Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  2 Corinthians 9:6

Ok, so I probably offended someone right off the bat with the dead cat picture. Sorry. Sometimes you just have to get people’s attention. John Piper, prominent pastor and author, said in his book Desiring God, “Sometimes spiritual sleepers need to be shocked. If you want them to hear what you have to say, you might even need to scandalize them. Jesus is especially good at this. When He wants to teach us something about worship, He uses a whore!” (Just to clarify, in case that also offended anyone, he was referring to Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:4- 29.) This week’s post and “Just Say Know” Bible study is on the subject of generosity. When it comes to giving, some folks stop at nothing. (ba-dump-bum. Did you get it–stop at nothing!)  Seriously though, in many places, as the “demotivational” photo suggests, generosity is a rare occurrence these days. But it seems tightwaddery is on the rise!

While you can be ungenerous with compliments, appreciation, empathy and forgiveness, being generous with money seems to be the most common struggle.  One place this is evident is when it comes to tipping. I have had conversations with waiters and waitresses who hate working on Sunday around noontime, when most Christians are arriving for lunch after attending Worship services. Their perception is that Christians are the worst tippers. They see them pray over their meals and then leave a very poor tip. One waitress reported that on a few occasions she was left a Gospel tract in lieu of a tip!

This past year, I was involved in an Estate sale after my mother passed away and then dealt with trying to sell her house. It was very fascinating to watch people pennypinch at the sale and make incredibly low offers on the house, hoping to take advantage of the situation. Something happened at the Estate Sale that I hope I will never forget. On the eve of the sale, I forgot to put aside something I wanted to keep. It was a ceramic old-fashioned pitcher and wash basin bowl my mother had made in a ceramics class years ago and I had used it as an illustration in sermons on servanthood. Unfortunately, I forgot to move it aside and unbeknownst to me, one of my helpers had marked it to sell. The next day, I was at the money table with an assistant.  I looked up and saw the pitcher and bowl in a lady’s hands. She had just handed the assistant her money. My heart stopped. I was still grieving and seeing this literally made me nauseous. I kindly explained to the lady, I had just lost my mother, who had made those items and they were not intended to be for sale. I told her for her inconvenience I would pay her back double what she had just paid. To my astonishment, the Lady refused. I can’t explain the sense of loss I felt. Later, when I was thinking more clearly, I realized they were just things and in a thousand years it would not matter. But this event was a big eye-opener for me. It reminded me that everybody has a story just like I did at that moment. Sometimes when we haggle and finagle for the best deal, we forget to remember that. I once got a smashing deal on a carved redwood bear for our backyard. After I got the young man down to a very low price, paid him and drove away, my husband remarked that the original price had been more than fair. I felt so convicted. I imagined his story was that he had a wife and kids at home and they were penniless and unable to buy groceries or pay the rent!

God tells us many times in His Word, that we are to be generous. And He doesn’t stop there. He also promises us that we’ll be blessed or happy if we are!

A generous man will himself be blessed. Proverbs 22:9a

Even so, some of us are still like the man in the cartoon. We have to be encouraged and coached into releasing our grip!

The way I see it, is that when it comes to generosity you are either an Edge Gleaner or an Extra Miler. Let me explain. In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites,

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 23:22

To me, this is basically an admonition to not be so selfish and to consider the needs of others by not taking every last bit for myself. Today, an Edge Gleaner is someone who likes to nickel and dime everybody and leave nothing extra for anyone else. They are the plate lickers! See if you recognize the Edge Gleaner here.

Three guys each ordered a drink. Just as they were about to enjoy their drink, three flies landed in each of their drinks. The first guy pushed his soda away from him in disgust. The second guy fished the offending fly out of his soda and continued drinking it as if nothing had happened. The third guy picked the fly out of his drink, held it out over the soda and then started yelling. “Spit it out, Spit it out, you stupid fly, Spit it out!”

On the opposite side is the Extra Miler, who is someone who heeds Jesus teaching out of Matthew 5:41-42

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

These people give above and beyond. They know they serve a God who is able to meet all their needs so they bless people with their generosity. These are the type of people who say, “Keep the change!”

If you find yourself in a situation and you are torn between the two, here are a couple of suggestions I found to be helpful.  1) Ask yourself some questions like What is this person’s story? What amount would be fair? How would I want to be treated in this situation? 2) Create an imaginary Evangelism Fund. For my husband and I, it is an imaginary fund we use to help us be generous. We started our Evangelism fund years ago when we hired a lady to do some work on our house. We saw her work at a Home and Garden Show and asked her to come to our house to give us a bid. She was to paint two faux columns on the walls entering our diningroom. When she came to give the bid, she noticed our library with all the Bibles, commentaries and study aids and asked if we were Christians. I told her yes. She gave us a bid that fit into our budget and we hired her. A few days later she came to our house to start the columns. More than halfway through the project she informed me that she had under bid and had run out of materials. She had no intention of finishing the job unless we paid her more money. I told her that we only had the amount of money we had agreed upon. She left the project poorly done and would not make it right. My husband and I felt in this situation, we were not to enforce our rights but to let the lady out of her obligation. I’m not saying that we should never hold people accountable. We just felt for this situation our testimony was more important than anything else. So we laughed amongst ourselves and said the column money was coming out of the Evangelism Fund! (I suppose you could actually have a real Evangelism Fund set aside for such occasions.) When you’re out to eat and the food is so-so but the service is good–the Evangelism Fund! Sometimes, in business, when the customer thinks differently about the work you did, rather than argue your rights –the Evangelism Fund! Whenever we are tempted to be an Edge Gleaner, this imaginary Evangelism Fund reminds us that our priority is to point others to Christ through our generosity. The great thing is, even when we look at ourselves and see tightwaddery, we can always change. LH

Remember, I welcome your comments! Enjoy the study!

“JUST SAY KNOW” Bible Study

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Tackling Tightwaddery Bible Study

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

I took my first Spanish class in Eighth grade. Back then, the way they taught beginning Spanish was to have students listen to records. Yes, records. No, we didn’t have to manually hand-crank the turntable! One of the very first things I learned was how to say “Pass me the bread.” ”Pasa mi la pan.” In my mind I can still hear the woman on the crackley record repeating this over and over. Looking back, I guess it was a good place to start since bread is an important staple in many cultures. It turns out archeologists have found evidence that it is also one of the oldest prepared foods. Something else I find interesting is that the word companion comes from the latin word com- “with” + panis ”bread”.  Anyone with bread is a friend of mine! In the 1950′s the beatnik community started the use of the word bread as a euphemism for money. Today, we use it as a metaphor for the basic necessities of life as in “bread-winner” and ”putting bread on the table”. We even refer to anything remarkable as “the greatest thing since slice bread”!

So, when Jesus declared Himself to be the BREAD OF LIFE, that was a very profound statement. He wasn’t just shooting off words, He proved himself worthy of the name. He had just miraculously multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five-thousand men PLUS all the women and children.  AND there were twelve basketfuls left over! (If you haven’t heard this story you can read more about it by clicking the “Just Say Know” Bible Study link at the end of this post.) When I was in college, I heard a classmate preach a life-changing sermon on this miracle of the feeding of 5 thousand. It went something like this:

He told of how a great crowd had followed Jesus to a remote area to hear Him speak. As it was getting later in the day the disciples went to Jesus to ask Him to dismiss the people so they could go into the local villages and buy something to eat. Jesus told the disciples to feed the crowd. To this they replied, “It would take eight month’s wages just to give each one a bite”.  Andrew was able to come up with five small loaves of bread and two fish which a little boy had packed for lunch. Jesus instructed the disciples to organize the crowd in rows of 50 and then lifted up the five loaves of bread and two fish and blessed it. The disciples began to distribute the bread and fish. “Imagine if you will”, my classmate said, “that the disciples pass the bread to the first row, the second row, the third row and  then on to the next seven rows. But instead of proceeding to rows eleven and beyond, they take the food and distribute it again to rows 1 through 10. They continue to pass it just to these same 10 rows over and over again, leaving those in the rows behind them waiting for something to eat as they become faint from lack of nourishment.”  My classmate’s sobering conclusion likened this “alternate” scene to the Christians of America.

God has been faithful and done his part to multiply the bread. We, as Americans are blessed with a rich Christian heritage on which our country was founded. And here in the U.S., with few exceptions, we have been “fed” over and over and over again while many all over the world are still waiting for the Bread to be passed to them.

Many people are waiting for their turn!

Just about anywhere in the United States we can turn on the radio and find at least 4 or 5 Christian stations. We can go to any bookstore or Walmart-type department store and buy a bible. We can go online on our computer and read the Word there. According to a recent study by the Neilsen Company over 80% of homes in US have a computer and 92% have access to the internet. But for most of the world that is not the case. (If you’d like to see just how blessed we are, click on Internet World Stats. Note: To get a better understanding, you need to click on each region and then look at internet usage per country)

We, as Americans also have such a material abundance that if we began to distribute some of what God has blessed us with, we could help relieve the world of physical hunger as well. If you believe with me that now is the time to “pass the bread” to those who have not tasted what we have tasted, I would like to encourage you to do so! If you don’t know of any organization through which you can have an impact, I will be featuring different “Outreach” opportunities periodically here at Betteroffread.com under the Opportunities Menu. Today I would like to feature Latin America Childcare. We have supported Latin America Childcare for over 25 years and have found this organization to have integrity. Over 90% of what you give will actually get to the children it helps.

Click here for Latin America Childcare Website.

Jesus said,

“It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4

Latin America Childcare nourishes both the physical and spiritual needs of thousands of children and is a worthy organization to receive your support. If you would like to share other opportunities please feel free to comment. LH

“JUST SAY KNOW” Bible Study

Click on this link for this week’s Bible Study

Pasa Mi La Pan

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A few days ago, I received this flyer in the mail from a church in our area. Kudos to whoever designed it if the intention was to get people’s attention. It sure got mine.

Lately, I find myself listening when anyone mentions Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos. If you follow sports, and even if you don’t, you most likely have heard all the press about him. He has been labeled by several news agencies as “the most controversial player in sports.” To this I say, “Really?”  More controversial than Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Ben Roethlisberger, Donte Stallworth? (and don’t forget Pete Rose or O.J. Simpson!) That’s why when I received this ambiguous flyer, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. One thing I’d like to point out is according to this church, the definition of “Tebowing” is : (Verb) to get down on a knee and start praying, so that God is on your side and not the other team’s.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find this definition of “Tebowing” anywhere else.

What I did find everywhere including the Global Language Monitor website is this ”official” definition: “to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.”  There is even an official website, http://tebowing.com/ which is home to the following images.

White House Tebowing

Buckingham Palace Tebowing

Tebowing in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada

Chichen Itzabowing

Tebowing after soccer game in Yucatan, Mexico

In-flight Tebowing

Tebowing with the Bride and Groom

Te-Makingtheworldabetterplaceonepatientatatime-ing

Tebowing with Tebow!!!!!

As fun as these all are, the fact is Tim Tebow has been lambasted by Christians and non-Christians alike. Although he has support from his Denver teammates who say he “walks the walk and talks the talk”, he has been criticized, judged and mocked by many. Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists has said Tebow is “full of crap” when he publicly displays his Christianity on the football field and if he were truly a Christian, he would pray in private, not public. Tebow has taken hits from all directions. (No pun intended) But according to the Bible he is among good company!

Tebowing in Babylon

If you remember the Story of Daniel, he was a leader that stood against the counter-culture of his day. He also had quite a few folks that couldn’t stand his prayer life and public display of faith. They worked overtime to make his life miserable and even got King Darius to issue an edict that anyone caught praying to any god or man besides the king would be thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel continued to pray three times a day on bended knee as he always had, with his window wide open and well, you know the rest of the story. (If you don’t, check out the Bible Study that accompanies this post.)

It actually is quite fascinating, to see all this response to a humble act of prayer. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Jesus told us this was going to happen. His exhortations on this subject in His Sermon on the Mount indicate that opposition is a normal mark of being a disciple of Jesus.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were
before you. Matthew 5:10-12

I say, “Continue in the faith Tim Tebow and all those with him who courageously refuse to hide your light under a bushel!” One day at the name of Jesus, EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father! LH

As always, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to comment on this post or any other.

“JUST SAY KNOW” Bible Study

Click on this link for this week’s Bible Study

Every Knee Will (Te)Bow

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

Last night, I had a dream about my mother who passed away a little over a year ago. It was one of those dreams from which you never want to wake up. In the dream she came to visit me from heaven. She was like I remembered her on her best day with her best mood and her best attitude. She was laughing, joking, funny, playful and vibrant. She was pure joy. When I woke up, I thought, Wow, heaven is going to be such a great place! Later that morning I came across the following video through which God spoke to me something very important. We can have a little of heaven right here on earth. It is a choice!

I love this violinist’s reaction. He could have chosen to be angry, annoyed or bitter. But he chose not to be.  I want to be like that. Even when things don’t go the way we wish we can still choose life!  When we see someone who is positive, energetic and enthusiastic, we say, ‘That person is full of life!” I don’t want to be like the lady in this cartoon!

The Bible says Jesus came that we might have abundant life or as the NIV puts it, life to the full! I have met so many Christians who don’t seem to be living the abundant life. I read of one young Christian’s account of how she would hold back from humor and laughing because she was a sinner, a worm  and she thought laughing too hard would mean she didn’t take her “worminess” seriously. I think the opposite is true. When we laugh, we are recognizing what Christ has done for us and we are saying in faith, “Everything is now OK.”

Let’s choose life! Let’s make everyday our best day, every mood our best mood and every attitude our best attitude! Let’s laugh more! . . . Did I ever tell you the one about the Pharisee with the log in his eye? He says, “Would you like to dance with me?” and his date says, “Would I? Would I?” . . . LH

P.S. If you have something funny to share, we would love to hear it!

But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Genesis 33:4 NIV

Recently as I was doing the Old testament reading for the One year Bible, I read this verse as I have many times before. But this time it hit me, Wait a minute, what happened? The last time Jacob was with Esau things weren’t so great between them! In fact the Bible records this little family secret:

Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” Genesis 27:41 NIV

How did Esau go from wanting to kill Jacob for stealing his birthright and blessing to this heartwarming reunion with his younger sibling?

The Bible doesn’t give a lot of detail on Esau. But the accounts of him seem to portray him as being a tad bit impetuous. So my first attempt to explain this change of heart was that this was just another example of Esau’s impulsive personality. It sounded to me like the story I heard about my grandpa who passed away long before I was born.  My relatives tell of the time my full-blooded Italian grandpa threatened my uncle when he was dating my aunt before they were married. My uncle was having dinner at my grandparents house when the topic of marriage came up.  My grandpa startled my uncle when he plunged his steak knife into the wooden table yelling, “If you marry my daughter, I’ll cut your heart out!” (I’m not trying to cast any stereotypes here – well, maybe I am.) Apparently, my grandfather didn’t mean it as my Aunt and Uncle have been happily married now for almost 60 years. After rereading the scripture, I decided it wasn’t that simple.

To help us understand the significance of this reunion, here is a little background on the brother’s relationship. They were non-identical twins who were born within seconds of each other. Esau was first-born which meant in their culture he was entitled to certain privileges. He was to receive a double portion of the inheritance and the legal right to call the shots in the family. But probably one of the most significant privileges that came with the position was the spiritual leadership of the family. This included, building the family’s altar, officiating at its worship and sacrifice and the eldest son had to transmit God’s word and his promises to the family. Also, we should not forget this was a very special family which God had promised to make into a great nation. Whoever held the birthright was the one through whom the promise would be realized. Ultimately, the Messiah would come through the holder of the birthright and bless the nations of the earth.

One day when the brothers were older, Esau was very hungry from being out in the open country. He asked his brother, Jacob for some stew. Jacob wheels and deals by telling him he will give him a bowl of stew in exchange for Esau’s birthright. Incredibly, Esau swears an oath and the birthright is sold. The Bible says Esau despised his birthright, so it is highly unlikely he thought very much about what he had done until Jacob dupes him again. This time some years have passed and their blind and aging father is ready to give the family blessing. Isaac asks his son Esau to go hunting and prepare him his favorite dish and then he will speak the blessing over him. Esau’s mother, Rebekah overhears the conversation and helps Jacob dress like his older brother and makes the favorite dish for him to bring to his father. Jacob poses as his brother and lies to his father more than once when he is asked if he is Esau. (Remember, Isaac is blind.) Long story short, Jacob deceives his father, receives Esau’s blessing and walks away with everything! Esau very soon after enters his father’s tent with the prepared meal only to discover what Jacob has done.  We then are told, Esau began begging and pleading for a blessing, any blessing. He weeps uncontrollably and ultimately he threatens to kill his brother, Jacob for what he has done. This is not a picture of a flippant impulsive man, but one who is greatly upset and extremely distraught.

To escape his brother’s wrath, Jacob runs away to live with his mother’s relatives in a distant town. This reunion between the brothers occurs after 20 hard years of Jacob’s dealings with his father-in-law, Laban who leads us to believe deceitfulness just might be genetic! In preparation for this reunion meeting, Jacob connives and schemes by moving his family around in a strategic procession which is also full of gifts to flatter Esau out of his anger. But after all his efforts to protect himself and his family, Jacob finds it all unnecessary as his brother welcomes him with open arms.

Esau had every justification to treat Jacob as his brother expected to be treated but instead we see a wonderful picture of unmerited grace. Does this remind you of another story in the Bible? The Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Interestingly,  Luke 15:20 uses very similar if not exact wording in the Greek as the Septuagint does in Genesis 33:4. (The Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament.) We also see the similarity in the King James Version.

And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. Genesis 33:4 KJV

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15:20 KJV

Just as Jacob schemed, lied, deceived cheated, and caused great heartache and pain to Esau, we have done likewise to our heavenly father. Just as Jacob struggled and tried by his own efforts to earn Esau’s forgiveness and found it all unnecessary, we do the same by trying to be good to earn God’s favor.  And finally, just as Esau extended grace and forgivenes to Jacob despite all the injustices and suffering, God’s amazing grace is extended to us as we become part of His wonderful plan of redemption. What a story of hope to us all! Not only are we recipients of God’s amazing grace but we also like Esau can be its conduits.  LH

“Just Say Know” Bible Study

Day 1               Read  Genesis 25:21 – 34

1. What does the name Jacob mean?
2. How did he get this name?
3. Have you ever foolishly given up something of great value without much thought?
4. Have you ever taken something deceptively?

Day 2              Read Genesis 27:1 – 41

1. Does Jacob seem remorseful at all for what he did to his brother?
2. Who played a big part in helping Jacob deceive his father? Why?
3. Do you think Esau was justified in wanting to kill his brother?
4. Do you have any grudges against any relatives  or friends?

Day 3              Read Genesis 27:42 – 28:7

1. How does Rebekah help protect Jacob from his brother?
2. How does Jacob’s obedience affect Esau?
3. Do you think Rebekah and Jacob were justified in their deception and the havoc they caused because of God’s promise in Genesis 25:23?

Day 4             Read Genesis 31:55 – 32:23

1. What actions of Jacob show us he is very fearful of his brother Esau?
2. What happens in this passage of scripture that may account for Esau’s change of heart?
3. What did Jacob focus on to help subdue his fear of his brother Esau?

Day 5              Read Genesis 33:1 – 16; Luke 15:11 – 20

1. If you saw someone you had wronged coming with four hundred men, what would you have done?
2. What gestures did Jacob engage in to show his brother his humility?
3. Do you think humbling ourselves can de-escalate a situation today?
4. In Genesis 33:1, what figure does Esau resemble from the parable of the prodigal son?
5. List the similar actions they each did that showed their forgiveness?
6. Have you ever been the recipient of such gracious forgiveness? the grantor of such gracious forgiveness?

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Mathew 7:1

My mother always use to say, ‘Believe nothing of what you hear and half of what you see’ and that was even before Photoshop! Now-a-days we see things all the time that misrepresent reality or the truth. With a few key strokes we can create misleading pictures like these.

I always attributed my mother’s skepticism to being born and raised in New York. But lately, I have been thinking about that saying and how it could be used for good if we apply it to the way we judge other people. What if we were just as skeptical about every negative thing we hear and every questionable thing we see regarding others.  What if we didn’t rush to judgement?

The Bible uses the word judge or a form of it over 202 times. Several times in the New Testament we are commanded not to judge. We know this command is not referring to judging in the legal sense, forming opinions of others or ‘discernment’ because other places in scripture encourage us to do this. The judging we are not supposed to do refers to the habit of forming a judgment hastily, harshly, and without seeking every possible positive explanation and then expressing these opinions harshly and unnecessarily once formed.

A friend of ours told about an experience he had on his weekly TV program. One particular time he was talking and felt a bead of perspiration fall from his brow and stop right at the bottom of his nostril. When he thought the camera was switching angles he quickly wiped the moisture away. Unfortunately the camera angle made it look like he was picking his nose and our friend received some unkind fan mail!

Something about being falsely judged helps us to not be so hasty in judging others. The following situations helped me to not be so quick to judge. When my youngest child was in kindergarten, she told her teacher that her father had ‘burned down’ the Christmas tree. Fortunately the teacher called to get more information about the incident before turning us into Child Protective Services! What actually happened was we were going to be traveling the day after Christmas to visit friends and family who lived a couple states away. So my husband clipped each branch of our live Christmas tree and put it into our wood stove to burn the tree and dispose of it. The truth was not as titillating as the teacher had expected!

Another time when my daughter was a couple of years older, she told people at our ‘multi-cultural’ church that she would never ‘intermarry’. When I overheard her saying this I was mortified. I didn’t know how many people heard her say this and could only imagine what they may have thought. Knowing her heart and how we raised her, I questioned her to understand what she was trying to say.  I was able to clarify what she meant. She had recently read about Samson and how he married a Philistine woman who worshiped other god’s even though the Israelites were forbidden to ”intermarry” any of the idol worshipping people who were in the promised land. What she simply meant was she was going to marry a godly Christian man when she grew up.

Not too long ago there was a whole string of commercials created by the mortgage company, Ameriquest that had the slogan ”Don’t judge too quickly. We won’t.” They really show that it is very easy to judge people rashly and we are usually wrong when we do.

While the funny Photoshop pictures and Ameriquest videos make us laugh they also serve to remind us that we need to be careful of how we judge others.  When we judge people hastily based on something we observed in a brief moment we always judge amiss.

May we live by John Wesley’s admonition. ”Judge not – any man without full, clear, certain knowledge, without absolute necessity, without tender love.” LH

“Just Say Know” Bible Study

Day 1              Read  Matthew 7:1-5

1. According to this passage, what will happen to us if we judge others?
2. Do you ever feel like you are always being judged? (If you do, you may want to talk to God about this and examine yourself to see if you are prone to judging others.)
3. What do you think Jesus meant in verses 3 through 5?
4. What does Jesus call people who judge others?

Day 2              Read Luke 6:31-37

1. According to this scripture, how are we supposed to treat others?
2. Who are we supposed to be imitating according to verses 35 and 36?
3. Do you think there is a connection between our attitude towards others and God’s attitude towards us?

Day 3              Read Romans 2:1-3

1. When we judge others according to this text, what are we doing to ourselves?
2. What is God’s judgment based on?
3. What is our judgment based on?
4. Have you ever judged someone who had shortcomings similar to your own?

Day 4          Read 1 Corinthians 4:3-5; James 4:10-12

1. Whose job is it to judge?
2. What value does human judgment have?
3. According to 1 Corinthians does Paul think self-evaluation is reliable?
4. When will we be judged by the Lord?
5. According to James, what should we be doing instead of slandering and judging our neighbor?

Day 5              Read Isaiah 11:1-4; Psalm 96:11-13

1. According to these passages, who will judge.
2. According to Isaiah 11:3, what two things will God not judge us by?
3. In Psalm 96, why should the heavens rejoice, the earth be glad, the sea resound, the fields be jubilant and the trees of the forrest sing for joy?
4. Have you ever thought of judgement in such a positive way?
5. What kind of person looks at judgment this way?

Yesterday at lunchtime, my daughter Chloe asked me, “Mom, who invented disappointment?” If you don’t know my daughter, you may have to read a little about her challenges on this website’s ABOUT: Lisa Hempel page to appreciate how precious this question was to me. Everyday she makes me smile when I look at life through her eyes. Yesterday was no different. We had just left church, where our pastor shared in his sermon that the four best teachers he ever had in his life were Heartache, Disappointment, Failure and Grief. Chloe was still processing the sermon she heard which prompted this question. Not knowing how to answer her, I did the best I could. “I’m not sure who invented disappointment, but I do know who invented happiness!”, I said.  But Chloe’s question got me thinking.

We all have had many disappointments in our lives which cover the spectrum from ‘bummer’ to ’calamity’.  The following photos are a look at the lighter side of diappointment.

I wish the only disappointments we had to face were as mild as these. But the truth is many of us have suffered one heartrending disappointment after another. Friends betray our trust, marriages end in divorce, siblings don’t speak to us, our children make poor choices, colleagues stab us in the back, companies lay us off after years of loyal service, doctors can’t cure us, our investments disappear overnight, dreams are crushed, the best-laid plans go astray, other Christians disappoint us, and very often, we disappoint ourselves.

According to the dictionary, disappointment is the feeling of being dissatisfied or unhappy because something that you hoped for or expected did not happen or because someone or something was not as good as you expected.  Why are we dissatisfied? I believe it is because we are looking for perfection where it can never be found.  Jesus said,

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14: 1-3)

We live in a world with disappointment. But we are not of this world! It doesn’t really matter who ‘invented’ disappointment. The more pertinent question is will we let God use it in our lives for His purposes? I like what Joni Eareckson Tada says in her book, When God Weeps.

God uses suffering (disappointment) to purge sin from our lives, strengthen our commitment to him, force us to depend on grace, bind us together with other believers, produce discernment, foster sensitivity, discipline our minds, spend our time wisely, stretch our hope, cause us to know Christ better, make us long for truth, lead us to repentance of sin, teach us to give thanks in times of sorrow, increase faith, and strengthen character. (Page 117)

I want to be able to embrace the disappointments of my life and let God use them as He sees fit to wrought in me that which He wants me to be. Lord help us make this the cry of our heart. I close with this prayer I recently came across. LH

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

by Sir Francis Drake,
late 1500s

“Just Say Know” Bible Study

Day 1              Read  Isaiah 40: 26-31

1. In this passage, where are we  supposed to put our hope?
2. Have you ever complained like Jacob did in vs 27
3. What does God promise to the weary and the weak?
4. What will the Lord do for those who put their home in Him?

Day 2              Read Jeremiah 29:11-13; 31:17

1. According to this scripture, what does God promise us?
2. What kind of plans does God have for us?
3. When we are disappointed what do need to do to get God to listen to us?

Day 3              Read Ezekiel 37:1-14

1. Who is God speaking to?
2. Why do think scripture describes the bones as “very dry”?
3. What situations do you need God to resurrect in you life?

Day 4          Read Micah 7:5-7

1. Ultimately, who is the only one we can trust and not be disappointed by?
2. Have you ever been disappointed by a friend, a family member or a neighbor?
3. Why do you suppose the writer says I will ’wait’ for God?

Day 5              Read Romans 5:1-5

1. Why can we have peace with God in our disappointments?
2. Why should we rejoice in our sufferings(disappointments)?
3. What does suffering produce?
4. In this passage, what does not disappoint us? Why?

I just posted my Monday Post and Bible study last night entitled 3 Strikes You’re Out? It is about second chances. So this morning I am tweeking it as I always do. (You are not losing your mind if you notice changes over the first few days after a posting!) I then checked my Better Off Read email and started going through it and found this post from ChurchMag.com, a blog to which I subscribe. I am listing this as a Burning Bush Sighting because again God is speaking loud and clear. He is the God of second chances! Let me just say, I have never heard of People of the Second Chance until just an hour ago!

“The People of the Second Chance has released a really solid campaign. Take a look at these amazing posters and a “behind the scenes” video. But first, a little about the People of the Second Chance:

We are a global community of activists, imperfectionists and second chancers
committed to unleashing radical grace everyday, in every moment, for
everyone.

We challenge the common misconceptions about failure and success and stand
with those who have hit rock bottom in their personal and professional lives. We
are a community that is committed to stretch ourselves in the areas of
relational forgiveness, personal transparency and advocate for mercy over
judgment.

The People of the Second Chance (POTSC) has released an ad campaign
called, “Labels Lie: Don’t Accept Them. Don’t Use Them.”

Check out this link and if you can please make time to check out People of the Second Chance’s website!

The making of People of the Second Chance ”Labels Lie” campaign:

The Labels Lie campaign only lasts for a little while longer, so let
me ask you to help them out.

Here are five ways POTSC would love for you to help them (as posted on the POSTC blog):

1. Donate a Tweet to the Labels Lie Campaign. Help us reach 1
million people. It only takes 10 seconds to opt in. Click here.

2. Share the Portraits in your online networks.
Blog it. Reblog on Tumblr.
Share on Facebook. Pin
it. Instagram. You will get people talking and commenting.

3. Do you lead a church or small group? Dedicate a
worship service, gathering or small group time to highlight this topic. We did
this at Moment Church last
month and people are still talking about their personal breakthrough. Email
us for details! Contact(at)POTSC.com

4. Make a public commitment to not use them or
accept them. Start by tweeting this promise: “I believe Labels Lie.
Don’t use them. Don’t accept them! #LabelsLie #potsc”

5. Do you have a magazine or print edition? Are
you a reporter or writer? We can give you hi-res print files and a story! Email
us. Contact(at)POTSC.com

Give them a hand and spread the word!

Powerful campaign, isn’t it?

It inspires me in so many different ways.”

[via POTSC]

Ok, so for those who have ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit is saying! LH

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

Well, another year has come and gone and it’s already resolution time again! Many look forward with hope and expectation while others surrender in self defeat before it even starts. Every year for most people it’s the usual top ten according to an article I  recently read.

1. Be healthy
2. Spend more time with family
3. Quit smoking
4. Quit drinking
5. Enjoy life more
6. Get out of debt
7. Learn something new
8. Go for a vacation
9. Help others
10. Get organized

I think most would concur this is not a bad list. But if you have lived a few years, you are probably like most of us. No matter how hard you try, it doesn’t take very long before you can identify with Mark Twain’s quip about New Years Day: “Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”

Personally, I think I may have figured out my problem. Instead of making my own list, I need to seek God about what His list is for me. And instead of looking inward for strength, I should be looking up! I have to confess, in years past, my resolution list has been like a teenager who doesn’t obey her parents but cleans her room and does the dishes instead. It is nice to have a clean room and kitchen but what would make a parent happier is if the kid did specifically what she was asked to do, like be home by 10. Ashamedly, I admit I have worked on my resolutions list and ignored the areas I knew the Lord was calling me to walk in obedience.

Whenever I read the following parable I use to always identify with the Son who when asked by his father to work in his vineyard, said ‘I will not” but later changed his mind.

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, `Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’  `I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, `I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

Matthew 21:28-31

But recently, the truth is I have procrastinated, made excuses, and let distractions side-track me from dealing with the areas God wanted me to change. The bottom line was I did not obey. When reading this parable not too long ago, I was convicted that I was like the other son who said “I will, sir,” but he did not go. I have since repented and obeyed. Grateful for God’s mercy and patience with me, I try not to think about what I would have missed out on if I had continued in disobedience.

I am not advocating taking advantage of God’s mercy and long-suffering love. But my point is that we do serve a very merciful God! A recent conversation I had with my youngest daughter illustrates this. I was surprised when she had been reading her Bible and then emerged from her room very upset. She agitatedly asked, “How come in 14 years no one ever told me that Noah got drunk and naked. What other Bible stories have you never told me mom!” She was right, we don’t ordinarily focus a lot on the failures of the great ‘heroes’ of our faith. But the truth is the Bible is full of flawed people who by the grace of God were given second chances.  To name a few, remember Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Jonah and  Peter?  But eight times various writers in the Bible use this very similar description of God! He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, forgiving, abounding in love and faithfulness and that is not counting our Introductory verse!  (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15, 103:8, 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2) Aren’t you glad that with God it is not three strikes and you are out!

If you have struggled in the past with items on your resolutions list, I want to encourage you with three suggestions: 1) Make sure it is an area where God is leading you to make changes. 2) Make sure you are not trying to do it in your own strength. And 3) remember, the Lord’s mercies are not new every year, they are new every morning! In 2012, may we let go of seeking perfection and instead, seek our compassionate merciful God. LH

“Just Say Know” Bible Study

Day 1              Read Matthew 21:28-31; Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18;
Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15, 103:8, 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2