Pick Your Chocolates Wisely

Posted on April 17, 2015 by ccpastormike

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3:1-2

In the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, actor Tom Hanks uttered a now famous line, certainly one that has assumed a place in our cultural lexicon. Hanks, musing about the mysteries of life uttered this gem, “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.”

This line seemed to perfectly capture Gump’s life, characterized by the myriad twists and turns, brushes with famous people and events, and the eventual realization of his heart’s desire in marrying his childhood sweetheart Jenny, only to tragically lose her early in their marriage to a fatal disease.

It is true that life often presents us with surprises, some good and some not so good. The box of chocolates illustration was meant to convey that idea – life is unpredictable. But let’s carry this picture a little farther and try to apply it to the Christian’s life.

Many boxes of chocolates come with a listing of each chocolate. This is usually printed on the inside of the cover. For those boxes of chocolates that do not give a hint as to what each piece is, how do we determine other than trial and error what each piece contains?

Don’t we rely on previous experience? We know what chocolate covered cherries look like. We also know that in almost every case the caramel pieces are square with a light milk chocolate covering. Brazil Nuts are easily identified as are the coconut haystacks.

Let me suggest to you that we use our experience in picking chocolates we like from the box, and this is where we can learn a spiritual truth. Our experience can help us make choices that result in good and thus avoid many results that are negative.

If life can be compared to a box of chocolates, then we can say we are presented with multiple choices every day. We know from experience that some choices lead to bad consequences. How do we avoid choosing chocolates we don’t like? By training our minds and disciplining our hearts to make the choices we know lead to godliness, holiness, and righteousness. In other words learn which chocolates in the box we like and only choose them.

In our focus passage from Paul’s letter to the Colossian believers we are encouraged to stay focused on spiritual things, to strive to live a heavenly life based on God’s principles, and to reject the principles of this world. I encourage you today friends to make your choices count for the Kingdom in the here and now. When you do you will experience a transformation in your life.

Matthew 3:13 – 4:11

Posted on April 15, 2015 by ccpastormike

I remember reading a story last year during the annual fires that seem to rage uncontrolled through the forests out west.

One national magazine sent a photographer to take some pictures of the devastation. He was told to go to a certain small airport where a plane would be waiting for him.

When the photographer arrived at the airport he found a plane with engine idling waiting for him on the runway as promised. Hopping into the front seat of the two-seated plane the photographer told the pilot, “Ok, let’s go.”

Once they were airborne the photographer told the pilot, “Now, I want you to fly over the north front of the fire and make 3-4 low-level passes.”

The pilot looked at the photographer and asked “why?”

To which the photographer responded “because I want to get some close-up shots of the fire.”

With a “deer-in-the-headlights look” the man in the pilot’s seat said “you mean you’re not the instructor?”

Assumptions can be very dangerous!

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Mike’s Mix For Your Weekend Reading – April 11-12

Posted on April 10, 2015 by ccpastormike

This weekend the weather forecast is for sunshine and temperatures in the 60’s – very nice for Ohio. I hope your weather is as nice. If so, take time to get outside and enjoy it. Don’t forget to feed your spirit and mind this weekend as well.

Some articles I recently read include:

Jared Moore encourages pastors and church leaders to stay the course through self-reflection in When They Won’t Follow Your Leadership

Thom Rainer hits the nail on the head with One Sentence That Pastors and Church Staff Hate to Hear

Praying for other pastors and churches has become such a foreign idea in so many churches that when we do pray for one another as we are commanded to do, people assume something is wrong in that other church. Eric Bancroft candidly leads us to a better understanding of our Kingdom responsibilities toward others in 5 Reasons to Pray for Other Churches

Parents – do you have any idea what the text message you found on your child’s phone means? Here’s a list of texting abbreviations that will help you decipher the code. Essential texting acronyms every parent must know

Finally, over at The Federalist Sean Davis hits a home run with his piece entitled, Men Without Chests; How C.S. Lewis Predicted Charlie Hebdo Censorship.

Enjoy your weekend friends.

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 NASB

*As always, references in my blog do not constitute full and unqualified endorsement of everything you might find on another blog site. Be Bereans folks. Acts 17:11

Our One Inalienable Right

Posted on April 8, 2015 by ccpastormike

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

Here’s a news flash for our rights-obsessed American culture – rights must be rooted in an objective law that transcends individuals, ethnic groups, nations, and civilizations. Without an objective standard that transcends us all, we are left with roughly 330 million opinions.

The Bible tells us many things, not the least of which is not to think too highly of ourselves. I think a primary reason why we have so many aggrieved people in America today is pride. People do in fact think way too highly of themselves. That’s to be expected though when a theology of self-esteem rules the day.

When we become haughty we can miss out on what God wants to do in us and through us, thinking that a task is below us. How many people have you heard say they wanted to help around the church until they found out that the help needed was cleaning the restrooms or working in the nursery. I actually had a man tell me once that he didn’t want to do something because it wasn’t worth his time. This was a man who aspired to be a “leader.” He didn’t last very long at our church because he had no idea what a servant leader looked like.

The apostle John tells us that the primary right Christians must consider is the right to be called God’s children. When Christians make this right their focus, then pride evaporates and in its place arises a sense of humbleness and eagerness to serve our great God in any way He sees fit.

Friends that is a transforming truth.

Christ the Lord is Risen Today by Charles Wesley

Posted on April 3, 2015 by ccpastormike

1 Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

2 Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

3 Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

4 Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

5 Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

6 King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

United Methodist Hymnal, 1989

Charles Wesley, the son of Samuel Wesley, was born at Epworth, Dec. 18, 1707. He was educated at Westminster School and afterwards at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated M.A. In 1735, he took Orders and immediately proceeded with his brother John to Georgia, both being employed as missionaries of the S.P.G. He returned to England in 1736. For many years he engaged with his brother in preaching the Gospel. He died March 29, 1788. To Charles Wesley has been justly assigned the appellation of the “Bard of Methodism.” His prominence in hymn writing may be judged from the fact that in the “Wesleyan Hymn Book,” 623 of the 770 hymns were written by him; and he published more than thirty poetical works, written either by himself alone, or in conjunction with his brother. The number of his separate hymns is at least five thousand.

—Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872.