#294.3 – “Sticky Notes in My Brain”

“O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.” – Isaiah 25:1
We have a leaky shower head in our bathroom… a weak shower head in the other that needs replacing… a toilet paper holder that is loose and needs to be moved… windows that need to be caulked… and on and on I could go. To sum up what I am trying to say, allow me to quote Blake Bennett in saying: ‘I have about a thousand sticky notes in my brain that I never act on!’
I was thinking this morning about how, when God makes a decision, He is always capable of seeing that decision through. He is never unable to carry out what He plans. I may plan a lot of things and not finish them due to lack of money or time or power. But God is never short on resources, so that is not an issue with Him. He is always capable.
Praise the Lord with me for the fact the He is limitless in resources.

Daniel

#294.2 – “One Little Note”

“Pleasing words are like honey, sweet to the soul and new life to the bones.” – Proverbs 16:24
This morning, I am reminded of a little gift I got last night. During AWANA, I went to check on the older girls. While there, Anna handed me a note that she had written the week before. It was a simple note of encouragement to me as her dad, containing no more than a few lines, but it was impacting because I knew she meant every word. I now have that note on my dresser where I keep my billfold and other things, so that I will see it every morning as I get ready for my day.
I am sometimes guilty of doubting the power of a few words. But I can testify, having received such encouragement, that there is real power in them. I am reminded of my need to be an encourager… to speak words that edify my brother and sister in Christ… and to not demean the impact those words can have.

Daniel

#294.1 – “It Was a Dirty Job, But Someone Had to Do It”

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin…” – Romans 8:3
This weekend, we had reason to believe that we had a pipe leaking under our bathroom (it turns out that it wasn’t… but we thought it was), which caused me to have to go up under our house. Believe me when I tell you that I only go up under the house if I have to go up under the house. In fact, this was the first time I had been up under this house since we moved in (which was intentional on my part). I put on the same clothes I have worn in the past whenever I have gone caving with Jonathan and Tom, because it is essentially the same thing – you’re wiggling around on the dirt… sometimes shimmying under duct work or pipes or floor joists… with only the light you bring with you. Needless to say, you get filthy and sweaty as you army crawl the whole time. And naturally, the spot I needed to see was completely on the opposite end of the entrance to the crawl space. So by the time I had checked everything out and come back to the entrance, I was covered in sweat and dirt and cobwebs and all kinds of nasty. I immediately went in the house and gave Sarah some fun laundry to deal with and went and got a hot shower!
I had made the comment to Sarah before I went out that sometimes it is no fun being the daddy. That was ‘a daddy job’… no doubt about it. There was no way I was getting out of doing that job. It was my responsibility and I had to act on it. And so, I went out and got filthy. After I said those words to Sarah, I was reminded of what kind of job it must have been for Christ to hang upon the cross of Calvary and to have the agony of gasping for His last breath while His blood and sweat flowed from his thorn-pierced scalp. It was a dirty job, but the only Someone who could do anything about our sin and its effects did it. He went to the cross and paid the ultimate price for our sin and we have Him to thank for taking care of it for us.
Join me in being humbled at the thought of what He went through to accomplish our salvation.

Daniel

#293.5 – “The Right Motivation”

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.” – Matthew 6:5
The boys and I ate supper by ourselves last night, as the girls were spending the night at a friend’s house, and Sarah was out with the ladies of the church. As we had just come in from a ball game, I didn’t feel like fixing anything, so we had leftover spaghetti and English peas. Grant and Joshua can be somewhat reserved when it comes to eating English peas. When I finished my plate, I got up from the table and began scooping out some ice cream into three different little bowls. In the mean time, both boys had started to get up from the table, informing me they weren’t hungry anymore. I set the three ice cream bowls on the table and told them that if they wanted any dessert, they had to finish their peas. Within two minutes, their peas were gone and they were digging into their ice cream!
Sometimes, you just have to find the right motivation.
What is my motivation for what I do? Is it men’s applause? If so, the scripture teaches that that is all I will get. But I can choose to have a much higher reason for living as I do – to please God. If His satisfaction is my goal, then I find joy in honoring Him with my life. And while I realize I will never on this earth be perfect and please Him all the time, I can seek to make that my aim and to do my best to show Him love through my obedience.

Daniel

#293.4 – “Not Until I Tried It”

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.” – Galatians 3:13
The girls like taking showers in our bathroom. Their reasoning for doing so is because they have said in the past that the water pressure coming out of the shower in their bathroom is very low. I always assumed that they just liked the size and shape of our shower better, and that was just an excuse. I assumed that until this morning, when I chose to take a shower in there and see for myself. Boy… was it low compared to ours! It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t good either. I can see why they prefer ours!
You know, it wasn’t until I decided to try it out myself that I knew what they were talking about. I am so grateful that we have a Savior who has tried on this human flesh and walked around in it for a while… feeling pain and heartache and happiness and all the other things associated with this life.
I got out of the shower this morning with the full intention of not ever taking another one in there until I at least try to fix it. Jesus stayed in His earthly body until he had seen through the plan laid out for Him… until He fixed the mess we were in, providing us salvation through His death and resurrection.
Let us all be thankful that Jesus both understood and redeemed our frail flesh.

Daniel

#293.3 – “What Turning 35 Was Really Like”

“A cheerful heart makes good medicine...” – Proverbs 17:22

What Turning 35 Was Really Like…

Waking up with an upset stomach and having to take an antacid because I had eaten too much the night before! (I know… a sign of getting old)
Later having to take an ibuprofen for a headache! (yeah, yeah)
Indecision while birthday shopping, but getting some good stuff
A nice lunch with my beautiful wife
Playing video games with Joshua (which I hardly ever get to do anymore)
Fixing Ruthie’s bike so she could ride around the neighborhood
Spending a wonderful evening of food and fellowship with the Brashers, while Sarah’s parents graciously watched our kids
All in all, a great day!

Daniel

#293.2 – “What Turning 35 Means to Me”

“A cheerful heart makes good medicine...” – Proverbs 17:22

What Turning 35 Means to Me…

Having a built-in excuse for why I forget stuff!
Feeling blessed to be in the ministry and live two years longer on earth than Jesus!!!
Reminding all of my older friends that I will always be younger than them!!!
Grasping that I’ve been driving for twenty years (I wish I could finally come to a stop)!
Wait a minute… what was I supposed to remind my older friends, again???
Realizing that I am no longer two years younger than my wife!?!?!
Eating what I want!
Bigger presents (including bigger pants, because I’m eating what I want)!
Only another 35 years to retirement!
Closer now to Social Security than to birth!!
35? Am I 35???

Daniel

#293.1 – “Pray for our Nation”

“And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
Having attended last night’s Truth Project meeting on America, I felt impressed to share with all of you a prayer I had run across not long ago from Franklin Graham, this year’s honorary chairman of the national Day of Prayer (for more information on the National Day of prayer, visit http://nationaldayofprayer.org/). I encourage you to read and join along in praying this prayer for our nation.
2010 Prayer for the National Day of Prayer
by Franklin Graham – 2010 Honorary Chairman
Lord,
We are thankful for the abundant blessings You have bestowed on America. Our forefathers looked to You as Protector, Provider, and the Promise of hope. But we have wandered far from that firm foundation. May we repent for turning our backs on Your faithfulness.
We pray that this great nation will be restored by Your forgiveness.
From bondage, You grant freedom.
Through Your own sacrifice, You offer salvation.
From the state of despair, You offer peace.
From the bounties of Heaven, You have blessed – not because of our goodness – but by Your grace.
You have given us freedom to worship You in spirit and in truth as Your holy Word instructs. May our lives honor You in word and deed. May our nation acknowledge that all good things come from the Father above.
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that our nation should set apart a day for national prayer to confess our sins and transgressions in sorrow, “yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon… announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
“We have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own… we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us! It behooves us then… to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
Help us to pray earnestly for our president and leaders who govern, that they will humble themselves and seek Your guidance so that everything we do will shine the light of Your glory in a darkened world.
May our prayers as a people and a nation be heard and blessed for such a time as this. We make this plea in faith, believing in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord.
Amen

#292.3 – “Goat #2”

“Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety; whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.” - 1 Corinthians 12:23-25
Grant had his first grade play this morning. In it, there were many characters from various nursery rhymes. Grant played one of the Billy Goats Gruff… Goat #2 to be exact. As was the case with most of the kids, he had one line. But he had such a great deal of excitement about this play, you would have thought that he had some long Shakespearean soliloquy!
In the realm of spiritual gifts, not everyone has a stand-out-in-front, solo kind of part. Many of us are called to be Goat #2’s. The question is: are we going to receive that calling with joy – embracing it with enthusiasm and doing our best to carry it out - or are we going to sulk and frown and be gruff?
May we all seek to honor the Giver of spiritual gifts with the way we use them today.
Daniel

#292.2 – “Close”

“For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous shall answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink? When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You? And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me.” - Matthew 25:35-40
The boys played a ball game last night. I was helping coach in the right field area, where I was behind Grant on first base and beside Joshua who was mostly center field/sometimes second base. Having played an inning or two, Joshua was getting to the point where he needed a break from just standing in the outfield watching the game. So he came over to me and gave me a big hug right in the middle of the game. I didn’t know he was even around, as I was watching the other team’s batter. I gave him a hug and then told him to go back to his position. A little later in the game, he did it again. I think he just was glad to have me close by.
We all long for intimacy, don’t we? Every one of us wants to be loved and needed and appreciated. And so we who are the Church have each other to help in these things. We can lean on each other in times of need… celebrate with each other when things are good… etc. When we do these things, we are helping flesh out the very presence of God in other’s lives. We are helping them sense His being close to them.
May we be His hands and feet.

Daniel

#292.1 – “Needed”

“And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” - Luke 10:2
Having been gone virtually all week last week (I was gone down to south Alabama on a three day tour with the Alabama Singing Men, and then had a funeral to preach there this weekend), it was good to get back home Saturday night. Sarah had come down and joined me for the funeral, and we had just made it back home right before the kids were getting ready for bed (Grammie and Grandpa watched the kids for us). It was nice to be greeted with hugs and kisses. But it wasn’t until the next morning that I knew I had found my niche in the family once again. Sunday morning (and this morning, too), Grant came into our room and jumped all over me… bouncing on my tummy and wanting to be tickled and to play. I, of course, obliged him. Watching him giggle and laugh at my wrestling with him made me realize how needed I am… even if it is just for playing!
All of us are needed in God’s plan of redemption for mankind. We all have been gifted with various gifts and are all called to use those specific gifts to help fulfill Christ’s Great Commission.
If you do not know what gift(s) you possess, I encourage you to talk to me about it. If you do, I urge you to ask the Lord to help you use it to the fullest for His glory and for the building up of the kingdom of God.

Daniel

#291.2 – “Take It Home”

“And you are the body of Christ, and members in part.” - 1 Corinthians 12:27
Saturday afternoon, our kids hunted eggs again at Grammie and Grandpa’s house. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon, and they took advantage of the nice weather. It was fun to play with and watch them. Seeing them take something they had done at church and redo it at home was very satisfying, because it told me how much they had enjoyed it.
Taking things home from church is exactly what I hope happens with a lot of what we do – for kids and grow-ups alike. We ought to see that we are the Church, whether we are at the church building or at home. We are the Body of Christ… and being the kind of body He wants us to be begins at home and what we do there.
Lord, help me to remember that I am a part of Your Body at home… or in the church building… or on the ball field… or wherever I am.

Daniel

#291.1 – “Rain or Shine”

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12:2
Saturday morning, we had our egg hunt up here at the church. It had been a gorgeous week all week long, but that morning it was pretty soggy. So we moved our egg hunt indoors and hunted in various classrooms to accommodate the children. While the rain did keep many away, those who came had a great time and all who helped seemed to enjoy it was well. Nothing was going to stop us from having fun!
That kind of unwavering determination reminds me of the way in which Christ was unwavering in His determination to go the cross on your and my behalf. Nothing was going to stop Him from carrying out His intentions. He decidedly paid the price for our salvation.
That kind of decisiveness is what we as ‘little Christs’ need in sharing the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection with the world around us. May nothing sway us from carrying out the Great Commission He has given.

Daniel

#290.4 – “Monopoly Money”

“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” - Matthew 27:24
Pilate wanted to be removed from having to make what was no doubt the most terrible decision in his life. In an effort to symbolically remove himself from the situation, he washed his hands in front of the angry crowd and declared himself innocent.
The only problem with that is that a self-declared innocence is about as valuable as Monopoly money… it won’t ‘hold up’ when the bills and statements come rolling in. Jesus’ love-act of going to the cross to pay for the sins of the world places Him alone in the position of being the One to whom the entire world is indebted. His standard of love is so high that it creates such a debt of love from us that credit cards and monthly payments won’t touch it. The only thing that satisfies the debt we owe to God is the very blood that Jesus Himself shed and our accepting it on a personal basis in order to cover our sins and wash us clean.
We – like Pilate - would like to declare ourselves innocent before the Lord and His judgment. We’d like to wash ourselves in plain water rather than His blood. We’d prefer to clean ourselves with our words and deeds. But that will not work. We MUST accept the atoning blood of Jesus.
If you have never accepted Christ’s sacrifice as the payment for your sins and trusted Him for your salvation, let me encourage you to talk to me or someone you know is a Christian and make that decision today.

Daniel

#290.3 – “Anyway Love”

“Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?” - Matthew 26:67-68
I have been so ugly to God at times in my life. I have done things that I was ashamed of… things that were in direct contradiction to what His commandments teach… things were just flat ugly to Him. Even though I was not there on the day of which this text reads, I can see myself – in my actions - spitting on His face… slapping Him… even mocking Him. And there He is… strongly and steadfastly loving me anyway… dying for me.
His love is an ‘anyway’ kind of love. It loves me ‘anyway’: in spite of myself and my actions. It does not treat me as I deserve, but gives me so much more than that. In fact, He treats me as I should treat Him… which helps me realize how it is that I should treat Him.
May we all seek to look upon the love of Christ and let it teach us how we ought to both love Him and each other.

Daniel