The Phil Files

Here’s a video of Ron DiCianni and his soon to be released painting of Jesus’ resurrection. It is worth your time to think about how much of Biblical history hinged on this one moment and Ron’s painting emphasizes this. Jesus emphasized this when He ate fish to show his doubting disciples that He had really been raised and was not ghost or a figment of their imagination. He then told them the following:

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:44-47)

Hope you are inspired by the concepts and are reminded of how much of everything important to us hinges on Jesus’ resurrection!

Paul summarizes his ministry this way, and puts an exclamation mark on what is depicted here:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God —  the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,  and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 1:1-4)

I love the following Scripture graphic for Perseverance. The Scripture is from Romans 5:3-4 and the image is right out of a rock climber’s dream. You can download larger versions of this image free:

Keep Reaching Higher

Free download of 1024 x 768 versions of this image from Heartlight.org

Full |  Title

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4 tniv)

Sometimes images say it better for me than trying to explain things. The biblical truth is powerful and with the image, I hope it is inspirational for you.

I’m not much into game shows, but seems like there was a some kind of game show that had this weird beast that carried what was called a whammy. When you chose the wrong square, or something like that, you got the whammy — the beast came out and whammied your score and you lost all of your money.

Well, I’ve had a great month of being outdoors and enjoying all sorts of cool experiences on top of a very busy time of ministry. It finally caught up with me Sunday afternoon. Some weird beast entered my body and started giving me the whammy left and right. After coughing my head off Sunday night, I went in and got a whammy in the back side — an injection — and a couple of scripts of things to take the next week. Now I need to lay low as the weather is coming in and about to put a major whammy on us.

Funny how our bodies remind us that there are limits that we all have and when we push them, or try to ignore them, we are forced to lie down and rest. Today is my study day, and with the weather whammy and the getting sick whammy, I’m pretty sure I’m going to study and rest and hopefully hear some clear word from God as I seek Him in Scripture, prayer, and silence.

Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you (Psalm 116:7).

From Heartlight.org Graphics.

For several days, the weather forecasters had warned that last night could be a rough one. It seemed fitting that this might be true, since our family’s had a bit of a rough road with medical issues for the last several weeks. Yet last night passed without the typical spring thunderstorm fury we’ve come to expect out here in west Texas. The morning broke bright and clear with a touch of cool in the air and sun streaming down. What a beautiful morning!

As I worked on images and meandered around some Bible verses for my own quiet time this morning, the Lord led me to this verse from Psalm 143:8. It seemed appropriate and it fit an image I was working with for Heartlight graphics:

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

The image below is much small version of the image I posted to Heartlight’s PowerPoint background Scripture graphics (you can use the search feature to look through thousands of images that can be used in worship or as your computer wallpaper.) This small image gives you the idea, but I hope you can make the prayer your own whether the image interests you or not. Blessings for the weekend and for seeing the way the Lord wants you to go!

You can find three versions of this image, Title (picture above), Text (with the Scripture), and Plain (only the image).

Well, it’s way too late to be posting this. I should have done it much earlier today, but then we all know how plans some days. But since I have to take one of my last anti-malarial pills tonight, I was going to at least enjoy the precious memories of the recent Uganda trip with Compassion International to encourage people to sponsor a child.

God blessed all of us on this trip in so many ways. We had safe travel with few connection difficulties and little or no luggage problems. Health problems were pretty minimal, as well. Remarkably, God took a bunch of very different people and poured us together and blended us into a remarkable cocktail of grace. I personally treasure the folks with whom I spent this time and consider meeting them a great gift.

One of those remarkable people we all met was not a blogger when we arrived in Uganda– but he does now blog regularly and I encourage you to check out his message. In fact, he didn’t travel to Uganda with us. He was waiting for us at the Entebbe airport, and from that first meeting till the end of the trip, he made sure every detail of our time there was well utilized and enhanced. He covered our tardiness, helped make new plans on the fly, and arranged every facet of our time down the most precise detail. (If you have never led an international trip like this with so many different kinds of people, then you will only have to imagine how incredible his work proved to be!)

Dennis is a precious soul, whose soft and mellow voice is deep and rich, but full of passion and emotion. Dennis has a broad smile and a great laugh. Spend some time in conversation with him and you will find out that he has at least three great passions: 1) Jesus; 2) children; and 3) statistics. Dennis’ recent post on malaria as a sniper in Uganda gives you a taste of each of these three interests. He knows Scripture, the country of Uganda, and the issues at stake in the lives of the children we came to see.

One of my favorite pictures of Dennis shows him in the doorway almost portrayed in silhouette, with happy children in the background. I will carry this image of Dennis with me, because I see him as one standing near the door of hope for many children in Uganda. Most of those blessed by his efforts will never know him personally, because he is not going to call attention to himself, but their lives will be forever blessed.

While I know Dennis was sad in many ways to say goodbye to us and put us on a plane back home, I also know he was worn out and needed a break by the time we left. We can’t thank you enough, Dennis, for the great job you and the folks from Compassion in Uganda did. We will not forget you.

I ask all who read this to please pray for Dennis and the Ugandan team. Pray for peace for this country so surrounded by tribal strife on a continent that is dangerously “twitchy” with religious conflict. And most of all, if you have not prayerfully decided to sponsor a child, the greatest blessing you could give to these committed and dedicated servants of children is to prayerfully decide to sponsor a child, today — just click on this link and it will take you to the page to sponsor a child from Uganda.

If you would like to know a little more about Dennis and the children he loves, take a minute or two and enjoy the slide show below.

 

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
  Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they display knowledge.
  They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
  In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
    which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
  It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

  The law of the LORD is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
  The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
  The precepts of the LORD are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
  The commands of the LORD are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
  The fear of the LORD is pure,
    enduring forever.
  The ordinances of the LORD are sure,
    and all of them are righteous.

  They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
  they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
  By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
  But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
  Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
  Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

\o/ — Comments Psalm 19: Forgive my hidden faults! — \o/

As I look at this Psalm, the standard observations ring in my ears: God has revealed himself in nature and in Scripture. Both of these are clearly championed here. I do not quarrel with those insights.

However, in meditating over these verses, I am struck with a profound self-awareness and deep humility exhibited by David as he shares these insights. Truth, no matter how profound and astonishing — whether insights from nature or from Scripture — can still be distorted by our own selfish interests.

Who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

I confess that I can find all sorts of ways to rationalize my own “character defects.” I can easily dismiss the strong words of truth that should convict me, and then apply those same words to others while overlooking my own failures in the same area. Jesus warned about trying to take a speck of sawdust out of the eye of another while overlooking the plank in my own eye. David’s words are powerful truth — truth I desperately need just as much as I need to see the majesty of God in creation and the will of God in Scripture!

O God, no matter how I come to know your truth, I confess I need your help to see my own hidden faults and to be convicted of my willful sins. Most of all, LORD, I need you to invade and transform my heart through your Holy Spirit. With David, I cry out, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.