"Change" seems to be the word of the day (and days) these days. One presidential hopeful is making that his campaign focus. But the problem with a politician talking about "change" but not detailing what change looks like is that "change" is only a word. "Change" MUST be accompanied with action and specifically appropriate actions related to the specific change involved.
Barak Obama is all about change if you listen to his words, but he doesn't explain HOW that change is going to happen. He doesn't detail a plan for change.
Newly former NY governor Eliot Spitzer is facing change in life, but if his public words from yesterday are any indicator, he's a long way from knowing how to put his tattered life back together - even if he really wants to do so. Talking about "failings" and "not living up to what was expected" are paltry words in his circumstances.
Another man I once knew was young, had a beautiful wife and pretty special children. Looking from the outside in, they seemed like the ideal family. But there was HUGE need for heart change! Everything was going from bad to worse due to increasingly bad choices.
Was there hope? Was there help? You bet! But hope and help alone are not enough EVER! Beside the "God factor," the other essential is having a heart for change! That's HUGE!
Barak Obama talks about change but I don't hear a plan. I hear clever words on the hopeful path to the White House.
Eliot Spitzer talks "change" when it really sounds like "How am I going to minimize the pressure here?" It's all about self-protection to minimize personal loss and maximize damage control.
The young husband gone way down a bad path didn't get the missing piece either. He wanted the pressure gone and the "status quo" returned. It was pretty amazing to talk to him - to actually even tell him the words he needed to say in order to get turned around and started back on another path. His heart was so far from change that he couldn't even say the words like a parrot. It was pretty obvious - amazingly so!
It's having a heart to change that makes the difference! The ancient prophet Jeremiah asks the question, "... Can the leopard change his spots?" (Jer. 13:23) The obvious no-brainer answer is a quick, "Of course not! The leopard is stuck with his spots."
The process of "changing a leopard's spots" requires another heart. It's the "when is a leopard not a leopard?" question. And the answer is: when the leopard becomes a lion or whatever instead. Leopards don't become lions easily. Only a lion's heart can turn a leopard into a lion.
The illustration probably breaks down but the point is that real, lasting change must come from inside. It requires the painful process of a heart transplant! The heart must be willing to change from the inside out, and only God can do that kind of work!
God is the Only One in the heart restoration business! But He is and He does! God regularly changes "leopard spots" one heart at a time! It's not a cosmetic make-over. It's an extreme make-over from the inside out!
Showing posts with label White House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White House. Show all posts
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Groundhog Day, Hillary and the Super Bowl
Groundhog Day has come and gone ... and good ole' Phil has fancifully proclaimed six more weeks of winter (which in western PA really means at least three more months of winter or winter-like weather).
Then there is the flurry of presidential election speeches, debates and accusations flying through the airwaves. The only sure thing is what I heard one radio talk show host say on his radio program: "The sure thing about Super Tuesday is that obamaroddymcromney is going to be the clear winner." Got that right!
Whether it's Phil at Punxsutawney or Super Tuesday primaries, it's all pretty surface. It's a show for Groundhog Phil to pop out of his "media" hole and run back in. It has nothing to do with weather and whether winter will last one more week or three more months.
Watching Hillary and Bill enter their polling place yesterday to vote was amazing! All spifed up to the nines, they were smiling and waving - especially Hillary! Then the best part was her shrugging out of her coat while invisible hands caught it and she continued to grin and wave!
Last night I heard Hillary squeezed out one more tear for whatever reason. What have we come to that we cast votes for the most powerful position in the world on such shallow "qualifications"?
Just living with someone with the position and expertise doesn't qualify ANYONE else any where! My mother has lived with my dad for over sixty years but not a single minute of that living and loving qualifies her to quarterback the Navy football team which my dad did quite well many years ago. It's pretty idiotic, isn't it? Yet Hillary Clinton makes much the same claim as to her qualifications to be President of the United States of America.
Hillary has never run a city, county or state. A convincing argument could be made that she doesn't even know how to run her own home. She herself said she doesn't bake cookies! Eight years living in the White House doesn't constitute experience for the pay grade of President! When Dick Morris, former Clinton advisor who has seen the light, heard that Hillary was claiming qualification to be President based on 8 years living in the White House quipped, "... so has the pastry chef."
O, and not to forget Super Bowl 2008! The cheaters almost won. Some say they lost because they didn't cheat for once. And then there are the coaches - both "Grumpy Old Men"! Both come across as cranky, condescending and almost impossible to like - a great counterpoint to the coaches of Super Bown 2007: the man of integrity and faith Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears. Watching the TV in this house, we were rooting for the Giants as much because we don't want cheaters to win as because we like the team. But the icing on the Super Bowl cake was the video of New England Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, literally running off the field and into the tunnel with 1 second left to play. Talk about role models and sportsmanship!
We live in a world sadly and badly in need of restoration! It seems like a world gone mad except for the sovereign hand of God putting His fingerprints on history and working His restoring grace into the hearts of those who love and serve Him.
Then there is the flurry of presidential election speeches, debates and accusations flying through the airwaves. The only sure thing is what I heard one radio talk show host say on his radio program: "The sure thing about Super Tuesday is that obamaroddymcromney is going to be the clear winner." Got that right!
Whether it's Phil at Punxsutawney or Super Tuesday primaries, it's all pretty surface. It's a show for Groundhog Phil to pop out of his "media" hole and run back in. It has nothing to do with weather and whether winter will last one more week or three more months.
Watching Hillary and Bill enter their polling place yesterday to vote was amazing! All spifed up to the nines, they were smiling and waving - especially Hillary! Then the best part was her shrugging out of her coat while invisible hands caught it and she continued to grin and wave!
Last night I heard Hillary squeezed out one more tear for whatever reason. What have we come to that we cast votes for the most powerful position in the world on such shallow "qualifications"?
Just living with someone with the position and expertise doesn't qualify ANYONE else any where! My mother has lived with my dad for over sixty years but not a single minute of that living and loving qualifies her to quarterback the Navy football team which my dad did quite well many years ago. It's pretty idiotic, isn't it? Yet Hillary Clinton makes much the same claim as to her qualifications to be President of the United States of America.
Hillary has never run a city, county or state. A convincing argument could be made that she doesn't even know how to run her own home. She herself said she doesn't bake cookies! Eight years living in the White House doesn't constitute experience for the pay grade of President! When Dick Morris, former Clinton advisor who has seen the light, heard that Hillary was claiming qualification to be President based on 8 years living in the White House quipped, "... so has the pastry chef."
O, and not to forget Super Bowl 2008! The cheaters almost won. Some say they lost because they didn't cheat for once. And then there are the coaches - both "Grumpy Old Men"! Both come across as cranky, condescending and almost impossible to like - a great counterpoint to the coaches of Super Bown 2007: the man of integrity and faith Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears. Watching the TV in this house, we were rooting for the Giants as much because we don't want cheaters to win as because we like the team. But the icing on the Super Bowl cake was the video of New England Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, literally running off the field and into the tunnel with 1 second left to play. Talk about role models and sportsmanship!
We live in a world sadly and badly in need of restoration! It seems like a world gone mad except for the sovereign hand of God putting His fingerprints on history and working His restoring grace into the hearts of those who love and serve Him.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
What is the church?
Remember the children's rhyme (with motions), "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the door and see all the people."? What is the church in the rhyme? It's the building with people inside. So, even the rhyme almost gets it right.
On the night before Jesus died, he introduced His disciples to a radical concept: it is the "Fellowship of the Towel." Pittsburghers understand that as we have our own 'fellowship of the towel" - the terrible towel that we wave at Steeler games. Jesus wasn't talking about the terrible towel and Steelers, however. He spoke of His betrayal and death. He illustrated His body broken and blood spilled. He talked about what would come after His death and resurrection. Jesus' "Fellowship of the Towel" was His showing His followers how to serve others when He served them by washing their feet and wiping them with a towel. His main men didn't understand, but they heard His words. His disciples didn't get it, but they did let Jesus wash their feet as He initiated them into the "Fellowship of the Towel."
On that astonishing evening, Jesus told His disciples that they would literally become His body here on earth. He told them that the Holy Spirit would help them represent Jesus to the world.
Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the US Senate, flew into Washington, DC one evening. As he looked at the city's lights from his airplane window, he tried to spy his church - Fourth Presbyterian Church. Somehow he coldn't pick it out of the darkness, but he could see the lights of the Capitol, White House and many other government buildings. Suddenly he realized a wonderful truth: he was looking at his church represented by THOSE buildings. Members of his congregation worked in those buildings. They were being the Body of Christ (the Church) as they worked and lived and all the hours in-between.
The church isn't bricks and mortar or even a steeple. The church is people living and loving and serving the Lord of the church wherever life takes them. The church is "the Fellowship of the Towel"! The church is marked by thousands of points of light across our nation's capitol (and wherever else) pushing back the darkness as Christian believers "BE the church"!
"BEing the church" is us - believers in Jesus Christ, the people whose hearts are being restored by His Gospel! The church is us 24/7 showing Jesus' love with our hands and feet and hearts to a world lost in darkness. The church is us being willing to serve others at the point of their need - even washing dirty feet!
What the world needs now is love shown by restored hearts who love Jesus! The world doesn't need bricks or steeples. The world needs Jesus! And ONLY a restored heart - restored and being restored by the Gospel of Jesus Christ - can BE the church and show Jesus to the world!
We don't go to church. We are the church: the "Fellowship of the Towel"! It's something to think about!
On the night before Jesus died, he introduced His disciples to a radical concept: it is the "Fellowship of the Towel." Pittsburghers understand that as we have our own 'fellowship of the towel" - the terrible towel that we wave at Steeler games. Jesus wasn't talking about the terrible towel and Steelers, however. He spoke of His betrayal and death. He illustrated His body broken and blood spilled. He talked about what would come after His death and resurrection. Jesus' "Fellowship of the Towel" was His showing His followers how to serve others when He served them by washing their feet and wiping them with a towel. His main men didn't understand, but they heard His words. His disciples didn't get it, but they did let Jesus wash their feet as He initiated them into the "Fellowship of the Towel."
On that astonishing evening, Jesus told His disciples that they would literally become His body here on earth. He told them that the Holy Spirit would help them represent Jesus to the world.
Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the US Senate, flew into Washington, DC one evening. As he looked at the city's lights from his airplane window, he tried to spy his church - Fourth Presbyterian Church. Somehow he coldn't pick it out of the darkness, but he could see the lights of the Capitol, White House and many other government buildings. Suddenly he realized a wonderful truth: he was looking at his church represented by THOSE buildings. Members of his congregation worked in those buildings. They were being the Body of Christ (the Church) as they worked and lived and all the hours in-between.
The church isn't bricks and mortar or even a steeple. The church is people living and loving and serving the Lord of the church wherever life takes them. The church is "the Fellowship of the Towel"! The church is marked by thousands of points of light across our nation's capitol (and wherever else) pushing back the darkness as Christian believers "BE the church"!
"BEing the church" is us - believers in Jesus Christ, the people whose hearts are being restored by His Gospel! The church is us 24/7 showing Jesus' love with our hands and feet and hearts to a world lost in darkness. The church is us being willing to serve others at the point of their need - even washing dirty feet!
What the world needs now is love shown by restored hearts who love Jesus! The world doesn't need bricks or steeples. The world needs Jesus! And ONLY a restored heart - restored and being restored by the Gospel of Jesus Christ - can BE the church and show Jesus to the world!
We don't go to church. We are the church: the "Fellowship of the Towel"! It's something to think about!
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