1 Kings 13 on June 12, 2014

Today, is an essential day in my life. Yes, 50-plus years ago :-) I was born in North Carolina (in a hospital about 200 yards from sea level.) I decided to take a vacation day today. Taking a vacation day as a pastor is a funny idea. But anyway, it's been sweet so far. Many greetings from all kinds of different devices have come my way. I even got a few old-fashioned cards in the mail this week. And to those who sing to me year-after-year on my voice mail, I am forever indebted to. 

A beautiful gift was a phone call that I was on for 50 minutes this morning. A precious 23-year-old that was recently part of our church family as a university student and who during those years became very dear to my wife and me, called from Texas. Her name is Jillian. She had some questions during her personal Bible study time. I told her, "I know 'some' answers."

So, together on the phone, we studied deeply a passage and sought the Lord to make clear to us the meaning of 1 Kings, chapter 13. The Lord really helped us. I have never fully studied this passage, so I was only familiar with the story. But now after engaging in the Holy Word of God, I feel as if her call was a surprise birthday gift from God. He had someone hungry for His counsel to call me on my birthday. We concluded after 50 minutes in the Word that to obey God carefully and prayerfully and always fully is of paramount importance in our lives.

I invite you to read and pray over 1 Kings 13. As we say back home, "It's a doozy." May the Lord make known to all of us the marvelous mysteries of His "Love Story" written to us -- "The Holy Bible".  

Grateful (Okay, I'm 53 today. Hard to believe I'm 30 years older than Jillian, but that's my true age.)

Counsel -- A Timely Word

(22) Plans fail when there is no counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
(23) A man takes joy in giving an answer;
and a timely word — how good that is!
-- Proverbs 15:22-23 (Holman Christian Standard)

Speak My Lord. I Have My Ears-Wide-Open.
Grateful

My Prayer Request Especially Today...

My prayer request especially today and even day-after-day resides in the mysterious and marvelous depths of this New Testament verse of Holy Scripture:

For, "Who can know what the Lord is thinking?
Who can give Him counsel?"
But we can understand these things,
for we have the mind of Christ.
-- 1 Corinthians 2:16 (NLT)

Lord, my prayer especially today is that I would know Your mind in all things. Within my thinking, give me Your Counsel at all times by the undeniable, indwelling, purifying presence of Your Precious Holy Spirit. My prayer will be the same tomorrow. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Let Your Thoughts Be My Thoughts...

Lord, I pray for this day of opportunity before me, (and for every day after this day) that the thoughts I think will be one-in-the-same with Your thoughts. Please let the mind of Christ be always working within me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:16 (NLT) -- "Who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who can give Him counsel?" But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ."

Ephesians 6:17 (NLT) -- Put on salvation as your helmet...

Psalm 19:14 (NLT) -- May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to You, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 139:17 (NKJV) -- How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Jesus prayed these words to the Father in John 17 (MSG): The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind — Just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, so they might be one heart and mind with Us.

ALL JOY!
Grateful

The Passage of Time

James Taylor sings a song titled Secret of Life. One line from the old tune says: The Secret of Life is enjoying The Passage of Time.

Well, I'd agree that's at least one secret of life. But the greater secret, or mystery to me is The Passage of Time itself. It seems just days ago that my son and daughter were little children, Now, all of a sudden, our "little" son is a 22-year-old college graduate and beginning his chosen career in radio broadcasting. Our "little" daughter is 20 and already a university junior as a fashion marketer and living three-and-a-half hours from home. It's unbelievable how fast time has rushed past our family.

This morning as I had my usual quiet time on the front porch, our neighbor was playing with his little four-year-old boy on the sidewalk next door. Listening to his young son's little-boy-laughter penetrated my heart and reminded me of the mystery, yes, the mystery of The Passage of Time.

I am reminded of these words from a poem my wife and I used to incorporate in advertising when we were full-time photographers. It was an effective sales pitch that encouraged or warned parents to have their little children remembered in portraits before it was too late. Listen to these 13 words:

Whatever happened to yesterday?
It picked up our children and stole them away.

Now, rest assured, I have enjoyed The Passage of Time, but I am still confounded by it all. James Taylor's song advice may be very close to some of the the best counsel we can get about the mystery of life's brevity: Enjoy the passage of time. That is, enjoy the passage of time by being present in your present and by being up-to-date in your relationship with God and your relationships with others, especially your own family members.

Another old Gospel song by the Gaithers said it this way:
We have this moment to hold in our hands,
and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand.
Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come,
but we have this moment... today.

The time that remains is very short... 1 Corinthians 7:29 (NLT).

ALL JOY!
Grateful

Note: This blog entry specifically spells out in part my life's joy-description, which includes, but is not limited to, these 7 words:
Live to help others minimize future regrets.

Hear and Heed

Seven strong words from Ephesians 4:30 are on my heart this morning. Let's hear and heed the Apostle Paul's counsel: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit...

ALL JOY!
Grateful