Category: Monday Thursday

Every Breath

Once while driving home, in the dark of night, near Indianapolis, IN the traffic was heavy.  The Indianapolis 500 had just concluded, and many people were filling the interstate and making their way back home.

It was in this traffic that I heard a very odd noise coming from the engine.  It was not a constant noise but would occur about every 10 to 15 minutes.  I began a silent prayer, “Lord, just let me make it home.” 

Fortunately, I did make it home and for those who care, I later found that it was an A/C compressor issue.  But I think of this moment in my history because it highlights an important notion, which is we only take the big things to God.

My circumstance was dire.  It was late.  It was dark.  It was over two hours from home.  If I were to be stranded, it could easily turn into a very long night. 

My hope was the Lord just let the car make it.  This is out of my control.  Please help me.  Please just let me get home and I can get it repaired later.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that prayer.  I am so thankful God said “yes” to that prayer. 

I do not think I am alone when I say that my typical practice is to really depend on God for the “Big Things” which tend to be, things out of my control:  Rough engines at night when far from home, or bigger medical procedures. 

Yet I am more prone to handle things “In my control”.  No need to bother God with this.

Now, my words are not to be to the extreme that when we clip our finger nails we must pray to the Lord.  That is absolutely not the purpose. 

Rather, it is more an attitude that we must adopt.  Every single breath is a gift.  The simple act of breathing, God is in control. 

The old hymn, I need thee every hour – I have adopted at times, Lord, I need you every second.  I am utterly, totally dependent upon You.

From Psalm 73 God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Keep that in mind!

S.D.G.

A Hero in God’s Hand: MT episode #21

While reading through any Biblical story it is quite easy to place ourselves as the hero. We like the little boy David who killed Goliath. Let me be that little boy who went and found five stones and with no fear, faced the giant.

In the study of the first chapter in Ruth it is so easy to look negatively at Orpah, who after weighing the options, said to herself maybe sticking with Naomi is not in my best interest. The preference is to be Ruth. It takes courage to be Ruth.

Her statement “Where you go, I will go, where you stay, I will stay . . .may nothing but death separate you and me.” That is a movie line. That is a best-selling theme right there. I want to be that.

But in the moment, on my own strength, I fail. I’m not the hero. I am more like faithless Peter than faithful Ruth.

The lesson throughout Scripture is the greatness our sin BUT the greaterness of Jesus. The truth sometimes stings. As much as I want to be Ruth and David, when real life faces me, I am more like Orpah and Peter.

Here lies the beautiful paradox – let me repeat that: this is The Beautiful Paradox. You and I, on our own, are more like the denying Peter. But when, IN CHRIST, we grasp that truth – we become more heroic like Ruth and David.

How? Because our God is a great God. He is a God who in a few weeks took the denying faithless Peter to the proclaiming faithful Peter of Pentecost. He is a God who works in small weak men and women all the time. He is the God that turns small, weak men and women into David and Ruth’s.

We can do great things because our God is great. You and I bring nothing to the table but trouble. When there is submission to that, when there is understanding of what God’s strength can do, is when we begin to be powerful in His hands FOR HIS GLORY.

S.D.G.

Fanning the Flame: MT episode #20

I was having a conversation with someone recently about physical fitness. We chatted the struggle of consistency.

There have been moments where I have been more fit than others In a joking manner I said, “I was doing really well last year until I began visiting the Dr.” They said, “Dr.?” I said, “Dr. Pepper!”

I do greatly enjoy fitness. It helps my thinking, I am more focused, less anxiety . . life is better all the way around. But somedays I am more motivated than others. It takes a little time and occasionally it needs to be put off to the next day or something may come up that needs immediate in focus.

Then there may be a visit from the Dr. Yes! Dr. Pepper tastes so great but in reality it is anti anything related to fitness what about our Spiritual life?

If spiritual growth is a desire, it is imperative that you spend time DAILY with Jesus.

The Apostle Paul wrote two letters written to a beloved son in the faith, named Timothy. It is from the second letter that he says this, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you”.

The words here for Timothy are to fan the flame! (anazopureo) The whole phrase is one word in the original language.

Ana = again

Zoe = life

Pur = fire

Bring to life the fire, the life of faith in God. It is stated in a way of a progressive (ongoing) continuous action.

This is far, far more important than any physical activity. This body will eventually fail, your Spirit is forever I encourage you – fan the flame – Keep the life going inside of you that is brought on by God through the Spirit.

Next Thursday we will consider ways in HOW you can invest time spiritually. Until then, Go to Church on Sunday and I will see you there!

S.D.G.

Tapestries & Suffering: MT episode #19

Have you ever looked at the other side of something embroidered or a tapestry? I have a little piece here from our home. You can look at one side and see this beautiful image. Yet flip it over, and there is an ugly collection of criss crossed threading that seems to make no sense at all.

You can make out like a little thing here and there but overall, about 95% of it is just a mess.

It is not strange how the two sides can be so different? The back side an utter mess and the visible side, an artful image.

This is a great visual explanation for suffering.

Sunday, we began a study on the book of Ruth and considered those opening sentences in light of the sovereignty of God. God IS good and God IS sovereign AND importantly, for the believer, all things work to the glory of God.

When we are suffering it can appear a lot like this back side. There is just a huge collection of threads in our life that seem to be going nowhere in particular. Things seem to be a mess and disjointed and we can’t find a purpose in any of it.

There is a side that so often we do not see until the work is complete. And it becomes the image that the creator was desiring to make. This is a beautiful thing to consider.

S.D.G.

Lessons from Southern Ohio: MT Episode 18

Psalm 1:1-3

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates both day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither.”

I grew up in southern Ohio, right on the mighty Ohio River. Summertime in the late 80s, we had a long period where there was no rain. I am unable to remember how long the drought lasted, but it was long enough that crops began to wither and die.

Except those farms that boarded the Ohio River. Hundreds and thousands of acres that shared a bank with the river were able to use their tractors as pumps and siphon water to their crops. I can remember driving up State Route 7 and seeing the vast landscape with sprinklers spraying lifegiving water. Those fields were beautiful and green.

As we begin a new year I wanted to share the purpose of Monday Thursday. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to listen to these short messages but they are written with the believer in mind. My hope is to encourage you and with Biblical insights and observations maybe help you grow your faith.

Through this year we will come back to this Psalm on occasion to be encouraged. This is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. There are MANY things which this Psalm can teach us but today learn the lesson from the 1987 drought of southern Ohio. Those farms near the stream of water, that is the Ohio River, not only survived but thrived.

Delighting in God’s word IS spending time IN GOD’S WORD and this is the picture of being planted by a stream of water. As a believer, if you want to survive, if you want to thrive, even when it is difficult, let this word be a constant source in your life. Daily.

I look forward to occasionally coming back to this Psalm this year and I certainly look forward to spending more time with you on Monday’s and Thursday’s. For now,

Happy new Year

S.D.G.

A Peculiar People: MT episode 17

On Monday’s episode I closed our time together noting that while it is great Christ that was born into this world, it is more important Christ be born in you.  Let’s consider this thought further and from a different angle.

“Jesus, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous for good works.”  Titus 2:14

I picked this passage because it uses the word “peculiar.”  As Kenneth Weust says, “Christians are the peculiar people of God.”

This is a word sometimes we use for people who are odd or strange.  I have definitely met some people who claim Christ and are strange but that is not what is meant here. 

The word here in the original language is a compound of two words, “around” and another word “to be”.  Mentally, picture a circle with a dot in the middle.

As the circle is around the dot, so God is around His people.  He has the dot all to himself.  These people are His own unique possession. Peculiar!

There are days when my obedience and pursuit of God, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would put at a 7 or 8.  Then there are those days or seasons, where things just are not going well.  I might put it at a negative 5.

God is the constant.  In speaking about the believer’s security, Jesus says, “My Father, who has given me (the sheep) is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:28

Good seasons and bad, we are circled by the Father.  Keep that picture in your head and let it be and encouragement.  As a believer, we are God’s circled people. His possession.

So, the different angle is, this season, it is not only to have Jesus in us (Colossians 1:27) but also, us in Christ (Colossians 2:6).  What a beautiful gift!

S.D.G.

Be Being Filled: MT episode 16

My wife Tina really loves Christmas.  She does a terrific job decorating the house for each holiday, but Christmas gets the most attention.

This year a new tree was delivered in early October.  I happened to come into the room where she had opened the box and began putting it together.  I laughed.  She heard me and then began to make an excuse, “I had to see if all the parts were there.”

We both laughed together, and I said, “keep it up.  Let’s make a Halloween Tree out of it.”  (This might drive the fundamentalist Baptists crazy right?)  But up went the purple and orange lights and various items were hung around the tree. 

Then it was Thanksgiving.  (My fav. Holiday) But I suggested let’s keep it up all year around.  It can be a Valentine’s Day tree; it can be a St. Patty’s tree. It can be the fourth of July tree.  I loved my idea.  I don’t think we will be doing it though.

Ephesians 5:18 Scripture says, be filled with the Holy Spirit.  It is not a command, but it is an encouragement.  For the sake of time, I will refer to earlier episodes (Here are links to those episodes 1, 2, 3) where we looked at sanctification (both a onetime AND ongoing event).  This is an instance of both present and ongoing sanctification.

You can’t tell in the English; this is where the original language helps.  The word and the verb tense – we do not have an English equivalent.  The literal reading is, “Be, being filled with the Spirit.” 

Be filled, present AND being filled, ongoing.  The Spirit’s presence in our lives in what leads us to more holiness (Ezekiel 36:25-27).  For believers, the Spirit is always in us.

This time of year, our culture remembers Christ’s birth.  It is a date that Scripture does not supply, but I have no problem celebrating it.  It is the Apostle Paul who gives us this freedom.

But there is a lot of similarity of Tina’s year around Christmas tree and Ephesians 5:18. The important part of Christmas is not WHEN Jesus was born but THAT Jesus was born.  Even more important is that Jesus is born in you (2 Corinthians 13:5).  The constant state of Christ be, being in us.  Each day of the year. 

S-D-G

The Great Exchange: MT episode 14

Little over a year ago while driving down the interstate there was a suitcase on the side of the road. It had sat there for over a week, and I just had to investigate.

One of the very few treasures that made me chuckle was these gloves. These gloves made me go back in time, all the way back to college. We had intramural football. My buddies and I were average, maybe a little below average football player.

I knew what I needed to be great was a pair of gloves. Yes, these would make me much better. The cheapest I could find were around $70 which is way too much on a college budget. So, I kissed intramural football greatness goodbye.

That is the thought that made me laugh at myself. The gloves, NOW FREE, would have made no difference in my ability to catch the ball (unless I lathered on some stick ‘em). My best with the gloves is horrible.

Those gloves on the hands of Jerry Rice? Now you are talking. That would be perfect. It is not the gloves that make the receiver, it is the receiver who makes the gloves. I would need Jerry Rice hands, arms, legs and the gloves to be better. This is the exchange I need- his for mine. This is unrealistic and silly to consider.

How does this relate to Jesus? One of my favorite New Testament passages in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Martin Luther called this passage, “The Great Exchange.” Why?

“For our sake, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

For the believer an exchange took place. Christ is my righteousness. Christ is in my place. Christ took my sorrow and shame (and there was and is plenty of it) and gave me His perfect righteousness. This is the exchange. realistic change. Christ in my place. I will take that all day!

S.D.G.

From East to West: MT e13

There is not a thanksgiving celebrated that at some point in the day I do not think of my oldest sister.  Many decades ago, when I was about 4, our family was getting ready for the Thanksgiving Day traditional meal: turkey. 

My sister was cutting the pieces of the turkey with an electric knife and somehow cut the end off one of her fingers.  Of course, panic ensues and quick action to wrap the injury and off to the emergency room.

They were able to stitch the injury and in due time normal use of that digit was restored (except she never regained the ability to feel in the end of that finger.)

Through all these years, I can only remember once that we even talked about this incident.  Every year, I think of this at least one time through this day.

What is the lesson for us?

  1. Be careful with this electric knife today
  2. Psalm 103 speaks of God’s great love and compassion for His people.  It says, He does not deal with us according to our sins. 

Then it makes 2 comparisons:

  1. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love towards those who fear him
  2. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our sins from us.

Why did it say east from west and not north from south?  I have an idea: when you begin from the south pole and start going north you eventually reach the north pole.  If you keep traveling, you will at that point stop going north and begin to go south.

But if you start in London and go to NYC you are going east from the west.  If you were to continue traveling, even if you make it all the way back to London  you will still be going west. 

It means, your sins are forever removed.  They are cut from you.  Not attached to you.  The thing they were able to do with my sisters finger all those years ago cannot be done to the believer. 

For this we who are in Christ are to be the MOST thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving (be careful Y’all) SDG