Monday, August 19, 2013

A Red Sock In White Laundry


The Bible says "Just a little leaven, works through the entire dough."

A couple of days ago I found out that somebody had been spreading some gossip about me. And like rumor has it... it has it all wrong. And like any other person, I didn't like the gossip that was making its rounds especially because it was about me. I couldn't find a way to defend myself or to prove myself. I thought I'll call the person who was repeating this lie and ask him to please stop. I took me just one second to realize that that would be plain stupid. Then, the very next second I had the next brilliant idea - to write to the person and ask the person to please not malign me like this. And again I knew it would be a silly thing to do. So I let that go. But I was so heartbroken about what I heard. I knew I wanted to do something about it but I didn't know what ! I dwelt on it and it made me weaker and I couldn't stop rehearsing what was said. This was day 1.

By day 2, I was worn out. I was worn out with all the thinking and hurting and rehearsing. I had allowed this into my day, into my mind and into my heart. I wanted to vent out. I wanted to mull over it. I was having a horrible day wallowing in my little pool of self-pity. I allowed bitterness to creep in and that turned into resentment and that turned into anger. I spent the whole day complaining and crying !

I was now beginning to realize how this works...

These things that we allow, paralyses our capacities to function in our GOD-given roles (Dr Carl Stevens). They render our work ineffective because our occupation is with ourselves. The Cross is no longer our point of reference or identity. I am ever so often reactionary to these schemes and ploys only to realize, much later, that I had been played by the devil. I realized that the office of the devil is to steal, plunder and destroy... but JESUS came to give us life and life in abundance ! I went to my LORD and my FRIEND to get my refill of fresh grace and love for my offender. It was not easy. It is not easy to get down on your knees and cry before your FATHER. Because naturally, our automatic response is reactionary and that of self pity. I remembered testimonies I heard or read, about CHRISTians who had forgiven the murderers of their loved ones. Who blessed those who cursed them, who gave gifts to those who stole from them. In application it was so hard to do what seemed so easy for an average CHRISTian.

So, I went to JESUS, exhausted and helpless. I felt distant. I felt angry. Spiritually nauseous...I just wanted to throw up all the bitterness and anger. 48 hours into this and I was sick of my sin. The HOLY SPIRIT was convicting me and showing me how a red sock ruins a laundry of whites.



If you are in such a place today, I just went through this whole ordeal and wanted you to know it’s just not worth it. To be angry is a natural thing to do.... but it is not spiritual. To be bitter is obvious but not healthy.

So get the red sock off and keep your white laundry white :-) "Instant" forgiveness is still the best way out !

Monday, August 12, 2013

Desperation, Riches and Satisfaction - Pastor Devendra Pandey

Luke 18:22-30

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 And Jesus looked at him and said, How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to [a]go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But He said, The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”
28 Peter said, “Behold, we have left [b]our own homes and followed You.” 29 And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

What do I desperately want in life ? What will satisfy me ? Position, profits, relationships, house, children, marriage ? What will satisfy me ?

Luke 16:19 JESUS tells us the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Lazarus ate the crumbs that fell off the Rich man's table... Lazarus was waiting for the crumbs to fall and his competition was with the dogs... Lazarus was desperate - so desperate !

Lazarus died and the angels carried him to Heaven. The rich man died and went to hell. Not because he was rich, but because he didn't hear Lazarus's message...

Do you want to hear about hell from someone who saw it ? JESUS preached more about hell than Heaven. People won't go to hell because they sinned but because they refused the grace n mercy of GOD in JESUS.

The rich man in hell was desperate.

The kind of things CHRISTians go thru in History, the kind of things missionaries go through !

I can really be in the will of GOD asking for things. Yet how many have responded to their lust calling it their need ! ? !! ?


So many times we respond to our lusts and lose sight of GOD...

When you lose GOD you lose more than GOD !

In your desperation for something else you can lose sight of GOD.

Psalm 23 the LORD is my Shepherd I shall not want ! --- This is not jsu David's Psalm, this is my Psalm.

If I can't be satisfied in the LORD then nothing else will satisfy me. If HE cant't quench the thirst of something I lack, then the thing I lack won't satisfy me either.

Matthew 15:21 shows us the Canaanite woman's desperate haggle for GOD's answers for her child's condition !

Another kind of desperation. A condition where you feel GOD has seemingly withdrawn from me. I seemingly don't get an answer to my prayer. I'm not desperate for the things but for YOU. I'm desperate for the crumbs but I am more desperate for YOU - LORD !!!

Naturally speaking, we can be tempted. In Matthew 4 JESUS was tempted with food, sensation n power. But HE chose to cry on the Cross 'I thirst' than to turn stone into bread !

The William Bowden story - He left his dairy empire to become a missionary in India. On the way to India, he died. Times Magazine published a story - ' What a waste ! ' No life poured out to GOD is wasted...

Some people don't believe that you could be called to lose something... Has those verses changed ? Has the plan of GOD changed ? I need to be satisfied in the LORD knowing that HE is my Shepherd and I shall not want !

In the life of a disciple there is nothing lacking. You leave a lot but nothing is lacking !

Francis D'Assisi. He was madly in love with a girl and he was about to get married. The call to get married was not as important as the call to missions.

Hudson Taylor refused a marriage proposal he was keen on only becos his fiance didn't feel led to the inland china mission field.
 
Where are those kind of people today???

You and I can get desperate about the things we really want and take us away from the purpose of GOD.

No point being rich in the wrong way !

Let's be CHRISTians like tht. This is nothing. I don't want to be trained by the world on how to live my life. The things HE wants me to do, the life HE wants me to live this is the desperation HE calls us to have !

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Birth Of The Hymn Precious LORD - Tommy Dorsey

Back in 1932, I was a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago's south side. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn't want to go; Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child, but a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis. I kissed Nettie goodbye, clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66.
However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, I had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found Nettie sleeping peacefully. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly telling me to stay But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music.
The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope...
Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words:
YOUR WIFE JUST DIED.
People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out.
I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was "Nettie is dead Nettie is dead.'"
When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and joy. Yet that same night, the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn't want to serve Him anymore or write gospel songs I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well. But then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis. Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died.
From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially one friend. The following Saturday evening he took me up to Maloney's Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows.
I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody. Once in my head they just seemed to fall into place: 'Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.'
The Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power.
And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that Day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home.
- - - -Tommy Dorsey
For those too young to know who he is, Tommy Dorsey was a well-known bandleader in the 1930's and 40's.
Frank Sinatra got his big start & became famous w. his band.
Did you know that Tommy Dorsey wrote this song? What a wonderful story of how God CAN heal the brokenhearted!
Think on the message for a while....