Meet Jesus: Conciliation Matthew 5:23

July 20, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 23: Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

To Jesus the issue of treating our brothers with respect was powerful. It wasn’t just a matter of not killing each other and not calling each other names. His outlook was one of resolving differences. Jesus is tough on those issues that divide unnecessarily. Surely, 99% of what divides us today can be resolved with humility and the right approach.

In the verses before and behind this the issue is laid out. Don’t attack or be angry with your brother unless it is super serious. Settle a matter quickly, even if the person has set themselves as an enemy against you. Deal with it.

Workday Conflict: The conflict at work was intense. These two just could not get along. Every meeting was full of asides and stares. What could break the personality impasse? Work was not getting done because decisions could never be trusted.
One of the parties stayed after a meeting. Their demeanor was serious. Slowly, they admitted the problem was real and asked me, their manager, how to address it. Fortunately, they were Christian. The concept of grace was easily appealed to with them. We agreed they would begin to list out frustrations with the individual after every meeting and cross off all the ones that had no substance. Then they would follow up outside the meeting with the person to come to a compromise on ones that did have substance.

Everything did not get better immediately. But it sure made the rest of the week more productive. Maybe the other person would eventually respond to the extension of grace.

Community Clashes: A friend was frustrated as we ate lunch. As he worked with pastors, he noted many of them hated each other. They would make vile comments about other pastors and churches working in the same community and culture. How could this be?

We prayed for pastors and leaders. We agreed we would continue to offer love and acceptance to each one of them. Maybe our extension of acceptance to them could help break the bottleneck of competitive spirit we were finding.

ACT! Call someone who is testy with you. Offer them peace and acceptance.

PRAY! Wow, Father, You are really serious about Your family getting along. Surely, You created us to live together with peace as much as possible. Help me today to be a peaceful person and a peacemaker. Help me to move first toward peace with others. I love You, Father. I am glad You are always on my side for me to grow.

Meet Jesus: Integral

July 8, 2013 by Phil Larson

How in this world can our righteousness exceed that of the most religious?

Matthew 5: 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus calls us to a higher place than religion. It is not the place of pious righteousness born of obeisance to which He calls us. Did that make sense? It is not surface righteousness He wants. It is not doing great motions that He wants. He wants righteousness born of the spirit of the heart. He wants our desires for living like God. This goes beyond the righteousness of religion.

A story: Sharon was looking. So often she had seen religion in the lives of others. That did not appeal to her. She wanted something more. She wanted relationship and meaning in her life. How could she find it? This group that met on Tuesday nights seemed to have something more. Her coworker had convinced her to go the first time. There was something in them more than just their bible-book and talk. She wondered what it was.

ACT! Is there a hunger for right living in you? Is it bigger than just what you do, but how you think?

PRAY! Father, where is the place of peace I seek. In my life there are many mistakes. So many times, I’ve lost sight of the goodness You want for me. So many times, I have tried and failed to live up to Your ways and laws. But, I want to follow You. I want to live for You. I want to connect with Your love every day and every hour. Peace me, Father. Flow the presence of Your Holy Spirit into me in new ways. Break the old mold of my life and breathe something new in me. Make my love for You fresh and vibrant. Break me.

Meet Jesus: Legal Matthew 5:19

July 4, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

So many times we hear of the Jesus of grace and mercy. Surely, He is that. He is also just and correct. He requires us to live up to a higher standard. That standard is easily achievable in Him, but only in Him. On our own, we will never make it.

Jesus is legal, correct, right, and focused on helping us move every day closer to the same place as Him.

Final Legality: Arguing with the team had become too common for Jack. Over and over, he had covered key points needed to progress. Over and over they had resisted and only complied with the smallest amount. Now it was time to move forward. Now it was time to break the stalemate.

Jack called the group into his office. Looking intently at each one, he challenged them to step up to the new procedures. He declared it a “now” item not a tomorrow item. It was time to do the work correctly.

ACT! Are you out of line somewhere with the simple instructions of life? Ask forgiveness, get a new set of directions, and set out to make it different.

PRAY! Father, I can get so caught up in doing in my way and doing what I think is right. Help me see Your way. Surely in Jesus, I can do what You ask me to do. Don’t let me get caught in the legalisms of others, but only follow as You ask me in Jesus.

If we can pray for you regarding anything in your life, please let us know. Our greatest blessing is to bless others in prayer.

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Dirt Gets In Your Eyes

June 8, 2013 by Phil Larson

John 9:5-7 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Dirt Gets In Your Eyes
Construction stirs up dirt.
Destruction stirs up dirt.
Dirt gets in your eyes.
Wash it out.
Wow! How clearly I see!
I never noticed the dirt before.
Before building, it was there.
Before losing, it was there.
Dirt gets in your eyes.
When dirt flies up, we rinse.
Then we can see.
The dirt was there before.
The dirt of life is always there.
Normal dirt just happens.
When dirt flies up, we rinse.
Then we can see.
Too bad we don’t rinse more often.
Dirt gets in your eyes.
Thanks, God, for days when dirt flys up.
We rinse.
We see more clearly.
The light gets through.

My prayer today is that the dirt of construction or destruction that may have risen in your life would be a blessing once rinsed. May it give greater light to your eyes to see what may have been hidden behind old and normal dirt. May you step into greater strength and greater wisdom, when dirt flies in your eyes.

June 6, 2013 by Phil Larson

www,examiner.com

Matthew 5: 15: Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.16: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Night is a dark time. It takes candles to brighten. It takes light greater than the darkness. In our own homes, we need light in the evenings. Surely in our own house, we should shine brightest. Yes, darkness even will come on our own homes and families. They need light too.

Oklahoma has been pummeled with storms. They take away our brightness. They cause days to be dark. They destroy what is good and healthy. In the darkness, we have more questions. Storms make day seem like night.

Over the years, I’ve had companies close and shift management styles leaving me to scramble for the next assignment. Betrayals of trust rampant in the politics of power bring on dark adjustments. It happens. Life happens. Darkness can mask real value in life. Darkness can shade goodness so it is hard to see clearly.

Beside the walk up to my front door are some battery powered lights. They are charged by the rays of the sun during the day. In the winter, they do not shine for very long in the evening as they get little charge. They are in a fairly darkened walkway, except in the Summer. One evening, I noticed they stayed on quite long into the evening. The sun had hit them more fully than it has for months. Days can change. We can change how long the light stays bright.

Our light to the world is like those solar powered batteries. When we spend a lot of time with the Son, our light stays lit longer in the darkness. We are able to light up the darkness for longer when we spend longer with Him. God gets the credit as the source and energizer. Our seasons of light are determined by our choices.

No matter the source of darkness, our light can shine. Storms, seasons, and the shade of disappointment all create darkness. A little light helps us to see again the blessing and value and vital strength of life. Love of family did not move, it just is shaded for a moment. Strength of heart did not dissipate, it is just over in the corner under a cloud. Friends did not abandon, they just stepped into a darkened room for a day. Turn on the light.

ACT! Take some time to get a full charge. If you have had more Winter sun than Summer Son, you need to actively seek His face. Take an extra 10 minutes a day this week to charge up on Christ.

PRAY! Father, this is Your hour. Let us get fully aware and embraced by Your presence. Cause Your Holy Spirit to breath gently into our lives. Let the light of Your Son, Jesus to come into us and strengthen our souls. Help us to let that light then shine across our families, our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplace, and our community by your influence. Help us to see through the darkness into lighted corners escaping our attention. Show us value and blessing that is hiding in the darkness.

Journey Through Self: Nesting In Who I Am.

May 9, 2013 by Phil Larson

Psalm 84:1-4

How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah

This Dove and Me.

This dove gives me pause for reflection. Well, much of life gives me pause for reflection. A friend asked yesterday, “Phil, what are you doing for a living?” Whew. Surviving was the answer in my heart. My answer surprised me. Quick gut answers in the middle of a challenge reveal a lot. I’ll get to the answer in a minute.

Back to This Dove. This Dove showed up in a flower pot on our front porch. My wife and I took a few days away at the lake cabin. When we came back, This Dove had build a nest, laid an egg (now two), and taken possession of the front porch. Being the kind soul that she is, my wife has blocked the front walk and given the entrance to the house to This Dove. I get the back door and walk around the house. This Dove has disrupted my life. How dare she be who she is.

She is just This Dove being a dove bringing more doves into this world. I like that. She is purposeful without having a little goals card in her wallet. She is purposeful without going to twenty seminars. She is purposeful in just being who she is, This Dove.

Now, my answer to my millionaire business friend was this. “I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do. I’m helping fatherless fathers be good fathers. I’m helping unfathered kids get a better dad. That is my heart and my passion and that is what I am doing. I believe people will see that and support as I need.” Silence.

Maybe he wanted me to come back with some sideline business proposition to reduce his credit card charges or shipping improvement or business development or marketing proposal. Many do. They want me to sell them some service in order to support. When I sell the service, I quit being This Dove. I can do that, but then I’m not This Dove, I’m This Dove with a dark suit. My light grey beautiful feathers become sullied and indistinguishable. That means leaving the flower pot and the two eggs and hoping they will survive on their own.

Some days we need to just be This Dove. Take up residence in a flower pot on a porch. Nestle in the arms of a loving God, who created me to be me. Be who I am and trust that He will let me rest on His most holy altar just like I let This Dove take over my porch and my front door. He will comfort me. He will provide. He will let me be This Dove.

So, This Dove is going to work on bringing healthy, dedicated men into two elementary schools where the kids are 95% unfathered. This Dove is going to work on having a catalyst weekend in a community of 80% fatherless homes in June. This Dove is just going to build the nest in the most unlikely places and trust a good God will let me have some space on His altar at His temple of love and helping others.

Psalm 84:1-4

How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even This Dove, me in who I am, has found a home,
And This Dove, me in who I am, a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young and fulfill her life’s purpose simply—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house of acceptance and allowance and support;
They will still be praising You. Selah