god's umbrella

There are some people in this world that believe that God lays down command after command just to spoil the fun of mankind. That’s a completely wrong understanding of the nature of God the Father. He wants us to enjoy this life, but He doesn’t want us to pursue things that bring short-term pleasure and long-term pain. As a result, He gives us commands, not to ruin our fun, but to protect us from the suffering associated with sin. For example, He says that sex is a gift to be enjoyed only by those who have permanently intertwined their lives through marriage. That’s not a ploy to ruin our fun. He gives that command because He knows that casual sex outside of marriage carries risks physically, it destroys trust, it steals something that should belong only your eventual spouse, and it makes something holy into something base.

Think of God’s commands as an umbrella. An umbrella is designed to protect, but it only offers protection when you stay underneath it. God’s commands are designed to protect us, but we only receive that protection when we stay underneath God’s umbrella. Stay under God’s umbrella and enjoy life the way it was meant to be lived.

goin' fishin'

Simon (also known as Peter) and his brother, Andrew, were fishermen by trade. One day, as they were out at the lake fishing, Jesus walked up said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately, the two brothers left their nets (their only way to provide for their families) and followed Jesus.

Have you ever thought about how brave that decision was? After all, what in the world is a fisher of men? They didn’t know what Jesus was asking them to do. They didn’t know how things would work out. They didn’t know how much it would pay. All they knew was that Jesus was telling them to leave everything behind and follow Him…so they did.

Jesus is still talking to us today and inviting us to follow Him and become fishers of men. He wants us to pursue “catching” people with the gospel instead of pursuing worldly wealth or pleasure. That’s His invitation for you today. The question you must answer is this: Are you willing to leave your own pursuits behind and follow Jesus wholeheartedly?

thank you, mom...

Today we give tribute to the wonderful women in our lives we know as “mom” and they are certainly worthy of our honor. Moms are changers of diapers. They are wipers of runny noses. They are chauffeurs par excellence. They are tutors for their children, even though that “new math” confuses them. Mothers wipe tears of pain and heartache from the eyes of their children. They kiss the scraped knees and rug-burned elbows and promise that the pain will get better. They encourage hearts that are downcast. Moms inspire their children to stretch toward all that they can be. They are molders of men and women. Moms are the warm, safe place that we can go to when the world seems harsh and cold. They love their children in spite of what they have done or where they have been. Moms help us see and understand God’s love in so many ways. Moms are givers of grace and help us understand the incredible love and mercy of God.

For all of that (and for much more than we can describe) we say, “Thank you, Mom. You are loved and cherished more than you will ever know.”