MEMORIZATION

As a kid in Sunday School I remember having to learn memory verses each week.  With the encouragement of my mother (being made to sit in a chair at the kitchen table and recite it until I had it memorized to her satisfaction before I could go out and play on a Saturday morning) I memorized a large number of verses during my elementary aged years.  

But I must admit as the years went by verse memorization went by the wayside as well.  One year, while pastoring in Newton, Iowa, a friend from church and I decided to memorize verses and passages of Scripture, a new one each week.  And each week we would recite all the previous week’s verses as well.  Toward the end of the year that was a significant amount of verses.  That was back in the 1980’s.  I have memorized very few verses since.

Is there value in memorization?  Today we really need to memorize very little.  Our smart phones become our memory bank.  All we do is pull a name up and push call.  No need to know phone numbers anymore.

But I wonder if we have lost something with the “memorization is too much work” mindset.  Ps 119:11 reminds us to hide the Word of God in our heart so that its instant recall can guide our decision making and lifestyle choices while increasing our understanding of God and His Word.  Memorization really helps us get intimate with the Scriptures.  And even if we can’t retain verses and passages word perfect the core truths still remain with us. 

I think memorization is a good discipline for the Christian life as well a good use of our brain power.  Who knows but that the exercise thereof may keep us from the early onset of brain shrivel.

EASTER'S LOVE

What we believe about God comes from two primary sources.  One is the creation around us that speaks of intelligent design and power.   The other is the Bible, the 66 books authored by God but penned by the men God chose to put His truth into written form.   God has chosen to reveal Himself to us, and we see in the pages of Scripture a self-description.  In Ex 34:7 God tells us who He is.  “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin, yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.”  

The picture is of a God who leads with His loving heart, affirming His affection for mankind, demonstrating it all the way to the cross of Calvary.  Through His sacrificial death He offers gifts of incomparable grace and worth to those who will believe in Him and put their trust in Him.  He offers forgiveness of sins, His Spirit to indwell us, adoption into His forever family, life without end, an inheritance in heaven that will never be exhausted.   There is no good gift that God will withhold from us.  We are co-heirs with Christ.  Make no mistake about it God loves us more than we can fully comprehend.  

As we enter this Easter season, our hearts should be so filled with thanksgiving and love for our God that worship should burst forth from us like flavor from an Easter ham.  

Make sure you thank Him this Easter season for His indescribable love!

LOVING BIG

I live 12 minutes and 22 seconds from my grandboys, Owen and Griffin.  (I’ve timed it).  I have made some observations about myself regarding them. 

Owen just finished his Upward Basketball season.  As a six year old he is learning all the nuances that come with playing basketball on a team.  Offense.  Defense.  It’s fun to watch him out on the court.  In fact when he’s on the court my eyes follow his every movement.  He doesn’t have to be the star, the big scorer, he doesn’t even have to have the ball.  When he is on the court I just love watching him.  I even like watching him when he’s on the bench.  The same goes for Griffin.  If I hear that Griffin is down in the church pre-school area, I go on the hunt.  No matter how many kids are running around, I look for Griffin and love watching him at play.  I can’t take my eyes off him.  It doesn’t even matter how unexciting something may be, I love to watch my grandboys.

It probably seems obvious as to why.  They are my family.  They aren’t just any boys.  They are my boys.  They are related to me.  I am their grandpa.  As such they own my heart and I love and care about them in a big time way.  If you are a parent or grandparent you know what I mean.

I imagine that is how it is with God.  We are family through Jesus Christ.  We are His children.  He loves to keep his eyes on us as we go through life, encouraging, applauding, and letting the hosts of heaven know, “That’s my kid”.  We don’t have to be the super star,  or even in the playing rotation.  We may be on the team, but on the bench.  Easter reminds us of the love God has for us, all of us.  I hope you know how true it is.  As big as your love is for your kids and grandkids, so is God’s love for you!

SO BEAUTIFUL

We had snow in the neighborhood overnight.  And what a snow it was.  8 inches of white stuff that covered everything, driveways, streetways, cars parked in either, houses covered from foundation to roof top, and trees bowing to all the beauty they were dressed in.  White, winter wonderland everywhere.  It was spectacular.  Cameras come out on days like these.  Pictures are taken and you just can’t seem to stop.  They are popping up on Facebook and who know where else.  The beauty is everywhere and it just grabs you.    

There is something about the abundance of white pure snow hanging all over everything that captivates us.  It is so different from anything else in our weather patterns.  It excites, awes and amazes.  It invites play and imagination.  God loves the whiteness of it all, too.  It’s just His way of cleansing and beautifying.  When we are cleansed by our faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, He describes us, by the washing away of our sins, as being whiter than snow.  I like to think that we as Christians have that kind of beauty to where people are awed, amazed and captivated by God’s work in us.

HOSPITALITY

I have often said of my friends in Talca, Chile, that if hospitality could kill you I’d be dead ten times over.  My host family for my stay there earlier this month, was Christian and Carmen Gloria Lopez.  They opened their home to me with wide and grace filled arms.  “Mi casa es su casa” they would say over and over again, making sure I knew they loved having me come and that their home was my home in Talca.  Carmen Gloria knew I like Coke (not Pepsi), and hot chocolate, so every morning for breakfast, I had orange juice, a can of Coke and a cup of hot chocolate with my breakfast.  As I left for the church to work on the construction project, she sent with me a bag containing snack cookies (mango/pineapple filled wafers that were out of this world), a 2 liter bottle of water and a Coke.  They also knew I like ice cream and had some of the tastiest flavors every evening about 9:00.  There were no small bowls handed to me, just bowls filled with enough ice cream to feed an army.  They also gave me their bed to sleep in while they slept on a twin sized mattress on the floor.  (No matter how much I protested and appealed to logic they refused.  Two of them on a twin sized mattress while one of me in a queen sized mattress just seemed wrong).  The folks at the church fed us marvelously, with breaks and meals all pushing some of the best bread in the world.  The love these folks poured out on me was so incredibly genuine and impactful. I came away blessed and challenged.  What part does hospitality play in my life?  How can I increase the love I show people through hospitality?  

Hospitality is a biblical value and though it may be a cultural value in Chile, the joy of Christian grace makes it come from the heart.  Hospitality!  I think it’s time to visit this biblical value once again!

MODERN DAY CALEBS

I’ve always been fascinated by the Old Testament character of Caleb.  He lived in the shadow of the better known Joshua, but Caleb was an amazing man.  He fully followed God and at the age of 80 was still conquering mountains with purpose and strength.

I’ve just returned from an impactful week of ministry in Talca, Chile.  If you were not aware in February of 2010 one of the C&MA churches in Talca was destroyed by an earthquake.  CCC is committed to help them rebuild.  This past week a second work team flew down to Chile to add our support to those volunteers from the church who are undertaking this endeavor.  There were four of us which turned out to be the perfect size for the team.  But an interesting four it was.  All were in their mid-fifties and older. One of our members, as I found out, was 78 years old, and coming off a knee transplant.  One had to wonder why a construction trip, especially one dealing with concrete and its rigors, would have appeal to a 78 year old, but much like Caleb at that age, the mountain of missions had great appeal for scaling.  Bill Considine has a heart that beats for missions, and even at 78 wants to be a part of what God is doing overseas.  He is already looking forward to the next one.

If you are sitting in the pew Sunday mornings and feeling too old, too weak, too timid, too uncertain, about having a role in going overseas to serve on a short term trip, I trust CCC’s own Caleb will inspire you.  Give it some serious thought and prayer the next time a team is formed.  It will actually reverse the aging process.  Just ask Bill.