human form.
Jesus took our place of condemnation,
dying that we might live.
We read a story or see a movie where some saves another’s life.
What is the response? “Because you saved my life,
I owe you.”
Jesus saved out lives, yet ...
we owe nothing except gratitude.
2. We are God’s children, so are those born in bamboo huts.
We each came into the world the same.
We each will leave this world the same.
What is the difference?
We have been given opportunity, good diet,
medical care, education & an atmosphere of support.
Acknowledge it all as God’s provision.
Use it wisely
Share what we have learned & earned with others.
We enjoy:
The Good News given to us.
The beautiful churches which have been entrusted to us
What will we do with what we have received?
Paul writes:
You are people of God:
Walk with shoulders straight,
head high.
Given commission from God.
I Timothy 6:11-16 Pursue: (Greek Words - Translated)
dikaiosune: Right Relationships - God, others, self.
eusebeia: Godliness - Aware of God’s presence.
pistis: Faith - Fidelity to God.
agape: Love - Love of God for us.
hupomone: Patience - Victorious endurance.
paupatheia: Gentleness - Doesn’t blaze into anger for
for its own wrongs, but
for wrongs against others.
- Humility that all one has comes from God &
- Pride of calling from God.
Remembering our Baptism:
Our Helplessness
Public Confession of Faith
All we have comes from God.
Joel 2:23, 26 Affirms how we respond to God for all that God
provides for us:
Be glad, oh people of (insert you city),
rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.
He sends you abundant showers, but autumn & spring rains..
You will have plenty to eat, you are full &
you will praise the name of the Lord.
Stuart Hamblem “had a series of highly popular radio programs on the West Coast or the United States (1931-1952.)
He composed music & acted with others stars as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers & John Wayne ...Hamblem didn’t cope well with the pressure ... sought relief in alcohol ... which often landed him in jail for public brawling & other destructive behavior...
In 1949 he attended a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles.
His life was dramatically changed when he turned his life over to Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior. He described this as “the turning point” of my life. He was fired from his radio career when he declined to continue with his radio station’s sponsor’s beer commercials. Hard times were upon him. During this struggle, John Wayne took him aside & told him “your troubles started when you ‘got religion’ & asked if it was worth it all. Hamblen answered simply, “Yes.”
Then John said, “You liked booze so much. Don’t you ever miss it?”
The answer was “no.” John continued:
“I don’t understand how you could give it up so easily.”
Hamblen’s response was “It’s no big secret. All things are possible with God.” To this John said,
“That’s a catch phrase. You should write a song about it.”
He did and it is called: It Is No Secret . The first verse is:
“The chimes of time ring out the news Another day is through
Someone slipped and fell Was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strenght Your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened For I bring hope to you.
It is no secret, what God can do What he's done for others, he'll do for you With arms wide open, he'll pardon you It is no secret what God can do. With arms wide open, he'll pardon you It is no secret what God can do.”
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