"They all joined together constantly in prayer," Acts 1:14
Got up early, had coffee, drove to the course, opened my locker, put on golf shoes, went through the pro shop saying hello to everyone, stopped in front of the posted list of threesomes who were to play together, didn't see my name. Read it once, twice, on the third time I was convinced my name was not there. Went back to my locker, put up shoes, drove home, finished my cold coffee I had not poured out before. I had forgotten to sign up!!
If you don't sign up you are left out of a lot of things. Joining your fine self up is a big deal. If you don't sign up, join, involve yourself you get left out. Our Creator has made a beautiful Kingdom for us to join, but it is our responsibility to get our name on the list of membership. We have to commit to joining the process of finding the Kingdom, looking for it all around us everyday. God provides, however, we must join ourselves to what is provided. Take an active part in the beautiful Grace with which God has gifted us.
In the passage above, Mary has joined with other women and the brothers of Jesus to pray. Wonder who put out the sign up sheet? There are so many ways to take an active part in the Kingdom, so many ways to learn about the Kingdom, so many ways to live a Kingdom life. Are you signed up? Do you know where to find the sign up sheet?
Showing posts with label Kingdom of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kingdom of God. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Live A Life Of Love
Be imitators of love, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us...Ephesians 5:2
I did it and all is well. After 7 weeks of no golf I was back on the course yesterday and it was great. Better score than I expected to post, beautiful day, a fun format for some team play and a really gracious group with which to play.
I guess gracious sounds like a funny word to apply to a golf foresome, but golf can be a gracious and polite sport. When you are a young tike learning to play, part of the lessons always involve golf etiquette. How to treat the course, how to comport yourself on the course. From the beginning you are taught to stand still and be quiet when someone else is hitting the ball, don't step on the green in the line between your opponents ball and the hole, the golfer with the farthest distance to the whole hits next. In friendly, weekly golf matches some rules are put aside in the effort for speedier play; ready-up golf so to speak, but only after everyone agrees on it. Many rules are sort of a do unto others type thing. You don't want people yelling while you are trying to concentrate on a birdy putt, you don't want a big foot print in the green to throw your ball off line...so on and so forth.
I was reminded this morning in my devotional time that there is a difference between living in the Kingdom and living in the real, natural world. I am one that believes that the Kingdom is here, all around us. That there is a way to live my life that is closer to the Kingdom, than if I just do exactly what my ego tells me to do. Seems to me that Ephesians 4:17 through 5:21 makes for a great rule and etiquette book on how to live closer to the kingdom and how to live a "life of love".
Like new golfers we need to have a guideline on how to play the game so as to enjoy it and then spread the joy. We have to start small and try to remember one "rule" at a time.
Go ahead, reread these verses and pick one to start on today. I'm working on 4: 32...Be kind and compassionate to one another...I'm going to mindfully try to "do no harm". Be a blessing to someone today. Let me know how it goes.
I did it and all is well. After 7 weeks of no golf I was back on the course yesterday and it was great. Better score than I expected to post, beautiful day, a fun format for some team play and a really gracious group with which to play.
I guess gracious sounds like a funny word to apply to a golf foresome, but golf can be a gracious and polite sport. When you are a young tike learning to play, part of the lessons always involve golf etiquette. How to treat the course, how to comport yourself on the course. From the beginning you are taught to stand still and be quiet when someone else is hitting the ball, don't step on the green in the line between your opponents ball and the hole, the golfer with the farthest distance to the whole hits next. In friendly, weekly golf matches some rules are put aside in the effort for speedier play; ready-up golf so to speak, but only after everyone agrees on it. Many rules are sort of a do unto others type thing. You don't want people yelling while you are trying to concentrate on a birdy putt, you don't want a big foot print in the green to throw your ball off line...so on and so forth.
I was reminded this morning in my devotional time that there is a difference between living in the Kingdom and living in the real, natural world. I am one that believes that the Kingdom is here, all around us. That there is a way to live my life that is closer to the Kingdom, than if I just do exactly what my ego tells me to do. Seems to me that Ephesians 4:17 through 5:21 makes for a great rule and etiquette book on how to live closer to the kingdom and how to live a "life of love".
Like new golfers we need to have a guideline on how to play the game so as to enjoy it and then spread the joy. We have to start small and try to remember one "rule" at a time.
Go ahead, reread these verses and pick one to start on today. I'm working on 4: 32...Be kind and compassionate to one another...I'm going to mindfully try to "do no harm". Be a blessing to someone today. Let me know how it goes.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Home Course
Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Proverbs 4:25
Hey friends, I'm back!! Safely drove around 7,620 miles. We saw so much of this beautiful country and had contact with so many beautiful souls. I know we are supposed to be in hard times, however, almost every gas station and motel were busy. Restaurants had diners, store parking lots were full and golf courses had players. Amazing how I did this with my eyes directly straight ahead, on the road all the time. Well, maybe I peeked over now and then.
We saw some really interesting golf courses as we flew by, didn't have time to stop at any. Courses where the grass was so green because of all this years rain in parts of the country, others that were brown and dry as a bone. Hilly ones, flat ones, some with lots of trees, some with none. All a home course to someone. I'll be so glad to play my home course next week for the first time in about four weeks.
Yes, we are to keep our eyes looking straight ahead, focused on the Jesus way to the Kingdom, but that path goes through an amazingly beautiful place. God's created world and its people are diverse and beautiful, don't miss that on your walk. Look straight and directly at all the good and beauty around you. Enjoy it and praise the Creator that you are walking through it. Enjoy your home course.
Hey friends, I'm back!! Safely drove around 7,620 miles. We saw so much of this beautiful country and had contact with so many beautiful souls. I know we are supposed to be in hard times, however, almost every gas station and motel were busy. Restaurants had diners, store parking lots were full and golf courses had players. Amazing how I did this with my eyes directly straight ahead, on the road all the time. Well, maybe I peeked over now and then.
We saw some really interesting golf courses as we flew by, didn't have time to stop at any. Courses where the grass was so green because of all this years rain in parts of the country, others that were brown and dry as a bone. Hilly ones, flat ones, some with lots of trees, some with none. All a home course to someone. I'll be so glad to play my home course next week for the first time in about four weeks.
Yes, we are to keep our eyes looking straight ahead, focused on the Jesus way to the Kingdom, but that path goes through an amazingly beautiful place. God's created world and its people are diverse and beautiful, don't miss that on your walk. Look straight and directly at all the good and beauty around you. Enjoy it and praise the Creator that you are walking through it. Enjoy your home course.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Treasures Here or There
Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Matthew 6:19
There was a fire today. A house on the golf course went up as we played past. I mean on one hole workman were on the roof, on the next hole it was burning, by the next it was obvious it was not to be saved. So sad to think that this family lost their home so quickly. I cannot get over how fast it was.
No other reminder is so clear as a house fire. Our treasures here in this world can go in a heart beat. Treasure love and family and friends. Treasure your walk with the Lord. Treasure the gift of the Holy Spirit. My heart goes out to these people, I pray that their real treasure was already planted in the kingdom of heaven not the kingdom of earth.
There was a fire today. A house on the golf course went up as we played past. I mean on one hole workman were on the roof, on the next hole it was burning, by the next it was obvious it was not to be saved. So sad to think that this family lost their home so quickly. I cannot get over how fast it was.
No other reminder is so clear as a house fire. Our treasures here in this world can go in a heart beat. Treasure love and family and friends. Treasure your walk with the Lord. Treasure the gift of the Holy Spirit. My heart goes out to these people, I pray that their real treasure was already planted in the kingdom of heaven not the kingdom of earth.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Seek The Kingdom
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
OK, so how do you seek the kingdom at the golf course? How do you see the kingdom at the golf course? Can you find the kingdom at the golf course? Is the kingdom at the golf course?
You drive through the gate, use the big parking lot of asphalt to park the car. Pass through the entrance hall, go down the steps next to the dining room, then around the corner into the locker room, get your golf shoes on and then proceed to the pro shop. Now, get the cart with your clubs, go to the hill where the practice range is, loosen up by hitting some shots with your seven iron. Back in the cart, ride to the first tee, play your round of golf. Finish round, back to the pro shop to record your score, locker room, shoes off, dining room, lunch, parking lot, car, home.
So where is this kingdom in all of this? How do I see it, find it?
You could substitute grocery store, school, office, church, movies, restaurant, anything you want for golf course. So how do you see it? I can only tell you how I have started trying. The key to me is in the next chapter of Matthew, 7:3-4. I have to get the plank out of my eye so I can see. My plank is my ego. The kingdom is where God rules, not my self will or big ego. God's rule is love. I need to start seeing all the places I go, situations I am in, people I am around, through eyes that are clear. Eyes that see with love. All acts I perform need to be done in loving kindness. The more I see with eyes of love, the more I do with loving kindness, the closer I get to perceiving the world around me as the Kingdom of God. God's rule without the interference of me, me, me and my will.
It is slow work, but with the help of the Holy Spirit who is always there, it can be done. It will be done.
OK, so how do you seek the kingdom at the golf course? How do you see the kingdom at the golf course? Can you find the kingdom at the golf course? Is the kingdom at the golf course?
You drive through the gate, use the big parking lot of asphalt to park the car. Pass through the entrance hall, go down the steps next to the dining room, then around the corner into the locker room, get your golf shoes on and then proceed to the pro shop. Now, get the cart with your clubs, go to the hill where the practice range is, loosen up by hitting some shots with your seven iron. Back in the cart, ride to the first tee, play your round of golf. Finish round, back to the pro shop to record your score, locker room, shoes off, dining room, lunch, parking lot, car, home.
So where is this kingdom in all of this? How do I see it, find it?
You could substitute grocery store, school, office, church, movies, restaurant, anything you want for golf course. So how do you see it? I can only tell you how I have started trying. The key to me is in the next chapter of Matthew, 7:3-4. I have to get the plank out of my eye so I can see. My plank is my ego. The kingdom is where God rules, not my self will or big ego. God's rule is love. I need to start seeing all the places I go, situations I am in, people I am around, through eyes that are clear. Eyes that see with love. All acts I perform need to be done in loving kindness. The more I see with eyes of love, the more I do with loving kindness, the closer I get to perceiving the world around me as the Kingdom of God. God's rule without the interference of me, me, me and my will.
It is slow work, but with the help of the Holy Spirit who is always there, it can be done. It will be done.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Run Through the Door
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. Revelation 4:1
When I was growing up, still in school, this weekend was always the best one in the year. It was the water shed of all weekends, it was off with the old on with the new. It was the end of the year for me, the start of summer. I am not a good enough writer to explain the absolute joy this weekend brought to me, the anticipation of great things to come. I knew there would be swimming every day, golf, picnics every Monday night, baseball games, being outside morning till night, running up to the neighbors, going to the lake, just days and days of freedom.
When I woke up this morning I actually had a glimmer of that same old feeling inside me. Not quite as strong as when I was 9 or 10 years old, but I could feel it. An excited feeling in my belly of things to come...swimming, visits and travel to family already scheduled, a bunch of golf tournaments, dinners with friends. This morning it was like a door was standing open and I was excited about getting up and running through it. Just like the old days...just get up and run through it, enter the summer full tilt.
In Revelations, John saw a door standing open in Heaven. That must have been an exciting feeling of anticipation. As above so below, I love that thought. The door to the Kingdom is here and open, we just have to go through. Run through with hope and joy at what we will find. Here in our lives on earth we get glimmers of what it is like in the Kingdom that is so near.
The door to summer is open, so is the door to the Kingdom.
When I was growing up, still in school, this weekend was always the best one in the year. It was the water shed of all weekends, it was off with the old on with the new. It was the end of the year for me, the start of summer. I am not a good enough writer to explain the absolute joy this weekend brought to me, the anticipation of great things to come. I knew there would be swimming every day, golf, picnics every Monday night, baseball games, being outside morning till night, running up to the neighbors, going to the lake, just days and days of freedom.
When I woke up this morning I actually had a glimmer of that same old feeling inside me. Not quite as strong as when I was 9 or 10 years old, but I could feel it. An excited feeling in my belly of things to come...swimming, visits and travel to family already scheduled, a bunch of golf tournaments, dinners with friends. This morning it was like a door was standing open and I was excited about getting up and running through it. Just like the old days...just get up and run through it, enter the summer full tilt.
In Revelations, John saw a door standing open in Heaven. That must have been an exciting feeling of anticipation. As above so below, I love that thought. The door to the Kingdom is here and open, we just have to go through. Run through with hope and joy at what we will find. Here in our lives on earth we get glimmers of what it is like in the Kingdom that is so near.
The door to summer is open, so is the door to the Kingdom.
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