In God We Trust

It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put confidence in man.
Psalm 118:8

There are always those in these days who like to mess around with the basic principles of our country. There also those who are un-American, who want to tear down those spiritual basics that have come to be so meaningful for all of us. “In God We Trust,” the motto of our country has recently come under fire. What bothers me about this is that as much as we Christians fuss about folks wanting to do away with this precious motto, we Christians have the privilege of placing our trust in our wonderful, loving Father and often continue relying on our own resources.

Looking up the word “trust,” I find that it is the belief that someone or something is reliable, good, honest and effective. It is also the reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety of a person or thing. These are mere definitions of what trust is and all of it, we find in Jesus Christ and more. There isn't a thing we face but what we can dump it in Jesus' lap. We can trust Him with any care or problem we face. He is ever present and we can rely on His ability to work on our behalf.

We've all seen it or we have done it ourselves. I think dads especially like doing it while doting moms look on. The first time I saw it done was my own dad with my little sister Kay. He put Kay standing on the edge of our front porch when she was about 2 years old. He stood below at ground level. Our porch was rather highd and Daddy extended his arms upward to Kay and encouraged her to jump. It was obvious that Kay had never done this before. Mother and I both called out encouraging words to her to jump. I had done this any number of times and knew that Daddy never dropped me. After a few minutes, Kay jumped into Daddy's arms with her banana curls bobbing in the air. She did it a second time, still reluctant but more trusting than the first time. With practice not just on that day but other days, she could jump off of that porch into Daddy's arms with abandon.

I have seen dads do this and at times would teasingly pretend to drop the child with a deep catch and unbeknown to that dad, a trust was broken. All it took was one jump like that that broke a trust that was hard to retrieve.

In recent days, I've gone through some difficult things in my life. When it rains, it pours and that's the way it's been for me. I'm afraid for a time, I did what I've done before in trying to work things out for myself. Trusting God in the hard times just wasn't registering with me. I wish I could be a spiritual giant who immediately puts my trust where it ought to be but I often fail. The Lord seems to let me do my struggling and then He so very gently steps in with His sweet assurance that I can rely, and yes, trust Him to sustain me and work on my behalf.

I know that the Lord is faithful to His Word and because of that, He is more than trustworthy. Just want to share some things from God's Word that will encourage us. Some of these are very familiar, but all should encourage us to place our trust in Jesus with no hesitancy.

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust,
and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH
is my strength and my song; He also
is become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:2

For therefore we both labour and
suffer reproach, because we trust
in the living God, who is the
Saviour of all men, specially
of those that believe
I Timothy 4:10

Then, of course, is the old but good verses from Proverbs 3:5,6:

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths.

I have decided that in my own life, I must make the decision to trust. In the course of life, I have had people who “dropped” me, destroying whatever trust I had at the time. We've all experienced times where people have disappointed and let us down. Trust under those circumstances was seemingly destroyed. However, Jesus has never let us down...He's never dropped us when we have jumped into His loving arms. I want my first reaction in times of difficulty to trust in the Lord Jesus. I invite you to join me in this wonderful venture of trust.

Dear Father...I praise You for being worthy of my trust in every way. Increase my faith in the fact that You can solve any problem I face. I love You...in Jesus' precious name...Amen

The Sweetest Name

 

...and thou shalt call His name JESUS
Matthew 1:21b

Very recently, I heard something very convicting in a sermon. The preacher was suggesting that for the most part, Christians can go day after day never even speaking the name “Jesus.” He added that a sad fact is that if not careful, even on Sunday's in church, we might go the entire day not hearing Jesus' name. At first I was shocked at both statements. I thought quickly to my own teaching of my Sunday school class and had to ask, “Do I ever mention His name in the course of my teaching?” Today's Sunday school literature tends to be very topical so a teacher can get lost in a topic and not in Jesus. The sad thing is that we may hear His name used in cursing out in the world where God isn't honored. If the world misuses that precious name, I'm not surprised. However, what's with us if we never counter-act the world's evil usage of that precious name by never speaking it in love ourselves.

In an acrostic using His precious name, I am reminded of just a few of His qualities that have meaning in my own life:

J- JOY...as I am reminded in Scripture that “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”

E- ETERNAL LIFE...because of Jesus, my Savior, and His love I have eternal life.

S- STRENGTH...He is my strength and shield in all circumstances of my life.

U- UNCHANGING...yesterday, today and forever...consistently the same.

S- SHEPHERD...this poor, dumb sheep needs tending and I love my shepherd.

We could use so many wonderful words for Him in an acrostic like this because He's just too precious to describe in one small article. You could look at the letters of His name and add your own characteristics you have found in our Lord. I could write blogs on all sorts of topics that I would hope could encourage, bless and perhaps help with some healing. However, there is no one like Jesus who has all the answers to our lives whether in our ups and downs or in's and outs.

In these days, I have been reminded of the chorus from a hymn:

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.

Dear Jesus, I thank You today for who You are in my life. Forgive my laxity in thinking more about You in the course of my day. I realize there is power in a name but no power like in Your name. May I never forget that. I love You...in Your precious name. Amen

"Mom, I'm Starving!"

Blessed are they which do hunger

and thirst after righteousness,

for they shall be filled

Matthew 5:6

I guess every mom in the world has heard those three title words at one time or another. Our responses to those rapidly growing children might have been of any variety depending on the mood of the moment. You and I knew that our children were not starving. Most had just had a meal a couple of hours prior to the plea. Sometimes right after coming in from school, a snack might be in order, but STARVING?....I don't think so.

Hunger is a funny thing. We don't have to be hungry to hunger. I can smell fresh popcorn and my mind can quickly decide for me that I'm hungry enough to have some even though I may have had lunch just an hour prior to smelling the popcorn. I can be sitting with nothing to do and convince myself that a snack is in order. I can even pass by my refrigerator at times and sense a hunger pang. With steady habits of yielding to these yearnings, obesity can get a quick foothold in anyone's life.

Hunger can be the body's signal that it's running short of fuel. If that signal isn't heeded when genuine hunger sets in, there can be a feeling of discomfort or even weakness caused by a lack of food. When hunger is ignored, although uncomfortable, over a long period of time, malnutrition can then set in. When one is malnourished, it doesn't mean there isn't food available. One can have a refrigerator full of food but still be malnourished if the appropriate foods aren't eaten.

Malnourishment can lead to starvation and some serious eating disorders. Starvation is an extreme form of malnutrition. It is in this area the the body really begins to break down in many areas that can affect one's immune system, brain functioning, heart and skeletal structure and functioning.

Much of this, I realize you already know, but how much of these terms can be applied to our spiritual system, such as:

Hunger:

Hunger isn't just a physical function, but hunger is a feeling that should be prevalent in Christians...my hunger for God and those hunger pangs for His Word and time spent with Him. If this hunger isn't heeded, it can lead to some very serious spiritual problems. The problem here isn't a lack of available nourishment. I have my Bible, my spiritual bread. I am filled with God's spirit with His living presence filling me to the fullest if that's what I desire. I attend a great church where I am blessed with the preaching and teaching of God's Word as well as having fellowship with some of the greatest of God's people. If I choose to ignore all of this spiritual nourishment, it's no one's fault but my own.

Malnutrition:

This term doesn't mean that there isn't food available. You and I must guard our hearts spiritually speaking because there are those who pervert the things of God that can make us sick in more ways than one. We must take in truth as God's Word teaches it and feed on it on a regular basis. Spiritual malnutrition can set in when we aren't feeding on the true things of God. Just as we can get food poisoning from spoiled food, there are those “out there” who have spoiled and perverted the things of God. They don't preach, teach or write truth and must be avoided or we too can become spiritually sick from it all. There are speakers and preachers on television you and I should avoid. They can sound and convincing and in weak moments we can be sucked in to false doctrine.

Starvation:

Spiritually speaking, this is when we've gone beyond intake or poor nutrition problems. This is where one can just give up on everything. There are those at the point of starvation where physical food is concerned that they can get to the point of rejecting food because their systems have completely broken down and they are at a “failure to thrive” point in life. When we reach this point, we can lose all interest in the things of God. Our Bibles may lay untouched, prayer can be a thing of the past, and church attendance can be less and less. Being backslidden can be a very sorry state for a Christian and very difficult to pull out of. God's power, however, is greater that we can imagine or think. He is able to feed, strengthen and replenish us. The secret though is for us to never allow ourselves to get in this sorry state.

One of the most important things we can do is to maintain a daily spiritual routine. Just as there are meals we would never think of missing, we should feed on God's Word daily.

Jesus is the living water and we should drink from him as well so that we don't become spiritually dehydrated. We need regular times of feasting on the things of God with others who love the Lord and with whom we can be encouraged and strengthened.

As summer months approach, may we keep ourselves spiritually strong and healthy in every way. We live in some difficult times and there may people around us who need folks to lean on and learn from.

Dear Father, Thank You for caring about who I am physically but I know that my spiritual condition is even more important to You. Help me to stay strong in You, even when I don't sense myself weakening in any way. I need Your constant strengthening. I love you...in Jesus' precious name. Amen

When No One is Applauding

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be

ye steadfast, unmoveable, always

abounding in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know that your

labour is not in vain in the Lord.

I Corinthians 15:58

In our society, we have become quite used to hearing applause. We hear applause at ballgames, concerts, parades, voice or piano recitals and in many churches. It has become the custom to clap after any special music or accomplishment at any number of events.

Applause is defined as a physical exertion where we slap our two hands together in order to create a sound of approval. However, I've been in settings where it is appropriate to make no sound at all after another person's accomplishment. People can show their approval with a big smile, approving nod of the head or a quiet gesture with the hands such as a thumbs up.

What is the purpose of applause? It is primarily a way of saying to someone(s) that they have done a great job. Sometimes the applause can be almost insulting when in a group of people, only 4 or 5 clap, which sounds weak and most insincere.

The bottom line is that applause is not just a sign of approval but is meant to be of great encouragement. We live in a day where life is very fast-paced in most places. People can be unkind and not very thoughtful of the needs of others. Compliments and words of praise may not come our way on any kind of a regular basis. Encouragement can be scarce even within a group of close friends. Everyone today has their own problems and concerns.

So even though certain folks will not be able to hear my applause, there are some I wish to applaud and you could add to this list and in some cases, write a note or just express a sincere “thank you” to them. Right now, I'm thinking of the average church and the unsung workers who keep the place going week after week. Here goes:

Thank you to:

...the church pianist/organist who has been at the job for any number of years. She has not only played for the services but has attended rehearsals for choir practices and for special music groups. She may be on call for weddings and funerals and playing for Bible School opening rallies. She has new music to learn when no one else sees her hours of practice. Whether paid or not, the job is often a lonely and thankless one. Play on, sitters on the bench!!!

...the maintenance personnel. They usually have to show up early to get the temperature adjusted and the doors open. They clean bathrooms, empty waste cans, dust, vacuum and may get calls day or night when there's an emergency with the facilities. Appreciate you!!!

...nursery workers. Some have been in the church nursery so many years they've raised about two generations of babies. They've changed diapers that contains all sorts of surprises, been spit up on, kicked, and screamed at. We won't even mention the verbal abuse they often endure from particular parents. These workers are the first church people to have contact with the new baby or it's 3 year old toddler brother. They often spend their own money on snacks and even some diapers for those empty diaper bags. You are candidates for sainthood.!!

...pastors/Sunday school teachers. Yes, the pastor is paid to preach but there are times when a pat on the back that is sincere would be a welcome change. There are teachers who spend hours preparing lessons for their classes. Sometimes a class member will give a word of encouragement but most often, not. Study on friends, because there are some who listen!!

...choir members. Take a look at the average church choir and you'll see there folks with very gray hair or balding heads. Many times there are choir members who have been in the church choir since they were teenagers. They've attended more rehearsals than they could ever count let alone all of the rehearsals for special events. They may have lost at least 3 lbs in sweat wearing a heavy choir robe for the morning service but smile and sing anyway. They have been faithful no matter the season or weather. Let's hear it for the choir!!!!

...ushers. Take a look in the average church at offering time. In all probability, again you'll find gray hair or balding heads. Some have “ushed” for as long as they can remember. They've greeted people and passed out more visitor's cards than they could possibly count. They are expected to smile when they don't feel like it and have to find a seat for visitors who happened to sit in a “reserved seat” that members insisted on sitting in. Thanks guys!!!

...and on and on the list goes....parking lot attendants, PA workers, prayer captains, children's choir workers, Vacation Bible School workers, lawn care, special events planners, and you can add to the list.

Bottom line is, we shouldn't crave the accolades of others for serving the Lord. I don't read in Scripture where Jesus got a lot of pats on the back. He got a lot of stripes on His back which weren't meant to show any appreciation. He paid the greatest price that could be paid for you and me. Even with 10 being healed by Jesus, only one came back to say “thank you.” So I guess things haven't changed much...people will be people even though they don't always mean to be ungrateful.

We're coming up on summer. It's during that time that churches suffer when many church workers decide to take a three month vacation from church. It's during that time that we gain a new appreciation for those who faithfully stick with the stuff. One time, I played an offertory on the organ entitled “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” I had worked my fingers to the bone on that thing and doubted anyone would pay attention but what I was doing, I was doing for the Lord. That night when I got to the organ for the evening service, there sat a small ceramic bird with a note that simply said “Thanks.” I still don't know to this day who put that bird on the organ. That had to be 30 years ago and I still have that bird. It's carried me a long way in these years of serving the Lord and am so grateful for someone's thoughtfulness that meant the world to a weary organist that evening.

A word to all church workers...at the end of a service as you walk to your car, in case you haven't noticed, there won't be a crowd of people on either side of you waving flags and singing your praises for jobs well done. You will probably drag yourself home, eat a sandwich and take a nap. No one will notice, there will be no applause, no great words of appreciation. One thing you can know that Jesus saw everything and He is pleased. His “Well done” is really all I need after serving Him the best I can.

Thank You Father, for the ways You have gifted me to serve You. May I seek only Your approval and not the temporary accolades of people. Thank You for the privilege of being a part of Your work. In Jesus' precious name....Amen

I WILL SING

I will praise thee with my whole heart:

before the gods will I sing praise

unto thee.

I will worship toward thy holy temple,

and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness

and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified

thy word above all thy name.

Psalm 138:1,2

I never knew Granny Fancher very well. She and her two daughters lived next door to us. They lived in a fairly run down two-story house. Her two daughters lived downstairs and Granny Fancher lived upstairs.

On many spring and summer evenings, Granny would sit at her open upstairs window with a kerosene lamp on a table beside her chair. Down on the ground between both houses was my swing set. It wasn't some fancy thing that was store bought. My Dad had the swing set built with metal poles, welded to the safest degree. It was only big enough for two swings. I loved nothing more than swinging on a swing when the urge struck me.

There was something that was a real event for me that happened on one of those warm-weather evenings. After supper when I was allowed outside for a little bit of time, there was something strange that occurred. After her supper, Granny often sat by her open window and she would begin to sing. I remember in the beginning wondering about an old lady singing. Even in church I'd never noticed our older ladies singing. Granny would sing in kind of a crackly voice and it wasn't terribly loud but enough that I could hear her. She would sing “Amazing Grace,” “Standing on the Promises,” “The Old Rugged Cross” and other still familiar hymns. With some songs she sang, she rocked back and forth in the rocking chair.

Unknowingly, I probably learned some of those songs through Granny Fancher. As I watched, those hymns were reinforced in my memory because during many of those times, I decided to rock back and forth on a swing along with her. I would not recognize Granny if she were alive today. She so rarely left her upstairs apartment that I'm not sure how many people would have recognized her. I loved swinging with her singing until my Mom called me into the house.

I've been in a lot of churches and must tell you that I have often noticed whether I was in the choir or at a piano, that only about half of the people present participated in the music part of the service. I also observed that many of those non-participants were age 50 and older. There was a day when those golden folks sang heartily during times of congregational singing, but now, it seemed like their song was gone. I don't think Granny Fancher had any idea that there was a little six-year-old girl in her own yard, down below her window, watching and listening. That little girl was also participating as best she knew how to do it, taking part in Granny Fancher's evening worship.

In Psalm 138, David writes of three determinations in his life when it comes to giving God his undivided attention. He determines that he WILL praise God, Will sing praise unto God and WILL worship toward God's holy temple. The most progress I have ever made in my own life has been when I made some determinations to do things differently, spiritually speaking. I've enjoyed the most in spiritual freedom when I've determined that I WILL do something for the Lord. Even now, I need to determine to be more a person of praise and worship. Mixed in with the two is the fact that they cannot be done minus a feeling of gratitude. We are blessed people.

Take a look at Psalm 138 written by David that has only 8 verses in it. As one reads this Psalm, you or I can see clearly some of the characteristics of God for which we can be so very grateful: lovingkindness, truth, word, answers prayer, strengthens, His ways, His glory, respect, all knowing, revives, protects, saves, perfects, merciful, endures and His works. We can never cease finding things for which to be grateful. They are so evident throughout the Word of God. Each one of those things mentioned in that Psalm, God activates in your life and mine.

I'm grateful for the memory of Granny Fancher. The picture is as vivid one in mind...swinging on my play set to her music. I wonder how many people know you and I to be people of praise and gratitude. It'll take some determination on our part.

I WILL praise.....sing.....worship and will do it wholeheartedly.

Father, I'm so grateful for all You are in my life. I don't deserve an ounce of Your attention, love or provision but thank You for it all. Forgive me when I ignore You in my life and help me to stay focused and centered right down to the core of who I am in those things that matter to You. I love You and thank You for Your every work in my life. In Jesus precious name. Amen

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