A Working Retreat

Today is Thursday and my first blog of the week. I suppose an excuse is in order.

I had a great opportunity to drive six hours to the Great Smokey Mountains and stay in the cabin pictured to the left.  I spent Monday evening, all day Tuesday, and Monday morning with 10 other ministers from Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky.  Not only were we from differing states, we were also from different areas of ministry.  So were full-time preaching ministers, some were youth ministers, a couple were bi-vocational ministers, and more than one entered ministry somewhat unplanned.  We had one key thing in common: A love for the Lord and His Church.  That is what brought us together, along with an email inviting us.

There was a special project that the host asked us to work on and I hope our input and efforts will continue to be of value to him.  But there was a side benefit or two.  We all went not knowing who would be there.  I was not sure I would know anyone except the host.  We went not knowing all the details but we went on faith.  While there old friendships grew and new ones formed.  our common bond in Christ provided great fellowship.  I could not help but think ho great heaven will be when we meet up with all the saints from years gone by and years to come.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Scott

Morning Vocabulary Lesson

I read a new word last night.  Well the word is not new, and not necessarily new to me, but one that I do not read or hear often.  This wonderful word applies to some great concepts.  The way the book I was reading used this word, it applied more to me the first ten years of our marriage than it did to my wife, and now for the last 10+ years this word applies more to her. This usage of this word may not apply to many in our nation today, unless of course you live in a rural area.  Then again this word, as used last night, may not always apply there either.  Jesus' life on earth fit this word, and this word applies to Him now as He is at the right hand of the Father.

What is the word?  Propinquity!  I like that word.  I am going to make it one of my favorites.  I plan to find excuses to us this word.  The way my reading last night used "propinquity" gave it the meaning of "being near to the place of your birth."  Look at Jesus' life on earth you realize as you study maps that He never really lived too far from his home.  If you look at Jesus as God's Son, He is near God now.

As I think a little deeper, Jesus was never far from His Father, even while on earth.  Propinquity also means: "nearness of kin" or "nearness of place and time - proximity."  Hmm.

James 4:8 encourages our propinquity to our heavenly Father, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (ESV).  The more I think, the more I realize that propinquity is exactly what God wants with us.  Everything He did throughout history has the goal of bringing His wayward creation back to close propinquity to Him.

Have a great day with the Lord!
Scott

Top 10 Things You Won't Do in Heaven

Today's Top Ten List comes from notes taken during the last lesson in our Revival. Levi Sides asked the question, "Do You Really Want to Go to Heaven?" During the lesson he mentioned about 7 or 8 things we did or will do this week that we will not do in heaven. Thinking about that this morning as I drove to my study, I added a few to make it a Top Ten List.

Top Ten Things You Did This Week That You Will Not Do in Heaven . . .

10. You drove by a cemetery (Rev 21:4). There is no death in heaven.
9. You turned on a light switch (Rev 21:23). God is the light in heaven.
8. You faced temptation (Rev 20:10). Satan is banned from influencing heaven.
7. You visited or called a sick person (Rev 21:4). No sickness there.
6. You locked your door (Rev 21:27). No crime or evil in heaven
5. You aged a little - grew older, found a gray hair (Rev 21:4). All former things like aging will cease.
4. You shed a tear (Rev 21:4). No tears in heaven.
3. You took pain medicine (had a headache, back ache, etc.) (Rev 21:4). No pain in heaven.
2. You worked to earn a living or to serve your neighbor (Rev 14:13). You will rest from your labor.

And one more thing you did this week that you will not do in heaven . . .
1. You said a prayer (Rev 22:4). You will speak with God and Christ face to face.

Have great day!

Up!

The original version of this came to my computer via email. I do not know who sat down to think through this, but I appreciate this observation about our American English language. If you appreciate the nuances of language you will enjoy this post on: How do non-natives ever learn all the nuances of American English?

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is "UP." It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?

We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers, and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning, but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it doesn't rain for a while, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so ... Time to hush UP, pull my chair UP to my desk, open UP my Bible and study.

But first, you might want to recall when the disciples witnessed Jesus' ascension into heaven - "And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (Act 1:9-11 - ESV).

Keep looking UP to God; Send your prayers UP before Him; Keep UP your faithful service; and when He returns you will join UP with Him to be with Him always (1 Thess 4:13-18.)