This and That

Grace unto you, and peace, from

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

II Thessalonians 1:2

“Love and marriage, love and marriage...go together like a horse and carriage.”

I was much younger when I first heard that song. It had a wonderful sing/song rhythm to it. Love and marriage...two words closely associated not just by a song but because the two words do go together.

There are lots of words in our vocabularies that seem to be linked with the word “and.” In some cases, those words may just be everyday words or there may be proper names that are associated in the same way. I've been thinking about what some of those associated words are that I've heard through the years, such as: Sears and Roebuck, odds and ends, come and go, black and blue (bruising), up and down, Barnes and Noble, David and Bathsheba, Mary and Martha, soup and sandwich, Psalms and Proverbs, rain and shine, hide and seek, sharps and flats, steak and potatoes, wash and wear, bacon and eggs, bread and jelly, young and old, love and hate...you can probably add some such things to this list but at this point for me, it is an exercise in futility.

However, it was a pattern in words in Scripture that has caught my attention over the last several weeks. I think I've seen them off and on but never really observing how many and their locations. On top of that, the order of the words proved to be interesting as well. These words are found in the New Testament, written consistently by Paul in each of the letters he wrote either to people or churches. They are found near the beginning in each epistle, at least within the first verses of Chapter 1 and often in the first two or three verses.

The two words I'm referring to are: GRACE and PEACE

Paul used those words as a kind of opening blessing in his letters. I thumbed through Paul’s letters, all thirteen of them and found in most cases, this phrase: “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” This sentence can be found in I Corinthians 1:3. Notice in this verse (and will be in some of the others) Who the source is of that grace and peace. It is from God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory be!!!!

There has been so many opinions through the years as to who wrote the book of Hebrews. As I checked that book for the very same phrase, it is not to be found. Why would Paul use that blessing in every book we know he wrote and leave it out of an important book like Hebrews IF he actually wrote it? It's just something to think about.

Looking up various sources on the two words “grace and peace,” I found the following thoughts that by far could not be exhausted or a book would be required to expound on them, thus some definitions that follow might be food for thought:

GRACE:

It is God's divine favor exhibited toward us when we accept Jesus as Savior. Grace can come in the form of hope, the call of God, faith and even forgiveness. God continues to pour that undeserved favor into our lives continually.

PEACE:

Although the world has a form of counterfeit peace, true peace comes from God alone. He is the fountain of peace. When at true peace, a person is free of care or disturbance. Peace is God's gift when we walk in His ways. It is soundness of spirit and well being.

Here is my thought...

Paul never says “Peace and grace.” He consistently puts those two words in the order he did. Here's what I think for what it's worth. There can be NO peace until there is the wonderful experience of God's grace being poured into our lives. God is the source of peace but the real thing isn't available to us until we have the grace of salvation that has been poured into our lives.

When we think of peace, we think of two people, two groups or even two countries being at odds with one another. We may struggle beyond endurance to make peace with another person(s) but unless both people have accepted Jesus as personal Savior, true peace will be an impossibility. Oh, they may be able to come to some agreement and get along with each other for awhile but eventually, things will fall apart again. Real peace only comes through Jesus Christ. This is also why there will never be peace in the Middle East at any time. When unsaved people try to make a permanent peace between their peoples, it'll never work.

Both sides must have God's favor for there to be a lasting peace.

How many times have I been frustrated in a relationship with another where I've done everything I know to do to make amends and nothing seems to work. Even if there is a “cease fire” in the relationship, I often feel that I'm walking on egg shells. I'm not saying the other person isn't saved but remember in one of our definitions for peace is that peace is God's gift when we are walking in His ways. Consistently, Paul also puts those two words in the same order... Grace and Peace. You see, Grace must come first as it has to do with our relationship with God THEN comes Peace. Paul always puts those two words in that order.

When reading Paul's letters to whoever, sometime notice those words of blessing he pronounces at the beginning. Guess what? All those people he wrote to are now dead and hopefully in Heaven. His letters now are for our instruction and blessing. I read most of his letters putting my name where I find “you, ye, thou”. The Word of God is for me right now. I pray I will be able to live up to the GRACE and PEACE God has made available to me and may it be so for you as well.

Thank You Father for all You have invested in my life through Jesus. Help me to live in peace no matter what the behavior of another person might be. Grant me Your spirit of peace and help me to seek and walk in Your ways. I love you. In Jesus precious name...Amen

Love Those Lists

I love the Lord because He hears

my voice and my prayer for mercy.

Because He bends down to listen,

I will pray as long as I have breath.

Psalm 116:1,2

For as long as we have been married, Brian has been in the habit of keeping to-do lists. He always carries 3x5 cards in his shirt pocket and usually one of those cards has on it a list of things he needs to do in the course of his day. He'll even add some long range things to that list. He then methodically crosses through each thing as he gets them done. I do that somewhat mentally but to make sure things get done, he chooses the list-on-card method.

One of my responsibilities in our church is to type up our church prayer list. I provide them to adults on Sunday mornings, then make any corrections for Wednesday night. I'll type the revised ones for Wednesday night and pass it out and will then make corrections again for the following Sunday. That is the routine with the prayer sheet. I hate to say that very often, but a prayer list from church can be just that...routine. For those who have asked to be on such a list either for themselves or for friends and loved ones, there is nothing routine about that prayer list. They are counting on others to be praying for their various needs.

As I look at our church prayer sheet for tomorrow, I see:

-four families who have recently lost loved ones

-five individuals desperate for jobs

-a young boy with a physical problem the doctors can't seem to name or remedy

-a man awaiting a heart transplant

-eight people I know of with cancer

-servicemen overseas

-several unsaved persons

-a wife caring for her husband who has rapidly advancing Alzheimers

Our church is a small church and there are even more requests listed than I have mentioned. Most churches have prayer lists and if not, usually Sunday school classes will have a list they keep. My husband teaches an adult Sunday school class. He told me yesterday that they go over the new prayer list for the week in class. He mentioned to them last week that the list isn't just to go over on a Sunday but is to be taken home and prayed over during the week.

I've been on prayer sheets before. I know what it is to have a sick relative, a husband without a job, various family concerns, and it goes on and on with all of us often facing similar problems. I know during some of those times how desperate I was for godly friends and church members to be praying faithfully for me and mine. Many a time, the prayers of God's people lightened my load and the Son shown brightly in my spirit because of their faithfulness to pray.

Look around your own church or family. Some are dealing with financial problems. Some are living with rebellious teenagers. There are some with physical tests, x-rays, etc. pending who don't even want to mention it but they need our prayerful attention when we hear of it. Others, because of a terminal illness are living with their toes touching the edge of Eternity. On FB, I often find myself broken hearted over some of those with very serious conditions, especially among children. I have two very little boys who keep me praying and not just for them but also for their families who feel so helpless to do anything for their own children. I learned this morning that one of those little boys went to Heaven early this morning, so my prayers now will intensify for those dear parents.

So let me ask what your prayer list looks like? If we have one, are we praying sincerely for those who are depending on us? If we don't have a prayer list, we can make up our own. We don't need anything official from a church or class. This week there is a National Day of Prayer we are called to. We also have a country that is in dire need of our prayers...in fact, many times a day we should be praying for it. Is our country listed on our prayer list?

I started writing about a prayer list from a small church, a prayer list that contains needs on just a half sheet of paper. But it's not just a piece of paper with names. Your list may look different from mine but it still represents needs we are called upon to pray for. There are people counting on us.

In closing let me add something to this. How often have we had someone in passing conversation ask us to pray for them. We often give a quick promise to do just that. We've learned all sorts of affirmative replies to give to such a person. We often walk away and not give that request another thought. May God forgive us for being so casual about something so important in the lives of others.

May we be found faithful in this important area of our spiritual walk. We know that God answers prayer. He never grows weary of our coming before Him be it with our own needs or bringing the needs of others to Him. Our prayers can make such a difference in the lives of those we pray for and who are facing some pretty insurmountable concerns.

Dear Father...Thank You for the privilege of coming to You in prayer. Thank You for listening to me when I come to You with the concerns of others as well as my own. I'm so grateful for Your faithfulness in my life. I love You Father...In Jesus' precious name...Amen

Love My Rut...I Think!

And let us consider one another

to provoke unto love and to

good works.

Hebrews 10:24

When around the age of eight, I remember how much I loved Sunday afternoon car rides to see farmer relatives. My mother and grandmother sat in the front seat of the car while my sister Kay and I sat in the back seat, usually playing with our dolls that we had taken with us. The highway took us only so far to whichever farm we were headed to, but then we had to turn off onto dirt roads. That wasn't so bad unless there had been a big rain. After those rains, most farmers were happy to just stay home until there had been some drying-out time. However, we never knew when it had rained in some areas. If the dirt road looked smooth, it seemed it would be safe...how wrong could we be. Sometimes there were ruts in the road where a farmer had braved the terrible road conditions.

As we had made the trip, my mother would venture forth anyway on the road. If there were tire ruts, she would try to stay to the right or left of them. I remember asking her one time why she didn't drive in the two ditches. She explained that those ditches are actually “ruts” and you never want to get stuck in ruts or you would be forever trying to get out of them. I understood that better after we drove into muddy ruts one day. We sat there until some farmer spotted us and came to pull us out with his tractor. Kay and sat and cried because we thought we would never see our home again. We did get out of the ruts though but with a great deal of effort.

I don't know how often I have said to someone, “I love my comfortable rut.” There is a certain routine to most of our lives where we have found a kind of comfort and security that may not be bad in themselves unless we are happy to stay there, never budging or making any effort to do anything different. For the most part, when we speak of the ruts we find ourselves in, they aren't positive.

Let me say that having a routine in one's life and being in a rut are not necessarily the same things. Having a routine in life is often very beneficial in getting things accomplished. There are certain things I do on certain days of the week. I wash clothes on Monday, iron on Tuesday, type the church bulletin by Wednesday with church that night, grocery shop on Thursday, leave Friday as a free day, go to the church on Saturday to run the bulletin and get things done for the Sunday school department for the next day and then Sunday speaks for itself. That to some folks would sound like a rut and it would be unless I'm willing to shift some things around for the convenience of others or when there are interruptions of some sort.

There are some negative ruts we can get ourselves into without even noticing it. I'll mention a few:

Rut of Offense:

We have known people who stay mad at someone, anyone all the time. If they don't have someone to talk and gripe about all the time, they aren't happy. When we get around them, we automatically know who/what the conversation will be about. Perhaps you and I have found ourselves in this rut at times but through God's help, we've been pulled out of this destructive rut.

Rut of verbal garbage:

Believe it or not, this rut is something we Christians can get pulled into. This rut doesn't have to be out and out cursing or even shady jokes and innuendo. Christians are usually careful about those things. I've been in settings with conversations going on where people are talking about others, bringing up someone else's past junk, taking others reputations apart piece by piece. We forget in such settings that God is very present and hears every word. I've been in settings where I felt like taking a bath after I got home as if I could wash off the conversation I just took part in. Psalms suggests putting a guard over our lips.

Rut of church activity:

Please don't misunderstand me on this one. Serving the Lord however He leads is important for us to be a part of. Our service though can be so routine that we don't even give the Lord a thought as we are fulfilling certain activities. Singing in the choir can end up just providing us with the best seat in the church during a service. I play the piano for our services. I must admit that there are times I play and that's it. I can play with rarely thinking about what I'm playing and why. Some Sunday school teachers love that status and have taught for years but it's become the same routine job being done week after week. In this area, we need a real tug from the Holy Spirit to get us back on track...the track of sincere service for the Lord.

Rut of comfort:

This can be a bad one. For folks who have retired like I have, there's a danger in sitting and doing nothing, thinking we've earned that time. There is no where in Scripture where we are given permission to give up on life and service for God. That place of comfort can make us ill from being self-absorbed. We can become lazy, not available to the needs of others and certainly not available to God's calling on our lives. There's nothing wrong with a certain amount of comfort but not to the point of shutting out all opportunities for having meaning in the lives of others as well as for the cause of Christ.

Rut of sin:

This rut is a very personal one. I understand that sin is sin and God hates it in us. I doubt that any of us have murdered anyone or robbed any banks. We put things like that at the top of the Sin List. The Lord isn't any happier with our bad attitudes, lack of spiritual discipline, overeating, and anger than some of those biggy sins...and on and on it could go.

Rut of self:

All of the other ruts mentioned could probably fall in this category. When in the rut of self, our attitude is “I'm going to live life like I want to live it and it's not of anyone's business.” That statement might shut the mouths of our critics but the self absorbed person will be happily settled into their own personal rut with no thought for others or even for God Himself. This is one of the hardest ruts to get out of because many times, we don't realize we're in this one and it might take some convincing. When we recognize it, we then have to want to do something about the problem. Our God is the God of the impossible and can even give us victory over this rut, but we must work together with Him to budge from this one.

No matter the rut we might find ourselves in, the Holy Spirit stands ready to convict us. We need to be listening to His prompting all the time. He also will empower us to get out of whatever rut has it's hold on us. Let's remember that the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, is the same Spirit that resides in all of us who claim Jesus as Savior. Through Him, we are more than conquerors and we can walk in spiritual victory above and around the ruts of life.

Dear Father, I'm so grateful that You know me and You can help me move out of my selfish ways. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me despite my sinful ways. I love You...Amen

Some Lessons From the Cross

Art thou the King of the Jews?

...And Jesus said unto him (Pilate),

“Thou sayest.”

Matthew 27:11b

With this being the Easter season, I've been thinking about those latter days of Jesus prior to His crucifixion. There's much to be learned from Jesus' life all through the Gospels, but I find some things of very practical use in those crises days when Jesus was up against more cruelty and unfairness than we could ever imagine.

One thing especially has stood out to me as Jesus faced the false accusations and horrible treatment. There are songs about Jesus never saying a single word in all of the trial and torture process. Those songs are wrong. All we have to do is read the Gospel accounts and see where Jesus did speak, but what He said was in answering questions posed by authorities. He could have spoken up more than He did. He could have with a snap of His finger done great damage to any of His enemies but didn't.

I think the thing about Jesus' “last words” was that whatever He did say During trials or from the cross, was never with complaining, defending Himself, bitterness or threatening. No one ever went through what Jesus did. He was not only going through the crucifixion process but was also taking on the sin of mankind. No one else ever did what He did. I had to think on a personal level when I am hurt by another or misunderstood, am I prepared to just keep my mouth shut about it, letting God take care of the situation.

Philippians 2:5 tells us to “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus....” As we think about Jesus, Who and all He is/was, we are commanded to do the same. We will be tested on a verse like that and we will be expected to be as much like Him as possible. As we read about Jesus in the Gospels, we find that it wasn't just at the time of His trial that He set a guard over His speech. He was careful of His speech at all times whether in dealing with disciples, religious leaders, close friends or family members.

I've had people in my life as I'm sure some readers have had as well, who set out to deliberately do damage to me. That's what Jesus faced with officials out to destroy Him. As I've gone through the ire and bitterness of some, it's been hurtful. Jesus knew those hurtful times in his ministry, and prior to His crucifixion as well.

The other thing I see in Jesus' last hours that have meant much to me were some things Jesus said from the cross. I've often heard well-meaning folks say that we should never ask God, “Why?” My reply to them is that if Jesus could ask His Father that same question from the cross, in our following Him I feel I too can ask the same in the hearing of a very loving Heavenly Father who understands my hurts and weaknesses more than anyone I know.

One of the biggest things Jesus prayed from the cross has also had great effect on me. He prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” To me, this had to be a most difficult prayer for Jesus under His very human circumstances. It was all so unjust. No one apologized to Him for their wrong doing but He forgave and forgave big time. You and I know that He didn't deserve death on a cross, but chose that way to not be a martyr but to be our redeemer and Savior. I can't imagine the horrible pain He endured in every way...physical, emotional and spiritual all wrapped up in one. He didn't just pray that prayer of forgiveness for the soldiers around the cross. That prayer was prayed for you and me as He paid the price for our sin. Through it all, He redeemed us, saved us, sacrificed for us, conquered death for us and showed His love for us beyond what we can fathom. If Jesus can forgive under those circustances, who am I to fail to forgive even if an offender doesn't know I've forgiven her.

As I have viewed these things Jesus has shown me, that I have to ask what direction I intend to go. You and I are to love, pray for and yes forgive those who wrong us. We're called upon to do all three no matter who the person might be. I must rest in my relationship with Jesus, putting into practice those things He's brought to my attention anew in this wonderful season of the year. All three are difficult when circumstances are trying, but God's grace is sufficient for our every need. Jesus provided it all for us. For us, Easter should be every day of the year in the practice of our very expensively purchased salvation. Because of Jesus, we walk in victory over Satan and sin.

“Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.”

Thank You Father for sending Your Son to die for me and all others. Thank you Jesus for being willing to give of Yourself, thus enabling me to walk in victory over sin and death. I love You today like at no other time. I pray I will be aware that everyday is Easter in my life. Amen

Who Is JESUS To Us?

When Jesus came into the coasts
of Caesarea Philippi, He asked
His disciples, saying:
Whom do men say that I the
Son of Man am?
Matthew 16:13

In the above verse, Jesus asked of his disciples an interesting question. He wanted to know who common, ordinary people thought Him to be? Their response to Him was as honest as they could be. There were some who thought that Jesus was John the Baptist while some thought of Elijah. Others thought Jesus to be a prophet, perhaps Jeremiah or one of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus referred to Himself with a very familiar term that He often used for Himself...Son of Man. That was the earthly, human term He used for Himself.

The most important part of this exchange was when Jesus then asked, “But whom say ye that I am?” We don't know how everyone responded but we do know that Peter spoke up as was the usual thing for Peter to do. Very profoundly, Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” One of the hardest things for the Jews at that time was accepting the fact that if Jesus was the Messiah, He wouldn't have appeared as they had always heard He would. Down through their history, the expectation of the Messiah was that when He came, He would probably come on a white horse followed by an army that would save them from all of their enemies. There was no way they could believe in the Bethlehem part of Jesus' story. There was absolutely no way, a Messiah would end up on a cross, not even defending Himself. How very wrong could especially those Jewish leaders be.

No matter where we go today, we may find ourselves surrounded by people who, in their own articulate ways want to share with us who Jesus or God is to them. In these instances, their descriptions of Jesus would be used only in vile or profane language. However, I hasten to add that although that grouping of people, mostly unsaved we think, even with their profanity still can express in their own ugly ways who they think Jesus or God to be.

I'm wondering if Jesus could speak to us in His Son of Man form and ask us who we say who He is to us personally, what would be our response beyond the usual generic names we would give. Many Christians in our day hardly give Jesus a thought in the course of their everyday living.

Lately in our ladies Bible study, I have encouraged our ladies in their Bible reading, to circle or underline all of the names for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit along with characteristics that might be used in describing Him (them)....such as “The LORD is my SHEPHERD.” There find Lord for a name and Shepherd that can be a name or characteristic. I've always suggested as we read our Bibles to always be looking for God...to learn a new name or description. As we do this, our hearts are warmed.

When we go through some really tough times, it's good to have learned some of those terms that we can reflect back on and think deeply about, reminding us of how precious He is to us. In a tough time, I don't always feel like doing a lot of reading so anything I can remember who God is and how much Jesus has meant to me I am encouraged.

I have a little notebook that I purchased at Hobby Lobby several years. It's my God notebook. In that notebook I have listed names for God/Jesus I've come across in my Bible reading. I've listed personal characteristics and anything else I've been able to come up with. This book is handy for me to just pull out and read about those things God is in my life. It warms my heart and encourages my mind more than I can begin to say.

So, if you and I were asked by someone, “Who is Jesus to you?” Could I get much further than “Savior” or “Lord?” What other qualities or names should be familiar to me simply because of my relationship with Him and looking back on God's goodness and support in my life.

Let me try with no notes in front of me: Savior, Lord, Shepherd, way, truth, life, healer, shield, light, salvation, intercessor, hope, living water (just taught that one), Father, Bread of life, great I AM....as I look at this list, I can see where He has been these things to me more than once in my life. I could list more probably but wanted those things that have meant much to me in more recent days.

I don't want to be casual with God or His name. I grow weary hearing about the Big Daddy in the Sky, the Big Man Upstairs...the Holy Spirit really gets a raw deal on the part of many who don't even know Him at all. God's name is to be respected. There are things people wouldn't dare call Queen Elizabeth in her presence because of their respect for her position. Why would anyone dare to disrespect any name of God with Him being the very God and Creator of the Universe.

Who is God/Jesus to you and me today without having to even sit and ponder the question. That will say more about our relationship with Him than we can ever know. We shouldn't be casual with our answers. The word “Savior” is thrown around a lot but is that a name with real meaning for us? It certainly should but what does His name really mean to us.

Let's remember as we see in Philippians 2:10-11 that a day is coming ….”That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” No longer will our precious Savior's name be a curse word for all will bow the knee and their tongues will confess Jesus to be Lord. Wow...what a day that will be!

Dear Lord Jesus, I'm so grateful for You, Your friendship, provision, watch care, healing and so many other things I could list. Thank You for these things and I pray I will always be grateful and will follow You without hesitation. I love You....Amen

Cast It Off

 

Casting all your care upon Him;
for He careth for you.
I Peter 5:7

One of the interesting things to observe in our mountains is the fishing that goes on. There are those primarily men who are very serious about their fishing. The are outfitted from head to food in their fishing attire that includes their waders. The gear they carry looks to be some of the best that can be purchased. Some just stand on the bank and throw their lines half-way in to our river. Some stand in the middle of the river and cast their lines with great bravado either up or downstream. They have become experts at casting their lines right where they want the lure to land in the water.

One year in our small church, the Vacation Bible School leaders decided to include the junior high kids in VBS that year. It was one of the best Bible Schools I can remember being a part of. We did much more in the way of Bible memory that summer. I'll never forget learning that verse from I Peter 5:7 but must admit that I didn't fully understand it. One leader said that it meant we were to give our problems to Jesus. Her assistant added that the word casting was stronger than just giving over our problems to Jesus. It was more like tossing them to Him.

As of late, I've come across some folks who are facing some very difficult situations, the kind of situations we want to jump in and take care of on our own. One person I know is facing some real financial difficulties. A parent is struggling with a child's serious health issues. There are about three ladies I know who also have some health issues they are facing. Some parents I know are trying to deal with a wayward teenager. A friend of mine has recently gone through a broken engagement. Those of you who read this could add to this list many times over.

Whatever problems I face, I'm not going to go down to our river with a fishing rod. Whatever casting I do is going to have to be within me...person to person with Jesus. So how do I suggest we do this:

C - Commit your burden to the Lord. As a child of God, He wants His children to feel such an intimacy with Him that we can turn any problem or care over to him, much like children go to their parents with problems. God has the power to do what we cannot.

A - Ask in prayer for His help. We will often turn to everyone but Him when we are facing problems. Philippians 4:6,7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindsthrough Christ Jesus.”

S - Search the Scriptures. We may not feel like getting into a deep Bible study when going through difficulties but we should have some emergency Scriptures in our arsenal of Bible verses both in the way of favorite chapters (often Psalms) or verses we have memorized. There is both physical and spiritual strength in the word of God.

T - Trust God. He really does care for us even more than we could ever care for our own children. Proverbs 3:5 admonishes us to: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” It's in the tough times we want to implement our own wisdom and know-how. We are to be as wise as possible in whatever decisions we have to make but trusting God with everything we are is the key.

In our society today, there has come to be a rather new term...”caregiver.” We read about them or even may know someone who falls into this kind of responsibility. If the day comes that I need a caregiver, it will be devastating for me. When I need a caregiver, it will mean that there is very little I can do for myself as I will be too ill or disabled to even do some of the least of things for myself. What a blessing caregivers are. Their job is not easy and entails a heavy responsibility and we are grateful for everyone of them be they parents, special nurses, etc. We're in a day when we know we need them. In it all though, I hope we can’t lose sight of our very best Caregiver. We don't have to have cancer, a broken leg, old age or incapacitated in come way. He is on duty 24/7 and extends care to us whether we are in danger, ill or healthy as can be. He's the best and we can't forget that.

We will have seasons of rest in our lives and it's during those times we can come along side of those who are going through some tough times of care. They need our spiritual support and love as we encourage them to take everything to THE One and only Who has the answer to every problem or care. When we feel that no one understands...no one cares...we must cling to the fact that Jesus, our personal Caregiver cares deeply about us and any problem or concern that comes our way.

Dear Jesus...I am thinking right now of some folks are dear to me who are going through some tough stuff right now. I wish I could spare them some way from what they are going through but I know that You are the only One who can reach deeply into their circumstances and fill them with Your peace and assurance. May they sense Your presence right now like never before. I love you....In Your Precious Name....Amen

It's Not An Amusement Park

 

Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise:

be thankful unto Him, and

bless His name.

Psalm 100:4

Last Sunday, I was reminded of one of my favorite teachers of all time...Mrs. Lilley, who taught in my junior high school. One class she taught was a combination of penmanship and orthography. First day in her class, I pretty much knew what would be involved when it came to penmanship, but knew nothing about orthography. At first I didn't like that part of the class, but it came to be one of the most valuable classes I had in all of my educational experience including college. In orthography we basically learned how to dissect a word that contained two or more syllables putting the meaning of those parts of the word together to define the word. It is a “skill” I continue to use to this day.

For an example of how this skill benefits me today, I was recently reminded in one of my pastors sermons, of the word “amuse.” For some reason, I quickly scanned that word and it's two parts in my mind. It immediately struck a spiritual chord with me. That “a” at the beginning of “amuse” means “no,not.” The second part of the word, “muse” means to “think or meditate.” So “a-muse” means in essence to not think or meditate. When amused or being amused, you and I are removed from serious thinking or meditating..a diversion so to speak from the serious, to being amused or entertained.

Have you noticed in recent years the trend of many of our churches across America to go the amusement route. Churches are giving up on having choirs...now they have what my husband refers to as a “chorus lines.” Many are going to the music of the world...same melody line and beat with Christian words applied and not even that many words. Many Sunday schools are going to group teaching or should I say entertaining their children and youth. Folks don't seem to have a deep interest in good Bible preaching. Many church attenders want to attend and leave with not much of a change in their lives.

What's the point? We must be very careful in today's spiritual climate to avoid spiritual amusement as much as possible. That doesn't mean we don't smile, laugh or have a good time at church. It does mean having a good perspective on what is appropriate for the local church. I wonder sometimes what the early church fathers in Jerusalem would think if they could come back and visit some of our churches. What would Paul think of a rock 'n roll atmosphere in some services? I think they would all be shocked and sickened.

I have looked at some churches' bulletins to see what activities are offered to mostly “amuse” their members. I found some really amazing activities. Some such activities are: Garden Club, Book Club, exercise classes of various types, Sewing Circles, and yes, there are some Bible study groups. Many Bible study groups are taught through videos which can easily become entertainment in nature. I see children in church playing computer games and have even seen adults doing it as well. Often you and I hear phones ring during a service. We have someone in our church who has a phone alarm that goes off at about five minutes before the end of our Sunday morning service. Can't figure that one out unless it's meant to be a hint to the pastor that his time is about up.

Believe it or not, I'm not mad at anyone. I do think we've gotten so far away from what the church is meant to be. It's primarily to win the lost to Christ and then grow those babes in Christ to some maturity. It's also for the purpose of teaching and growing Christians to even greater spiritual maturity. It's to serve others who are in need and needs can certainly vary in our day as well as in those early days of the church.

Is Jesus not enough for us anymore or is this entertainment and electronic age keeping us from what He would desire that we be. Sometimes even our minds can be pre-occupied with circumstances that can keep us from times of worship in our church services. I often find myself guilty of having the straying thoughts and not on the things that are important at that time.

As is usual, Scripture gives us some answers and we see that in Psalm 100. We can even train our children regarding some of these things and hope that they will also learn by our example. From verse four we are told (no suggestion) to:

• Enter His gates with thanksgiving
• Enter with praise
• Be thanking to Him
• Bless His name

If we approach a church service with those attitudes, I wonder how much more our lives would be enriched for good and for God. He so deserves our undivided attention even if we need to work hard at removing unnecessary distractions. In it all, may our supreme desire be to please our Heavenly Father in all things, loving Him like we've never loved Him before and giving Him our undivided attention. He deserves no less of us, especially when in our church services.

Dear Father, forgive me for being so inattentive at times when in Your house where I should worship You instead of having a wandering mind. I love You but want to love You even more.  Help me to take advantage of every opportunity in my church and elsewhere to worship you. In Jesus' precious name....Amen.

So Blessed!

O love the Lord, all ye his saints:

for the Lord preserveth the faithful,

and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

Be of good courage, and He shall

strengthen your heart, all ye that

hope in the Lord.

Psalm 31:23,24

Recently, a young, dear relative of mine put something very special on FB that featured two groups of people. Both groups live far away from our country but we share with them, I trust, a love for the most precious book in the world...the Bible.

The first group featured was of the Kimyal tribe in Indonesia. Those people were shown in a brief film, gathered at an air field awaiting the landing of a plane. Most of the tribe had already been saved and regularly receive great preaching. Many were in their tribal attire and the rest dressed like most folks would dress much like we might see in our country except much more decently. They were singing, crying, rejoicing, clapping in anticipation of the small plane's arrival. When the plane landed, everything was very orderly. Tribal leaders walked slowly to the plane where a pilot handed them a huge package. It was the arrival of God's word in their own language. Many had memorized verses and chapters of it already, but now, people in the tribe could have their own copy of the New Testament. The whole tribe was there, happy and rejoicing out in the open with no threats or pressure brought about by anyone including whatever government was involved. It's interesting that the older members of the tribe wanted the Bibles to go first to the younger members of the tribe. It was hoped they would begin building a firm foundation in their lives and families based on the Word of God.

The second short film was totally different from the Kimyal tribe. It featured a secret gathering of Christians in China. The room was filled with young adult Christians. Some folks came into the room with two huge suitcases. When opened, there were Bibles in their language. With great reverence, each person approached the suitcases and picked up a Bible. Many wept...many stood kissing their Bibles. Some just closely held their new Bibles to their bodies. China is full of secret churches. One shown was in a cave. One church has a service daily at 4:00 AM for a couple of hours. A visiting pastor preached one day for four hours. Another day, a pastor preached from 8:30 AM-7:00 PM with preferably no breaks. Most attendees stand the entire time. They so love the Lord, each other, the privilege of worship, and God's Word that they will worship by the hour despite what could happen to them if the government found them in their secret places. In one area of China, it is estimated that there are 3,000 secret house churches and that is done at great risk. We need to be praying for those dear saints of God for His protection over them as they worship together.

As I finished watching these brief films, I looked across the room at the two bookcases in my living room. One holds mostly Bibles while the other has Christian books and materials. They are all at my finger tips. I am so spoiled and take so much for granted, and by the way, so do you, my reader friend.

I am a member of a small church and , we have just started our spring ladies Bible study session. I always hope for at least seven ladies. I can't imagine what it would be if I were to sneak into China where I could teach ladies there from God's Word. No telling how many would come even at great risk to their lives not because I would be speaking but because they just want to hear the Word presented anytime they can. In most churches in America, church attendance is slipping. Churches that entertain will usually run a large group of people who go for the entertainment. Baptists have always joked about how if it rains on a Sunday morning, the attendance will be low because “Baptists don't like being sprinkled.” I wonder what happens if it's raining in China when the word goes out that there will be church on a given day. I doubt that they give a good care about rain, storms or muddy shoes.

I wonder too what is done with all of the new Bibles I saw being passed out in both places that were featured. I wonder if they sit on a shelf somewhere, untouched for several days without being read. I seriously doubt that such happens.

In many places such as the the second location mentioned, they practice their faith at great risk...their church attendance must be a secret. Should any word get out about those Chinese Christians receiving Bibles, they could not only have those Bibles confiscated but could perhaps lose their livelihoods or even their lives. They worship and pray at great peril. Even a very good friend could betray those Chinese Christians. These folks find ways to witness to people. They are fearless. When we witness for Christ, the most we face is embarrassment or perhaps the loss of friends which really are small prices to pay.

God needs us, in our day to stand for Him with no shame. It's not just the unsaved that need the Gospel but we too need the feeding of the Word of God. We need to be an influence for God in our nation even among those who claim the name of Christ. We need to look anew at our Bibles...how often we read them...how often we apply to our lives those things we do read. We also need to consider the privilege of worship. Perhaps we need to get back to the basics before we lose some freedoms we too often take for granted.

Lord Jesus...Thank You for the Bible I have at arms reach right now. I thank You for the privilege of regular worship with my Christian family. You have blessed me in abundance and I can't begin to relate to those across the oceans to would love to own a Bible or who would love times of worship without fear. Thank You, Lord Jesus.....Amen

The Well of Our Lives

Eat thou not the bread of him that

hath an evil eye, neither desire thou

his dainty meats:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so

is he....

Proverbs 23:6-7A

Our pastor recently made a comment during a sermon that really got my attention. In fact, I even put it in this weeks church bulletin. I'm just hoping people will catch onto the thought of the comment. He said:

“Whatever is in the well,

will come up in the bucket.”

                                                                  M. Kelley

I was immediately reminded of the verse from Proverbs I have put at the top of this article. There's a lot of pretense in Christian circles today. When a well-known Christian goes astray, folks always wonder what happened to cause that person to “fall.” It's really not hard to figure out. It didn't just happen...it wasn't a moment of slippage...it was what was in the well, the deepest part of one's heart that came up in the bucket...that came to full light.

I dearly love iced tea and have since junior high school. But never in my life even to this day have I had iced tea like that iced tea that was made from country well water. My Uncle Bob and Aunt Dora's farm was a favorite place for us to visit. While adults visited, my sister Kay and I would run over the low hills, play near a very small trickle of a stream and tromp through a nearby wooded area. When I got older, I got to go and spend long weekends with them. I loved playing in the hay loft of the barn, of trying to milk a cow, collecting eggs from the hen house...but the thing I really loved was drawing water out of their well. Aunt Dora had a hand pump at her kitchen sink but the water used for cooking and drinking was pulled from the well by a very long rope attached to a bucket.

I learned how to remove the wooden raft-like cover that secured the well. There were enough bricks around it so that no one could miss where the well was, but the cover was to keep anything out of the well that shouldn't be there. I recall forgetting one time to put the top over the well and Uncle Bob was pretty upset with me. He said, “If a bunch of bugs gets into the well, then you will end up with “buggy water” when you pull the bucket up.” I recall being young enough to not understand the concept but I certainly do now.

What kind of bugs or other varmints are we allowing into the depths of our lives? I don't care how often we attend church, Bible studies, read Bibles, give generously when the offering plate passes us, hold a church office or sing every hymn in the hymnbook by heart, that may be only surfacy stuff. When we leave that protective lid off of our inner being, it's amazing the junk that can get in and taint what God intends to be pure.

I know a Christian lady who is very active in her church. She does so many really good things for people, is very thoughtful of the needs in the lives of others. She is generous almost to a fault and on good days, is a lot of fun. If the bucket is pulled from the depths of her life on any given day, one could find anger, self-centerdness and even evil. It's a very sad thing to behold. Along the days of her life, she has left the cover off that God intended to protect her inner self. May I say that any of us can fall into the same situation. We live in a day where Satan is in attack mode like never before. No where is Satan more active than in our minds. He loves when all we think about are bad things and those things can run the gamut. Our thought lives can keep us upset at people and situations all the time if we dwell there. Satan smiles when we allow our minds to entertain constant flows of evil thoughts, especially about people. Satan wants to taint the well-springs of living water that Jesus has provided for our lives.

I love the incident in Scripture where Jesus meets and speaks with the Samaritan woman in John 4. In verse 14, a precious promise is given by Jesus:

But whosoever drinketh of the water

that I shall give him shall never thirst;

but the water that I shall give him

shall be in him a well of water

springing up into everlasting life.

I love the picture that verse presents. Look at what He gives us...a well of pure water...that springs up...into everlasting life. Why wouldn't I want to keep that well protected from the things of Satan and the world? Why would I want to let bitterness, anger, ill will and a host of other things seep into that well? God will forgive those things and will empower us to overcome those things. We can do anything through Him. Left to ourselves though and at the most inopportune times, that bucket will draw from the well inside of us and what comes up, may not only keep us poisoned but will spill over into the lives of others.

Just remember: “Whatever is in the well, will come up in the bucket.”

Lord Jesus, only You and I know my heart condition. I don't want anything there that will displease You. I want my life to be pure in motive and action. Convict me when I need it and help me to be all for You I can be. I love You....Amen

Hide and Seek

When thou saidst, Seek ye My

face; my heart said unto Thee,

Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

Psalm 27:8

It was an exciting day for me when at the age of 9, our family moved from one house to another. The house we moved to was right behind the grade school I attended. Our move was only about three blocks, but any kind of move seems to put a family into a whole new world.

The wonderful thing about our new location was that school's playground and it was a huge one. It had every kind of play equipment you could think of. There was a regulation softball field and a full basketball court. There was also a smaller softball field for younger kids. I loved some of the very large bushes that landscaped the school grounds because they were big enough to climb under and build a playhouse underneath the bush. We got by with that until “Shorty”, our maintenance man would discover us and chase us out of the bushes with our dolls, doll clothes and blankets. “Shorty” lived in the basement of the school so he was usually alert to anything going on. All I had to do was cross the street to go to school or to play anywhere on the school grounds after school.

Evenings were the best times to play there. I think every adult has a picture of those evenings after supper when it wasn't dark yet and we could play outside until a parent called us home. It was during those times though that we chose to play our “hiding” games. Sometimes we played Kick the Can. Other times, we played One-Two-Three Release but most of the time we played good ole fashioned Hide and Seek. Think of having a more than half of a block to hide on. Most often though we decided on boundary lines as to how far we could go to hide.

I remember one night when it was getting pretty close to dark. A new girl came to play with us and we were going to play Hide and Seek. She didn't have to be “it” the first time. All she had to do was hide and hide she did. In fact, we all had checked in at THE tree and soon went home because parents were calling. No one even thought about that girl that she hadn't checked in at the tree...we just forgot about the new girl. Her mom came looking for her daughter. A couple of us went to help her look. In those days we didn't think about kidnapping or bad things like that. We looked and found her under one of my favorite bushes. (Where was “Shorty” when we needed him.) She hadn't understood the game. She thought someone would come looking for her so she just stayed put until someone showed up. She was cold and looking a little on the frightened side but was fine. I don't think she ever showed up again to play that game with us.

Do you ever feel like that little girl spiritually speaking? There have been times in my life when I have felt hidden away. I may have felt hidden under piles of problems and concerns. I might be hiding out of choice when feeling very alone, when I really don't want to be bothered by people. Illness might keep me cowering under a “big bush” of my own imaginings. I might even feel like the new kid on the block who doesn't quite understand some unfamiliar rules of life where God has planted me. Bottom line, I just might feel a loneliness that comes from feeling shut out by others and may at times ask the question, “Where is God?”

I have news for us...we are called to be seekers. No matter the games of life we become involved in, we are always to have our antenna's up seeking fellowship and leading from our father.

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” Is. 55:6

Every now and then, our “Faith Button” might get a little out of whack so Hebrews 11:6 encourages us to keep seeking and believing:

“But without faith it is impossible too please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

The comforting thing is that God, our shepherd is always seeking us. He won't leave us under a bush or under a load of circumstances we can't bear alone. Under the worst of circumstances, He is always seeking us out. I love Ezekiel 34:11:

“For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.”

If you want a real blessing, some Scripture to cuddle up with, read that 34^th chapter of Ezekiel, verses 11-16 if you need a refresher course regarding that Great Shepherd in our lives who will always seek us out.

The key, however, is for us to not play games with God. We can't hide from Him anyway even though at times we feel like we have done it successfully. He seeks us to draw near...are we seekers though with a strong desire for His care, wisdom and fellowship. He shouldn't have to come looking for us but we certainly should be ever seeing Him out.

Dear Father...don't give up on me. Keep seeking for me when I stray or try to hide from You. Please beat every bush seeking me out and empower me to be ever seeking a consistent relationship with You. I love you...Amen