A Matzo by Any Name

“Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste — so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.” — Deuteronomy 16:3

Matzo makes for a not-so-great cracker. Yet for seven days out of every year Jews all around the world will trade in their regular bread for the “unleavened bread” we call matzo. When you taste it, it’s no wonder the Bible refers to it as the “bread of affliction.” Tasteless and flimsy, matzo is a poor man’s bread containing nothing but the basic elements of sustenance, flour and water.

Curiously, matzo is also known as the “bread of freedom.” Matzo is born out of the exodus narrative when the children of Israel are told to leave Egypt in such a hurry that their bread doesn’t have time to rise. The matzo they ended up with is the matzo that we eat today in remembrance of their freedom from slavery.

How is it that the same item can represent both affliction and redemption? One symbolizes our pain, the other our greatest pleasure. The discrepancy is reconciled by a third term for matzo. Jewish mysticism refers to matzo as the “bread of faith.”

Pain and pleasure are not opposites. Rather, they are two sides of the same coin. The source of our greatest pain is often the same source of our greatest pleasure. Take parenting for example. Most parents will affirm that their children have given them the most grief and also the most joy in their lives. The key to joining the two is faith.

So when my child is painfully stubborn, I have faith that he will turn out to be a very successful and persistent adult. Along those same lines, when we find ourselves in painful situations, we need to have faith that they are part and parcel of great things yet to come. Matzo reminds us that no matter where you find yourself on your journey – whether it’s all uphill or you’re enjoying a smooth ride down the other side – it’s all part of the story of redemption.

Think about a challenge that you are facing right now and ask yourself how it can also be an opportunity. What can you learn from it? How can you become better from it? Every wall that keeps you out can be transformed into a doorway that lets you in. We just need the faith to believe it.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/a-matzo-by-any-name

Starbucks proud stance conflicts with God’s standard

There are a lot of Starbucks fans out there.  Here is a challenge for each of us.

Whatever your situation, when Christ and His standards of holiness are deemed irrelevant  by a company such as Starbucks in this case, it is time to show your character.  Stand therefore!

Take action link:

Let’s get at it.  The following youtube video does just that.

Video at the Starbuck’s shareholders meeting.

 

 

In the video above, two different stockholders ask questions regarding Starbucks strong  pro-homosexual policies — including support for homosexual marriage.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz responded by saying while he did not want to be disrespectful to the stockholder (Mr. Strohbar), he believes the decision “is right for our company.”

Tell others!!  Starbucks has held and propagated this position for a long time.  It’s time for us to get off the fence.

Take action link:

 

Starbucks address information.

Starbucks Corporation

Howard Schultz – Chairman, President and CEO 2401 Utah Ave. South Seattle, WA 98134 Phone: 206-447-1575 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            206-447-1575     end_of_the_skype_highlighting Fax: 206-447-0828 Toll Free: 800-782-7282 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            800-782-7282     end_of_the_skype_highlighting

http://www.starbucks.com/customer-service/contact/online-customer-feedback

Our sample letter:

Starbucks long term direction to blatantly go against time-honored standards of truth, morality and decency is extremely difficult to comprehend.  In your effort to please a core, you are backhanding millions of people with traditional family values.

You have lost my regard.  By not consuming your products, I stand for time-honored standards of truth and against the societal corruption which you espouse.

Other telling links:

 

 

Starbucks promotes homosexuality with coffee cup:

Starbucks: Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage ‘Is Core to Who We Are and What We Value’

Beverages or Social Agenda – Directors and CEO cave to the Immoral Minority

Bill Johnson

American Decency Association

http://americandecency.org/

To support our efforts please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412.

American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

http://www.americandecency.org/archives/starbucks-proud-stance-conflicts-with-gods-standard/#more-6545

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

What is “the secret place of the most High?” It is the same spot, of which Asaph speaks in the seventy-third Psalm–”Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.” It is the spot, of which the Lord speaks in Ezekiel–”I will be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.” Then this “secret place” is the secret bosom of God. It is an entrance by faith into Jehovah, by a spiritual manifestation of him, leading us into a spiritual acquaintance with him. “The secret place of the most High” is that solemn spot, where Jehovah meets with the sinner in Christ, and where he opens up to him the riches of his mercy, and leads him into his bosom, so as to read the secrets of his loving heart. It is called a “secret” place, as only known to the persons to whom it is especially communicated. It is called a “secret” place, because none can get into it,–no, nor desire to get into it,–except the Lord himself, with his own mysterious hand, opens up to them a part in it, sets them down in it, and sweetly blesses them in it. Then to be in “the secret place of the most High” is to be brought into something like fellowship and acquaintance with God,–something like communion, spiritual worship, divine intercourse; so as to know something of him experimentally, and “run into” him, as “a strong tower,” and there feel solemn safety.

http://devotionals.ochristian.com/j-c-philpot-daily-portions.shtml

Christ Our Intercessor

Christ Our Intercessor.

Good Leaders Invest in Young Professionals by Marcus Goodyear

Philemon 17-21

“If you consider me a friend because of Christ, then welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. If he has cheated you or owes you anything, charge it to my account.”

Philemon 17-18

One of the biggest concerns we hear from young professionals at The High Calling relates to mentorship. Young men and women write to us hoping that we can connect them with other Christians in their field. “Where can I learn from someone who has been down this road before? Will somebody come alongside me in my early career to speak into my situation with the wisdom of their full history?”

Although The High Calling has not served readers in this way, we are constantly looking for a sustainable model of mentorship for young professionals. Our research shows that young female professionals especially need good mentors because many of them are rising into positions of leadership that have not been traditionally held by women. A young man might approach his father or grandfather for career advice. But many of our mothers and grandmothers were not allowed the career options that young professional women are navigating today.

So far, I’m talking about the coaching side of mentorship. Some people even serve as professional coaches, engaging in mentorship as a paid consultant. Such relationships can be helpful as people develop themselves personally and professionally to maximize their own efficiency, focus, and productivity.

But some mentor relationships go deeper than this. In a recent video on The High Calling, Jenny White talks about the power of a volunteer mentor, someone who is saying, “I’m doing this for the Lord, because I see the potential in you.” This is the kind of mentor Paul was for Onesimus.

Paul must have seen great potential in Onesimus to vouch for him in this way. He offers more than just a character reference. He offers to pay the man’s debts. For any leader who is thinking about mentoring a young person, this can be a scary proposition. But it is really quite common.

I cannot remember how many times someone in authority over me has demonstrated confidence in me by picking up the check, taking me out for coffee or breakfast. No one actually offered to pay off my credit card, but the most powerful mentors in my life invested significant time and money to encourage me. They took a chance on me, and I work hard to live up to their confidence.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Who was been an important mentor in your life? Have you told that person what his or her mentorship has meant to you? Is there anyone in your life or work or community who needs mentorship? What are some simple things you can do this month to invest in that person?

PRAYER: Dear God, I am so grateful this morning for the mentors you have placed in my life—Mr. Sullivan, my high school English teacher; Rod Chisholm, my youth pastor; Dorothy Hall and Gretchen Bernabei who encouraged me as a young teacher; and Dan Roloff who continues to encourage and inspire me in my work at The High Calling. Thank you for working through these people.

Help me to be a good mentor to others as well. Help me to be sensitive to people who need encouragement. And most of all, help me do more than dispense career advice, choosing instead to invest in others as my own mentors have invested in me.

Thank you, Lord, for the life of Jesus and his model of leadership and mentorship. Thank you for the grace you have extended to me, and help me to reveal your grace to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/good-leaders-invest-young-professionals

Awake With His Word

My eyes fluttered open, but the room was still dark. It was too early to get up. I sighed, adjusted my pillow, and hoped for sleep. Unfortunately, a lengthy to-do list bombarded my brain. I needed to buy groceries, deliver a meal to a friend, answer e-mail, schedule a doctor’s appointment . . . .

If you’ve ever been overwhelmed and worried, you know how it feels to stare at the ceiling when you should be sleeping. The writer of Psalm 119 was no stranger to this experience. He wrote, “I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your Word” (v.147).

God’s Word delivered special comfort during the psalmist’s sleepless nights. Although he couldn’t make his problems disappear, he said, “My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your Word” (v.148). At night he reviewed God’s Word over and over in his mind. He concentrated on Scripture rather than his concerns. This practice allowed him to proclaim, “Oh, how I love Your law!” (v.97).

When worry wakes you up, remember, “The Word of God is living and powerful” (Heb. 4:12). Select a passage and mull it over. Our cares cannot compete with God’s Word!

If your soul is parched and thirsty And you feel weighed down by care, Go to God’s Word for refreshment— You’ll find strength and comfort there. —Sper

Only God can still our hearts and quiet our minds.

http://odb.org/2012/04/12/awake-with-his-word/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+odb%2Ffeed+%28Our+Daily+Bread%29

Tozer Devotional-Pressing toward the Goal Ahead

Pressing toward the Goal Ahead

We are not called to fellowship with nonexistence. We are called to things that exist in truth, to positive things, and it is as we become occupied with these that health comes to the soul. Spiritual life cannot feed on negatives. The man who is constantly reciting the evils of his unconverted days is looking in the wrong direction. He is like a man trying to run a race while looking back over his shoulder. What the Christian used to be is altogether the least important thing about him. What he is yet to be is all that should concern him. He may occasionally, as Paul sometimes did, remember to his own shame the life he once lived; but that should be only a quick glance; it is never to be a fixed gaze. Our long permanent look is on God and the glory that shall be revealed. What we are saved from and what we are saved to bear the same relation to each other as a serious illness and recovered health. The physician should stand between these two opposites to save from one and restore to the other. Once the great sickness is cured the memory of it should be thrust out onto the margin of the mind to grow fainter and weaker as it retreats farther away; and the fortunate man whose health has been restored should go on to use his new strength to accomplish something useful for mankind. Yet many persons permit their sick bodies to condition their mental stuff so that after the body has gotten well they still retain the old feeling of chronic invalidism they had before. They are recovered, true enough, but not to anything. We have but to imagine a group of such persons testifying every Sunday about their late illnesses and singing plaintive songs about them and we have a pretty fair picture of many gatherings among Christians today.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=517

Don’t Quit · Max Lucado

Don’t Quit · Max Lucado.

The Daily Spurgeon: A God who is full of compassion

The Daily Spurgeon: A God who is full of compassion.

What It Means to Serve (3)

“Serve the Lord with gladness.” Ps 100:2

Paul writes: “When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them” (2Co 10:18 NLT). If your self-worth is based on anything other than God’s approval, you won’t serve with the right motives. Insecure people worry about how they’ll be perceived by others. They hide their weaknesses beneath layers of protective pride. The more insecure you are, the more you need people to serve you, and the more you work for their acceptance. One Bible scholar writes: “In order to be of service to others we must die to them; that is, we have to give up measuring our meaning and value by the yardstick of others…Thus we become free to be compassionate.” Your service should not be based on the response of those you are serving, but on obedience to God alone. True servants of God don’t insist on having lofty titles. If their job description calls for it, they wear that badge with humility. Paul, the greatest of the apostles, wrote: “You may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts is the Lord’s approval” (v. 18 CEV). If anybody had a chance to name-drop, it was James the half brother of Jesus. What credentials; imagine growing up with Jesus as your brother! Yet he simply referred to himself in Scripture as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jas 1:1). Your service to Christ should be both your job and your joy: “Serve the Lord with gladness.” Can you imagine what would be accomplished if we all got serious about our role as servants—and did it joyfully?

http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/what-it-means-to-serve-3/