Skip to main content

the events before us


Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;

As I write this the verdict is still out on the impact of Hurricane Sandy.  Our community is under a wind warning having already been hit by some rain and the cold.  East of us there have been lives changed already.  Homes have collapsed as have community buildings and more.

It is hard to understand but reality how a storm can bring such disaster on property and so much more.  But the thing that really matters is lives.  Homes can be replaced, the shoreline will be fixed, and things can be rebuilt.  Lives are gone once they are gone.  That reminds me how much importance we must put on what puts importance on.  God cherishes lives.  You and me and others.

That is why this morning I began praying for the people I know who live in the past of the storm.  Through the day other people have come to mind as I watched TV or heard reports or saw people commenting on Facebook or twitter.  Lives are important.

I am convinced that God desires to change the things that bring fear into our lives.  Yes, we cannot map the entire impact of the storm, but we can prepare our lives the storms that might come our way.

Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

The election is one week away, and I am not intending to use this post to tell you to vote for.  But I will take this a step forward.  All those who are in authority over us have been put there by God (see Romans 13).  God put these people in place even though we might not agree with them.  I learned a long time ago that I need to pray for people twice as much as we talk or complain. 

What I will encourage you to do is to vote the values that God has given us in Scripture.  The same thing about the current hurricane and disaster is true about the election.  God prizes life.  He gave us, and He is in charge or all life.  I believe that budgets and foreign policy are important, but where the convergence of life and the importance of life meets is where we have to make sure that what we value and treasure is what God values.

"A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying." -- Pope John Paul II

That same quote came from Ghandi and Churchill and others.  God actually said it first.  Literally it is the truth of God that when we treasure and treat well the people who are the most vulnerable and the hurting as important that God will honor us.  If we honor life, God will honor us. 

May we be people who are known for caring and how we share that we care.

James 1:27
NLT
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan.  His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God.  Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st.  The book is Forgotten God .   This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into.  All of it is within the Holy Spirit.  Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people.  It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about.   And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts.  We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things.  It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share.  For me C.S. Lewis is one of those.  He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class.  It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before.  He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born.  It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian.  He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!