Poster Child 4 Grace

Prayer for Father's Day 2008

2008-06-13T16:32:00.009-05:00

Lord, Sunday is Father's Day. I praise You and thank You for the many blessing in my life. I know that no matter how disappointed or discouraged or tired I might get, I need to count my blessings.

You gave Your own son Jesus to die a painful death like a common criminal to pay the price that had to be paid for my sin so that I could be with You for eternity.
I am healthy enough to work outside in the yard for several hours in summer heat.
My wife and children are also healthy.
We have not been a victim of senseless violence.
We have not had any horrible accidents.
I have enough financial resources to provide all the true necessities of life plus several luxuries.

If it be Your will, I pray that You...

Keep my faith strong.
Make me responsive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in my life. In particular, make me alert to anyone You put in my path for a reason. Tell me what to say or do that will help them come to accept Jesus into their life.
Help me resist temptation to stray away from the straight and narrow road You have revealed to us in the Bible
Give me a hunger for Your Word and for time spent in prayer with You.
Show me how it is You would have me serve Your purposes in this life. Open those doors of opportunity and close all the other doors which would only distract me from Your purpose for my life.
Bless me in my role as husband and help me be a blessing to my wife. Spread Your grace all around our home and remove all barriers which might come up between us. Give me joy in my marriage to her. Give her joy in her marriage to me. Prepare us for the time when all our children are grown and help us find new ways then to serve which fit Your plan.
Bless me in my role as father and give me wisdom in family matters. Help me know when to step back and wait on You and Your timing.
Bless my children thru me and help me set a Christian example for them. Put positive Christian friends, teachers, professors, coaches, ministers, youth workers, etc. in their path that will also be a blessing upon them. If it is Your plan that they should marry, I pray that You are this moment preparing a godly spouse for them that will love them always and be godly parents for any future grandchildren. Help each child also find their place of service to You and Your purposes.
Bless me in my role as provider and help me take full advantage of every career opportunity which is part of Your provision for my family's financial needs. I pray that You guide me thru the changing economic times. Help me trust in You alone and not in my job title, credentials, salary, or 401k balance.
Bless me in my role as employee and help me honor You in my work and show Your light in a dark world.
Bless me in my new role as a manager and help me lead Your way and be a blessing to every person under me.

Lord, I also pray for similar blessings for all the other fathers on Father's Day. Help all of us be the Christian men, husbands, and fathers that You need us to be.

There are probably millions of fathers struggling to provide basic necessities for their families that I take for granted. I pray You show them Your provision for their families.
There are fathers grieving the loss of a wife or child. Show them Your comfort.
There are fathers faced with career decisions which will affect both their ability to provide for their families financial needs and the time/energy they have to devote to their wives and children. Give them wisdom to balance the seemingly conflicting demands upon them. Help them be good stewards of their time and talents.
There are husbands out there who just found out their wife has been unfaithful. Guide them as they must decide what to say and do next.
There are husbands out there who have been unfaithful to their wives. Help them repent of their sin and live honorable lives from this day forward.
There are fathers out there grieving over a son or daughter that has made horrible choices in life and are now suffering the consequences. Help them know Your will and comfort them.
There are husbands and fathers who are being the spiritual leaders in their home that You intend. Supernaturally enable them to succeed.
There are husbands who want to be the spiritual leaders in their home that You desire but there attempts have been rejected. Spread Your grace in their home, supernaturally enable them, and prepare the hearts of their families to hear and accept Your message.
There are fathers out there that have let their children down. Lift them up and grow them into the fathers both You and their children need them to be. Help them also to live honorable lives from this day forward.
There are fathers out there who are managers or business owners that have great influence on their employees and their families. Bless them as they honor You in the way they conduct their business.
There are fathers out there spending their spare time with children and youth as coaches or Sunday School teachers. Lift them up so they are good examples of what it is to be a Christian man today.

God, bless all fathers on Father's Day

Amen

Copyright © 2008 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Chip Ingram - Living on the Edge

2008-03-11T07:31:00.005-05:00

Over the last several months or so, I have really embraced the concept of podcasts. I love downloading great spoken word MP3's onto my iPod and listening to them during otherwise wasted time commuting to work, mowing the grass, and sometimes even while washing the car. It's like an audio book but a shorter, more focused version which can be digested in the time we have available.

I want to recommend several of the best Christian podcasts that I've found in hopes that you too will find these as a way to "renew your mind" (see Romans 12:2 ).

My first podcast recommendation is the "Living on the Edge" podcast by Chip Ingram. I just find that the way Chip Ingram talks about practical application of the Bible in our everyday lives very compelling. His podcast has really helped me grow spiritually. It comes out pretty much every day and each episode lasts about 25 minutes, perfect for commuting.

I was listening this morning as he was going thru a series on the Ten Commandments. His discussion about the commandment about having "no other gods before me" really challenged me about the things in my own life that have the potential to become idols. I have what I hope is a healthy ambition at work. But am I putting too high of a priority on recognition at work? Would my life fall apart if certain people were taken away from me? Would I be willing to give up the nice house, proximity to relatives, or my 401K balance for God if it were really required of me to serve God's purposes? In other words, is God really first in my life?

Listen to Chip now with iTunes or listen online.

My Chinese Church Away from Home

2007-08-11T22:27:00.002-05:00

In some previous posts I described the circumstances under which I found myself with the opportunity to travel to Beijing, China on business on several occasions. See When do You Leave a Good Job? and Leaving the Comfort Zone to Experience God's Provision. I've also commented on my experiences attending Beijing Haidian Christian Church and some good news about the freedom of our Chinese brothers and sisters to worship openly and read the Bible. See China, Christianity, and the Bible.

I have enjoyed my worship experience at Haidian so much, I now think of it as my church away from home. (I'm not done yet with my travels to China.) Here's a picture of me and my new acquaintance and Christian brother Chuck who went with me last Sunday. (The English language service is now at 11 am in the basement. Enter from the rear of the building at ground level.) Haidian just moved in a wonderful new building which was dedicated on June 3, 2007.

One of the things which is so exciting to me is to see so many college age worshipers. Haidian has the lucky location to be a next door neighbor to two of the most prestigious universities in all of China, Beijing University which I've heard compared to Harvard in the US and Tsinghua University which I've heard called their "MIT." Note the young and standing-room-only crowd at the English language service below.

As you can see, they didn't start an English language service to reach out to Westerners like me, they started an English language service to reach out to the college students. If you are a bright, ambitious college student in China you want to go to graduate school in an English speaking country. All the top jobs and careers in the new China require regular contact with Westerners and good English language skills are a plus. The result, probably 250-300 Chinese college students worship in English in Beijing each Sunday morning.

See also the China Daily article Modern church, more religious freedom for more information and quotes from Pastor Wu Weiqing saying that over 70% of those attending the church are young people.

Copyright © 2007 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Make a Loan and Change a Life - Part 2

2007-06-28T21:54:00.000-05:00

If you are a regular reader, you may remember a couple of previous posts Make a Loan and Change a Life and My Career as a Financier to the Developing World in which I talked about making "micro credit" loans as way of helping people in the developing world help themselves. I am happy to report that I just received an email from Kiva.org telling me that Ariola Sánchez in Ecuador has paid her loan in full. Ten of us who signed up at Kiva.org loaned $250 ($25 each) to Ariola to "buy Bibles, clothing and other miscellaneous products to sell" in her neigborhood.

China, Christianity, and the Bible

2007-06-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

My hotel in Beijing provides me with an English language newspaper, the China Daily. I don't know how the content differs form what is in a typical Chinese language newspaper in Beijing, but right on the front page was a small story Call it a sign, word is out on the Bible. The story has some encouraging statements.

China has printed more than 43 million copies of the Bible in the past three decades, and the number of Protestants in the country now exceeds 16 million.
The free expression of Christianity in China is ensured and the Bible is widely available, said Rev Cao Shengjie, president of the China Christian Council, at the "Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Church in China", which concluded in Germany yesterday.
There are some 55,000 places of worship and 18 divinity and Bible schools
According to the Rev Yu Xinli, president of the Christian Council in Beijing, the number of Protestants is fast increasing in the capital with about 5,000 being baptised annually, he said.

When I visited the Beijing Haidian Christian Church on June 3, 2007 I was simply amazed hear a moving sermon (English translation received in real-time by a small FM radio receiver) on "taking up your cross" to follow Jesus and then to witness the baptism of 41 believers. There was a twenty foot long counter outside the sanctuary containing many Chinese Bibles for sale. Someone who spoke English told me some of the books where "how to be a Christian" books. Incidentally, I believe this church is the closest government-registered Protestant church to the Olympic Village.

I have had a few English-speaking Chinese tell me that some Chinese polititicans now openly talk about religion in China helping to create a "harmonious society". See the March 7, 2007 article Religion Can Contribute to Building a Harmonious Society. The story says that on March 4, 2007 "China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin called on religious groups to give full play to the positive role of religion to boost social harmony at a panel discussion with the country's political advisors from religious community. Jia also called for frequent exchanges between different religions and between religious believers and non-religious people to promote social stability and unity, and happiness of the people."

Copyright © 2007 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Shouldn't We Just Send Money?

2007-05-30T10:50:00.000-05:00

(This is something I wrote back in 2005)

A friend of mine at work just returned from a church-sponsored mission trip to Honduras. He described it as “the best trip I’ve ever been on!” He showed me many digital pictures from his trip showing how they built simple houses for people there. People of all ages went including many retirees and teenagers with some doing construction and some teaching a vacation Bible school for Honduran children. One couple that went had been sponsoring a child in Honduras by mail for a while and got to meet “their” child in person. The smiles of delighted children were prominent in many pictures. He showed a picture of himself with his arm around a Honduran teenager with the teenager wearing his hat and sunglasses. My friend had given them as a gift to the teenager right before they left to return home. When was the last time you spent $900 dollars of your own money and used a week of your precious vacation time to go bang nails all day in the hot, tropical sun for people you just met? When was the last time I spent $900 of my own money and a week of my vacation time to go bang nails in the hot, tropical sun for people I just met? I know my answer is “never.”

My own church regularly sends people on mission work trips to a girl’s orphanage in Chile and I have only heard glowing comments from the people who return. If there was any sadness in their remarks, it was that they could not provide even more help. One guy told of eating a meal with the girls where the main dish was chicken. After dinner, he ventured back into the kitchen to find the girls and house mother picking the little pieces of chicken left uneaten off of the bones. Nothing could be wasted. They would put this small amount of left over in soup at another meal. This big, burly guy talked about how now before he goes to sleep in the States at night, he wonders if the girls (who he now knows by name) got enough to eat that night.

I can hear the naysayers now. “Wouldn’t those people in Honduras or Chile be better off if all those Americans did not go down in person but instead sent the cost of their airfare, hotel, meals, etc. to those people?”

I think the naysayers are missing something. Yes, from a short-term, purely economic point of view they may be right. However, their attitude seems to be based on the assumption that only the physical needs of the poor in Honduras matter.

What about the spiritual needs of the person who makes the journey? If they had only sent their money:

Would they have learned how much faith other people around the world must have to face such hardship and still be happy?
Would the traveler have learned to be grateful for the many blessings they have already received in life and so often take for granted?
Would the traveler learn the lesson about what things really are necessities? and how it is possible to be happy with little?
Would those teenagers be the same kind of husband, wife, or parent in their future if they had not had this opportunity to give to someone in person who really appreciates it... and cannot return the favor?
How will the world be different if enough Americans have faces with names in their memories and wonder if the person they met had enough to eat today?

What about the spiritual needs of the people in Honduras?

Would they have learned that when Jesus is actively at work in the lives of someone “rich” they don’t look down on the poor?
Would those children in the vacation Bible school that week gotten the same life lesson if they had not seen that all those “rich” people who could have been lounging around at the beach for fun would rather come tell them about Jesus while swatting tropical insects?
If the lady who had a house built for her were to improve her financial situation later in life, would she be as generous face-to-face to those poorer than her if she had not seen the example of those Americans coming to help her when they could have stayed home and pretended she didn’t exist from 2000 miles away?

I think I’m missing something. What about you?

Real Men Friends

2007-05-25T22:37:00.001-05:00

I had lunch today with three other Christian brothers. I found it a great source of encouragement to be with other men I know share my faith and also want to find God's will for their lives. It was uplifting to know that I was not alone.

I encourage each of you to find a few same-sex friends with whom you can be real about your struggles and successes.

Lost Boy of Sudan to Graduate

2007-05-05T07:56:00.000-05:00

Some of my readers may remember a post A Prayer for Michael and the Lost Boys of Sudan in which I described a moving incident meeting a refugee from Sudan in the waiting area at a car dealer. Imagine my surprise when I open up the morning paper and find a whole article about the same young man. See One of Sudan's 'Lost Boys' finds calling, will graduate as nurse.
Apparently he is graduating soon and making a trip back to Africa to see his mother whom he hasn't seen in 19 years and hasn't spoken to since 2004. Let's all pray for a happy reunion.

Beijing International Christian Fellowship

2007-04-09T21:56:00.000-05:00

In a post back in January My Glimpse at What Heaven Must Be Like I described how moving it was to see so many nationalities worship at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship. On my last visit back in March, they said that 70 nationalities now worship there. The man who sat down next to me told me he was from Uganda and that he worked for the United Nations. On two different visits in March 2007 I had the good fortune to hear Christian singing groups from both Indonesia and Hong Kong in the English language service. The Beijing International Christian Fellowship meets in a large auditorium it is allowed rent from the 21st Century Hotel. The building is shown below.

Only foreign passport holders are allowed to attend BICF, but Chinese Christians do have places of worship and are even being allowed to build new ones. See Beijing Haidian Christian Church.

Beijing Haidian Christian Church

2007-04-09T21:42:00.000-05:00

This picture exposes how poor the zoom lens is on my camera but I think you'll get the idea. On a recent trip to China I snapped this picture on Palm Sunday 2007 of the brand new Beijing Haidian Christian Church which appears to almost be completed. The Haidian neighborhood is in nortwestern Beijing, not too far from the Summer Palace. How wonderful that my Christian brothers and sisters in China can obtain property, get all the necessary government approvals, hire building contractors, and build such a bold and beautiful place of worship.

The Christian Life is NOT

2007-02-03T21:44:00.000-06:00

I've been hooked on podcasts ever since I got an iPod as a Christmas gift. Therefore, I've now decided to give podcasting a try myself. Here's my first podcast, based on a previous post of mine The Christian Life is NOT.

If you've got an iPod, just click on the "Add to iTunes" button to subscribe to future episodes of my Poster Child 4 Grace Podcast. You may have to hit the play button and start listening before the subscribe button will work.

There is also a list of podcast subscription feeds down the right-hand side of the blog if you use a different kind of MP3 player. These are right below the Feedburner RSS feed to the text of this blog.

Subscribing to a podcast is a great way to squeeze some other time thinking about God into your busy day. With an MP3 player (or you could burn a CD) it can be like listening to an audio book during your commute back and forth to work.

Click here to get your own player.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

My Glimpse at What Heaven Must Be Like

2007-01-23T08:26:00.000-06:00

I had an absolutely wonderful Sunday morning. A friend-of-a-friend had recommended a church in town so I got up at a normal time for a Sunday morning and took a 100 Yuan taxis ride down to the Beijing Christian International Fellowship to attend church. This is a church which serves Beijing’s international community and it meets in the auditorium at the 21st Century Hotel. Church services are only open to foreign passport holders, however.

I struck up a conversation with the lady next to me. She made a comment that “this is what heaven will be like.” I immediately found myself in total agreement with her. Here were many people with many skin colors, many foreign accents, many native tougnes (though this was an English language service), and they all forgot their differences to come and worship.

Then the beautiful singing started. I looked around the auditorium again and as I listened I was reminded of Don Piper’s description of the music in heaven in his moving book 90 Minutes in Heaven . There were no clashing sounds. Each sound blended together in joyous praise despite all the differences in the singers. Students. kids, teenagers, Moms, construction workers, factory owners, secretaries, bankers, and goverment officials were all united in praise.

I felt like I’d been given a precious gift. A glimpse into what heaven must be like.

Copyright © 2007 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

I Made it to China

2007-01-15T10:39:00.000-06:00

I left for China from Nashville yesterday and blew to Detroit and then to Tokyo and then to Beijin. Below is a shot of the Loong Palace Hotel where I'm staying. Its nice to have a client that picks such nice hotels!

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Confessions of an Amateur Believer

2007-01-15T09:37:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered if being a Christian meant you had to stop using your God-given brain and blindly follow something you didn’t understand without questioning? Have you come to consider thoughtful self examination of your beliefs something to be avoided? Think it is something you shouldn’t want to do? Is it somehow a sin to have doubts about matters of faith? Have I got a book recommendation for you! Check out Confessions of an Amateur Believer by Patty Kirk and see that you're not alone.

Patty Kirk gives us some revealing insight into her life from which we can all benefit. She grew up in the faith and had that beautiful child-like complete trust that there is indeed a God and that God is good. Then because of family problems and some traumatic experiences she came to leave the faith and doubt the existence of God. After years of persuing more and more education and life overseas, she came home and found her faith again. Even those of us who never left the faith of our childhood can still glean insight into the bumps in the road which may have driven our friends, family, or co-workers away from belief in God.

The book is basically a collection of essays about her doubts and how that God dealt with her doubts through the people around her and her experiences in life. Most of the time, a Bible verse (maybe even one she’d read many times before) struck a nerve. The Holy Spirit spoke to her and and put a bright spotlight on a particular passage and related it to some event or worry or hurt.

In one chapter entitled “On Barns” she tells of how the she and her husband have six barns on their farm in Oklahoma but they don’t really farm much any more. When beef prices fell in the 90’s he became a CPA and she became an English teacher. They were “barn rich and money poor.” While reading the parable in Luke 12 about the prosperous farmer who contemplates tearing down his barns to build bigger ones so he can store up enough to stop working and life the easy life, she took hard the fact that God chose that time to say “You fool! This very night you will die!” He hadn’t actually torn a barn down yet. He was making plans for his own future to be self sufficient without needing God anymore.

“I got to thinking about the fact that this rich guy hadn’t even carried out his plans yet when God told him he was about to die that very night. He was just thinking about it. And it occurred to me, suddenly, that this parable was not about storing wealth but about making plans and to-do lists, about living in the future tense instead of now.....
My barns, I got to thinking, are unpublished books, further academic degrees, things to write in future resumes or please for salary increases, courses yet to come, a clean house, a pretty yard, a place to rest. And my sin is not these things, many of which I already enjoy, but thinking about them, my secret yearning
for more job security and professional acclaim and some sort of future leisure in which to garden, read novels, and throw big dinner parties.
I have thought the rich guy’s thoughts....I work long hours, pour my energy and enthusiasm into my students and writing, and then snap at my husband and children when I get home and dream about a future in which this isn’t so.
Today I wish to consider the barns I am tearing down; my marriage, my two children, my faith in God to take care of my wants and desires. Jesus began his parable with a strange statement. He says: “The ground of certain rich man produced a good crop.” The story is about the certain rich man, his schemes and impending death, but the subject of the opening sentence is not the man but the ground – the land, the earth, the very dirt of which the man himself was made.....
Planning to build bigger barns is cherishing the future of our own creation rather than the good barns full of what we’ve already been given.”

She has this to say about the story in which Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat when a horrible storm comes up and the Disciples are terrified. They wake Jesus up as if to say “Why are you doing nothing to help us? We’re all going to drown!”

“Where is your faith?” He asked them, and suddenly I realized that shrieking to Jesus to help me and having faith that He would help take care of me were not the same thing. Faith, that elusive gift that I could not earn, did nevertheless require doing something, something very specific. I had to calm myself with the certainty that I was loved and would be taken care of. ‘Like a weaned child with its mother,’ I had to calm myself enough to let my Master sleep.
“Calm down,” I used to tell my little daughters when they were unreasonably upset or over tired. I reminded them that I was in charge but that I knew they had the power to calm themselves. I made them sit in my lap and take deep breaths. I stroked their hair. After a while, their tight little rebellious bodies would soften and lean into me.
Think of it! Jesus slept in that little boat while the dangerous storm raged. Giving my problems to Jesus is to let him sleep – and to sleep myself.
The Psalmist knew this: it is in vain that we ‘rise early and stay up late,’ he tells us in Psalms 127, “toiling for food to eat” – for the Lord “grants sleep to those he loves.”

There is a similarly wonderful chapter on that perpetual brunt of all kinds of jokes – the mother-in-law. Only this hits hard deep inside because it is based on scripture. Patty Kirk describes how she felt a sense of resentment against her mother-in-law despite all the free baby sitting, meals, and cars she let them buy from her at below market prices. She resented her because she wanted a more independent life for her and her husband and her mother-in-law’s constant “help” was a constant reminder of how interconnected they were.

“Eating a Mamaw’s meant surrendering one of my most precious retreats from the difficulties of life, my escape and solitude, my self-made and hard won identity as the provider of food for my family.”

Then she read the story of Naomi and Ruth with fresh eyes. Ruth’s words to Naomi:

Wherever you go, I shall go.
Wherever you live, I shall live.
Your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God, too.

Today regarding her mother-in-law:

“Hers is the fiber from which whole cloth is made, an inspiration for any would-be Ruth or striving Christian, a model of selfless love of herself, others, and life itself. As I get older and more sure of the choices Ihave made, for better or worse, I begin to see how one might come to cling to such a pillar in time of need. I already cling to her, in fact. More and more, when time is short and stressful, I seek her ease, her meals, her love for my children and attention to their demands.”

In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that I received a free review copy of this book in the hopes that I would say something nice about the book. My first reaction was selfish I admit. I was glad that a real book marketing professional thought my humble blog would make good publicity for the book and that some of you might take my recommendation and pick up your own copy.

In hindsight, I must say that I was the one blessed in this process and I’m sure glad that I was given this opportunity because I’m not one to go to bookstores and pickup books from authors I’d never heard of before. But I have my own aspirations of writing a Christian book some day and I hope I can write something that will touch your soul down deep inside like this one touched me – and I exercised my God-given brain, too! I encourage you to go pick up your own copy of Confessions of an Amateur Believer by Patty Kirk.

Leaving the Comfort Zone to Experience God's Provision

2007-01-11T21:28:00.002-06:00

Back in October I had a post Could This Be God's Provision? in which I described a quandary related to how I support my family. I was good at my work as a consultant designing software. Unlike most of my consultant co-workers, I actually had a local client and did not have to travel on business very much.

Then it happened. My boss' boss told me she wanted me to sell more consulting services vs. actually be the one to do the work. This began a couple of months of introspection about my career and God's provision. I was comfortable where I was and what I was doing. But was I too comfortable? In the last few years I have been trying to be alert to the leading of the Holy Spirit and I really wondered "Was I supposed to say 'yes' to this career change? Was there a reason this opportunity presented itself? Was this an accident? Is this a door of opportunity that has opened for a short time and I'm supposed to walk thru the door... without having to know the final outcome?"

In the previous post I told of several friends from church who found themselves no longer being able to remain employees and actually had to take a financial risk and make a leap of faith to buy out the boss and become business owners. I had every reason to believe they became closer to God and God's will in the process. I began comparing my situation to theirs and wondering if this was my time in life that God wanted me to get out of my comfort zone and take a leap of faith and trust in His provision.

Well... guess what happened?

Since October I talked to many different people. I made a point to talk to some self employed Christian men who had taken some risk in their work lives. I talked to trusted co-workers. I would say about 90% of the advise I got was to "go for it" (the change to marketing that is). I prayed for wisdom and discernment. I asked God to help me honor Him in whatever I was supposed to do as His provision for my family.

I work in a very matrixed organization so I have a lot of different managers and told them all I thought I wanted to make a switch to do more selling even if that meant I had to leave my comfortable, no-travel technical position. All were supportive. I had only one final phone call with the "big boss" who started the whole process by telling me to worry more about selling and less about delivery (doing it myself). I scheduled the call about two weeks in advance where I expected to give her my "Yes I'd like to do this. I'd like to change my job title. I'm willing to take on a sales quota."

Two days before my call, everything changed. I found out the very same boss who had told me to sell more only two months earlier had suggested my name to take a technical leadership role on a project with a major electronics company. I must admit my first reaction was that this was a very bad sign. She must have reconsidered and decided I couldn't sell.

Then I started to get more information. She didn't suggest my name to keep me from changing to a marketing post. She suggested my name to take a leadership position at one of her most important accounts. It turns out this client was not just any client but a client doing a huge amount of business with my employer. I wouldn't just be consulting. I would be working directly for an influential technology executive at this firm. I wouldn't just be working a couple of hours away from home. There was a very real possibility of a trip to China and Toronto, Canada. This "delivery" position had a huge amount of impact and visibility.

So now you know. I sought counsel from many Christian men I trusted. I prayed for discernment. I prayed for God to show me His will. I didn't switch job titles to go into marketing. I am genuinely excited about my new challenge and the many different people I will meet from many different cultures. I now look at the whole exercise about going into marketing to have been more about "am I willing to leave what is comfortable if that is what God wants me to do?" And.. I now leave Sunday morning for China. Ain't God good!

Copyright © 2007 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Words of Encouragement

2007-01-10T21:22:00.000-06:00

God placed a new person in my path recently to encourage me and bless me. A good Sunday School friend of mine invited a young pastor named Brian (the pastor of another church nearby) I had never met to say a few words at my Sunday School class party. From my Sunday School friend I learned that this young man once had a promising career in business but walked away from it all when he felt God's call into the ministry.

When Brian got up to speak, he read some of his own inspirational Christian writing. My antenna started twitching because I realized "here is another person right here in my neighbor hood who takes his Christian writing seriously!" After Brian spoke, I was able to find out that he was once a management consultant in the healthcare industry. Now I am a consultant myself as well (I help corporations design their business software and websites) so we even had that in common.

I also learned that Brian had been writing the really wonderful Christian poetry and weekly email newsletters to his congregation and friends and had been doing this for a while. He told me he probably had 140 or more Microsoft Word documents of his own inspirational writing that he had been distributing by email. I told him he should start posting some of his writing in a blog for the whole world to see (and find via Google and other search engines)!

I encourage all my readers to visit Brian Johnson's new Blog Words of Encouragement. I just read his most recent post "$2 worth of gas" in which he tells a story of rushing off to do ministry at a prison without any cash or his debit card and desperately running out of gas. He stopped at the first gas station he came to after his visit to the prison and found they did not take checks. When he tried to buy $1.14 worth of gas he scrounged out of his ashtray, the lady behind the cash register offerred to let him have $5 if he'd pay her back. His pride kept him from accepting her generosity (she had no way to know if she'd ever see him again) but later he began to wonder if he should have accepted her offer. Had he selfishly stolen her opportunity to do a good deed? Was refusing her gift like refusing God's grace in some way. Its a great story. You won't be disappointed.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Churches for the Weak and Needy

2006-12-30T21:21:00.000-06:00

"Occasionally I am asked by young men seeking a church to pastor if I know of a church without any problems. My response to them is, 'If I did, I wouldn't tell you; you'd go there and spoil it.' The point is that there are no perfect churches. Churches struggle because all are made up of imperfect sinning people. The church is not a place for people with no weaknesses; it is a fellowship of those who are aware of their weaknesses and long for the strength and grace of God to fill their lives. It is a kind of hospital for those who know they are sick and needy."

John MacArthur, Revelation: The Christians Ultimate Victory Bible Study

My Career as a Financier to the Developing World

2006-12-27T10:45:00.000-06:00

If you happened to read my previous post Make a Loan and Change a Life you learned that I made a small loan to an entrepreneur in Ecuador that sold Bibles and other retail items. I am happy to report that Ariola has made her first payment of $42 out of $250 or 16.8%. Since I was one of ten different lenders lending $25, my portion of her repayment was $4.20. Here's more about Ariola and her business.

Location: Guayaquil, Ecuador
Activity: Retail
Loan Amount: $250.00
Loan Use: Buy bibles, clothing and other miscellaneous products to sell
Loan Repayment Term Range: 6-10 months
Start Date: Nov 25, 2006
Amount Repaid: $42
Partner Rep: Luis Crespo, Esther Vasquez
Partner: MIFEX

Ariola is a saleswoman in her neighborhood. Primarily she sells bibles to the people from her church and her community. She started off with $50 of investment capital and has slowly expanded her businesses. She also sells clothing and other products targeted towards women. In order to make her products affordable to her clients she takes half of the payment at the time of purchase and charges the rest on a weekly or bi-weekly rate. She is eager to receive a loan in order to buy more products for her clients like more bibles, CDs and clothing. She hopes that she can receive the loan before the busy Christmas season begins. This business is a complementary source of income in her household of 6 children. Her husband works as a bricklayer but he does not make enough money to provide for his family on his own.

Go visit Kiva.org if you want to help a developing world entrepreneur.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

I Closed My Business. Was I Correct in Discerning God's Will?

2006-12-19T16:22:00.000-06:00

In the spring and early summer of 2005, I began wondering if God was asking me to take my interest in spiritual journaling and writing about my faith to a higher level. At the time, I was also very concerned about the impact of globalization on my career designing business software. I began to wonder if God was leading me to start a business "on the side" to both develop my spiritual gift of writing and provide for the financial needs of my family.

In July of 2005, I believed God wanted me to do it. I felt even if my business venture was not a financial success there must be something God wants me to learn from the process. My plan was to provide some inspirational material "for free" but also offer some Christian material available for sale as eBooks for a very nominal fee (eg. $2.95) and take payments using PayPal. I wasn't expecting to make a lot of money but I wasn't risking a lot of money either. I decided I'd rather try and fail than not try and wonder for the rest of my life whether I had missed out on serving God's purpose or missed out on some blessing He had in store for me.

I took a long lunch from work one day and drove down to the county clerk's office and for $20 took out a business license for Caleb's Publishing. The name is a reference to the Old Testament character Caleb who was one of the twelve spies Moses dispatch to scope out the promised land.
Here's what I wrote back then. (Click here for the original.)

About Caleb's Publishing™

Caleb's Publishing™ was founded by Philip Hartman in July 2005 as a "leap of faith." Like many men in their mid-40's I had achieved some success in my profession but began wondering if God had something else in mind. This then became a frequent topic in my prayer life for approximately 1.5 years. Along the way, I was introduced to the idea of combining a business with a personal ministry. I also began regularly keeping a spiritual journal and discovered I really enjoyed writing about matters of faith. What you see is the result of this spiritual journey so far. I don't know where this journey is going to take me, but that is part of the fun!

Incidentally, I highly recommend the book Halftime by Bob Buford to any man who is feeling the same way. Also, visit the halftime.org website.

I hope to serve the community by:

Providing original and thought-provoking material to assist Sunday School teachers, small group discussion leaders, pastors, and anyone seeking a closer relationship with God
Giving you the benefit of the many hours I have spent in research over the last several years reading various books, articles, and websites. If something was thought-provoking or convicted me, then I suspect it may have the same impact on you.
Encouraging "regular Christians" who feel God may have chosen to use them for His purposes thru their gift of writing.
Providing a wider, Internet audience for anyone who has a message or story to tell. I want to publish both unique Christian works and original secular works in fields such as history.

Where did the name of the company and website come from?

I devoted a lot of my spare time in the evenings over the coming months to creating a website, writing, editing some sermon materials I inherited from my father and grandfather, trying to figure out how to show up in search engines like Google, and more. I did learn a lot. I felt good about sharing my faith in this way. I was amazed to find from my website statistics that my little website got visitors from far away places like the UK, Australia, Canada, India, Finland, and more.

However, one thing I was not doing was making money. In hindsight, I have come to understand how much free Christian material is available over the Internet. (Like this blog.)

Without any real fanfare, I officially closed Caleb’s Publishing today as a business entity. The ISP still hasn’t shut the site down even though I never renewed the hosting contract.

Now I must wrestle with whether I was correct in how I discerned God’s will 1.5 years ago. Was he leading me to start the business as I thought? Does it even matter if I didn't make money (espcially if I didn't risk much money)? Was it vanity on my part? Was I right about developing my own writing but wrong about the publishing other people’s writing? Was God trying to teach me something that did not depend on whether the business made money? I guess I’ll never know for sure until I’m in heaven some day. For the moment, I'd like to think I did what He wanted. I took a chance for Him. I got out of my comfort zone. People on the other side of the world did read some of what I wrote. I might have had a positive impact.

God, have I learned the lesson about writing and publishing You wanted to teach me thru Caleb’s Publishing? Did I discern Your will correctly? If not, then I pray that You correct my ways and help me discern Your will properly. If I did, then I pray that You reveal to me what You would have me do to serve You next. Amen.

A Prayer for Michael and the Lost Boys of Sudan

2006-12-18T22:00:00.001-06:00

I took my daughter's car to the dealer this morning to get it looked at. Then engine wasn't running quite right and it needed an oil change. I didn't have to work today so I just waited on the repairs in the dealer's customer waiting area. At one point it was just me and a young black man waiting on our vehicles. I remember noticing he was wearing a name tag that said "Michael". I was getting a little bored and I made some lame remark about "I hate waiting like this more than almost anything." He smiled and replied back to me in an accent that sounded foreign and I deduced that he might be here from Africa.

I always like talking to people from other countries an inquired with him "Where are you from?" He replied that he was from Sudan and I suspected immediately he was a refugee from the war there in which Muslims from northern Sudan have been attacking the Christians in southern Sudan. On talking to me a little more he described himself as one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan." (See also the Red Cross article on the Lost Boys of Sudan.)

I didn't know what that meant but I learned that when he was about four years old, his parents sent him away to Kenya where they hoped he'd be safe from the fighting in his own country. I think he said his mother was too sick at the time to travel with him. I didn't learn any details about his father other than he had learned later that his father had been killed in the war. He told me he spent 8 years as a refugee in Kenya before coming to the United States. His last contact with his mother was by telephone from Kenya two years ago.

I felt a little uneasy because I knew my life had been so easy compared to his. Whatever problems I have seemed small in comparison to his.

He told me he is now living in the US under a refugee visa which allows him to work here on a green card. He told me after working here five years, he hopes to apply for US citizenship. He's going to school at a local university to become a nurse.

The customer service representative from the car dealer arrived about that time and he had to go pay for his repairs and I never saw him after that.

God, I want to lift up Michael in prayer tonight. I pray for all the refugees of Sudan and especially for the "Lost Boys of Sudan". Bless them and show them Your provision for their needs. I pray that he will reunited with his mother soon or at least be able to contact her to know how she is and where she is. I pray for an end to the bloodshed in Sudan. I pray that we here never forget the bloodshed and suffering in that part of the world that seems so remote to us. I know that somebody's mothers and fathers and children are fighting just to survive while I am so comfortable. Forgive me when I am too complacent about the needs of my brothers and sisters. Amen.

(March 11, 2008) see the followup at Lost Boy of Sudan to Graduate

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Will Your Blog Be a Legacy to Future Generations?

2006-12-18T15:09:00.000-06:00

We all have trials and tribulations in life. Like most of you I suspect, I have often wondered why God allows the bad things to happen to us. As I have matured in my faith I have tried to replace “God, why did you let this happen to me?” with something more like “God, what are you trying to teach me?” and when I’m feeling particularly strong “God, help me serve Your purposes in this rough time even if I don’t understand what that is right now.”

Back in October I was channel surfing and landed upon the History Channel and a show called 'Skeletons on the Sahara'. (Based on the book of the same name.) The show told the story of James Riley, the captain of the merchant ship Commerce which was ship wrecked off the western coast of Africa in 1815.

“In 1815, a Connecticut merchant ship runs aground off the west coast of Africa. Captured by Arab nomads, Captain James Riley and his crew are sold into brutal slavery and marched across the Sahara Desert, where skin boils, lips blacken and men shrivel to less than 90 pounds. Along the way the Americans will encounter everything that could possibly test them, but Riley and his men will also discover ancient cities, secret oases and a culture largely unknown to the modern world.”

I came into the documentary in the middle of the show but I saw a compelling story of how he and his desperate crew surrendered to Muslim desert dwellers who made them slaves. Captain Riley persuades his new slavemaster that he could make a healthy profit if he would only transport them safely to the nearest major city. There a wealthy American or English businessman or diplomat would buy their freedom back. Depending on your point of view this was either a huge gamble or a leap of faith. He had no way to know if this was really true but he staked his life on it. His master told him if it was not true, the slavemaster would slit his throat. When they arrived at their destination, the slavemaster required him to write a note in his own handwriting that he could give to the wealthy Englishman or American he found in the town. The note was full of prayerful references to God and the compassion of the reader.

The story has a happy ending. The Muslim slavemaster finds an English businessman who does indeed purchase the freedom of the Americans, by now only sunburned skeletons of men. Captain Riley made it home to his family.

I’m sure Captain Riley wondered “Why did God let this happen to me?” and his ordeal was certainly worse than anything that you or I are likely to face. What purpose might the suffering of James Riley and his crewman served? Could God have had a greater purpose that they knew nothing about?

You may have never heard of Captain Riley or his ordeal before, but let me give you the name of one person who did. You see Captain Riley wrote a book about his ordeal that was published in 1817. (Click here to see an historic reproduction.) According to one of the historians interviewed in the television documentary, Abraham Lincoln read the book and listed it as one of the most influential books in his life. The harsh description of how theses white men were treated as slaves in the Sahara is credited by some leading Abraham Lincoln to vigorously oppose the slavery of blacks in America.... and Abraham Lincoln was eventually elected President of the Unites States and served during the American Civil War.

Very few of us who try to honor God when things are not going well will eventually influence future Presidents. But.. you just never know. I offer this story also as encouragement to my fellow writers and bloggers. It is unlikely that Captain Riley would have influenced Abraham Lincoln if he had not taken the time to record his ordeal in his book. I hope and pray that the record of my Christian walk that I leave behind will have some positive effect long after my time on this earth is done. You have a story to tell too.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Friends in High Places

2006-11-17T19:52:00.000-06:00

Like many bloggers, I have the fantasy of becoming a serious, published author. I picked up a book on Christian writing by Jerry B. Jenkins of Left Behind fame. The book is entitled Writing for the Soul: Instruction and Advice from an Extraordinary Writing Life and while reading near the end I came across a story too wonderful and humorous not to share. Jerry Jenkins was telling a story about how he was asked to write an autobiography for Paul Anderson, the world's strongest man. Anderson won the 1956 Olympic gold medal in power lifting and once did a back lift of 6.270 pounds in 1957. Anderson was 5 foot 9 inches and 375 pounds of muscle when Jenkins began talking to him. Anderson ran a boys home and was known for not allowing any swearing. Later Jenkins tells this story:

"The day he drove me back to the airport, we were waiting for my plane and a man with his back to us was frustrated about something and said "Jesus Christ!"

Anderson bristled and stared, and when the man said it again, Paul rushed him from behind, wrapped those tree trunk arms around his waist, and lifted him off the ground. "Where is He?" Paul said. "He's a friend of mine!"

The guy peeked over his should and saw this mountain of a man and said, "Oh, my God!"

Anderson siad, "That's Him! Where is He?"

I thought the guy was going to wet his pants. And I dare say he never swore again without first look over his shoulder."

For those of you who share my published author fantasy, I'm enjoying Jenkin's book.

Intelligent Design for Skeptics

2006-11-14T19:14:00.000-06:00

If you know a skeptic who doubts the existence of God, send them to this animated video "The Watchmaker." It does a great job of showing how unlikely it is that creation was all a matter of random chance.

Facing Our Fears

2006-11-11T11:54:00.000-06:00

If you have not yet ventured out to the movie theater to see the movie "Facing the Giants" then let me give the movie my personal recommendation. (Click here for a 2 minute video clip.) There are many stories woven together in a powerful way.

The story of a football coach who feels like a failure in his career which could apply to anyone struggling with how they make a living.
The parents of the football players who plot to have the coach fired even thought he is a "fine man" because they value winning more.
The young wife who desperately wants to have children but hasn't after four years of trying
The faithful Christian who has been "prayer walking" along the halls of a high school for years asking God to send revival to the students of the school.
The teenage boy who routinely disrepects his father.
The teenage boy who has always been physically too small and too weak.
The father in a wheelchair trying to raise a teenage son into a man by himself

I'd like to point out to other things which struck me.

This film was basically produced on faith by a single church that wanted to impact the world at large, Sherwood Baptist in the small town of Albany, Georgia. This is an amazing example of how God can use regular people who want to let God use them in a mighty way for His purposes.
My favorite scene is when the current coach of the University of Georgia, Mark Richt, visits the main character in the football team locker room and tells him how many times the Bible says to "have no fear" right before the state championship game. I know I've often been too timid, too hesitant, and in general fallen victim to fear. I wonder how many blessings I've missed out on in life because I've not taken step one on faith when God prompted me to. By the way, click here to read Mark Richt's testimony

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Make a Loan and Change a Life

2006-11-07T19:25:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I was reading my local newspaper, The Tennessean, and saw an article about the most recent Nobel Prize in Economics. I learned that Muhammad Yunus, who got his Ph.D . from Vanderbilt University here in Nashville in 1971 received the Nobel Prize for his work combating poverty through the use of "microcredit" or "microloans".

Yunus’ concept of microcredit – small loans to poor villagers in Bangladesh to help them buy livestock or fund an enterprise, has grown from $27 he loaned out of his own pocket into the Grameen Bank, which has loaned more than $5.7 billion to 6.61 million borrowers. Despite lack of collateral or signed loan documents, 99 percent of the loans have been paid back. The Grameen Bank provides services in more than 71,000 villages in Bangladesh through 2,226 branches.

Just a few days ago I was channel surfing and stumbled upon a Frontline story Uganda: A Little Goes a Long Way which showed how an organization called Kiva was using the internet to connect people like me with deserving entrepreneurs in far away places. The response to this TV show was overwhelming as their website was swamped and inaccessible for several days. The website finally came back up and I was able to make my first "microloan" Saturday night. I used my credit card to loan $25 to Ariola Sánchez, a retailer in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Kiva pooled my $25 along with loans from 9 others to fully funded her request for a $250 business loan to purchase an inventory for resale.

Kiva is not a religious organization but I could tell that many of the entrepreneurs who benefit from the loans are Christian. One of the items Ariola sells, for examples, is Bibles. I encourage my readers to visit the Kiva website with their credit card handy.

The Grace Shown by Ted Haggard's Wife

2006-11-06T19:08:00.000-06:00

I was not planning to post anything about the sad and tragic fall of the Rev. Ted Haggard. Frankly, I did not know too much about him, his background, or his ministry and I didn’t want to add to the media buzz over the situation.

I changed my mind, however, when I read words attributed to his wife that absolutely floored me in the way they exhibit the ability to show grace in the toughest of times... and grace is of course what my blog is all about.

If you check out this Fox News story “Evangelist Admits to Sexual Immorality” you will find these words about a letter from Haggard's wife that was shared with his congregation:

“In a separate letter, Haggard's wife prompted laughter when she promised to remain with her husband and said church members no longer had to worry about her marriage being so perfect she couldn't relate to them.”

Yes, you read correctly, the words of Ted Haggard’s wife Gayle prompted laughter. I think the congregation laughed in joy that she could at this time of pain make light of the perception (or is it wishful thinking?) that preachers and their wives have perfect marriages that should be envied and serve as some kind of role mode to the rest of us. (Those of us who are preacher's kids know better.) To me, these words speak volumes about her and how powerfully she has allowed God to work in her life at this time.

While I’m on the topic, I would also like to point my readers to another bit of insight on this sad situation. See Gordon MacDonald’s leadership blog “Out of Ur” and his post “The Haggard Truth: Gordon MacDonald on lies all-too-easily believed” for some insight on the dangers of fame for Christian leaders and the impact when a Christian leaders falls.

“It seems to me that when people become leaders of outsized organizations and movements, when they become famous and their opinions are constantly sought by the media, we ought to begin to become cautious. The very drive that propels some leaders toward extraordinary levels of achievement is a drive that often keeps expanding even after reasonable goals and objectives have been achieved. Like a river that breaks its levy, that drive often strays into areas of excitement and risk that can be dangerous and destructive. Sometimes the drive appears to be unstoppable. This seems to have been the experience of the Older Testament David and his wandering eyes, Uzziah in his boredom, and Solomon with his insatiable hunger for wealth, wives and horses. They seem to have been questing—addictively?—for more thrills or trying to meet deeper personal needs, and the normal ways that satisfy most people became inadequate for them.”
.....

“More than once we’ve seen the truth of a person’s life come out, not all at once, but in a series of disclosures, each an admission of further culpability which had been denied just a day or two before. Perhaps inability to tell the full truth is a sign that one is actually lying to himself and cannot face the full truth of the behavior in his own soul.

But then all sin begins with lies told to oneself. The cardinal lies of a failed leader? I give and give and give in this position; I deserve special privileges—perhaps even the privilege of living above the rules. Or, I have enough charm and enough smooth words that I can talk anything (even my innocence) into reality. Or, so much of my life is lived above the line of holiness that I can be excused this one little faux pas. Or, I have done so much for these people; now it’s their time to do something for me—like forgiving me and giving a second chance."

The Devil must be celebrating big time over his ability to bring down a big-name Christian leader. Speaking of that, I highly recommend everyone read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis for a chilling insight into temptation. My reaction upon reading it was “If I was the Devil, that is exactly what I would do!” It really is worth reading!

The Screwtape Letters

C. S. Lewis

Best Price $3.33
or Buy New $9.56

On yet another related topic. Do you believe that the Rev Ted Haggard was a "bad apple" his entire pastorial career? Or.. do you believe that he was at one time living an upright life and being used by God? I don't know any of the people involved but my first reaction is to believe that he was a good man who was not vigilant and was undermined by the temptation of the Devil... just like in The Screwtape Letters. See a previous post of mine "Like a Roaring Lion... Er Shark".

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Could This Be God's Provision?

2006-10-20T20:42:00.000-05:00

Like a lot of Christian men, I struggle with balancing the need to provide financially for my family, the need to be Dad, and the need to be a husband. I recently had to shine a bright spotlight on this issue because my boss asked me to consider moving into a marketing position.

As some background, I am by education an engineer and more recently I've been a consultant on the design of web applications. I have for several years played a role which was about 70% "do the work" and about 30% technical leadership. My marketing efforts have primarily been in the area of helping deliver great results so that our clients keep giving us repeat business. My marketing has been more of an "assist" role to the "real" marketing types. I've had a leadership role, but my employer really held others accountable for a true sales quota.

Then I get asked if I would like to take on a formal marketing role and take on my own "real quota." It doesn't necessarily mean I'll make more money but there is certainly the opportunity to make more money. I also expect that in the new marketing role there would be significantly more job-related stress. I'd be out of my comfort zone. My work hours would be more unpredictable. I would likely have to increase the amount of travel I do as well.

This is not the first time I've been asked. In the past, I thought about it and prayed about it and just never felt like volunteering to "jump into the frying pan" because I was pretty happy doing what I was doing.

For some reason, this time feels different. I recent years I had really come to believe that things happen in life for a reason. Then I had about three different events happen at work in the span of two days which all seemed to point towards accepting a move into marketing. For some unexplained reason this time my reaction was not "wait and see" but more along the lines of "I wonder if I supposed to say 'Yes' this time?"

I must admit I feel like I've been conditioned over the years to say "No". All the Christian men’s publications, Christian men’s organizations (eg. Promise Keepers, Men's Fraternity), and Christian radio shows seem to preach to men to avoid any opportunity that might sacrifice one extra hour a week of family time. The ideal job for a Christian man seems to be not a leadership position, requires no overtime or weekends, and allows you to get off by 4 PM so you can help coach your child's sports team.

There was a time when I bought into this line of thinking 100%. Along the way, I started observing that life doesn't always work out along those nice neat lines.

I had a Christian friend who was in a family business that was being negatively affected by technology. The service his business provided was getting automated over the Internet. His business prospects were declining. His response? He and a partner opened a business that did not require his constant presence on site. It was basically a self-service business where he provided the expensive equipment but the customers provided the labor. He could literally make money while he was asleep.

There is one guy I know who worked for a privately owned business. After a few years, the owner was ready to retire and apparently did not have any children who wanted to take it over. The owner asked him if he wanted to buy the business from him.... and he did.

There is another guy I know who left a good job because he thought his management was starting to expect him to do things which were almost unethical. He went through a long period of unemployment and a sales position. Then God arranged for a new position. Again, the owner is ready to retire and my friend and another employee are trying to buy him out and take over the business.

I know another guy who was practically forced into starting his own business when his boss got into some legal trouble. Because of regulatory and insurance issues, the owner could not be in that type business any more.

I don't think any of these Christian men are lousy husbands or fathers just because they don't have the predictable work hours/be off at 4PM job. From my vantage point as an outsider, God has used these situations in their life to grow them spiritually. They've had to take a lot on faith. They've had to learn to live with no earthly guarantee. I guess now I’m wondering if now it is my appointed time to step out of my comfort zone and grow in some way God has planned for me. Granted, my risk is perhaps smaller than theirs as I’m still an employee vs. the owner but I think the spiritual dimension is much the same.

I wonder also about the potential impact of the career change. I try to tithe regularly so if I take the new job and am successful, would that be God's way of funding his ministry? Would it be a way to help pay for my kid's college? For my children to avoid student loan debt? For my wife to not have to work outside the home? Is there someone that I am supposed to meet in this new position and be an influence in their life as part of God's plan? Is there someone I am to meet who is supposed to influence me as part of God's plan?

On the flip side, if I take this new job will there be new temptations to resist? On my death bed will I regret making the change? Will the stress shorten my lifespan?

God, I pray tonight for Your wisdom. Help me discern whether this opportunity is part of Your provision for me and my family.... or an opportunity to decline. I pray that if I am to accept, that You will enable me to be successful. Remove all barriers to me serving Your purpose even if I don’t understand what that purpose is right now. If this opportunity is not from You, I pray that You make that obvious and protect me from taking the wrong path. In either case, I pray for clarity. Help me know with certainty what You want me to do. Even more than that, use this time in my life to help me trust in You and Your provision. Grow me into the man You need me to be. I pray for Your blessing upon me and my family at this time of decision. Amen.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Priorities and challenges for the next 50 years

2006-10-12T13:55:00.000-05:00

Christianity Today asked 114 leaders from 11 ministry spheres about evangelical priorities for the next 50 years. Check out: What's Next: Evangelism | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Christian Lending Library in India

2006-10-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

Back in March 2006 in my post Hungry for Books Overseas, I raised the issue of Christians in far away places where Christianity is not the dominant religion who are hungry for Christian reading material. I mentioned that there is a whole warehouse of books at the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge just lacking the money to ship the books to those English speaking Christians who desire the books. I am sure their are books on your shelf or entire libraries of books from retired pastors that could be put to great use overseas.

The Christian Communication Centre, for example, offers lending libraries to Christians and seekers in many cities in India. Check out the Christian Communication Centre's new blog to see how you can support their efforts. For your information, it costs about $1 per pound to ship a "book bag" by surface (ship) to India. Please contact me by email if you feel lead to support this effort financially.

Certain of What We Do Not See

2006-10-10T09:18:00.000-05:00

Hebrews 11:1

NIV

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

NASB

1Now faith is the ^(A)assurance of things ^(B)hoped for, the conviction of ^(C)things not seen.

The Message

1-2The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

The Amplified Bible

1NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, ^[a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

You can get the wall paper image yourself here.

Do You Really Believe In the Rapture?

2006-10-08T21:34:00.000-05:00

I got an email from a cousin of mine pointing me to this free video on YouTube depicting what the Rapture might be like. I think it is primarily intended to reach teenage non-believers but I think it also challenges all believers as to whether or not we really believe the Bible is literally true and whether we believe the events of the Second Coming of Christ are really going to happen. Check it out.

The Bible vs. Your Cell Phone

2006-10-02T19:36:00.000-05:00

I don't know the source of this, but when I got it from a friend in an email, I had to post it for all to see. Maybe we all need to recharge our Biblical batteries.

Bible vs. Cell Phone

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

This is something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

Preparation for His Purposes

2006-09-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

My blogger friend Donny Prater shares a great lesson for all of us about how God can prepare us for His purposes without us realizing it at the time. See A Man Coming Alive in christ: A Writing Revelation

"Did you ever have a moment of revelation? You know what I mean, it's when out of the blue your mind starts to wander and then, like a bolt of lightening, an idea pops into your head and just clicks"

God Can Use Your Voice Mail Greeting

2006-09-03T20:51:00.000-05:00

A Man Coming Alive in christ: Leave Your Phone On, God Might Call.....

Check out the post above on Donny Prater's "A Man Coming Alive" blog that talks about how God used one man's cell phone voice mail greeting to save one and possibly two lives.

A Much Needed Reminder That God Can and Usually Prefers to Use Ordinary People

2006-08-20T08:18:00.000-05:00

It appears that according to the Bible our willingness to allow God to lead us and use us is more important than whether others would consider us qualified, talented enough, or whether we have the right credentials.

Read on...

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (New International Version)

26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."^[a]

Here is a modern paraphrase that strikes home...

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (The Message)

26-31Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."

The Joy of the Refining Fire

2006-07-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

You know how when singing those old hymns with a lot of verses, the verses near the end but not the last verse are often skipped? We sang "How Firm a Foundation, Ye Saints of the Lord" on Sunday morning and included the fith verse. For some reason the last phrase about the dross and the gold in verse five jumped out at me.

Verse 5

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

It had been a while since I thought about the ancient process of separating the dross (impurities) from the valuable metal. Here are some references to “dross” from the NIV:

Psalm 119:119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love
your statutes.

Proverbs 25:4Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the
silversmith;

Isaiah 1:22Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with
water.

Isaiah 1:25I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.

Ezekiel 22:18"Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them
are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the
dross of silver.

Ezekiel 22:19Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you have all
become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem.

I was also lead to this portion of the Bible which assures us that we as Christians will suffer trials but through them we’ll be stronger or “refined.”

1 Peter 1:6-8 (New International Version)
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Back from a Long Blogging Hiatus

2006-07-05T19:50:00.000-05:00

I am hopefully back from a long blogging hiatus. Things just got a little crazy for a couple of weeks at work and at home. I spent a lot of extra mental energy at work for a couple of weeks on a special project. It was fun and I learned a good bit while I was at it but it suffocated my blogging-related brain cells. I also spent numerous weekend hours braving the June and July heat in Nashville to scratch a couple of items off my “honey do list.” These items were however only belatedly off the list as I was reminded “if you’d done it earlier in the year it wouldn’t have been so hot.” Also during this time I have been trying to take better care of myself and get some much needed exercize on weeknights. Put those three things together and you have very few discretionary hours left for blogging. Surely, I am not the only blogger to have this problem?

Father's Day Prayer

2006-06-15T22:11:00.001-05:00

With Father's Day approaching, I will repeat here a Father's Day prayer I wrote last year and posted on my Caleb's Publishing website. (new as of June 13, 2008 see also Prayer for Fathers Day 2008.)

Father's Day Prayer

by Philip Hartman

Father's Day 2005

God, I thank you on this Father’s Day for all the many blessings you have given me.. Thank You for:

Your Son Jesus and the sacrifice He made for me,
my wife and my two daughters,
for the other family and friends that love and care about me,
for my good health and the good health of my family,
for my career and Your provision for my family’s financial
needs,
for today’s special moments like catching a butterfly with
my 8-yr old,
for the love, care, and good example set by my own father when I
was growing up.

God, I confess that I am not always the best husband and father I should be. I pray for Your forgiveness and grace.

I pray that You will bless me in my role as father. Give me wisdom and patience. Grow me into the father You need me to be for my two daughters. Help me be someone they know will always be there for them.

I pray that You will bless me in my role as husband. Again, I pray for wisdom and patience. Grow me into the man my wife needs me to be. Protect my marriage from evil influences. Grow us together as a couple that will be an example for our daughters and a good Christian witness to those around us.

Help me discern Your will for my life and the life of my family. Where I need to take a stand for You and Your purposes, I pray that You will make Your will obvious and supernaturally enable me to do what You need me to do. Where I need to shut up or back off, I pray that You will
convict me of this and give me peace as I turn it all over to You. Build me up where I am weak. Help me develop the spiritual gifts You have given me for Your service.

I pray that You will bless me in my role as provider. I ask for Your continued blessings on my work life. Help me honor You in all that I do. Help me be a good witness in the workplace. God,
there is much uncertainty in the world right now with many people losing their jobs. Help me trust in Your provision for my family. Where Your provision is where I am already, help me be the best that I can be. When turmoil is coming and a change is needed, I pray that You will
alert me in some way, prepare me for the change, and enable me to make the changes I need to in order to take full advantage of Your provision.

I pray that You will bless my wife in her role as mother of our children. Giver her continued good health, wisdom, energy and patience. Grow her into the mother You need her to be. Give her deep joy from motherhood despite all the hard work.

I pray that you will bless her in her role as my wife. Grow her into the woman You need her to be for me. Strengthen her commitment and resolve to our marriage. Remove all walls that separate us and bring us together intimately in a way that lasts a lifetime.

I pray that you will work mightily in the lives of my two daughters. Use Your Holy Spirit to draw them close to You. Give them a hunger to seek You. I pray that they will grow up happy and healthy. I pray that You will provide friends, teachers, Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders, and coaches who will be good influences on them at the very moment they will be tempted. Protect them from peer pressures to stray away from the path You have planned for them. If it is Your will that they should marry, I pray that at this very moment You are preparing a godly young man for them who will love them and remain committed to them always. I also lift up to You the parents of these young men. Help them raise their sons to be great fathers for my future grandchildren if that is part of Your plan as well.

This I ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

Copyright © 2005 by Philip Hartman and Caleb's Publishing - All Rights Reserved

Humble Ambition

2006-06-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

“I was once considering what the reason was our Lord loved humility in us so much. I suddenly remembered that He is essentially the supreme truth and that humility is just our walking in the truth. For it is a very great truth that we have no good in us; we have only misery and nothingness. He who does not understand this walks in lies. But he who understands this the best is the most pleasing to the Supreme Truth. May God grant us this favor, sisters, never to be without the humbling knowledge of ourselves...

His Majesty seeks and loves courageous souls. But they must be humble in all their ways and have no confidence in themselves ...

...But it is necessary that we should understand what this humility is like. For I believe Satan will try to do great harm. He hinders those who begin to pray from going forward by suggesting to them false notions of humily. He makes them think that it is pride to have spiritual ambitions, desires to imitate the saints, and longings to be like martyrs.”

Saint Teresa of Avila

Love and Joy

2006-06-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

“Christ’s love sees us with terrible clarity and sees us whole. Christ’s love so wishes our joy that it is ruthless against everything in us that diminishes our joy. The worst sentence Love can pass is that we behold the suffering which Love has endured for our sake, and that is also our acquittal. The justice and mercy of the judge are ultimately one.”

Frederick Buechner

Nashville Christian Bloggers Conference ?

2006-06-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

Like many bloggers I have an interest in writing and maybe writing a book some day. I got an email a while back about the Tennessee Writers Alliance and their Writers' Conference June 9-10. At the last minute, I decided to attend and see if it was helpful in improving my writing. I was enticed by the fact that the workshop leader for non-fiction (my area of interest) was Ray Waddle and he had published two Christian books, Against the Gran: Unconventional Wisdom from Ecclesiastes and A Turbulent Peace: The Psalms for Our Time. So, I felt like I would not be the only person there interested in faith-based writing.

I must say that enjoyed the conference immensely. I got some good suggestions on how to improve my writing. I also got to meet others who take their writing seriously. (I think there were probably 80-100 people at the conference all together.)

And... I got to meet a real published Christian author who patiently answered several questions I had and gave me some suggestions and encouragement to look at trying to publish some magazine articles. We traded emails afterwards and he took a peak at my blog. In his reply he asked an interesting question, "I wonder how many serious (religious) bloggers there are in Nashville - do they ever get together?"

I did a search on blogger.com for both the words "Christian" and "Nashville" and found that there are more of us that I thought. So... I'm curious, are any of you Christian bloggers out there within a reasonable distance of Nashville interested in getting together to talk about blogging for our faith, discuss the impact of blogging on your personal walk with God, stories you may have about contacts you've made thru blogging, any success stories you may have, how you've found you reach people in the best way, whether you're making any $$ from your blog, whether you hope to take on larger writing projects like a book or magazine article, etc. If you're interested in a face-to-face meeting please leave a comment or shoot me an email. Also, please pass the word to other bloggers in the geographical area that you might know.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

My Missing Spiritual Discipline

2006-06-05T23:39:00.000-05:00

I’ve had some thoughts recently about how Jesus talked about “when you fast...” as if there was a definate expectation that we would fast.

Matthew 6:16-18 (New International Version)

16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who
is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

I am sure I am not alone when I admit that I’ve never really fasted on a regular basis for the explicit purpose of getting spiritually closer to God. From the verses above it seems that Jesus expected the practice of fasting to be common.

I could try to blame this lack of spiritual discipline on my parents as we did not practice fasting when I was growing up. I could try to blame this lack of spiritual discipline on the various churches I’ve attended since I moved away from home after college. The pastors didn’t preach on fasting. Nobody around me set this positive example. Try as I might, there is no escaping the fact that I am smart enough to read the verses above and get the meaning.

Then there is that uncomfortable detail that I heard Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ talk about fasting on the radio about 8 or 10 years ago. He was calling on Christians to pray for revival in America and fast for 40 days. I even visited his website back then that gave advice on how to fast safely. He still has a lot of information on fasting available on the web. However, I must admit that while I was curious about whether fasting would really bring me closer to God, I wasn’t committed enough to actually try it. I was chicken! I was afraid I’d fail. I was afraid I’d feel worse trying and failing than if I never tried.

Then about 2-3 years ago, I was reminded about fasting again. My pastor announced in a sermon that he had just completed a 40 day fast while praying for our church and his ministry. There he was right in front of me... an imperfect person that I knew on a first name basis who had actually done it. Once again, I failed to have enough faith to act.

A couple of weeks ago, I was surfing around and stumbled across a web page on fasting. I have since lost track of the URL but I remember the author making a point that we should not enter into fasting to get God to do something for us. We can’t create an obligation for God to remove some burden we feel. We should enter fasting for no other reason than to get closer to God.

Then less than a week ago, I was preparing my Sunday School lesson by reading in the Life Truths Leaders Guide and immediately after my lesson was an extra article “Fast As You Flourish in the Lord” by Ed Cox, Director International Prayer Strategy Office, International Mission Board, SBC. I read how he began skipping lunch on Wednesdays to read his Bible and pray. He felt closer and closer to the Lord and wound up soon fasting all day on Wednesdays. The article ends with a call to participate in a “Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelism” on June 4, 2006. I conveniently did write myself a reminder and I am sad to report it slipped my mind completely and today is June 5th already so I missed it.

Then today, I got an “Prime Time with God” email from churchgrowth.org with the catchy subject line “A New Remnant of Priests.” I thought to myself “What’s that all about?” When I opened the email right there in the upper left corner was a “Recommended Resource” Biblical Studies for Fasting by Dr. Elmer Towns. I found myself clicking on the “Order” button to learn more... but I didn’t turn over my credit card number for the $10.95 book. I’m still chicken and afraid of failure.

God, I pray that if it is no coincidence that my thoughts keep turning to fasting that You will convict me of this and remove all excuses and barriers which prevent me from taking this leap of faith. If this is what I’m supposed to do, then give me a hunger for a closer relationship with You that is stronger than my immediate desire for the next meal or the next visit to the office vending machine. Grant me the proper attitude. Draw me close to You. Grow me into the man You need me to be. Amen.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!

2006-05-29T12:26:00.000-05:00

When was the last time you sang or heard The Star-Spangled Banner? When was the last time you sang or heard verses 2, 3, or 4 of The Star Spangled Banner? On this Memorial Day, I think all people of faith should be reminded of how Francis Scott Key ended The Star-Spangled Banner with thanks and praise to God for rescuing and preserving our nation.

Verse 4 of The Star-Spangled Banner

O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

For the complete lyrics of all four verses, see http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0194015.html

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

The Devil's in the Details-Scratch that-Weeds

2006-05-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying I am not really the “fire and brimestone” type. My nature really is to focus on forgiveness and grace and trying to discern God’s will for my life and act upon it. However, I was reading in Matthew 13 tonight and felt my eyes had been opened to Matthew in a fresh way. For some reason, I haven’t read the Parable of the Weeds or heard it preached from the pulpit in a long while.

What really jumped out at me is how it clearly refutes the notion of universal salvation that is so popular in these modern times. Too many people, in my opinion, have selectively read the Bible and concluded that there is no Devil and that God loves us all so much that He would never actually condemn anybody to hell. I will admit I have always preferred to look at salvation from the point of view of loving God so much that I want to spend eternity with Him. After tonight's Bible reading, I felt convicted to remind the readers of my humble blog that there really are dire consequences for not having a saving knowlege of Jesus. Here are the verses which contain Jesus’ own words.

Matthew 13:24-48 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Weeds

24 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

28 " 'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

29 " 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

...... I skip the Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast in verses 31-35.

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

37 He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Note the sentence “The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.” Doesn’t the phrase “at the end of the age” sound a lot like a reference to the end of the world as we know it as revealed to us in the Book of Revelations? Is there any ambiguity in Jesus’ use of the phrase “weed out”? What word picture comes to mind with the phrase “fiery furnace”?

I was then reminded of another parable Jesus told, The Rich Man and Lazarus. Once again, the words of Jesus himself.

Luke 16:19-31 (New International Version)

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell,^[a] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30 " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

I don’t know about you, but the use of the word “torment” seems pretty clear. It also seems clear from “a great chasm has been fixed” and “nor can anyone cross over from there to us” that once we reach our time of judgement, if we have not already accepted a pardon from Jesus in this life it is then too late.

For those of you who have already accepted Jesus, you may want to check out False Humility and False Love for encouragement to share your faith when the Holy Spirit presents the opportunity to you.

If you stumble upon this post and have not yet accepted Jesus into your life, I pray that the Holy Spirit will work in a mighty way in your life. I pray that you will be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life. I want to tell you that God’s grace is truly free. None of us are “good enough” to earn it. It is simply a gift to all who admit they are sinners, truly repent of their sin, and accept Jesus as Lord of their life. Jesus has already paid your price when He suffered on the cross.

And remember this (my favorite Bible verse)

Romans 10:13 (New International Version)

13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Copyright © 2005 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Changing Neighborhoods: The Holy Spirit vs. Demographics ?

2006-05-21T21:27:00.000-05:00

My church is facing changing demographics in our neighborhood and declining membership. My church is on the northern side of a major city and up until a few years ago things seemed to be going pretty well, we were growing, and the church was even considering adding on another building.

At some point, the church began losing members. I'm sure we dropped the ball in some areas (shame on us) but we were also fighting an uphill battle against demographic trends beyond our control. Next thing I know, the preacher left for another church and the church began a serious self-examination to address the drop in membership and think about what kind of pulpit leadership our church needed. One step the church took was to hire a statistician from our denomination.

One of the things he did was look at the addresses of our "active" membership and plot them on a map. The results startled me a little. I knew that a lot of people had bought houses north and northeast of the church but I had no idea how pronounced the trend was. He presented some charts similar to the ones below.

On the left is how I theorize the chart would have looked maybe 40 years ago. On the right is a chart roughly representing the current situation. The congregation over the years has moved north and particularly northeast of the church. Only a small percentage live south of the church now.

The statistician went back into the computer databases of addresses looking to see what the geographic spread of addresses was like only 3 years ago and determined that in 3 years there had been a loss of 12% in the members of the congregation living south of the church.

He gave some other comments that really ruined my day. This is not to say I disagree with the data or facts, maybe I just didn't want to hear the message.

The people moving into the neighborhoods close to and south of the church are from other socio-economic groups (I assume black and hispanic).
What has likely happend to our community is that the children of our "blue hair" members bought homes north and northeast of us. For a while, they drove back to their home church in the old neighborhood.
Members who live that far away have a hard time convincing their new neighbors to drive back towards the old neighborhood to go to church.
When young adult members' kids get to be school age, their school friends go to a church close by in the new neighborhood .
Eventually, the parents join a church closer to their house so their kids can go to church with their school friends.
The most promising "thinking outside the box" approach for us to take today is to open a "satelitte" church maybe 20 or 30 miles away to the northeast and link the two locations by video. He cautioned us not to build a new location too close. The unstated assumption was that the satellite would eventually grow into the primary location and we would perhaps abandon the current location.

My reaction was something along the lines "Shouldn't we embrace the new residents and reach out to them in Christian love?"

What do the statistics say?

The socio-economic groups moving into our area don't want to come to church with us. They go back to their old neighborhoods to go to church with people like them. Or.. they build their own churches in their new neighborhoods.
Only 1 church in 20 that tries to reach out to the new socio-economic group moving into their area is successful getting the new socio-economic group to embrace their church.

Upon this news, I must admit I got knots in my stomach. Could it possibly be God's will that we abandon our neighborhood over the next few years? Could it possibly be God's will that we not try very hard to reach out to the new residents who are different from us? Is it true that we are "gifted" by the Holy Spirit to reach the needs of the people who are moving north and northeast and we should follow the demographic group we are gifted to serve? Am I really as open to new people in my church as I think I am? Or.. would God have us take the 1 out of 20 odds on faith? Am I ready and willing to accept the inevitable changes? Am I as ready to welcome other socio-economic groups as I think I am?

I don't profess to know the answer but I guess I still hold out hope we can reach out to the new residents. The pastor search committe took a survey of what characteristics we thought they should look for in our next pastor. I found myself writing that our next pastor should be bilingual. I hope I really meant it.

God, I lift up my church situation to You in prayer. I pray that You will lead us and help us discern Your will for us. If it is Your will that we reach out to the new residents, I pray that You will enable us to serve You in this way. If it is Your will that we follow our traditional constituency, I pray that You will enable this also. Prepare our hearts in either case to serve You and follow Your will. I pray also for our pastor search committe. I pray that You help them discern Your plan for our church and that You would guide them to recommend the person who would align our church with Your will. Lord, search my soul and show me where I need to grow. Help me align myself with Your will no matter where I am. Bless my community, no matter where they came from or where they're going. Draw them all close to You. Amen.

What the Bible Says About Priorities in Life

2006-05-21T16:54:00.000-05:00

I've struggled several time in life with what my priorities should be in life and how close my priorities are to God's priorities. There was a verse in today’s Sunday School lesson that really struck a chord with me around this very issue.

Philippians 1:9-11 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

9 And I pray this: that your love ^(A) will keep on growing ^(B) in knowledge and every kind of discernment, ^(C) 10 so that you can determine what really matters ^(D) and can be pure ^(E) and blameless ^(F) in ^[a] the day of Christ, ^(G) 11 filled with the fruit ^(H) of righteousness ^(I) that [comes] through Jesus Christ, to the glory ^(J) and praise of God.

This translation uses the phrase “so that you can determine what really matters” and I found myself feeling encouraged to continue to seek God’s priorities. I checked out some other translations as well.

The NIV translates the phrase determine what really matters as “discern what is best”

The NASB translates the same phrase as “approve the things that are excellent”

The Amplified Bible translates this as

“So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences]”

The Message gives verses 9-11 as

“So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. “

Prayers from the Depths

2006-05-10T21:46:00.000-05:00

When we are in prosperity, our prayers come from our lips. But when we are in the depths, our prayers come from our heart. Those that are farthest cast down are not farthest from God but are nearest to Him.

Archibald Simpson, Puritan Preacher

Psalm 130:1-5 New American Standard Bible

Hope in the LORD'S Forgiving Love.

A Song of Ascents.

1Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD.
2Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.
3If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
4But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.
5I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.

US Naval Academy Chapel Altar, Stained Glass, and Pipe Organ

2006-05-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

Your ancestor's tax dollars at work, befor the politically correct culture of today.

Sanctuary of the US Naval Academy Chapel

2006-05-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

A view from inside the US Naval Academy Chapel showing the light coming in from the huge dome over the sanctuary.

US Naval Academy Chapel Dome

2006-05-01T21:11:00.000-05:00

The dome of the US Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland as viewed from the side.

US Naval Academy Chapel

2006-05-01T21:09:00.000-05:00

The entrance to the United State Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland. Picture taken in April 2006.

The culture war's biggest casualties may be Christian joy and hope

2006-04-24T12:19:00.000-05:00

The article below is worth your time.....

ALWAYS IN PARABLES
Furrowed Brows Inc.
The culture war's biggest casualties may be Christian joy and hope.
By Andy Crouch

35 Pre-School Children Spared

2006-04-23T21:33:00.000-05:00

In my tornado post 16 days ago, I said that 35 Pre-School children survived the Goodlettsville, Tennessee tornado without a scratch in the children's building of Metro Baptist Church... despite this damage to the adjacent sanctuary building. This picture was taken today, 16 days after the tornado.

Tornado 16 Days Later #2

2006-04-23T21:32:00.000-05:00

Tornado 16 days later

2006-04-23T21:31:00.000-05:00

Tornado update

2006-04-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

Sixteen days ago, I blogged about the Tornado which hit Goodlettsville, Tennessee less than 10 minutes from my house. (I believe the funnel cloud must actually gone over my house without setting down.) In a subsequent post, I mentioned several buildings which were damaged. The picture below is of the damage which still remains even after there have been 16 days to clear debris. This picture is of damage along the Old Brick Church Pike.

Like a Roaring Lion... well... Shark

2006-04-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

Check out "The Enemy Prowls" on the "A Man Coming Alive" blog. The picture is of a great white shark trailing behind a lone scientist in a kayak off the coast of South Africa. Donny Prater makes an insightful comparison of the shark in the photograph to how the Bible tells us we should think about the Devil.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (New International Version)

8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

His post reminded me of a favorite book, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis which is an entire book devoted to how the Devil seeks to undermine us and keep us away from God.

More on Middle Tennessee Tornado

2006-04-09T20:29:00.000-05:00

On my way to church in Goodlettsville, I passed some devastation along New Brick Church Pike. Bakers Chapel CME church was damaged and the Red Cross was handing out water and other supplies in the parking lot. Behind the church many, many trees were down. Many homes were damaged.

The grocery store where I often stop to get milk on the way home was severly damaged. The building between the Goodlettsville public library and the Bell South building was flattened.

Nashville Electric Service bucket trucks were everwhere. The police were blocking off access to side streets to all but the people who lived there.

At church this morning, a man I had seen often but didn't know very well got up to talk about his ordeal with the tornado. His house was lifted away from him in about 5 seconds. He and a neighbor went looking for another neighbor, a young mother with two small children. She had sought safety in the basement (not many houses in Middle Tennessee have basements) right before her house was demolished. She had crouched low with her two children under her. The two men dug through the rubble to find them. The two children were unhurt but the mother had punctured lungs and spinal injuries. He said he had heard that she may be parallized from the chest down for the rest of her life.

The newpaper said Friday was the worst loss of life due to tornado activity in Middle Tennessee since 1974.

God, I lift up to You in prayer all those who have lost their homes and possessions. I especially lift up those who were injured or who lost loved ones. Heal the pain and loss. Provide for all their needs, both spoken and unspoken. Lord, I pray for your healing hand on that young mother who was severly injured protecting her children. Amen.

Tornado Damage in Middle Tennessee

2006-04-07T23:29:00.000-05:00

We had severe weather in Middle Tennessee today. The 10 o'clock TV news said 11 people were killed by tornadoes. Click here for news, pictures, and video.

I watched the color-coded weather radar on the Internet as it showed a huge "red" area heading right for my house. I called home from work to find my family was seeking safety in the closet.

The twisters played no favorites as they demolished everything from mobile homes, to a boat factory, a Toyota dealer, and 4000+ square foot homes in affluent Nashville suburbs. The Nashville TV news showed a member of the Oak Ridge Boys talking about the damage to his house and neighborhood. A twister damaged the house of a cameraman for one of the local TV stations. He filmed the inside of his house and showed how a car that had been in his front driveway was now dropped behind his house. Another lady pointed out how far her car had been lifted and thrown. It looked like 100 yards.

Thank God, the TV also showed interviews with a few of the 35 pre-school age children that were at Metro Baptist Church in Goodlettsville, TN when it was hit. None of them got a scratch in the preschool section of the church at the same time the sanctuary was destroyed. I learned my own church had opened its doors to become a Red Cross shelter.

God, I praise you and thank You that my loved ones and my home were spared today. I also want to thank You for sparing so many from harm, including those 35 pre-schoolers. I ask that You comfort those who have lost loved ones and so many possessions. I pray for Your provision for their many needs at this time. Life can be fleeting so I pray also that many in my community will take time to access their relationship with You. I pray the Holy Spirit will work in this situation to draw many closer to You. Amen.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Hundreds Enjoy Chris Rice

2006-03-23T21:56:00.000-06:00

Chris Rice was Great!

2006-03-23T21:39:00.000-06:00

A week or so ago I heard about a free concert by one of my favorite Christian singers, Chris Rice. I was joined tonight by a few hundred other fans making it an intimate concert where I was only about 50 feet away... and could have gotten closer. His song lyrics are chocked full of faith-based messages and he came across as a real person you could have over for dinner. It was also nice to see teenage girls, long-haired young men, young families with children in strollers, grandmothers, and gray-haired men all simultaneously enjoying the Christian music all together. No fancy special effects either. Just Chris Rice and his percussionist.

Thanks to 94 FM "The Fish" in Nashville and Orpy Mills Mall for "Music at the Mills." It was well worth the trip.

To top off a really perfect evening, my alma mater, the University of Memphis advanced to the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. It was Duke that was the first number one seed to fall.

An Honest Man is Hard to Find

2006-03-20T19:43:00.000-06:00

The following article really made me think about the importance of truth. There are so many temptations to make our life easier in the short term by overtly distorting the truth, by omitting important details which might be embarassing, and even just allowing someone to come to the wrong conclusion about our reasons and actions.

God, mold me and make me into the man You need me to be. Give me the courage to always be truthful. Protect me from my pride and fear of embarasement. Amen.

The Truth About Deceit
Most lies are pitiful attempts to protect our pride.
By David P. Gushee

Prodigal Son Background Verses

2006-03-18T16:42:00.000-06:00

I've been preparing my Sunday School lesson based on the parable of the prodigal son. The lesson material points out some verses I had not thought about before as background material regarding

How the clothes a person wore showed something about their status.
How a fine robe in particular was used to confer high status.
How being striped of your clothes was humiliating
How rings were used to give status and authority.
How God sometimes chose the younger brother over the older brother in other instances in scripture.

high status

Genesis 37
Joseph's Dream
1Now Jacob lived in (A)the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
2These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when (B)seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with (C)the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives And Joseph brought back a (D)bad report about them to their father.
3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was (E)the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.
4His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they (G)hated him and could not speak to him [b]on friendly terms.

Genesis 41:42New American Standard Bible (NASB)
42Then Pharaoh (A)took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and (B)put the gold necklace around his neck.

1 Samuel 18
Jonathan and David
1Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that (A)the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and (B)Jonathan loved him as himself.
2Saul took him that day and (C)did not let him return to his father's house.
3Then (D)Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
4(E)Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt.

Esther 2:20-22 (New American Standard Bible)
20(A)Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done (B)when under his care.
Mordecai Saves the King
21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, (C)Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
22But the plot became known to Mordecai and (D)he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name.

Esther 3
Haman's Plot against the Jews
1After these events King Ahasuerus (A)promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha (B)the Agagite, and (C)advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him.
2All the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But (D)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.
3Then the king's servants who were at (E)the king's gate said to Mordecai, "(F)Why are you transgressing the king's command?"
4Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5When Haman saw that (G)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage.
6But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman (H)sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was (I)cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is (J)the month Adar.
8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; (K)their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not in the king's interest to let them remain.
9"If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the king's business, to put into the king's treasuries."
10Then (L)the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha (M)the Agagite, (N)the enemy of the Jews.
11The king said to Haman, "The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please."
12(O)Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to (P)the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written (Q)in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring.
13Letters were sent by (R)couriers to all the king's provinces (S)to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, (T)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to (U)seize their possessions as plunder.

Lack of clothes – low status

Esther 4
Esther Learns of Haman's Plot
1When Mordecai learned (A)all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.

High Status

Esther 6
The King Plans to Honor Mordecai
1During that night the king (A)could not sleep so he gave an order to bring (B)the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
2It was found written what (C)Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
3The king said, "What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him."
4So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just (D)entered the outer court of the king's palace in order to speak to the king about (E)hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him.
5The king's servants said to him, "Behold, Haman is standing in the court." And the king said, "Let him come in."
6So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man (F)whom the king desires to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?"
7Then Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king desires to honor,
8let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and (G)the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head (H)a royal crown has been placed;
9and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, (I)and proclaim before him, 'Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.'"

High Status

Esther 8
Mordecai Promoted
1On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, (A)the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed (B)what he was to her.
2(C)The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
3Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews.
4(D)The king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king.
5Then she said, "(E)If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the (F)letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.
6"For (G)how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?"
7So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, (H)I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews.

Esther 8

Mordecai Promoted

1On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, ^(A)the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed ^(B)what he was to her.

2^(C)The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews.

4^(D)The king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king.

5Then she said, "^(E)If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the ^(F)letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.

6"For ^(G)how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?"

7So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, ^(H)I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews.

The King's Decree Avenges the Jews

8"Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king's name, and ^(I)seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring ^(J)may not be revoked."

9^(K)So the king's scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended ^(L)from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to ^(M)every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language.

10He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on ^(N)horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud.

11In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right ^(O)to assemble and to defend their lives, ^(P)to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and ^(Q)to plunder their spoil,

12on ^(R)one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar).

13^(S)A copy of the edict to be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king's command, went out, riding on the royal steeds; and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa.

15Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king ^(T)in royal robes of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and ^(U)a garment of fine linen and purple; and ^(V)the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.

16For the Jews there was ^(W)light and gladness and joy and honor.

17In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a ^(X)holiday And ^(Y)many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.

Low status

2 Samuel 10
Ammon and Aram Defeated
1(A)Now it happened afterwards that (B)the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son became king in his place.
2Then David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of (C)Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent some of his servants to console him concerning his father. But when David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites,
3the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent consolers to you? (D)Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?"
4So Hanun took David's servants and (E)shaved off half of their beards, and (F)cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.
5When they told it to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return."

Priestly Status

2 Samuel 6:12-23 (New Living Translation)
12Then King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed-edom's home and everything he has because of the Ark of God." So David went there and brought the Ark to the City of David with a great celebration. 13After the men who were carrying it had gone six steps, they stopped and waited so David could sacrifice an ox and a fattened calf. 14And David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic.[a] 15So David and all Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with much shouting and blowing of trumpets.
Michals Contempt for David
16But as the Ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she was filled with contempt for him.
17The Ark of the LORD was placed inside the special tent that David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. 18When he had finished, David blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. 19Then he gave a gift of food to every man and woman in Israel: a loaf of bread, a cake of dates,[b] and a cake of raisins. Then everyone went home.
20When David returned home to bless his family, Michal came out to meet him and said in disgust, "How glorious the king of Israel looked today! He exposed himself to the servant girls like any indecent person might do!"
21David retorted to Michal, "I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD. So I am willing to act like a fool in order to show my joy in the LORD. 22Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, but I will be held in honor by the girls of whom you have spoken!" 23So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her life.

God chosing younger brother over the older

Genesis 4
Cain and Abel
1Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD."
2Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And (A)Abel was (B)a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.
4(C)Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions And (D)the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;
5but (E)for Cain and for his offering He had no regard So (F)Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.

Genesis 25
21Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and (W)the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife (X)conceived.
22But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to (Y)inquire of the LORD.
23The LORD said to her, "(Z)Two nations are in your womb; (AA)And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And (AB)the older shall serve the younger."

Hungry for Books Overseas

2006-03-07T20:59:00.000-06:00

I had a conversation with Patti Joy Posan, Executive Director of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge a while back. It helped illuminate a need that I would like to share with my readers. Perhaps someone can offer a solution. Everyone can pray about it.

I know that there are Christians in far away places and in countries where Christianity is not the dominant religion who are hungry for Bible-based, Christian reading material both for their own spiritual growth and for sharing with others. I've been trying to help just such an organization, the Christian Communication Center in India, which operates lending libraries for that very purpose.

Through Patti Posan, I discovered that there is a large supply of Christian reading material (about 8000 books as of about a month ago) sitting in a warehouse in Sewanee, Tennesse just a couple of hours from me. These books have been donated to the SPCK over the years from church members and pastors. The only thing which keeps the books out of the hands of the eager souls overseas is money to ship the books to them. Books are pretty heavy and the cost to ship them half-way around the world is not trivial.

I was wondering.

Is there someone out there in the business world who happens to have a shipping container headed towards India or some other country where English is reasonably well known who might be able to slip in a shipment of books inside for no additional cost?
Is there someone out there who has a heart for overseas missions and has been blessed financially who could donate out of their abundance to help finance a shipment?

Anyway, I ask that my readers to please pray for a solution to this transportation problem. I'd love to hear from readers via email or through comments to this post.

Copyright © 2005 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

What Lies on the Other Side?

2006-03-05T15:34:00.000-06:00

I got the following in an email. I don’t know the original source but I think the message is worth sharing:

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know." "You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Forgiveness - Key to a Loving Heart

2006-03-05T08:30:00.000-06:00

The key that opens the door to the locked rooms of our hearts is forgiveness. It is only when we have experienced forgiveness, (.. I mean being overwhelmed by the reality of forgiveness, being able to touch, tast, and smell its results) that we find the locks are sprung, the doors flung open, the windows tossed high, the rooms inhabited, the fires lighted on the hearths. It is then we discover that our hearts are finally free to love. They have become what the Creator intended them to be, places with immense capacity to embrace.

Karen Mains, The Key to a Loving Heart

Furnace of Affliction

2006-03-03T21:58:00.000-06:00

"It is the will of heaven that the two countries should be sundered forever. It may be the will of heaven that America shall suffer calamities still more wasting and distresses yet more dreadful. If this is to be the case, it will have this good effect, at least: it will inspire us with many virtues which we have not, and correct many errors, follies and vices, which threat to disturb, dishonor and destroy us... The furnace of affliction produces refinements in states, as well as individuals."

John Adams, in a letter to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776, the day after Continental Congress approval of the Declaration of Independence.

John Adams spent a lifetime in service to the US.

Member of the Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence

Urged Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence

Nominate George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army

US minister to France, helping to negotiate the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain to end the Revolutionary War

Negotiated first major recognition of American independence by the Dutch

First US Minister to Great Britain

Main author of the Constitution of Massachusetts

First Vice President of the United States under President George Washington

Second President of the United States

1 Corinthians 3:13 (Amplified Bible)

13The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done.

Christian Revolutions

2006-03-02T21:49:00.000-06:00

The great Christian revolutions come not by discovery of something that was never there before. They come when someone takes radically what was always there before.

H. Richard Neibuhr

Tony Dungy on Pain & Loss

2006-02-28T22:37:00.000-06:00

I got the following text in an email today from a good friend. It really has some inspiring words from Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy not too long after losing his son.

Dungy Makes Super Bowl Stop to Speak at Athletes in Action Breakfast

DETROIT, Mich. – They were there for breakfast, and they were there to cheer New York Jets running back Curtis Martin.

And it was Martin who received the Athletes in Action Bart Starr Award Saturday morning, but the hundreds who gathered in fourth-floor ballroom at the Marriott Renaissance in Detroit, Mich., on the morning before Super Bowl XL were clearly touched by the featured speaker.

That speaker was Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy.

Two hours into the breakfast, emcee Brent Jones introduced Dungy, who was welcomed with a lengthy standing ovation. Dungy thanked the crowd, shared an anecdote about Martin, then told the crowd he was going to speak for about 15 minutes.

“It’s great to be here,” Dungy told the crowd, then adding with a laugh, “I just wish I wasn’t here in this capacity so many times of being just that close to being in the game and just being an invited speaker.

“My goal is to have our team here one day and have a couple of tables with all of our guys here. Because we have a special group of young men, a great group of Christian guys. It’d be wonderful to have them here so you could see their hearts and what they’re all about.

“It hasn’t quite happened yet, but we’re still hoping one day it will.”

He told them he was going to talk about lessons he had learned from his three sons. The crowd fell silent. Then Dungy spoke.

And although this was a breakfast – and although at many such events speakers speak over the clinking of glasses and murmurs from semi-interested listeners – for most of the 15 minutes the room was silent except for Dungy’s voice.

He spoke of his middle son, Eric, who he said shares his competitiveness and who is focused on sports “to where it’s almost a problem.” He spoke of his youngest son, Jordan, who has a rare congenital condition which causes him not to feel pain.

“He feels things, but he doesn’t get the sensation of pain,” Dungy said.

The lessons learned from Jordan, Tony Dungy said, are many.

“That sounds like it’s good at the beginning, but I promise you it’s not,” Dungy said. “We’ve learned a lot about pain in the last five years we’ve had Jordan. We’ve learned some hurts are really necessary for kids. Pain is necessary for kids to find out the difference between what’s good and what’s harmful.”

Jordan, Dungy said, loves cookies.

“Cookies are good,” Dungy said, “but in Jordan’s mind, if they’re good out on the plate, they’re even better in the oven. He will go right in the oven when my wife’s not looking, reach in, take the rack out, take the pan out, burn his hands and eat the cookies and burn his tongue and never feel it. He doesn’t know that’s bad for him.”

Jordan, Dungy said, “has no fear of anything, so we constantly have to watch him.”

The lesson learned, Dungy said, is simple.

“You get the question all the time, ‘Why does the Lord allow pain in your life? Why do bad things happen to good people? If God is a God of love, why does he allow these hurtful things to happen?’’’ Dungy said. “We’ve learned that a lot of times because of that pain, that little temporary pain, you learn what’s harmful. You learn to fear the right things.“

Pain sometimes lets us know we have a condition that needs to be healed. Pain inside sometimes lets us know that spiritually we’re not quite right and we need to be healed and that God will send that healing agent right to the spot.“

Sometimes, pain is the only way that will turn us as kids back to the Father.”

Finally, he spoke of James.

James Dungy, Tony Dungy’s oldest son, died three days before Christmas. As he did while delivering James’ eulogy in December, Dungy on Saturday spoke of him eloquently and steadily, speaking of lessons learned and of the positives taken from experience.

“It was tough, and it was very, very painful, but as painful as it was, there were some good things that came out of it,” Dungy said.

Dungy spoke at the funeral of regretting not hugging James the last time he saw him, on Thanksgiving of last year.

“I met a guy the next day after the funeral,” Dungy said. “He said, ‘I was there. I heard you talking. I took off work today. I called my son. I told him I was taking him to the movies. We’re going to spend some time and go to dinner.’ That was a real, real blessing to me.”

Dungy said he has gotten many letters since James’ death relaying similar messages.

“People heard what I said and said, ‘Hey, you brought me a little closer to my son,’ or, ‘You brought me a little closer to my daughter,’’’ Dungy said. “That is a tremendous blessing.”

Dungy also said some of James’ organs were donated through donors programs.“

We got a letter back two weeks ago that two people had received his corneas, and now they can see,’’ Dungy said. “That’s been a tremendous blessing.”

Dungy also said he received a letter from a girl from the family’s church in Tampa. She had known James for many years, Dungy said. She went to the funeral because she knew James.

“When I saw what happened at funeral, and your family and the celebration and how it was handled, that was the first time I realized there had to be a God,” Dungy said the girl wrote. “I accepted Christ into my life and my life’s been different since that day.”

Added Dungy, “That was an awesome blessing, so all of those things kind of made me realize what God’s love is all about.”

Dungy also said he was asked often how he was able to return to the Colts so quickly after James’ death. James died on December 22, and Dungy returned to the team one week later. Dungy said the answer was simple.

“People asked me, ‘How did you recover so quickly?”’’ Dungy said. “I’m not totally recovered. I don’t know that I ever will be. It’s still very, very painful, but I was able to come back because of something one of my good Christian friends said to me after the funeral.

“He said, ‘You know James accepted Christ into his heart, so you know he’s in heaven, right?’ I said, ‘Right, I know that.’ He said, ‘So, with all you know about heaven, if you had the power to bring him back now, would you?’ When I thought about it, I said, ‘No, I wouldn’t. I would not want him back with what I know about heaven.’

“That’s what helped me through the grieving process. Because of Christ’s spirit in me, I had that confidence that James is there, at peace with the Lord, and I have the peace of mind in the midst of something that’s very, very painful.

“That’s my prayer today, that everyone in this room would know the same thing.”

New Year's Resolutions Revisited

2006-02-26T22:02:00.000-06:00

If you happened to look at my New Year's Resolutions, you will find that one of them was to improve my spiritual discipline by spending more time studying the Bible. I just finished reading Proverbs from start to finish in two different versions, NASB and The Message. I won't say I read Proverbs every day but it is still an improvement for me.

Bumper Stickers and a Crafty Serpent

2006-02-23T22:17:00.000-06:00

I passed a car on the way to work the other day with a couple of bumper stickers that made me swallow hard and say a quick prayer for the driver.

The first bumper sticker I read said “Eve was Framed!” I take this to be a reference to the Book of Genesis and the story about the crafty serpent (the Devil) convincing Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. This is often called the “original sin.” On this topic I would like to point to a few words that usually go unnoticed.

Genesis 3:1-6 New International Version (NIV)

The Fall of Man
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Please note the words in verse 6 “who was with her.” Adam was right there while the serpent was tempting Eve and surely had an opportunity to jump in and say “No Eve! God said not to!” You can make an argument that the orginal sin was equally Adam’s for he was passive. His was a sin of omission before he too ate the forbidden fruit (sin of commission). At this critical point in the history of mankind, he did not provide spiritual leadership when he could have.

So... while Eve was not “Framed” she may have gotten too much credit for the fall of mankind. Adam played (or shall I say didn’t play) his part too.

Back to the bumper stickers...

As I passed the car I mentioned at the beginning, my eye veered a little to the left and found another bumper sticker with the words “Born OK the First Time” which I take to mock all Christian believers who professes to have been “Born Again.” This one really hit the pit of my stomach. I found myself wondering what happened in this woman’s life to make her so hostile to Christianity. Was she betrayed by a mother or father who outwardly claimed to be a Christian? I don’t know but it made me think about how everyone is watching us. We have to be ever vigilent and keep up our guard against any temptation which might cause us to fall short – and in so doing assist the crafty serpent of the Garden of Eden in keeping another from coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus. I fear I have fallen short too often myself. I thank God for the grace extended to me in spite of my weaknesses.

God, I pray for this woman I don’t even know. I don’t know what has happened in her life to cause such disbelief but I pray that You will put someone in her path that can be a shining example of Your love and grace. Stir her heart to want to know more about You and Your plan for salvation. Bring others into her life to “plant seeds” and still more to “water the seeds” when they sprout. Help us all to be alert to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to be involved in some small way in the lives of anyone around us who may be seeking You. Amen.

Our Job, Our Retirement, and Our God

2006-02-19T20:15:00.000-06:00

I received wake-up call a while back in the form of an email newsletter from Dan Miller, author of the book 48 Days to the Work You Love. You can get the contents of the email yourself here.

Here are a few wake-up call bullet points from his newsletter for anyone who still thinks that working hard and being a good employee can lock in a comfortable retirement:

Several months ago I saw a bright and personable commercial airline pilot. At 53 years old, he had been with United Airlines for 27 years. His salary was $200,000 plus, and he had calculated that with his retirement investments and his pension he would retire in high style in 3 more years. But then his investments took a big dive, United defaulted on their pension and his job future for even 3 years was in jeopardy.
The status of most employee pension plans sits somewhere between threatened, and dead and gone.
The end of the pension plan is coming quickly for most companies.
IBM has converted its plan to a new system.
Northwest Airlines will likely dump its pension in bankruptcy, following the lead of United and US Airways.
Companies like Allstate insurance have “invited” all 6,200 agents to become independent contractors, losing health insurance and pension benefits.
There is no way the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation can back up these folding pension plans. The PBGC is already on the hook for $62.3 billion in expected pension payouts with only $39 billion in its accounts.
Bottom Line: we are quickly moving to a nation of “free agents” where we will each be responsible for our income, benefits and retirement.
General Motors is reeling in out-of-control benefit costs and may still go into bankruptcy.
See yourself as a “free agent” no matter what your current employment status.

Granted, Dan Miller is a “free agent” who is making his living selling books (like many of us bloggers want to do) on personal finance and other resources of the “you had better be financially self reliant” genre.

However, I think he raises great secular points that have huge spiritual implications.

We must live below our means and save for the future
We should not place our faith in our employer or our government to take care of us.

Here are some pertinent quotes from the Bible:

Proverbs 22:3 (New International Version)

³ A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,

but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

Proverbs 30:25 (New International Version)

²⁵ Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;

There are also other considerations:

What do we do if we feel led to give generously from our limited financial resources?
What if God has other plans for the financial blessings He has given me? Am I prepared to align my will with His?
Am I so in debt that I could not afford to change careers, move to a new city, etc. in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit?

More financial wisdom from Christian financial counselor Larry Burkett:

Financial freedom includes an absence of worries over money, overdue bills, threats from collection agencies, or the panic of never having enough money. Beyond the actual handling of money, financial freedom also penetrates the spiritual dimensions of your life, bringing freedom from envy, greed, and jealousy.

..

As a financially free person, you are available to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. When God shows you someone’s needs, you will have financial resources to help meet those needs. You can see how financial freedom enables you to fulfill God’s plan for your life.

..

A plan leading to financial freedom begins by transferring ownership of everything to God, including debts and financial mistakes. If Jesus forgives your spiritual sins, He will certainly forgive your financial mistakes and help you to proceed with the plan He has for your life.

Larry Burkett, How Much is Enough?

Many of us want to travel and experience "the good life" when retire. I heard someone give an alternative definition:

"Retirement is when you can serve God without taking a salary."

That puts a whole different perspective on it!

Sea of Galilee vs. Dead Sea

2006-02-15T18:53:00.000-06:00

The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are made of the same water. It flows
down, clear and cool, from the heights of Hermon and the roots of the
cedars of Lebanon. The Sea of Galilee makes beauty of it, for the Sea of
Galilee has an outlet. It gets to give. It gathers in its riches that it pour
them out again to fertilize the Jordan plain. But the Dead Sea with the
same water makes horror. For the Dead Sea has no outlet. It gets to keep.

Harry Emerson Fosdick

Prayer in U.S. House of Representatives the Day After the Bombing of Pearl Harbor

2006-02-14T22:26:00.000-06:00

It was Sunday, August 28, 2005. I had driven home to visit my mother for her birthday. Right before I left I remembered that when my father (a minister) died back in 1980, the contents of his church office were moved into the garage of my mother's house. I had taken an interest in doing some writing about my own Christian faith and remembered from many years before that there were many boxes of his "preacher books" plus a couple of file cabinets where he kept manilla folders with his notes from almost 30 years of his sermons. I thought to myself, "There must be some great stuff in there that might provide good material for my writing!"

My mother used the garage for storage and not for parking cars so when I opened it, I found boxes of my brother's household goods that were nevershipped to Alabama when he moved, boxes of my sister's stuff from whenshe moved to a new house, and even a mattress my mother told me belongedto my niece's boyfriend. How did that get in there? After moving some old furniture, I found my father's file cabinets where they have beensitting for 25 years. I think I'm the only one who has ever even looked inside them and maybe only three times in that 25 years.

I found several drawer of manilla folders, each with notes for a particular sermon, as I expected. I removed one draw full of sermons to take home with me to look for ideas for my own writing. In the back of one of the drawers, I found something I never knew about. It was a brown, thin, hardcover book. When I read the title, I knew I had to rescue this little book from obscurity. To me, it was a genuine historical gem.

Prayers

Offerred by the Chaplain

Rev. James Shera Montgomery, D.D.

At the Opening of the Daily Sessions of the

House of Representatives of the United States

During the Seventy-Seventh and

Seventy-Eigth Congresses

1941-1944

Based on the date of publication, I guessed that this book must have belonged to my grandfather, also a preacher. I have since traded emails with my Uncle who said my grandfather actually met Rev. Montgomery on trip to Washington, DC and received the book from him directly. My uncle also said my grandfather had commented on "what a great guy he was." My
father inherited the contents of my grandfather's church office when my grandfather passed away.

Here's a scan of the front cover of the book.

The inside title page:

Here is the House Resolution authorizing the printing of this book of
prayers.

Apparently the chaplain got to dedicate this book of his prayers, which he did - dedicating it to his father.

I discovered that this historical gem containing a glimpseinto the spiritual life of my nation's past was originally offered forsale for $0.35 a copy.

Here's the first page of prayers.

I knew enough about history to know that these were the years of World War II. Captured in the pages of this book were the opening prayers offerred to our Congressman during the greatest struggle of war in my nation's history. I quickly searched to see if it included the prayer
offerred immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was there!

Imagine if you will that you were this chaplain. Your nation had just been bombed and the Pacific fleet decimated. Before you was the Houseof Representatives of the United States of America. A declaration of war was likely. What would you say? What would your prayer be like? Here in the public record, is what the man who really had to do it said, beginning at the bottom of page 60 and continuing to page 61 below. See the opening prayer for Monday, December 8, 1941.

I think the words of this chaplain still offer us some wisdom for today. Remember our nation's leaders in your prayers tonight and remember our brave service men and women fighting today's war on terrorists.

Adding to Our Prayer List

2006-02-12T20:12:00.000-06:00

Things We Usually Pray for

for forgiveness of our sin
to help us stop sinning more
to help someone else stop sinning more
to remove or minimize the consequences of our sin or bad decisions previously made (likely decisions made without seeking God’s will first)
to remove or minimize the consequences of someone else’s sin on our lives
that our family & friends come to know Jesus as their Savior
for the future good health, happiness, and general well being of ourselves, family, & friends
for help in dealing with a difficult person in our lives
to remove a difficult situation in our lives
to take away our desire to repeat a difficult sin
for financial blessings or for success in life
for success in and God’s blessing upon the plans we have made for the future
for relief from financial distress or burdens
for His provision of a job so that we can support our families
to help us be a better parent to our children
to change our spouse so that he or she becomes more like the person we need them to be
to heal someone close to us already suffering from an illness or injury
for His protection from accidents and anyone who might intentionally harm us or our family & friends
to bless and lead our church leaders and other spiritual leaders who minister to us.
to bless and lead the executive, legislative, and judicial governmental leaders in the decisions they make which affect all of us.
to bless and protect from harm those who willingly risk their lives to protect us such as our policeman, firefighters, and military.
that doctors and nurses who try to make us or our family well again have the skill and wisdom they need to provide the proper medical care.

Food for thought... Should We Add Some Prayers More More Like These?

Seek God’s will in a difficult decision we must make before we make the decision
“I thank You and praise You God for Your grace in forgiving me of the sins I’ve committed in the past and for forgiving me in advance for sins I will no doubt commit in the future. Help me accept Your gift of grace. Help me stop feeling guilty about the past and help me instead to get about the business of glorifying and serving You to the best of my ability both now and in the future.”
Ask God to show us where He is already actively working around us and reveal to us how we should alter our plans and join Him
Help us to be able to forgive someone who has sinned against us because we are having trouble forgiving them
Ask God to reveal what He wants us to learn from a difficult situation when He chooses not to make it go away. (see I Peter 1:6-8)
To change us so that we become the person our spouse needs us to be.
That we be able to rejoice in the difficult circumstances we face if is because God is “pruning” us to bear even more fruit for Him in the future. (see John 15:1-8)
That the Holy Spirit lead us so that we always glorify God in what we think, say, and do... and that our lives be a positive influence on all those around us.
Ask God to reveal His purpose for our life, how He wants to use us to serve His purpose, and for the Holy Spirit to lead us and equip us for those tasks.
Ask God to reveal to us His plan for our “outreach” to those outside the church who do not yet believe.
Ask God to reveal to us His plan for our “inreach” to serve our fellow believers
For help in accepting a “no” or “wait” answer from God to one of our prayers for His help
For strength to persevere in times of adversity when God chooses not to relieve us from difficult circumstances or consequences
That God use the Holy Spirit to prepare the heart of someone who does not believe in Jesus to be ready to hear God’s truth and accept Jesus
That God use us in some way to help someone who does not believe to come to know Jesus as their Savior
That God use us today in some way to plant a spiritual “seed” in someone’s life, water a seed someone else has already planted in their life, or otherwise care for any spiritual “plant” which may be growing in someone’s life.
For the words to say to or the actions to take towards someone that God puts in our path today
That today God would place someone in our path that we are to influence in some way for God’s glory.
The ability to discern whose heart the Holy Spirit has already prepared and that God would prepare us to be ready to help that person find Christ in their life, or at least help them get started.
How we should respond as a Christian when someone around us is involved in some sin such as adultery, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, pornography, drugs, theft, dishonesty, etc.
Identify what we do now or have now that God would have us give up so that we might more time/energy/resources to serve Him better
Help us identify the right balance of our time/energy/resources across our jobs, marriage, children, church, service to others, personal enjoyment, and personal growth.
Unity among Christians in the face of dissention and disagreement in the Church
That God give us joy when we submit to and obey God
That God give us the ability to lovingly confront believers who are giving in to sin.
That God give us the ability to discern between His truth and false teachings
That God give us the ability to discern between godly spiritual leaders and false ones
That God help us to submit to the godly leaders God puts over us.
That we have a hunger to know more about God and be have a closer personal relationship with God

With God at Our Desks - Faith in the Workplace

2006-02-08T18:59:00.000-06:00

On October 31, 2004, the New York Times published an article entitled "Faith at Work" by Russell Shorto. The article not only takes a look at the faith at work movement, but highlights the ministry of one bank in Minnesota and all they do through their business. It is worth taking some time to look over, regardless of your point of view. This article will make you think! Click here to view the NY Times article

In Scorn of the Consequences

2006-02-07T21:20:00.000-06:00

Christ came, not so much to preach the Gospel, as that there might be a Gospel to preach.

R. W. Dale

When you face the perils of weariness, carelessness, and confusion, don't pray for an easier life. Pray instead to be a stronger man or woman of God.

Luis Palau

The Gospels do not explain the Resurrection -- the Resurrection explains the Gospels.

John S. Whale

Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of you. O, Father, give to your child what he himself knows not how to ask. Teach me to pray. Pray yourself in me.

François Fenelon

Faith is not belief in spite of evidence, but life in scorn of consequences -- a courageous trust in the great purpose of all things, and pressing forward to finish the work which is in sight, whatever the price may be.

Kirsopp Lake

U2's Bono on Old Testament Prophetic Scriptures

2006-02-06T18:43:00.000-06:00

U2 Rock Star Bono recently spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb 2nd. See Bono Waxes 'Prophetic' on the Christianity Today website.

God Uses Imperfect People

2006-02-05T14:31:00.000-06:00

God can and often does use imperfect people to accomplish his purposes.

Look at the lineage of Jesus in Matthew 1:3. “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar.” Read Genesis 38 about how Judah fathered Perez with his daughter-in-law Tamar. She dressed up as a prostitute to get pregnant when Judah had money to spend after selling the wool from his sheep. David committed adultery with Bathsheba. (II Samuel chapter 11) David had her husband Euriah put in the front lines of battle to make sure he got killed to cover his sin. Yet God chose to have Jesus come from the “house of David.” Note that in Matthew 1:6 “David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife.” While the child David fathered while Uriah was alive died, the sinners David and Bathsheba are still in the lineage of Christ through their son Solomon!

There are other well-known examples.

Before becoming a great Christian evangelist spreading the word of Christ, the apostle Paul was called Saul and he traveled around trying to destroy Christianity (Acts 8).

Abrahm lied telling one king that his beautiful wife Sarai was his sister, because he didn’t trust God to protect him. He was afraid they would kill him to take Sarai for themselves. (Genesis 12:10-20) Later Abrahm was Abraham and he told yet another king the same lie about his wife Sarah, again not trusting God to protect him. (Genesis 20) He told the same lie twice and both time failed to trust in God’s protection!

Peter was able to walk on water until he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind and waves instead. (Matthew 14:25-31) Peter also denied Christ three times.

Moses killed a man and you know how God used him. I hope you will let God use you too!

Another “imperfect person” thought. My church had a pastor who spent time as a missionary on Guam and had served successfully at several churches. Along the way, he helped many come to know Jesus. Also along the way, he also started getting emotional attachments to women in his congregation. At a minimum, he committed some kind of emotional adultery. He wound up getting asked to resign from my church in disgrace. I traded emails shortly later with a missionary our church was sponsoring. (This man was planning to enter a Muslim country where it was illegal to preach Christianity.) I mentioned this rather ugly preacher situation to him and he responded with an insightful statement. “Whatever God accomplished through Brother XXX is still valid. Those people are still saved!” We have no power on our own. God works through us. Even if we later screw up, it was still God working… and can work through us again.

You comments are welcome and encouraged!

Hurry and Doing the Thing We Ought to Do

2006-02-01T21:01:00.000-06:00

“The feeling of being hurried is not usually the result of living a full life and having no time. It is, on the contrary, born of a vague fear that we are wasting our life. When we do not do the one thing we ought to do, we have no time for anything else – we are the busiest people in the world.”

Eric Hoffer

What Do You Do that Makes God Smile ?

2006-01-31T21:37:00.000-06:00

In the film Chariots of Fire, Olympic runner Eric Liddel says, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God's pleasure." Later he says, "To give up running would be to hold Him in contempt."

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here For?

I believe Eric had been studying to be a missionary and a family member had been trying to get him to give up his Olympic aspirations.

This made me think "What do I do that makes God smile? What is my purpose at this time in my life... that if I was doing exactly that... would make God smile?

Is it putting tid bits like this on my blog when my wife thinks I should be crossing items off the long "to do" list she has for me? Certainly, God expects more from me over my lifetime than a few paragraphs on my little blog. But, for this very moment, I think it makes God smile. I hope so anyway.

Another quote from The Purpose Driven Life: "Every human activity, except sin, can be done for God's pleasure if you do it with an attitude of praise. You can wash dishes, repair a machine, sell a product, write a computer program, grow a crop, and raise a family for the glory of God."

God, I pray that You will reveal to me exactly where I need to be to be in the center of Your will for me right now. Show me what to do to make You smile. In Jesus' name... Amen

False Humility and False Love

2006-01-28T15:36:00.000-06:00

This is just too good not to share. In a few short sentences, it encapsulates why we as Christians need to plant seeds in the lives of those around us, water seeds that others have planted, and let the Holy Spirit work in the lives of the people that cross our path. We aren't responsible for the results because of their free choice but we are responsible for being a messenger.

"When men's eternal souls are at stake, the church cannot be passive and indifferent. Nor can it hide behind false humility that fears being judgmental or behind false love that fears offending. Christ was supremely humble, yet He never called evil anything but what it was. Christ was supremely loving, yet He never withheld a warning that might save His hearers from hell. And He had nothing but intense anger for those who by their false teachings led men away from God and directly toward hell."

John MacArthur, 1 & 2 Peter: Courage in Times of Trouble

Resentment, the Cocaine of Emotions

2006-01-26T19:00:00.000-06:00

I call resentment the cocaine of the emotions. It calls our blood to pump, our energy level to rise. Also like cocaine, resentment requires increasingly larger and more frequent dosages. There is a dangerous point at which our anger ceases to be an emotion and becomes a driving force. You know you can be addicted to resentment. The person bent on revenge moves unknowingly further and further away from being able to forgive. It has been said that hatred is that rabid dog that turns on its owner, resentment is that raging fire that consumes the arsonist, bitterness is the trap that snares the hunter. But you know what? Mercy is the choice that sets them all free. Resentment has no place in your heart. Stop taking it such large doses. And let the addiction cease.

Max Lucado

Church is like Broccoli ? Or a Hot Fudge Sundae?

2006-01-24T20:37:00.000-06:00

The joy that ought to come from serving others in Christ's name is missing because so much of what we do for the church is done out of a spirit of obligation. And that is because, as first-halfers, we have not yet discovered who we are, what we really enjoy doing, and how even the most undesirable task can be a freeing, exhilarating experience if it arises out of our core being. For most people, church work is not a hot fudge sundae, but like the broccoli and spinach your mother made you eat as a child.

Bob Buford, Halftime

Some context: In the book Halftime, Bob Buford compares the Christian life to a football game. He says many Christian men, when they reach their mid forties, begin to ask themselves "I know I am successful... but is what I'm doing eternally significant?" He calls the years before this time of introspection the "first half" and men in this early period of life "first-halfers." Men starting to question their contribution at mid-life are "half-timers". The book encourages men to find a way to use the skills they've developed in the business world or their occupation to serve God in their "second half."

Accountability Goes in Both Directions

2006-01-23T20:29:00.000-06:00

Sunday night my pastor gave an interesting illustration which really made me think about my own attitudes towards true Christian accountability... accountability in both directions.

He first went over the story of how Nathan confronted David about his sin of putting Uriah at the worst part of the battle and withdraw from him so Uriah would be killed and David could take Bathsheba for his own wife. See II Samuel 11 and II Samuel 12

My pastor emphasized:

Nathan had an existing relationship with David

Nathan was the right man because God called him

Nathan acted on God’s timing

Nathan went alone

Nathan spoke tactfully (note story about the poor man’s lamb taken by the rich man in II Samuel 12:1-4)

Nathan spoke the truth courageously to King David who could have him killed.

David accepted the rebuke and repented

He went on to tell an illustration that cut me to the bone.

It seems he had an acquaintance who had a son who went to one of the military academies that had an honor code not to “lie, cheat, steel, or tolerate anyone among us who does.” The son came home on break on one occasion and told his father how he kept his head down to his desk during tests with his arm wrapped around his paper. The young man’s father inquired why he was so worried that someone would cheat off his paper. To his surprise the son said he wasn’t worried about someone looking on his paper, he kept his head down like that because he did not want to see any of his classmates cheating because then he would have to turn them in the school administration. In other words, he didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to get involved.

My how this attitude contrasts with the story of Nathan who was willing to risk his own life to lovingly confront David in his sin as God commanded him to! I must confess that I might have reacted the same way in his situation.

Our pastor challenged us whether we are both willing to accept the rebuke of other believers when we’re wrong and willing to lovingly confront sin in others. Culturally, there is a lot of pressure to be like that military academy student and not want to know and not want to be involved. But.. there does seem to be a strong scriptural basis for being willing to step up lovingly and prayerfully to confront a sinning believer one on one. My pastor said "We all have a whistle and sometimes we need to blow it!"

God, I pray that You use the Holy Spirit to shape and mold me into the man You need me to be. Help me be willing to be accountable for my sinful behavior. Give me the strength I need to resist the temptations which surround me. Help me also to be ready to accept Your prompting to lovingly confront my fellow believer in a way that would lead to repentence and a renewed commitment to follow Your ways. Help me be someone who encourages others.

How do you pray for forgiveness?

2006-01-22T21:51:00.000-06:00

Pretty early in life, I was taught to pray something like this:

"Father, forgive me of my sins."

As I got a little older, the Lord's prayer had more of an influence on my prayer life and this part of my prayers turned into:

"Father, forgive me of my sins as I forgive those who sin against me."

As I matured in my faith, I began to realize there were “sins of ommission” which were just as offensive to God as the “sins of commission.” Therefore, I found myself praying along the lines of:

"Father, forgive me of my sins as I forgive others... both those sins where I have done something wrong... and those times where You wanted me to do something and I did not."

Lately, however, I have thought a lot about Christ's one-time payment for all our sins. Surely Christ was aware that He was substituting Himself for me even though I wasn’t even born yet. That means He was offering himself as a living sacrifice for sins not committed yet. It seems that the forgiveness is on-going and once we are saved we should be thanking God for forgiveness that He has already granted. As a result, I wonder if a believer should pray something more like this:

"Father, thank You for forgiving me of my many sins as I forgive others... both those sins where I have done wrong and those when I failed to act on faith when You needed me to do something. I thank You also for continuing to forgive me both now and in the future for sins I will certainly commit in my future weakness and lack of faith.”

Maybe I'm crazy. Opinions are appreciated and encouraged.

Safest Road to Hell

2006-01-21T23:15:00.000-06:00

The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.

C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Increasing Time Spent Thinking About God

2006-01-21T19:42:00.000-06:00

One of the best things I have ever done for my Christian walk has been to take advantage of Christian audio books while commuting to and from work. This is an easy way to add an hour a day to the time I commune with God, think about God and His will for my life, and reflect on my relationship with Him.

My church has a decent sized library of audio books to loan to members but I listened to almost everyone. Some of the one I like the best I have listened to several times. My local public library also has a good assortment, though I often have to get titles sent from other branches.

I have created my own CD of bite-sized devotionals, prayers, and sermons which are perfect for your commute to work. See "Christian Commuter #1 - Maximizing Time with God" on the Caleb's Publishing eBay Store.

There is a free audio sample in MP3 format you can download to check it out.

Copyright © 2005 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Discerning God's Will and Pleasing God

2006-01-20T23:31:00.000-06:00

THE FACT THAT I THINK that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

Where the Fruit Is

2006-01-20T01:00:00.000-06:00

Seen on a sign out in front of a church in Madison, Tennessee:

"Don't be afraid to go out on a limb, that's where the fruit is."

John 15:4-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

4"^(A)Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he ^(B)bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

Jesus without the Benefit of ....

2006-01-16T15:39:00.000-06:00

Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mahomet, and Napoleon; without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and schools combined; without the eloquence of schools, He spoke words of life such as never were spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of any orator or poet; without writing a single line, He has set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art and sweet songs of praise, than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times. Born in a manger, and crucified as a malefactor, He now controls the destinies of the civilized world, and rules a spiritual empire which embraces one-third of the inhabitants of the globe. There never was in this world a life so unpretending, modest, and lowly in its outward form and condition, and yet producing such extraordinary effects upon all ages, nations, and classes of men. The annals of history produce no other example of such complete and astonishing success in spite of the absence of those material, social, literary, and artistic powers and influences which are indispensable to success for a mere man.

Philip Schaff

Notre Dame Cathedral, Strasbourg, France

2006-01-14T15:47:00.000-06:00

Discernment ->Joy

2006-01-14T15:38:00.000-06:00

DISCERNING AND ACTING on God's will does not mean you'll never have difficult days or feel lousy sometimes. But choosing to live in alignment with God makes you more joyful, compassionate, and peaceful, even on bad days.

Debra K. Farrington, Hearing with the Heart : A Gentle Guide to Discerning God's Will for Your Life

God's Promise to Abraham

2006-01-14T10:16:00.000-06:00

This was part of my Bible reading this morning, Romans 4:12-18 and it meant a lot to me. I have a parallel edition of the NASB with The Message and this really jumped out at me. We all need a good reminder, the bold-faced text is my emphasis today.

The Message (MSG)

View commentary related to this passage

¹²And it means further that Abraham is father of all people who embrace what God does for them while they are still on the "outs" with God, as yet unidentified as God's, in an "uncircumcised" condition. It is precisely these people in this condition who are called "set right by God and with God"! Abraham is also, of course, father of those who have undergone the religious rite of circumcision not just because of the ritual but because they were willing to live in the risky faith-embrace of God's action for them, the way Abraham lived long before he was marked by circumcision.

¹³That famous promise God gave Abraham--that he and his children would possess the earth--was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed. ¹⁴If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That's not a holy promise; that's a business deal. ¹⁵A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise--and God's promise at that--you can't break it.

¹⁶This is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God's promise arrives as pure gift. That's the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it, those who keep the religious traditions and those who have never heard of them. For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father--that's reading the story backwards. He is our faith father.

¹⁷We call Abraham "father" not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"? Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. ¹⁸When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, "You're going to have a big family, Abraham!"

Christlikeness

2006-01-13T22:14:00.000-06:00

Christlikeness is not produced by immitation by by inhabitation.

Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

Indifference, the Bigger Problem

2006-01-12T19:25:00.000-06:00

I love this quote on indifference.

Indifference Is the Problem

The opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy; it is indifference. And the opposite of life is not death; it is indifference. Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies.

Elie Wiesel

Wisdom of Jabez

2006-01-12T19:20:00.000-06:00

I think there is a lot of wisdom in the prayer given by Jabez in I Chronicles.

"God’s bounty is limited only by us, not by His resources, power, or willingness to give. Jabez was blessed simply because he refused to let any obstacle, person, or pinion loom larger than God’s nature. And God’s nature is to bless."

Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (New American Standard Bible)

⁹Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain."

¹⁰Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.

St. Bartholomä

2006-01-11T23:17:00.000-06:00

St. Bartholomä on the greenish waters of the Königssee near Berchestgaden in Bavaria, Germany. Picture taken in August 1988.

God's Math

2006-01-11T23:10:00.000-06:00

We keep an equation in our heart that adds up something like this:

My abilities + experience + training

+ my personality and appearance + my past

+ the expectations of others = my assigned territory.

God’s math would look more like this:

My willingness and weakness + God’s will and supernatural power = my expanding territory.

Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life

A Prayer to Start Each Day

2006-01-10T21:19:00.000-06:00

I start my day with words like “Lord, today is Your day. Today is going to include temptation, and I know my tendency is to act in the flesh. I don’t want to do that. I want to walk in the light... in Your will. I want to act in Your Spirit. I want to respond as You would have me respond. So I place myself on Your altar, and I ask You to assist me as I accept Your power to hold me in Your will. Help me to live like that moment by moment, all through this day.

Charles R. Swindoll, The Mystery of God's Will