Five For Five

The last couple of days the people in my church have really been on my heart. I know they are hurting because our pastor is sick, but that's not why I've been thinking about them. At least, not entirely. The main reason is that I want so badly for them to see all that God has planned for their lives. I don't want them to miss anything that God has in store for them. He has created us for a purpose, in fact 5 purposes.

It just occurred to me (I tend to be slow) that there are 5 purposes and there are also 5 days of the week. So this week I am going to pray for my church and for God's purposes to be played out in all our lives.

Today I pray that our church will know or be reminded that we were planned for God's pleasure. I pray that we will all remember that worship is more than the first 15 minutes of our Sunday service. God is holy and righteous. He is the creator of all things and He wants us to live our lives as a reflection of his glory. We can do the mundane things of our lives every day as an act of worship by doing them as if we were doing them for God and by talking continuously to Him through the process.

"The Lord is pleased with those who respect him,with those who trust his love." Psalms 147:11(NCV)

I'm Sick

Westboro Baptist Church makes me sick. No, not figuratively speaking. I literally get sick to my stomach when I hear a report on the news about them.

The things they say hurts. It hurts the church. It hurts the Kingdom. I have to believe it hurts God. And surely not least of all, it hurts the families whose funerals they protest.

God doesn't hate homosexuals. He hates homosexuality. He hates it in the same way that He hates lies, hates stealing, hates jealousy, and hates gluttony. He hates all those things, but thankfully for me, He loves the liar, the thief, the discontent, and the gluttonous. And, yes, He loves the homosexual.

One of the hardest things for most Christians is knowing the difference between approval and acceptance. You can accept one of God's very own creations, regardless of where they are spiritually, without approving of the lifestyle they have chosen.

I still don't feel any better.