Finding God When Disappointed by Christians: Hypocrites?

April 27, 2012 By 2 Comments

By Dianne E. Butts:

3 Things to Remember when Christians Disappoint Us

Have you been wounded by a Christian, or read in the media about the failings of  professing Christians and decided they must be  hypocrites?

Have you then used that as an excuse to not believe in Christ yourself?

Well, do bear in mind:

1. Inevitably, professing Christians will disappoint us, because we all fail at times. Christians are supposed to live their lives striving to do what is right. But sometimes the failings of Christians are huge, which not only makes other Christians look bad but can also desperately wound others.

Know this, though: the Bible is filled with stories of God’s people failing: Moses killed a man and buried him in the sand, not knowing someone was watching. King David had an adulterous relationship and committed murder in an attempt to cover it up. Of course Christians shouldn’t do the terrible things Moses and David  did. The Bible is full of stories about terrible mistakes people made: not to endorse those mistakes, but to chronicle actual historical events and reveal repentance, forgiveness and redemption.

It is the grace of God and His forgiveness that saves us, not our bad (or good) behavior. (See the video embedded below!)

2. Still, God can use people who do bad things. Moses still led the people of Israel out of Egypt and built the tabernacle, one of the greatest object lessons that explains God. King David still fathered the bloodline that led to Messiah, as God promised would happen. David drew the plans and financed the Temple (the permanent version of Moses’ object-lesson Tabernacle) that his son, Solomon would build.

Have you ever done a bad thing? God can still use you for good, if you will begin now to cooperate with Him.

3. To not follow Jesus, because of  bad things some Jesus-followers do, will deprive YOU. When we stand before Jesus on Judgement Day (and there will be a Judgement Day!), telling God you rejected Him because you heard about a professing Christian who groped women, or was accused of not being honest in financial dealings, or made other even more terrible choices won’t fly. God will judge you on what you do. You won’t be able to use any other failing people you justify as hypocrites as your excuse.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Romans 14:13 (Bible, New International Version)

Are you confused about the relationship between works (good deeds we do) and faith, and how that affects your salvation? Here is an excellent short film from Igniter Media that explains it well, and creatively too!

You Do The Math, from Igniter Media.

Downloads and DVDs are available at http://www.ignitermedia.com.

 ©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne has over 275 articles and short fiction in more than fifty publications. She is a regular contributor to Finding God Daily. You can find Dianne’s blog HERE.

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Finding God in Shrove Tuesday

February 21, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Some people are finding God in Shrove Tuesday. Do you know what Shrove Tuesday is? Don’t worry. There was a time I didn’t know what it was either.

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. This year in 2012, Shrove Tuesday is Feb. 21. Shrove Tuesday is the day that women in some locations clean out their kitchen pantries to get rid of all the foods that are not allowed for Lent, including pre-lenten meat as well as fats and oils. For some it’s a tradition to use up these tasty morsels by feasting—cooking up the meats and making the fats and oils into pancakes.

I first heard of Shrove Tuesday when I moved to a small town in Colorado and started attending a Presbyterian Church. I remember the strange telephone call I got:

“Hello, Dianne, I’m calling for the church to let you know you’ll be waitressing for our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper.”

“Waitressing?” I asked. “For the what? There must be some mistake. I’m not a waitress.” I then learned everyone in the church was assigned a duty for the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper that was served to the community annually. We were fairly new in town and those people didn’t know me very well. If they had, they never would have assigned me to be a waitress.

“What’s a Shrove?” I asked.

She hesitated. “It’s a supper, “she said. “We serve pancakes and sausage.”

“Oh, “I said. “Is shrove some kind of sausage?”

“No, “she said.

“Oh. Okay,” I said, confused. In January I had received another confusing invitation to the women’s group.

“We’d like you to come to Circle,” a woman told me.

“Oh,” I said smiling.

“We’re having our Sacrificial Meal,” she added.

“Oh,” I said and tried to continue smiling. Reminded me of that story about the cannibal who wanted to have the missionary for dinner. I knew I was the new kid on the block. But what had happened to the last new kid on the block? I declined the invitation.

Now it was February and I was trying desperately to talk my way out of being a waitress.

“No, we all have our assigned jobs”, she explained kindly, “and you’re assigned to be a waitress.”

I thought of the passage in Ephesians 4:11: “He…gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelist, and some to be…” Waitresses? Alas. It seemed my assignment had been set in stone.

“Fine, I’ll waitress,” I said. “But I’d rather be in the kitchen sizzling those shroves.”

Whether or not you observe the Lenten season that leads to Easter, as you prepare for Easter and the celebration of God’s gift to us in Jesus, you might consider what extra items are in your heart that you may want to clean out. If you do that, you might be finding God in Shrove Tuesday.

What is Shrove Tuesday? video:

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a regular contributor to Finding God Daily and is a prolific story and article writer. You can find out more about her at www.dianneebutts.com.

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Find God in Humor: The Way Church Used to Be

January 28, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

When you were growing up, did your family go to church? Were you dragged there? Was church fun for you? Or…dreaded?! If you dreaded church, then you need to find God in humor: the way church used to be.

At the bottom of this article you’ll find a wonderful video by humorist Kelly Swanson. She had me laughing with memories! Yes, I was dragged to church as a youngster. But I never had the gumption to fake the flu! We went to church Sunday mornings but I know some of my friends were in church Sunday evenings, Wednesday evenings, and eight or nine other evenings of the week as well.

I do have to admit church can be a lot more fun these days. I do often go in my blue jeans. In fact, I always wear blue jeans when I ride my motorcycle to church, which is as often as possible in the warmer months in Colorado.

I’ve had some bad experiences with church, even as an adult. In the thirty years we’ve been married, my husband and I have moved to a new town five times and so have gone looking for a new church five times. Most of the time, it has been surprisingly difficult to find a good church for us to attend. But I have learned a few things about what to look for. Here are some hints:

 

  • Look around. How many people carry their own Bible into church with them? Most of them should. This tells you this church cares about teaching out of the Bible which, in my opinion, is the Number One most important thing for a church to do.
  • Do they open the Bible, read from it, and talk about what it says? I’ve been to many churches that pray and sing and do a lot of things, but never talk about the Bible—even in the sermons. This is a bad sign. I suggest you find another church.
  • Are the people friendly and genuinely interested that you are there? I’ve attended churches for weeks where not one person spoke to me. A church is not a social club, but it is important to build relationships and study God’s Word together. If this isn’t happening naturally, something is wrong.
  • Does this church reach outside to others?

It’s not wrong to search for another church. Find a church that challenges you to go deeper into God’s Word, which is the Bible. Regularly attend a church that helps those who attend grow in their knowledge and understanding of God.

As our country and our world face ever-deepening challenges in economies, violence, war, social issues, and many other concerns, it’s important to find our strength in God daily. (See Samuel 23:16.)

A good church helps people do this. But if that seems too heavy right now, take a moment to find God in humor: the way church used to be.

Enjoy this video: Wipe That Smile Off Your Face, This is Church by Kelly Swanson

Copyright ©Dianne E. Butts ( www.delivermebook.blogspot.com). Dianne has over 275 articles and short fiction in more than fifty publications and eighteen books, and is a regular contributor to Finding God Daily.

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Church Bells: Bells of Hope

December 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

By Dawn Wilson

I don’t hear Christmas bells where I live now in California; but I’m from the Midwest where church steeples jut up in the landscape like lupine plants. I have sweet memories of church bells peeling out each Sunday and on Easter and Christmas.

The church bells called us to worship, and they filled my heart with joy and hope. They helped me focus on eternal values when I felt so overwhelmed by earthly struggles. One year in particular, when I felt betrayed and alone, the bells called me to remember God’s great faithfulness.

An old Christmas carol by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow still has meaning for our day.  “I heard the bells on Christmas day,” Longfellow wrote, “their old familiar carols play.”

We’ve sung carols since childhood; perhaps it’s too easy to recite them mindlessly and lose their truth.

Longfellow wrote the song at Christmas in 1863 as he nursed his son—wounded in the Civil War during the Battle of Chancellorsville—back to health. Its original title was “Christmas Bells.” Longfellow wrote it as a song of praise, thanking God for his son’s survival in the midst of so much chaos.

This year, as I look around at the economic upheaval, broken relationships, crime, corruption, and wars everywhere, I have to admit that my heart is a bit agitated. There’s often anxiety in my heart instead of God’s sweet peace. And it’s not just me. Friends who have lost jobs fight despair, and a spirit of hopelessness colors their days. Another family is facing a difficult and devastating trial with their adult son. Others count the days until their loved ones in the military return from the Middle East.

As Longfellow wrote, “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said. ‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men.”

Where is the answer for times like these? Our hope is in God (Psalm 71:5; 1 Peter 1:21) and His Word (Romans 15:4), not people or circumstances. Verse four of Longfellow’s song offers the reason for our hope:

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to men.”

In other words, God reigns. He is still in control (1 Chronicles 29:11-13; Psalm 47:7-8; 115:3; Isaiah 46:9-11) no matter how desperate we feel. Hope and wisdom come when we look at life from that perspective—His perspective. I recently told a group of women, HOPE stands for “His Overcoming Perspective Everyday.”

God will not disappoint us (Romans 5:5). Though we may not understand His purpose in our immediate circumstances, God has plans to give us hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

During this Christmas season, we need to pull away from the busyness of holiday preparations to find a quiet place and meditate on God’s faithfulness in His presence. As a pastor friend, Bill Elliff, says, “Everything flows from the presence of God.” Everything. Everything we need—including hope and peace.

Though we cannot help but see our circumstances, we must believe and focus on what God’s Word says.

The scriptures promise that there is coming a day of true, lasting peace, because the Prince of Peace will return (Isaiah 9:6; John 14:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). His righteous rule will change everything.

In the meantime, we have the presence, power, and perspective of God to guide us. We have hope in this world and hope for all eternity (Titus 2:13). Whether or not you hear church bells  this holiday season, I pray you experience the hope of Jesus in your life.

Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent Reigns! (Revelation 19:6b).

Enjoy this Christmas music provided by the  Hand Bell choir directed by Joe Moore, Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, East Point, Georgia:

Also enjoy this beautiful hand bell solo: How Great Thou Art ( Arr. E. A. Edgren) by Song JaeWeoul of the Daejeon Handbell Choir, in South Korea. I was unable to embed it, but do click the link as it’s lovely to listen to!

 

 

Article by Dawn Wilson.  Dawn  is the director of Heart Choices Ministries, and writes Heart Choices Today. She co-authored with Pam Farrel LOL with God: Devotional Messages of Hope & Humor for Women (Focus on the Family) and posts regularly at LOL with God. Dawn also works with NEWIM—Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry, and writes for the Christian Examiner.

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Finding God in Football with Tim Tebow . . . Again

December 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Photo from Wikipedia

Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, did it again. Well, with the help of his teammates, most notably kicker Matt Prater. And because he did it again with his teammates, people are now talking about finding God in Tim Tebow . . . again.

Neither the Broncos nor the Chicago Bears scored in the first half of the game on Sunday, December 11, 2011. according to the Denver Broncos news:

“A 10-yard Marion Barber touchdown run and a franchise-record 57-yard field goal from Robbie Gould put Chicago up 10-0 at the start of the fourth quarter.”

Then the Broncos turned the ball over on a fumble. It looked as if it were over with the Broncos down 10-0 with only 4:34 left in the fourth quarter and no timeouts. But the Broncos got the ball back and, led by Tim Tebow, they worked their way down the field until Tebow found Demaryius Thomas open in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass. The Broncos were down 10-7 with 2:08 remaining in the game. The Broncos got the ball again, and Matt Prater kicked a 59-yard field goal to tie the game in the final three seconds.

In overtime, Bronco Wesley Woodyard forced a fumble from Bears player Marion Barber and Matt Prater kicked his second 50-plus-yard field goal of the game for the Broncos’ 10-13 win!

The Washington Post said it this way:

“Prater’s 51-yarder in overtime that sent the Broncos past the stunned Chicago Bears 13-10 on Sunday was his third straight walk-off field goal. It followed his 59-yarder that tied it with 3 seconds left in the fourth quarter.”

The Denver Broncos’ web site gave these stats:

“For the third straight week, Matt Prater has ended the game with a field goal to deliver a Broncos victory on the final play. Prater beat San Diego with a 37-yard kick in overtime in Week 12, Minnesota with a 23-yarder as time expired in the fourth quarter in Week 13 and Chicago with a 51-yard field goal in overtime. With his kick on Sunday, he helped Denver set a franchise record with its third overtime victory of the season.”

Now, with the Broncos’ win/loss record 8/5—that’s 7/1 under Tebow’s quarterbacking—people are again talking about Tim Tebow’s faith. Other professional players, even Christians, have said Tim Tebow should back off his “First of all I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” tag line. But Tim Tebow persists and the affect of his faith is evident on fans everywhere.

Several sound-bites on Denver radio after the game had fans saying, “It’s a miracle” and “You have to believe.”

Another fan, from my current hometown, Pueblo, Colorado, was also on Denver’s local radio. He said during the game he told his friends he’s an agnostic, but if the Broncos pulled this game out, he’d go to church. After the game he said on radio that he already knows where a Catholic mass is near his home, and he’ll be there next Sunday. I’m sure that will be Sunday morning and he’ll be home to in plenty of time to watch the Broncos play New England Patriots.

Tim Tebow’s faith is still the talk of sports-town, and people really are finding God in Tim Tebow . . . again.

Enjoy this YouTube video: Tim Tebow & His Faith

Related posts (sports themed):

  1. Finding God in Tim Tebow
  2.  Finding God in a Cross Country Meet
  3. Finding God in Basketball on the U.S.S. Carl Vinson

 

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Finding God in an Ebenezer

December 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

 

Stone with the word Ebenezer inscribed on it.

Photo by Dean, The Wonder of Creation blog.

Did you think I meant Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? Uh, not exactly. I’m talking about people finding God in an Ebenezer—a real Ebenezer!

Did you even know there was such a thing as an Ebenezer?

If you’ve ever sung the Christian hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, you may have come across the word, depending on your hymnal. I have two hymnals. The beginning of the second verse in one reads:

“Here I raise mine Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I’m come…”

But in my newer hymnal, the second verse opens with:

“Hither to Thy love has blest me; Thou hast bro’t me to this place…”

Wikipedia has additional verses. Several contain the word Ebenezer.

Nevertheless, what’s an Ebenezer? If we “raise” our Ebenezer, as the verse suggests, are we lifting Scrooge above our heads?

Actually, Ebenezer is a standing stone, if literally translated, a “Stone of Help.” In the Old Testament, leaders sometimes stood a large stone up to commemorate something extraordinary God did for them at that site. Then when children or others asked why that stone was standing there, those who knew the story could pass along the information to a new group or generation.

Dictionary.com defines Ebenezer as a noun and says this:

male proper name, sometimes also the name of a Protestant chapel or meeting house, from name of a stone raised by Samuel to commemorate a victory over the Philistines at Mizpeh (I Sam. vii.12), from Heb. ebhen ezar “stone of help,” from ebhen “stone” + ezer “help.”

On his web site, Dr. Gregory S. Neal explains about the Ebenezer:

“In 1 Samuel 4:1-11 and 5:1, the Ebenezer is strangely identified with a particular site, about four miles south of Gilgal, where the Israelites were twice defeated by the Philistines and the Ark of the Covenant was stolen. These battles took place, however, before the site was actually named Ebenezer. It was like someone saying that Dinosaurs once lived in Dallas county — they did, but not when this area was called ‘Dallas.’ Likewise, the two battles mentioned in 1 Samuel 4 and 5 took place at Ebenezer, but some time before it was so-named.

“The site wasn’t named Ebenezer until after the Israelites finally defeated the Philistines, and took back the Ark of the Covenant. To commemorate the victorious battle, Samuel set up a marker-stone, named it “Stone of Help,” and thereby the site became identified with the stone and with the place where God’s miraculous help aided them in their victory over the Philistines. The stone, standing up-right, was called ‘Ebenezer,’ and the site naturally took on that name as well.”

The next time you see Ebenezer Scrooge, I hope he makes you think of extraordinary events God has orchestrated in your life. Take the time to tell someone that story. When you do, because of your rock-solid faith standing there for them to plainly see, people will be finding God in an Ebenezer.

Enjoy this rendition of the hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing sung by Lauren O’Farrell, to hear how Ebenezer fits into the song.

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Finding God On the Way to Church

December 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Karen O’Connor :

Church photo by Earl53I would expect to communicate with God while attending a church service but I’ve been finding God on the way to church, as well. As my husband and I drive through our neighborhood and then ease onto the freeway, I start thinking about what’s ahead. I anticipate the worship songs, the sermon, the fellowship afterwards with friends, and the warm and close feeling I have with God during and after the service. There is something wonderful about this community experience.

At such times I also think about the people who are spending their Saturday night or Sunday morning going to the beach, playing golf, enjoying brunch at a favorite restaurant or crashing in front of the TV for a football game. I wish they were going to church too, being uplifted by God’s Word in the Bible, joining in singing praise songs, and receiving prayer when needed. Maybe one day I’ll meet some of them. I was in their ‘camp’ for many years myself—playing tennis on Sunday mornings during the years when church was the last place I wanted to be.

But today I connect with the Lord in many different ways. Finding God on the way to church is just one of them. As the Psalmist writes in Psalm 95:6:

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

 

You can also click here: Psalm 95:6  to have it read aloud to you.

If you don’t attend church regularly, what is holding you back, and what might you be missing?

See  this video: Reasons People Don’t Go to Church to find out:

If you do enjoy church, can you Comment on why?

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Finding God in a Baby

December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

Photo by phaewilk

December might be the month for babies. After all, Christmas is coming and so much of the holiday is centered around children: buying gifts for kids, grandkids or disadvantaged kids, and standing in line with kids so they can tell Santa what they wish for. Children are precious. Yet despite all the Christmas preparations, some people are unprepared for finding God in a baby.

Amidst the green and red and gold Christmas colors, wreaths hanging on city street poles, lights hanging from the eaves of houses,  ornaments hanging from living room trees, and stockings hanging from fireplace mantels, we see Nativity scenes placed here and there. Joseph stands keeping silent sentinel over Mary, who peers in wonder over Jesus, the baby in the manger. An old-world thought in a new, modern, rushing world.

Even in the Christmas rush, the thought crosses most people’s mind: “What’s it all about? What is the real reason for Christmas?”

Ask the question and you’ll get many answers. “It’s about giving.” “It’s about kindness.” “It’s about being mindful of the needs of others.” “It’s about giving to the poor and homeless.”  One way to do that is to help an impoverished child experience Christmas through Operation Christmas Child.

But while the Nativity scenes sit silent in yards and windows and parks and church yards across the land, its message shouts so loud it has echoed through centuries for more than 2,000 years: “Here He is!” Find God in this baby! In Luke 2:12  (NIV Bible) you’ll find His story:

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

If you’ll listen closely, you’ll hear that message in Christmas carols and church bells and choirs and more. It’s the underlying message of the season. Here He is! Don’t miss Him. He’s waiting for you to see Him, to notice Him, to remember Him. Take another look. Don’t pass Him by.

Here’s hoping this year you’ll be finding God in a Baby in a manger.

Ever feel like you’re just not communicating with God? Do you pray, but you sense you’re just not understood?

Take heart. God understands your needs and desires even before you voice the words, or in whatever way you express yourself. He even knows what the baby in this video is thinking and talking about, even if  we don’t and neither does R2D2!

Video: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxVHsWlE7hE

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Finding God in the Crazy Stock Market

November 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Karen O’Connor

Finding God in the crazy stock market is not something I expected to do since I don’t own any stocks! However, when I read an article in the Wall Street Journal, titled “How To Rest Easy in a Crazy Market,” I smiled. Isn’t that just like God, I thought. The article listed seven pointers for keeping your sanity during the fluctuating market. Pointer #7 says,

“Don’t be ashamed to seek help.” For the complete article see How To Rest Easy in a Crazy Market.

What a good reminder. Not only ask for help from the professionals, but most important from the only one who can give wisdom and guidance of the highest order––God. When the Lord is involved in our daily business we can never go wrong. It may take a quick prayer or days of conversation with God before we settle into acceptance of his best for us in all areas of our life.

“The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:8 NIV Bible).

Finding God in the crazy stock market may sound odd since many of us look for him in church or on our knees, but he is the Lord of the universe. His ways are not our ways. Nor our ways His. Personally, I’ll go with his ways since I seem to mess up when I go it alone.

Enjoy this You Tube video that illustrates in plain English how to invest wisely.

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Finding God in Bil Keane and Family Circus

November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
By Dianne E. Butts

An early strip featuring (L to R) Daddy (Bil), Dolly, Billy, Mommy (Thel), and Jeffy. A fourth child, P.J., was introduced in 1962. Used by permission of Wikipedia.

Bil Keane, the cartoonist who created “Family Circus,” died November 8, 2011, at the age of 89. He’d been drawing the cartoon about a family with a mommy, daddy, and four kids since 1960—my entire life. I can remember many, many cartoons depicting departed loved ones, such as the grandparents of Billy, Jeffy, Dolly, and P.J., drawn in lightly as if visiting the family from heaven. I also remember many cartoons with the family in church. Because of the church and heavenly visits shown in the “Family Circus” cartoon, I think people might be finding God in Bil Keane and Family Circus.

Has your Mom ever cut out a cartoon and mailed it to you? I have no idea how many “Family Circus” cartoons my Mom must have sent me over the years. They always brought a smile to my face. Bil Kean was quoted as saying, “I would rather have the readers react with a warm smile, a tug at the heart or a lump in the throat as they recall doing the same things in their own families.”

I’m thinking Bil Keane surely must have gotten that wish come true multiple millions of times.

According to an article on FoxNews.com, “He worked as a messenger for the Philadelphia Bulletin before serving three years in the Army, where he drew for ‘Yank’ and ‘Pacific Stars and Stripes.’ He met his wife, Thelma (‘Thel’), while serving at a desk job in Australia.” He modeled the mommy character in “Family Circus” after her so well that “if she was in the supermarket pushing her cart around, people would come up to her and say, ‘Aren’t you the mommy in “Family Circus”?’” the article said. A different article said Thel died of Alzheimer’s disease in 2008.

Together, Bil and Thel had one more son than the family in the comic strip. They had daughter, Gayle, and sons Glen, Jeff, Chris and Neal. Bil (the FoxNews.com article said he dropped the second “L” around the time he was in High School just to be different) said he drew the cartoon about a family much like his own. He said, “Everything that’s happened in the strip has happened to me.” [FoxNew.com article]

The FoxNews.com article also said Bil Keane “listed Gary Larson’s ‘The Far Side’ among his favorites, and he loved it when Bill Griffith had his offbeat ‘Zippy the Pinhead’ character wake up from a bump on the head thinking he was Keane’s Jeffy. Keane responded by giving Zippy an appearance in ‘Family Circus.’”

According to the FoxNews.com article, “In later years, Keane continued to produce ‘Family Circus’ with the help of his youngest son, Jeff. Keane sketched out the ideas, characters and captions and sent them to Jeff for inking.”

Bil Keane clearly showed in his cartoons his faith in God, and so I’m sure he’s in heaven right now looking down on us as if lightly drawn in over our shoulders wishing us a warm smile, a tug at the heart or a lump in the throat as he, through his cartoons, continues to point people to finding God in Bil Keane and Family Circus.

Here an AP report on  Bil Keane’s passing.

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Finding God in a Kiss

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By: Deborah Lovett 
Today I am finding God in a kiss and it is not a chocolate hershey’s kiss! Although that does sound pretty good…
Are you familiar with the KISS method? The world says it this way: “ Keep It Simple Stupid.” A believer says it this way: “Keep It Simple Sister!”

I wonder if we greeted everyone with the holy kiss of simplicity, how the world might change! You know society has gotten so difficult: too much to do, too much red tape, too much sickness, too many trials, too many places to go, too much violence, too many choices, just too much of everything.

I believe God wants us to keep it simple. Jesus’s message was really simple, otherwise He wouldn’t have told us we need to become like children to understand it. Rather, we come up with so many theological discussions and biblical debates that we have actually out-witted, and even out Christianized ourselves. But that is the enemy’s plan! Galatians 1:7 says, “Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Yes, I can see that happening through the over stimulation of our minds, can’t you?

Oh, when I think of how difficult I can make EVERYTHING, I am humbled. But, if God takes care of the birds of the air, then why all the fuss? Because I forget the holy kiss; the kiss of freedom and simplicity.

When we get back to the basics, all we need is Jesus. Some times though we can use Jesus to get what we think we need or want and call it right. We need to remember the simplicity of His message; our righteousness comes from Christ and Christ alone. We are sinners in need of God’s grace. Jesus died for our sins, to set us free and live life abundantly! His love is so pure.

1 Thessalonians 5:26, “Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss” is jammed right in the middle of these words: prayer, grace, God’s faithfulness, and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s keep it simple sisters, and greet each one we come in contact with a prayer for God’s grace. He will be faithful right up till Jesus returns. So greet one another in faith with a holy kiss today, and  bless each other with these words: “God’s grace to you.” Someone may just find God in a kiss you give today.

It’s a gift to be simple, as the King’s  Singers sing in Simple Gifts on Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power.

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Filed Under: At Church, God's Love, In Life, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Finding God in Roger Williams

November 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

by Dianne E. Butts

You never really know who your friends are, do you? Some time ago in my Toastmasters club, a member of my club, Glenn Ballantyne, gave a speech about how Roger Williams had affected his life—personally. I had a vague idea who Roger Williams was. A musician, right? Pretty famous, wasn’t he? I mean he had to be pretty famous if I vaguely recognized his name. But recently I’ve discovered people are finding God in Roger Williams.

This past week Glenn Ballantyne came to Toastmasters and spoke again, but this time he talked about how grateful he was for the training in public speaking he’d received through Toastmasters because he had needed it when he did some public speaking just days earlier. He was in California, he said. And there was national media there, he said. He had spoken at the services of a good friend. And as a speaker, he was sandwiched in between the Reverend Robert H. Schuller and another man named Tom Tipton.

I recognized Robert H. Schuller’s name. There was nothing vague about that to me, as I’m familiar with Robert H. Schuller as the long-time, now-retired Pastor of the famous Crystal Cathedral.

Of course all of us wondered who Glenn was talking about. Whose services had he spoken at in California where there was national media?! Why in the world was he speaking with Robert H. Schuller?! We hadn’t heard that Glenn’s good friend, Roger Williams, had passed away.

From his first speech, I knew Glenn had met Roger Williams when he was very young, but I had no idea how much they had worked together or how deeply Roger Williams had impacted Glenn’s life. In an article in The Orange County Register covering the services where Glenn spoke, Glenn was quoted as saying, “Roger Williams saved my life.” At seven years old, Glenn went with his mother to hear Roger Williams in concert and it changed Glenn’s life, inspiring him to become a pianist by overcoming his attention deficit disorder.

While I had heard of the Crystal Cathedral, I did not know until I read that article that Roger Williams was the pianist there for more than 35 years. Rev. Robert H. Schuller said Roger Williams “believed in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.” At his services, those attending watched a video of Roger Williams playing “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” at the Crystal Cathedral. Thanks to the technology of our day, the witness for Jesus and the music of Roger Williams continues. So even though he has gone home to heaven, people are still finding God in Roger Williams.

Roger Williams playing his biggest hit “Autumn Leaves” in the Crystal Cathedral:

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Finding God on Prayerwalks

October 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Janet Holm McHenry

Finding God on prayerwalks is a fun, rewarding, and inspirational prayer experience. Prayerwalking is the practice of praying “onsite with insight,” as author Steve Hawthorne writes, but there are a couple different approaches.

Some people practice prayerwalking as a regular devotional practice–as a form of spiritual exercise, praying as they walk for whatever God puts within their path and eyesight. Some view this as a form of ministry for their neighborhood and community, and individuals can prayerwalk by themselves or with others with similar heart and focus.

Others organize event-centered prayerwalks for a variety of purposes and settings, including the following:

  • Ladies’ retreats–as a optional early morning or afternoon activity
  • Community prayerwalks–with churches joining together to pray for an entire community
  • Neighborhood prayerwalks–centered around a church or residential area, focused on prayers for families and children
  • City center prayerwalks–targeted to pray for the economy and well-being of a city
  • School-focused prayerwalk–praying around the various schools and even colleges of a community

It’s not difficult to organize a prayerwalk. Here is a simple process for organizing such an event:

1. Pray: Ask God for a scriptural vision for your prayerwalk. I recently organized one around the schools near our church in Reno, Nevada, including the University of Nevada and the local community college. We chose Isaiah 2:3 as our inspiration: “He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” We liked how the verse addressed the concept of teachability–both for the school and for those who participated in the prayerwalk. I even ordered a banner with the scripture theme, so as to make our focus clear for the walk.

2. Define the purpose: Decide on the purpose, tone, and scope for your prayerwalk. The purpose could be as simple as “to draw women more closely together in prayer” if the event is a retreat.

3. Set up a committee: Enlist the help of others, who will take responsibility for publicity, mapping, opening and closing sessions, set-up and clean-up, written materials, and prayer.

4. Establish a date and place: Also set up a timeline for getting prep work done.

5. Map route(s): Use your car odometer to measure the distance for your prayerwalking route(s). Create maps for the walkers.

6. Create a program: Decide if you’ll need a written program and what kinds of refreshments, including water, you may want to offer. You’ll want an opening session for inspiration and information–perhaps some music and an emcee and/or speaker who will provide the focus and instruction about how to prayerwalk. A closing session is a great opportunity for people to celebrate their experiences praying and insights they received.

7. Promote: Depending on the scope of your prayerwalk, educate and recruit through posters, flyers, email, website, online social networking, and the media.

8. Pray some more: Recruit prayer groups and others to pray for your event, so that God is at the center of all your planning and the event itself.

9. Evaluate: Take notes and solicit feedback, so as to make your next prayerwalk even better!

Ultimately, your act of praying in response to whatever you see as you walk around your community allows you to put those concerns into God’s hands. Partnering with him and each other in prayer draws us more closely together and more deeply in love with God. Finding God on Prayerwalks is a meaningful exercise that reaps physical and spiritual benefits–on earth and beyond!

Enjoy this video on how NOT to prayerwalk.

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Filed Under: At Church, Prayer, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Finding God Again with Joel Osteen

September 22, 2011 By 1 Comment

Could it be time for you to work at finding God again? Watch Finding God Again with Joel Osteen so that you can do just that.

With the signs of the times, making an effort on finding God again could be very important in how you successfully face the future.

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Filed Under: At Church, God's Love Tagged With: , ,

Finding God in Worship

September 18, 2011 By 1 Comment

Are you finding God in worship? You know, there’s a right and wrong way to worship God and unfortunately we sometimes do not worship him with our whole heart, as this GodTube parody demontrates.

Though it’s good for a couple of chuckles, it also makes us think.  Click on the link to see what I’m talking about.

Who is finding God when they worship him like this?

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Filed Under: At Church, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,