OUR EXAMPLE FOR OUR CHILDREN

Good day dear friends.
Here is today's text (and by the way, there was no University of The Way this week in order to allow you to catch up on your readings!):
Proverbs 22:6 Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.
All of my children make me proud, but I was especially proud of Carli, who is on the road this week in Houston, recruiting students for Texas Lutheran University. Prior to her visit to my alma mater, James Madison High School (yes, home of UT's Vince Young), she went by to see my dad and then told him she was going to go and buy lunch for the two of them. After the school fair, for lunch she went and bought food for the two of them. My dad called just to say how Carli had made his day and how happy he was. My dad lives alone and is paralyzed on his left side. A once active, strong man, a stroke left him in this way. He is very lonely and misses my mom terribly. He looks forward to "going home" and being with the Lord and with Mom. He appreciates all visits. Carli making time to be with her grandpa made me very proud.
The Bible makes an incredible promise that if we "train children in the right way," when they are old, they will not stray. I suppose most of us know it from the Revised Standard Version, "6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." The key word is train. Our children learn from example and ours is the best teaching one available. Didn't you want to be just like your dad or mom? And didn't you enjoy the day when you realized that mom and dad weren't so dumb after all, they did know what they were talking about?
The "right way" is the way of the Lord. If your child sees that Christ and His church matter to you, it will matter to them. If you child hears positive comments about those who work for the Lord, they will have positive comments about them too. You will shape their perspectives and perceptions about life for the better. The list goes on: Is Sunday school a priority for you? If tithing something you've already trained your children about? We sat next to a cute little girl in church on Sunday and her mother gave her a dollar to place in the plate as it came around. The little girl hesitated and the mom held the girl's hand and showed her that now is the time and here is the place to give.
PRAYER: Loving God, for the precious gifts of children we are thankful. For the gift of knowing the right way, the way to life, we are thankful as well. May we continue to set the example for others in all that we say, think, and do. We ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

GOD CRIED FIRST

Good day dear friends.
Here is the text for today: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Colossians 3:16 NRSV).
Every Sunday or Monday, I try to go over all the prayer cards and visitor's cards. As I am sorting through them I am silently praying for every member and visitor. When I have a pile of member cards with prayer requests I take these and all visitors' cards and go to the altar to pray. I pray for each person by name and by listed need. Some of the names later appear on our prayer list, some are listed just for the pastors to pray over. Yesterday one told of a young couple's loss of an unborn child, so I prayed for them and I made a note to visit them last evening, which I did.
It is a devastating thing to lose a child as many in the church know from personal experience. Nellie and I know that experience personally, as does our daughter Sarai and our son-in-law, Eric. I visited this couple in their home and we both shared the sadness that comes with such an unexpected loss. And the thing that spoke to me was that the mom as this was happening remembered a sermon in which I had said, "God cried first." It was a reference to a story by William Sloan Coffin on the death of his son in a tragic accident in New York City. He was the pastor of Riverside Church, a large interdenominational church, and he had also been chaplain at Yale University, and he had many that came to try to comfort him and one particular woman said that it was God's will for this loss. Rev. Coffin said, "Madam, it was not God's will for my son to go and drink excessively. Nor was it God's will for him to get behind the wheel of a car. And it was not God's will for him to drive off that pier and into the water, but I do know that God's heart was the first to break and God was the first to cry when my son died."
This loss of the unborn child happened on the night the cold front came in, with wind and rain, and every drop of the rain reminded this mom of God's tears for us. Such is the wonderful, eternal love of God for you and me.
PRAYER: Loving God thank You for your love and the many ways You speak to us. Comfort those who are crying and mourning. Bring Your peace into every heart that turns to You. We ask it in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK...

Good morning dear friends. We are supposed to be going through The Bible in 52 weeks, mas o menos, and now it will be mas. The Children's Sabbath allowed us a week to catch up with our readings and this coming Sunday we'll start our trek once again.
This weekend allowed Nellie and I time to visit Caty in Denton and on Sunday we visited her second favorite preacher, Dr. Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Tony is a nationally heard radio preacher and Caty hears him on a regular basis. (I had to remind Caty her favorite preacher is available on-line at our website http://www.fumcsm.org/.)
The text for this particular Sunday was Matthews 5:1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship is a huge church. We had to park across the street, busy Camp Wisdom Drive in Oak Cliff. But even the Dallas police officers who help worshippers cross the street are nice and friendly. They act as greeters. Once inside the church we were greeted by all those wearing greeter badges. The ushers counted that we were three and sat us near the front, people gladly scooting down to allow us to sit on "their pews." We arrived at 10:50 a.m. and the music was already in session. It was Pastor and Wife Appreciation Sunday and did they shower them with gifts. Dr. Evans has been there for 31 years and the ministry is a result of God working through his vision for this particular area of Dallas.
Dr. Evans' sermon was the third in a series on The Beatitudes: How to Be Truly Blessed and this Sunday's was the one on meekness. Tony explained that being meek is not about being weak, it is about power under control. Among the many examples he used the NFL soup commercial was the most humorous, about how a huge, powerful man, who is paid to be as mean and tough as he can be, is told by his momma to sit down and eat soup. Tony said that man as he sits to eat his soup is no less mean, tough, fast, powerful than he is on the field, but his power is under control while he relates to his mother. In the same way we should seek to be under God's control to be blessed.
This does not mean we lose our individuality, nor do we lose anything, in fact, putting ourselves under God's authority and direction will bring us God's favor and blessing.
PRAYER: Slow me down enough Lord God, to realize how we need to be under Your authority and direction. Help me to be meek when I should. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE RIVER'S EDGE

Good morning dear friends.
An update on Rodney: He's home. If you can prepare a meal for him to freeze and use as he recovers please send an email to sslavik@grandecom.net. We thank God for his having been released from the hospital. We ask continued prayers for Aline Roberts, mom to Richard (Karen) Roberts. She is in ICU at Guadalupe Valley Hospital in Seguin.
Here is today's study guide:
Tuesday: Ezekiel 46, 47, 48What is Ezekiel 47 telling us about the role of worship in the life of society?
I don't know why this passage has been on my heart the last couple of days: "Then they (the disciples) left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name (of Jesus). 42 And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." Acts 5:41
Ezekiel 47 deals with water and the subtitle for this passage is The Two Trees. It takes a lot of water to sustain a tree and those trees planted alongside a river do best for their roots are able to tap directly into the flowing waters of the river. In the same way the idea of worship is to tap into the flowing waters of life that God offers to us. If we would stop to think of all the blessings that are ours when we go into God's house, we wouldn't have second thoughts about going to worship. If we are thirsty after a rough week and we feel dried out by all that we've encountered, the only place to be renewed and refreshed is in the present of He who give living water. We read this in Jeremiah 17:8 "He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."
Are you in a spiritual drought or have you been enjoying the blessings of "living waters?" If it's the former, then get back to church. If it's the latter, then rejoice and give thanks for having a place to plug in and be refreshed. If more would come to worship and let God speak to them, we would be living in a different world.
PRAYER: Loving God of living waters, flow fresh into my heart today. Let me know that with You and in You I can find that which refreshes and renews. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

LIVING IN GOD

Good day dear friends.
Here's an update on Rodney Swan. He continues to heal. I visited with him late yesterday afternoon and he was ready to come home (in his opinion!). Doctors may release him today. His main worry was what his students in his classes did on Friday! He was also watching the Cowboys on tv so he's coming along. Please continue to pray for his complete recovery.
Here is our study guide for today:
Monday: Ezekiel 43, 44, 45Why do you suppose such strict regulations are laid out for the priests in Ezekiel 44?
There is no room for both God and evil in a person's life. God will not share the space of your heart with anything that is not of His. And this is more true for those whose job it is to worship Him. Ezekiel knew from experience and from recent history that some of the Levite priests left their sacred job of tending to the things of God to become the priests for idol gods. Only the Levite priests who descended from Zadok were to now serve in the most sacred areas of God.
No matter how much we may try to justify our being involved with things that are not of God, the reality is that God will not want to share His sacred space with filth. And if we believe ourselves to be Christian our lives should only be filled with God and the things of God. The job of the priest is to educate and train by example. That is our job as well. Can people know we've been in the presence of God yesterday and today? Can people learn from the way that we live or do we do such a poor job that they learn nothing?
PRAYER: Loving, Holy God, help me to live a holy life. May the words, thoughts, actions of my life reflect my commitment to You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

GOD SEES THINGS THAT CAN BE AND SAYS GET TO WORK!

Good Lord's Day everyone! This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the House of the Lord!
May those two Bible verses speak to our souls this Lord's Day. The day was made for Him and we should gather in His house to praise and worship Him!
Update: Rodney Swan is still in the hospital in Austin and he was able to open his eyes a bit late afternoon yesterday. Jessica was sent home and is doing fine. Please keep Rodney in your prayers.
Here is our reading for today:
Sunday: Ezekiel 40, 41, 42Why would the details of the Temple be so significant to Ezekiel’s audience?
Those who love the Lord seek to be in relationship with Him all the time. And to those who love the Lord and are in relationship with Him receive from God visions of what can be. Usually these concern His church, for God loves His church and wants the best for those who make up the church, represented in this first vision in chapter 40 by the building of the Temple. God presents a vision and with it comes the question, "why not?" This becomes hard for those who don't know the Lord to say, "we've never done it that way before, why would we change now?" Or the most classic form of that, "this is the way we've always done it before, why change now?" And sadly this is also the way some folks see their own lives. "I can't be any better, I've tried!" Wrong! "I don't see where what I've done or the way I've lived is wrong." Wrong again! "God couldn't possibly want me!" Wrong still again!
God's vision for us is to keep bettering ourselves and to take "God-risks" letting God have His way and His say in our lives and in the lives of our churches. See the vision of God reaching all people. Receive the vision of God changing you!
PRAYER: Loving God of all possibilities, thank you for the vision that You will share in my life for myself and for my church. Help me not be limit Your power but to receive what You have shown as the things that can be. I ask this in the Name of He who can do all things, Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord in the Lord's House!
e.v.

LOOKING FOR GOD IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Monday: Ezekiel 23, 24, 25The language in Ezekiel 23 is direct and explicit. Draw from it a description of the apostasy and faithlessness of Israel and Judah addressed in this allegory.
I doublechecked the language in the New Revised Standard Version with The Message version, and they're both pretty much alike. It is very explicit language and with a reason. God's anger in his message comes through about Samaria and Jerusalem's behavior when it comes to God. Instead of being faithful to God they have become like slaves to sex in their worship of idols and other false gods. They even have gone so far as to sacrifice children to appease their idol worship. None of this was acceptable to God. All went against what God expected from His children.
To be faithless to God is a serious offense even today. We know of His love for us yet we go seeking love, as the songs says, in all the wrong places. And to quote yet another song (I'm on a roll today!) we end up looking in low places. Ours is a higher calling. Ours is to follow Heaven. And what do we do? We follow the here and now and the instant gratification. We know little of sacrifice, patience, and obedience. We seldom think in spiritual terms any more. And we pay the price.
PRAYER: Living God, remind me again and again of the things that are Yours. Remind me that I am Yours and should live my life in that way. Help me to be a light and beacon to others about You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

A LIFE LIVED IN LOVE

Good day dear friends.
Here is today's study guide:
Thursday: Jeremiah 46, 47, 48, 49What consistent elements, if any, do you find in these judgments upon the several Gentile nations?
The consistent element in God's message to all the Gentile ("godless" in this version) was the same: You're being judged for your transgressions against others. You've preyed on the weak and helpless and you do it for your own personal, selfish gain.
God is the God of all nations and people. God's message is the same today as it was yesterday: Love others as you love yourself. And this means treat them in that way, a way of love. Sadly, when it comes to nations and power, they tend to exercise that against others for greed and gain.
How do you treat others? How do you treat those members of your family? Are you known as a loving person? Or are you agressive and prideful and selfish? God's call for us all it to live a life of love.
PRAYER: Loving God, forgive me for my sins. Forgive me those times that I've trespassed against others. Help me this day live a life of love. I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.

TRUE WORSHIP

Good day dear friends. Let me say how much I appreciate you and your willingness to get deeper into God's Word. It has been a difficult journey for some to even understand The Message version (and yes, the translator's choice of some words have disturbed even me!), but I thank God for you and your willingness to be a student of the most precious word there is, and that is the love letter from God to you and me.
If you like a particular devotion, please forward it to a friend. And if you get someone to subscribe to ConCafe, it won't hurt my feelings. It's up to us to awaken the sleeping giant that is the Christian nation, too comfortable in their sleeping and inactivity; imagine what would happen if all of God's people prayed and lived His Word!
Here is our study guide for today:
Wednesday: Ezekiel 7, 8, 9, 10Ezekiel 8 tell’s one of Ezekiel’s dramatic visionary experiences. What connection do see between Ezekiel’s extraordinary visions and the circumstance of his ministry in exile?
Imagine the holiest place you can and then imagine arriving there and finding all that had once made it such a holy place is now the exact opposite. And imagine yourself standing up and speaking against it. You would find that your message to those in that once holy place would be unwelcomed and ridiculed. You would soon find yourself outside that holy place and standing somewhere else.
Ezekiel saw in his vision exactly what had happened to The Temple. The once majestic symbol of Israel's faith and might had now been turned into a worship place for Asherah, the sex goddess, whose religious "practice" attracted so many. In another part of the Temple Ezekiel finds paintings on the walls of reptiles and animals and monsters as worshiped by the Egyptians. And he found men worshiping them. And these God called the "elders." He also found a woman weeping for another goddess. And then he found men worshiping the sun.
Are you shocked? Would you be shocked to know that some people have quit worshiping God and started "worshiping" other things while in worship services? Their minds distracted, they cannot focus or center themselves on God, instead they fret and worry about what they should be doing. Others think of places they could be and soon leave the worship of God to be out in the "worship" of sun, surf, etc. You might argue that this is not to be compared with the terrible atrocities being committed by the so-called people of God, but what is the difference? If we're there in body but not in mind and spirit, then we're not truly in worship. God deserves and wants our full attention and devotion. What are you going to do this coming Sunday?
PRAYER: Loving Father, let me center myself completely in You today and all days. Let my days in church be days where I do worship You in spirit and truth. Let those days be days when You truly speak to me and my life and help me be the person You want. I ask this in Jesus' precious and mighty name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: Ezekiel 4, 5, 6In what sense was Jerusalem “in the center of the nations” (Ezekiel 5:5)?
The people of God were called to be a nation of priests. They were called to be a "light to all nations," never to be one like all the rest. Their lives, their worship, their manner of dealings with others, was to be an example of what it means to be a nation of God, ruled by God, and guided by Him. Jerusalem as their capital was to be the "center of all nations" so that in the capital city they could see the leaders, the chief priests, the leading citizens doing what it was that those who belong to God do.
But it was not that way. Jerusalem became just like all the cities of the world, lost, misguided, sinful.
You and I when we became Christians were called to be like those original people of God; an example to others, not like the others. We are to be the salt and light to others, having the positive impact on our neighbors, coworkers, relatives and friends, not the other way around. Sadly, quite too often, we give in and say, what's the use, I'll just be like everybody else. No one will ever see a better way to live in us, because we've given up and we live just like those who don't know Christ.
PRAYER: Loving Jesus, let me live like You and may You be seen in me. Give me strength to hold on and to be like You in all things. May others see in me a better way to live! I pray this in Your precious name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

YOUR CALL FROM GOD

Good day dear friends.
I'm sorry I was not able to send ConCafes for this weekend. While at the Leadership Institute I did not have internet access at the hotel where we stayed. But that's another story. To continue to read your scriptures online, please visit bibleresources.bible.com, type in the requested scriptures, then the version you prefer (The one I use to these devotionals is The Message). The scriptures for Friday thru Sunday were Jeremiah 50, 51, 52; Lamentations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Here is today's study guide:
Monday: Ezekiel 1, 2, 3Compare Ezekiel’s call in Ekekiel 1-3 with those of (Isaiah 6) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1
Ezekiel experienced a call a bit different from Jeremiah, but still a call. Ezekiel had a vision of a creature with four heads, wheels, domes, and other remarkable and extraordinary things. But he summed it up as being the Glory of God. For our understanding, Ezekiel is saying that he had seen Heaven on earth or the purity and sacredness of God was so awesome, there is no other way to explain it. This also shows up when Jesus is transfigured in front of three of his disciples in Matthew 17.
Ezekiel is a 30 yr. old priest already in the service of God, but God calls him to be a prophet. He tells him up front that Israel has become the most rebellious people God has ever seen. God also says that they might not listen to him, but his job is still to proclaim the message of God in spite of what the people do.
You and I were called at our baptism, to do something for God. It was our entrance into the Body of Christ and to be a part of the Body means we have been given a special role and responsibility to do something for God. Yesterday in my sermon I mentioned that it might just be a word of encouragement to a co-worker, or a loving invitation to them to come with you to worship. That small simple act might be a life-saving, life-changing event in the life of your friend or loved one.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to accept Your call today. Open my eyes and mouth to help me share what You would. May I seek to be obedience in all ways. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

WISDOM FOR TRUE STRENGTH

Good day dear friends.
Special prayers for a team from our church traveling to Kansas City this evening for the '07 Leadership Institute at The United Methodist Church of The Resurrection. We leave today and return home on Saturday. The team includes Terry Estes, Sue Carson, Jim Scarborough, Frank Flauto, Pastor Ryan and myself.
Also, for baby Chloe Bluz Chamness, who was able to leave the hospital on Sunday, but still fights jaundice and may have to return back to the hospital. Her parents are new members Chad and Christine.
Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: Jeremiah 46, 47, 48, 49What consistent elements, if any, do you find in these judgments upon the several Gentile nations?
Jeremiah 46You Vainly Collect Medicines 1 God's Messages through the prophet Jeremiah regarding the godless nations.
The lessons shared with the "godless nations" could be shared with those who do no know God: Either come to know God or get used to being in battle all the time. Not against God, but against life! You can be the strongest person in the world, and still not be able to lift the burdens of your heart. You can be the fastest person in the world, but you can't outrun sorrow and sadness. You can be the best swimmer in the world, but still drown in worry and doubt. You can be the best archer in the world and still miss the mark of righteous living. Will this help you in anything? No. Only God can deliver us from the challenges of life.
Life is lived so much more confidently if one knows, loves, walks and trusts the Lord. Any other way to live is half-empty!
PRAYER: Loving God, give me wisdom and all that I need to know, love, walk and trust in You. I pray in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

HEARING WHAT WE WANT

Good day dear friends.
A reminder that through ConCafe we are making our way through the Bible in 52 weeks. We're already in our seventh month! God's Word is precious and powerful, but only if we take time to read it. It had been years since I read it through from page one to the last one, and for many that's also true. So, prayerfully and lovingly, read the recommended texts to get deeper into the word of God.
Here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: Jeremiah 40, 41, 42, 43Trace the activities of Jeremiah through these several chapters.
Don't you love to hear what you want to hear? We seldom like hearing what we don't want to hear. It's almost a universal truth and it applies to the remnant of Judah in these chapters. One is murdered because he doesn't believe that someone would come and kill him. A man informed him that he was to die at the hand of Ishmael, but that if he wanted, he could go and kill Ishmael before he came and killed him. No way! Well, a few days later Ishamel comes and kills the man. In the same way, the remant of Judah wants Jeremiah to pray to God to ask what they should do. God tells them through Jeremiah, stay put. No, that's too easy, we're leaving.
If we listen to God, God has our best interests at heart. We may not hear what we want, but God will be with us.
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for loving and being with us. Help me today hear Your voice guiding me to faithfulness. I pray in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
e.v.