In other news, I added a few more links to new blogs that have started and dormant ones that have come back to life. :)
HOW TO DRIVE OVER A CLIFFBy Dr. James MacDonald
Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray. Proverbs 10:17
We’re in Driver’s Education mode at our house. Two of our kids are fairly new drivers, one will soon be sitting behind the wheel. Parents know that the number one command to a new driver is what?—“Slow down!” Kids may get tired of hearing it, but wisdom merits its repetition.
What’s true in driving is also true in life. When life is going in a bad direction, a whole line of people ignore the warning, stick the pedal to the metal, and drive over a cliff. Too many times I’ve stood at the bottom of some ravine where someone ran the guardrail in their life and everyone around them is devastated.
Today’s challenge is neither an encouraging or instructive message—it’s a warning. Some of you are driving way too fast. You’re not dealing with some unresolved issues in your life and you’re headed for the cliff.
That’s the warning Herod needed to heed in Mark 6. Herod had some serious unresolved issues in his life yet he loved to hear John the Baptist preach. At every opportunity John would warn him of consequences but Herod would just sit there, amused. Maybe in a moment of honesty he would have said, “I know I should deal with it but I’m just too busy.” Herod’s story ended very badly as you can read about it in Mark 6:14-20.
Now I’m not particularly concerned about Herod; he’s already in eternity. But we’re all still here, and we have choices to make. Please hear this as a warning if it applies to you:
If there’s a conflict in your marriage, begin to deal with it today.
If you’ve got a son who has the wrong friends, deal with it today.
If you’ve got a secret sin that’s persisting in your life, deal with it today.
If the backdrop of your spirituality is a lot of defeat, shame, and frustration, and your spiritual life is really just a façade, could I plead with you? Deal with it!
If you have a bitter, unforgiving spirit toward someone, and there’s hatred in your heart—please, deal with it!
This is a hard word but please hear my heart. If you stay in that in-between place, the time is coming when you will choose the wrong. I’ve seen it in my life and in helping others; when that moment comes we think we’ll step on the brakes, but instead we say, “I’m doing it,” and we hit the gas and over the edge we go.
Slow down and ask for God’s discernment and courage to heed the warning signs.
16 comments:
Anonymous: I responded to your comment on Luke's post "Congrats to Plattner and Bekah."
Thanks, Luke, for the encouragement this morning. For the encouragement and for the solid reminder. It's so easy to let (especially the little) things slide... he's so right, that we think when that time comes we'll step on the breaks, but then we don't. At least, it's very true for me.
Have a blessed day!
(I remembered!)
I'm thrilled that this message has touched you! It definitely touched me too. I would really encourage all who read this to seek out more of James' wisdom on his website. He has some amazing cd sets on different topics.
I needed to read that. It completely spoke to me. Thanks for sharing it. I'm checking out James's website.
T
Alright your prayers worked. Something freaky happened to me last night right after I hung up. Call me after you get off work. I learned my lesson. I hope you can take something positive from all this crap that I've been dishing. Let's staple it together and call it bad weather.
309-452-1981
-Mike
abide....just abide....Let Grace do it's work....
Fast paced and selfish Americans....there seems to be a lot of negative things that come to us with our riches and lifestyles.
This is interesting. Just hopin to open some eyes with this.
http://www.wonkette.com/politics/ap/index.php#finding-versus-looting-123124
I went to that link and saw the pics and read the captions..... but I don't get it.
Explain?
Thanks! :)
Actually I feel very blessed Luke. More so than most. In fact lately I can feel the envy of people who I don't even know. They see that I have sublime help.
I rest my case Dona. I mean Luke.
Mike, will you start using my email address to communicate with me instead of this?
Dona. What you missed: the black guy is a looter. The white people are just trying to survive and get food. There is racism inherently woven into the fabric of this country. Look around. 200 hundred years of torture. I would raise my kids to be wild and not listen to white people too. I have no idea how we are to make them stop hating us. Or us to stop hating them
My apology. I just picked up on that--that the racism thing was the point.
It is sad, the racism that is still in this country. But, in this pic, I think that it's worth noticing that the white folks have a loaf of bread and a thing of soda. The other guy has a big garbage bag full of stuff. Maybe his garbage bag has nothing from the store in it. But that's the way I saw the picture.
As for the hating each other thing: all we can do is be friendly and show the love of Christ to all those around us. That's what I strive to do. I think it's in Proverbs where is says something about a person who wants a friend must show himself friendly.
Dona: I highly doubt that the caption writer knew the circumstances behind why each person took what they took, or even knew exactly what each took. For all we know the backpacks could be full of booze on the white people. We also don't know for sure if the different wording was the result of racism. It was two different writers and two different pictures.
I know that this is only reiterating what everyone else has already said, but...this was a great post, and one that I really needed to read. Thanks!
Reiteration is fine! It's great to know there are so many people out there whome the Lord is still chastening and molding to His image! Let's all strive together to be more like Christ in ALL we do!!
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