The Smallest Blessing

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

“Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will deserve to receive greater. Value the least gifts no less than the greatest and simple graces as especial favors. If you remember the dignity of the Giver, no gift will seem small or mean, for nothing can be valueless that is given by the most high God” (Thomas a Kempis).

First off, you should find a copy of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis and read it as soon as humanly possible. This book is a timeless classic that has stood the proverbial test of time and remains relevant.

But also, if you want to step into all the fullness of God’s provision and blessing, you need to appreciate what you have. You need to learn how to give thanks for the smallest blessings that are easy to miss and take for granted. And by you, I mean me. I need to do these things.

Also, if you feel stuck in a phase of your life, you might want to see if there are any areas in your life where you are being disobedient to a command of God. There’s probably something that God wants you do to but that you have not done because you simply don’t want to do it. And again, by you I mean me.

The most clear part of God’s will is in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 where it says to rejoice always, give thanks in everything, and pray without ceasing (not necessarily in that order). The verse explicitly says that this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

In other words, learn to cultivate an attitude of joy, prayer, and thanksgiving. Learn to love what God loves and love who God loves. Always put others ahead of you and God above all. And remember that Christianity is not like all those other religions where the key word is DO, as in what must I DO to appease the deity, how can I make sure I’m good with my higher power, but Christianity’s key word is DONE, as in Jesus already fulfilled everything you need for heaven and all you need to DO is receive that gift of salvation by faith.

A Prayer of Surrender

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I think if you’ve got nothing else to pray, you can always go with something along the lines of “God, you know what’s going on and I don’t. Have Your way.”

Put another way, you can always pray, “Thy will be done.”

Here is a prayer that Elisabeth Elliott offered to God throughout her lifetime that also works:

Do the Next Thing

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 5 Comments

In case you couldn’t read the picture, here’s the poem in a little bigger font:

From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.

Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.

That’s the key. As Oswald Chambers said, trust God and do the next thing. It’s not about figuring out God’s complete will for your life or knowing how the next six months or six years are going to play out.

Just be faithful with the next thing you know God wants you to do, be obedient to what you know Jesus has asked of you (pray always, be anxious for nothing, give thanks, stay grounded in God’s word), and keep your eyes on the next step on the walk of faith.

I don’t know who wrote the poem. I know Elisabeth Elliott quoted it. I know the words speak truth that I need to remember and heed.

Trust God and do the next thing.

My Trusty Old Mac

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

According to the tab that reads About This Mac, my little MacBook Pro was built in early 2015. According to my math skills, that makes it nine years old. I believe in the world of electronics and technology, that’s considered at least vintage if not antique. It’s old.

I bought it refurbished in 2016 and have written thousands of blog posts on it since then. I don’t have to worry about all those annoying pop ups that used to plague my old laptop. I don’t have to worry about waiting for it to boot up when I first turn it on.

I don’t say all this to humble brag but as a way of being thankful. I’m grateful for this trusty old mac that still works. I’m thankful for my 51 (almost 52) year old self that still works. I’ve learned over the years never to take anything for granted — even the smallest stuff — because sometimes when you take things (and people) in your life for granted, what you’re granted gets taken.

By the way, I still have that old laptop. It still works, but it’s a bit slower and has all those annoying pop ups.

The Lord Will Provide

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I think this post falls under the category of I Needed This, So Maybe You Will, Too. As much as I’ve seen the goodness of God, especially with His provision for me throughout my life, I can get spiritual amnesia and forget not only the goodness of God but also my status as His child. I forget the past and I forget to give thanks for all my present blessings. This will hopefully remind me (and some of you) that God will provide:

“Hey Soul? Your legs may be weary, your heart may be heavy, but whatever you are facing, it is always named Mt. Moriah -The Lord Will Provide. 

‘The Lord will provide.’ Genesis 22:14

Every mountain that you face, the Lord will level with sufficient grace… 

#PreachingGospeltoMyself” (Ann Voskamp).

Lesson from The Chosen

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I went to the theater to watch the first three episodes of the new season of The Chosen. The fact that I am voluntarily paying money to watch television in a movie theater is a bit mind-boggling when I really think about it, but I don’t regret it for one moment.

One moment that caught my attention was a conversation between Roman Gaius and the disciple Matthew. Bear in mind that Matthew used to work for Gaius as a tax collector [mild spoiler alert following].

Gaius remarks about how much more peaceful and relaxed Matthew is than in the olden days. Matthew’s reply is what made me sit up in my seat and pay attention. He said, “I have only one thing to do today. Follow Him. The rest takes care of itself.”

That sounds remarkably like a passage from Matthew’s gospel: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).

It also served as a reminder to me that I don’t have to worry about so many things. It’s not my job to work out every detail of my future and worry myself sick over things like the next job or a new car or what may or may not happen to me or to those I love.

My job is to follow Jesus. My job is to seek after the things of God. If I do the first part, then naturally I will be doing the second. It’s impossible to be around Jesus and not love the things He loves and look more like Him a little more every day.

So maybe the lesson for today is to fret less and follow more.

My Last Day

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

Today was all over the map for me.

I started off coming into work for my last day at All-American Pest Control, a job I’d held since 2015. They are in the process of automating a lot of processes and my job position got eliminated. I definitely hold no ill will toward my company. They were great.

But I knew at some point I was going to break down and cry my eyes out. I just didn’t know when.

I held it together for most of the day. It was only when I was heading out the door to my car with the last of my stuff I was taking home that I lost it. I hadn’t expected to be emotional when I lost my job, and I definitely didn’t expect to be as overwhelmed with grief as I was in that moment.

Lately, I seem to be living in a haze. I have trouble focusing on conversations, and often I feel like there’s a disconnect between me and everyone else in the world. I’m also feeling a mix of sadness (for what’s ending), anxiety (for the unknown), and excitement (for the future).

I still remember a verse that stood out to me that was quoted in an Elisabeth Elliott biography I was listening to on Audible. King Jehoshaphat was facing a vast army and his prayer to God included the line “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12b).

That’s where I am currently. I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on God. My hope is in His promises and in His provision. I can only do my part — get my resume updated and get as many network connections as I can — then God will take over and do what I can’t.

It’s funny that earlier I was praying that if it was God’s will to move me to my next career, that He would show me. And He did. Maybe a bit earlier than I was expecting, but I can say with assurance that it was of God and not me.

And now comes that waiting on the Lord part. . .

Lord, I Don’t Know

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I’ve been there lots of times. So many times, words fail me when I try to pray. I want to pray God’s will, but I also want healing for the people I love. I want good outcomes for my family and friends. Sometimes, I don’t know how to put my feelings into words.

But God knows.

I sometimes forget that prayer isn’t me telling God something new. Prayer is a way of reminding me who God is and helping me see my circumstances in light of God’s providence. Prayer is reminding my problems of who God is, not the other way around.

So if the best I can do is “Lord, I don’t know, but You know,” then God honors that prayer. You can also go with the old standbys of “Have Thine own way, Lord,” and “Thy will be done.”

God knows.

Real Church

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

“What if we take away the cool music and the cushioned chairs? What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated? What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed? Would His Word still be enough for his people to come together?” (David Platt)

“Heresy of method may be as deadly as heresy of message” (A.W. Tozer).

I am the first to confess that I love technology. I especially love it when the church is able to incorporate talent and technology to advance the gospel in ways that were unthinkable even a generation ago. I love how we can reach all over the world with literally a tap of the finger and the power of social media and the world wide web.

But I wonder if sometimes we plan for talent and technology but leave no room for God’s Holy Spirit. I wonder that if the Holy Spirit were to depart from a church if it would cause the slightest ripple in the service that is pre-planned down to the second.

Again, I am all for worship not being all hap-hazard but well thought out. I just know that in many places around the world, people are worshipping without the comforts of padded pews or air conditioning or even buildings. Many of them meet in secret for fear of being arrested. Many know that to openly proclaim Jesus as Lord will cost them their lives. Yet they’re the ones worshipping in spirit and in truth while many of us here in America are worshipping in comfort and ease.

I’m afraid it will take the persecution of the Church in America to get us from lukewarm to faithful. I don’t mean the persecution of us getting our feelings hurt because people say things about us that are not nice. I mean persecution in the sense of some of us being dragged off to prison and maybe at some point people losing their lives for not denying the name of Jesus.

Lord, wake us up and make us faithful.