“She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” – Mark 14:8-9 (NRSV)
What can you do for Jesus? Have you done it? What is holding you back? How are you holding yourself back? Who have you seen that did something beautiful for God? What can be told about you wherever the good news is proclaimed?
Jesus spoke this of a nameless woman (in Mark’s Gospel that is) who poured expensive perfume all over him. Some people said it was a shame that she would waste it, but not Jesus. He praised her for doing what she could do, which was lovingly giving the best she had to Jesus.
Many of us wish we could do all sorts of things for Jesus. We wish we had more money so that we could give it to the church for some kind of ministry. We wish we had the ability to preach like Billy Graham so that we could tell more people about the love of Jesus. We wish we could write some hugely successful book like Rick Warren so that others might find meaning in their lives. Sometimes our wish is that others would get out of our way so that we could do what we want. The whole while we are wishing about what we might be able to do we never do what we can.
This woman did what she could, and we still talk about it 2000 years later!
Just last week a married couple worked on bicycles for the needy here at the church. Using their talents they were able to make three bikes work that before didn’t. I thanked them for blessing three needy people by taking their time to repair those bikes. “Oh we are only doing what we can,” I was told. And somewhere Jesus was rejoicing, praising them for doing what they could. What can we do for Jesus? Whatever that is, it is time to do it!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
When At The Gates of God
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name. – Psalm 100:4 (NRSV)
What are you thankful for today? Have you told God? Have you told anyone for that matter? Where have you found the gates of God? Where do you think God’s courts are? How have you blessed God’s name?
I once heard that each time you pick up the phone you should smile. When I asked why I was told, “Because the person on the other line will be able to hear your smile and you will make their day better.” Ever since I have heard that mighty peace of wisdom I have tried to follow it. Even if I am not making the person’s day better on the other end of the line, it makes my day a little better.
Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words can be short and very easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” I suppose that is true. I remember the people who tell me very kind things and very mean things. Both stick with me. Sometimes I say very rude things before I think about it. It really is simple to say something rude, and we try to apologize later saying something like, “I am sorry about that, my emotions got the best of me.” But we know that doesn’t make it better, those awful words hang in the air. The people we hurt are hurt. Words cannot really be taken back, which is why it is good to say kind words. They linger in the air too, but instead of pain they bring joy.
I got a call today from a friend. She was obviously smiling when I answered the phone, I could hear it and suddenly I was smiling too. She was so full of joy it made me happier. She was so full of thanksgiving it made me more thankful. Then she said some kind words about me and my heart rejoiced. Now I am praising God too!
I hear a lot of people talk about how awful the world is these days. We have each complained bitterly about something. But each morning we wake up we enter the gates of God. God’s courts are all around us, and there is plenty for which to be thankful! We must make choices though. We can choose to answer the phone with a frown and bring no joy. We can choose to say rude words and only make it so people don’t want us anywhere near. Or we can choose to rejoice with thanksgiving because we are in the courts of God, we are saved in the name of Jesus, we are God’s little loves. The choice is ours each moment. How will you enter the gates of God today?
With hope and joy,
Garrett
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name. – Psalm 100:4 (NRSV)
What are you thankful for today? Have you told God? Have you told anyone for that matter? Where have you found the gates of God? Where do you think God’s courts are? How have you blessed God’s name?
I once heard that each time you pick up the phone you should smile. When I asked why I was told, “Because the person on the other line will be able to hear your smile and you will make their day better.” Ever since I have heard that mighty peace of wisdom I have tried to follow it. Even if I am not making the person’s day better on the other end of the line, it makes my day a little better.
Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words can be short and very easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” I suppose that is true. I remember the people who tell me very kind things and very mean things. Both stick with me. Sometimes I say very rude things before I think about it. It really is simple to say something rude, and we try to apologize later saying something like, “I am sorry about that, my emotions got the best of me.” But we know that doesn’t make it better, those awful words hang in the air. The people we hurt are hurt. Words cannot really be taken back, which is why it is good to say kind words. They linger in the air too, but instead of pain they bring joy.
I got a call today from a friend. She was obviously smiling when I answered the phone, I could hear it and suddenly I was smiling too. She was so full of joy it made me happier. She was so full of thanksgiving it made me more thankful. Then she said some kind words about me and my heart rejoiced. Now I am praising God too!
I hear a lot of people talk about how awful the world is these days. We have each complained bitterly about something. But each morning we wake up we enter the gates of God. God’s courts are all around us, and there is plenty for which to be thankful! We must make choices though. We can choose to answer the phone with a frown and bring no joy. We can choose to say rude words and only make it so people don’t want us anywhere near. Or we can choose to rejoice with thanksgiving because we are in the courts of God, we are saved in the name of Jesus, we are God’s little loves. The choice is ours each moment. How will you enter the gates of God today?
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
What A Friend!
I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. – Psalm 116:1 (NRSV)
Do you love God? If you do, why? How does that love show in your life? Have you called to God? Has God heard you when you called? How do you know? Do you live with the hope imbedded in the words of the psalmist? Read the rest of Psalm 116 and find out.
The following story is from – John C. Maxwell and Dan Reiland, The Treasure of a Friend (J. Countryman, 1999).
Jim and Phillip did everything together when they were kids. They even went to high school and college together. After college they joined the marines together. They were both sent to Germany, where they fought side by side in one of history’s ugliest wars.
During a fierce battle, they were given the command to retreat. As the men were running back, Jim noticed that Phillip hadn’t returned with the others. Jim begged his commanding officer to let him go after his friend, but the officer forbade the request, saying it would be suicide.
Jim disobeyed and went after Phillip. His heart pounding, he ran into the gunfire, calling out for Phillip. A short time later, his platoon saw him hobbling across the field carrying a limp body in his arms. The commanding officer shouted at Jim for his outrageous risk. “Your friend is dead,” he said. “There was nothing you could do.”
“No sir,” Jim replied. “I got there just in time. Before Phillip died, he said, ‘I knew you would come.’”
With God no matter how bad the situation, if we call out, we can be assured that God will come! Why would God come into any situation with us? Because God loves us! That is why we can love God, and talk to God all of the time. Too many of us claim we do not know how to pray, or worse yet do not have time to pray. The great old hymn, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” says it best, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” We must pray to our God, talking and sharing, because then we will be in a relationship and together all of the time. That same hymn needs to be quoted again, “Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our Refuge—Take it to the Lord in prayer! Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.” If we are in any need, call to God, and when we discover God arrive we can with faith in our friend proclaim, “I knew you would come.”
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Do you love God? If you do, why? How does that love show in your life? Have you called to God? Has God heard you when you called? How do you know? Do you live with the hope imbedded in the words of the psalmist? Read the rest of Psalm 116 and find out.
The following story is from – John C. Maxwell and Dan Reiland, The Treasure of a Friend (J. Countryman, 1999).
Jim and Phillip did everything together when they were kids. They even went to high school and college together. After college they joined the marines together. They were both sent to Germany, where they fought side by side in one of history’s ugliest wars.
During a fierce battle, they were given the command to retreat. As the men were running back, Jim noticed that Phillip hadn’t returned with the others. Jim begged his commanding officer to let him go after his friend, but the officer forbade the request, saying it would be suicide.
Jim disobeyed and went after Phillip. His heart pounding, he ran into the gunfire, calling out for Phillip. A short time later, his platoon saw him hobbling across the field carrying a limp body in his arms. The commanding officer shouted at Jim for his outrageous risk. “Your friend is dead,” he said. “There was nothing you could do.”
“No sir,” Jim replied. “I got there just in time. Before Phillip died, he said, ‘I knew you would come.’”
With God no matter how bad the situation, if we call out, we can be assured that God will come! Why would God come into any situation with us? Because God loves us! That is why we can love God, and talk to God all of the time. Too many of us claim we do not know how to pray, or worse yet do not have time to pray. The great old hymn, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” says it best, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” We must pray to our God, talking and sharing, because then we will be in a relationship and together all of the time. That same hymn needs to be quoted again, “Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our Refuge—Take it to the Lord in prayer! Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.” If we are in any need, call to God, and when we discover God arrive we can with faith in our friend proclaim, “I knew you would come.”
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Always Praising God
I will praise the LORD at all times; his praise is always on my lips. My whole being praises the LORD. The poor will hear and be glad. Glorify the LORD with me, and let us praise his name together. – Psalm 34:1-3 (NCV)
How do you praise God? Have you ever thought about what praising God at all times would be like? What would it be like? Are the poor glad when they are around you? How will you glorify the LORD today? Who will praise his name with you?
The following story is from Leslie Boling a member of First Pres Albany.
My Mama was diabetic and suffered from congestive heart failure. In the early part of 1996 she had gotten to the point that she could not remember if she had tested her blood sugar or if she had given herself insulin. Her mind was sometimes foggy. My Daddy would not learn to administer the insulin so we came to a point that we had to put her in a nursing home so that she would receive proper medical care. When the time came to tell her, she was in the hospital and my brother, my parents’ pastor, Harold and I went to tell her. She did not want to leave her home or her husband and was shaken about it at first but then she said, “This will be an opportunity for me to be a witness to someone who doesn’t know Jesus”. While she was there she befriended many people who were alone, and always poured forth the love of Christ. She died 7 months later, but those were 7 months well spent praising God!
No matter who we are, what we do, how old we are, how young we are, our inexperience or anything else we can praise the Lord at all times, and we must! It is easy to praise God because God is so great, and because God is with us no matter what we can discover reason for joy even in pain. Let us make the world better by praising God at all times, glorifying Jesus by how we live, and watch others rejoice as they see us living in praise and then come to praise Jesus’ name with us!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
How do you praise God? Have you ever thought about what praising God at all times would be like? What would it be like? Are the poor glad when they are around you? How will you glorify the LORD today? Who will praise his name with you?
The following story is from Leslie Boling a member of First Pres Albany.
My Mama was diabetic and suffered from congestive heart failure. In the early part of 1996 she had gotten to the point that she could not remember if she had tested her blood sugar or if she had given herself insulin. Her mind was sometimes foggy. My Daddy would not learn to administer the insulin so we came to a point that we had to put her in a nursing home so that she would receive proper medical care. When the time came to tell her, she was in the hospital and my brother, my parents’ pastor, Harold and I went to tell her. She did not want to leave her home or her husband and was shaken about it at first but then she said, “This will be an opportunity for me to be a witness to someone who doesn’t know Jesus”. While she was there she befriended many people who were alone, and always poured forth the love of Christ. She died 7 months later, but those were 7 months well spent praising God!
No matter who we are, what we do, how old we are, how young we are, our inexperience or anything else we can praise the Lord at all times, and we must! It is easy to praise God because God is so great, and because God is with us no matter what we can discover reason for joy even in pain. Let us make the world better by praising God at all times, glorifying Jesus by how we live, and watch others rejoice as they see us living in praise and then come to praise Jesus’ name with us!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
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