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November 7, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Obedience, Patience & Perseverance, Salvation: A New You, Trusting God

CROSSING THE RIVER

Look straight ahead with honest confidence; don’t hang your head in shame. Plan carefully what you do, and whatever you do will turn out right. Avoid evil and walk straight ahead. Don’t go one step off the right way. [Proverbs 4:25-27 (GNT)]

Obey everything that I have commanded you today. Then you will be able to cross the river and occupy the land that you are about to enter. [Deuteronomy 11:8 (GNT)]

We’d been on horseback for a week and tent camping every night. The last day had been especially challenging with the toughest terrain we’d encountered. A novice rider, I was sore, tired and unsure of myself. The only thing that got me through it was the promise of a luxurious dude ranch at the end of the trail complete with indoor plumbing, a hot shower, clean clothes and a soft bed.

We finally crested the mountain and there, in the valley below, lay the promised ranch. Between us and the ranch, however, was a fast running river. I was frightened when we were told how high the water was, yet I knew there was no turning back. As we descended into the valley, the wrangler gave us explicit instructions. He would lead the way into the shallowest part of the river. We were to follow him exactly and hold steady if the horse began to swim. Above all, we were to keep our eyes looking straight ahead. If we looked down at the rushing water, we’d likely lose our balance and fall off the horse. As the water crept up over my boots, I grew nervous but I trusted our guide’s instructions; he hadn’t steered me wrong yet. I kept reminding myself that a prize awaited me on the other side of the river.

That wrangler’s advice holds true even when we’re not on horseback. Trust your guide and obey him. Plan your steps carefully, look straight ahead, maintain your balance and keep your eye on the goal. Instead of a ranch, however, we can look forward to fellowship with Christ in the Kingdom of God!

…the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above. [Philippians 3:13b-14 (GNT)]

Sovereign Lord, I know that you have shown me only the beginning of the great and wonderful things you are going to do. There is no god in heaven or on earth who can do the mighty things that you have done! Let me cross the Jordan River, Lord, and see the fertile land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon Mountains. [Deuteronomy 3:24-25 (GNT)]

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November 6, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Patience & Perseverance, Sharing Our Faith

BACK IN THE SADDLE

10-21-14 saddle-cropWEBIn every way be an example of doing good deeds. When you teach, do it with honesty and seriousness. [Titus 2:7 (NCV)]

Only a half day into a week-long horseback trek across the Continental Divide, I already regretted doing it. On the spur of the moment, we had joined a group of hearty souls for a “once in a lifetime” adventure. Well, “once in a lifetime” quickly began looking like once too often for me. I was unprepared and inexperienced, the terrain was rough, the mountains steep, and my horse was ornery; there was no way I could survive the challenges of the journey. When the woman in front of me hit her head on a low hanging branch and fell off her horse, my first thought was, “Thank God! She’ll quit now; they’ll take her back to town and I can go with her.” After getting up and dusting herself off, however, she climbed right back onto her mount! It was her example that kept me on my horse for the rest of the day and on the expedition for the rest of the week; if she could do it, so could I!

Paul calls us to be good examples in our lives; after all, a preacher of good works must also be a doer of good works. Christians want to present a wise, patient, loving, faith-filled life to the world. I wonder, however, if this nearly perfect façade sometimes discourages others in their faith journey. They may feel too soiled and marred in comparison to people who appear to be so strong in their faith.

Christians can be good examples by sharing their difficulties and weaknesses as well as their good works. We all have had occasions when we were knocked to the ground. Our response to those personal struggles, be it a troubled past, abuse or addiction, or times of adversity, doubt and despair, can motivate and encourage others. It’s inspiring when one sees how another has picked herself up, wiped off the dirt, and gotten back into the saddle to keep going on her journey!

I learned from the example of my father that the manner in which one endures what must be endured is more important than the thing that must be endured. [Dean Acheson]

But in every way we show we are servants of God: in accepting many hard things, in troubles, in difficulties, and in great problems. … We show we are servants of God by our pure lives, our understanding, patience, and kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by true love, by speaking the truth, and by God’s power. [2 Corinthians 6:4,6-7a (NCV)]

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November 1, 2014

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God's Plan, God's Promises, Prayer

GOD STANDARD TIME

God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them. I tell you, God will help his people quickly. [Luke 18:7-8a (NCV)]

We need to remember that God will give us what is “right” which is not necessarily what we wanted or requested. Moreover, although God promises a speedy response, it may not seem fast to us. His timetable rarely coincides with ours. Nevertheless, His timing, like everything else about Him, is perfect!

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. [2 Peter 3:8-9a (NCV)]

 

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October 29, 2014

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Joy, Love & Works

BUCKETS OF LOVE IN RETURN

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. [Luke 6:38 (NLT)]

Before posting yesterday’s message about Luther (“A Disciple of Christ”), I checked to make sure I could use both his name and picture.  In getting the answer, I learned more about him and, more important, more about love. Truly, what we sow will be harvested: the more love we give, the more we will receive!

Although he lived alone with no family near, Luther was never short of people who loved him. Members of our church, the people with whom Luther shared God’s love, became his family. When the Wednesday evening Bible study started doing “brown bag” dinners before class, the official purpose was to promote church fellowship; the real purpose was to have dinner with Luther! The churchwomen always made sure that he had a place to go for every holiday meal. When Luther came home after surgery several years ago, a church friend stayed with him for a week to help. Other church members brought in meals. I never even knew his last name, but I was so moved by Luther’s outpouring of love, that the last time I saw him, I gave him a photo/prayer book I’d written. “Jesus loves you and I do, too!” was written inside. In Luther’s present residence, he doesn’t have easy access to the internet, so another church member continues to send him CDs of all of the sermons. Moreover, his church family continues to keep him in their prayers. Luther’s motive in spreading God’s love had nothing to do with getting anything in return, but God’s love continues to pour down on him in buckets!

Love is demonstrably superior to money, not only on a sentimental plane, but even on a computable basis: The more money you give away, the less you have, but the more love you give away, the more comes back to you. (Sydney J. Harris)

There is a brotherhood within the body of believers, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the common denominator. Friendship and fellowship are the legal tender among believers. [J. Vernon McGee]

And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. [1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NLT)]

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October 25, 2014

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God's Promises, Joy, Knowing Him, Salvation: A New You

HEAVENLY BLISS

10-25-14 heaven-cropreducedWEBNo one has ever seen this, and no one has ever heard about it. No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. [1 Corinthians 2:9 (NCV)]

I sat on a comfy sofa in a beautifully appointed store, eating delectable salted caramel gelato, looking at an exquisite display of Dutch chocolates, listening to soothing music and knowing I could finish up with a tasty truffle and a delicious coffee drink from the espresso bar. To my left was a desk for the spa located upstairs; a sign offered chair massages in the store. “This could be heaven,” I said as I relaxed into the cushions, “especially if they added some fruit, cheese and wine!”

I know, however, that heaven will be far better than comfortable seats, pleasant music, elegant surroundings, yummy gelato, scrumptious chocolates, mocha lattes, vintage wine, aged cheese, luscious fruit, and pampering with massages, pedicures, and facials. As delightful as it sounds to me, I think that would get incredibly boring in a short time. Heaven will be way beyond my wildest dreams because going there means having an eternal home with Almighty God. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, will be sitting at His right hand. Heaven will be a place of love, peace and joy and there will be nothing boring about that!

We may speak about a place where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God. [Max Lucado]

Since you were raised from the dead with Christ, aim at what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. [Colossians 3:1 (NCV)]

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October 24, 2014

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Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Plan, Peace of God, Trusting God

UNDER THE RAINBOW

DSCN5280WEBAnd there will be a covering over everyone for protection. It will be a shelter to protect the people from the heat of the sun and from all kinds of storms and rain. [Isaiah 4:5b-6 (ERV)]

During rainy season in Florida, we can count on rain nearly every day. Sometimes, it’s a real doozy with thunder, lightning and a torrential downpour; other times, it’s just a little drizzle. Fortunately, by the end of October, the rainy season will come to an end and the tropical storms will give way to milder weather.

I have some friends who seem to be in the rainy season of their lives only, instead of water raining down on them, it’s troubles. Some storms are bigger than others, a child’s mental illness trumps the cancer scare, but, nonetheless, some sort of challenge seems to drop from the sky nearly every day. What’s worse, they have no calendar that tells them that this difficult season will likely stop at the end of the month. Amazingly, although their troubles rain down on them nearly continuously, their misfortunes seem to run off them like water off a duck’s back. Challenges that would sink many have little effect on them; they just keep paddling along. What differentiates them from other people who drown in just a small downpour of trouble?

The difference, of course, is my friends’ deep and abiding faith in a loving God! They receive strength from Him daily and, while they pray this season will soon end, they know that God’s plans for them are good. Faith allows them to see the rainbow in the sky in the midst of the storm.

There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging around, you’ll still stand firm if you stand on His love. [Charles Stanley]

When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds. [Genesis 9:14 (NLT)]