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Archive for the ‘Experience’ Category

>4 Quick Lessons from 2 Short Verses…

Posted in Experience on March 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons…(I am)confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:– Philippians 1:1, 6b (KJV)

Lesson #1:
Ordinary believers are “the Saints” not just the Bishops and Deacons. If you have thrown your lot in with Christ and his Church you qualify no matter how imperfect you are; if you haven’t you don’t qualify no matter who good you are. It’s just one of those things; Jesus is the dividing line not our personal competence.

Lesson #2:
Life is not an aimless string of days, weeks, and years; there is a “Day” coming when a real change happens; its called “the Day of Jesus Christ”.

My dad once described me as a “Professional Student”. It seemed so far off but, still, I believed in a graduation. I couldn’t say for sure when or how but I held on to that belief and took each day as it came, not giving up hope or effort. One day it actually happened, I am living proof!

Lesson #3:
God is doing a “Good” work in you; choose to have a little faith in that and try to cooperate, will you? One shouldn’t judge an artist’s work by looking at his initial sketches, nor should we conclude God is not very good at what he does when he has only just begun.

Lesson #4:
God has NOT put you down and moved on to someone easier to work with no matter what you may be feeling at the moment. Has the “Day of Jesus Christ” happened? (“No” is the correct answer) Well then, I guess He’s still at it!

– Fritz

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Lesson from a Plasterer’s Patch…

Posted in Crisis, Difficulties, Experience, tagged on February 4, 2010| Leave a Comment »

My dad, a plasterer, built and patched plaster, cement, and Stucco walls and ceilings. On small weekend jobs he would sometimes take me with him to “help”.

Fixing a bathroom wall in one of Houston’s underground walkways, he started beating around the patch area with a hammer. “Why are you breaking off more plaster”, I protested, “we are supposed to be fixing the wall not making it worse!” More plaster veneer continued to fall.

That’s when he taught me something I never forgot.

He told me he was not beating hard enough to damage the wall but that he had to remove what was already loose because if he patched over it the loose part would eventually fail and the blemish would be worse than ever. Removing the loose stuff was part of fixing the problem.

Sometimes we ask Jesus to fix our problem(s) and matters seem to get worse. We feel like the banging of life takes away more than we had hoped and we wonder why God would allow, even seem to purposely make, more to happen.

That’s when we need to remember He IS fixing the problem. He is only removing what would fall away anyway. He is ensuring his “Patch” (don’t go off on a tangent about the term “patch”) will hold. The repair is coming, be patient and confident.

“Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” – Hebrews 12:26b-28 (KJV)

– fritz

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>The One who knows all, judges last; the ones who know little pre-judge.

Posted in Experience on February 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

>I saw something while reading the story of Jesus healing the Man born blind in John chapter nine.

The man’s parents, when asked about the healing, were afraid to answer because the Jews had already decided to expel anyone favorable to Jesus (John 9:22). The Pharasees had judged Jesus to be a sinner because he did not follow their rules on sabbath keeping (John 9:29). All throughout the gospel, everyone is pre-judging based on little to no knowledge of the truth. When Nicodemous tells the temple leaders the law does not allow pre-judging before the accused has a chance to be heard, they shut him down (John 7:50-52).

God, on the other hand, knows all the facts yet time and again waits until He, personally, interacts with the one deserving judgment.

Primary example – Sodom and Gomora:

And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. Genesis 18:20-21 (KJV)

God already knew the terrible things going on, so why did he say, “I will go down now and see“? This has always been a puzzlement, but I think it points out God’s loving nature. Even though He knows everything perfectly He waits, giving every opportunity for change, every opportunity to be shown wrong though He never is.

This may be why there will be a great judgment at the end where everyone will stand before God for the final judgment, when the “Books will be opened” (Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 20:12) though God knows from the beginning.

-Fritz

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