One memory from an amazing trip!

My dear, sweet wife and me at the Sea of Galilee which visiting Capernaum in April of this year. How many times did Jesus push away from this shore line in a boat after having spent time in His adopted hometown?

The Aging Brain

The sub-title of this book is, "Proven Steps To Prevent Dementia And Sharpen Your Mind." That's the hope-filled message Dr. Timothy Jennings offers in his new book, "The Aging Mind."

The steps are surprising simple! They are, for the most part, the same ones that promote good health - exercise...develop good dietary habits...stop smoking...limit alcohol consumption...get plenty of rest...learn to deal with stress...practice forgiveness and either begin or strengthen your relationship with God.

At times, the medical jargon was way over my head.  But the book primarily offers practical advice and tips to ward off memory loss and enjoy life for as long as you live with a healthy mind.  I highly recommend this book!

Book supplied for review by Baker Books.

A prayer for the church

Our church - Life in Christ - meets this weekend for worship.  Join us today at 5 pm or tomorrow at 8, 9:30 or 11 am.

Dear Holy Spirit, we ask You for the fullness of Your gifts. May they pour down over us here in our church. Demolish and remove everything that hinders us from receiving everything that You have to give us. Allow us to see how pitiful our cowardice and pettiness is, and show us Christ in all His glory. Make us small and pour in spirit, and let us live in Your mercy without being pompous. Make us rich in Your own way with the gifts You have waiting for each of us so that we will be useful, joyous, and edifying for Your Church.  

From, "To Live With Christ," page 520, Concordia Publishing House

Do something about this storm!

The passenger jet had hardly taken off before it was being violently tossed around by turbulence.

One passenger was so spooked she grabbed the hand of the person sitting next to her.  When she noticed that he was a pastor, she said, "Reverend, you're a man of God.  Can't you do something about this storm?"

The pastor replied, "I'm sorry but I'm in sales, not management!"

Praying for Steve Keim and his family too

The new columnist of the local paper's sports page, Kent Somers, offered an interesting perspective on the story of the arrest on July 4th of Arizona Cardinals General Manager, Steve Keim. 

Keim was suspended from his job for five weeks, fined $200,000 and sentenced to two days in jail for DUI.  It was reported that Keim had a blood alcohol content of more than double the legal limit.

During this time away, among other things, Keim is receiving counseling.  As Somers noted in his column, this might be an incident of a person using terrible judgment.  "Or," as Somers writes, "it might be a symptom of struggles elsewhere in his life. Only he and the people closest to him know that."

I'm glad that Keim is receiving help.  I hope his family is as well.

I would imagine they are dealing with embarrassment. How hard is it to face people after Daddy's video of his arrest is all over social media? Their must be anger over his amazing lack of judgment and putting his job and livelihood at risk. I would imagine that there are deep feelings of pain. Why wasn't Keim with his family.  Isn't 4th of July a time for backyard bar-b-q's and fireworks and the like?

I know that anyone can make a mistake. None of us is perfect.  And, as Somers writes, there might be other concerns at work that none of us know about. 

So, we need to pray for Keim.  We need to also pray for his family. 

I pray that Keim's family have a support system.  I pray that there are people who are loving them and holding them up during this difficult time. I don't know if they are people of faith, but I pray that, if possible, they might turn to a pastor or friend who can bring to them the comfort and peace that Jesus talks about in Matthew 11. And I pray that the Lord will use this awful and embarrassing situation to work the good that He can accomplish when things look their absolute worst.

Faith's Best Friend

             It is one of the most familiar and beloved stories in the Gospels.  Jesus is stopped by a group of elders of the church.  They come to Jesus with a heartfelt request.  They ask the Lord to consider healing the servant of a centurion, a Roman soldier, an uncircumcised man.  These Jewish religious leaders point out that the centurion deserves to have this favor granted.  This soldier, in charge of a 100 men, has been a real friend to the Jewish nation and even helped with the construction of the synagogue.  It seems that without any hesitation, Jesus agrees to go and see the centurion’s sick servant.

            They are not far from their destination when the centurion does something that simply is amazing to Jesus.  The centurion has a message for the Lord.  He says, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have You come under my roof.  That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word and my servant will be healed.”

            The Gospel writers make it clear that Jesus is not impressed by power or possessions or prestige.  But the Lord marvels whenever He sees faith at work in the life of a person.  Of the centurion, Jesus says, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”  And then Luke concludes the story with these words, “Then the men who had been sent (to Jesus) returned to the house and found the servant well.

            Now surely this is a story of faith.  Only faith in Jesus could say, “But You, Lord, just say the word, just one word from You, and my servant will be healed.”  But I want you to notice something else about this story.  When faith resides, you will also find humility.

            Remember what the Jewish elders said to Jesus: “This man (the centurion) deserves to have you (heal his servant).”  Contrast that attitude with the centurion who said to Jesus, “I do not deserve to have You come under my roof.”  That’s humility talking.

            In fact, you might say that humility is faith’s best friend.  Humility comes to live in those hearts that recognize the damaging effect of sin and the need for the forgiveness and grace that only God can give through Christ.  It was humility that led the apostle Paul to write to young Timothy: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.”

            It was the knowledge of his unrighteous standing before God that led Paul to hold onto Jesus with all his might.  Jesus was Paul’s hope, his only hope through which he might receive peace with God and joy for daily living.  As Paul emptied himself of his pride, his intellect, and his resume of good deeds, the Holy Spirit filled the apostle’s heart with faith and humility and covered Paul with the very righteousness of the Lord.  Our prideful hearts are focused on only one thing – lifting ourselves up before family and friends and even God.  Humility receives all things from God. God gives us forgiveness for Jesus’ sake and sets us on the path of righteous living.  The Lord lifts us up.

            

           Real humility, Godly humility is always a gift of God’s grace to us.  Humility doesn’t think in terms of “what I deserve from God,” but always looks to God in faith and gratefully receives the good and wonderful blessings God offers His faithful children.  May you, too, cling to Jesus in true repentance and faith.  Receive God’s gifts with humility – faith’s best friend.

When God's Ways Make No Sense

You prayed for healing but it didn't come. You prayed for a new job but got the door slammed shut in your face. You prayed for your contract on the new home to be accepted but it was denied. You needed these things to happen.  You trusted God that the healing, new job, new home would happened just as you envisioned.  All these things seemed to make sense for you.  So what do you do when God doesn't respond as you asked.  What do you do when God's ways make no sense?

Dr. Larry Crabb has often asked the same question.  In his new book, "When God's Ways Make No Sense," he explores some of the different ways God's people respond to such disappointment and also offers a way for the believer to keep on believing that God is still there, in their lives, even when it seems that He has left that believer all alone.

His example of the prophet, Habakkuk, as someone who learned to "tremble and trust" offered a new way of thinking about how to respond when God's ways seem not to make any sense to us. I especially appreciated his transparency; it was helpful to me that his struggles in understanding God were ones I, too, have experienced.  Which made it all the more enjoyable to read, "When God's Ways Make No Sense."

Book provided for review by Baker Books