well, i'm back...

...to borrow from the words of a favorite literary character, Samwise Gamgee.

Back from where?

You may remember my previous posts on the Lamplighter Guild.

Yesterday I got back- what a week it was!  The only words that I can think of are the sweet yet slightly melancholy, "Well, I'm back..."  to describe how I feel at this moment.

After a much very much anticipated week- one full of sweet fellowship, glorious revelation, and rigorous encouragement- what more can one say?

{Mohonk}

During the week I wrote a guest post on the Lamplighter Guild blog talking about something that really touched me the very first night that I was at the Guild. (You can read it here).

Hopefully I will post more about my week soon- I need to go through my copious notes first. :-)

Have a fabulous day!

it all gets down to...

You know, it's so easy to forget how low one really is.

It feels so natural to get offended when someone wrongs us- instinctual.  When someone says something against us we automatically feel indignant.  

Jesus calls us to wash the feet of the brethren,

"If I then, the Lord and Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."

~John 13:14 

This verse sounds so beautiful when we listen to it in church- but when it comes down to actually doing it- it loses it's appeal. Why?

It all gets down to one simple, itty, bitty, one-syllable word that gets pretty much every person in all walks of life on this planet in trouble- on every scale imaginable. 

...

Are you ready?

PRIDE.

It's hard for us to wash someone's feet when we feel that we are better than they are.  

Why should I be washing their feet?  Why can't they wash their own feet???

or better yet,

Why can't they wash my feet?

We remember the first part of the verse- Jesus washed the feet of His disciples- what makes us better than Him?   He's the Maker of the Universe- why wasn't someone washing His feet? 

"For I give you an example that you also should do as I did to you." (vs. 15)

So why do we struggle so badly with pride- even when we consider all this?  I mean, when we put everything in perspective it should be easy to be humble, right?  Wrong. 

I believe that especially us Christians, are magnets for pride.  Why?

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

~John 13:35

Pride gets in the way of our evangelism.  If someone sees us preaching the gospel, telling them how much Jesus loves them- but then we refuse to get our hands dirty by washing our own brother's feet- why would they want to listen to us?

If your unsaved younger brother or sister sees you preaching the gospel on a street corner- but then you treat them like garbage at home- acting annoyed and irritated with them- why would they want to ever become Christians?  They would think that all Christians are hypocrites and want nothing to do with them.

Do you see how deadly pride can be?

Satan's sin was pride- PRIDE got him kicked out of heaven and earned him an eternity of eternal damnation.  

So, now my encouragement to you:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves."

~Philippians 2:3

I know it sounds redundant- but for me it helps so much for it to be simplified.

Our family has this verse memorized- it's so much easier to think Am I considering this person more important than myself? than to try to get perspective in the moment.

Anyway, just been thinking recently...

Have a fabulous day, my friends!
Now go wash somebody's feet. :-)

let us never forget

When so long ago, our forefathers laid down the foundations for our great country, they loudly preached the cause of liberty.  Freedom was a word ever on their lips and justice was a cause worth fighting for.  Through the pain, the oppression, the violence and persecution that they endured they continued on ever believing that one day their dreams would be a reality.

Thank God that they didn't give up...

On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress.  Sadly, the bloody battle for freedom continued on for years after this but the foundation was laid and the light could be seen at the end of the tunnel.

May we never forget that we now have our freedom here in the United States of America at the heavy cost of blood.  The blood of the soldiers who fought so valiantly for your freedom of rights- and the blood of a Man on a cross who died willingly for your freedom to be forgiven and eternally saved.

Don't you see?

This country was founded by our forefathers, inspired by the work of Jesus Christ!  Our liberties here in this country, sadly, can be taken away eventually- but the gift of God cannot be.  

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

~2 Corinthians 3:17

The work that our forefathers did was only a reflection of what they knew that God did for them some 1,500 years prior.  They were grateful for the sacrifice of Christ and knew that the work which they were doing was merely a trifle in comparison. 

May we never forget the sacrifice of blood that has brought us our freedom- in our country and in our hearts.

Happy Independence Day, my friends!

{I couldn't help but share this song... every time think about the above scripture this song begins to play in my head...}