(February 28, 2005 6:12 AM CST)
This is from the readings at church yesterday.
Jesus gives life.
Jesus said,
"Everyone who drinks this water
will be thirsty again.
But whoever drinks the water I give him
will never be thirsty;
no, the water I give
shall become a fountain within him;
leaping up to provide eternal life."
John 4:13-14
He keeps you going.
He gives you living water.
He is concerned about you.
He renews your soul and spirit.
He provides you eternal life.
(February 27, 2005 6:21 AM CST)
It's been raining this morning.
Yesterday I made 3 cakes.
Yesterday I downloaded the #1 Country Music song
Jesus told a story:
Maybe you have run away.
I ask myself:
Why just make one cake?
this week from Itunes:
"Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts
It is a nice song.
You can hear a sample of it on track 2 of this link.
Note the two T's in Flatts.
I thought it was Flats.
"God bless the broken road..."
"While the son was still a long way off
his father caught sight of him
and was deeply moved.
He ran out to meet him,
threw his arms around his neck,
and kissed him.
The son said to him,
'Father, I have sinned against God
and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.'
The father said to his servants:
'Quick!
Bring out the finest robe
and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger
and shoes on his feet.
Take the fatted calf and kill it.
Let us eat and celebrate
'because this son of mine was dead
and has come back to life.
He was lost and is found.'
Then the celebration began."
Luke 15:20-24
You have taken a broken road that led to nowhere.
Come home.
Come back to your father.
He will be deeply moved by your return.
He will celebrate with great joy.
Let the celebration begin.
(February 26, 2005 6:23 AM CST)
Yesterday at work I moved back to the building
"I preached a message of reform
Change is not easy.
on 13th and Douglas Street
where I used to work 4 years ago.
It is like going back in time.
and of conversion to God,
first to the people of Damascus,
then to the people of Jerusalem
and all the country of Judea;
yes, even to the Gentiles.
I urged them to act in conformity
with their change of heart."
Acts 26:20
This morning I am feeling cultural shock
from the move yesterday.
To change your heart is even more difficult,
but this is what the Lord asks of you.
He takes you by the hand.
He wants to lead you somewhere new.
It is a time of conversion.
Will you have a change of heart?
(February 25, 2005 6:18 AM CST)
"...how shall we escape,
It is there.
if we ignore a salvation
as great as ours?"
Hebrews 2:3
It is right before you.
Jesus offers you this great gift.
You can't miss it.
He wants to save you.
He loves you very much.
Don't ignore him.
Welcome him into your heart.
Today is the day of salvation.
(February 24, 2005 6:09 AM CST)
"May the Lord rule your hearts
Let Christ in.
in the love of God and
the constancy of Christ."
2 Thessalonians 3:5
He is knocking at your heart.
Let him rule.
Let him love you.
He is constant.
He will change your heart and soul.
(February 23, 2005 6:12 AM CST)
"Five times at the hands of the Jews
Paul suffered much.
I received forty lashes less one;
three times I was beaten with rods;
I was stoned once, shipwrecked three times;
I passed a day and a night on the sea."
2 Corinthians 11:24-25
That did not stop him.
He continued to tell others about Jesus.
He believed in him.
He wanted others to know all about him.
Jesus had touched his life
and he wanted the world to know.
(February 22, 2005 6:11 AM CST)
Yesterday at work we had an Instant Message attack.
"When Jesus had seated himself with them to eat,
Jesus gives us bread to eat.
If you clicked on a link sent to you,
it forwarded a message to all your contacts.
he took bread, pronounced the blessing,
then broke the bread and
began to distribute it to them.
With that their eyes were opened
and they recognized him;
whereupon he vanished from their sight."
Luke 24:30-31
We don't even recognize that it is him,
but he is there.
The bread is broken.
Jesus is the bread.
He was broken for us.
He suffered much for us.
He gave all that he had.
He opens our eyes to the truth.
He is pointing the way.
He is all that we need for our journey.
(February 21, 2005 6:14 AM CST)
This morning my house smells like blueberries.
Jesus said,
If you want to save your life, you let it go.
I made some
blueberry muffins
last night.
Most of it came in a box.
I've never done that before.
The tricky part was draining
the two cans of blueberries.
I had to improvise on that,
since I don't have a strainer.
"The hour has come
for the Son of Man to be glorified.
I solemnly assure you,
unless the grain of wheat falls
to the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat.
But if it dies,
it produces much fruit.
The man who loves his life loses it,
while the man who hates his life
in this world preserves it to life eternal."
John 12:23-25
Things are flipped in the life of Jesus.
Death brings fruit.
Sacrifice brings glory.
Jesus dies and yet it produces life for us.
Amazing.
(February 20, 2005 6:33 AM CST)
"It is in Christ and through his blood
We are under God's favor.
that we have been redeemed and
our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous is God's favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased to decree in Christ,
to be carried out in the fullness of time:
namely, to bring all things
in the heavens and on earth
into one under Christ's headship."
Ephesians 1:7-10
We are redeemed by his blood.
We have been purchased at a great price.
Our sins are forgiven if we ask.
The mystery has been revealed to us.
Wisdom is ours.
Christ is our leader.
We praise the Lord.
We are truly blessed.
(February 19, 2005 6:32 AM CST)
"Praise be the God and Father
It is there for you.
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
he who in his great mercy
gave us new birth;
a birth unto hope which draws its life
from the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead;
a birth to an imperishable inheritance,
incapable of fading or defilement,
which is kept in heaven for you
who are guarded with God's power through faith;
a birth to a salvation which stands ready
to be revealed in the last days."
1 Peter 1:3-5
It is waiting in heaven.
It is your inheritance.
It is safe.
Jesus wants you to have it.
He has won salvation for you.
Will you accept this great gift?
Seek this new birth.
(February 18, 2005 6:18 AM CST)
"As Jesus made his way along the Sea of Galilee,
Jesus sees us.
he observed Simon and his brother Andrew
casting their nets into the sea;
they were fisherman.
Jesus said to them,
'Come after me;
I will make you fishers of men.'
They immediately abandoned their nets
and become his followers."
Mark 1:16-18
He calls you and me.
He says to follow him.
We put aside the things of this world.
We cling to him.
We go fishing.
(February 17, 2005 6:14 AM CST)
Jesus said,
You have been given knowledge.
"To you has been given
a knowledge of the mysteries
of the reign of God,
but it has not been given to the others.
To the person who has,
more will be given until they grow rich;
the person who has not,
will lose what little they have."
Matthew 13:11-12
You know all about Jesus.
He is the wonder of wonders.
He is the creator of the universe.
You are aware of these great mysteries.
What are you doing with this knowledge?
Do you have an active faith?
Are you spiritually rich?
Do you have a positive impact
on the lives of others?
Grow in the knowledge of God.
Don't lose it.
(February 16, 2005 6:13 AM CST)
I made it to the doctor's office yesterday.
"You who dwell in the shelter
Take shelter in the Lord.
My BP (blood pressure) was 120 over 78.
Everything checks out normal.
They took 4 vials of blood to run tests.
I've been losing weight lately,
so they wanted to make sure
it was not something serious.
I have changed my diet and
I walk for an hour everyday.
They even took 2 chest x-rays and
the doctor said it looked normal.
But I don't feel normal.
I can tell something has changed.
I guess it's from the taking of blood.
of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the Lord,
'My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.'
For he will rescue you from
the snare of the fowler,
from the destroying pestilence.
With his pinions he will cover you,
and under his wings you shall take refuge;
his faithfulness is a buckler and a shield."
Psalms 91:1-4
Find refuge in him.
His protection will cover you.
His shield is your defense.
You are safe under his wings.
Stay close to him.
Trust him.
(February 15, 2005 6:06 AM CST)
This morning I'm to go see the doctor
Last night at Siena/Francis house
"I have often said this to you before;
Do you treasure the things of this world?
for my annual physical.
I can't eat anything since midnight,
so my stomach is complaining.
God bless the doctor and
all that work in his office.
we passed out clothes.
We had tables set up to distribute them
after the people had dinner.
My job was to hand out the 2X-large sweatshirts.
this time I say it with tears.
Such as these will end in disaster!
Their god is their stomach and
their glory is in their shame.
I am talking about those
who are set upon
the things of this world.
As you well know,
we have our citizenship in heaven;
it is from there that we eagerly await
the coming of our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ."
Philippians 3:18-20
Are they very important to you?
Do you eat until your stomach hurts?
The world is passing away.
Don't hold on to it.
Instead seek your treasure in heaven.
Look to your future with Jesus.
He is your hope.
He will satisfy your hunger.
Check yourself.
Examine your condition.
Make course corrections.
Change your spiritual diet.
(February 14, 2005 6:16 AM CST)
Happy Valentine's Day!
"See what love the Father has bestowed on us
We are children of God.
Try to reach out today to the forgotten people.
Show them the love of God.
in letting us be called children of God!
Yet that is what we are."
1 John 3:1
We are loved by the Father.
We are his sons and daughters.
We rejoice and are glad.
We are secure in his love.
Thank you, Lord, for your great love for us.
(February 13, 2005 6:30 AM CST)
Yesterday I went to a funeral
Billy Graham will have a TV program this week.
Another reading from Ash Wednesday:
Jesus taught his disciples:
Don't be a "show off."
at
St. Thomas More Church
in Omaha.
It has been many years, since I had been there.
It brought back memories of when I lived
in the apartments on 67th and Grover
about 30 years ago.
We lived in Grover Square when it was brand new.
The
tornado of May 6, 1975
just missed us to the west.
Check these
TV listings
.
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense
from your heavenly Father."
Matthew 6:1
Don't brag about the nice deeds you do.
Offer them up to the Lord.
He will bless you.
Your reward is in heaven.
(February 12, 2005 6:57 AM CST)
Pray for someone I work with.
Here is another reading from Ash Wednesday:
"Working together, then,
It is a team effort.
Their father died a few days ago.
The funeral is this morning.
God bless them and their family.
we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
'In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.'
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation."
2 Corinthians 6:1-2
We need each other.
We need to encourage one another.
Receive the grace of God.
Use it.
May your faith grow and blossom this Lent.
Today is the day.
Change today.
Now is the time.
It is time.
(February 11, 2005 6:20 AM CST)
Here is another reading from Ash Wednesday:
"Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
This is the prayer of David
in the greatness of your compassion
wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me."
Psalms 51:3-4
after his sin with Bathsheba was revealed ---
sins of adultery and murder.
Sin is an illness.
It makes you feel sick inside.
It needs to be healed.
You need to be washed clean.
Ask Jesus to forgive you.
The light has come and
shows you the errors in your life.
Jesus, forgive my sins.
I am sorry for what I have done.
Like David I look at what I have done.
I am sick.
I need to change.
I have hurt others.
I need you to help me.
Show me the path that leads to life.
I need your forgiveness and healing.
(February 10, 2005 6:15 AM CST)
Yesterday at about 5:45pm at the Westroads Mall
This was one of the readings yesterday at church:
"Yet even now, says the LORD,
You are lost.
I found $72.
It was just sitting there on the floor
for anyone to find.
Someone had dropped it and did not notice.
And how do you find the owner?
If you go up to someone and ask if they lost $72
they will say Yes...well of course I did.
So I just wrote out a check to Siena/Francis House.
I will donate the lost money to them.
What would you do?
Would you just keep the money?
It was an interesting problem
to try to figure out for Ash Wednesday 2005.
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God."
Joel 2:12-13
You are far from home.
The Lord is searching for you.
He is looking high and low.
You are very valuable.
Where are you?
Do you even want to be found?
Do you want to talk to Jesus?
It is a matter of the heart.
Your heart needs to change.
Give your heart to Jesus.
Be found.
(February 9, 2005 6:13 AM CST)
It is Ash Wednesday.
Jesus said,
Take a step.
We begin Lent.
It is a journey back to the Lord.
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The reign of God is at hand!
Reform your lives and
believe in the gospel!"
Mark 1:15
Take a step of faith toward the Lord.
He did not move --- you did.
Come back to him.
Today is the day.
Return to the Lord.
(February 8, 2005 6:07 AM CST)
"During the festival, naturally,
To this day there is still debate about Jesus.
the Jews were looking for Jesus, asking,
'Where is that troublemaker?'
Among the crowds there was
much guarded debate about him."
John 7:11-12
There is much discussion.
There is great interest in him.
We want to know all about him.
He stirred things up.
He changed the course of history.
He can change us.
We can change the world for the better.
Jesus, be with us.
We want to know all about you.
We are interested in you.
We follow you.
(February 7, 2005 6:16 AM CST)
"May he strengthen you inwardly
How could you go wrong?
through the working of his Spirit.
May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith,
and may charity be the root
and foundation of your life.
Thus you will be able to grasp fully,
with all the holy ones,
the breadth and length and height and
depth of Christ's love,
and experience this love
which surpasses all knowledge,
so that you may attain
to the fullness of God himself."
Ephesians 3:16-19
Invite Christ into your heart.
Experience this love of God.
He is there.
He wants to open new worlds to you.
He loves you very much.
He wants to share his life with you.
Make him the foundation.
Open your heart.
(February 6, 2005 6:29 AM CST)
I just grabbed the newspaper from the front door.
"Therefore submit to God;
Give your life to the Lord.
It is raining outside and
they stuck the newspaper inside the storm door.
God bless them.
The temperatures are dropping and
it will change to snow this afternoon.
(It has dropped 13 degrees as I was writing this
over the last 30 minutes.)
resist the devil and he will take flight.
Draw close to God,
and he will draw close to you."
James 4:7-8
Give him all that you have.
In the name of Jesus
push evil out of your life.
Draw close to the Lord.
He loves you very much.
He wants the best for you.
Submit your life to him.
(February 5, 2005 6:18 AM CST)
I put the
new Nebraska license plates
on my car yesterday.
"There was a woman there who for 18 years
What a wonderful thing to happen to someone!
They look very close to Iowa plates.
I tried to recycle the old plates,
but they don't recycle them
at the City County building downtown.
They just throw them in the trash.
Maybe they can be recycled
in the green curbside bins on trash day.
had been possessed by a spirit
which drained her strength.
She was badly stooped ---
quite incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her,
he called her to him and said,
'Woman, you are free of your infirmity.'
He laid his hands on her,
and immediately she stood up straight
and began thanking God."
Luke 13:10-13
Jesus laid his hands on her and
freed her from her illness.
Can it happen today?
Can Jesus lay his hands on you
or your sick loved ones?
Jesus, come today.
Come and lay your hands on
these sick people that I know.
You are the great healer.
You are the one we depend upon.
We thank you for touching us.
You are most powerful.
Heal the sick among us.
May they stand up straight
and praise you, Lord.
We need you.
We thank you.
(February 4, 2005 6:17 AM CST)
The president is staying in Omaha overnight.
Jesus told a story:
What will the Lord say to you
He will give a speech this morning
at the
Qwest Center
downtown.
God bless him and lead him.
"The man who had received the 5,000 came forward
bringing the additional five.
'My lord,' he said, 'you let me have 5,000.
See, I have made 5,000 more.'
His master said to him,
'Well done!
You are an industrious and reliable servant.
Since you were dependable in a small matter
I will put you in charge of larger affairs.
Come, share your master's joy!'"
Matthew 25:20-21
at the end of your life?
Will he say 'Well done'?
Will he be pleased?
It is something to think about.
Do the will of God.
Share in the joy of the Lord.
(February 3, 2005 6:16 AM CST)
The fog was so cool in Omaha yesterday morning.
"Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
I like to listen to Christian music in the morning
You would get disoriented in your own city.
It coated the grass with frost.
There were "pictures" everywhere you looked.
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us greet him with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him."
Psalms 95:1-2
around the house.
I listen to it in my car on the radio.
In Omaha the radio stations are 100.7 FM and 88.1 FM.
It is a spiritual thing.
It gets into your mind to start the day.
You find yourself humming the songs
as the day goes on.
They are positive things.
They are songs of praise to God.
Check out the Christian music stations in your city.
(February 2, 2005 6:16 AM CST)
"Have no love for the world,
There are enticements in this life.
nor the things that the world affords.
If anyone loves the world,
the Father's love has no place in them,
for nothing that the world affords
comes from the Father.
Carnal allurements, enticements for the eye,
the life of empty show ---
all these are from the world.
And the world with its seductions is passing away
but the person who does God's will endures forever."
1 John 2:15-17
Will they capture your eye?
Will they constantly demand your attention?
Will they distract you from your purpose?
Put them in their place.
Focus then on things above ---
things that are out of this world ---
things that are way more important.
Seek after treasure in heaven.
These are things that endure forever.
The sparkle is there.
Seek the Lord with all your heart.
(February 1, 2005 6:22 AM CST)
"Each one of you is a child of God
All Christians are one.
because of your faith in Christ Jesus.
All of you who have been baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with him.
...
All are one in Christ Jesus.
Furthermore, if you belong to Christ
you are the descendants of Abraham,
which means you inherit
all that was promised."
Galatians 3:26,27,28B,29
We believe in Jesus all over the world.
We love and follow him.
We just don't act like we are one.
Think.
We need to change our thinking.
We are all children of God.
We have inherited the kingdom of God.
Let us act as brothers and sisters.
