Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Pride
I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big success. I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, which, if given time, will rend the hardest monuments of pride.
William James 1842-1910, American Psychologist, Professor, Author
2 Cor 5:12-15
We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. NASU
Big things make big impressions on us. Big ships, big houses, and yes even big churches, but what really is the power of size. The power of size is only powerful in that it can unite small things, big is a lot of little that is put together. It is organized and has purpose, and that is what makes it “Big.”
Many Christians desire to do big things for God, and big is where they desire to start. Big is really nice to look at, but what really moves big is the power of those that take control of the small things in their lives. If we would desire to do big things for Him in our lives it means that we must take control of those little things and use them for the Glory of God. We must get rid of little things that prevent the Holy Spirit from doing the little things in us that must begin before God will give us bigger things to do.
For Big to work right and to remain upright and true, the little things must be aligned and in order, and that is what God is doing in us daily. Now the amazing thing about these little things that we allow to happen in us is that they begin the big things of God and start within us the growth process that God intended for us all along. Those little streams of pure and unstained love that flow from us begin to break down the big things in our lives that have defeated us all along.
When that happens people come to share and watch those little things come from you and I, little beams of light that become a “Great Light” for all the world to see, and little streams of water that become a might rushing stream that will move mountains for God. So lets you and I pay more attention to the little things, in us and gather them together…to see the Great Things, only God can do…God Bless.
Pastor William
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
How to Stay Young
Age and Aging
When a noble life has prepared old age, it is not decline that it reveals, but the first days of immortality.
Germaine De Stael 1766-1817, French-Swiss Novelist
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. NASU
Robert Browning said, “Grow old with me the best is yet to come.” What I firmly believe is that age is an attitude more than it is a measure of time. The attitude that we carry really shows in our lives, and more so on our faces. I say that sad faces have more wrinkles, but wrinkled faces have more smiles. The young will be old, and the worst thing that we can do as we grow older is to wish to be young again.
I have heard wrinkles described in different ways, and one advantage I have heard that comes with wrinkles is that they hide the scars. The one place we need to keep the wrinkles out of though is our hearts, Thomas Aldrich said it this way, “To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.” In other words we don’t have to have wrinkled hearts.
I was looking at a recent picture of my dad the other day, and he said this, “I never think of myself as that old until I see a picture of myself, and then I am reminded of my age. Now that is good evidence of an unwrinkled heart. But, how do we keep our hearts in this unwrinkled condition? We do it by remembering that the best is yet to come. God has promised us that and it is something that we need to remind ourselves of everyday of our existence.
If we really believe that then we will have fond memories, but not long to live them again. We will still have an earnest hope and excitement about our tomorrows at ninety as we did at nineteen. Thomas Carlyle the Scottish Philosopher said this about aging, “The outer passes away; the innermost is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” You see that is what my dad was saying, inside I am still the same as I was at nineteen, and the outside of me does not reflect who I am within.
Is this true of you this morning, are you feeling your age, or are you timeless? It seems we all want to live long but, we never want to grow old. Well, there is only one place I know of where that can happen, and I’m getting closer to it everyday. I’m going to remember that, what about you…God Bless.
Pastor William
When a noble life has prepared old age, it is not decline that it reveals, but the first days of immortality.
Germaine De Stael 1766-1817, French-Swiss Novelist
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. NASU
Robert Browning said, “Grow old with me the best is yet to come.” What I firmly believe is that age is an attitude more than it is a measure of time. The attitude that we carry really shows in our lives, and more so on our faces. I say that sad faces have more wrinkles, but wrinkled faces have more smiles. The young will be old, and the worst thing that we can do as we grow older is to wish to be young again.
I have heard wrinkles described in different ways, and one advantage I have heard that comes with wrinkles is that they hide the scars. The one place we need to keep the wrinkles out of though is our hearts, Thomas Aldrich said it this way, “To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.” In other words we don’t have to have wrinkled hearts.
I was looking at a recent picture of my dad the other day, and he said this, “I never think of myself as that old until I see a picture of myself, and then I am reminded of my age. Now that is good evidence of an unwrinkled heart. But, how do we keep our hearts in this unwrinkled condition? We do it by remembering that the best is yet to come. God has promised us that and it is something that we need to remind ourselves of everyday of our existence.
If we really believe that then we will have fond memories, but not long to live them again. We will still have an earnest hope and excitement about our tomorrows at ninety as we did at nineteen. Thomas Carlyle the Scottish Philosopher said this about aging, “The outer passes away; the innermost is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” You see that is what my dad was saying, inside I am still the same as I was at nineteen, and the outside of me does not reflect who I am within.
Is this true of you this morning, are you feeling your age, or are you timeless? It seems we all want to live long but, we never want to grow old. Well, there is only one place I know of where that can happen, and I’m getting closer to it everyday. I’m going to remember that, what about you…God Bless.
Pastor William
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A Picture of Your Soul?
Soul
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll; I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley 1849-1903, British Poet, Critic, Editor
Ps 19:7-10
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. NASU
We are complicated creations, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, it says in God’s Word. St. Augustine, the famed Theologian of 354-430, once said this of the soul that stirs within each of us; “Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul? Man is a great depth, O Lord. The hairs of his head are easier by far to count than his feeling, the movements of his heart.”
How are you feeling this morning, how well does your soul rest within you? I love that old hymn, It Is Well With My Soul,” it was written in a time of wrenching pain and loss, by a man that had lost the dearest possessions he had, his family. Yet, there was in the midst of those feelings, peace in his soul. The religious reformer Molinos wrote, “Thou are never at any time nearer to God than when under tribulation; which he permits for the purifications and beautifying of thy soul.
The soul, just as the body lives by what it feeds on, and it is as St John of the Cross said, destined to death if it is tied by any tether at all, whether by chain or thread, to the things of this world. It is delicate, and most importantly it is reserved wholly for the Lord. There need not be disturbances in our soul, if, we cling to The Law of The Lord, then it will be, as is stated in His word, the restorer of our soul. When we are weak, and when we are weary, and when feelings are beyond words, His Word is the healing and protecting ointment of our very existence.
Aristotle said, the soul never thinks without a picture, and that is true. We must realize that we as individuals have been given souls, and we are individually responsible to God for their health. Picture this day the condition of your soul, is it healthy? Have you fed it well? Is it resilient to stand up in heat of tribulation, and rest anchored in the hands of God? If not cut loose the contaminating presence of this world, and let it feast again of the pure things of God, purer than gold, sweeter than honey, is the respect and fear of the commandments of our LORD, He makes things simple again…God Bless.
Pastor William
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll; I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley 1849-1903, British Poet, Critic, Editor
Ps 19:7-10
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. NASU
We are complicated creations, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, it says in God’s Word. St. Augustine, the famed Theologian of 354-430, once said this of the soul that stirs within each of us; “Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul? Man is a great depth, O Lord. The hairs of his head are easier by far to count than his feeling, the movements of his heart.”
How are you feeling this morning, how well does your soul rest within you? I love that old hymn, It Is Well With My Soul,” it was written in a time of wrenching pain and loss, by a man that had lost the dearest possessions he had, his family. Yet, there was in the midst of those feelings, peace in his soul. The religious reformer Molinos wrote, “Thou are never at any time nearer to God than when under tribulation; which he permits for the purifications and beautifying of thy soul.
The soul, just as the body lives by what it feeds on, and it is as St John of the Cross said, destined to death if it is tied by any tether at all, whether by chain or thread, to the things of this world. It is delicate, and most importantly it is reserved wholly for the Lord. There need not be disturbances in our soul, if, we cling to The Law of The Lord, then it will be, as is stated in His word, the restorer of our soul. When we are weak, and when we are weary, and when feelings are beyond words, His Word is the healing and protecting ointment of our very existence.
Aristotle said, the soul never thinks without a picture, and that is true. We must realize that we as individuals have been given souls, and we are individually responsible to God for their health. Picture this day the condition of your soul, is it healthy? Have you fed it well? Is it resilient to stand up in heat of tribulation, and rest anchored in the hands of God? If not cut loose the contaminating presence of this world, and let it feast again of the pure things of God, purer than gold, sweeter than honey, is the respect and fear of the commandments of our LORD, He makes things simple again…God Bless.
Pastor William
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Pastor William
- Pastor William F Burroughs
- Gainesville, Fl, United States
- Pray for God to move greatly in "Journey of The Word Church".