Mark Beeson

Getting Grammy Ready for Christmas

 

 

Our preparations for Christmas are almost as JOYFUL as our celebrations of Christmas, so when it's time to get Grammy's decorations set-up, the whole family pitches-in and lends a helping hand. 

 

 

It's hard to believe how quickly a little snow put our kids and grand-kids in the mood for Christmas.

 

 

Ever wonder why Red and Green are Christmas colors? One tradition says that Jesus was crucified wearing a crown of Holly thorns. The Holly berries were originally white. As Jesus’ blood touched the berries, they turned red. The green leaves of the Holly plant have come to represent everlasting life and its red berries the blood of Jesus.

 

1 John 1:6-7  -   If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

 

Black Friday Family Pheasant Hunt

 

 

Everything is awesome. It's not all easy but it is awesome... and our annual Family Pheasant Hunt was awesome too.

 

 

Check this out. We were packed and ready to leave the night before our hunt. Whaaaat? Not only that, but we left early enough to swing past The Farmhouse Bakery for the best donuts and cinnamon rolls on the planet. (If you've never been there, you should go. You can read the rest of this blog post when you get there. Just go. You can thank me later.)  

 

- Photo by Amber Cox -

 

We drove to Curt Johnson's place and spent a cold day together trudging through snow, kicking brush and looking for birds. 

 

- Photo by Amber Cox -

 

Sheila was beside me every step of the way, which is not surprising, since she leads our family in generosity, devotion and service. 

 

 

We got some birds.

 We had a blast.

 Our family made some wonderful memories.

 It was fantastic. 

  

 

 

2 Samuel 7:27-29  -  King David prayed, “Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, you have said to me, ‘I will make your family great.’ So I, your servant, am brave enough to pray to you. Lord God, you are God, and your words are true. And you have promised these good things to me, your servant. Please, bless my family. Let it continue before you always. Lord God, you have said so. With your blessing let my family always be blessed.”

  

Mobs Rioting in the Streets

 

I love the Church.

I love who we are. I love what we do. I love the ONE we serve. I love our shared experience of GOD and the consequence of GOD's gracious invitation to join HIM in HIS mission of redemption, reconciliation and restoration.

Mission and evangelism is what the Church does, and the Church is the result of its mission and evangelism. The Church would be extinct in one generation without its mission and evangelism, and new Christians would die without the Church in less than one generation because their salvation and wholeness is personal but not private. 

ACTS 16 tells the story of two Christians, Paul and Silas, who went together into Philippi for the Church's mission and evangelism. They rescued a girl "in the Name of Christ," which prompted the people of Philippi to riot in the streets. The restless mob, out for blood, hauled Paul and Silas into the marketplace where they were stripped naked, severely beaten with rods and thrown into prison. They were bloodied and bruised; in the dungeon's depths, their feet were pinned to wooden stocks.

Wow.

So much for the glories of "Mob Rule." And so much for the oft-repeated lie, "Be nice to people and people will be nice to you." The Golden Rule commands, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." OK. But you better think twice before believing the ethic of reciprocity requires kindness in return for kindness.

It doesn't. 

Jesus said you are to "Do to others what you want them to do to you." 

This command sums up the essence of GOD's LAW. HE did not say your kind actions will compel others to act kindly toward you. Offering generosity, mercy, righteousness and kindness "in the Name of Christ," can get you a brutal beating, during which you have no way of knowing if you're being beaten half-to-death... or killed. 

There is no virtue in Mob Rule: no justice, no reason and no kindness. 

What do you do with a violent mob?

Paul and Silas responded to injustice, prejudice and torture with a Christian concert. They prayed and sang hymns to GOD as the other prisoners listened. The earth quaked. The prison doors were opened. The Jailer and his family were converted. The Philippian Church was born and the doorway to Europe was opened for the Church's mission and evangelism.

The music of GOD's Church shakes things up.

Don't forget to listen to the music, even if you're the one singing it.

  

Dr. Bob reminded the church this weekend, "Jesus told HIS disciples, 'Don't let your hearts be troubled.'"

"I'll sing your praise, louder and louder..."

Mark Waltz: Welcome to Granger Community Church

"It's like we're blind, but we see too much. You know what I mean?"

"All Creation will bow as one; lift their eyes to the Risen Son... "

"Let our voices rise and sing for all He's done!"

"Jesus came and died and gave HIS life for us."

"Black Friday, the wonderful holiday when people trample each other for things they don't need, just hours after giving thanks for the things they already have."

"I'll lift your NAME, higher and higher..."

"They're just trying to butter us up so we vote for them again."

"I realized I didn't bring Jesus into the room; HE was already there."

"Did you know they paved Paradise and put up a parking lot? It all just needs to stop. And yet, like, we all just need to get it started." 

"If we can't be happy then you can't be too."

Everything is Amazing! And Nobody's Happy: Redefining the Win

"It is just crazy out there now."

 

 

Philippians 1:27  -  Only one thing concerns me: Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ.

 

 

Obeying GOD's Orders

 

 

I read this Psalm this morning.

I'm remembering: There is only ONE NAME worth praising.

 

Psalm 148

Hallelujah!
Praise God from heaven,
    praise him from the mountaintops;
Praise him, all you his angels,
    praise him, all you his warriors,
Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, you morning stars;
Praise him, high heaven,
    praise him, heavenly rain clouds;
Praise, oh let them praise the name of God—
    he spoke the word, and there they were!

He set them in place
    from all time to eternity;
He gave his orders,
    and that’s it!

Praise God from earth,
    you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and ice,
    hurricanes obeying his orders;
Mountains and all hills,
    apple orchards and cedar forests;
Wild beasts and herds of cattle,
    snakes, and birds in flight;
Earth’s kings and all races,
    leaders and important people,
Robust men and women in their prime,
    and yes, graybeards and little children.

Let them praise the name of God—
    it’s the only Name worth praising.
His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky;
    he’s built a monument—his very own people!

Praise from all who love God!
    Israel’s children, intimate friends of God.
Hallelujah!

 

 

Musings With My John Wesley Bobblehead

 

 

If your John Wesley Bobble-head is distracting you, it's probably because it is so distracting. I figure you've got two choices: (a) remove the Bobble-head completely or (b) leverage the moment to consider WWJWD. 

I picked "(b)," and asked myself, "What Would John Wesley Do?" 

This morning I read this advice in Wesley's work, The Character of a Methodist.

By consequence, whatsoever he doeth, it is all to the glory of God. In all his employments of every kind, he not only aims at this, (which is implied in having a single eye,) but actually attains it. His business and refreshments, as well as his prayers, all serve this great end. Whether he sit in his house or walk by the way, whether he lie down or rise up, he is promoting, in all he speaks or does, the one business of his life; whether he put on his apparel, or labour, or eat and drink, or divert himself from too wasting labour, it all tends to advance the glory of God, by peace and good-will among men. His one invariable rule is this, "Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

 

1 Corinthians 10:31  -  Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

 

Point Betsie Lighthouse

 

- Point Betsie Lighthouse, Lake Michigan -

 

Matthew 7:24-29

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.  25 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock.  26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!”  28 When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching,  29 because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law.

 

 

Do You Know What Silence Is Saying?

 

- Photo of "Thoughtful Me," by Dustin Maust - 

 

When I see a picture of some guy gazing off into the distance like this, I wonder, "What in the world is that guy thinking about?"

There are so many questions worth pondering.  

• Why isn't "phonetic" spelled the way it sounds?
  
  
• How will I know when the Sour Cream goes bad?
  
  
• What if you try to fail, and succeed?
  
  
• What will Dr. Bob say about Philippians this weekend?
  

• How did those Keep Off the Grass signs get there?
  
  
• Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?
  
  
• Can you hear silence and know what it's saying?
  
  
• When two-thirds of American voters don't vote, can someone know what they're voting for?
  
  

Interesting questions to be sure, and probably worth a few minutes spent gazing off into space. 

 

Job 38:2-3  

Why do you confuse the issue?

Why do you talk
without knowing 
what you’re talking about?

Pull yourself together!
    Up on your feet! Stand tall!

I have some questions for you,
    and I want some straight answers.

  

The Campaign Ends / The Work Begins

 

 

When I was a kid, my dad told me to get some friends together to help us work on the barn. I did what my father asked and by the end of the first day I realized: When you're knee-deep in manure you learn a lot about people.

Here's what I learned:

• All candidates look good when they're standing in the school cafeteria saying, "Pick me! Pick me!" 
  
  
• Some people are happier talking about working than working.
  
  
• The most impressive candidate may not be the most impressive worker.
  
  
• Some jobs stink, but they still need to be done... preferably by someone else.
  
  
• Few teams have a shortage of supervisors.
  
  
• When shoveling manure, someone needs to grab a shovel and start shoveling.
  
  
• Just because people ask for the job and say they'll do the work, doesn't mean they will do the job or the work.

 

Luke 17:10  -  When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, "The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.”

 

 

Intergenerational Vision

 

- Church of Saint Anne, Isreal - 

 

After worship last night I spoke with some young adults who asked me if they could ask me something.

"Sure, ask away."

"Why do you think so many people our parents' age are here?" 

I was their parents' age, so I replied, "I'm old enough to be your dad. Why do you think I'm here?" 

"It's your job?"

"Besides that."

"I don't know," one said. "It just seems like there a lot of young people here; and there are a lot of people my mom's age here; and I don't get that because people my mom's age dream about church like it was in the old days."

"The old days?"

"You know what I mean," she said, "Old people want the 'good old days' more than these days. My mom talks about 'the good old days' like she'd go back there if she could."

"Does she come to worship here?"

"No. My parents don't live here."

I said, "I think a lot of people your parents' age aren't old because they're old; they're old because they don't dream any more. Everyone gets old when they stop dreaming. They don't stop dreaming when they get old; they get old when they stop dreaming. I think GCC is filled with people your age, and your parents' age, because we're all dreaming about doing something great for GOD. Young or old, the people who like GCC tend to be people dreaming GOD's dream for tomorrow."

We're living on GOD's mission friends. We're telling people about Jesus and inviting them to follow Jesus with us. We're grouping-up to do what our Savior's disciples have done for 2,000 years... because "the good days" aren't the "old days" behind us, they're the "new days" ahead of us.

Young and old, friends, we're living the dream.

 

Acts 2:17  

God says: In the last days
    I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
    Your young men will see visions,
    and your old men will dream dreams.