Reveration Blog
9/1/2006 0 Comments AffirmationJenny stopped by to get food. I felt bad because I couldn’t remember her name. But she graciously dismissed my forgetfulness and explained that she was still without a job. I reassured her that we were glad to again be able to help her and her five children. I’d invited Jenny to our fellowship many times so we could spiritually encourage her but for multiple reasons she had not come. This time I shared with her that she was a remarkable woman and that many people had come to get food from us as a result of her seeing their need and encouraging them to come. I told her that she was highly regarded in the neighborhood and that I was disappointed she had not come to our Saturday evening gatherings, not because she was missing us but rather we were missing her.
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10/7/2005 0 Comments ProclaimingTypically, on Saturday evenings, The Road Home, a fellowship less than a year old, meets in a school in Newberg, Oregon. Aside from our primary desire to worship the Lord we want to reach our surrounding community with the gospel and raise up disciple makers. Like most churches, we sing, share, pray and teach God’s Word. Currently we are working our way through Luke’s gospel.
2/28/2005 LaughterPity the stuffy religious leader who wears frowns as a badge of maturity and looks down upon those who laugh as frivolous contenders for God’s eventual wrath. He has missed the divine engineering of our marvelous Creator, misused the ministry of role-modeling and will most likely die the premature death of one repressed instead of blessed. The human capacity to laugh is a God-given gift and for good reason.
11/14/2003 0 Comments ThrillsTurn on the television these days and you’re likely to see a “reality” program. Spawned by the show Survivor, Hollywood churns out Fear Factor, Temptation Island, the Bachelor, etc., in ever-increasing bizarreness to titillate our senses. But these shows have little to do with reality, they are all about the pursuit of thrills. A bored nation craves standing on the edge of immoral precipices. It’s not enough to know someone is inebriated, now viewers must see vomiting—as if such disgusting behavior will in some way rivet more eyes to the box of shame.
12/28/1999 0 Comments JoyStephen blows fiercely against the candles on his cake. But try as he may, those flames will not die. He is the victim of trickery and everyone howls with merriment. There is a wonderful lesson on top all that delicious frosting.
So often as Christians we wear our joy like normal candles. At the slightest breeze of adversity we find our light snuffed. It is much easier to be critical and whine than it is to rest in the certainty of Christ. Joy is not defined by the absence of wind or rain or by the presence of paradise. It is not conceived under the banner of pleasure. True joy cannot be formed by what is already in essence tainted. For joy to be complete it must be founded in the only thing that is perfect—God! 12/21/1999 0 Comments OtherworldlyMeditation
Luke 2:13,14--Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors! 8/10/1999 0 Comments SatisfactionSometimes it’s hard to really know how much you love something until you lose it. We knew today was coming and dreaded it—things just won’t be the same.
6/4/1999 0 Comments EnthusiasmMeditation
2 Samuel 6:14,15--David was dancing with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod. He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn. 5/24/1999 0 Comments Prayer III: Changing MeMeditation
Psalm 28:2--Listen to the sound of my pleading when I cry to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. Have you ever studied the Psalms? A most interesting phenomenon occurs with the poet David. He often begins his psalms by telling God of some distressing circumstance he is anxious about. Sometimes he frets over his wicked enemies. Other times his heart is convicted of personal sin or he longs for the taste of God’s mercy and strong presence. Curiously, towards the end of these stress-permeated laments a shift takes place. The poet who is troubled becomes a troubadour extolling his love for his Lord. What began as an imbroglio ends as praise! 4/13/1999 0 Comments SecurityBeware the dreaded Babylonians! Habakkuk, a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, was a man of profound faith who voiced complaints to God that rose from a troubled heart. The world (605 B.C.?), as he knew it, abounded with injustice. His own nation, Judah, was awash in sin and about to be conquered by a godless enemy. “How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?. . . Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are You silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself? (1:2, 13). Ever felt that way towards God? Ever wondered amidst evil-dominated headlines if God was off on some celestial sabbatical?
3/24/1999 0 Comments PerspectiveDrafting is such an amazing art. I find it fascinating how engineers depict buildings and objects through the skillful drawing of lines and shading areas. Did you know that perspective is defined in The American Heritage Dictionary as: “The technique of representing three-dimensional objects and depth relationships on a two-dimensional surface."
3/15/1999 0 Comments PresenceHave you ever watched a Sumo match? Holy cow—what a ground shaking event! Two men of huge girth stand apart from each other in the middle of a large circle wearing only loincloths. Each warrior attempts to expel the other outside the ring by exerting clever technique combined with brute force. Sumo wrestling is the national sport and pastime of the Japanese. It is a more elegant, ancient and simplified version of America’s pro-wrestling.
10/29/1998 0 Comments ReflectionsThe Bible references the number 40, 114 times. It often signifies completion for a period of blessing, testing or punishment. Consider: “You will bear the consequences of your sins 40 years based on the number of the 40 days that you scouted the land, a year for each day. You will know My displeasure” (Numbers 14:34). So God condemned a generation of Israelites to wander in the Sinai desert, a place of barrenness that aptly illustrated the shriveled state of their faith. They would not enter the promised land because it contained giants. The only exception God made was to 40-year-old Joshua and his friend Caleb. He blessed these two courageous men who saw opportunity where others feared defeat.
9/8/1998 0 Comments ModelThis morning a woman climbed into her car. She stopped by a Starbucks to get her caffeine jolt for the morning. Later she pulled into the parking lot at work and said “hi” to a few other employees who also just arrived. Once inside the building she encountered many people who work there—some of whom she engaged in conversation while others she passed by because they were busy. During the course of her day she will lead or serve many different people. She may talk on the phone, send and pick up email messages, and converse with her boss, those who work for her, and others nearby. After work she will drive home, have dinner, possibly call someone special, relax in front of the television or read a book before going to bed.
6/22/1998 0 Comments DelightSome adults love to sit in airports and people-watch. I prefer a playground or a setting with lots of kids. Children crack me up—mostly because they know how to live. Here’s a brief sampling from a recent party.
4/27/1998 0 Comments EmotionsWatching people could easily become a favorite hobby for me. Do you ever notice the faces of oncoming drivers while sitting at a traffic light? Try it sometime. There is a lot to be learned about life in the expressions of those we encounter each day.
11/20/1997 0 Comments DesireHow do I know when I am growing spiritually? One sure way to tell is to evaluate my desires. Jesus said “For where your treasures is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Treasures do not have to be tangible possessions. Our thoughts our often our treasures.
10/26/1997 0 Comments Jesus ChristMeditation
Matthew 2:9,10--After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. 7/19/1997 0 Comments PreparationMeditation
2 Timothy 2:20,21--Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. |
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Photo from Rachel Maxey Miles