"Tuesdays with Morrie"- Book Summary

 Tuesdays with Morrie: an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson - book summary

"Tuesdays with Morrie" is a memoir by Mitch Albom that recounts his time spent with his former college sociology professor Morrie Schwartz. The book details Albom's weekly visits with Morrie, who was dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), as they talked about life's greatest lessons.

Throughout the book, Albom shares the wisdom and insights he gained from his time with Morrie, including lessons about love, death, aging, and the importance of giving and receiving. Albom learns from Morrie the value of slowing down and cherishing each moment, and the importance of leading a life of meaning and purpose.

Morrie's unique outlook on life, combined with his wit, humor, and deep sense of compassion, make him a captivating mentor and a powerful influence on Albom. The book provides a window into the lives of two people from different generations, who come together to share their perspectives, experiences, and stories.

"Tuesdays with Morrie" is a touching and inspiring tale of friendship and a celebration of life. Albom's narrative is heartfelt and relatable, making the book a popular choice for readers of all ages and backgrounds. The lessons Albom learns from Morrie are universal and timeless, reminding us all to cherish the moments we have and to live each day to its fullest

Spiritual Disciplines Overview

 

BOOK Summary- Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life- Donald Whitnely

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald Whitney is a book that explores various spiritual practices that can help deepen a person's relationship with God and promote growth in their spiritual life. The book covers a wide range of disciplines including prayer, Bible reading, fasting, solitude, journaling, serving, and worship, among others.

Throughout the book, Whitney provides practical advice and guidance on how to cultivate each of these disciplines and incorporate them into daily life. He also emphasizes the importance of balance and the need to approach spiritual disciplines with grace, recognizing that growth in these areas takes time and effort.

In addition to the practical guidance, Whitney also provides biblical and historical context for each of the disciplines, helping readers understand why they are valuable and how they have been used by believers throughout history.

Overall, "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" is a comprehensive and insightful guide to spiritual growth, providing practical and biblical wisdom for those seeking to deepen their relationship with God and grow in their faith

Remain Anchored in Jesus Christ

In his song, “On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand,” Edward Mote encourages singers to stay anchored in the Lord, even when the storms of life seem to keep on raging. He declares, “all other ground is sinking sand. In [my (your) life] is your soul anchored in Christ?

The Bible has much to say about the subject of trouble in this world and what to do when trouble siege our lives like “waves and currents that seem so fierce.” Psalm 55:8. 

Jesus said in the book of John: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. 

Job said: “Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” Job Chapter 14.

Even with our Christian walk, faithfulness or and commitment; trouble is inevitable. It is not a matter of if, but when. I am convinced that no christian is  exempt from the storms of life. 

We live in a world that suffers because of sin-  ORIGINAL SIN. However, God is still in control, and His purpose is stated in Romans: "

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. 

The remedy for the cause of sin is that we all be born of the Spirit. As Romans 7:18 reads; "Good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature"  What Paul is saying in this verse is about the flesh, the sinful nature not his new nature but Christ. All the good in Paul's life comes from Christ living in him, rather than from  original Paul. For Paul Christ is the Anchor.

No spiritually good thing dwells in us, or can proceed from us. We all must humble ourselves to the mercies of God and recognize a need to be anchored in the Jesus Christ. 

Remember when Jesus said that He has overcome the world. This is the hope that we have in the midst of our trials and difficulties. We live in a dangerous and unpredictable world, yet we can still have joy because our souls are anchored in the Lord. Trouble will not always last.

1 John 5:4-5, it says: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 

It is true that Jesus is our hope and anchor who will keep us in the midst of storms. He is the one who is able to keep us steadfast and unmovable in spite of the tides of life. Hebrews 6:19 declares: “Hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” 

A time will come when you and I will die and all our storms will cease. In the words of the  Artist Rev. Timothy Wright,  in his song “trouble don’t last always.” 

When trouble comes upon us – and it will – we must be steadfast in the faith and trust God. I pray that if you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that you be encouraged and do it right now. There is not a better time than right now. Knowing Jesus as Lord is the true remedy for peace in the midst of your storm. Call on the one who can save you, heal you and rescue you. 

May God continue to bless you as you continue to live a life Anchored in Him

About Resolutions

When I make new  year resolution(s), I only focus on setting targets that I can directly influence. Targets only I can push to accomplish. I never say things like: “I want to have 10K subscribers on my social media this year.

I can’t directly control those things. 

I make resolutions that are attainable and doable.

What can I control? The equivalent would be: “I’m going to plant fruit trees. And I will spend  sometime in the season on promoting planting of trees.”  if you trees are for sale, you can’t control how many people buy your trees.

Another example is, "I'm going to reach to 100 people for the Kingdom of God."

You can control your own effort and skills. How many people will you reach? How are you going to reach them? How well do you know the principles of persuasion? Etc.

A year is enough time to make a lot of things happen. But at the same time, we also tend to overestimate what we can achieve in a year.

When making plans, I like to find a balance between thinking big and thinking practical. Sometime thinking big leads to failure.  This is one of the reason why people don't keep resolutions by the second month into the year. Always make resolutions that are practical. 

Most of us also underestimate what we can achieve in the long term. If you work hard every day for years, you can make a big impact.

No one can make a big impact by doing something for a week or a month. 

If you’re chasing your dreams, never quit too early. Keep at it. Press on each day, week, month all year long. But at the same time, also know when it’s time to quit or slow down. That requires self-awareness.

Talking of "self-awareness," when you make your resolutions, self-awareness is a trite you should have till the end otherwise you therwise you will not reach the end of your plans. Self-awareness is a skill that takes years to develop unfortunately most of us lack skill.

Let’s start thinking about the new year 2022, but don’t forget to be in the moment during the final days of this year. Have a good time and enjoy the company of others.

Make tangible, realistic,  attainable resolutions. Resolutions only you can influence,  control, push and accomplish. 

Book Review- God and Texas

Author: David Rose- David was born in San Antonio Texas, a fifth generation Texan. David is married to Sue since 1971 and together they have two daughter and five grandchildren. David has served in pastoral ministry both in Texas and Wisconsin. Though retired from full time pulpit minister, David teaches weekly Bible studies and ministers in hospices, senior living facilities and hospitals.

The reviewer of this book was in the pew in the church David was pastor for little over 10 years.

The Book: God and Texas- How the early pioneers of Texas were influenced by God- By David Rose

Synopses: In this book the author's mean focus is to create awareness to this readers the many ways God impacted the settlers/founders of the Lone Star State- Texas. He provides accurate stories from early Texas history to illustrates the many ways God was present in pioneers of Texas.

Whereas we might assume that the early Church in Texas had not issues in her formative stages, the author points out that she (the church) had "a rather rocky time."  He points out the "most famous priest were know for not spreading the word of God but for "fomenting armed rebellion."

The author tries to make his readers understand that way before the settlers occupy Texas, there were native Texans thousands of years before Spanish explorers, THE NATIVE AMERICANS- see pg 5. The author asserts that most native tribes had "their own unique religious structure." The author however observes that Spanish missionaries came to  Texas with a mandate to lead the native to Christ. The author observes that the natives Texans rejected Spanish Christianity "preferring their lifelong customs and culture."

It is clear from the first pages of this book, the author has dedicated this small book to recounting stories about early Texas history and how God was involved. To drive this point home, the author has dedicated an entire chapter, " The impact of pioneer preacher," pages 62-65. In this chapter the author points out that "following the Civil War, Pentecostal preachers began to filter into Texas with preaching where over 25,000 people embraced the Pentecostal faith teaching, which gave Texas her name "The Brass Buckle of the Bible Belt." pg 65

The author observes that during her formative stages, Texas church had unusual traditions. He observes that "people from all over the area came together to worship, pray and to circulate social and political chatter." pg 71. This was the beginning of the move of God in Texas culminating to the command of Jesus Christ as found in Mark 7:3-9. Emphasis mine.

To illustrate how God influenced the pioneers, the author dedicates a whole chapter on "The Songs of the Pioneers Texas." pgs 142-147. These songs were of course in praise of  God and an expression of what they are thinking as well as how "they survived the tough times." The author emphases that songs of praise to God had powerful influence in the lives of Texans. The author asserts that, "their music reflected their love, trust and total dependence upon God for their survival" which strengthens the title of this book.

The Book: This book is an eye opener to those with interest in studying Texas State and Church history of formation. The book has rich historical facts about pioneers experience as they battle the enemies of mother nature and the indigenous tribes. 

The FRUIT of Lent season- Jeremiah 24:4-7

God’s Love  

Have you ever asked yourself whether God really loves you? Have you considered how you can know with certainty that God loves you? If God does love you, why? In Romans 5:6-11  says “God demonstrated his love toward us by offering his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, and by raising him from the dead, so sinners would be justified by faith, reconciled to God, and delivered from God’s wrath. Jesus’ death for sinners and his resurrection from the dead that guarantees future salvation from God’s wrath for those sinners for whom he died.”

Christ died at the right time for the ungodly. He identifies the “weak” and the “ungodly” from 5:6 as “sinners” in verse 8 in order to specify that Jesus died for unrighteous people to accomplish their salvation. Jesus’ death for the ungodly happened while they were “still” sinners in a state of ungodliness, not when they were righteous.

He did this because of His love to us, to a point of dying on the Cross on

behalf of us sinners

God of SACRIFICE

Christ is our Savior and the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Even though He was divine, Jesus became a human being to suffer and die for the sins of mankind. Philippians 2:5-7. Christ as our Savior gave His life that we might live. He died a horrible death, as our Passover lamb.

Through His sacrifice, Jesus took the ultimate penalty of sin—death—upon Himself, freeing us, if we accept His sacrifice in continuing repentance, from death being our final fate-Hebrews 2:9

By accepting Jesus Christ's sacrifice in repentance and faith, we can be assured that our sins are blotted out. We can go forward in our Christian lives with confidence, knowing that through that sacrifice we can be reconciled to the Father. As a result, we can also look forward to eternal life in the Kingdom of God as a gift of God's grace because of this tremendous sacrifice that Jesus and the Father willingly gave for every one of us.

GOD of reconciliation

On the cross, God poured out the full fury of His wrath against all the sins of all the people who would ever believe Isaiah 44:22.  Because of the propitiation of Christ, God’s wrath is satisfied, and we who were once enemies of God have now received the gift of reconciliation. Because of reconciliation, Christ has taken our place, and we have taken his. Therefore, God counts us righteous as his own Son. What a glorious blessing! Christ takes our place on the cross and gives us the righteousness of God.

God’s initiative of reconciliation through Christ transforms believers into God’s new creation.  With all of creation, we await our final and perfect transformation in the end of time.  At that time, when Jesus returns, God’s mission will be complete.  People of every nation, tribe, and language, gathered as one, will worship the Lamb, the tree of life and its leaves shall be for the healing of the nations, and the new heavens and earth shall make the reign of God a reality with all things reconciled to God (Romans 8:18-39, Revelation 7:9-17

God of compassion

God knows us, and He has compassion on our weakness. He is not a hard, unjust God. He is righteous, and He is moved with compassion for us. He is our biggest supporter; no one wants it to succeed for us more than He does. Believe in that. Believe in the wonderfully uplifting words He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you,

And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13.

Return to God

Returning to God begins with repentance—a willingness to be very honest about the ways in which we have moved away from God and to tell as much truth about it as we are able. Lent time initiates a season of deeper self-knowledge about all the ways in which we hold ourselves back from life in God.

During Lent, we should be hopeful about the fact that there is a path for returning to God no matter how distracted I have been. What if Lent became for us a season that was not so much about “giving something up” but was more about finding our way back to the one we love and long for the most? What would it take for Lent to become for us as leaders a season of returning to that which is of greatest value and claiming the nearness of God as our deepest good?

Lent should be a season to look for the path of returning and walk it in ways that our souls desperately need- Jeremiah 24:4-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing in Love and in Abundance- Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:42-47 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

What a wonderful time it must have been in those early months after our Lord had risen. At last, the disciples understood what Jesus had been trying to tell them! And although He was no longer physically present, He had sent the Helper - the Holy Spirit - to guide them and comfort them and pray for them. As the work of the Spirit flowed through the people, they were all filled with the love of Christ. and they began to treat each other accordingly. They ate together, studied together, spent time in prayer together... and not just on Sundays, but every day of the week. They were becoming one body, working together for the cause of Christ. They were participating in true fellowship.

Fellowship - true fellowship - with other believers can be difficult. Many times, we've been hurt by other people in some way that affects every other relationship. Trying to avoid further hurt can cause us to build invisible walls for protection. Although we crave companionship, we are fearful of the intimacy that comes with close fellowship - even though we may not admit it to ourselves. So we participate in fellowship only as far as it feels safe ... and then we stop. And we miss the blessings that Jesus intended for us through fellowship with other believers.

But there's another thing to think about where these first believers were concerned. In today's world's view, when the believers began to sell their belongings and share with one another, they were becoming a bunch of wackos. Visions of hippie communes come to mind today. But that was not what was happening. Instead, those believers were experiencing and sharing the love of Jesus for one another. What they had, they shared, so that all needs would be met. They acknowledged that each and every thing they owned was not theirs, but belonged to God. He had only placed it in their care. So instead of socialism, controlled by the government, they practiced stewardship, controlled by their devotion to and love for Jesus. They didn't sell everything they had and pool it all together. Instead, as it says in Acts 4:34, "There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."

These people met together daily in the Temple courts (most new believers at that time were Jews). Their hearts were humble, and they spent much time praising God. The Bible says that "the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47) And no wonder! Any lost person who saw that kind of fellowship and love would "want some of that!"

Pray that the Lord will help you participate in true Christian fellowship... to open up. to join in. to experience the blessings you've been missing. Pray for the removal of any fear of hurt you might have so that you can reap the rewards our Lord has for you in fellowship with His other adopted children. And pray that all believers will learn to live in the kind of fellowship and love that Jesus intends - the kind that He can use as a tool for winning a lost world to Him.