Lively Stones

Ye also, as lively stones , are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)




Today, Kelley and I toured Bob's Red Mill, where we learned about traditional milling processes of corns, grains and seeds.  (http://www.bobsredmill.com/)

Bob Moore, the founder and president, greeted us and talked with us about his passion for traditional, small batch milling of whole grain foods.

Bob's Red Mill still uses stone grinders, from mill stones quarried in the same French quarries that have produced these massive marble stones since the days of the Roman Empire.

As we were able to handle one if the old stones that has been retired, we learned that about once a year, the mill stones which have grooves over which the grains must pass to make into flours and meal, the friction wears (or "polishes") the stones, so they are taken out of service to have their grooves sharpened.

Do you know what this sharpening process is called? The sharpening of a mill stone is said to be "livened". A sharpened mill stone is called a "lively stone."

So, think about 1 Peter 2:5 in light of a milling term. Here believers are called "lively stones." The thought is that stones that have been quarried, or carried from a river bed, are first fashioned by the hammer and chisel of the mason to make a perfect fit. They are "sharpened" to serve the master's purpose.

So, when the trials of life come, remember that just as the mill stone is "livened" to grind more effectively, so too, our Lord, the Master Builder, uses the tests and trials of life to "sharpen" us for His service.

Oh, and the next time you are in the store and purchase some Bob's Red Mill stone ground products, I hope you will remember the thought of "lively stones."

And, if you are in the Portland area, take the mill tour, and then have lunch at the mill store and visitor's center. (I recommend the hot pastrami on their homemade rye, a bowl of vegetable beef with homemade 10 grain rolls, or their fabulous multi-grain pancakes with real maple syrup!)

Food, Family, Friends, Football and the Thanksgiving Proclamation

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  I confess that much of what I enjoy about it revolves around Food, Family, Friends and Football! 

Food: A turkey and a pork roast smoked on the Traeger grill; mashed potatoes and gravy, corn casserole, homemade dinner rolls, cranberry sauce; the apple pie, pumpkin pie, mincemeat pie; and don’t forget SECONDS!

Family: Spending time with my family.  My folks, son and daughter-in-law, my brother and the two kids still at home, along with my brother will celebrate with us. (We will be missing Scott and Trina who will be eating with family friends in Lancaster, Ca.)

Friends: It always makes our day more enjoyable when we can share it with friends who do not have family nearby.  We almost always have a friend or two join us for dinner on Thanksgiving.

Football:  It doesn’t really matter who is playing, watching football is a lot more fun when you have company with which to watch it.

When we think about the Thanksgiving holiday, we understand that it hearkens back to the pilgrim settlers on America’s shores as they gave thanks for God bringing them through the first winter and giving them their first harvest.

Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln signed a Presidential Proclamation. 

Before we eat our Thanksgiving dinner this year, we will take a few minutes to thank God for His goodness on our family and nation, and we will read President Lincoln’s proclamation.

I trust this will be a blessing to you and your family, too.

  By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. 

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. 

Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. 

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. 

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

  
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Prominence on Earth or Precious in the Eyes of the Lord

Do you enjoy being recognized for deeds well-done?  Does it feel good when you are commended for accomplishments and achievements in life?  If you had a choice to live in obscurity or popularity, which would you choose?

While most of us give lip service to humility, I believe the reality is that most of us enjoy being praised. We want to be like that old advertising campaign that said, “When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen!”

This is not a new revelation.  In fact, the disciples of Jesus spent much of their time jockeying for position in the pecking order of His followers.  One time, the mother of James and John lobbied for her sons to be prominent in the kingdom of God.  She said to Jesus, “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand , and the other on the left, in thy kingdom” (Matthew 20:21).

Jesus, in answering her, also began to teach a revolutionary principle to His disciples—that of servant leadership.  He taught the disciples that the way up is down, that the way to prominence in the kingdom of God is through service in the kingdom of man.  Listen to His words:

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.            Matthew 20:25-28

We are not so much different then they were, are we?  Perhaps you have always thought of the disciples as men of such spiritual greatness that your life could never compare to theirs.  And yet, there we see it… they too struggled with the pride of life and desire for prominence that so many of us (myself included) struggle with our entire lives.

Today, I was paging through one of my favorite books looking for a sermon illustration.  The book is called The Pilgrim Fathers by John Brown (first published in 1906, republished in 1970).  I came across this quote that I wanted to share with you.  This passage is from  The History of the Plymouth Plantation and is quoting a memoir by Governor Bradford.  Referring to the Pilgrims who came from Holland with their pastor, William Brewster, he wrote:

And that which was a crown unto them, they lived together in love and peace all their days without any considerable difference or any disturbance that grew thereby, but such as was easily healed in love; and so they continued until with mutual consent they removed into New England… Many worthy and able men there were among them who lived and died in obscurity in respect of the world, as private Christians, yet were they precious in the eyes of the Lord.     (Pilgrim Fathers, p.126)

So, if the history of my life, or of your life, were to be written, would it carry so wondrous an epitaph as Governor Bradford wrote of that congregation? 

I have a friend who is a missionary in France who recently wrote about this process requiring God to “deconstruct” our lives so we become what He wants us to be!  And, I agree with her that it is often a painful process.  I also think that “deconstruction” often reveals holes that have to be patched before the parts can be reconstructed!

Is this what is meant when Scripture says, “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”(Romans 12:2)?

“Dear Lord, help me to be more concerned about my life being precious in your eyes, than to be prominent in the eyes of this world.  Teach me to be the servant you have called me to be and be faithful in what You’ve called me to do.”

An Unplanned Conversation with the Lord

Note: This past week I taught on prayer in my Sunday School class.  I believe one of our greatest frustrations in prayer is wondering whether or not we are really reaching God's heart.  The following illustration of a conversation with God in prayer is a powerful reminder of what God wants and how we usually approach things. I don't know the original source or author, but it is a very stirring illustration.  

Take a couple minutes to read through this illustration, slow down enough to let it impact your heart, as it did mine.
 

 

Found on the internet, and sent to me by my mother….

THE LORDS PRAYER
Our Father Who Art In Heaven.
        YES?
Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.
         BUT -- YOU CALLED ME !!
Called you? No, I didn't call you. I'm praying.
Our Father who art in heaven.
         THERE -- YOU DID IT AGAIN
Did what?
         CALLED ME. YOU SAID, "OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN"
         WELL HERE I AM. WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?
But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like
fulfilling a duty.
          WELL, ALL RIGHT. GO ON. Okay, Hallowed be Thy name...
          HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.
          WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? By what?
          BY "HALLOWED BE THY NAME"? It means, it means… good grief, I don't know what it means. How in the world should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?
           IT MEANS HONORED, HOLY, WONDERFUL. Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before. Thanks. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
           DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT? Sure, why not?
           WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control of everything down here like you have up there. We're kinda in a mess down here you know.
           YES, I KNOW; BUT, HAVE I GOT CONTROL OF YOU? Well, I go to church..
           THAT ISN'T WHAT I ASKED YOU. WHAT ABOUT
           YOUR BAD TEMPER?
           YOU'VE REALLY GOT A PROBLEM THERE,
           YOU KNOW. AND THEN THERE'S THE WAY YOU
           SPEND YOUR MONEY --ALL ON YOURSELF.
           AND WHAT ABOUT
           THE KIND OF BOOKS YOU READ? Now hold on just a minute! Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!  
            EXCUSE ME. I THOUGHT YOU WERE PRAYING FOR MY WILL TO  

           BE DONE.
           IF THAT IS TO HAPPEN, IT WILL HAVE TO START WITH THE ONES   

           WHO ARE PRAYING FOR IT. LIKE YOU -- FOR EXAMPLE. Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others.
           SO COULD I. I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free.
          GOOD. NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE. WE'LL WORK

          TOGETHER -- YOU AND ME. I'M PROUD OF YOU. Look, Lord, if you don't mind, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. Give us this day, our daily bread.
          YOU NEED TO CUT OUT THE BREAD.
          YOU'RE OVERWEIGHT AS IT IS.
Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups.
           PRAYING IS A DANGEROUS THING. YOU JUST MIGHT GET WHAT

           YOU ASK FOR.
            REMEMBER, YOU CALLED ME -- AND HERE I AM.
            IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. KEEP PRAYING. ..pause...
           WELL, GO ON. I'm scared to.
            SCARED? OF WHAT?
I know what you'll say.
            TRY ME. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
            WHAT ABOUT CAROL? See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up!
Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories.
She never paid back the money she owes me.
I've sworn to get even with her!
            BUT -- YOUR PRAYER -- WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER? I didn't -- mean it.
            WELL, AT LEAST YOU'RE HONEST.
            BUT, IT'S QUITE A LOAD CARRYING AROUND ALL THAT

            BITTERNESS AND
            RESENTMENT ISN'T IT? Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her.
Boy, have I got some plans for her. She'll wish she had never been born.
           NO, YOU WON'T FEEL ANY BETTER. YOU'LL FEEL
           WORSE. REVENGE ISN'T SWEET.
           YOU KNOW HOW UNHAPPY YOU ARE –

           WELL, I CAN CHANGE THAT. You can? How?
            FORGIVE CAROL. THEN, I'LL FORGIVE YOU;

            AND THE HATE AND SIN WILL BE CAROL'S PROBLEM –

            NOT YOURS.
            YOU WILL HAVE SETTLED THE PROBLEM AS FAR AS YOU ARE

            CONCERNED. Oh, you know, you're right. You always are.
And more than I want revenge, I want to be right with You..., (sigh).
All right...all right...I forgive her.
            THERE NOW! WONDERFUL! HOW DO YOU FEEL? Hmmmm. Well, not bad.. Not bad at all! In fact,
I feel pretty great! You know, I don't think I'll Go to bed uptight tonight.
I haven't been getting much rest,  you know.
             YEAH, I KNOW. BUT, YOU'RE NOT THROUGH WITH YOUR

             PRAYER ARE YOU? GO ON. Oh, all right.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
             GOOD! GOOD! I'LL DO THAT. JUST DON'T PUT
             YOURSELF IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE TEMPTED. What do you mean by that?
             YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.. Yeah. I know.
             OKAY. GO AHEAD. FINISH YOUR PRAYER.
For Thine is the kingdom,  and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
             DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BRING ME GLORY -- 
             WHAT WOULD REALLY MAKE ME HAPPY? No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you now.
I've really made a mess of things. I want to truly follow you. I can see now
how great that would be. So, tell me. how do I make you happy?
             YOU JUST DID
HAVE YOU HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH GOD LATELY ???

Always Ready to Give an Answer

1 Peter 3:15 – “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

What does it mean to be always ready to give an answer?  Does this mean to know the answer to every argument someone may throw at you?  Is it to be a better debater than the other guy?  Am I to be a “walking Bible” that can beat down opposition by a flood of verses?

The text of this verse makes it clear that I need to be ready to give an answer to every man that asks about the “reason of the hope” that I possess!  What this simply means is to be ready at any time to tell someone why I have hope! It has been called “to be soul-conscious.”

I confess that this is a daily challenge in my life.  I begin my day meeting with God in His Word and in prayer, and ask God to guide and direct my steps through the day.  Then, in the busy-ness of the day, my mind focuses on the tasks at hand, and it is easy to miss those opportunities to speak the name of Christ… at the gas station, the coffee stand, the grocery store, or in a parking lot.  How many opportunities are there to “give an answer” if only I would slow down and focus on the people around me, rather than the tasks I’m trying to accomplish?

Dear Lord, help me to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh… a reason of the hope that is in” me!

“He Did Run Well!” – Steven Curington (1965-2010)

Steven Curington, founder of Reformers Unanimous, a Bible-based, local church addiction recovery program, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday afternoon of an apparent heart attack.  He was 46 years old.

I first met Brother Curington at the Spiritual Leadership Conference in Lancaster, California about seven years ago. And while I was blessed by his personal testimony and passion for the Lord, it was while he was talking about the curriculum men and women in his program go through that caught my ear. He talked about how the greatest thing needed in the lives of men and women to live victorious Christian lives was to have a personal, vibrant prayer life. 

Sadly, I confess that up to that point, my prayer life was not very meaningful.  Prayer was something I would do in spurts and starts, usually gaining momentum in time of crisis, or to grow into long cumbersome lists that sounded little like prayer, and more like reading names out of a phone book.  Through the years I have read many books on prayer, tried many systems of lists and chart making to help in prayer, but ultimately, I felt that while some of my prayers were answered, it was mostly ineffective.  My prayer life was primarily me telling God what I thought He should do on my behalf and for others, and in asking forgiveness for my failures.

Brother Curington and I ate lunch together that day, and I began asking him questions, not so much about his recovery program, but about his prayer life.  Out of that conversation, he gave to me a copy of his message, It’s Personal.  He challenged me to listen to it and to begin following the pattern of prayer that Jesus taught in Matthew 6.  As I listened to that message, I began to weep.  It resonated with my spirit like nothing I had ever heard on prayer.  And I began to pray, following the pattern he had taught based on Jesus’ teaching in what we call The Lord’s Prayer.

Prayer has changed my life.  Now, instead of being tied to a list (which for me becomes a dry recitation of names), or random thoughts in prayer that results in my mind wandering and not praying at all, I now pray regularly in praise, in lifting up of needs, in receiving forgiveness and seeking God’s protection, knowing that I am praying for what God wants for me to pray, and truly meeting with God in prayer.  It is humbling to see when prayers are answered, and comforting to know my time in prayer has truly been a time to meet with God.

As I began to apply the principles I was learning in my own life, I then began to teach them in my Sunday School class.  And, this coming Sunday, in the Connecting Pointe Sunday School class at Greater Portland Baptist Church, I plan again to teach the lesson  How to Pray Effectively. 

Thank you, Steve Curington, for your passion for the Lord, for your burden to help addicted men and women to find victory in Jesus Christ, and for helping me to learn how to pray.  As my friend, Evangelist Kurt LaBouve, wrote in song, “He did run well!”   

(If you would like to learn more about Reformers Unanimous or to get more information about the home-going of Steven Curington, go to http://www.reformu.com/ )