Keeping it simple

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Jesus kept it simple – real simple.

He steered clear of religious talk and jargon. He spoke simply and plainly. He found the sinners where they lived and then communicated with them in language they could understand.

He told the woman at the well that the gospel was like water. He told the fisherman to go make converts, just like fishing. He spoke to farmers about figs and wheat and tares. He spoke to merchants about lost treasures and pearls of great price. He spoke to the military man about spiritual enemies. He spoke to common working men about storing up treasures in heaven. He spoke to children about a Heavenly Father.

Jesus found a way to reach every population group, every demographic, every profession with simple truth that was tailored to their needs. Even Jesus’ most ardent critics “were amazed at his words.”

So, how about you?

She might have cleaned up after Presidents, but she worked for God

“Each night for 24 years, she would diligently clean the White House. When she came to the president's chair, she would pause, cleaning materials in hand, and say a quick prayer.” So reads the lead in yesterday’s Washington Post.

Emma Gray passed away last week and newspapers are extolling her simple, faithful service that was rooted in her faith.

And what a faith it was. Who knows how she influenced the world with her simple duty of cleaning the Presidents office.

She would pray for “blessings, wisdom and safety for each of the six presidents she served.”

She took great pride in her work. She started in the Government Accountability Office but was eventually transferred to the White House in 1955 because of her impeccable work habits. She worked there until her retirement in 1979.

Her daughter said, “It wasn't just her work, it was her character. She was a lady, a Christian lady."

She left behind 35 grandchildren; and 61 great-grandchildren.

She also left a legacy of prayer and duty. Her work could never be called drudgery. She wasn’t there just to straighten the desk and vacuum under the chairs and polish the woodwork and collect her check and wait for the weekend.

Emma Gray found meaning and purpose in her work – a High Calling. The world is probably a different place, because of the faithfulness of a cleaning lady.

Mrs. Gray might have cleaned up after the President, but she worked for God.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all as unto the Lord.” Col 3.23

Atta boy

“Well done.”
“Great job.”
“Wow. Impressive.”

We like praise. We love praise. We crave praise.

It started as children when even the worse drawing with a blunt crayon was hung on the refrigerator. Proudly beaming for days, we sulked when it finally had to come down. Something inside of us wants our efforts to be applauded.

"Look at me!"

Although we might coyly wave off words of admiration, we sneak a smile in when we are alone. Our inner human is stroked by the scratch of praise. It feels good to know that our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, that our duty actually isn’t performed in a vacuum.

"He finally noticed!"

Admittedly, the words of others affirm us. They measure our worth. They justify our value. They reinforce our sense of importance. Without these words, without any external appreciation of our contributions, some of us may wither or worse, finally rebel against our superiors.

"I keep giving and giving and no one seems to notice."

But ask yourself this: Just how important is that validation? Is appreciation a prerequisite for giving your all? Or are we called to higher standard, performing to full capacity despite who notices.

Here are some tough questions.

Could you work an entire career without ever being recognized?

Can you live in an affirming relationship that is not reciprocal?

Is it possible to always give and never expect thanks?

Your thoughts here.

(please, please tell me how great this post is!!!!....uh, never mind :) )

“…for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” John 12:43

Will we ever trust again?

“…Let your yes be yes and your no be no….” Matt 5:33

Trust is a critical component -- in the workplace, in the home, in churches and in politics.

Nothing will derail good intentions faster than a lack of trust.Many of our societal ills come from a lack of trust. Government manipulation of data to support the Vietnam War, capped by Watergate started the modern-day age of mistrust.

Investigative reporters became a standard at most newsrooms. And before you knew it, every authority figure was looked at askance, as if anything they said was not to be trusted.Suddenly, liars were everywhere – or so it seemed. Prominent church leaders, politicians and journalists have all fallen from their precarious perches. Companies crumbled and took their shareholders and pensioners savings down with them.

Can I ever trust again?

Does a Christian have more credibility than a non Christian?

A Red Letter Believer is a Christian who keeps his word in all affairs. We should never stretch the truth for our own benefit. Our word means nothing when we say one thing and then do another.Trust isn’t complicated. It’s earned through words and backed by actions.

What are your feelings on trust? Are you more trusting now than you were? Or are you cynical and jaded, lacking the ability to trust most people you come into contact with at work? What are the benefits and drawbacks of a lack of trust?

Uphold me in the common strife

Give me the grace to work and plan

And in the marketplace of life

O keep me, Lord, an honest man. —Bayliss

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“Trust me”

Read rest of post here....

A cobblestone road to hope

Get up. Work. Talk. Eat. Sleep. Do it all again.
Is today just another day, a repeat of yesterday?

Like an actor in a long-running production, I play the same part. I repeat the same movements, echoing the same lines, interacting with the same plastic cast of thespians going through the motions.

Is this all?

The characters in my life seem to be same. There’s the King and his court, the jester and peasants all around me. The villain appears and then disappears. The hero is nowhere to be found.

What's the use?

And while I play my part, I'm constantly working in pain. The hurt that I’ve caused. The pain that’s been inflicted on me. The same nagging sensation that I’m not where I’m supposed to be. The scars of regret. The broken relationships.

Will it ever go away?

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Rom. 5:3

When I look back at the years, I’ve actually come a long ways on this long road to hope. It hasn’t been easy. Sufferings. Shame. Agony. Fear. Cobblestones that pave the path toward eternity.

Is it worth it?

I need a reminder that somewhere there is a purpose to this very day. There is perseverance to be gained. There is character to be built. There is hope to find.

It’s a long road, but I’m not turning back.

How about you? Comment?

Happiness is not a right

"Of all the different purposes set before mankind, the most disastrous is surely "the pursuit of happiness," slipped into the American Declaration of Independence along with "life and liberty" as an unalienable right, almost accidentally, at the last moment. Happiness is like a young deer, fleet and beautiful. Hunt him, and he becomes a poor frantic quarry; after the kill, a piece of stinking flesh."

Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990)

Are you happy?

Where does true happiness come from?

Not in unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."

Not in pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure, if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and the grief are mine alone."

Not in money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."

Not in position and fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood, a struggle; old age, a regret."

Not in military glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept, because, he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."

Jesus claimed to give true happiness when he said, "I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man can take from you."

Where do you find the most happiness? Comment here.

Peter Piper picks

Red Letter Believers made Peter Piper's Picks.

So, we are returning the love! Read the 10'Clock Scholar blog here.

Losing your job, but finding your faith

Millions have lost their jobs. And despite government promises, millions of others will probably lose their jobs this year.

Are we ready for this reality?

What can we, as Red Letter Believers and followers of God offer? Do you have friends who are unemployed? Have you lost your job? What are the best things that we can do?

Our government will not save us. We cannot trust a political party or a leader or the stock market to give us ultimate satisfaction.

What we need is a spiritual stimulus plan, and it just might just start with losing a job, or a home or a retirement fund.

What do you think? Is it possible to find an upside to all of this?

Comment here.

“Do not set your hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” 1 Tim 6:17

Degrees of Acronymns

Fats Domino (via last.fm)

"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B."

- Fats Domino

Say What?

Outside my office building there is a courtyard where the smokers convene in one corner. Theirs is a sub-culture that non-smokers observe with curiosity (and sometimes with disdain) as the regulars gather every couple of hours at a preset time.

Lately, I’ve been visiting this smoky gathering. Not to light up, but to talk and share and be part of their world.

Rather than push me away, they have encouraged me to join them. They politely blow their smoke to the side, cautious that it doesn’t invade my airspace. Common workplace issues are often solved - deals are cut between drags,workload is distributed and problems are fixed. The discussion centers on wives, husbands and children. They share the joys. They share the struggles. I was surprised by how easy it was to assimilate into the group.

It’s a church of sorts, only with ashbins.

During a few of my visits with the smoking crowd, I have noticed a similar gathering of three deaf girls who regularly get together and sit on the bench near the street. Unlike the smokers who are herded into their own designated place, the deaf girls purposefully congregate so they can be with each other.

Their world is so different than ours. They flash their signs, rapidly forming letters and phrases and symbols that have no meaning to most of us. They laugh and they frown and they even chortle at times. But unless you speak their language, you probably won’t have a clue as to what they are conversing about.

It seems that Christians have more in common with the deaf girls than we do with the smokers.

We gather together in our places of worship. We have special Christian schools and clubs and colleges. We play together, we laugh together, and we worship together. Even at work, we seek out other saints who will commiserate with us, thinking that only other Christians will truly understand our brand of frustration with the world.

Our Christian camaraderie is just like that of those three deaf girls – others look at us and they don’t understand what we are talking about.Is it possible that Christians have it all wrong? We’re trying to convince the lost that we have an answer that will provide salvation but the problem is that nobody can understand our “Christianeze” – our indiscernible version of the English language not too different from the technical jargon you might hear in a hospital operating room or spaceflight command center.

If we are to reach the lost souls who surround us successfully then we will need to find a better way, a deeper approach - one that is based on building meaningful relationships with other people. One of the critical elements required is to effectively communicate with them. We need to meet them where they are, in the heart of their dark world, using language that is relevant and accessible.

We need to move into the inner circle, close enough to smell their smoke and feel their beating hearts.

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Say what comments