Perspective and Haiti
From now on, perspective is spelled, “Haiti”. How should you and I look differently at our “problems” in light of this tragedy?
Please pray, give, and let us go (as the Lord leads).
From now on, perspective is spelled, “Haiti”. How should you and I look differently at our “problems” in light of this tragedy?
Please pray, give, and let us go (as the Lord leads).
10 questions to ask at the start of 2010 (Dr. Don Whitney)
Take some time to consider these thought provoking questions and how 2010 might be different for you than previous year:
1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?
Brit Hume says that Tiger Woods needs to turn from Buddhism to the “Christian faith” because only the Christian faith provides forgiveness. Can he say that? Of course, he can; because it’s true. Mr. Hume offers this bold assessment with a typical matter-of-fact demeanor, but this is the most important word I’ve heard on the entire Tiger Woods situation.
If we only care about Tiger (the golfer) then we can simply predict his certain return to win more majors. But if we care about Tiger (the human being) then we’ll hope he can find redemption for his “transgression” (his words). The only way that Tiger (or anyone else) can find forgiveness for sin is through Jesus Christ. Christ alone has paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross. Christ alone took on our punishment because of His love for us (and because we could not pay the price for our own sin). Brit Hume is simply speaking the truth of God’s Word. “For He made Him who know no sin to become sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
I hope Tiger has come to the end of himself. Only then will he realize that he is hopeless without the grace of Christ that is offered to him without cost.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LJKmWdJQc4]
TOP 10 for 2010
1. I will wake up every day and pursue Christ.
2. I will bring my best energy to the people I love the most (remembering that nothing makes up for failure in the home).
3. I will let grace rule in all of my relationships.
4. I will keep “prayer and ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4) my first ministry priority.
5. I will graciously and patiently lead us forward, recognizing the fact that there will always be naysayers (some people’s default mode is “no”) and that God often calls us to move ahead with those who will come.
6. I will constantly lead our church to rethink how we engage an ever-changing culture with the Gospel (so that we will not drift into irrelevance).
7. I will not let the regrets of the past or worries of the future impact my decisions in the present.
8. I will delve deeper and deeper into the mind of Christ to discover more clearly what He envisions His Church to be.
9. I will do what I do best and encourage and empower others to do what they do best.
10. I will daily live an authentic and contagious Christian life (and have lots of fun doing it).
… all by the grace of God.
We’ve proven again that in this age of technology, in which everyone has opinion (and the ability to express it), we have created our own Tower of Babel. Much being said, but very little is intelligible, thoughtful, or helpful. Out of the noise comes this editorial (link below) from the Dallas Morning News. This is probably the best perspective I’ve seen on the news of Tiger Woods.
It reminded me of the parable of Jesus in Luke 12 of the man who wanted bigger and bigger barns. He had all he needed but he wanted more. Jesus is reminding us that apart from a life with God, more will never be enough. We will never be satisfied until we are completely satisfied in Him. Of all this lessons learned from Tiger’s situation, this is the most powerful. According to our world’s standards, here’s a man who had everything one would ever need in a hundred lifetimes (including a beautiful wife who seemed to love him very much). But it wasn’t enough. What should this tell us about the human condition?
I’ve prayed for Tiger. Perhaps he’s realizing he’s not more influential than Jesus Christ (as his dad prophesied) but in fact, needs to be influenced by Jesus Christ. I pray this will lead him to see that he’s not the Savior and is, in fact, in desperate need for a Savior. How else will he find forgiveness? And before we throw anymore rocks at Tiger, let’s stop and look at our own lives. Am I longing for more when I’ve been given more than enough? Have I come to a point in my life where I am fully satisfied in God alone?
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-tiger_1215edi.State.Edition1.2f6533a.html
