"Bloom Wherever You Are Planted!"

I was out walking today, and saw these beautiful "weeds" growing in all sorts of places...the little brown-eyed susies were growing in a pile of horse manure, the wild orchid growing out of a crack in the sidewalk, or beside a dried up canal.  And I was thinking, "Why is it so hard for us to do what these little "weeds" are doing?  We are always so concerned about where we are, what's going on around us, what's going to happen to us, who's going to be impressed by what we are doing, what's in it for us, and on and on!

I love these beautiful "weeds"!  And I was thinking when Jesus sat on the hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee on the Mount of Beatitudes, He probably was looking at the "weeds" and flowers growing all around Him and the birds flying above Him when He spoke these beautiful words that are just as alive today as they were when He spoke them over 2,000 years ago:  

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are? And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life? Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith? So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own."

And then I was thinking about all the times we are told throughout the living Word that we are to do whatever our hands find to do with all our might, and to do everything we do to the glory of God:

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (I Cor. 10:31)

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  Colossians 3:17

Yes, I absolutely believe that God has a perfect plan for each of our lives, and that plan often involves a particular place, but I think more often than not, we are to do everything we do in the name of Jesus, to the glory of God, giving thanks to the Father!  And that means no matter where we are, who happens to be looking, whether we ever receive kudos from those around us - in other words, blooming right where we happen to be planted right now!

I was reading John Piper's blog today entitled, "Don't call it simplistic - call it grace!"

We should be slow to treat Jesus as if he doesn’t know what he is doing. He is not naïve in the way he deals with our anxiety. In Matthew 6:25-34 he tells us three times not to be anxious (vv. 25, 31, 34) and gives us eight reasons not to be anxious.

Evidently he thinks this will help. So don’t call it simplistic. Call it grace. Believe him. Take every reason and preach it to your soul as true. Say,

Soul, this is true. Jesus Christ says so. Trust him. He died for you. He loves you. He created you. He knows you. No one — no counselor, no pastor, no friend — knows as much about you as he does. Listen to him. Let these reasons sink in. Bank on them. Now, let’s get up and do what we need to do. Be gone anxiety.

Here’s a summary of what he said:

1. Life is more than food and the body more than clothing (Matthew 6:25).
2. God feeds the birds and you are more valuable than they are (Matthew 6:26).
3. It's pointless. It adds not one hour to your life (Matthew 6:27).
4. If God clothes ephemeral grass, he will clothe eternal you (Matthew 6:28-30).
5. Unbelievers are anxious about stuff. And you are not an unbeliever (Matthew 6:32a).
6. Your father (!) knows that you need all these things you're anxious about (Matthew 6:32b).
7. When you seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, what you need is added to you.
8. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Tomorrow's trouble stays there (Matthew 6:34).

(John Piper - Don't Call It Simplistic - Call It Grace!"

So, do not worry, do not be anxious, do whatever your hands find to do to the glory of God, giving thanks to God the Father that He knows what He's doing, He has planted you right where He wants you, so BLOOM, BLOOM, BLOOM, even if He's the only One looking!

Teaching the Gospel from Genesis to Revelation!

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation but for our acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither He went to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love Me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from Me,” now we can look at God taking His son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that You love us because You did not withhold Your Son, Your only Son, whom you love from us.”

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold Him and uses His new power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves His stupid friends.

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes His people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk His life, but gave His life to save His people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

The Bible’s really not about you – it’s about Him!

(excerpt from a sermon by Timothy Keller)

CIU Homecoming 2010 - Class of '70 40th Reunion

It's hard to believe that it's been 40 years since we graduated from CIU (aka CBC to us "old timers"!). The last time I was on the campus was for our 20th reunion in 1990, and it was great to see a lot of our classmates, and some of the faculty that was still around. A part of me is very excited to make the trip again for our 40th reunion, to be able to catch up with old friends and hear the stories of the faithfulness of our God through the years. Another part of me is sad knowing there will be many faces missing because they've made the great "Homegoing" and we won't get to see them again until we get Home. I'm thinking fondly of Sarah Petty, Otis Braswell, Frank Sells, Muriel McQuilkin and others that played such an important role in our lives during our time at CBC.

Mark your calendars for September 17-19, 2010. Go directly to the Alumni site at (http://www.ciu.edu/alumni/HC10/index.html) and register for Homecoming 2010. If you are in contact with other classmates, give them a call or an email to make sure they are receiving the information being sent out. We have quite a few classmates who have not updated their contact information, so they may not be receiving communication. Ask them to either call or email Peggy in the Alumni office to update their contact info there, or email me at brownie2201@gmail.com with the info, and I'll make sure Peggy gets it.

The countdown has begun: only 5 1/2 months til Homecoming 2010! Hope to see you then!

Easter Event @ God's Little Acres '10

Click here to view these pictures larger

Welcome to Second Chance with Saving Grace

Welcome to Second Chance with Saving Grace

"A Penny for Your Thoughts"

I was sitting here reading about how vital the knowledge of the Word of God is to our Christian lives and growth, and I thought about the old phrase, "A Penny for Your Thoughts". When I say that to someone, I'm not asking that I somehow gain a special ability to "see" what they are thinking...I am asking that person to speak to me, to put in words what they are thinking. And I thought, "That is exactly what God has done; the Bible is a written record of the Words of God, a special revelation to us of what has been and continues to be on the mind of God!" God did not leave us with only the knowledge of Him that can be gained by what we call "general revelation"; in other words, everyone has the opportunity to look around and see the visible evidence of a Creator. Romans tells us that evidence is "plain" for all to see. But we also know that as fallen as we all are, we do not always "see" things as we should, so God went so much further than general revelation and gave us His Word! It is amazing that Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, desired to communicate with His creation! Apart from His initiation, His pursuit of us, His revelation, we would never come, we would never know Him! Oh, thank you Lord, for drawing us!

"Saint of the Little Ways"

It all started the other morning with an email from a friend....you know, one of those "chain" things that you cannot break, and I was told "to open it only when you have the time to respond". So, I opened it, and it was about Mother Theresa, and how she was given the posthumous title of "The Saint of the Little Ways", meaning that she believed in doing the little things in life well and with great love.

Then there was this prayer:

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.

Let His presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

He is there for each and every one of us.

I thought about my day, and generally my life, and realized that everything I do could be classified as "little". I work for several people a few days a week, and my jobs are "little" - I don't feel like I do anything productive, although those I work for seem to appreciate what I do, and I am very grateful for a job. As I thought about it further, the past 2 years have been a huge puzzle to me. It seemed that God was finally opening up opportunities for me to teach, and until the past few months, things were very exciting and busy. Lately, though, seems that I am moving at a snail's pace and wondering what God is up to in my life.

I teach a "little" Bible study once a month to a group of 4 ladies, and though I am enjoying the ladies and the opportunity to share the Word of God, I have no idea what God has in mind for this small group.

So, with all these thoughts running through my mind this morning, I opened the devotionals that I generally read. "My Utmost for His Highest" for October 13 was titled Individual Discouragement and Personal Enlargement. Chambers talks about Moses and "how he saw the oppression of his people and felt that he was the one to deliver them, and in the righteous indignation of his own spirit, he started to right their wrongs." After the first strike for God...God allowed him to be driven into blank discouragement", and that discouragement lasted 40 years! At the end of that 40 years, God came and told him to go and deliver His people, but Moses' response at this time was, "Who am I, that I should go?" Chambers said Moses was right in that he was trained and in a position to help his people 40 years earlier, but "he was not the man for the work until he learned communion with God". Then Chambers said, "If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a big personal enlargement ahead". Another devotional I read regularly had these words: "You, too, can bring Joy to My heart by faithful service. Faithful service in the little things. Be faithful. Do your simple tasks for Me."

I know that I am not alone in feeling that I contribute so little to the enlargement and advancement of His Kingdom. Past accomplishments don't seem to count for much right now. In fact, J.I. Packer said thinking about past accomplishments was like sitting around and dreaming about manure! He was referring to Paul's estimation of his past accomplishments, comparing them with "dung"! And though I know there may be some folks who enjoy dreaming about manure, I'm not one of them!

I don't know the answer to this dilemma: do I just make the decision to start another Bible study and see if anyone signs up? Or do I continue doing what I'm doing and doing it well and with great love, and trust that God will continue to provide opportunities when the time is right? Do I relax and concentrate on being faithful in the "little" things and wait for Him provide the opportunities to serve Him? Or do we make the opportunities, knowing there is such a need for more understanding of the Word of God; after all, I've always heard that God can more easily guide a "moving target"!

What would YOU do?