Lengthy but Worthwhile

On Palm Sunday, I went to visit my mother at her church. They had a guest speaker that morning. His name is Moses. He's 53 years young and a pastor at a church in East Chicago. I met Moses back in the fall at a concert. He seemed the sort of man who exuded the love of Christ, not by his words, but simply by his being. You know what I’m talking about? Hopefully, you’ve met a few of those souls that just seem to shine. That was Moses, and his message was simple. “God loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you.” End of sermon. Then Moses shared with us his testimony.

Moses was born in Texas into a large family of 16 brothers and sisters, all by the same mother and father. By the time Moses was ten years old, his father developed heart problems. They were told the best heart doctors were in Chicago, so that’s were the family moved. But despite the doctor’s efforts, his father died from his ailing heart when Moses was only 11.

This young man, who had been raised in the church, made a decision to hate God, and to hate the church. He turned his back on God and went his own way. By 15 he was doing drugs. By 16 he was a dealer, making a lot of money. Time passed and he became further entrenched in the business. By 17 he was robbing banks, and holding up people by gunpoint at random, with no feeling in his heart. By 19, he was on the FBI’s most wanted list for crimes that included first degree murder.

On the run from the feds, he went back to the family that still lived in Texas. While he was there, his aunt’s church was holding a week long revival meeting. Night after night, she would plead with Moses to go, just one night, please. But Moses said no. Then a pretty girl caught his eye, and he asked his aunt, “Who’s that?”

“Oh, her? She’s one of the youths who attend our church.”

“Is she going to the revival?”

“Yes.”

“Ok. Then I’ll go, too.”

So Moses went to the revival. When he got there, he didn’t see the girl, but he sat down somewhere close to the front, sticking out like a sore thumb wearing his Chicago street clothes. He wore a black leather jacket. A gold chain hung around his neck with a 37 caliber round for the charm. With drugs in his pocket, and a sneer on his face, his sat and waited for this thing to get started and get over with.

The preacher began to speak, talking about sin and sinners. He preached about how drug dealers and murderers need to turn from their evil ways and come to God. Moses started looking around thinking, drug dealers and murders in this one horse town? Who does this guy think he’s preaching to?

Moses sat there, thinking of a way to leave. That’s when he spotted the port-o-johns. That’s it, he thought, I’ll make it look like I’m getting up to use the bathroom and I’ll just keep on walking.

So he got up to walk to the back, but he did something stupid. Before he knew it, he was at the front, standing at the foot of the altar. How did I get up here? What do I do now? And the preacher continued to preach. He talked about the need to come to know God, because God loves us so much. And as the preacher preached, a tear fell down this young man’s cheek. Moses quickly wiped it away. What’s this? Men don’t cry. A tough guy like me doesn’t cry. What’s going on here?

So he bent to one knee to look like he was praying, thinking, If I pray, then I can get up and leave. But more tears began to fall. Moses didn’t understand what was going on, but he prayed, for the first time is ages he prayed, Lord, I don’t know what you’d want with a piece of scum like me. But, here I am. If you’re gonna do something with me, do it now.

And the tears flooded down his cheeks, and he was overwhelmed by the Spirit. And he laid his body down on the ground and just cried and cried. He thought that only minutes had passed, but when he raised his head everyone had gone. The revival tent was empty expect for Moses and the preacher.

“Are you alright?”

“I don’t know,” Moses said, “I think something has happened to me. I think I’m saved.”

“That’s great!” The preacher exclaimed, and he went to call everybody back in to come and see and hear what had happened.

Moses took off his gold chain with the bullet, and he took the drugs out of his pockets saying, “I don’t need these things anymore.”

Moses didn’t fully comprehend what had happened to him that day, but he grew in his understanding of the Lord, that God loved him and wanted a relationship with him. He wanted Moses. Moses, nothing but scum. Moses, nothing but a little speck of humanity. God wanted him. God loved him.

Then Moses repeated the sermon he’d given us earlier. “I’m here to tell you that God loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done. God loves you.” End of sermon.

I know I've posted this list before, but still, it bears repeating. The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem and was a murderer
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
Mary Magdalene was, well you know
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer
Lazarus was dead!

~ ~ ~

God loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you.
End of sermon.

Joy Is

I was going over my small group lesson on grace and joy, and I was reminded of how easily my five year old daughter seems able to find joy in the little everyday things in life. So I wrote out a list of her joyful occurances in the past few weeks. It really helped me recenter my focus. I hope you enjoy it.

Joy is twirling a pink umbrella
without reason
without rain

Joy is dancing with a yellow ducky
‘round the bathroom in delight
wearing the only suit you were ever born in

Joy is laughing at purple violets
that sprung up
overnight

Joy is starring up at blue skies
in wonder
of the many shapes of clouds that pass by

Joy is a pair of fancy white sandals
worn every day, plus Sunday
just because

Joy is sneaking chocolate chip cookie dough
straight from the mixing bowl
before it has a chance to get baked

Joy is praising God for green leaves
that are too high on the tree to reach
for now

Joy is a red sand pail
all shinny and new
that waits for the promise of warmer weather

Joy is all these little things
seen through the eyes of a child

Joy is where you find it

Joy is...

Wrestling With Wolves

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;test me and know my anxious thoughts.See if there is any offensive way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting."-- Psalm 139:23-24

The Wolves Within
a Cherokee legend

A boy sat thoughtfully by his grandfather’s side, waiting for the old man to speak.

"A fight goes on inside me,” the grandfather began, “a terrible fight between two wolves, each as different as day and night. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside each of us."

The grandson pondered these things and then asked, "Grandfather, which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Simple Feelings

Your love is a healing kiss to my soul
Your truth is what sets me free
Your grace is like hope to this failing heart
Your joy is a blessing to me

Tuesday Observations

1. The sunshine came out to play this morning. I rejoiced greatly at its brilliance, and did a little happy dance.

2. Gracious truth telling is possible and can produce some marvelous 

effects.

3. A long time ago I took a trip to a far away place. It was a ten day missions trip that changed my life. During those memorable days, I experienced a closeness to God I thought I would never reach again. I told myself it was because of the extreme circumstances of being in a third world country, doing to work Of God that caused this deep feeling of contentment, peace, and safety in the arms of my Jesus. I didn't think I'd ever reach that place again. God felt like something in the distance I had a hard time reaching. I saw my daily normal life as drudgery. I was wrong. My daily quiet time these last two weeks has shown me just how wrong I was. I can be as close to God on the mountaintop as I can while I'm making the bed.

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast."
-- Psalm 139:7-10