Rule Thyself

Posted on 2012/08/23 by Shawn Thomas

This verse caught my attention, since I have not always been my same “sweet-natured self” since I have been dealing with POTS in recent days.  Proverbs 16:32 says: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.” Continue reading →

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I Didn’t Roll “Snake Eyes”!

Posted on 2012/08/22 by Shawn Thomas

Proverbs 16:33 concludes: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

This Proverb isn’t just about “dice”.  It is really about two very different, very competing world views: do things in our world happen by chance, or at the direction of a Sovereign Creator and Lord?  This Proverb encourages us to adopt a theo-centric worldview – in other words, to see everything as orchestrated by God, not just “luck” or “happenstance”. 

There are SO many applications for this perspective:

— Stop complaining about your “bad luck”, and instead see everything that happens in your life as directed by God’s hand.

— Don’t dwell on your “bad breaks”, but look for what purposes God might have for what is happening to you.  

— Don’t worry about how events will unfold – either for you personally, or in the world.   If the decision of a little “lot” is in God’s control, how much more the whole course of the world!  “He’s got the whole world in His hand”! 

I know that this scripture applies to me personally too.  I don’t need to bemoan the illness I am currently battling (dysautonomia/POTS).  This did not happen by accident; God has a purpose in it.  It is not that some “heavenly dice” were cast, and I rolled “snake eyes” and got dysautonomia!  God has allowed it, and He has a specific plan and purpose for it.  The responsibility of the person of faith is to believe this; to have the theocentric view of their circumstances that this verse encourages. 

It’s nice to know I didn’t roll “snake eyes”, but that my God is in control!

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A Measure of Your Devotions

Posted on 2012/08/21 by Shawn Thomas

Proverbs 16:20 “He who gives attention to the word shall find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”  This verse challenges us in several ways regarding our daily devotional time in God’s word:

— First of all, it reminds us that our time in God’s word will NOT be unrewarded.  If you “give attention” to it, you WILL find “good” there!  You are never wasting your time by spending it in the Bible! Continue reading →

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This Week in “Paradise” August 20

Posted on 2012/08/20 by Shawn Thomas

Many naive church members consider the pastor’s home to be a “paradise” on earth. We prove otherwise every week! 🙂

Pop Goes The Weasel!

When Libby and Josh came home for the weekend, they were entertained by20120820-210255.jpghow Eponine, our baby kitten, kept jumping into and out of a little brown paper grocery sack. After watching her toy with the sack for a bit, Michael decided to “wrap her up” in the sack and bring her to me as a “surprise gift.” I opened the top of the sack, and looked down into it, and immediately recoiled, as Eponine rocketed out of the sack and jumped straight at my face in a fiery combination of a jack-in-the-box and a clawed demon! I yelped, she hit the ground running, and the kids all doubled over with laughter!

Continue reading →

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Casting Aside For Jesus

Posted on 2012/08/20 by Shawn Thomas

Mark 10:50 “and casting aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.”

Bartimaeus was a “blind beggar” when he met Jesus, :46 says.  His cloak was undoubtedly one of his few possessions.  It was probably the one thing he always held close to himself.  But when he had the opportunity to meet Jesus, the scripture says here he “cast it aside”.  What was so dear, was cast aside in light of the surpassing greatness of the opportunity to fellowship with the Lord, and the blessing He had to offer.

What a life lesson for us!  How many things are “near and dear” to us, which should be “cast aside” in light of the surpassing greatness of Jesus? Continue reading →

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“What James’ Faith Looked Like” (James 1:1)

Posted on 2012/08/19 by Shawn Thomas

     David Boudia just won the gold medal in the 10 meter diving competition in the London Olympics.  In 2008 he also participated in the Olympics, and afterwards he went to college at Purdue.  He immediately immersed himself in the party scene there, and did everything he could to pursue pleasure, and his own personal glory.  But like a lot of people who are doing that very thing at college right now, he found that it all proved to be hollow.  And when it did, his diving coach was there to lead him to faith in Jesus as His Lord & Savior.  Boudia was different at the London games.  After he won the gold medal in London, he was interviewed by NBC’s Al Michaels, in which he summarized the priorities of his life in just a few brief words: “My faith is the most important thing in my life, and this is what’s brought me through this (sic) 2012 Games.”         

     James does a very similar thing here in the very first verse of his book: he tells us a lot about himself and his priorities in just a few brief words: Continue reading →

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Sing and Don’t Be Silent!

Posted on 2012/08/19 by Shawn Thomas

As many of us head off to our church worship services today, we would do well to remember the way that Psalm 30 ends: “That my soul may sing praise to Thee and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.” Continue reading →

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The Meaning of Forgiveness

Posted on 2012/08/18 by Shawn Thomas

David Boudia almost did not make it to the Olympic finals.  He had a poor preliminary round in the 10 meter diving competition, and just barely qualified to go to the final round.  But fortunately, under the Olympic diving rules, his preliminary scores were all erased when he came to the finals.  He was able to start anew, and with a “clean slate”, he won the gold medal!

David Boudia’s experience of having his poor scores erased is a good analogy of the forgiveness that Psalm 32 tells us that God gives us when we confess our sins.  Notice in  verses 1 & 2 that there are 3 expressions which indicate what God does with confessed sin: Continue reading →

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The Blessing of Forgiveness

Posted on 2012/08/17 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 32:1 opens: “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!”

The world has an entirely different idea of what it means to be blessed.  They would put it (whether stated or not) “How blessed is the RICH person” or the “famous” person, or the “attractive” person, or the person who has achieved the worldly definition of “success.”  And unfortunately, too many of God’s people have bought into those same conceptions of the blessed life.  We feel good when we have these “blessings”, or envy those who do. Continue reading →

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When The Moral Compass Is Broken

Posted on 2012/08/16 by Shawn Thomas

Genesis 34 is an ugly chapter in the history of the Patriarchs.  In it, Shechem, a young Canaanite, takes Jacob’s daughter Dinah and “lay with her by force.”  Dinah’s brothers then deceive Shechem and his whole town, telling them that they will consent to intermarry with them if they will only be circumcised.  Then, when the entire male population is in the throes of recuperation from the procedure, Jacob’s sons kill Shechem and every male citizen, and pillage their town.  It is a sordid tale. Continue reading →

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