EMMANUEL - God (Jesus) Wth Us

Behold, a virgin shall be with child,

and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call

His name Emmanuel, which being

interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:23

For years I have loved a certain song that used to be sung often, but afraid the modern era has all but pushed it to one side. A part of it says:

Jesus is the sweetest name I know,

And He's just the same,

As His Lovely name.

And that's the reason why I love Him so,

For Jesus is the sweetest name I know.

Is that true of you and me at this Christmas season? There are names I love...Brian, Jennie,

Beverly and Johnny, my immediate family but are they the sweetest names I know....don't think so. Jesus is the only One Who has the right to that position. Just some thoughts about Jesus at this time.

J – Joy to the world, the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

E – Emmanuel, Emmanuel

His name is called, Emmanuel;

God with us, revealed in us;

His name is called...Emmanuel

S – Sing we now of Christmas, Noel, sing we here!

Hear our grateful praises, to the Babe so dear.

Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!

Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!

U – (For) Unto us a Child is born; for unto us a Child is given.

And the government shall be upon His shoulders.

And His name shall be called...

Wonderful

Counselor

The Mighty God

The Everlasting Father

The Prince of Peace.

S – Sing, choir of angels, sing in exultation,

O sing, all ye bright hosts of heaven above!

Glory to God, all glory in the highest!

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

May this be a season of praise and adoration for each of us that should be a time that carries over into every day of the upcoming new year.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above , ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen!

The Red Bike

For the wages of sin is death,

but the gift of God is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

I had gone through the procedure my parents had asked me to go through even though I really didn't agree with them. Up until age 8, I had a scooter. I really wanted a bike, but in those days, there weren't various sizes of bikes for different sizes of children. You got a ladies bicycle when you finally got a bike. However, my parents assured me that if I stuck with riding my scooter well, I wouldn't have to learn how to ride a bike...like I believed that. One summer evening though, a neighbor girl let me try to ride her bike and I took off like you wouldn't believe. I could balance the bike and steer the bike...just didn't know how to put the brakes on the bike. I couldn't wait to go tell my parents. I just knew I was ready for a bike.

That Christmas just before my eighth birthday, there by our Charlie Brown Christmas tree stood a beautiful bright red bike. It didn't take long though to see that it was a used bike that my dad had painted at the body shop attached to the car dealership where he was the service manager. As I looked at it, the handle bars were sort of an odd shape. When I took it out to ride, the right pedal made a clicking sound as the pedal would slightly strike a part of the bike frame. There wasn't a bell on it nor a basket. I would end up getting those for my birthday in just a few weeks, but didn't know that at the time. My bike didn't begin to compare with bikes other friends got that year, but I knew it was what my parents wanted me to have. I was riding that bike until I went to college. I think I must have ridden it up and down every block in our town, even later, on occasion out to the city lake with some teen friends. That bike was my friend and often my escape when some days weren't going so well and I felt the need of riding with the wind in my face.

When I graduated from college, I worked for a year at a nearby Baptist Children's Home as a cottage parent to about 16 girls of different ages. Our place was right next to the city park. Once and only once, I suggested to the older girls that we go for a bike ride in the park. I left the younger girls with an assistant, the rest of us grabbed bikes and we took off toward the park. As I took off on the bike I grabbed, I suddenly heard “click, click, click” as I was pedaling the bike. I looked at the handle bars and they were odd in shape. A closer look at the very rusty front fender revealed some bits and pieces of bright red paint. It was my old bike...my old friend. My Mother had given my bike to the children's home and I wasn't aware of it. It was okay with me but what a shock to be riding my old bike that had been given me when a little girl. I could have selected any bike on the bike rack but as God often surprises us, I had the joy of riding my old friend once again.  That bike ended up being a gift that kept on giving.

There are many kinds of gifts that keep giving and those are the gifts that are the most meaningful and even memorable. Christmas is a time for giving and what is given doesn't have to be gifts that are large or expensive...not even a bright red, used bicycle. There are many ways during this holiday time we can give. Material gifts are fine. I'm afraid though that children are often trained in that process that Christmas is all about what they find under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.  With every pile of gifts under our trees, we are telling our children our reason for the season.  On that morning, parents can read the Christmas story until they are blue in the face, but let me tell you that children have other things on their mind.  There may be some folks we know who could use a gift certificate for a gas station or grocery store. Those things will melt into memory. Perhaps a young mom could use the gift of babysitting for a few hours. These are gifts that stay in one's mind and that the receiver may in turn pass on at a later time to others in need.

God is our example in giving although there's no way we can match all He has given us and continues to give us. He topped off everything in giving us His son Jesus. That's what Paul refers to in Romans 6:23. God gave us the gift of His Son and this IS the Gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving. At this Christmas season, I would hope we all could take moments alone with God in thanksgiving for His goodness to us in sending Jesus who would later die for us personally as well as for the sin of mankind . All of this is ours so that we might experience eternal life,...never ending, along with His joy unspeakable and full of glory.

"Joy to the world, the Lord IS come..."

Thank You Father for the greatest gift of all. We hear “Jesus is the reason for the season” but one has to wonder when we see the full shopping carts of so many who don't seem to give Your Son a thought. Thank you for giving us Your Son Jesus...the Gift that keeps on giving. Thank You for Your wonderful gift to us that we might have life and joy in abundance.

Amen.

Ahhh...Fresh Bread

I am the bread of life:

he that cometh to me shall never

hunger; and he that believeth on

me shall never thirst.

John 6:35

Just a block or so from Central Jr. High School where I spent my 7^th and 8^th grade years, there was a bakery. Students would often go there at lunch time and some would purchase a loaf of bread and have the baker slice the loaf in half for two people to share. They would then go to a nearby dairy store and purchase a stick of butter. They would ask the waitress to cut the butter in half. Each person would stuff their half of the stick of butter down inside of their half loaf of warm bread and let the butter melt. They then had a feast fit for a king. (That is, unless you preferred to gnaw on a giant size dill pickle instead of anything else.)

Bread has been considered a staple food down through centuries. It is made up of simple flour and water but depending on who is baking the bread, there are other things added to that mixture to get the desired type of bread the baker wants. Bread is prized for it's quality, aroma and taste. Should a loaf of bread become hard or dry, it is considered to be stale.

There are two parts to a loaf of bread. The inner part of the loaf of bread is officially referred to as the “crumb.” The outer part of the loaf, is the “crust.” It is the oldest of prepared foods we know of from history. The word “companion” of Latin root can be broken down into two parts:

com – that means “with”

panis – that means “bread”

Thus, bread is broken or eaten with someone who is considered a companion at the time of the eating of bread. This is true especially as we take of the Lord's Supper or Communion in our churches when we meet as a church family to share the bread during that time.

No household wants to be without bread in the cupboard. It is often used for toast at breakfast time. Sandwiches are frequently eaten for lunch both in the home as well as taken in school lunch boxes. Chefs cook using bread...turkey dressing, bread pudding but then there's an old familiar staple that anyone of most any age can make and enjoy...bread and jelly.

There are many metaphors connected with the word “bread” such as:

breadwinner

putting bread on the table (as in earning a living)

hit him in the bread basket

bread and water (that I was always taught was served to inmates in prison)

Best thing since sliced bread.

But the greatest truth I have found regarding bread is Jesus' claim that He is the Bread of Life and that's no metaphor. Jesus had a lot to do with bread. He fed thousands of hungry people with it along with a few little fish. Bread would sustain those people until they could get back to their homes. He broke bread probably on many occasions with His disciples, but we are most aware of His last evening with them before going to the cross the next day. T that time He broke bread with them saying, “This is my body which is broken for you.”

If Jesus is our “bread” then how does that translate into our own lives?

1. Jesus is our staple.
   When referring to a “staple,” I'm not talking about a little metal wire that holds sheets of paper together. The definition of staple in our present usage refers to something for which the demand is constant...something of consistent use or appeal. I just love that, for that is Who and what Jesus is to us as the Bread of Life. He is in constant demand or should be and is in consistent use by us. Just as we feel we must have regular bread, far more, we in reality need this wonderful Bread of Life...Jesus.

2. Jesus never spoils.
   If not properly stored, the bread we purchase will become moldy, hard, and unusable. Jesus never rots or hardens. Jesus is sinless, perfect and can be trusted completely because of His purity. Because of His being sinless, He was the only perfect sacrifice for you and me as He died on the cross for the remission of our sin.

3. Jesus feeds us.
   As the perfect Bread, He is our sustenance spiritually speaking. He is our strength and as He feeds us, we grow in Him.

4. Jesus is refreshing.

I am someone who could live on sandwiches....bologna, ham, cheese, scrambled egg

sandwiches...you name it...I like it. When I'm really hungry, nothing tastes better to me than a sandwich with two pieces of fresh WHITE bread, spread with Miracle Whip, a slice of cheese, a big slice of a homegrown tomato and a couple of pieces of beef bologna. Why be so descriptive?...because it is refreshing just to think about it even though I'm not hungry right now. Jesus loves to feed us through the teaching of His Word. It should be as refreshing to your favorite sandwich would be for you.

5. Jesus never grows stale.
   Everything about Him is new and fresh everyday that you and I awaken, when our feet hit the floor running to meet a new day. No matter how often we have read His Word, even in many of the old familiar wrinkled, underlined areas of our Bibles, the newness and freshness of Who Jesus is comes through in the most remarkable of ways.

6. Jesus thinks of everything.
   Did you notice in the beginning verse that Jesus not only says we'll never hunger because of His being our Bread of Life, but He also adds that we'll never thirst either. As much as I love a good sandwich, I always want something to wash it down with. He not only satisfies our hunger for the living Bread that He is but our thirst is quenched for the living water He also provides.

The next time or periodically as we bite into some warm toast, grilled cheese sandwich or even a club sandwich from a deli, may we stop to think of our Savior who is our wonderful and refreshing Bread of Life and Who satisfies our thirst as well.

Our Father, Who art in Heaven...

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy Kingdom come...Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread....

and Father, may we never take for granted that daily bread or the Bread of Life Your Son is in our own lives. We pray for a close relationship with that precious Bread of Life everyday in every way. Thank You for Your provision of all things at all times....I love you. Amen.

Away With Mediocre

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,

do it with thy might....

Ecclesiastes 9:10a

As we have been having a house built, something has been running through my mind off and on and I mentioned it to my husband the other day. I have seen the tendency for years and it has bothered me all along. I did hope in those years, though, that something would happen to bring about some changes but as of yet, I haven't seen many of those changes occur with any noticeable difference. I realize that everyone's efforts cannot be put in the category of “mediocre,” but a great many can be.

This was all brought to a head for me several days ago when I opened Face Book and found a statement made by a dear friend from our former church, Hyde Park Baptist in Austin, TX. His name is Owen Griffin. I don't know when I have ever met a more well-rounded, accomplished man, especially in the area of music. He is organist of the church but plays the piano like few can do. He arranges music that is just awe-inspiring and has done some composing as well. There isn't a mediocre bone in Owens body and yet he walks humbly with His God. He wrote the following that I have since copied in my Bible as a reminder of what the resulting production in all areas of my life should be:

“I am sad to report that a dear friend has gone missing. I'm not sure what happened to him, but I've looked everywhere. I keep thinking I see him, but it's never him, just my wishful thinking. I've looked on the streets of my city, on TV, and in the halls of government. His name is Excellence, and he's most exceptional. If anyone sees him, please let me know. He's left quite a void.” ...Owen Griffin

That statement may mean nothing at all to most folks but it's one of the most convicting things I have read in a long time other than what I read in Scripture. There was a day in our country when people were admired for working hard and doing a good job. There was honesty and integrity found in almost every effort put forth by most people. My Dad was an auto mechanic. He never made much money at it but he was known as about the best mechanic around our town. He didn't cheat his customers. He took great pride in repairing a car as close to brand new as could be done. One could have looked at the result of his work and seen excellence even as he cleaned his greasy hands after the job was finished.

As we have been building our house, I have watched the little things. You see, Excellence always takes care of the little things. We have a cracked window that was cracked when the window was put in and it still is cracked as I write. It will be repaired I know but doesn't that cracked window bother anyone?

Let's do some defining and Merriam Webster will help us with this:

Mediocre: Of moderate or low quality

Ordinary, common, second rate

Excellence: Extremely high quality

First class, superior, high grade

If one wants to look at opposites, there we have it and we either fall into one of those categories or the other. There's no in between. Here is a big thing that really concerns me. Mediocre has almost become the norm when it comes to God's work. I could cite example after example of leadership in a church who should know better but who take the quick and easy way of doing things with no thought of excellence. Let me give a few examples that I've witnessed in the last 50 years in various churches where, at times, God was given mediocre service:

• Unrehearsed offertories
• Unprepared Sunday school lessons
  I recall a man rushing into our choir room one Sunday desperately looking for a
  Sunday school quarterly to teach his lesson from. No preparation had been done.
• Nursery workers who will let a baby lay in crib in a wet diaper
• Maintenance people who won't change light bulbs
• Soloists or other special music who aren't very gifted to begin with but who want to rehearse their special number five minutes before the service begins
• Choir members who don't feel they need to attend choir practice but show up in the choir loft on Sunday anyway. Then there are those who do show for practice who don't give their best effort in doing those things that need to be done while there.
• Sunday school workers who show up late. (God pity ANY church worker who can't show up on time to fulfill their responsibilities.)

Many of us who have been in church for years can relate to many of those things listed and could add a few. I'm afraid I have been guilty at times of settling for mediocre, but the older I have become, the less I want to be mediocre in what I do for the Lord. He deserves our very best and not just in the arena of the church. Our beginning verse uses the word “whatsoever” so that can include all that's done in the office, kitchen, yard, grocery store, etc. Whatever you and I lift our hands to, it should to be done with all of our strength and integrity and yes, with a spirit of excellence. God deserves no less. We will make mistakes but they should never be deliberate or planned.

A quick glance at the Old Testament sacrificial system should give us a clue as to God's expectations in what we offer Him in the present, whether with financial gifts or gifts of service. Back then, animal sacrifice was the order of the day. A blood offering was required for the remission of the people's sins and various animals were used for that. Look though, at what was expected. The animal had to be perfect in every way...no scars, skin disease, no broken bones, even healed ones...they had to be as perfect as possible. Why then today, would we serve Him in any other way than as perfect as possible.... with excellence?

May we aspire in ALL we do, to do it right, the best we can so as to present all we do to the Lord as an offering of love and adoration. May we glorify Him in every area of our lives. When that is in place, so will be excellence.

Father...With all You have done for me, how can I in good conscience give You the mere leftovers of my service and life itself. May I love You so much that I want to serve You in the spirit of Excellence leaving Mediocre out of my consideration. I love You and want You to have the best I can give. Amen.

Psalmist's Say It Best

That I may publish with the voice of

THANKSGIVING, and tell of all

thy wondrous works.

Psalm 26:7

Unto thee, O God, do we give THANKS,

unto thee do we give THANKS:  for that

thy name is near thy wondrous

works declare.

Psalm 75:1

It is a good thing to give THANKS unto

the Lord, and to sing praises unto

thy name, O most High:

To shew forth thy lovingkindness

in the morning, and thy faithfulness

every night.

Psalm 92:1,2

Enter into his gates with THANKSGIVING,

and into his courts with praise:  be

THANKFUL unto him, and bless his name.

For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;

and his truth endrueth to all generations.

Psalm 100:4,5

O come, let us sing unto the Lord:  let

us make a joyful nolise to the rock of

our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with

THANKSGIVING, and make a joyful

noise unto him with psalms.

Psalm 95:1,2

Praise ye the Lord.  O give THANKS unto

the Lord; for he is good; for his

mercy endureth forever.

                                                                      Psalm 106:1

Governments may or may not decree a day of Thanksgiving.  It may be merely another day off for America's work force.  We may have good memories or sometimes negative ones regarding Thanksgiving Day.  For some it may be a very festive, big-family-gathering-time and for others, it may be a quiet time or even a lonely time.  Events and feelings on a day like Thanksgiving can run the gammit.  Thanksgiving Day will be what we as Christians make it.  If our day is full of festivities, football games, etc. with no alone time with God, the day then has just been another day. 

Originally, Thanksgiving Day was declared to be just that...a day to give thanks.  It's a day that goes back to our early settlers who all but died their first winter on this continent.  They survived with the help of friendly indians and they declared a time of thanksgiving to God for all of the blessings He had given them.  The further our country gets away from it's spiritual roots, the more danger there is in our losing our spiritual bearings and our spiritual holidays can become just that...holidays.

The sad thing is that for we Christians, every day should be Thanksgiving Day.  We don't need turkey and dressing to evoke our feelings of gratitude.  We just need to adopt an attitude of gratitude every day we live and breathe.  Our blessings are beyond bountiful and they keep coming.  So..."come ye thankful people come!!!"

Dear Father...the list is just too long.  I don't where to begin to thank You for all you mean to me and all you have done for me.  May I remain ever grateful, every day, in every way for everything.  I love You and thank You.   Amen

Can You Believe It?

Ah Lord God! Behold thou hast

made the heaven and the earth by thy

great power and stretched out arm, and

there is nothing too hard for thee:

Jeremiah 32:17

...With men this is impossible; but

with God all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26b

Not too far from where we live, there is a “Ripley's Believe It Or Not.” This particular peculiarity has been a part of Americana for many years. It had to happen that eventually, this icon of oddity would show itself in public display form of some sort. This local display isn't the only one to be found as there are other such “museums” across the country, especially where tourists gather.

However, allow me to mention some “believe it or nots” from Scripture. I believe for many years, we have almost been glossing over events in Scripture that even in our modern day would blow our minds if we heard of such things happening. Some things would be quietly kept within the confines of family and close friends, but there are some events that couldn't help but be very public and might even make our television evening news. We read of Bible events and almost shrug our shoulders as we move on to the next verses.

I think of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. I believe God really wanted to see if Abraham would be obedient and planned all the time to come to his rescue but Abraham didn't know that. Don't you think Abraham would have noticed a ram in the thicket next to the altar he built if there had been a ram in the vicinity when he arrived? God tested Abraham and when He saw Abraham's obedience, a ram appeared to take the place of Isaac. Ask Abraham if that wasn't a “believe it or not” incident in his life.

What about David and Goliath? We've heard of this event in David's life since we were old enough to sing, “Only a Boy Named David” in Sunday school. He was just a kid, a kid not only up against a grown man and enemy, but the enemy was a giant. David had a sling and a few stones. He didn't have a rifle, army tank, hand grenade....rocks...that was it. Come on now...if David's victory wasn't a “believe it or not”, I don't know what would be.

Then there are those three young guys who stood up to leaders of Babylon. They refused to bow down to the king and were condemned to die in a fired up furnace. As you read the incident, they didn't have to be dragged to the door of the furnace. They had such faith in God that He would take care of them that in they just went. After so much time, they were allowed out of the furnace...yep, not even the smell of smoke on them. Observers had also noticed a fourth man in the furnace. We know that was the Lord Himself in there with those young men. Today, these guys would be writing books and on promotion tours speaking about this event....no, on second thought, I don't think they would, for with their character and integrity, they wouldn't have wanted to take one ounce of glory from God.

Along with them, we have to mention Daniel. Ever been to a zoo and taken a good look at lions in their special outdoor landscaped pens. Their roar is enough to make my blood run cold. Daniel had been found praying in a public way when he had orders not to. Because of that, he was condemned to a lions den. Let's be real. The lion keepers didn't exactly feed those lions well or throw a lot of food in the den with Daniel....Daniel was to be their steak dinner. The next morning though, there sat Daniel with all of those kitty cats with not a scratch on him. Today, the news would read “believe it or not.”

There are  many other incidents in our Bibles that are so remarkable. The list would be a very lengthy one if we listed all of the miraculous events that are beyond human understanding. What about:

• The children of Israel going across the Red Sea on dry land...no mud to be seen.
• A mob of people on a hillside being fed with only five loaves and 2 fishes
• Anyone that was raised from the dead
• An earthquake that opened prison doors to free Paul. An earthquake is a public event.
• Destruction by fire of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
• Are we so used to all of these evens that we no longer sit back in wonder. I realize we believe God can do anything. The Bible itself is a miracle, no matter what physical form it takes... it is a miraculous book. It has been kept and preserved down through the centuries and is still THE all time best seller...miraculous in itself.

But the greatest miracle of all was not that Jesus was born under very unusual and miraculous circumstances although that was miraculous. It didn't have to do with His miracles of healing, feeding or walking on water as wonderfully miraculous as they were. For me personally is the miracle is that He chose to die for me...yep, me with all my sin, faults, warts, and attitudes. For me...this is the greatest of the greatest and if that weren't enough, three days later, He came out of the tomb his friends had lovingly put Him in after His death.  I guess we believe this would make today's headlines, but I have serious doubts about that. Look at all the trouble the Romans went to in order to cover up what happened at that tomb. The world today would probably respond the same. All in all, what Jesus chose to do for you and me was the greatest “believe it or not” that we will never comprehend.

The next time we read our Bibles, let's view it's miraculous events with a little more appreciation of the greatness and might of our God Who can do anything. If He can do all of those things in the lives of those recorded for us, think of all He stands by waiting to do for us. Better yet, let's remember our own miracles brought about through our miracle-working God. We've all had them...it's just that they would never make the evening news, but they were miracles none-the-less. The same God who worked in the lives we see on pages of Scripture is the same God Who works on our behalf. We are such blessed people...believe it or not!!!

Thank You Father for the wonderful ways You have made Yourself known in my life. For every ounce of protection and provision, I thank You. For the miraculous way You have worked in my life, thank You. I love You. Amen

STALE AS SEVEN-DAY-OLD BREAD

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord

unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every

good work, and increasing in the

knowledge of God.

Colossians 1:10

My Grandma had come for an afternoon visit.  I was about five years old at the time, but this is one of those Norman Rockwell scenes that stays in one's mind.  She had broken a hip several weeks earlier.  I had never been around someone who walked with crutches and  I found that to be fascinating.  Our house had a good sized pantry with a window in it that let in lots of sunshine.  Grandma went into the pantry to get some cornbread for a snack.  When she found it, she called out to my Mother, "This cornbread is as stale as seven-day-old bread."  I didn't know what stale was, but knew from that exchange that it wasn't good. 

I'll never forget what Grandma did next.  She sent me to get a big iced tea glass from my Mother.  Meanwhile, she cut a big piece of that stale cornbread and crumbled it in the tall glass.  She got sugar out of a canister and spooned some on top of the cornbread.   Then my Mother brought in a glass bottle of milk.  Grandma poured milk on the cornbread until the milk came to the top of the glass.  She took an iced tea spoon from a drawer and began to eat that mixture.  She gave me a bite of it and I didn't like it, but she ate it like I would eat a dish of ice cream.  I will always picture her leaning against the cabinet facing the sun that seemed to make her gray hair shimmer while eating her mixture of whatever.

Grandma made something that was good to her out of something that may have seemed useless to anyone else.  As I thought of this incident, I kept coming back to the word "stale".  When something is stale it's something perishable that hasn't been used for what it was intended in an expected span of time and perhaps has become dry and hard. 

Guess what?  Our spiritual life is never meant to become stale.  There's no date of expiration on our walk with the Lord and our maintaining a life that is spiritually strong but a staleness can still set in that can render us all but useless for a time. Paul wrote to the Colossians regarding his desire for them in their relationship with the Lord.  In Colossians 1:10,  Paul presented the Christian life as being a very active one, and not an activity that is something with no depth.  When we don't maintain our spiritual walk, we are of about as much use as seven-day-old bread.

I have felt very convicted along this line as of late.  I will use the usual excuse most give, "I've been pretty busy."  Oh, I haven't totally neglected my spiritual walk, but I have been neglectful in spots.  As a Sunday school teacher, I always fight the tendency to read my Bible with teaching in mind and not in thinking of personal application. 

Today while sitting in my special place by the stream, Colossians 1:10 about knocked me over.  It was a real inventory time as I viewed the three major areas of that verse with regard to my own spiritual life.  Paul had strong desires for the people he was writing to, which carries over to us in our day.  God has the same desire for us today.  There are three major things mentioned in this one verse that are vital if our spiritual life is to remain fresh.  (Believe me, I'm not just throwing this in your court.  I am still going over these things for myself.)

1.  "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing..."

Looking at Greek meanings for the word "walk," I found that it can mean making ones way, progressing, or making use of opportunities.  Walking is movement...it is usually the process of taking steps, one by one, moving forward toward a desired end.  The word "walk" here indicates constant motion, a consistency in our walk with the Lord that is very pleasing to Him.  Walking takes a personal determination, time and effort which in the end renders us spiritually healthy.  As we walk in Christ, we become stronger in Him and He is happy about that.

2.  "...being fruitful in every good work,"...

As a Christian, I am to be productive.  I am to be a witness for the Lord which can occur through spoken words as well as through a life lived.  Any contribution you and I can make through our word or service for the Kingdom is fruit.  Fruit doesn't just happen.  Seeds are planted, seedlings are watered and tended.  I may not reap the fruit from a seed I plant, but only be a part of the process.  I am called to be a fruit-bearing Christian and that's a part of who I am to be as a follower of Jesus.

3.  "...and increasing in the knowledge of God."

If we have been Christians for many years, we may get to the point where we feel we know about God as much as we can know.  Sure, we can gather alot of facts.  That's one kind of knowing but those facts don't mean that I really KNOW Him.  I know alot about the life of Billy Graham but I've never met him and don't know him personally.  It's a different kind of "know."  My knowledge about God should contribute to my personal relationship with Him.  I will never come to fully know God but I should be so abiding in Him that my knowledge is very personal.  Ours isn't meant to be a pursuit of frustration.  Our seeking to know God is meant to be an ongoing pursuit of love.

By the way, read verses 11-14 in that same chapter where there is more information regarding our wonderful Heavenly Father.

 We can become as spiritually stale as a seven-day-old loaf of bread.  We can even go on looking good spiritually to others.  After all, a stale loaf of bread on a cabinet shelf looks like a regular loaf of bread until opened or touched and then the real problem is revealed.  May we be ever fresh in our relationship with the Lord.  As for myself, when I become spiritually stale (and hopefully that doesn't happen with regularity), I pray God will help me learn that in my repentance, He'll turn my staleness into something that is a blessing  just like Grandma's concoction was for her.

Dear Father...I love you and want to know you better than I've ever known You in the past.  May I love being in Your presence whether in prayer or contemplative meditation.  Keep me alert to Your still, small voice as You seek to lead me in the ways that please you.  Forgive me for ever allowing a spiritual staleness to set in...keep me fresh.        Amen.

CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY?!!!

Let this mind be in you, which

was also in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:5

If you are like me, you don't like interruptions even though as Christians we are told that each interruption in our lives can be one of God's divine appointments.  To be humanly honest, I still don't like interruptions and invariably they come when I am either the busiest or have so much on my mind that I don't want to even stick my head out of my front door.

Philippians 2:5-11 is as near to a photograph of Jesus we will ever have on this earth.  Paul writes for us a picture in words of who Jesus was as He ministered here.  Verse 5 begins this section  and it gives us a choice as to what we want to do with Jesus in our own personal lives.  Paul doesn't hint but gives a strong suggestion that we "let" something happen.  "Let" is one of those words that puts us in a position to either allow something to happen or not.  We make our decision...we either want the mind of Christ or we don't.

In our picture of Christ Jesus we see several things about Him and who He was as Immanuel, "God with Us""

Verse 6 - Although in the form of God, He didn't take advantage of His position.

(I'm not God but whatever positions I hold, I'm not to take advantage of them.  It should not be my hope to appear more powerful or "in charge" than others.)

Verse 7 - He made Himself of no reputation.  (Ouch!)

                 He took on the form of a servant. (But I would rather be served.)

                 He was made in the likeness of men.  (I too am only human.)

Verse 8 - He humbled Himself. (This could lead us where we don't want to go.)

                 He became obedient (Never liked this past or even present)

                 ...unto death.  (I'm called on to die to self and that is usually costly.)

Sometime read verses 9-11 in this same chapter.  It's a "praise the Lord" section.

If we are to have the mind of Christ,  that we should be always looking for His qualities found

in Scripture, especially the Gospels.  As we find those qualities of Jesus as He lived and ministered, we should incorporate them into our own lives.

One of the things I have noticed most in my recent reading is the way Jesus handled interruptions.  This is very much an area of my life where I don't have much patience.  When my day is planned with several things to do, I don't need a last minute call or someone stopping me to talk in the grocery store.  I like to think I'm organized and find I get more done that way. 

There are some things I've noticed about Jesus as He ministered and the example He has put before for us:

*  I have seen His patience with twelve very rough-around-the-edges-men He had called to be His closest cohorts in the ministry.  He loved them dearly and in this love, I see His patience, grace, forgiveness and every fruit of the Spirit.

*  There were those who needed healing who stopped Jesus while He was on the way to do something else.

*  While on the Sea of Galilee, He was in the back of a boat sleeping when a storm came up and the disciples stirred Him because of their fright.

*  He was healing and teaching in someones house when all of a sudden, a stretcher was let down through the ceiling right in front of Him.  On the stretcher was a palsied man who needed healing.  He stopped and took care of the situation.

*Religious hierarchy any number of times interrupted his teaching with their skeptical and conniving questions.

*  One of the biggest interruptions shown in Jesus' ministry, to me is when the little children came to Him.  They wanted to be around Jesus just like many adults did.  The disciples by now were used to some crowd control but that wasn't Jesus' plan.  After getting the disciples under calmed, He ministered to those children.  Don't believe for a moment that their parents missed this scene.  Children in those days didn't have very much status.  It was expected that Jesus would have kindly shooed the children away...but not Him.

From what I have read to this point, one area I need to deal with in my life is that of interruptions.  I must do this if I am to be like Jesus.  I have loved the old hymn, "Be Like Jesus" and it's chorus that says:

                                                                                                                              

     Be like Jesus...this my song,

In the home and in the throng

Be like Jesus all day long!

I would be like Jesus.

Another old chorus says:

                                                        To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus!

                                                                All I ask...to be like Him!

                                                                    All thru life's journey

                                                                    From earth to glory,

                                                              

I want to be like Jesus and want the mind and thinking of Christ.  It's something I must let (or allow to) happen through His power working in my life.  It's nothing I can put on myself.  Hopefully in it all, Jesus will get all the glory!

Dear Jesus...Thank You for the example You have set for us and may we pattern our lives on Who You are.  Thank You for saving me and empowering me to be all for You that is possible.

Amen

Bitter or Better

Looking diligently lest any man fail

of the grace of God; lest any root

of bitterness springing up trouble you,

and thereby many be defiled.

Hebrews 12:15

The first time I got a taste of real bitterness was when I was about eight years old.  I was down on my Uncle Bob and Aunt Dora's farm.  It was spring as I recall.  Uncle Bob and I were walking through the wooded area that was right next to his farm.  We came to a tree and he pulled a piece of fruit from it and told me to take a big bite of it as it was very good.  He added that I probably hadn't had anything like it in my life and would never forget it's taste.  Well, he was right...I have never forgotten it.  What I bit into was a very unripe persimmon.  I have never put anything in my mouth even to this day that was so bitter. It felt like it was pulling all the sides of my mouth together into one horrible wad.  It was so bad that it scared me and I recall beginning to cry.  I didn't know much about death then, but I wondered if I had eaten some kind of poison that would lead to my early demise.  Everyone I guess has tasted something bitter in nature either accidentally or on purpose just to see what something tasted like.  To this day, I can think of persimmons and almost feel the inside of my mouth tightening up.  However, that incident involved a physical bitterness that one can get over in a fairly short time. 

What about the emotion of bitterness that can so easily become a part of everyone and I do mean everyone.  There hasn't been a single person who hasn't gone through some tough times that left an almost permanent sting in their mind and heart.  We can even go back to the Word of God and see people who let bitterness get the best of them.

Remember Esau who was robbed of his birthright by his brother Jacob?  Talk about bitter.  Esau wanted Jacob's hide nailed to the side of their barn if they had one.  I think of Haman in the book of Esther.  Haman even with a new queen in place felt sincerely that he was in a place to be greatly rewarded by the king for his faithfulness...enter Mordecai...Esther's adopted uncle who proved himself even more faithful and was rewarded above Haman.  Haman was enraged.  John the Baptist was a victim of a bitter queeen who wanted him dead because of his public revelation of the immoral state of the king and herself.  When the opportunity came for the king to give her anything she wanted, of all things, she wanted a head...John's head.  Bitterness ruled her spirit.

I looked up the word "bitter" in a dictionary and there I found it to be an intense animosity that is distressing to the mind that is brought on by some negative event or personal wrong.  I read that and thought of times I have held bitterness inside of me (that wasn't a persimmon) because I felt I had been wrongly treated or very much misunderstood.  I think "intense animosity" is pretty strong, but let's just see it in the daylight for the ugliness it really is

Bitterness is something that can tear us up physically whether we realize it or not.  People end up with ulcers, headaches, obesity and any number of physical problems when unresolved bitterness is present.  This doesn't mean that if someone has an ulcer, it's because of bitterness, but it can be a result.

We also see from our beginning verse that others can be infected  (defiled) by the bitterness we carry.   Others may be exposed to the rot of bitterness that they had nothing to do with.  As people are defiled, it lends us to thinking that others may learn from us how to be bitter and how to not deal with it.  I wonder how many children have learned well from their parents' example how to be bitter and unforgiving just because of things said in front of them, or of examples set before them.

Bitterness eats away at our emotions.  It leaves us churned up mentally most of the time.  It can amount to something that happened years ago that still today "eats ones lunch" so to speak.  It can take us into the waiting room of discouragement and then into the "bawl room" of despondency if left unchecked.  I realize that our pasts can very often take us down roads we don't want to travel and we end up feeling like life has handed us a raw deal.  We must remember that with God in charge, He always has a plan.  Any negatives in our lives, He has meant for our growth and our good... to form us more into His likeness through any suffering we've been called upon to endure.

Bitterness also affects our spiritual being.  When bitterness takes over, and we refuse to do anything about it, we can so easily turn off the tap of God's blessings flowing into our lives.  Let me hasten to add that bitterness is a one person thing.  It's a spiritual matter that must be resolved with an individual.  I can travel all over to find people who have hurt me in the past.  They may not even be aware that they have hurt me.  Talking it over with them could only heighten my frustration and create ill will with another.  Bitterness is something in the end that I will have to deal with in the presence of my holy God.  Not only can the blessings of God be stemmed, but our growth will be affected...can't concentrate on reading the Word...mind drifts when trying to pray, etc.

How am I to get relief from any bitterness I feel and hold in my own heart?  Let me share some brief statements regarding bitterness with a few comments:

Remember that bitterness comes when others hurt us and we refuse to forgive.

If we are waiting for people to line up apologizing for every hurt they have inflicted on us, we'll be waiting a very long time.  Forgiveness isn't enacted because someone apologizes.  We forgive because it's the Christlike thing to do no matter what someone else without remorse has done to us.  Jesus hung on a cross and said, "Father, forgive them..."  We don't read of a long line of people at the cross waiting to apologize to Him.  Jesus forgave anyway and that's what we are called upon to do if we are to be Christlike.  Forgiveness is the antidote to bitterness...it is freeing and healing beyond words.  No one can force us to forgive...it is a personal choice to forgive and to let go of any bitterness we have hung onto and almost befriended.  Yes there are those who have hung onto grudges for dear life almost like a security blanket.  Remember that unforgiveness is the breeding ground for bitterness.

Bitterness comes when we forget God's grace, which is showered on us each day.

More than forgetting what someone has done to hurt us, the most important thing to remember is not the hurts dished out upon us but concentrating on the goodness of God in our own lives.  God's grace is so generously given...can we do less in the lives of others?

Bitterness toward others is sin and we are to get rid of it.

Paul says in the first part of Ephesians 4:31

                                         Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh

                                         words and slander...

There is a cure!!

Paul goes on to suggest a cure in Ephesians 4:32

                                         Be ye kind, one to another, tenderhearted,

                                         forgiving one another, just as God for

                                         Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

In Mark 11:25 we read:

                                         When you are praying, first forgive anyone

                                         you are holding a grudge against, in that

                                         your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

Grudge:  perhaps a more familiar word that is synonymous with the word bitterness.

May we walk in the freedom of forgiveness despite the actions and attitudes of others both past and present.  Humanly speaking, it's impossible. but with God, we have learned that all things are possible.  May we choose to walk in His "possibility" and not flounder in our own weakness.  Oh, and by the way, I have long ago forgiven Uncle Bob.

Father...In Your power, I choose to forgive.  I know that in that way, I can become more Christlike.  I can only do it in Your strength.  You know every hurt I have sustained, but it's nothing compared to Your Son who took on every sin and wrongdoing known to man.  Thank you for that and I love you.   Amen.

Flight to Glory

But this thing commanded I them, saying,

Obey my voice, and I will be your God,

and ye shall be my people:  and walk ye

in all the ways that I have commanded

you, that it may be well unto you.

Jeremiah 7:23

The Learjet was ready.  It had been fueled, two reliable pilots were in place, baggage was loaded and at least four passengers were on board.  A flight plan had been turned in to authorities and on to the control tower.  The time was 9:19 AM Eastern time when the plane took off.  The FAA said air traffic controllers lost radio contact with the plane at 9:44 AM just after they had cleared the twin-engine jet to climb to 39,000 feet.  An FAA spokesman said that air traffic controllers noted "significant changes in altitude" by the plane, but that the aircraft's crew did not respond to repeated radio calls from the ground.

All radio contact had been lost with the Learjet, but air controllers could tell the plane was still airborne.  Any problem with the jet could not be determined at that time.  It appeared that the auto-pilot system had taken over the plane that was now headed northwest.  Several military jets were assigned to locate the plane and keep it in sight.  By 12:54 PM, two Air National Guard F-16s caught up with the Learjet and reported that the aircraft's windows were fogged with ice and that no flight control movement could be seen.  At 1:14 PM, the F-16s reported that the Learjet was beginning to spiral toward the ground.  Throughout the time of it being followed, pilots reported that the Learjet had varied in altitude as low as 22,000 feet to as high as 51,000 feet but never strayed from a northwest heading.

The Learjet was fully equipped with all pressurization equipment as well as oxygen equipment.  The jet had streaked uncontrolled for thousands of miles across the heart of the country,  its occupants apparently unconscious or already dead before it plunged nose first and crashed in a field near Mina, SD.  No one on the ground was hurt and there were no survivors aboard the aircraft which went down in a marshy area.

Names of those on board the Learjet would probably not be known nationwide except for the main person for whom the jet had been requested.  He was a very dapper and popular professional golfer by the name of Payne Stewart who was on his way to Dallas, TX.  He would  then fly to Houston, TX to play in the PGA Championship Tournament, the tour's final event of the year.

More recently, Payne Stewart had found faith in Jesus Christ through the influence of his children.  He commented after that experience, "I'm so much more at peace with myself than I've ever been in my life."  The sports world was shaken by this sudden and mysterious loss of a golf legend, but he had already made a mark for good and for God on all he came in contact with after his salvation experience.

There was nothing to avoid that terrible plane crash event.  All had been done possible to check out the plane and it's ability to function as it should.  I'll never forget seeing on television the first day of that golf tournament in Houston where most of the golf pro's lined up, each teeing up a golf ball and on signal with one synchronized swing, they together hit their golf balls into the air as a salute to Payne Stewart.

As I read all the reports of this tragic incident, I began  to see some spiritual parallels to this situation and I began to draw some comparisons to my own slavation and spiritual experience.  I believe many of these comparisons can be made with other Christians who are alert to their own spiritual walk, and yes, spiritual needs.  Let me share, please.

1.  The day we accepted Jesus as Savior, we got on board with Him and life would never again be the same for us.

*  We accepted a new Pilot for our lives...God Himself.

*   A new life's flight plan was filed.

*  We were fully provided with the assistance of a co-pilot...the Holy Spirit.

*  We took off on a wonderful spiritual adventure for a lifetime and eternity.

2.  Hopefully, through life as we travel with the Lord, we will walk in obedience, fellowship and in close relationship with Him.

3.  For some folks, even though a flight plan is in place, fuel and power in abundance, some things can go wrong to create a breach in that relationship. This breach will never involve Pilot error.  When something like that happens, we have to look in our spiritual mirrors and not at anyone else.

4.  Whatever goes wrong in our relationship with the Lord, will sooner or later be noticed by others.

Trailing pilots observing the troubled plane noticed the windows of the Learjet were iced over.  This was an expected thing to happen in a plane that had lost oxygen and pressurization.  Those are things essential for the preservation of life on a plane.  In our spiritual walk, we must have the essential inputs of God to keep us alive and functioning spiritually.  We need the input of God's Word, times of prayer, fellowship with God's people, etc.  Without those things, there begins to be an icing, a coldness about us that comes when we are lacking those things God has provided to keep us on a steady, spiritual course.

5.  God has a plan.

He doesn't have to turn that plan into anyone but us.  He makes this plan clear to those of us who really want ot know what it is.  Without the knowledge of it, we are flying through life with no direction.  Even if we lose our way, it may appear we are flying on steady course, but it isn't the course God has planned for us.  We will not reach the destination He has in mind without knowledge of that plan and our determination to follow it.

6.  It is always a tragedy seeing a Christian crash. 

 It's never a pretty sight and it takes time for the spiritual recuperating process to take place.  Hopefully such Christians can realize mistakes made and get back on track.  God is always near to help in that process and His help is necessary in that process for it means reaching out to Him in repentance and accepting His way of living life.

Payne Stewart's untimely death was a tragedy to us humanly speaking.  For him, however, it meant nothing but Glory.  For the straying Christian, there is usually a loss of testimony and the opportunity for being a Godly influence in the lives of others.

So, I ask some questions:

1.  Do I know for a fact that I am a born again Christian?

This is the most important question that must be answered.  The born again Christian is Heaven bound.  The person who isn't a saved person will only know a Christ-less eternity.  I am personally thankful I know I am Heaven bound.  It certainly is of no credit to me.  It is all credit to Jesus Christ who paid my debt of sin.  (My Pilot)

2.  How much time each day do I spend in God's Word?  (My fuel)

3.  What is my prayer life like?  (Keeping in contact with the "Control Tower")

4.  Do I really know God's will for my life and if so, am I following it?  (My flight plan)

5.  Am I staying in fellowship with God's people through church, Bible studies, etc.?

(Traveling this life with those of common spirit is an encouragement and help when I need either.)

Our goal is to stay on course with the help of our Pilot and then to reach our final destination.  Along the way, we will experience some turbulence...that's just a part of the trip.  God so dearly loves us and wants us to be a positive witness for His glory.  We must know the Pilot and accept Him into our lives, stay fueled, keep in touch with the control tower, know God's flight plan, follow it and make fellow Christians our fellow passengers on the journey.  Crashing Christians are very sad to behold.  We must do all we can to avoid being a spiritual casualty.  Payne Stewart didn't reach his earthly destination with no fault of his own, but He did reach his Heavenly one.  May it be so for each of us as well...no ticket necessary.

Dear Father, my Pilot...

How I love traveling this life with You.  You are so faithful to love and lead in my life.  I pray I will always listen to You, Holy Spirit, and heed Your voice in my life.  I want to stay on course and so live my life that others will see You in me.  I err so often, but You are so faithful to forgive and steer me back on the right way.  I am so honored to be Your child and look forward spending all of my days with You both now and into eternity.   Amen.