Category : Bless Your Heart
It’s hard to blog when you’re bogged. Sometimes I get bogged down, even with a mirage of good things, blessings even, that are occurring all around me. This weekend, I will be speaking for the ladies seminar at the Nettleton church in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I will be talking about the peace that Christ promised his apostles. What was He describing when He spoke of peace in the tumultuous world they were about to try to saturate with the good news of Christ, even after this Christ was killed as a criminal outside the city of Jerusalem? I think the lesson will be tailor-made for me! I need this study.
This morning I am praying for my friend, Tammy, who is very ill. I am praying for baby James, who is in a very critical period following a huge heart surgery. I am praying for my dad, who is making some huge steps toward independence these days after three months of recovery from a difficult illness. I am praying for some kids who are trying very hard to gain scholarships at a Christian university, because it will make the difference in their being able to attend, or their staying home and attending local colleges; colleges void of the Good News and void of an environment that fosters Christian marriages. I’m praying for lots of sick people in our local congregation. I’m praying for the course of the gospel through the lives of His people and through the works of faithful churches, and especially for our faithful elders. God is very good…sometimes so good that my mind races in all different blessed directions.
Next week will conclude the Digging Deep study of the gospels. Next Monday, I plan to post a sort of summary of the parables study. Because I’m not sure how long the window of opportunity for this will be, though, today, I want to recommend that you see a movie. It’s called “October Baby” and Glenn and I saw it in Charleston last week. It was riveting, but most importantly, it was a timely fictional depiction of some events that are, all too often, not entirely fictional in the world around us. It’s about the after-effects of a botched abortion and one girl’s coming to terms with the regrettable circumstances of her birth. More importantly, it sort of checks the pulse of our nation in which there are two protection agendas–one of protecting a mother’s “reproductive rights” and one of protecting life in the womb. That’s the reason the movie has raised the ire of those who are abortion proponents. That’s the reason I hope you will see it. That’s the reason it’s not in every market across the US and that’s the very reason I hope it will be a successful film. I wish we were a nation in which a film like this could be a blockbuster. See it if you can. (Note: While this movie is clean and appropriate for your family, my recommendation does not necessarily mean I endorse every single detail of the film.)
Keep praying. There’s a lot of goodness in the world, but it often seems the immoral and reckless has a way of being blatant and “in your face.” Remember the war has already been won, though. It’s the battles between now and the victory celebration that can still claim casualties for the defeated prince of darkness.
Parables Podcast tomorrow night (Tuesday at 7 CST)! Join us for your free “Picking Mates and Melons” Book.
And now, this needs no commentary. Just watch. Blessings on all of your visions, voices and votes for the unborn.
Next Tuesday night is podcast time once more! I’m very excited to be discussing the parables of Christ. I know this has to be one of the most practical of all the Digging Deep studies thus far because (1) they are the first of the New Covenant studies (and that’s our covenant) and (2) each parable has at least one lesson specifically designed to help us follow Christ, the great parable Teller.
So here’s the fun deal. You join us at http://thecolleyhouse.org/ for the podcast on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. CST. Share with us live and on the air your favorite parable. Tell us what it is entitled or where it’s found and tell us why you love it. Stay on the line long enough for us to get your name and address and you will receive a free and autographed copy of the new book for children “Picking Melons and Mates.” It’s a modern day parable for your kids and grandkids about growing watermelons and what all that has to do with one day choosing mates who will help them go to heaven. The best part about the parable is that it comes with a 21-day guide for parents of kids of all ages to have a daily family Bible time. Three weeks of nightly family Bible time already planned out for your family’s spiritual enrichment. It’s a ten dollar value. Definitely a win-win.
My favorite parable is only found in Luke. It’s featured on the old Shirley Temple “Heidi” film and my husband has it memorized. You’ve probably guessed it by now, but I’ll fill you in on the podcast. See you on Tuesday.
Category : Bless Your Heart
I just cannot figure it out. If my daughter had decided to attend the prom–I mean if she had decided to purposefully place herself in an environment in which the lights would be dimmed and immodestly dressed girls would move their bodies to the beat of seductive music while embraced by or very close to their dates— I would be a bit embarrassed. I would do everything in my power to change her mind. If she somehow got past her father and into that environment (and I can hardly imagine that ever happening), we would both be in prayer for her safety and for another chance to mold her in a different direction as her parents. If she had decided to go against the wishes of the godly elders in our congregation and place herself in that compromising situation, we would apologize to those men and join with them in encouraging her to repent. If our son chose to lead a girl to a place where a couple of the works of the flesh of Galatians 5:19-21 were pretty much the order of the night, we, as parents, would be deeply disappointed. We would beg him to reconsider his decision. We would talk to him about the power of lust and the lack of consecration exhibited by a conscious decision to purposefully place himself in a position in which he would be looking at scantily clad women in seductive positions for a night of entertainment. Frankly, we would be afraid that his lack of concern about exposing himself to this scenario and his failure to flee situations like this might lead to his involvement in other addictive sins of lust. If either of them made this choice, I think we would talk to him/her about the Savior and the great sacrifice he made for us before calling us to live sanctified and sacrificially holy lives. We would plead with them to honor Him by making a comparatively small sacrifice for His glory.
But I think we would also react with shame. I think we would tell everyone who might be able to convince our kids to make a different choice and solicit all of their help. But I don’t think we would tell anyone else. We would be ashamed. I certainly don’t think we would proudly display our kids’ prom pictures on facebook. If our kids displayed them, we would ask them to remove them if they had any respect for us at all.
I know what I am saying is out of vogue with the world. It is out of step with the culture and, to many, it seems silly. But when I have studied the Greek word for lasciviousness, fully recognizing that lasciviousness is a work of the flesh and those who participate cannot inherit the kingdom, I’m convinced that facebook pictures of the prom glorify what makes God ashamed. When we are proud of what makes God ashamed, and ashamed of what makes God proud, do we love Him with all of our hearts? Are our emotions in tune with His? Am I saying that anyone who attended the prom doesn’t love God? No. But I am saying this: If we really consider Galatians 5:19-21 and the gravity of its warning; if we come to terms with what Christ gave up for us; if we look at the prom seriously as the night of revelry that it has come to be, in at least almost all cases in America, then we, as Christians, would want to distance ourselves from it. We would want to take an amazing opportunity to deny ourselves (or our children) this pleasure of the world in honor of the One who called us to be holy.
Another way to look at it is this: If you knew that Christ would return during the prom at the local high school, would you really want your children to be there at the moment of His return? Seriously? If you thought Christ would walk into the gym where the festivities were happening, would you want to meet His gaze? If Christ was your facebook friend, would you tag Him in the pictures of your kids getting set to leave for the prom? If the Lord was walking through prom month with you–physically, with you–would your choices be different? Would you take him to the tux rental store or the formal dress department for the try-ons? Would your money be spent on something more wholesome? Would your excitement be centered on some other activity? Would your very best presentation be a little different and a little differently directed than the one for which you plan so diligently for that twilight hour on that Saturday night in early spring? Honestly?
He is walking with you. There is a sense in which, in His omnipresence, He is there at the prom. He is your facebook friend and he’s at the tux store and the dress shop and the salon. He’s even in your heart and He identifies what you treasure–what’s important to you. Life is short and kids only get one chance to give Him the senior prom. And ypu can’t go back again once you’re twenty-five and realize that the prom was really not such a big deal. Besides, don’t you want your kids to give it to Him while it IS a big deal? It’s the big deals that God wants from us. It’s our treasures He wants us to lay up in heaven.
But, moms, if you’re determined to let them go…and girls, if you are set on going…if you have to put the pictures on facebook, don’t tag me. It just makes me sad. Besides we have a facebook Friend in common. The Lord sees both of our walls. But whether or not He is our Friend in the judgment is the all-important question. “Whosoever is a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).
One final note. I know a young high school senior who once asked a girl to the prom. He had little interest in religion, but she was a faithful member of the Lord’s church. She declined the invitation, citing that she didn’t think the prom was an appropriate place for a Christian. He had never heard of this, but was intrigued by her answer and challenged by her denial and he began to pursue her. That pursuit culminated in a Bible study with her and her father and then, finally, in his conversion to Christ. He ultimately attended Freed-Hardeman University where he studied to be a gospel preacher and fell in love with a wonderful Christian girl. He has been preaching the gospel for over thirty years now and is currently beginning a work with the great Wood Avenue church in Florence, Alabama. He is the father of three faithful Christian kids, one of which is my favorite son-in-law, Benjamin Giselbach, who is also a faithful preacher and man of God. I am thankful for that seventeen year-old who had enough conviction in her heart to say no to that suitor that spring. Who knows what blessings can grow from seeds of conviction carefully planted by faithful parents? Only God knows.
Category : Bless Your Heart
I have heard that the old horse that our brother, Gus Nichols, rode to his preaching appointments, knew the way home so well that he delivered brother Nichols safely home on several occasions, even though his rider had fallen asleep during the journey. I solicited the piece below from John French, a dear old friend. When your horse can bring you home from a preaching appointment or knows to pause for prayer at the praying tree, you’re probably in a pretty good riding routine. I hope the most regular routines in my life are connected to heaven–routines like prayer and worship. If I had a horse–a smart horse– and if he was my daily transportation, I hope he would know the way to worship. I hope he would stop at a place of solace for daily prayer. Here’s the piece:
On a farm in West Tennessee in the middle of the woods there stands a special tree. The tree is not impressive by any measure; in fact it is deformed. A larger tree fell across this tree when it was a sapling, bending it over. This created a curvature at the base of the trunk.
What makes this tree special is that my father, now in his 80s, came across this tree one day on a walk through the woods. The curvature made a perfect seat for him to take a rest. While sitting there he took a moment to pray. Over time the tree became a favorite place for my father and myself to stop and pray as we rode horses on the trails through the timber.
Over the past few years I have invited many friends, family, and folks I want to know better, to ride horses on our farm. At the end of our ride, just before heading to the barn, we stop by what we have named the “praying tree” to say a prayer. We’ve stopped by this tree so often that my old mare stops all on her own. She knows a prayer must be offered before she can return to the barn. It is at the praying tree that I have often shared my favorite Psalm – 139. This psalm reminds me of God’s constant love, care, and presence in my life. I am always blessed by praying this psalm at the praying tree, and more than a few of my riders have been blessed there, too.
