Month: August 2009

Footprints im the Butter

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“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

How do you know when an elephant has been in the refrigerator? You’ll see its footprints in the butter. My pastor shared that joke in a sermon. How many times have you heard a non-believer say, “Why should I become a Christian? They’re a bunch of hypocrites.”

Unfortunately, in today’s world, most of the time, the non-believer is right. I’ve seen a lot of Christians who tell me they’ve been saved for many years, but yet they act like they’re new. Every other word out of their mouth is a swear word, they constantly yell at the store clerk who accidentally overcharged them on their grocery bill, they’re heavily into witchcraft, they enjoy getting drunk at a bar, etc. Pretty soon a Christian is defined as someone who goes to church. Anyone can do that.

I believe that God calls us to be elephants. He wants us to leave footprints that lead others to Him. “I’m going to get laughed at,” you say. Jesus got laughed at while dying on the cross. He left us the footprints to heaven because He loves us. What kind of footprints are you leaving for Christ? Are they the footprints of an elephant?

Dear Lord,
Please help me to lead a life that leaves footprints for you.
Amen

Faith Lived Dangerously

“See You Tomorrow”

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“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17
            Usually when you say,  “See you tomorrow” to someone it literally means see you tomorrow. Did you ever think that the same phrase might have another meaning?
            My family and I used to go to church on Saturday night. After church, our favorite tradition was to get a Baskin Robbins milkshake. When people went there just as they were heading out the door, the workers would say,“ See you tomorrow.” I’m sure people thought they were nuts. “What do they mean see you tomorrow? I’m not coming back tomorrow. Those people are weird.”
            Finally, one of us asked, “What do you guys mean by “See you tomorrow?”
The manager replied, “We’re Christians. We have the assurance that when we die we’ll see each other again in heaven.”   
            The phrase “See you tomorrow” was their clever way of sharing the Gospel.  How about you? Is your eternal future secure?
Dear Lord,
Please give me a heart that always longs to see your face.
Amen
I’ll see you tomorrow.
Faith Lived Dangerously

Capernaum Idol

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Worship the Lord with gladness;
                     Come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:2 (New International Version).
Recently, I went to a Young Life summer camp called Capernaum. Young Life is a ministry for teens and young adults.  Capernaum is the camp designed for people with disabilities.   It seems no matter how hard I try to be ready, the week never goes exactly as planned.
             Everyone was getting ready for Capernaum Idol. I got to the clubhouse, and my leader took the CD out of my backpack. “What number Rachael?”  He asked as he handed it to the DJ.
“Number seven.” I replied.
He opened the case. “Rachael?”  “There’s no CD in there.”
“What?” I replied.
He came down and showed me.  The case was empty. The CD— got left at home!  “That’s it. I thought. It’s over.”  Suddenly, another leader said,“Rach, this is Hollywood we make it work.” I sang the song acapella.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengths me.
Oh I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
In anything and everything I’ve learned to be content
Oh I can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and me.”
At the end, the audience gave a standing ovation. I realized that while I have one plan, God has another. Whose show is it anyway?
Dear Lord,
Please help me to have a heart of worship for you in everything I do.
Amen
              
Faith Lived Dangerously