ARE YOU SURE?

1 John 5: 6 – 13
How many times have you been in a conversation with someone who was sure that if they were good enough, they would get to heaven? I've heard people say that because they donated to charity, helped an elderly neighbor, even helping a little old lady cross the street (several times, and sometimes against her will); “That should be good enough, ain't it?”
The most common statement I have heard is; “I'm basically a good person” and I even had an aunt say to me; “He's going to take us all honey, don't worry about it.”
I felt that way once, I even thought that because I was my grandmothers primary care taker, that that was good enough, and felt relieved when people would say that there was a special place in heaven for me for my efforts.
Even though being good enough sounds like a really good thing, and makes us feel good and as in my case relieves a little fear of the future, the truth is the Bible (God's word) says differently.
11 This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son.
12 So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life.
13 My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. (The Message)
Plain, simple, and to the point. God “gave us” eternal life through his son, we don't have to work to get it, and we can be confident in knowing that we will be in heaven when we pass from this life into the next.
Acts 16:
31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."
Romans 10:
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
So, there are the choices believe what other people tell you, or listen to what God has to say.
1 John 5:
9 If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as he does here, testifying concerning his Son.
10 Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God’s testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God’s own testimony regarding his Son.

PERSEVERANCE

James 1: 1 – 8
Perseverance is; A steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness.
According to the book of James, this is a good thing being a blessing when we face many trials.
I really dislike the prospect of many trials, heck, I'm lazy and don't like the idea of even one trial. It's going to hurt at least for a little while whether physically or emotionally, and at first it is very discouraging. It takes me a while to realize that whatever I am going through is going to be good for me in the long run.
I can only remember one time when the first thing that came to mind was to praise God and give him glory. (I was running a prayer group at a transitional facility for those in recovery which was well attended, getting @ 30% of the population.)
as I was waking up from my mornings sleep (I worked the graveyard shift) I got a call from a fellow worker saying that he had gotten suspended and that I was probably going to be too, when I got a call from work telling my that I was suspended for running the prayer group.
Oh, how I praised God that day. I called my co-worker and told him not to worry but to rejoice for we had been put on trial for God's sake. (He didn't get it and was not comforted by this knowledge)
My co-worker had reason to worry because when I wasn't on shift,he had been laying on hands in an inappropriate way on female clients,and that's why we were suspended. I walked into the bosses office on the day I was called in to face the charges against me with my head raised and praising God for his presence in my life, and walked out restored to my position with back pay for the days of work I had missed. The other guy got his job back without any back pay, and was soon fired for his actions.
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
My co-worker was double minded, using his position and prayer to satisfy his fleshly desires, while I became blessed for standing on my belief in God and that what I was doing was for the greater good of those I served.
All we need is a sincere desire to follow God’s direction and faith that His way is best. Because the Lord gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty.

SUNDAY FUNNIES

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

2 Timothy 4: 9 – 22
Just days before his death, Gandhi wrote, “All about me is darkness; I am praying for light.” By contrast, evangelist D. L. Moody’s last recorded words were, “This is my triumph; this my coronation day! It is glorious!” In both cases, their last words were significant expressions of their perspectives on life, death, and everything in between.
The difference between believers and non-believers is never more apparent than when we are faced with the specter of death, whether it is our own, or a loved ones.
Recently a friend of mines father passed away, he was the leader of a Christian family, when I spoke with my friend to find out the particulars of the wake and funeral, he told me that there would be no wake and no funeral. There would, however, be a memorial service at his fathers church, and that it should be a good time.
A good time?
When a friend of mine who wasn't saved died unexpectedly, there was a wake and funeral, the funeral home was filled with people consumed with fear and sadness, there were lots of tears and cries of anguish.
Not a good time.
The memorial service that I went to was filled with the joy of life in the knowledge that our friends father had gone to be with his savior. Yes there were tears, he would be missed by those of us left behind, but there was also celebration.
A good time.
Paul gave us some of his last words in the book of 2 Timothy, words of encouragement and warning for others.
When it comes to my time to “shuck off this mortal coil”, I am comforted by the fact that I am sure where I am going, I am prayerful that I will have words of encouragement and not words of fear.
Other than death and taxes, there is also another certainty. Eternity is a long time, and after we pass from this world we will be faced with that reality. Now, there are two choices that have to be made before we go. Do we want to spend that time in heaven or in hell.
I pray that your family will invite people to a good time when it is your time to go, not invite them to a place of fear and sadness.

KEEP WATCHING THE SKY'S

Colossians 3: 1 – 13
The title of this teaching is taken from the last line of the classic movie “The Thing”. The movie is a classic parable about the dangers of the spread of Communism.
But if we tweak the meaning just a teensy bit, it can be used to help to remind us to keep our eyes on the higher places of heaven and not focusing our attention on the earthly desires that we have.
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
When we try to imagine the immensity of God’s heavens, our problems indeed seem trivial. Yet God doesn’t think so! With all the galaxies He has to attend to, God is mindful of us. And not only are we on His mind, He cares for us.
It is no wonder the apostle Paul advises us as new believers to set their minds on things above. In doing so, we raise our thoughts above the level of earthly disputes and focus instead on our loving, heavenly Father, who wants us to know Him, to know how to live peacefully with one another, and to know that we can live eternally with Him in a place even more beautiful than the heavens.
A poem written thousands of years ago still rings true: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Ps. 8:3-4).
we truly serve an immense and awesome God one who can multi task with the best of them, well I guess he would be the best at it after all he is God, and to think that with all that he has on his plate, he still chooses to care for us not as a group, but, as individuals. The children's song goes; “Jesus loves me this I know, 'cause the Bible tells me so”.
God loves me.
And because of this fact, I will keep watching the sky's.

LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

Galatians 5: 16 – 24
I so wish that I could live by the spirit all day, every day, but I haven't been able to do that yet.
We’ve all heard the prayer:
“Lord, make me more patient—and do it now!”
Why is it that patience evaporates when we are late for a critical engagement and are caught in a traffic jam? Or we rush to the “10 items or less” line at the store, only to find someone in front of us with 16 items!
Being forced to wait ratchets up the stress and shortens our fuse. When that happens, we not only fail to be patient but we undercut the Spirit’s work in our lives.
I know that I have to keep reminding myself that patience is not a virtue, it is a fruit of the spirit, and that my Dr. tells me that I need more fruit in my diet.
A few years ago I went out to the Stop and Shop in my town on a Sunday night (I wasn't saved at the time) to get a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of soda, and a loaf of bread. While walking towards the checkout, a man with a carriage full of groceries rushed in front of me. As he was unloading his “23”ITEMS! I began to fume and call him everything but friend, when it came to my mind; “I'm about to get into a fist fight over a pack of smokes and some soda and bread”, and I left my items on the counter and walked away all the while hearing the guy with the groceries, yell at my back about the marital status of my parents at my birth.
I had very little fruit in my diet that night.
As I said before, patience is not just a virtue, it’s a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)—which means that demonstrations of impatience reveal the sour fruit of our fallen hearts rather than the sweetness of Jesus in our lives. Since God is a patient God, when we abandon patience we miss the opportunity to show our world the glory of God through our lives.
Bursts of impatience only demonstrate that we are more concerned with our own agendas than the needs and struggles of others. There may have been many reasons why that man rushed in front of me that night many years ago, but all I thought about was my own situation So let’s all take a deep breath and turn our focus away from ourselves by patiently loving others instead of ourselves in the midst of stress.
Patience gives us the privilege of sharing the refreshing fruit of God with others.

Be patient. Show your world what God is really like.

BY FAITH...

Hebrews 11: 8 – 16
I really don't know where to go with this subject. ODB talks today of monuments to success, buildings in particular, that each record building is surpassed by the next. I suppose that each builder thinking that theirs was the biggest, was soon beat by a bigger and taller building.
But where does faith fit into all this?
Because he was urged and prompted, Abraham listened to God and left his homeland to go to a new country and believed that even though he and his wife Sarah were beyond the age of child bearing, that they would become the parents of a great nation. They never got to see these things come to pass, but they knew that they would because God told them that it would happen, and they believed.
Where do buildings and monuments fit into that? Am I missing the point?
Anyway Abraham was following God and knew that he was a stranger in a strange land and was in search of a better country, the heavenly country where he would have full citizenship.
13 Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world.
14 People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home.
15 If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted.
16 But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.
Like I said in the beginning, I don't know what to make of this teaching and am leaving it up to you to read the scripture meditate on it and let it marinate in.
I love you guys
Yours in Christ
Roadblock
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BIG DADDY IS WATCHING

Psalm 33: 8 – 22
As the title implies, I once thought of God as sort of the fictional “Big Brother” from the book 1984. I was constantly worried that Big Daddy was watching ready to alert his angel police to conspire against me and condemn me for my actions and thoughts.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling-place he watches all who live on earth—
Just as the main character Winston Smith found his alcove that was out of the reach of the all seeing cameras, I was looking to hide from the sight of God.
Then I figured that if I was going to hell anyway, then I might as well enjoy the ride and gave up trying to hide my sins from the eyes of God and flaunted them in front of them.
How lost I was, how ignorant I had become. I felt that I was a fairly intelligent person and that all this religious stuff was for the stupid. I forget who said it, but I agreed that; “religion was the opiate of the masses” created to keep the rabble quiet.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
To be honest, the word of God scared me silly. But then, as I began to really read what it said, I found great truth and comfort in those words that once scared me.
12 ¶ Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
The eye of the Lord may be fearsome, but we who trust in Him rejoice. He is not an intrusive “Big Brother” but our loving heavenly Father who watches over us.
We can take comfort in the fact, that just as when we were children, there is a father who cares enough about us, that he loves to watch what we do and takes interest in the things we like.
Keep your eyes on the Lord; He never takes His eyes off you

THIS IS HOW WE KNOW WHAT LOVE IS

1 John 3: 16 – 20
I used to throw the word “love” around like it was worthless; Love ya man, of course I love you why else would I be here, over and over again I would tell people I loved them, usually it was a word used to get what I wanted. I guess the easiest way to explain it was that I really had no idea what it meant to truly love.
As I said, my mouth formed the word many times, but it was never in my heart, nor was it in my actions, unless the love was directed to me. Even though I professed to having no feelings of love for myself, I showered myself with selfish deeds. I grabbed all the stuff, booze, drugs, and women I could afford to pay for that week.
Getting sober and coming to know God changed all that. I found that I could say I love you by what I did, not by what I said.
When I married their mother, I made a vow to God, and my wife, that I would love my two wonderful step-sons, as if they were my own. Even though I told them that I loved them, I knew that I would have to let my actions speak. Even before we were married, I chaperoned a junior high camp out, then I began to bring one step son to his softball games, little things I know, but I had no other experience and had to start somewhere.
While reading the word of God, it occurred to me that this is the way that He wants us to act. The example of sacrifice is throughout the Bible.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence
20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
So as it says in these verses, lets go out and let our actions speak for us of our love for others.
Next time you tell someone that you love them, back it up with actions.
When you see someone in need,

Love demands a loving deed;

Don’t just say you love him true

,Prove it by the deeds you do. —Sper

Compassion puts love into action

SUNDAY FUNNIES

YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE

1 Timothy 1:12 – 17
I'm sure everybody has heard the joke about the guy asking directions from the farmer who tells the guy; “You can't get there from here”. It is a funny story, and I have used the punch line many times myself, as I am sure many people have, but there is a weird truth behind the joke that can be applied to how we get to heaven.
There is a story of a young mother who was trying to explain her father’s death to her 4-year-old. The girl wondered where Grandpa was. “I’m sure he’s in heaven,” the mother answered, “because he was very good.” The girl replied sadly, “I guess I won’t be in heaven.” “Why not?” her mother asked in surprise. “’Cause I’m not very good.”
I’m saddened when I hear of others who believe they must be very good to get into heaven, especially since we all know deep down in our hearts that we’re not very good at all.
Perhaps like this little girl you’re thinking about your sins and asking, “What must I do to get to heaven?” The answer has already been given: Jesus, by His death, has paid in full the price of your sins, no matter how bad, or shameful they may be. Your salvation is free.
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.
13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.
16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Left to our own devices, there is no way we can get to heaven from here. No matter what we do we can't do enough. Paul tell us this in the book of Romans.
Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
God promises, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18). No one is good enough to get into heaven. Eternal life is a gift.

Receive Jesus by faith.

LEARNERS

Isaiah 50: 4 – 6 Luke 2: 46 – 52
4 ¶ The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.
46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?"
50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
When Jesus was 12, He went with His parents to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. On their way home, His parents realized He was not with them. When they returned, they “found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions”.
Jesus had the heart of a learner-disciple. Isaiah writes of Him as Jehovah’s Servant: “The Lord God awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear”. In His humanity, the Son was open to learn from His Father.
Jesus’ example challenges us to be listeners to God’s Word. We too can become learner-disciples if we’ll keep our hearts open to God’s teaching.

WE'LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON FOR YA!

Hebrews 13: 1 – 6
Hospitality is defined as; The friendly treatment and reception of guests or strangers. The Bible tells us that we are to have hospitality for others.
2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
In 2004, a nonprofit service was founded that helps travelers find a “friendlier alternative” to unfriendly hotels. They find homeowners who are willing to offer their spare beds and couches to others.
The group boasts almost a quarter of a million friendships that have been formed from their service. “The more we network, the better chance we have of this world being a better place.'”
Blessing others with what we have been blessed with, reaps even greater blessings.
This is going to be a short teaching, I feel that the verses are so self explanatory that there is no need for embellishment. As God’s people, we are called to be hospitable to others as part of our gratitude for the salvation we have received from God.

Lord, grant me a loving heart,

A will to give and share,

A whispered prayer upon my lips

To show I really care. —Brandt

People with a heart for God have a heart for people.

JUST WHERE HE WANTED ME TO BE

Isaiah 45: 18 – 25
I found God! I searched high and low, looked in every nook and cranny, under every rock, and behind every corner, and suddenly, there he was.
Why was God hiding?
Was God hiding?
We can be quite arrogant in our thinking that it is we who searched for and found God, when all along he was there waiting for us to stumble blindly into our need to have a relationship with him.
In my bathroom, I have a group of affirmations placed on the bookcase next to the toilet, where they can be easily seen. One of which reads; “I didn't find God, He found me, right where he wanted me to be”.
He was waiting at the end of my rope, he was there all the time, truth be told, he was everywhere in my life, I didn't have to look for Him at all.
18 GOD, Creator of the heavens—he is, remember, God. Maker of earth—he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch. He didn’t go to all that trouble to just leave it empty, nothing in it. He made it to be lived in. This GOD says: "I am GOD, the one and only.
19 I don’t just talk to myself or mumble under my breath. I never told Jacob, ‘Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.’ I am GOD. I work out in the open, saying what’s right, setting things right.
20 So gather around, come on in, all you refugees and castoffs. They don’t seem to know much, do they—those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood, praying for help to a dead stick?
21 So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence. Put your heads together. Make your case. Who told you, and a long time ago, what’s going on here? Who made sense of things for you? Wasn’t I the one? GOD? It had to be me. I’m the only God there is—The only God who does things right and knows how to help.
22 So turn to me and be helped—saved!—everyone, whoever and wherever you are. I am GOD, the only God there is, the one and only.
23 I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. I never take back what I say. Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. Everyone is going to end up saying of me,
24 ‘Yes! Salvation and strength are in GOD!’" All who have raged against him will be brought before him, disgraced by their unbelief.
25 And all who are connected with Israel will have a robust, praising, good life in GOD!

The Lord is near to all who call;

He promised in His holy Word

That if we will draw near to Him,

Our faintest heartcry will be heard. —Hess

Have we been looking for God in all the wrong places?

CRITISISMS

1 Peter 2: 4 – 12
Abraham Lincoln knew what it meant to face criticism. He is quoted as saying, “If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how—the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what’s said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”
Lincoln, against huge opposition, went on to reunite the fractured United States, win the Civil War, and abolish slavery in the US. Had he allowed his critics to defeat him, Lincoln would not have accomplished what he did.
It's hard to stand up for what you believe in when those around you disagree with you, but when you do, the reward is beyond compare.
4 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor.
5 Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.
6 The Scriptures provide precedent: Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it.
7 To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him, The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone.
8 For the untrusting it’s…a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way. They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.
9 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—
10 from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
11 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.
12 Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.
This is another day when I feel that God's word says it much better than I can, and that ODB has given heavily to this teaching.
Enjoy the word and learn from it.

ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN

Acts 26: 9 – 18
Hi, my name is Roadblock and I'd like to share with you how Jesus changed me. Saved me, and turned my life around.
In my past I was the kind of guy most people wouldn't want to hang around for long periods of time. I was a selfish drunk and drug addict, I was a lier, a cheat, and a thief.
Then one hot night in July of 1990, I knew that I would have to change my ways or die, so I went into rehab, and got sober. This changed my life enough that I was able to hold a job and begin to look back at my life of sin and debasement.
At one point during my early years in sobriety, I began to realize that there really was something higher than me that I could rely on, so I began to “experiment” with the religion of my youth. I found an old paperback bible and began to read. I guess I was searching for answers to this emptiness that I felt, because I sure didn't understand the words I was reading, and I got nothing out of it except that I was so bored with reading the Bible, that I would use the experience to help me get to sleep.
At the time I was working in the prison system and began a friendship with another worker and with her husband who just happened to be the Christian Chaplain at that institution. They would share bits of their relationship with God with me, and answer any questions that I may have had, and our friendship grew.
One day while in Boston doing work for the union I belonged to, I was done with my duties around noon, and knew that if I hung around the hall, that they would find me some more work to do, so to kill time before my ride home, I went doe a walk.
It was cold and rainy that day, and to warm up and dry off a little from my walk, I ducked into this bookstore that just happened to be attached to the Episcopal cathedral in downtown Boston.
Everything in that store was shrink wrapped, except, this book titled; “Serenity a Twelve Step Look at the New Testament”.
Well, I knew the 12 steps, and thought that maybe I'd be able to relate to the book. Once again, to kill time I began to read this book while standing there getting warm, and began to realize that my eyes were being opened. Scripture was highlighted in reference to the step it related too, and suddenly this book that had previously put me to sleep, became alive in my hands and I realized that there was indeed a God who loved me and wanted to develop a relationship with me.
My first thought was that I needed to steal this book, even though I had more than enough money to pay for it. So I bought the book, walked across the street to sit in the rain on a park bench, and hoped that the rain would disguise the tears of joy running down my face as I gave my life to Jesus.
Paul wrote of his conversion to Christianity, and now I have shared with you my story. Everybody who comes to Christ has a story of their own. Our conversion stories are like snowflakes, no two are alike.
So, think about your story, and share it with someone. You never know the effect your life might have on another person.

SUNDAY FUNNIES

COMFORT

2 Corinthians 1: 3 – 7
July 1, 1994, this date is etched in my mind forever. About 3:00 AM I got up from the couch I was sleeping on and went to my grandmother's bedroom to check on her. She didn't look right. All I could think to do was to put my hand on her knee and ask; Nana, are you okay? She breathed out and that was it. She had gone to be with Jesus.
I went to my mother's part of the house, woke her, called 911, went to the kitchen table, lit a cigarette, then broke down. Tears flowed down my face and I thought that there was no greater pain that a man could endure.
I didn't know the Lord then, but I knew that she did and that gave me a little comfort later on that day.
Since that day, day by day, my grief has lessened, and now that I am saved, I look forward to being reunited with her in the future.
When I wasn't saved, all I could rely on was those stages of grief, that the lady with the hyphenated name came up with, which is really no comfort at all, just an explanation of what we go through. Knowing that what I was going through had a name and a category didn't make my pain and sadness go away.
Paul reminds us that God is a God of comfort and peace, and writes about in 2 Corinthians;
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
I am sure that there are many people and families that have suffered greater losses than I have, I am relating not comparing, the only thing I can say is that there is a god that offers comfort and peace in our time of need. All we have to do is turn to him for that comfort and once we have received that comfort, we are obligated to share it with others in need.

The God who washed away our sins will also wipe away our tears!

FAMILY VALUES

1 Timothy 5: 1 – 8
How do I start a teaching about family values? Well I guess I have to define what a family is, and what our values are supposed to be.
Jesus was faced with that same issue;
Mt 12:47 Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
Mt 12:48 He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"
Mt 12:49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.
Mt 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
So, that decided, let's get on with what Paul wrote to Timothy.
The letters to Timothy are really a set of instructions of how we are to live, and thereby setting up our value system.
1 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,
2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.
4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.
6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.
7 Give the people these instructions, too, so that no-one may be open to blame.
8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Here Paul directs his comments not only to our perspective of our immediate family, but the family that we call the church.
If we can take these lessons beyond the boundary's of our close relationships and take them to the streets, we can make a huge impact on the lives of those who do not know the Lord.
It has been said many times that we may be the only Bible that other people read, so if we can continue to show our adherence to our values we make our beliefs attractive to these other people and improve our lives as well as theirs.

GIFTS

Romans 12: 3 – 8
We all have gifts, they are as different and varied as we are ourselves. I can't tell you what your gifts are, only God can help sort that out, unless they are on display, at which time you already know what they are. All I can say is that we all have to use the gifts that God has given us for his glory.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
The one thing that is always hard to predict, if we can predict at all, is when we will be called on to use these gifts. Today is a day when we remember what may be considered the most horrifying day in our country's history. In 2001, a group of terrorists hijacked commercial airplanes and used them as cruise missiles, causing great loss of life, and bringing us kicking and screaming into the war on terror.
Lisa Jefferson had an unexpected opportunity to be used by God to be used that day. Her now well-known 15-minute conversation with a passenger on United Flight 93 forever changed the direction of her life. In her book Called, she emphasizes that her listening skills and her ability to take charge and stay calm in a crisis were used to encourage fellow believer Todd Beamer in the last moments of his life.
She didn’t ask to be used that way. But God saw a woman who was available and matched her with someone who was in need. Lisa now shares her story with whomever she can to encourage believers to always be ready to serve.
We have to be always ready, always be willing, always be able, to use our gifts, at any time. We never know when we are to called upon to use them. If we are unwilling, God won't force us to use our gifts. As I said before we all have them, God equipped us with them, but he left it up to us to use them.
Ain't free will a kick in the rubber parts?

When you feel impelled to help fill a need, when you are inwardly driven to serve—listen to those thoughts. You don’t want to miss God’s call

In gladness I go forth each day

Expectantly to serve and claim

The happiness that service gives

When freely rendered in God’s name.

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary work.

HEAR THEIR CRY

Exodus 22: 22 – 27
I read this story in ODB this morning and it angered me.
CNN recently reported that there are approximately 40 million widows in India. Fifteen thousand of them live on the streets of the northern city of Vrindavan. Unfortunately, many of their families do not hear their cries. A 70-year-old widow says, “My son tells me: ‘You have grown old. Now who is going to feed you? Go away.’?” She cries, “What do I do? My pain has no limit.”
I had a grandmother who lived to be 104 years old, and I could never have had the attitude that this man had for his mother anymore than I could fly in the air, I would have gladly laid down my life for her. And, this was before I got saved!
I just don't understand the kind of attitude that would allow anyone to let a widow, or a child with no parents, go hungry and without shelter. I know, I know, we have a homeless problem in this country,heck, we have this problem world wide, and some of them are widows and orphans. I have also done what I could by donating to homeless causes, volunteered at a shelter, stood on the streets in winter handing out blankets and food to those who needed them, and prayed with them and for them while on vacation.
Please forgive me. As I re-read this, I realize that it appears that I am boasting of the things I did, I am not, I am hopeful that it comes across that God will was served and that glory was given to His name.
I did these things because we are instructed to in the Bible.
22 "Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan.
23 If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.
The Israelites were commanded to care for others as a remembrance of their experience in Egypt. When they were in trouble and cried out to God, He heard their cries and helped them. So their memory of oppression and release was intended to mold their values, attitudes, and actions toward the powerless in the land (Deut. 24:18-22).
So, don't turn a blind eye to those in need. Take a few minutes and do a good deed for someone who needs it. Donate your time, donate some money, organize a blanket drive, do whatever you can, because God really wants you to.
You will reap the benefits.

VICTIMS

Genesis 3: 1 – 13
I have a friend who is connected with the outlaw biker world. One of his favorite T-shirts that he wears has this simple phrase printed in large letters across his chest; “In my world, you're just another victim”.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with that phrase. We have become a society of victims. Nothing is our fault, it was the way we were raised, after all we didn't pick our parents; I can't help the way I behave, I have a disease; what's right for you is not necessarily right for me.
The enemy has gained a good long lasting victory with this, I'm sure that my friends shirt is one of his favorites, after all, our society of victimization began in the Garden of Eden.
11 ¶ And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?"
12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Neither Adam nor Eve took responsibility for their actions, they pointed fingers every which way but at themselves, heck, Adam even tried to blame God (v 12) instead of taking responsibility for his actions. He was even there and could have stopped Eve from taking the fruit from the Serpent, they could have both walked away.
Satan gladly took the admonition from God smiling as he slithered away knowing that he had scored the first points of a battle that has gone on for five thousand years or so.
When we have done something wrong, we can either accept legitimate blame for what we have done or shift the blame to others. The way that pleases God and results in spiritual growth is to accept personal responsibility for our actions.
I know that the concept of responsibility can be a tough one to grasp, but it takes a strong person to stand up on their hind legs and say; “I did it, and I am ready to face the consequences”.
When we face up to our actions, we sometime find out that the consequences are not as bad as they seem.

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?

1 Corinthians 4: 1 – 8
I need to take the lesson of these verses to heart, for you see, I am a very judgmental man. Now, before you condemn me let me say that I do not judge others, but I do judge myself rather harshly.
It's just one of those character defects left over from the old days when I was a no good, low down, dirty rotten scoundrel.
There are times when I am capable of seeing nothing but good in others, no matter what the situation, and can see nothing but bad in myself. The one good thing that I can say is, that these occasions are getting fewer and farther in between.
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.
4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
This is one of the goals that I have set for myself, to adopt a nonjudgmental attitude, and take it to heart using that old sage; “Learn it, Love it, Live it.”
The one lesson that I have learned from these scriptures is that I have realized that no matter what I have, whether a talent, or material thing, it comes directly from God. Therefore I have nothing to boast of other than Christ resurrected.
7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!
I just love reading the Bible, and I am sure that I have said that on more than one occasion, but, there are times when it becomes hard to read it. Not because of the difficulties in translation, or not understanding what is written on the page, no, it becomes difficult because it points right to the darkness in my heart.
I'm not sure ho to wrap this teaching up. I have hit the bullet points that I started out with, but I am having trouble bringing it all together for the big finish.
So, I guess I'll just suggest that we all read the word of God daily, search our hearts and apply the word directly to our hearts.

LEARN IT, LOVE IT, LIVE IT.

SUNDAY FUNNIES

DO NOT PUT OUT THE FIRE

1 Thessalonians 5: 14 – 24
Have you at some time found yourself under extreme pressure? Have there been episodes in your life when you were so burdened by tasks and responsibilities that there was simply no breathing space to prepare for your service to God?
I have to admit that I kinda like the pressure to perform. That doesn't mean that I always succeed in what ever I am doing, to tell the truth, I fail a lot,and when I fail, it is because I have let go of the Holy Spirit and tried to do things my way.
Part of what I do in my church is teach Jr. high Sunday School, something which I got a lot of satisfaction from. I was even singled out by my Pastor's wife once who told me that I am their children's favorite teacher. I was both embarrassed and lifted up by this because I don't take compliments well.
What was born from this episode has been a tendency to not prepare for the lessons I was to teach, the result has been that I have felt that my effectiveness has gone down the tubes, and I'm sure the kids have noticed.
I let go of the things that got me there. I left the Holy Spirit behind. I have failed myself and I have failed those kids.
God deserves our best, and I have not given it to him in this part of my life. I have not been prepared to teach.
I need to repent and ask for his forgiveness.
These are the type of things that Paul is teaching us to avoid. In the T's (1 Thessalonians – Titus) he tells us that not only do we have to be prepared, but how to be prepared. Paul teaches us to rely on the Holy Spirit to fill us and lead us, so that we may share the spirit with others.
14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
16 ¶ Be joyful always;
17 pray continually;
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Give of your best to the Master,

Give Him first place in your heart

;Give Him first place in your service,

Consecrate every part. —Grose

Be faithful—and leave the results to God.

GLORY

Ps 29:1 ¶ A psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ps 29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name; worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness.
Ps 29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
Ps 29:9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
Ps 30:12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks for ever.
Ps 45:3 Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendour and majesty.

ROOTS

Mathew 13: 1 – 9
Ever look at a tree? What we see is the trunk and the branches. It is a strong living thing. What we don't see is the roots. Roots are the key to the tree.
Roots are what makes the tree strong. They anchor the tree, keeping it from blowing away in a storm, and the feed the tree, making and keeping it strong and healthy in its treeness(tee, hee).
If the tree has more branches and leaves than roots, the the wood is weak, prone to disease and of no use for building anything with, but if the opposite is true, if there are more roots, than the wood is strong, dense and ready to use.
We are like trees in as much as it is our roots that anchor us, define us, strengthen us, and give us a sense of who we are. We are also like trees in a spiritual sense, if we aren't rooted in the word, we will wilt when we are faced with challenges to our faith.
This is what Jesus is getting at in the parable of the sower. He showed that without the roots that family and faith provide we are nothing. We will never be able to stand up for anything.
Roots aren’t at all glamorous, but they are the source of our strength. If our roots go deep in the knowledge of God (Jer. 9:24) and our lives are “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3), we’ll be strong, resistant to blight, and more likely to survive the storms of adversity.
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
I love my roots. I relish in the heritage of my family. We have a proud history of service to God and country. On my fathers side our family was, and still is, in service to the British crown in the military, while on my mothers side of the family most of my cousins are either ministers or missionaries.
All this combined to lead me to Christ, and shape the husband, step-father, and man that I am today.
We all have roots, Jesus wants them to run deep and strong, so read the parable of the sower, meditate on its meaning, reflect on your own heritage and depth of faith.

BETRAYED

Mathew 27: 1 – 10
Nothing is quite as hurtful as betrayal, both sides of the betrayal are usually devastated by it.
I know the pain of being thrown under the bus, and, if I am to remain truthful, I unfortunately know the guilt of throwing someone under the bus.
The reasons we do these things varies from things like jealousy, to fear, money, etc.
Mathew writes in his account of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, that the guilt we can feel can be paralyzing. Judas could no longer go on. He saw no other option of relieving his guilt other than to take his own life.
1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death.
2 They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.
4 "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That’s your responsibility."
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
When we make choices to betray each other, we feel the guilt, but we move on with our lives and act as if we really did do it, eventually we begin to believe that lie and we hide our actions from ourselves.
When we make choices that betray Jesus, eventually our lives become filled with sorrow. Even well-intentioned followers find that their desire to love and serve Him is frequently on a collision course with the lure of cash or other seductions. But the things we have gained at His expense ultimately and inevitably become clanging symbols of sorrow and regret.
How on earth can we reconcile our guilt over this?
On earth there is no answer, or reconciliation. There is only the forgiveness and salvation offered by Jesus himself. Thankfully we can go to him and admit our wrongs and have that guilt washed away. And, the cool thing is he offers that freedom with no strings attached. He will not only offer forgiveness for our sins against him, but for our sins against each other.
(which is really sinning against God anyway)

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Haggai 1: 3 – 8
A few years ago, we witnessed one of the worst natural disasters our country has ever seen in hurricane Katrina. We watched as the city of New Orleans sank below the waters, and anarchy was born on the streets. I myself have never seen such destruction, nor have I seen such lawlessness.
The base nature of human beings came to the fore. Looting was the rule of the day, and it was reported that armed gangs roamed the streets in search of victims.
I don't blame the people for looting stores for their own survival, truth be told, if I owned a store in that city, I would have just thrown the doors open and said help yourself. What was wrong and worrying was that people not only took what they needed, but they satisfied their lust for material gain and foolish greed.
What good did big screen TV's do for the survival for the citizenry of the gulf coast? How were drugs and alcohol necessary for sustained life?
The book of Ecclesiastes tell us that there is nothing new under the sun. Haggai tells us that God knew how we would react to the duress we as humans would face during disasters, rather they be natural or of our own making; that our selfish nature would run amok.
4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
On behalf of a loving God, Haggai urged his neighbors to give careful attention to what had happened. He noted the priority they were giving to their own comforts and wanted them to observe how dissatisfied and empty they still were. If God didn’t care, He wouldn’t ask us to consider the time and effort we are spending on diminishing returns. If He didn’t love us, He couldn’t remind us of all that He has given us. God sees what has happened to us and knows how much we need to focus on Him today.
My friends, everyday we go through minor disasters. Minor because they happen on a much more personal basis than those disasters that make the nightly news. We lose jobs, members of our families die, that old water heater falls apart, time and time again we are tested,We choose how we will react to these issues, those choices being; following our base natures or the way that God would have us follow.

I FAILED BUT WILL TRY AGAIN

I set a task to read the Bible in 90 days.

I fell 60 pages short.

There is no blame to assess, only glory given to God for setting my feet on this path. So it turns out that I will read the Bible in 94 days.

I started this plan on the first of June when I was watching a video cast from the church of Christ of Pittsburg. their Pastor gave the challenge to his congregation to achieve this goal. their advantage over me was that they were going through it as a body, I was going alone and got lazy.

Enough poor me's.

When I am done reading God's word, I will start again.

All Praise be to his name.

PASS IT ON

Deuteronomy 4: 5 – 10
Back in my twenty's I had two rings that were passed down to me, one from my father and one from my mother. The ring that came from my father was a large mens onyx ring that was really quite good looking, the ring from my mother was from her father(my grandfather) was a signet ring that she had engraved with my initials.
Both rings had a great deal of value to me, but I took possession of them in a time during my life when I could have cared less for what the generation before me had passed along. I took that ring from my father, and I pawned it to buy a jug of wine and some other mind altering substances. Some how, the other ring survived, I would have done the same thing, only I couldn't find it.
The point that I'm trying to make is that; I lost that part of my heritage,it's gone, forgotten and can't be replaced and my life is lessened because of my actions.
It doesn't matter how the other ring survived, but, I have it and it reminds me, whenever I wear it, of my grandfather and all the stories he told me of his childhood growing up in Ireland, and of all the things he tried to teach me before he passed on.
God's word is like those two rings. If it becomes lost, we are lost, if it is kept, there is a rich past upon which we can build our lives and not forget the teachings given to our ancestors.
9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them
10 Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children."
God always says it so much better than I can. His word is rich and beautiful desirous.
Back in the days of Deuteronomy, the people were being handed a gift from God, “the statutes and the judgments” that would allow them to live properly in the land of God’s promise. Along with those laws came an admonition for the people to share with their progeny the lessons God taught them on the way. They were told not to “forget the things your eyes have seen” and to teach God’s words to their children and grandchildren. We have a similar legacy to convey to the next generation. As followers of Christ, we take this as one of our greatest responsibilities.
Teach your children, teach them about their heritage, let them learn the history of the family. Most importantly, teach them the word of God it will never let them down, and it will give them a firm foundation for their lives and the lives of their children.

If children are to find their way to God, we must point the way.

TITLE OR TESTIMONY

John 13: 3 – 16
I'm a van driver.
My title is “transportation coordinator”, no matter what they call me, I'm still just a van driver. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to put down my job, what I do is important to my company and our clients, but my title doesn't equal my job.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist.
5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.
13 "You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and rightly so, for that is what I am.
14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Now before you get all up in my grill, I'm not comparing my title or my job to Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. All I have to say is that my job has this very impressive sounding title which upon hearing, most people would assume that I wear a suit and tie whilst I use my brain and intuition to coordinate a fleet of vehicles getting them to their proper place to do their proper job.
I drive a van, no more no less, a service that is provided to lift up the lives of people in need, and is an example of how we are to supposed to lift up and serve each other.
Jesus set the example for us all to follow. Talk about a title; “Lord and Savior”, and here he is doing the job of the lowliest of slaves then telling us all to do the same.
Its a tough thing to do, humility does not come easy, we all have a tendency to hold ourselves in pretty high regard, but the thing we all need to learn is that humility, or being humble, is not the same as being humiliated.
So, here's the question; Do you want a title or do you want a testimony?
Do you want people to remember you for the position you held at work, or for the work that you did?
I know the choice that I have made is to be remembered for my work. In interoffice e-mail, I have changed my closing salutation, to;
Yours in Christ
Geoff church
van driver
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I have been successful in removing my official title, and putting the emphasis on what I really do, provide a needed service.
Remember, Pharaoh had the title, but Joseph had the testimony.
The more we serve Christ, the less we will serve self.