Look at Who God Uses

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I like to build to a point, but I’m going to come right to it.  Through the Bible God calls people into his service that are, for lack of a better term, screwed up.  No one used by God in some great way has their act together.  Consider a few examples; there are many others.

In Genesis 15:6 Abraham becomes the first person of faith.  He believed God, and God counted it to him as righteousness.  He is lauded in Hebrews 11 for having the faith to offer his son Isaac.  But before Isaac was born he father Ishmael by the Egyptian servant Hagar.  He lied twice about his wife Sarah was his sister.  A role model of faithfulness, perhaps not so much for other things. Continue reading →

Thanksgiving

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Christians do not agree about the celebration of Halloween.  There is some dispute over Christmas.  Let’s embrace Thanksgiving for all its worth.

There is an argument to be made for the Christian roots of Halloween.  The very name is created from the words Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day.  But let’s be honest, unless you’re Roman Catholic most American do not celebrate All Saints (or even know what it is).  Would you celebrate Christmas Eve if you didn’t believe in Christmas?  Halloween may also have roots in paganism, and is certainly associated today with the occult and many “non-Christian” activities as well. Continue reading →

Happy Monday

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Several of my Facebook friends are participating in the 30 Days of Thanksgiving.  Each day you post one thing your thankful for.  I think I’m going to post one verse or group of verses from Psalms each day.  Check the new feature in the left-hand side bar.  (If you’re in a reader, drop by the website every now and then.)

Speaking of Thanksgiving – There is much disagreement among Christians over the celebration of Halloween.  There is some dispute over Christmas.  We should totally embrace Thanksgiving.  Expect a full length post on this soon.  We are not commanded to celebrate the birth of Christ.  (I’m not saying we shouldn’t, but more on that later.) We are expressly commanded to give thanks.

Power crews, utility trucks, National Guardsmen, TSA agents, water and a host of other people and supplies have gathered from all over the nation to assist in the recovery effort following Superstorm Sandy.  Christians, here is our chance to be the body of Christ. Continue reading →

Worship Numbers

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Jesus had many followers.  He often spoke to multitudes of people, and we have identified some members of those crowds previously.  Many came out to hear Jesus because they were curious.  His fame spread quickly in the early days of his ministry.  Some followed Jesus from town to town eager to hear and learn more.  Some of those “following” Jesus were not interesting in learning from him, but were seeking incriminating evidence with which to accuse him.  Among the throng of those listening were people that loved Jesus, hated Jesus, and various levels in between.

Jesus had many disciples (students) but from a large group he choose 12.  After the crowds went away – or Jesus escaped from them – he would offer explanation or answer questions in a more intimate setting.  Think of it as the difference between the church sanctuary and a small group.   Continue reading →

Here’s Our Chance

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Today is Halloween, which happens to be one of a long list of things Christians disagree about.  At our house we carve a Jack-o-lantern and hand out candy, relegating the holiday to a children’s event only.  We have good friends that turn off all their lights, go to bed early, and complain that people still knock on their door.  Christians disagree on celebrating Christmas, voting in elections, serving in the military, consuming alcohol, and even the use of caffeine.  How Christians feel about _______ always depends on which one you ask.

Hurricane Sandy may go down in history as the worst weather-related disaster in our nation’s history.  This is our chance to be the body of Christ.  More than teaching rhetoric, Jesus taught his disciples to go and do.   Continue reading →

The Read and Share File

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I know it’s been a while.  Here’s what’s up:

The bookstore – far from dead, they may be doing better than you think.  Check out these 12 stats.

Hurricane Sandy, Frakenstorm, or whatever you call it is still dumping rain and snow.  It’s too not early, however, to plan a response and begin mobilization.  Talking about the Gospel is one thing, giving a child a cup of water is another.  Let’s go.

“You can’t get something for nothing.”  Christians know this is untrue.  While on the subject of free gifts, John Piper wants you to have this Martin Luther biography as a free e-book (available in many formats, including pdf). Continue reading →

What We Bring to the Table

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Paul Wilkinson is the author of Thinking Out Loud and Christianity 201.  Today he is our guest.  (And no, that’s not him in the picture.)

Back on the Labor Day weekend, Clark asked me to consider writing something for his readers here. I was honored, but also confused. What could I possibly bring to The Master’s Table that wouldn’t be the blog equivalent of showing up at Clark’s house and painting graffiti all over his living room walls?  I believe this is part of a larger “table” question we should ask ourselves on a regular basis,

What Do I Have to Bring to the Table?

I don’t do a lot of formal meetings in the course of a year, but when they come up, I like to arrive prepared. If there are multiple people involved, sometimes I will say nothing for the first twenty minutes, looking for the idea that’s being missed, the implication that’s not being considered, the parallel to another situation that’s not being remembered. Then I will interject something that I feel is helpful. I want to make a contribution, not simply nod in agreement or call for the vote. Continue reading →

Happy Monday

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According to the official Happy Monday declaration, one of the things we do on Monday morning is review some of the headlines you may have missed.  We also look forward to the week ahead and share encouragement in the form of inspirational quotes, Bible verses and humor.  There was a complaint last week (via text message, not in the comments) that there wasn’t much to be happy about.  I’ll try try to keep it positive. Continue reading →

Multitasking Worship

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My mother uses her cell phone for one thing, and that is to make and receive calls.  She has no camera, internet or mp3 player.  But let’s be honest, that isn’t how most of us do it.  Most of us are downloading music, texting, instant messaging, uploading pics, and some of us still talk once in a while.  We do business on the way to work.  We listen to audio books while on the treadmill.  Nobody does one thing at a time anymore.

Moses sees the burning bush in Exodus 3, and in verse 3 he says “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”  Moses was doing his job as a shepherd when the sight of the burning bush got his attention.  He then turned aside; he put what he was doing on hold in order to pay attention to this curious sight.  He discovers God in the bush, and for the rest of chapter 3 and 4 does nothing but talk and listen to God. Continue reading →

Happy Monday

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT 

The second presidential debate was much livelier than the first, causing many viewers to think it would actually come to blows.  The SNL parody did a great job capturing the “mood” of the event.  The final debate is tonight was Monday.

A woman in Texas gets 99 years in prison for super-gluing her child’s hands to a wall.  The 2-year-old was in a coma for 2 days but is recovering.  Meanwhile in Colorado a 19-year-father gets 90 days – that’s a sentence of 90 days – after pleading guilty to manslaughter following the death of his 6-month-old daughter. Continue reading →