This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" (Zechariah 4:6-7).
There is one assumption that Christians always must have, The Holy Spirit is always working, strengthening and helping His people to live their lives for the Lord and to accomplish the tasks and bear the burdens that are before them. In the context of the above text, God had given governor Zerubbabel the job of rebuilding the temple in 535BCE. The rebuilding was completed in 516BCE. The job took twenty years of back-breaking effort, fighting enemies from within and without. I'm sure there were times when Zerubbabel thought, "God, I didn't think it would be this hard--you made it sound so easy--the mountain was going to flatten itself before me." Zerubbabel had limited resources, little money, limited labor and expertise, and battles to fight, yet, the temple was finished because God was working with Zerubbabel and his people. Zerubbabel could look back and say with out a doubt, "With out God's help we couldn't have built it!"
Because of God's provision of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of every Christian, we can always assume the Holy Spirit is working in every situation of our life. It does not mean that life will go smoothly or that we can be slackers in preparation and in every-day hard work, but it does mean He is working with us to help us deal with the situations we face. Just like we assume that our heart is going to make the next beat, or we will be able to take the next breath, so we can assume that Holy Spirit is ministering in our lives. And, when our lives are over, we will be able to look back and say, "It wasn't by human effort, but by His Spirit!"
Our Father's Love,
Tom
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
JUST DO IT AGAIN
Who ever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin (James 4:17).
A couple of posts ago, I wrote, Just Do It, borrowing a marketing slogan from Nike. Borrowing the same slogan, I want to share a few words about procrastination. Often the benefits of responsible behavior and hard work are not immediate, they may come days, weeks, months or even years later. The benefit of procrastination is immediate, one is freed from the burden of doing a job "right this minute." The problem with the immediate gratification of procrastination is the delayed penalty; the added stress, the extra work and the unreliable reputation one gains as a result.
In view of all that, why would one sabotage himself like this? It would seem that the penalty so out weighs the reward that it isn't worth it. Procrastination is a way of dealing with stress, but the problem is that, in the long run, procrastination adds to one's stress. The best way of dealing with procrastination is to just get started doing your job, turn off the distractions and plunge in. Do one job at a time. It feels good to be responsible. Deal with stress in a responsible way through a relationship with Jesus Christ, exercise, proper diet, a hobby and social relationships.
Now, on to my next job.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
A couple of posts ago, I wrote, Just Do It, borrowing a marketing slogan from Nike. Borrowing the same slogan, I want to share a few words about procrastination. Often the benefits of responsible behavior and hard work are not immediate, they may come days, weeks, months or even years later. The benefit of procrastination is immediate, one is freed from the burden of doing a job "right this minute." The problem with the immediate gratification of procrastination is the delayed penalty; the added stress, the extra work and the unreliable reputation one gains as a result.
In view of all that, why would one sabotage himself like this? It would seem that the penalty so out weighs the reward that it isn't worth it. Procrastination is a way of dealing with stress, but the problem is that, in the long run, procrastination adds to one's stress. The best way of dealing with procrastination is to just get started doing your job, turn off the distractions and plunge in. Do one job at a time. It feels good to be responsible. Deal with stress in a responsible way through a relationship with Jesus Christ, exercise, proper diet, a hobby and social relationships.
Now, on to my next job.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
Saturday, October 13, 2012
IT HELPS TO KNOW HOW IT ENDS
. . . I heard a voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:3-4).
The Iowa Hawkeyes had a bye week on their football schedule last week, so when I saw they were replaying the 2009 game with Michigan State on the Big Ten Network, I had to watch. The Hawks were ahead by 3 with just a couple minutes to go. Then, suddenly Michigan State started moving the ball and they scored a touch down and an extra point to put them 4 ahead of Iowa and leaving less time on the clock than I thought was possible for the Hawkeyes to score a touch down for the win. But I saw the game in 2009 and I knew that Iowa won it, so I was relaxed as I watched the final seconds unfold. On the very last play with 2 seconds to go, Iowa quarterback, Ricky Stanzi passed to Marvin Mcnutt in the end zone for the touchdown. Iowa won!!! When one knows the outcome, it sure cuts down on the stress!
In Christ, we know the outcome of our lives, we win!!! That does not mean we will not go through some very difficult times, but it does remove a lot of anger, fear, anxiety and grief! Our hope is not wishful thinking, it is based on the best fact of history, Jesus Christ has risen. We know how it ends, so relax, it's going to be alright!
Our Father's Love,
Tom
P.S. Iowa faces Michigan State again today--I do not know how this one will turn out, so I am a little anxious. Pray that the Lord smiles on the Hawkeyes today.
The Iowa Hawkeyes had a bye week on their football schedule last week, so when I saw they were replaying the 2009 game with Michigan State on the Big Ten Network, I had to watch. The Hawks were ahead by 3 with just a couple minutes to go. Then, suddenly Michigan State started moving the ball and they scored a touch down and an extra point to put them 4 ahead of Iowa and leaving less time on the clock than I thought was possible for the Hawkeyes to score a touch down for the win. But I saw the game in 2009 and I knew that Iowa won it, so I was relaxed as I watched the final seconds unfold. On the very last play with 2 seconds to go, Iowa quarterback, Ricky Stanzi passed to Marvin Mcnutt in the end zone for the touchdown. Iowa won!!! When one knows the outcome, it sure cuts down on the stress!
In Christ, we know the outcome of our lives, we win!!! That does not mean we will not go through some very difficult times, but it does remove a lot of anger, fear, anxiety and grief! Our hope is not wishful thinking, it is based on the best fact of history, Jesus Christ has risen. We know how it ends, so relax, it's going to be alright!
Our Father's Love,
Tom
P.S. Iowa faces Michigan State again today--I do not know how this one will turn out, so I am a little anxious. Pray that the Lord smiles on the Hawkeyes today.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
CHRISTIANITY IS A LIFE-TIME EDUCATION
Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalms 119:105).
The lovely and gracious Helen and I were having supper with friends when the topic of what we are reading came up. I was asked what I was reading and I sputtered and stuttered a little before I answered and my answer was not very good either. It seems as if I am always reading. Between the 4 farm journals and the 2 professional counseling and pastoral journals and the newspapers, I really do very little reading just for fun--my recreational reading is about the Iowa Hawkeyes and Fords.
While I think I read a lot, my reading priorities can use some tweaking. One of my reading priorities that will never change is Bible reading. I read from the Bible every day. I do not cover a lot of ground in one day because I like to meditate over what I have read. I read from the Bible in an organized fashion--it is not haphazard. Currently, I am in Luke's gospel. One thing every serious Bible reader will tell you is that, even though they have read the Bible many times, they are always learning from it. An advanced degree in Bible does not mean that one knows all about the Bible and theology; it only means his education has only begun. Christianity is truly a life-time education. Let the Bible be first in your reading priorities.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
The lovely and gracious Helen and I were having supper with friends when the topic of what we are reading came up. I was asked what I was reading and I sputtered and stuttered a little before I answered and my answer was not very good either. It seems as if I am always reading. Between the 4 farm journals and the 2 professional counseling and pastoral journals and the newspapers, I really do very little reading just for fun--my recreational reading is about the Iowa Hawkeyes and Fords.
While I think I read a lot, my reading priorities can use some tweaking. One of my reading priorities that will never change is Bible reading. I read from the Bible every day. I do not cover a lot of ground in one day because I like to meditate over what I have read. I read from the Bible in an organized fashion--it is not haphazard. Currently, I am in Luke's gospel. One thing every serious Bible reader will tell you is that, even though they have read the Bible many times, they are always learning from it. An advanced degree in Bible does not mean that one knows all about the Bible and theology; it only means his education has only begun. Christianity is truly a life-time education. Let the Bible be first in your reading priorities.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
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