Friday, May 30, 2008

Psalm 45:7

"You love righteousness and hate wickedness; ThereforeGod, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions." Psalm 45:7

Some how it just doesn't seem right. There is turmoil all around you -- but you are at peace. There is trouble at home -- but you have a joy in your heart that can't be explained. Even in the midst of suffering, you find happiness. It just isn't natural -- but you'll take it! David says that those who love righteousness and hate wickedness (he did not say those who are perfect!), are anointed with gladness. He did not say you will be anointed -- he says you are anointed! There are no exceptions to the rule. There are no deals in small print. It doesn't seem natural -- because it isn't natural. God isn't natural. God is spiritual -- Spirit -- and all that He does has spiritual overtones. The fact remains, if we lover ighteousness and hate wickedness, we will be blessed. You say it doesn't seem like it?

Note, David didn't say we would be trouble free. He just said we would be glad. Glad in our troubles? No, glad in Him. Glad in ourturmoil? No, glad in Him. How glad? More than our companions who are not lovers of righteousness and do not hate wickedness. So you aren't glad with all that happens in your life? How much do you want God? How much do you want to serve Him? How much do you desire to see your friends saved from wickedness and sin? How much do you hate the sin but love the sinner?

If you are running shy of seeking God with all that is in you, you are running shy of loving righteousness. If you are enjoying some of the things of the world, you are running shy of hating wickedness. If these are true in your life, you may run shy of gladness. However, if you are doing your best, God will do the rest. This I say with all confidence. Your friends and neighbors, and unsaved family are watching you. If they see you crumble under the pressures of life and the enemy'sattacks, they will say you are no better than they are. If you show a measure of gladness (in the Lord and with your lot in life), they will see a difference in you-- they will eventually ask "what makes you different?" They will then be open to your testimony of what the Lord has done for you. Try it, you'll see! Amen and Amen.

Psalm 103:11

"For as the heavens are high above the earth,So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him" Psalm 103:11

Here are some questions that require some deep thought. How huge is "huge"? How far is infinity? How deep isbottomless? How long is eternity? Where did God come from?


See what I mean? So I'll ask one more: "how great is God's loving kindness towards you and me?" How do you measure it? In pounds? Inches? Cubic feet? There is no measuring it. That's why the psalmist says "as high as the heavens are above the earth." Surely with modern science we can measure that! After all, we have the Hubble telescope. It can see farther than we have ever seen before. WRONG! While we thought that wonderful instrument might be able to see the end of the universe, it keeps finding something a little farther out! If the heavens are immeasurable -- even today -- God's grace and love towards us is even greater. Yet He applies it to you and me.


Have You ever felt God's love? I have. I've felt it when I fell so far that I thought no one could love me. I felt it in His forgiveness. Do you need a bit of His love? Go ahead, take it. It is free. It's renewed every day. It's unending. Take all you need. Take a little extra. There's plenty to go around. Take enough to share with a friend or a loved one. Go ahead. But don't hoard it. It wills poil like warm milk. God's love is intended to be spread around. Don't know that you could ever love someone in your life? Take some of God's love. It's powerful enough to overcome any amount of evil. Spread it unconditionally on the unlovely. You'll be surprised at how well it can make the ugly vanish!I t's the original and only "vanishing cream"! Works everytime! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Acts 3:2-3

"And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple,asked for alms." Acts 3:2-3.

What do you want when you go to church? Why are you reallythere? What is it you are seeking? Are you present only so that you can tell others that you go to church? Are you there so that you can play a role that you think gives you some kind of status in your community? Are you there just to keep peace in your family and to avoid the nagging and pleading of your wife or your mother or your children? Jesus once asked a group of people concerning John the Baptist, "Who did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaking with the wind? A man, clothed in soft garments? A prophet?" It is an important question for us to askourselves: Who are we going to church to see and hear?


If we are going to church just to hear the choir sing or a preacher speak, we are making the same mistake that the lame man made when he was carried to the Beautiful Gate that day. He was looking for the wrong thing. He was seeking alms. He wasn't expecting healing. We also need to ask ourselves some serious questions about the way we regard the people we meet on a day-to-day basis: How are we looking at other people? What do we expect from our encounters with them? So often we approach people the same way this lame man did. We are looking for what they are going to do for us. We are looking for what we can get from them. We aren't looking for what it is that God wants to do in us or through us. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up" 1Thessalonians 5:11.

As a child in school Gordon had a problem with dyslexia,but nobody was able to diagnose his problem at the time. For years his mother took him to speech therapy, and hepracticed saying, Thora thrust thick thistles through thethinning hedge," five thousand times!

What turned Gordon's life around was his fourth gradeprimary school teacher, Miss Higgins, who called the class to order when they laughed at Gordon's attempt to read before the class. You could imagine how terrible Gordon must have felt every time other kids poked fun at him because of his inability to read. I would have felt devastated. But thank God for an understanding teacher who said to the class: "Do not laugh at his reading. One day Gordon will be the best reader in the whole school." Little did Miss Higgins or his school mates realize just who Gordon would become. And little did Miss Higgins realizethat her encouragement planted the seed to motivate Gordon towards an extremely fruitful and productive life.

Today Gordon is known as the Reverend Dr., The Honorable Gordon Moyes, MHR.

Besides being the senior minister and superintendent of the very influential Wesley Central Mission in Sydney,Australia, Gordon has been a radio broadcaster for 44years, the host of a weekly TV program on the National Nine Network for 26 years, and is a Member of the House of Representatives in the state government of New South Wales. Gordon is still dyslexic and still mirror reads God as dog--which presents quite a problem for a minister ofreligion!

In his appeal to the state government for children with dyslexia Rep. Moyes said, "The effect of dyslexia in society possibly includes unemployment, poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse and dependency and even family breakdown, and as a result dyslexic people are over represented in the prison population, are more likely to drop out of school, and often withdraw from their friends and family or attempt suicide.

"Children with dyslexia often have high IQs but poor reading and writing skills. They are often sent out of classes or to the back of the room as they become distracted because of the frustrating nature of their condition. You can understand my concern for such childreno f our members or in our Sunday Schools. Dyslexia is a disability, and the Government should supply support forsuch students."

May we all remember Gordon's story and always be anencourager to children, teens, and adults who struggle with any kind of a handicap.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for every teacher and all who give the gift of encouragement to those who struggle with life's handicaps. Thank you, too, for all who encouraged me when I needed it most. Please help me always to be sensitive, loving, kind and encouraging to any and all fellow strugglers who come into my life and/or who cross my path. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

WHERE TO LOOK IN THE BIBLE

WHERE TO LOOK IN THE BIBLE

When you need rest and peace.......

........Matt 11:25-30

When you worry.....................................Matt 6:19-34

When you are lonely or fearful..................Psalm 23

When you need peace of mind.................John 14: 27, Phil 4: 6-8

When men fail you..................................Psalm 27

When you grow bitter and critical..............1 Corinthians 13

When you have sinned.............................Psalm 51, 1 John 1

When you are discouraged.......................Psalm 34

When God seems far away.......................Psalm 139

When the world seems bigger than God.....Psalm 90

When in sickness....................................Psalm 41

When you feel sorrowful...........................John 14, Psalm 46

When in danger.......................................Psalm 91

When you want courage...........................Joshua 1: 1-9

When you need assurance.......................Romans 8, 1 John 5

When you forget your blessings................Psalm 103

When looking for joy................................Colossions 3

When you leave home to travel.................Psalm 121

When you think of investments.................Mark 10:17-31

When you need guidlines for living.............Matt 5 thru 7, Romans 12

When you need rules of conduct...............Exodus 20:1-17

When you need to know God's will for your life..........Prov. 3: 1-6

----------------------------------------------------------
Above, from the GOOD NEWS PUBLISHERS tract....."Where to look in the Bible"

Monday, May 26, 2008

Gal 6:12

"As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh,these would compel you to be circumcised, only thatthey may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ" Gal 6:12.


I'll say it right up front. Some of you won't like what I am about to say. That's ok, I understand. But I must say it and I will say it --as simply and clearly and lovingly as possible. After we have been believers for some good amount of time, something happens to us. The fire begins to smolder. There is more heat than light, and a little smoke begins to flood our hearts. This is rather natural. The Jewish believers had gotten that way. They had an exclusive in Judaism. They were the chosen ones who had the One True God. All othershad multiple, false gods. They were proud of this fact. So proud that they wanted to keep Him to themselves. When Gentiles began to be saved, there was only one solution -- make them Jews!


So they began the task. They would follow the most successful evangelists -- in particular Paul -- and teach all of his convertsthat they had to be circumcised to be Christians. Circumcision was the physical act of becoming a Jew for men. In those days circumcision was rare amongst non-Jewish people. The new believers struggled with this a bit, but would often succumb to the teaching. Of course after they became "Jews", then theref ollowed all the Jewish regulations and traditions. Eventually the new believer was so "Jewish" that he found himself in as much bondage to legalism as he once was to his own gods.


Paul set the record straight. Those gentiles who became believers did not have to become Jews. Jesus made the final sacrifice. He paid the blood price for their souls. No further sacrifice was necessary. When a person found freedom in Jesus, there was no need to resort to the bondage of the Law. Jesus fulfilled it -- all of it. When you are free -- seek to stay free.


Ok. So are you with me? Now comes the part you won't like. We"mature believers" can become so legalistic that we become like the early Jewish believers. We begin to preach to the new believer that he/she has to stop smoking to continue being redeemed. Then comes the swearing followed by the clothes they wear. What we want them to be is carbon copies of ourselves. We want them to look like us, talk like us, walk like us, dress like us, eat like us. We don't want them to be different. Gone are the all night get togethers where the new believers get together and talk about what Jesus is doing for them. Gone are the streetcorner preachers -- they're just too radical. Missing are the things that made them want Jesus in the first place. Yes, they look like us, talk like us, walk like us, dress like us, eat like us. They also are cold like us, weary like us, complacent like us. They, too, have become "wet blankets" on the fires of new believers.


It's time that we take upon ourselves a little of their fire, their excitement, their hunger for the Word, their love for Jesus,their prayer lives, their faith. After all, Jesus said we should have the faith of a little child -- not the faith of the sainted Pharisee. Yes, all those other things have their values. But, let's let Jesus do the work. Let Him remove the nose rings. Let Him lower the hem line. Let Him bring the language into line. Let Him stop the smoking and drinking. He can do it without putting out the fire. Indeed, He will fan it and make it burn hotter. So what if they are different. You were once, weren't you? Jesus says we should be different -- cast in adifferent mold -- march to the beat of a different drummer.

Whoa! I think I hear an unusual drum beat now! Hey, there it is --let's march! After all we ARE the ARMY OF GOD! Amen and Amen.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Sheep and Goats

Ezekiel 34:11-17,20-24 and Matthew 25: 31-46
 Let us pray.  Creator and maker of us all – bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts – grow in
us and show us your ways and inspire us to live by your truth. Amen.
I do not how many times we have heard the parable of the sheep and the goats – it is a well known story to many
of us. It is a church favourite here in Hong Kong. It is also one the passages in the Gospels that underlies what
theologians call “The Social Gospel.”
Every nation is gathered before the judge, before the throne of the Son of Man, before the King, and the King
separates them. The right from the left, the sheep from the goats, and he judges them. Only those on the right
hand side are save, and those on the left are condemned.
Most of us know this parable, and we know therefore the basis upon which the King makes His final judgement
about the various nations when they are gathered before Him.
I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you took me
in..”
How well we know this story, and for some of us – those who measure things by how much they have done – it
serves as a warning – and for others, who also measure themselves by what they have done for others – it is a
comfort.
 Yet, despite all our knowledge of this parable, our being reassured that we know what it means, and that we
know the God of whom the story tells us about, we may not have grasped the fullness of the story.
 I am going to ask you to think with me on the response of the sheep and of the goats who were standing before
the King, and at the same time to consider with me the message that is found in the surprise that were expressed
by both the sheep and the goats.
 This parable is full of shocking, unexpected, dumbfounded surprises to everyone:
 -         surprise at the words and the judgements of the King
-         surprise that it is not our beliefts that are considered by the King, but our actions
-         surprise that it is not which denomination or how long we believe in Jesus that is being taken into
consideration but our compassion and our love.
Some theologians will tell us that this is because the judgement of the nations are just that, a judgement on those
people who are not joined to Christ, a judgement on those people who do not profess or follow Jesus, on those
who, as the Scriptures tells us, are judged by the law that is written in their hearts.
Others will say that the judgement of the King applies to all the people.  Whether you are a believer or unbeliever,
it makes no difference, that Jesus, in telling this story, makes no distinction between those who follow him and
those who do not. For all people are expected by God to live by the law that is written in their hearts – that, as
the Apostle James puts it in the second chapter of his letter to the church, “faith without works is dead”.
Whatever is the truth of the matter there is a judgement; and in that judgement, there is a great sense of surprise
in both those is the “sheep” and those who are the “goats”.
We, of course, might expect the goats to be dumbfounded at the words of the King.
They are supposed to be confused, shocked and surprised when they at last come fact to face with God, are
they not? Their unbelief is meant to be condemned, is it not? Their lack of compassion and of mercy for the l
east amongst us, is worthy of condemnation, is it not?
Yet, what makes the parable amazing is that the sheep were just as surprised.
The sheep, the righteous - those who have given the cup of cold water, who have visited those in prison, and
worked for many different causes in society for the poor and needy, and have given so much to charity, and taken
in refugees and strangers into their homes. They were just as dumbfounded and shocked by the King’s judgement
as the unrighteous.
Both groups, both the sheep and the goats, asked the very same question of the King when he renders His
judgement. Both groups asked, “Lord, when did we see you?”
Lord, when did we see you?  Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or in prison, and
took care of you?
There was a time in my life when I thought that this surprise was a good thing – a very good thing that is for the
sheep.
I felt and believed that their surprise fit in well with the Biblical injunction, not to let your left hand know what
your hand is doing – especially when you are doing good.
I felt that the surprise of the sheep was good because it indicated to us that they were not simply doing nice things
to the people around them as a way of gaining credit from God; that it meant that their love and compassion for
other people was unstained by any selfish thoughts – unstained by the idea that they were somehow working
towards their salvation.
The words of surprise of the sheep seemed rather sweet to me: Lord, when did we see you?  When was it we
saw you hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or in prison, and took care of you?
And so I let the more hidden message of the parable go by.
After reading and studying this passage once again, I have come to realize that the surprise of the sheep can be
seen in a different light, and I do not really know how to characterize what that light reveals, but I do know that it
makes me feel a little bit sad.
Why is it that the sheep, the righteous, were surprised?  Why is it that they did not see their Lord as they reached
out in acts of love and compassion? What did they really miss?
What do we miss?
I think of the great joy I have had when I have been the recipient of other people’s kindness, the recipient of other
people’s love.
As a young man, during my first year in England, I joined a church over there.
I was not that well known to the people of the church.  I had just joined the congregation.  I was not involved in
much more than Sunday worship, and my skin colour is not even white. But during my first Christmas there, I and
the people I shared the house that I was living in, were showered with boxes and boxes of food, and other good
things.
It was an incredible feeling to be so richly and unexpectedly blessed.  I felt cared for and understood, and I
praised God for those who had reached out to me.
Their act of kindness and others done by that particular congregation changed my life and helped to bring me
standing here in front of you today.
Alex Haley, the author of the story ‘Roots’ tells the story of how his father had his life changed by a similar act of
kindness.
He was the youngest of eight children, living in a farming family.  Everyone in the family was needed to help with
the crops. After several years of schooling, the family will pressed each child to work on the farm. Fortunately
for the boy, the mother intervened on behalf of this child, and he was allowed to stay on in school.
When he completed secondary school, he chose the Lane Institute for his university education, working as many
as four jobs in addition full-time studies. It was all physically and emotionally tiring.
During the summer holidays he worked as a porter on a train, and early one morning when he was working on
the train, he met a man who could not sleep and wanted someone to talk with. This man was impressed by a
black porter working to earn money for university and tipped him the princely sum of five dollars, which was a lot
of money in those days.
When the summer holidays came to an end that year, Mr. Harley had to make a decision as to whether he should
use his summer earnings to purchase a mule and began to work on the farm, or to complete his last year of
university. He took the risk of completing his university education.
Alex Haley tells us what happened next.  When his father arrived on campus, the president called him into his
office and showed him a letter he had just received. The letter was from the elderly man whom his father had met
on the train, and inside the envelope was a cheque for the sum of $518, enough money to cover his father’s tuition
fees and living expenses for one full year.
The kindness of an unknown person made all the difference in the life of Alex Haley’s father, Alex Haley himself,
and every succeeding generation of that family.
As a person who has been in need of help in the past, I know what the acts of love and care performed by a
stranger can mean to oneself.
Each of you here, I am almost certain, also knows what it can mean.
Each of you, I am almost certain, has a story like mine, or like that of Alex Haley’s father, stored away somewhere
in your personal history in your family’s history.
So – what are we really missing, when, as the doers of these deeds of kindness, we are surprised when the Son
of Man says: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and
you welcome me?”
What are we missing when we feel burned out, tired from giving to too many worthy organization, worn out from
working on too many worthy causes?
What are we missing when we doing good deeds and yet feel that we have not yet met God?
I think that the answer is simple.  We are missing the sense of holy in the ordinary.  We are missing the sense of
the imminence of God.
It may be stretching the point of the parable of the sheep and the goats a bit far, but I just cannot get away from
the feeling that we all to often lead our lives as if Christ did not exist. Our moment and our days, even when
filled with doing good deeds, often are not sanctified, blessed, made fully alive by the sense of Christ’s living
presence.
My best moments as a human being, are not just the moments when I show care to one of the least of my brothers
and sisters. My best moments are when I do so in the awareness that I am ministering to my Lord and Saviour:
when I am aware that Christ lives inside the least of my brothers and sisters, whether these brothers and sisters
are the less fortunate of those of us who are joined to Christ, or the pagans and gentiles amongst us, the ones in
whom no form of blessed can be detected. Those of whom, we do not consider to be our brothers and sisters
because of who they are or what they may have done.
Such a sense of awareness serves to keep me humble.  Such an awareness serves to keep me alert.
It is an awareness that should all be cultivating.  This awareness that Christ may be found and found especially
amongst the poor, and the lonely and the sick, amongst those in prison, and those who simply needed nothing
more but a drink of cold water.
Let us all think of it, think back 2000 years ago, when the Son of Man, the one who is King of Kings and Lord of
Lords wandered this earth as a poor preacher in a poor land, having no home to call his own, much less a throne
of righteousness. Think if when the Son of God was put on trail for blasphemy and flogged 39 times, and then
was hung on a cross as a common criminal.
Lord, when did we see you?  When was it we saw you hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or in prison, and took care of
you?
And think of it today, 2000 more years later. 
Where is Christ to be found?
Is it not among us, as it was so very long ago?
Is he not, according to His own words, to be found in the least of our brothers and sisters, in those who are most
neglected, scorn or despise?
Thinking about where Christ is to be found transforms what I do and helps me to transform into who I am.
It gives a rich meaning to my actions, it lifts up my spirit in hope and in worship.  It makes me wanting to praise
God, even when I am feeling tired and worn out. It gives me new strength.
What a privilege we have, each and every one of us, when we reach out and touch someone, for in doing so, we
may be, no, we are, in fact, reaching out to touch God, reaching out to touch Christ.
I understand the surprise of those on the right side of the Son of Man.  I understand the feeling of shock and
surprise of the sheep. I understand it because it is so very easy for me to forget the privilege that I have. So
easy for me to start living a life as if Christ was not actually here in this building, this town, and this place we call
Hong Kong. So easy for me to do what I do as if it were a burden, rather than as a glorious service to my God
I understand, but at the same time, I do find it a little sad.  Sad, not because doing good has no effect, but feeling
sad, because seeing Christ in those around us is so enriching, so helpful, as we walk the walk that he calls us to
walk, and yet seeing so many losing the way in this walk.
Lord, when did we see you?  When was it we saw you hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or in prison, and took care
of you?
And the King will answer them, “Truly I tell you – just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members
of my family, you did it to me.
May you be with Christ in your walk, day by day.  Amen.

Mat 18:18

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Mat 18:18.

Everyone seems to be power hungry these days. Corporate executives are climbing all over each other to reach the top in their companies --there's just something about the letters CEO after the name that excites the power hungry. Lesser men and women are not exempt. Men buy powerful cars and trucks, soup them up to more power and speed, all to claim to be the fastest on the street/track. Women brag on their children giving the impression that they are the smartest, cleverest, best child ever born -- Jesus not necessarily excluded -- all with the intent of saying "I'm the best Mom in the world because I raised the best kid in the world!"

So how's this for power? "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." That's power. If we are in the will of God, then what we do is upheld in heaven. Whether we bind or loose, when it is done by someone who is operating in close relationship with God, the action is confirmed, recorded, and duplicated by God. That's power.

So who has that power? The Pope? Billy Graham? The president of a denomination? The Pastor of a local Church? Sunday School teachers? Yes. . . . . . . and no. The fact is we all have that authority. It is not reserved for anyone in particular but for everyone who is a child of God. So what do you do with it? When called upon by God to do some binding, you can bind demons, powers, authorities, and principalities -- but you must be called to do it. This power is not some toy to play with. Ask the sons of Skevea. They tried to cast out demons in the "name of Jesus whom Paul preaches." The demons responded, "Paul we know. Jesus we know. But who are you?" and tore them to shreds!

What can we loose? We can loose the non-believing, demon possessed person to hear the Word of the Lord preached and spoken to them. We can loose the power of the Holy Spirit upon someone who needs to be saved from themselves and sin. Again, this is no toy. Use this power only under the direction of the Spirit of God -- and when you are in a close relationship with our Savior. (Note: you don't have to be perfect, just in a good relationship with the Father.) Power? You've got it. Use it wisely. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Psalm 91:4

God's Wings

A little something to put things in perspective.


An article in National Geographic several years ago provided an interesting picture of God's wings.

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick.

When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise.

She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. Then the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die those under the cover of her wings would live.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge." (Psalm 91:4)

Friday, May 23, 2008

Hebrews 4:13

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" Hebrews 4:13.

You may have read about an experiment where "pigeons were put in cages with one green and one red button. In one cage, if the birds pecked the green button they got food every time. In the other, the green button yielded food erratically and the pigeons had to persist to get enough food. In both cases, pecking the red button did nothing. Both sets of birds thrived, learning what they had to do to survive and ignoring the red button that yielded no food. But when the birds that were used to getting a reward every time were put in the cage that fed them only occasionally, they failed to adapt; they hit their heads against the cage and pecked wildly at everything in sight."

Birds and animals can be very smart and quickly learn to pursue activities that produce positive results while avoiding activities that don't. Pity we humans aren't always as smart Too many of us invest our lives in empty, meaningless or even harmful activities and relationships, and have a way of continually hitting red buttons that always result in getting negative responses.

Others, who, like the pigeons that were used to getting rewarded all the time when put in the cage where they were rewarded only occasionally, couldn't cope, so people who, when growing up, were overprotected, spoiled, or had parents that did far too much for them, have a difficult time adjusting to adult life and accepting personal responsibility.

As adults we need to eliminate (overcome) our own red buttons that trigger our unresolved issues from the past, and not purposely hit others' red buttons that never result in obtaining what we need or want.

Furthermore, we need to learn through experience and hard work to accept personal responsibility for every area of our life. True, we were not responsible for our upbringing and early training, but as adults we are totally responsible for our recovery, our actions, our well-being, for what we become, and for every area of our life. To expect otherwise is self-defeating and ultimately self-destructive.


Most important of all is that we need to remind ourselves that we are not only responsible for ourselves and what we do, but we are also responsible before God and one day will be required to give an account of our life to him.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the gift of life and for all the blessings you have given so freely to me. Help me to see issues in my life that I need to resolve and overcome, to avoid unnecessarily hitting others' red buttons, and help me to accept personal responsibility for every area of my life so that when I stand before you, I will hear you welcoming words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Hebrews 12:11

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" Hebrews 12:11, NIV

Billy Graham commented how, "When a ship's carpenter needed timber to make a mast for a sailing vessel, he did not cut it in the valley, but up on the mountainside where the trees have been buffeted by the winds. These trees, he knew, were the strongest of all. Hardship is not our choice; but if we face it bravely, it can toughen the fiber of our souls."

And that's exactly why God disciplines us and allows us to go through trials. They are designed to strengthen us and help us to grow healthy and strong. And while "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful," what we always need to remember is that "the Lord disciplines those he loves" Hebrews 12:11,6.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you love me as I am, but love me too much to leave me as I am. And I thank you that you allow trials to come into my life to help me grow, mature and become strong. Help me to accept your discipline and use it to fulfill your purpose for my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."

The Pilot

A pastor had been on a long flight between church conferences. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on:
*Fasten Your Seat Belts.*

Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened."

As the pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive.

Later, the voice on the intercom said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."

And then the storm broke . . .

The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.

The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.

"Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and every- thing within her small world was calm and orderly.

"Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world.

When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid." The minister could hardly believe his eyes.

It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.

Having commented about the storm and the behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.

The child replied, "Cause my Daddy's the pilot, and he's taking me home."

Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened sky.

Let us remember: Our Father is the Pilot. He is in control and taking us home. Don't worry!

- Gerald M. Costello, Interim Director, The Christophers

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

THE SONG THAT SILENCED THE CAPPUCCINO MACHINE

THE SONG THAT SILENCED THE CAPPUCCINO MACHINE

By John Thomas Oaks

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks' shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square . Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks' location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.
It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, 'If You Don't Know Me by Now,' I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. 'I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?' she asked. 'No,' I replied. 'We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?' To my delight, she accepted my invitation. 'You choose,' I said. 'What are you in the mood to sing?' 'Well. .. Do you know any hymns?' Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. 'Name one.' 'Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one.' 'Okay,' I replied. 'How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?' My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, 'Yeah. Let's do that one.' She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing. Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come? The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion. I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, 'Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!' But the ovation continued. I embraced my new friend.
'You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!' 'Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn,' she said. 'Why is that?' 'Well ...' she hesitated again, 'that was my daughter's favorite song.' 'Really!' I exclaimed. 'Yes,' she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual. 'She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week.'

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. 'Are you going to be okay?' She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. 'I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine.' She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember... Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once, Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer...AND, Lazarus was dead! ! No more excuses now!!

God can use us to our full potential. Besides we aren't the message, we are just the messenger.

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.

John 3:19-20

Jesus said, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" John 3:19-20

Epictetus, who lived from A.D. 55 to about A.D. 135, said, "Only the educated are free.

Admittedly, there is truth in what Epictetus said. For one thing, dictators don't want the people under them to be educated. Dictators control people through ignorance and fear. If the people were educated, and especially if they were enlightened, there would be greatly increased rebellion. This is one reason why it is important that people everywhere are educated--or at least enlightened.
Why enlightened? Because there are millions of educated fools and highly educated criminals, but one would hardly call these people enlightened. These people are "endarkened." As Jesus said, "Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."

Education, as important as it is, in and of itself does not give one wisdom, understanding, moral character, or make one enlightened.


In God's Word darkness is symbolic of evil while light is symbolic of truth. To be enlightened, we need to "walk in the light;" that is walk in truth, openness and honesty. For only the truth sets people truly free. As Jesus also said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" John 8:31-32.

So the question is, are you/we enlightened?

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you again for your Word which teaches me how to become enlightened. Help me always to walk in the light and become not only enlightened, but also find true freedom. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

Sunday, May 18, 2008

How were you born?

Isaiah 6:1-9; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17

Let us Pray - O God, light of the minds that know you, life of the souls that love you, and strength of the thoughts that seek you -bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts. Breathe your life into us that we may live in the manner you have appointed unto us and better love and serve you and one another. Amen

A little was told by her teacher in school that she has to write an article on "birth, The moment she got home, she went up to her mother and asked as to how she had been born. Her mother, who was busy at the time, said 'the stork brought you darling, and left you on the doorstep.'

Continuing on her research she asked her dad how he'd been born. Being in the middle of doing repairs to his computer, her father similarly deflected the question by saying, 'I was found at the bottom of the garden. The fairies brought me.'

Then the girl went and asked her grandmother how she had arrived. 'I was picked from a gooseberry bush', said grandma.

With this information the girl wrote her essay. When the teacher asked her later to read it in front of the class, she stood up and began, "There has not been a natural birth in our family for three generations..."

When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus of being born from above - or being born anew, Jesus was not talking of a natural birth. As he explained to Nicodemus, he was talking of a spiritual birth - a birth that was, and is, somehow, supernatural.

"Very truly, I tell you", Jesus said, "no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit.."

I want us to think about this today - I want us to think about our own unnatural birth - and about the mystery that is involved in it – the mystery of God - the God who made us and gave us our first birth - the God who saves us, by becoming one with us, dying with us and for us - the God who lives and works in us and gives us our second, our unnatural birth.

Our experience of God is a marvelous and mysterious experience. It is a bit like looking at the picture of the old woman - and the young woman there is one reality - yet there is more than one reality....

And so it is with God.

We have and we know the God of Isaiahm the God who is high and lifted up in his temple; the God who speaks and brings forth all of creation, the God who is judge, lord, ruler, king - the God who is in light inaccessible hid from our eyes..

This God is strange to us, this God is beyond us, this God we dare not touch
even though we know this God and he knows us, even though we see this God's signs all around us in the earth, the wind, the air, and the fire.

And then we have the God who is in Christ, the God who is Christ, the God whom is lowly, and humble; the God who reaches out and touches others, the God who serves others, the God who walks the earth with us, and cries and laughs with us; the God who calls God Abba, Father, Daddy; the God who is tempted with us; the God who hungers and thirsts with us; the God who embraces us and encourages us; the God who surrenders himself to death for us; having only the promise and the hope of being raised again.

And we have and know God the Spirit; God the bringer of visions and of dreams; God the source of strength and of hope; God the supplier of healing words and of comfort filling prayer; God the wind, the breath, the air we breathe; God the transformer, the one who gives new birth, new life; God the presence within us and the presence all around us; God calling to us - calling for us - calling through us, calling in us..

We are the children of God, says Paul. When we cry Abba -, Father, it is the Spirit of God bearing witness with our Spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. - if in fact we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

As a Christian I do not know all about God that there is to know. God is always greater than my knowledge of him, but I do know what God has shown about himself I do know God in three different ways, I know him in three ways, I experience him in three ways and I love him in three ways.

CS Lewis - in his book Mere Christianity tries to describe part of this experience - this three-fold knowing - this three-fold loving - in his description of a Christian at prayer.

"What I mean is this." he writes, "An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into touch with God. But if he is a Christian he knows that what is prompting him to pray is also God: God so to speak, inside him. But he also knows that all real knowledge of God comes through Christ, the Man who was God - that Christ is standing beside him, helping him to pray, praying for him. You see what is happening. God is the thing to which he is praying - the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the thing inside him which is pushing him on – the motive power. God is also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal. The whole threefold life of the three-personal Being is actually going on in that ordinary act of prayer."

What so many people lack in their lives is a sense of the mystery of God and of the mystery of the life that God gives to them.

We keep trying to develop one simple mental picture of God one simple portrait of what our life in God is like or ought to be like.

Most of us like to think that things are either black or white - and we will go to incredible lengths to fit things around us into one or the other category -but God is greater than any category - any system of thought or classification, and so is our life in him.

God is just and holy - demanding perfect obedience -yet God is merciful and forgiving - willing to forgive unto the seventh generation.

I am a sinner - unworthy to touch the hem of the gown worn by Christ yet I am a child of God - intimately acquainted with his Spirit, a joint heir with his Son of all the riches of heaven.

Our God is a mystery and the life that our God gives to us is a mystery, but because God, within that mystery, touches us, it is mystery that we can experience and savour and know something of.

When I became a Christian, when I yielded myself to the outrageous claims of Jesus, his claim to be the Son of God, his claim to be the way, the truth and the life, his claim to be in the Father, and the Father in him, something happened to my life.

My vision began to change. I began to see new things in the world around me. I began to see the hand of God in the lives of people around me – stirring them up. I began to sense that God was reaching out to people and calling them to himself. I began to sense that God was in people, struggling to convince them of the beauty that is in them, I began to see the world as a magical place, full of enchantment full of purpose and of meaning, and I began to feel compulsions to do things that I had never done before, the compulsion to pray for others, the compulsion to tell others that God is all around them, the compulsion to suddenly stop in the midst of turmoil and to thank God for little things, or simply to take a breath and savour the fact that in it is some divine purpose too deep for words. and I began to experience within myself a growing peace, a peace that continues to grow, and I began to experience in others - in their struggles and in their joys, in their sufferings and in their triumphs, the working of the God that is in my life.

My life is not natural - and I thank God for it.

What I experience now is not something that came to me as the result of my first birth- nor did I learn it somehow by going to this or that school, nor did I earn it by living a better life than most other people around me, it just happened as a result of coming to believe in God, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and asking him to be my God, my personal God - in the way Jesus taught.

All believers have this experience, all who hunger and thirst for righteousness, all who yearn for God, are satisfied.

All experience grace. All sense the giftedness of their lives. All know the incredible miracle of the indwelling God. All know that they are born from above - and as in their first birth - the birth by water - they know it is totally miraculous, totally the work, the labour, of another.

And we believers - as a result of our experience, come to see the words of the bible about God as true in every respect, we come to see that God has revealed himself, and reveals himself still, in many ways, and that the way that is written in the scriptures, the way that describes God as three, yet one, the way that shows God as creator, redeemer, and sustainer, the way that speaks of God as Father, and as Son and as Holy Spirit, the way that tells of God being a loving parent, a dear brother, and a caring presence, is a true way, a life giving way..

That my brothers and sister-in-Christ is part of the truth that Jesus spoke of when he spoke to Nicodemus.

Nicodemus had a very difficult time understanding that truth, he couldn't quite understand how one could be born anew it didn't seem natural to him --and it isn't natural - rather it is divine, it is the gift of the God - the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

So we preach, and so you believed - says the Apostle Paul
May it be so, both now and forevermore. -- Amen

Gal 6:7

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked;for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." Gal 6:7

Some things in life are certain. Some are not. Today's verse is certain. If a farmer sows beans, he will get beans. If he sows dandelions, he'll get dandelions. What Paul is saying is that what you put into your life, you will get back. If you sow alcoholic beverage into your life, you are likely to grow a case of alcoholism -- fancy language for "you may become a drunk!" If you sow illicit sex, you are almost certain to eventually get an incurable disease -- AIDS is only the most famous of the batch of incurable STD's. If you sow greed, you may die a very rich, but miserable person.


With this in mind, we can determine that Paul is saying that if you want to push the limits of God's Law and live for yourself, you will end up in Hell. However, if you want to reach Heaven, you will have to push in that direction by obeying the commandments of the Lord. In all reality, the choice is totally yours. No one will force you to go wrong. No one will force you to go right. You may be presented with some pretty powerful arguments one way or the other, but in the end the choice is yours.

Fortunately, if we choose to be heaven bound, we have some good fuel to boost us in that direction. It starts with the Blood of Jesus bringing us to salvation. It continues with the Word of God directing us (the Light for our paths). Along the way we receive some high octane called the Holy Spirit who empowers us to do what God wants us to do with our lives. All in all, it's a pretty good deal. Make Jesus your final answer. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Nahum 1:7

"The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him" Nahum 1:7

It's nice to be known. When you walk into a room full of strangers, you immediately look for a familiar face. Why? We don't like to be alone. If we see two faces that we know and they are on opposite ends of the room, we have a choice to make. Invariably we move to the end housing the person with whom we are most comfortable. We just like to have company in a strange or uncomfortable situation.

How important it is then that we know the Lord. Even more important that He knows US! There have been times that I walked up to that familiar face only to discover that the person didn't know (or remember) me! Now that's embarrassing. What do you say when you greet a person with a hearty "Hello, Bob. How are you." Only to be greeted with a puzzled look and a "Do I know you?" It makes you want to melt through the cracks in the floor!

It certainly is comforting that we are known by the Lord when we take refuge in Him. Not only are we known by Him,but He welcomes us with open arms. He asks how we are doing. He inquires about our spouse, our kids, the job . . . . He is interested in all our doings. He makes us feel welcome -- at home -- at ease. When we are in His refuge, His shelter, His fortress, we have nothing to fear. If you are outside the stronghold looking in, open your door and enter. Yes, you read me right. The only door that keeps you out of God's presence is the door that you keep closed to Him -- your door -- your heart -- your privacy. In all reality, God has no doors on His kingdom for He is willing to accept all comers. It is only our refusal to accept Him as our Savior, our Lord, our King, that separates us from the joy and peace we all seek.

So, open your door and walk into the presence of Jesus. Though you may have done it before, you can do it again -- every day. Don't allow yourself to be kept apart from Him. He certainly wants you in His presence. He will never turn you away if you are seeking His face. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Song of Solomon 2:15

"Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes". Song of Solomon 2:15

Some years ago a headline told of three hundred whales that suddenly died. The whales were pursuing sardines and found themselves marooned in a bay. Frederick Broan Harris commented, "The small fish lured the sea giants to their death. They came to their violent demise by chasing small ends, by prostituting vast powers for insignificant goals."1


How often in life "little things" can seem so insignificant. For instance, the kid who smokes his first cigarette probably reasons with himself, "One smoke will not hurt," never dreaming he would get addicted to nicotine. The same is true of the alcoholic and the drug addict. One drink will never hurt, or one drug will never hurt never dreaming that they would end up as hopeless addicts.

Then there are those of us who pride ourselves that we are not addicted to any substance, but allow our lives to be consumed by so many little things that are harmless in and of themselves but take us away from God's purpose for our life.

All too often even good things become the enemy of the best in that they hinder or stop our becoming all that God has envisioned for us.

May we so live that in the end when we meet God face to face we will have no regrets but hear his welcoming words, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord." How we live today will determine what that outcome will be.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the good sense to know that my life here is just a journey and a preparation for eternity. Help me to know what your purpose for my life is and so live that I will have no regrets when I am called home, but will hear your words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within You. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993),

Thursday, May 15, 2008

"And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" Gal 5:24


This is my thought about today's verse. When a man iscrucified, he's dead. And when your dead, you're dead! Those of us who belong to Christ Jesus have crucifiedthe flesh. We are dead -- dead to the flesh -- dead to our passions -- dead to our desires -- DEAD!


Now if this is true, why do I still have ungodly desires? If this is true, why do I still yield to the flesh and it's passions? Because these things still bother me, does that mean that I am not one who belongs to Jesus? Am I a failure as a Christian? Are my adoption papers not in order? Do I really belong to Satan and not God?


Perhaps you think the same way. Have I struck a nerve? I suspect that all of us feel that way at times -- perhaps more often than not. Rest assured, you are still a child of the King if you have called upon the Name of Jesus. The intent of the Apostle is not to discourage, but to encourage.


What is dead is the strings that attach us to these fleshly desires and passions. They no longer bind us. They are cut loose -- destroyed -- by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of the Lord. Can we still relish in them? Yes. Do we? All too often. Can we break free? Absolutely! All we have to do is choose to be free -- to enjoy the freedom our Savior, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ has given us. If you are bound today with bonds that have been broken, you are free -- you just need to realize it, accept it, and refuse to be bound again! That choice is yours because the old bonds have been crucified -- they are dead! And when they are dead, they are dead Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Psalm 20:1-3

"May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice." Psalm 20:1-3

I humbly pass this blessing on to you. You deserve it. Go ahead, it's yours! I sincerely pray that your prayers will be answered -- always. From experience I know that it is not easy having questions unanswered. It is better to receive a sharp "no" than to hear nothing. I pray that all your prayers be answered in such a way that you will know the answer without doubt. You are set aside for God. He has lifted you out of the quicksand and placed you squarely in the center of His family. You are His child. He loves you. Because you have called upon His name, you ARE exalted on high -- and in the end, we will all reign with Him.


When you are in trouble, may He always send help. It may be an angel. It may be a friend. It may be supernatural. Or it may be a natural occurrence, but God will always send you help. God is good -- All the time. He answers prayer -- especially a prayer offered in unity by His children.

May the Lord find all your sacrifices acceptable. Those sacrifices may be financial, temporal (time), emotional (praise, thanksgiving, and worship), prayer, or any other type of offering. I pray that God will meet you at every turn and find you acceptable. I ask that He will give you an unquenchable thirst for Him. In this way, all that you do will be pleasing to Him. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Who is thirsty?

Ezekiel 37:1-14, Acts 2:1-21 and John 7:37-39

Let us Pray - O God, light of the minds that know you, life of the souls that love you, and strength of the thoughts that seek you - bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts. Breathe your life into us that we may live in the manner you have appointed unto us and better love and serve you and one another. Amen

The disciples of Jesus experienced - fifty days after his departure, a radical change in their lives. They started - after the fire and the wind touched them and entered them to do things that they had never done before.

They became new creatures - brought to life - in a new way - much as the bones in the valley of dry bones received new life in the sight of the prophet Ezekiel.

The Spirit of God - that breath that proceeds from the Father and the Son - creates and makes all things new - it makes them all that God intended them to be.

The Day of Pentecost ushered in a new age, the age of the Spirit - the age of new life - for all people.

We very often hear about beginning new eras and new periods in human life.

Every time a new region in Africa gets piped water, or every time a new power plant is built in an area that had no power before, an important official will address the people and speak of a new era, a new start, a new creation, a new epoch.

But in fact human life in its relationships goes on as it has before. The only difference is that the quarrels at home, the fights in the bars, the deceptive talk, and the selfish grasping is now done in electric light while drinking clean water.

Real human newness cannot be a building, a power plant, a landing on the moon, a flight to Mars, nor can it be a psychological theory, a sociological paradigm, a new communication system, nor even a new set of laws or a more rigorous enforcement of old laws.

You cannot change the quarrels in a family by eating better food, by installing a large screen TV or by buying a bigger car.

A real evolutionary step can only be made if mentalities and attitudes change; real progress can only be made if outlooks and judgements change.

That is what happened at the moment that the Spirit of God descended, at the moment that all the disciples of Jesus became not only capable of speaking all kinds of languages, but were willing to use those languages to contact people they never would
have thought of addressing before.

It happened when they went from believing in forgiveness to showing forgiveness,

It happened when they went from believing that God would protect them to actually venturing forth from the upper room into the danger filled streets of Jerusalem.

It happened came when they went from thinking about what Jesus had said, to proclaiming what he said - in word - and in actions, in reaching out to heal, to serve - and to love - all those around them.

There is a mysterious moment in our all of lives
- a moment when belief comes alive
- a moment when our thinking about the promises that God has made becomes in us a transforming faith
- a moment when ideas and concepts suddenly move our minds and our hearts, and through these, move our feet and our hands, our mouths and our lips in a new and a life giving way.

That moment is the gift of the Holy Spirit. That moment is the fruit of the Holy Spirit which now dwells in all flesh, and seeks to bring us closer to God - and closer to one another.

For the first disciples that moment happened with a rush of wind and tongues of fire - and it still happens that way for some people.

For John Wesley - the founder of Methodism - it came when he was listening to Martin Luther's Commentary on Paul's Letter to the Romans, and he felt his heart "strangely warmed".

For me it came while seated in chair in a church with several people of faith praying around me and over me, and I felt a kind of electricity inside my body.

For still others - it comes in other ways - and as with the first disciples, as with John Wesley, and even as with me - it changes their lives.

It changes it like the air changed a balloon for it gives life to the form and substance, to the bones and sinews -- life to the heart and soul. It is the evidence, as Paul writes - it is the sign and it is the seal – of our relationship with God.

God's gift took me from having belief in God - to having God's power in me.

And while I can stifle that power within me for a time, or even for a season; while I can turn from it and conceal it for a while, I can no longer escape it.

It is there - and I know it. And it struggles within me for expression - and when I let go - when I let God within me - when I let the Spirit within me - beautiful things happen.

Indeed the Spirit does all that Jesus said it would do.

It brings to mind the words of God - the words we sometimes try to forget and the words that we sometimes look for - and suddenly have; - those words that allow us to bring real comfort to a friend who is lost- those words that allow us really communicate forgiveness and love to someone in need - those words that convict - and exhort - and at last – when surrendered to, bring peace to the soul, my soul - and the soul of others.

The Spirit flows in us, and through us it flows to others.
It is like the wind,
it is like the gentle flapping of a dove's wings
It is like fire,
It is like a river.
It is like a still small voice with.

And this my friends is the age we are in, the new age that was born on the day of Pentecost, an age that allows for a true transformation, for a new way of
living.

It allows for it - it makes it happen - it brings it to reality and all we have to do to enter that age is to reach out for it.

According to our passage today - Jesus cried out; he cried out : "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink."

When we drink, when we turn to God when we believe and seek him in prayer, in church, in the world around us, he comes -- he comes in the Spirit - and he honours all his word unto us, -- he works a new work in us and through us he works in others,
he works to establish his kingdom fully upon the earth - as it is in heaven.

"As the scripture has said", repeated Jesus, "'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"

That river flows because God makes it so.

He makes it so through the gift of Pentecost - the gift of his Spirit.... Praise be to God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11, NIV).

Robert Munger writes about an American traveling in Syria who became acquainted with a shepherd. Each morning he noticed the shepherd taking food to a sheep that had a broken leg. As he looked at the animal, he asked the shepherd, "How did the sheep break its leg? Did it meet with an accident, fall into a hole, or did some animal break its leg?"

"No," said the shepherd, "I broke this sheep's leg myself."

"You broke it yourself?" queried the surprised traveler.

"Yes, you see, this is a wayward sheep; it would not stay with the flock, but would lead the sheep astray. Then it would not let me near it so I had to break the sheep's leg so that it would allow me, day by day to feed it. In doing this it will get to know me as its shepherd, trust me as its guide, and keep with the flock."1

Sometimes, just sometimes, when we insist of going our own stubborn way and leading others astray, the Shepherd of the fold, may have to "break our leg" too for our own good and that of others.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the good sense to not only know what is the right thing to do but the courage to do it, so that I won't need to experience painful discipline. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Robert Boyd Munger in Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations by Paul Lee Tan.

1 Corinth 2:12

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." 1 Corinth 2:12

Most Christians do not know much about the realm of the Spirit. It is as if they are separated from the Promised Land by the Jordan River. Once in a while, when no giants are around, they may rush across the water and take some fruit from the trees and then run back. This is a long way from dwelling in the land!

Perhaps they hear a rousing sermon by a strong evangelist. For a brief time their spirits are stirred up, and they reach out and take hold of their healing, their strength, their joy, their peace or their deliverance. But when the stirring fades, they go back to walking in the natural. We were not meant to rush in and out of the spiritual realm; we are meant to live there.

Why wonder where your spiritual blessings are. They are in the spiritual realm. Enter in and take hold of what is yours. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Phil 4:12

"I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" Phil 4:12


Ah, sweet contentment! What would it take to make you contented? A new house? A new car? A fully equipped bass boat? A new dress? In size 5?! Happy children? The perfect job? The perfect Church? The perfect wife? The perfect husband? If we stop to think about it, we could probably come up with a lot of things. A winning lottery ticked might be at the top for some of us. Will these really make you contented? I can guarantee if you had one or all of the above, you wouldn't be contented very long. Why? Because contentment can not be found in physical things. All of these things will become less alluring with time. The house will age. The car will rust. The dress will "shrink". The children will be children. The job will grow old. The Church -- well if you join it, you will ruin its perfection. The wife, she will get fat after three kids. The husband won't do anything but sit in front of the TV watching soccer. The 5 million dollars will soon be spent. These things only offer temporary contentment.


Paul has learned a bit about contentment. He has found it in povertyand riches; in what ever situation in which he has found himself. He has found contentment in hunger and plenty; in ease and suffering. What is his secret? Paul has learned that contentment is found in Jesus. Paul had such a hunger for God that nothing else would do. He was so sold out to Jesus that whatever He wanted was fine with Paul. Would you sing if you were beaten, bleeding, and cast into a stinking, wet, rat infested prison cell? Paul did. Would you return to the city that beat you, stoned you and cast you out of the city gates thinking you were dead? Paul did. Would you witness to the men who held you captive, awaiting a trial that would likely deliver you to the executioner? Paul did -- and won the majority of Caesar's personal guard to Jesus!


See the difference? Paul's contentment never changed, never rusted, never died, never argued, never faded away. His contentment was based upon the Jesus who is the same yesterday, today, and forever! We could learn a lot from Paul. The next time we look at our "want list" let's ask the question, "Will it bring real contentment? Or will it only provide temporary happiness?" Then decide if you really want or need it. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Ephesians 2:8-9

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."Ephesians 2:8-9


After Jesus told them that he sent by God, some were seeking to seize Him, having come to the conclusion that He was not a good man. But others did believe in Him, "and theywere saying, 'When the Christ shall come, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?'" (John 7:31). All the evidence was there. Some chose to believe; others chose not to. People do the same today. Faith is a choice. We choose to believe or not believe.


Faith is the operating principle of life. It is the means by which we relate to God and live our lives in freedom. Notice the variety of ways stated in Scripture by which faith affects our lives. First, we are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8, 9).


Second, we "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Psalms 119:105

"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." Psalms 119:105

The ancients knew about walking in the dark. That is why they developed foot lamps. These were small lamps that were tied onto the feet. They did not cast much light, but they did shed enough for the night walker to see where he was putting his next foot. I can almost imagine seeing little bits of light risingand falling with each foot fall on trails across the hills leading to a village -- perhaps Bethlehem -- in the middle of a dark night.

It could be a bit humorous if you picture it just right. This is the picture David had as he wrote today's verse -- and one of myall time favorites. On a spiritual level, David says that the Word of the Lord is a lamp to his feet. It is that little bit of sightthat makes faith possible. Paul says that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The truths of the Bible are that bit of flame that fires up the faith. As a believer, can you imagine life without faith? Perhaps you can if you remember your life before Jesus. Remember the darkness and the hopelessness? Then someone opened the Word of God to you and it was as though someone switched on a light. All of a sudden, you could see, not just the sin, but the solution to that sin. You could see Jesus.

Perhaps even now you are groping in the dark. You seem tohave lost your faith. The light has grown dim and you don't know where you are or how you got there. May I make a suggestion? Open the Word. Anywhere. Just open it. Beginto read wherever you find your finger. Let God speak to you. If you persist, He will turn on the light again. Not only that, He will show you where you are and where you should be and how to get there.

God has not abandoned you. He is there with you -- He alwayshas been. There is no place that you can set your feet that God will not follow you. He loves you so much that He will follow you to the gates of Hell in one last attempt to bringy ou back home to Himself. You don't see Him? He's there. Ifyou pick up His Word, He will speak to you. Ever been in a dark room and someone struck a match? Quite bright wasn't it? That's how a single verse can be for you today. It will shed enough light for you to see where the light switch is. When you make your way to the Father, He will illuminate your entire being with floods of wonderful, bright, purifying light. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Monday, May 5, 2008

A JOURNEY OF FAITH

Genesis 12:1-4; Romans 4:1-5,13-17; John 3:1-17 "A Journey of Faith"


God of law and of love, dispenser of justice and of mercy, judge of our actions and Saviour of our lives -- help us to hear your word this day. Bless my lips and our hearts - so that in speaking and in hearing your will may be known and that which you want us to have and do may be had and done - we ask it though Christ our Lord. Amen

I met a certain gentleman sometime ago, this is someone who had recently been reborn.

He was a criminal - a man who dealt drugs, set fires, and robbed homes and stores. He was caught for one of his crimes, a crime in which he had been injured.

After he recovered from his injuries - the courts tried and convicted him for his crimes.

I met him just some years afterwards; This was at a bible study group.

He was just about to leave because he had promised to accompany someone to church, another new believer in Christ, but before he left I found out something about him. I found out that he was embarked on a new life, and that while the consequences of his old life were still catching up to him - he was about to lose his home for example - he had become a person genuinely concerned about others, that he had become a person who not only respected the property of others, but who was also concerned for their spiritual health, and eager to share with them what God had done for him, and could do for them.

I found out that he was sorry for his old ways and that he was striving to live in an entirely new way; and from the testimony of others who were present, I heard that he was happier than he ever had been before, and that his relationship with his family, once very shaky - was now becoming more and more stable.

It was a beautiful encounter - because I had heard the old truth about this man; and then I saw - before my eyes - the new truth about him - a truth given by God.

This man proved the lie to the old adage - "you can't change a leopard's spots". His spots had not only changed - they had disappeared completely. He had been born again.

"How", asked, Nicodemus, "can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"

No - one can't enter the womb of his mother and be born again, but one can be born from above - born again - of the Spirit, and indeed - one must be born of the Spirit - if they are to enter the kingdom of God.

I think that most people are like Nicodemus - they understand what it is to be born of water - they understand that this means that one must repent and be washed for the forgiveness of sins -- but for many people it goes no farther than that.

Like Nicodemus many people are law abiding citizens, sorry when they realize they have done something wrong, and willing to seek forgiveness and to try again, willing to be cleansed with the baptism of John, and to try to live a righteous life according to the law.

That is basically where Nicodemus was at.

He was a law abiding citizen, one who loved God, and taught his ways to others.

Unlike the man I spoke of at the beginning of the sermon, Nicodemus was a man who did all things right, He lived as he had been taught to live, He prayed as he had been taught to pray. He worshipped as he had been taught to worship, He was a credit to his ancestors, and honoured by his peers.

Nicodemus too, like many people, recognized that Jesus was special; that Jesus was a teacher who had come from God, because no one - after all - could do what Jesus did apart from the presence of God.

But Nicodemus, for all this, was not able to understand Jesus and what he was about.

A couple of months after I decided that God was calling me to the ministry I was invited by a friend to attend a meeting:

When I got there, ushers where handing out white postcards. On these cards where written four words that have stuck with me to this day.

The words were "GOD HAS NO GRANDCHILDREN".

It took me a minute to fully grasp the implications of these words.

What I took them to mean was - that it was not enough for a person to grow up in a religious family, - that it was not enough for a person to learn about faith in Christ from his or her parents and to live according to those teachings - rather every person had to make their own personal decision for God, every person had to be born again - no matter how much holiness they had learned and practised because of the home they were born into.

Do you know how fantastic that is?

That puts everyone on the same basis before God - it makes everyone equal - and everyone responsible for themselves, and that is good news! Especially for those who have not had all the breaks - Especially for those who have been lost, those who have been raised in a godless household, those who, like most people today, have never been exposed to the gospel.

But it is even better than that - better because the very words "born again", or "born from above" tells us volumes about the process involved in becoming one of God's children.

Think about it for a second. Think about the first birth you went through, about what you know of it.

First off - you are conceived and it is obviously not anything you did that brings it about.

So it is with our Spiritual conception - God, by the power of his Spirit, brings it about - God plans it - and God executes it.

As a baby in the womb is surrounded by water, So God surrounds us all with his Spirit, protecting us and sheltering the growing seed, the seed of faith.

And the actual birth is the same - it is the work of the mother, not of the child.

There may be some help of course - help from doctors and nurses who assist the mother in the case of our physical birth, - or help from spiritual midwives, from friends, from evangelists, from neighbours , in the case of our spiritual birth.

In fact the only thing we have to do on our own is do what our new bodies want us to do - all we have to do is breathe.

Breathe the air of life, Breathe the Spirit - which, in Hebrew - is translated wind or breath.

How can a person be born again?

Well - all it takes is wanting to breathe the breath of God, of being willing to trust the Spirit and believe the testimony of Christ concerning the Father.

Being born - involves surrendering, of being willing to be pushed down the birth canal to the light of day, of going with the flow of what God has done and is doing in making us new.

Before I became a Christian, I was like Nicodemus - not in the fact that I lived well, because I did not, but in the fact that I believed in God and what I knew of his law, and in the fact that I resisted what was new to me, in the fact that I debated with Christ, asking those who testified concerning him - how it could it be so.

I knew that my life was imperfect, but I could not see how God could live in me, how he could bring me to a new birth or why he would chose the way of the cross and resurrection to bring it to pass.

Finally - because of the efforts of the Spirit, - because of the efforts of many people who prayed for me and loved me even though I was a stranger to them and their ways, I finally - one night - alone in my room - said to God – I believe, forgive me, dwell within me, rule over me, help me be what you want me to be.

I was born that night - born a little one in the faith, with much to learn, with much growth yet to undertake - a growth that, God and myself willing, will continue yet for many years.

To be born again, some people, like Nicodemus, have to give up their wisdom; others have to give up their disbelief; all have to give up their belief in their own righteousness or goodness; which for some - like me – is not too hard, and for others - especially for those who have always lived good lives, is very hard.

It is hard to think that our goodness doesn't count when it comes to God's love to our deserving it to our receiving it.

Yet we have to give up credit and loss based ways of thinking, we have to give up our doubt, we have to give up our way of confining God to little boxes of theological perfectionism, and let the Christ do his work in us.

What happens afterwards? What happens after we surrender to God and allow ourselves to be pushed down the birth canal to our new birth?

A new life happens, a new way of seeing, feeling, and thinking comes about in us.

We begin to see things in a spiritual fashion. We discover new truths operating in our lives - spiritual truths. We learn new ways of dealing with life in the world. We begin to live differently than before.

It is a different world that we see when we are born again, just as the world of an infant is different than the world of an embryo; and there is no explaining to others, who are not in it, just exactly what it is like - except to say - as so many have said before - it is wonderful, it is beautiful, it is full of light - light that even the darkness, try as it might, can't overcome.

The man I met at a bible study whom I told you about at the beginning of this sermon could not say enough about how his life had changed, about how God was making him new.

He was excited - everything was different for him, and my friends - everything can be different for us a well.

If you have lost the zip, the flavour, the flair of the new life that God gives, or if you have never had it -all you have to do is surrender, - to go with the flow of what God has said to us through Jesus Christ - to believe that he is the one that God, because of his love, gave to the world, so that everyone who believes in him , may not perish, but may have eternal life.

Believe - and trust - and breath the spiritual air that God has provided. Dwell in his word. Pray by his spirit. And live by the faith he gives to you. And you will be born again – and grow in the new life God has made for you .


Praise be to God, day by day. Amen.