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April 27, 2014

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Church & Worship, Sharing Our Faith

PUT OUT THE WELCOME MAT

4-27-14 everglades community church-webWhen we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. [Acts 21:17 (NLT)]

While walking yesterday morning, I noticed a decal on my neighbor’s car window. It said, “Welcome to Florida – Now Go Home!” Below this sentiment was a skull and crossed rifles! Being a “snowbird” here in Naples, I can understand the locals’ annoyance during “high season” when the population swells, traffic stalls, restaurants overflow, and parking is near impossible. “But, come on,” I thought, “Even on a bad day, this place is paradise compared to most other places. You’re blessed to be here; share it.”

I then realized we sometimes have the same attitude when it comes to our churches. I imagine most of us had to leave for church at least thirty minutes earlier Easter Sunday just to hope for a seat in the back rows. Maybe we even got stuck on the folding chairs in the narthex or, worse yet, were left without a seat. Even though extra services and chairs are added on Christmas and Easter, there never seems to be enough room for everyone. Those of us who attend church regularly tend to get a bit annoyed at these “Birth and Resurrectionists.” Don’t worry; they won’t be at church today. Unfortunately, there will be plenty of room at every service this morning.

Some of the people my neighbor would like to send back up north are the very ones who regularly volunteer at the hospitals, homeless shelters, nature preserves and resale shops. They are the people whose money helps build the hospitals, theaters, schools, Habitat homes and museums of Naples. Could some of the people we resented at church last week be the very ones we need in our church family to help spread God’s word and do God’s work?

We need to find a way to make our church population swell every week, not just twice a year. It’s not only the official greeters who should offer a welcome; we should, too. Do we need to make more effort to reach out? That’s not just the job of the Evangelism Committee! Is there someone we should invite to join us at worship? Let’s remember that church is God’s house, not ours. Everyone is welcome: all shapes and sizes, races and nationalities, saints and sinners alike. Church visitors aren’t strangers; they’re the guests of God! Let’s welcome everyone to God’s house! The welcome mat is out!

Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. [Philippians 2:29 (NLT)]

 

 

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April 26, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Salvation: A New You

SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOE

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. [1 Corinthians 9:25 (NLT)]

Yesterday’s news included the story of a Major League baseball player caught blatantly cheating; unfortunately, it is an all too common occurrence. It’s not just pitchers using pine tar, but also Olympic sprinters using steroids, champion cyclists blood doping, baseball players using performance enhancing drugs, athletes taking money to throw games, and NFL football players accepting money to deliberately hurt opposing players. Back in 1980, a Boston marathon runner even took the subway just to win the race!

This got me thinking about Louis Zamperini and his experience in the 1938 NCAA track championships. In Laura Hillenbrand’s book Unbroken, the author relates how Zamperini’s track opponents attempted to injure him during the race to keep him from winning. In spite of having a cracked rib, both shins punctured and one of his toes impaled by sharpened track spikes, Zamperini won, setting a new NCAA record, having run the mile in four minutes eight seconds.

These all were gifted athletes, among the best of the best, but that was not enough for them. Why were they not satisfied simply by doing their very best? What joy could possibly come from a win that is accomplished by cheating?

I’m not sure we’re all that different from some of these athletes; it’s just that we’re not in the limelight and our tactics might be a bit more subtle. Do we ever want to win an argument at all costs? Are we ever more interested in proving the other person wrong than in finding the right solution? Have we cut corners to give ourselves an unfair advantage? Does our sense of competition come from the desire to show someone else how weak they are? Has it become more important to defeat others rather than defeat what is weak within us?

Lord, help me defeat the enemy within. May I always meet my challenges with integrity. Run with me, Lord, run with me!

The Challenge is from within. The Opponent is yourself. The Reward is private. The Victory is having met the challenge! [Anonymous – seen on the back of a race event t-shirt]

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? [Mark 8:36 (NLT)]

 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. [2 Timothy 4:7-8a (NLT)]

 

 

 

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April 25, 2014

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God's Grace & Love, God's Promises

KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL OPEN

A hostile world! I call to God, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence — a private audience! [Psalm 18:6 (MSG)]

Knock and the door will open. [Luke 11:9b (MSG)]

The peasant can’t just come before the king to speak and we’d be hard put to get an invitation to meet with the president or even our governor. The Prime Minister of England has an audience with the Queen only once a week. A private audience with the Pope is all but impossible unless one is a head of state or a high ranking dignitary. When he’s in Rome, the Pope does have papal masses and a public audience weekly but tickets are required for that. Yet, whenever we call on God, we all can have a private audience with Him because Jesus Christ purchased the ticket for us!

Thank you, O Lord, for always allowing us to approach your heavenly throne.

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us — set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. [Romans 5:1-2 (MSG)]

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April 24, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Love & Works, Today: Make it Count

HOW TO TREAT OTHERS

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. [2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV)]

Heavenly Father, when you come to take me home, let there be no remorse about opportunities I’ve missed or things I’ve left undone. Guide me so that I leave no apologies unsaid, no forgiveness withheld, no kindness refused, no compassion unoffered, and no fences unmended. May your Holy Spirit help me to live a life of love, harmony and peace.

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again. [Og Mandino]

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. [Matthew 7:12 (ESV)]

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April 14, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Love & Works

What’s Written on Our Hearts?

Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. [2 Corinthians 3:3 (NLT)]

Paul wrote these words to the people of Corinth, but they still hold true today. What is written in our hearts? Does the way we behave reflect our faith? Do people know we are followers of Christ, not just by our words, but by our actions? Let’s be sure that what people read in our behavior is true to the word of God.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-by and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds. [James 2:14-18 (NLT)]

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April 12, 2014

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Bible Stories, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will cause food to fall like rain from the sky for all of you. Every day the people must go out and gather what they need for that day. I want to see if the people will do what I teach them. … So the people of Israel did this; some people gathered much, and some gathered little. Then they measured it. The person who gathered more did not have too much, nor did the person who gathered less have too little. Each person gathered just as much as he needed. Moses said to them, “Don’t keep any of it to eat the next day.” But some of the people did not listen to Moses and kept part of it to eat the next morning. It became full of worms and began to stink, so Moses was angry with those people. [Exodus 16:4, 17-20 (NCV)]

Why did God insist that the Israelites couldn’t save any extra manna? Why couldn’t they stockpile some in case the manna didn’t appear the following day? Perhaps it was it because God wanted to teach them to depend only upon Him for each day’s sustenance and to trust that He would provide. God wanted them to understand that, if they consumed his provisions as he commanded, exactly the right amount would be provided when it was needed again.

God blesses us each day, not just with food but also with money, opportunities, talents and time. Do we ever hoard those blessings because we don’t trust God to continue his provision? Be careful; if we don’t use the gifts he gives us today we, like the Israelites, might find those blessings spoiled or gone tomorrow.

Father, help us trust in your daily provision for all of the blessings in our lives.

Give us the food we need for each day. [Matthew 6:11 (NCV)]