THE "NEW" GOSPEL

Good day dear friends. A special prayer for all the spring breakers, especially the ones who left SM!

We studied Jesus' meaning of self-denial from Mark 8. Here is our study guide for today:

Monday: Just yesterday I mentioned a “new” gospel of Self-Satisfaction and Self-Love. Actually, it’s an ancient gospel, written and rewritten by those who feel they’re “entitled” to all things. Jesus mentions a man who said in Luke 12:13-21 words along the lines that we could find in such a gospel of self-satisfaction and self-love. Where do you find yourself living? In Christ’s land of self-sacrifice and self-denial or in the land of self-satisfaction and self-love (the roar of the crowd?)

The reference to a "new" gospel was made in my sermon. I said we have rewritten Jesus' Gospel of Sacrifice and Love with the Gospel of Self-Satisfaction and Self-Love with the major quote being, “If anyone would come after me, he must please himself and take up his couch and stay right where he/she is.” For too many, this is so true. Me first, right here, right now. Yet, as I've shared in the study guide this is an ancient thing dating back even to Jesus' day as we read about someone in the Luke passage.

Here is that passage: 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 16 Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18 Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Oh, if this was the only reference to such a person in Jesus' messages. Remember the rich man and Lazarus? God has a thing against rich, self-centered people. God does not have a thing against being rich, but if someone chooses riches only to please themselves, then that rich person and God need to talk. The man in this story had a nice problem by worldly standards, of needing more room in which to store his crops. The solution was simple, he would tear down those barns and build new ones in which to store "all (his) grain and (his) goods." (v. 18). And his attitude then becomes one of complete self-centeredness as we read in verse 19. And in verse 20 the reality of life shows up; we're not always in control of our lives or our fate. And if you've spent your life storing up treasures for yourself here on the earth and not worried about treasures in heaven, then you will lose everything.

Jesus told this story not to lose anyone, but to invite everyone to realize how important it is to live with the mind of Christ. To live with the mind of Christ means having the love of Christ in our hearts and acting towards God and others in that same way. We put God first, others second and ourselves third. And we'll see that God always provides. Our Lenten journey is intended to show us such spiritual truths. It's up to embrace them and make them ours.

PRAYER: God of all treasures, help me today realize which treasure is best for me. Help me to look away from the treasures proclaimed here, to the treasures that you offer to me, the treasure of Your love and grace. Help me to share that with others. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

SUCH A DEAL!

Good day dear friends.

Let us continue to study the meaning of baptism.

Check out Acts 2:36-38. We see here how the early church came to be joined together in the Body of Christ; they responded to the Good News that Jesus is Lord and the Christ. They responded by repenting of their sins and being baptized. The gift of the Holy Spirit is promised to all believers. How do you experience the Holy Spirit? Be attentive today for the move of the Holy Spirit around you and in you.

Here is that text: Acts 2:36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

There is no greater Easter gift you can give than the gift of faith to a nonbeliever. And the easiest way is to invite that person to come to one of our Holy Week services and especially our Easter Sunday services. We see in the above passage, the concluding part of that first Christian sermon preached by the apostle Peter. As he proclaimed Jesus, the Holy Spirit was touching lives and hearts and the people who heard it could not help but respond, "Brothers, what should we do?" There is that excitement and urgency in their response. They heard the truth and they knew it. They knew they were not right with God and needed to do something about it. (And this in the midst of a religious celebration, the giving of the Law to Moses by God - Pentecost). Peter knew what they needed to do: First, repent, which means turn away from your sins, and then make a faith commitment to be baptized so that this act of repentance is complete as your sins will be washed away, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Quite a deal!

I just finished teaching the class on the Trinity and it's interesting to study that throughout the ages, the major controversies have been on Jesus and his Sonship. It's taken several councils to finalize orthodox language on Jesus because most in ages past and even today, seek a rational explanation to Jesus and his humanity and divinity. Yet, very little controversy on the third person of the Godhead and that is Holy Spirit. People ask, "Person?" Yes, the Holy Spirit is a person or being like God and Jesus, not a feeling like Toyota wants you to get; He is a real moving person in our midst doing all that scripture says He does. We don't speak often enough about what the Holy Spirit does or can do for us. He is an advocate, counselor, guide, intercessor, prayer interpreter, God's presence on the earth. The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us right now. The Holy Spirit empowers us for holy living and His presence during our Lenten journey is exactly what we need.

PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit and touch my life. Let me be aware of what You offer and let me take advantage of it. Bring me to faithfulness. I pray in Christ Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY DOUBLE ISSUE

Good day dear friends. Yesterday found me in Kerrville, Texas with no internet access thus no ConCafe for yesterday. I will share yesterday's study guide and today's prayer guide in this mailing.

Our prayer focus today for those traveling on spring break and vacations. Eric and Sarai Cortez travel to California on their vacation today. A special prayer for the Ehler family of San Antonio.

We studied the meaning of baptism in Sunday's sermon and here is Tuesday's study guide:

In the Gospel of John 3:-122, Jesus visits the Pharisee, Nicodemus. Slowly read this passage. You might recognize the familiar verse John 3:16. How does Jesus' declaration of God's purpose in sending the Son relate to Nicodemus' question about being born again? Could our rebirth be a rebirth into this eternal life that Jesus came to bring? What might it mean to "live by the truth" in verse 21?


Here is that passage: John 3:1 Now there was a Phar'isee named Nicode'mus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." 3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." 4 Nicode'mus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, "You must be born from above.' 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicode'mus said to him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." 22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized.

To fully understand Jesus' purpose it takes a spiritual mind. To possess a spiritual mind, one must surrender to God, repent of past sins, and invite Jesus in as Lord and Savior. That marks the beginning of a spiritual journey with the Lord that takes us to new and deeper understandings of what God has for us. Nicodemus wanted to know more but was limited by his carnal mind. Nic was a righteous man but hadn't yet surrendered to God in a complete manner, thus Jesus telling him to be "born again" (or "from above"). This confuses the poor man and Jesus explains it to him, telling Nic that spiritual understandings come through Him. Jesus came to reveal the spiritual realm not yet understood even by the righteous. God's love, grace and mercy were ours if we could just understand from a spiritual standpoint, but as the saying goes, "We can't see the forest for the trees!" Our busy-ness keeps us from it. Study again John Wesley's schedule and see how busy he was, truly engaged in doing God's work, but that kept him from truly knowing Jesus as he needed until that day that he slowed down enough to let someone else do the work of God, in this case a lay person who was reading Luther's Preface to the Epistle of Romans, that Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed. Is your busy-ness kept you from slowly down and letting God speak to you? Are you thinking with a spiritual mind or still using a limited not-yet exposed to God mind?

To "live by the truth" (or "do what is true" NRSV) as we find in verse 21 means to be guided by God through our new spiritual understanding after we allow God to give us new spiritual birth. This means to trust God and allow God to speak to us through our prayer time, our devotional time, our scriptural reflection time, worship time, and our Christian fellowship time. All of these work to bring us God's blessings of direction.

Our prayer guide for today says, "For our day of prayer and purpose, we remember this season of Lent. Let us remember that the journey to the cross is down hill. In the Kingdom of God, the way up is the way down. Jesus was our example in this. Rather than getting on the fast track to earthly power and glory, he humbled himself and submitted to His Father's plan. How can we trade our striving for humble faith in God's dreams for us? How can we be a faithful member of the Body of Christ? That humble body that bore all our sins." (LT)

PRAYER: Come, Holy Spirit to my life. Let me slow down enough to receive the blessing of new life in You. Let the Father's will for my life be known to me as I let You speak to me His will. I pray through the Son, Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day.

e.v.

STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY

Good day dear friends. We shared the update we had on Cindy Gratz yesterday and she continues on the mend but with some concerns. A small spinal fluid leak was found near the base of her spine and this has kept her in Critical Care, but Bob and doctors are optimistic about this being corrected. Please continue to hold Cindy in your prayers.

We studied the meaning of Baptism in our worship services yesterday. Pastor Leslie preached at both traditional services and I preached at our Contemporary service. Pastor Leslie shared a wonderful sermon on baptism and mine was an overview of all that we believe is involved in our sacrament.

Our study guide this week was written by Pastor Leslie and here it is:

Let's look again at Jesus' baptism by John in the Jordan River. Mark 1:9-15 includes a brief description of Jesus' days in the desert following his baptism. Read more about Jesus' temptation in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11.

Here is the Mark passage: 1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." 12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

He, who was without sin, presented himself to receive this washing of sins by John at the Jordan River. Such was Jesus' love for humanity that he presents himself at this invitation to relationship with God the Father along with those whose hearts were being touched by John's invitation. "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand" was the invitation, and it cut right to the hearts of all who heard it and understood. Matthew 3 reports huge turnouts from people from Jerusalem and all Judea. Men and women who felt that they needed to be free from the burden and guilt of sin. This baptism was the freedom and the power they needed for abundant living. Baptism was the invitation to enter into the fullness of God's love. I shared an old story about a little boy who did something to one of the family animals. He thought no one had seen him but someone had. It was his older sister who told him, "I know what you did and I'm going to tell Mom and Dad." The little boy pleaded for her not to tell including the words, "I'll do anything you want just please don't tell!" That night at supper it was Sissy's turn to do the dishes and guess who ends up doing them? Her brother. This made mom and dad wonder what was going on, but said nothing. The mom then told Sissy she needed to clean up her room. Guess who cleaned it up? Her brother. All the chores that Sissy was assigned got done by her brother. The grandmother who lived with the family sat the brother down and asked, "Sissy has something on you doesn't she?" Yes, replied the brother. "Well, confess your sin to your parents and you'll be free from the burden of that guilt that's keeping you a prisoner to your sister." The boy did and was free. So it is with us when we carry the burden of sin. And when John says there is a way out through baptism, many responded.

Through baptism Jesus received the blessing of being called God's "beloved Son." It was an affirmation to what Jesus was called to; thus through baptism Jesus received that which he needed to begin his forty days of preparation in the wilderness.

Matthew's account of those forty days includes full detail of all Jesus experienced, unlike Mark's. "1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, "He will command his angels concerning you,' and "On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.' " 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.' " 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

As we continue our Lenten journey, thank God for your baptism. Though you may have been an infant and you may not remember all that went on, God does, for God was present and it was God who welcomed you into the Body of Christ. If you're not baptized, now would be a good time to prayerfully consider receiving this sacrament. A call to the church office will put you in touch with us and we can sit down and discuss all that is involved.

Remember that any spiritual undertaking is not easy. It requires the starting point of prayer and a daily dosage of God's word for our lives. Take your Lenten journey seriously, step by step. Use this forty day period as a time of growth and blessing. Remember as God affirmed to Jesus, you and I are not alone, God is with us.

PRAYER: God of the journey, walk with me today. Let me grow closer to You in all ways. In Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.


PS Don't forget that Thursday at noon, you're invited to a Lenten Liturgy and Luncheon. We'll start in Lowman Chapel and if we need, we can move to the sanctuary. Lunch will be soup, bread, and water in Todd Hall.

Everyone's invited.

RECOVERING OUR FIRST LOVE

Good day dear friends.

Please keep David Baker and his family in your prayers. His mother died yesterday in Arlington, Texas. May the Lord bring comfort to David and family during these days. Also, Jo Ann Bryan will be having a procedure done this afternoon in San Antonio, Texas at the SA Spinal Hospital. We pray the Lord bring healing to her.

We continue to talk about Building Up the Body of Christ and here is our study guide:

Thursday: Read Revelation 2:1-7. Here the Lord Jesus is speaking to the angels of the church in Ephesus. Read what the Lord is saying. You can compare that to the other churches and their deeds in the verses that follow. But the Lord has a word to the angel of our church. What do you suppose that word is. Could we learn from this passage in chapter two and apply it to the church here?

Here is that passage in The Message version:

2:1 Write this to Ephesus, to the Angel of the church. The One with Seven Stars in his right-fist grip, striding through the golden seven-lights' circle, speaks: 2 "I see what you've done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can't stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. 3 I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. 4 "But you walked away from your first love - why? What's going on with you, anyway? 5 Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? A Lucifer fall! "Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle. 6 "You do have this to your credit: You hate the Nicolaitan business. I hate it, too. 7 "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I'm about to call each conqueror to dinner. I'm spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit, a supper plucked from God's orchard."

Outward form intact, doing the right things. Inwardly, where is the love? That's the message in this passage to the people of this church. You're working hard and doing all the right things, but inside, you're so far from your "first love" the love of Jesus, that what good does it do that you're doing so much work? Does this sound familiar? Does it hit home? We can, as a church or as individual members of it, become so busy with busy-ness that we forget all about Jesus. The prime example was John Wesley who for so many years of his life had the outward form of service, but inwardly didn't know of the love Christ had for him and John had really not thought about loving Christ like he needed. It took that evening lay-led prayer service where someone read Luther's Preface to the Romans, when it made sense! It clicked. John Wesley joyously wrote that he felt his heart "strangely warmed." He recovered his first love. And from then he was never the same person. Can you imagine that happening wide spread among all of God's people in a church? There would be no limit to what God could do in our midst if we all turned our hearts back to that love that Christ!

PRAYER: Come, oh Lord of love to me. Let me recover that first love that was from You to me and let me love You like I should. Let it be contagious from me to others. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Good day dear friends. Today we begin the journey of forty days called Lent. Ash Wednesday is the day to mark that beginning and I remind those of you in this area that we will have Come and Go imposition of Ashes at Lowman Chapel from 11 to 2 and our Ash Wednesday night service at 7 in the church.

Here is our prayer guide for today:

Wednesday: For our day of prayer and purpose, I am again asking everyone reading this to be in prayer and fasting for our church. We heard on Sunday what a fellowship of believers is supposed to be like. Ask God to make this real in your heart, the heart of those with whom you’re friends and in the heart of those who worship alongside you. Pray for all hearts of FUMC-SM be touched by God’s Holy Spirit to be touched by a sense of the joy and wonder that is ours.

Have a great and blessed day and a great beginning to a spiritual journey of preparation for the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday!

e.v.

AGENT OR AGAINST CHANGE?

Good day dear friends. I received word that Leroy "Tubby" Bryant had heart surgery in San Antonio yesterday. Today is when Cindy Gratz is having surgery in Bryant, TX, to relieve pressure on her spinal cord. Please hold these two in your prayers today.

We continue to study how to Build Up the Body of Christ. And here is our study guide for today:

Tuesday: In Acts 15:1-12 we find a “messy” church. Messy in the sense that they had conflict regarding a doctrinal practice among the first Christians. Read the passage and see what the conflict was. See how the two sides were able to discuss their differences and allow God to work through them and find the final resolution of this problem.

Here is that passage from The Message version of The Bible:

Acts 15:1 It wasn't long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: "If you're not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can't be saved." 2 Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem. 3 After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the Gentile outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered - it was terrific news! 4 When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. 5 Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. "You have to circumcise the pagan converts," they said. "You must make them keep the Law of Moses." 6 The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. 7 The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: "Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it - and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. 8 And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. 9 He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him. 10 "So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? 11 Don't we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?"
12 There was dead silence. No one said a word. With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their ministry.

The Christian church was born within Judaism. Judaism required and still requires the circumcision of the male who would be a part of the Covenant between God and Abraham (Gen. 17). Therefore some of those who were Jews first, then accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ, believed that one had to become a Jew as well as a Christian. And that would mean getting circumsised. Paul didn't see it that way, though he himself was a Pharisee and was himself presented on the 8th day for circumcision. It is in Antioch that Paul and Barnabas are visited by some Jews who, as the passage says, insisted that everyone must be circumcised if they are to be Christians. An argument, and quite heated from the reading of the passage, breaks out between Paul and these visiting Jews. There is enough of a break in the shouting back and forth that "the church" decided that a delegation including Paul and Barnabas should go to the apostles and the church in Jerusalem to get the final word.

This delegation travels to Jerusalem sharing the good news of what God had done among the Gentiles (nonJews) and everyon receives this news with glad hearts. Once in Jerusalem those Pharisees who had become Christians are angered with the thought of having believers who are not circumcised. A special meeting is called to resolve this issue and it is only when Peter takes the floor that folks begin to understand and listen to what God is trying to say to them througn Paul and others. It was during that "dead silence" that Paul and Barnabas were able to share what amazing things God had done "among the other nations through their ministry."

Change is never easy. And when God is moving there is going to be change. And it's not going to be easy. Change, when it involves changing long-held traditions, is especially tough. It was that way during Paul's time and it is that way during our time. When we feel God trying to build up the Body, we know some will not react positively towards this movement. Some will not welcome new folks easily into the Body. Others will not want to lose whatever influence or power they have now. And others will be just like us, hey, how are we? How are you in the midst of change? Are you an agent for change or against change?

PRAYER: Come, Holy Spirit, in an awesome moving way to touch our hearts and our needs. Speak to us about where we are and where we need to be. Let me be open and willing to follow where Your Spirit leads and guides. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

THE BODY OF CHRIST

Good day dear friends. We announced yesterday about Cindy Gratz' car accident and her being in St. Joseph's Regional Hospital in Bryan, TX. I spoke with Bob yesterday afternoon and he told me that Cindy survived what seemed like no one would have. She has movement in both legs, though one side seems a bit weaker than the other and will undergo surgery on Tuesday to relieve pressure on her vertebrae. Please hold Cindy and Bob in prayer.

We finished our three sermon series on our mission statement and we studied "Building up the Body of Christ." What does it mean to be a member of this Body and what is require of us so that the Body can grow? We'll look at that each day. Here is our study guide for today:

Monday: Yesterday we studied two powerful passages on the early church. Please re-read those and see again what may jump out at you regarding the early church. There was a profound joy of being a part of the community that should be the most attractive attribute of any Christian church today. Sadly, that is not always the case. Why do you suppose that is and what can we do to change that? The same is true for the families of today. While there is no perfect family, there are plenty who do rise above the rest in terms of the love experienced in each other. Along with that comes forgiveness, fellowship, compassion, and grace.

Here are those passages:

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

1 Corinthians 12:12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

From both passages I shared what can be called the "keys to the kingdom" in terms of having true fellowship and shared joy. These were: Prayer. The starting point of anything done for God, including and especially each day. Prayer is a connecting point. I use a laptop that can run for hours without being connected. But as it gets used and used without the direct connection it reaches the point where the screen gets very dim and a warning comes that I need to save my work and directly connect to a power source or I will lose all that I am working on. The second I plug it in the screen brightens up (which is great for us old folks!) and I can continue working. Our lives are similar when we go and go without prayer. Once we connect and especially if we stay connected, our lives are brighter and radiate the presence of Christ. Along with prayer I mentioned to the congregation the importance of fasting. Wednesday we begin the forty-day period of Lent that with our Catholic brothers and sisters involves fasting in the form of giving up something. True fasting is to rely on spiritual nourishment instead of the physical. If you give up a meal time or a portion of your meal, then spend that time in prayer and Bible reading. You will notice the blessings that are yours.

Love. Love should be the first thing people should experience upon walking into any church, especially ours. In my Sunday night class we talked about the experiences we've had in other churches that within the first 90 seconds we determined that we would never visit the church again or that we would leave immediately. If we welcome and treat each other with unconditional love, can you imagine the blessings that are ours?

Wonder. In that account in Acts of the first church in verse 43 we see how the people are filled with awe and wonder about all that God was doing in their midst. This came as a result of much prayer, fasting, and love. We should never lose the sense of wonder towards God. God will amaze us!

Sharing/Giving. Once we have prayed, fasted, loved and reflected in wonder, we will see how we can share and give like never before. We will strive to take care of the needs of those around us and the needs of God's church. A praying, loving, awe and wonder-filled church (and individual members make these up) will give like never before.

Inviting/Witnessing. There's nothing like telling someone where you have been helped. There's a joy in showing others where you have been fed. And so it is with the praying, loving church: We invite others to come and join our experience. We give witness to our faith in our actions and in those opportunities that arise where we can tell others about what God has done for us.

Building each other up. We as a Body of Christ should strive to encourage and rejoice with those who need that and mourn with those who mourn. We should be a place where people receive hope and strength.

We can apply these to our personal lives and personal situations. We can share these in the way we live. And blessing upon blessing will be ours.

PRAYER: God of the Body, give to us encouragement and hope, love and joy. Let us be vessels that share that with others. May your Body grow. We pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

PREPARE TO RESPOND!

Good day dear friends. I have not heard an update on Mozambique and the 7.5 earthqucke they suffered yesterday. It hit in an area close to Chicuque. Please continue in prayer for them.

We continue our study of being prepared for serving the Lord. Here is our study guide:

Thursday: Read 1 Samuel 3:1-19. This is the story of a young boy dedicated to God by his parents. This passage deals with his first days in the service of God. God calls him during the night, but the key verse is 19 where we read just how the young boy received the word of God. Are you receiving God in the same way? Is God speaking to you in ways that can bring you a blessing?

Here is that text:

1 Samuel 3:3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under E'li. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 2 At that time E'li, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to E'li, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. 6 The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to E'li, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to E'li, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then E'li perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 Therefore E'li said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against E'li all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of E'li that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever." 15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to E'li. 16 But E'li called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am." 17 E'li said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him." 19 As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

This is the story of Samuel and his dedication to God by his mother and his response to God. God calls him into service at a young age, though at first Samuel did not know it was God. God spoke to Samuel and the young man thought it was the prophet Eli calling him. It was the prophet Eli who realized that it might be God calling him so he instructed the boy how to answer.

Are you dedicated to God? Are you being instructed through your worship or deovtional reading to respond to God's call upon your life? One of the blessings in my life has been to serve on the board of ordained ministry for two conferences. It's been wonderful times and difficult times, but I rejoice with those who can clearly and wonderfully articulate their call into ministry. It's awesome to hear how God uses these candidates to go into tiny churches and then double their worship attendance and add numbers to the Sunday school rolls. Preparation is wonderful and it becomes awesome when one responds with faith to God's leading.

PRAYER: Come Lord God and prepare me. Come Lord God and use me. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a blessed and wonderful day!

e.v.

SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE!

Good day dear friends. Greetings from foggy and cool Mt. Wesley United Methodist Encampment in Kerrville, Texas. There is limited internet access here so yesterday I could not get to write my Tuesday ConCafe. I drove from SM here early and was in a meeting until 9:30 p.m. Please be in prayer for the Southwest Texas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry as we prepare to continue our work. Our own Kit and Leslie Tomlinson come to us (not in person, but through their respective committees) so please be in prayer for them and for all who would serve the Lord.

We continue to pray and study about how God can best prepare us for works of service and here are two study guides:

Tuesday: (I just noticed that in Sunday's The University of the Way/Sermon insert, I did not change Tuesday's study guide, so here is an internet exclusive!)

From 1 Corinthians 1: 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Paul was a thankful man. For all and in all things he gave thanks. In this passage he is thanking God for the people who followed Christ Jesus. In them, because of their faithfulness, he could see God's grace. It was evident in their speech and the way they shared what they know (knowledge). And as a result of their faithfulness they had been rewarded with new gifts, "riches" Paul called them. And Paul knew that because of that faithfulness they woudl be strengthened even to the end, enjoying always the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord.

What do people see in you? Can they see a life lived in the "fellowship of Jesus" or in someone's else's fellowship? Is it evident in your speech and conversations that you know God and God's grace? If not, it's a lack of spiritual preparation as we discussed Sunday. If we turn ourselves over to PREPARE ourselves before God, God will use us. (P: Prayer (our talking to God) R: Reflection (letting God talk to us) E: Education (our learning all we can about God) P: Patience (Desired results don't always happen overnight, we have to be patient.) A: Adoration (making worship a daily part of our prayers and devotional time) R: Respond (once we know what God is calling us to, we respond) E: Enthusiasm: Being on-fire for the Lord and positive about all things!)

PRAYER: Come, Lord God and make us prepared to be people of faith. Let Your grace be seen in us as we seek You in all things. We pray in Christ Jesus' name. Amen.

Here's our pray guide for today:

Wednesday: For our day of prayer and purpose, I am asking everyone reading this to be in prayer and fasting for our church. We need to be the church that God has intended. Pray for God to share a clear vision in your life for what YOU as a church member or active worshipper, can be doing. Great will be the blessings if we begin to practice fasting as a means of God’s grace. Set aside at least a meal time (if you can physically do so; if you need to eat, by all means, eat.) You can give up a favorite food or an activity as a “fast.” To fast means to replace a phsycial nourishment with a spiritual one.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

FIRST STEPS

Good day dear friends. We prayed yesterday for all our travelers. Our university group had gone to a Wesley Foundation conference in Oklahoma and they braved icy roads back home and arrived just as our Sunday night class was letting out. Our UMYF group had been in Leakey, Texas, for a midwinter senior high retreat and they braved icy Hill Country roads to return home safely as well. Thanks to all of you who were praying for their safe return.

What a cold day it was yesterday! It's cold at this writing. 36o and with a high expected at about 52! Many braved the cold to be in church and we celebrate five new members who joined our church during Coffee with the Pastor! We'll present them next Sunday. We had two Winter Texans who just wanted to know more about the church and will continue visiting with us while parked down the road from us.

Our sermon was the second in a series of three regarding our mission statement and we covered "Preparing God's People for Works of Service." The focus was on living out our faith and the best way to do that is to be constantly praying and studying and relying on God to help us receive all we need to faithfully serve. The text for the sermon came from James' letter, chapter 2:14-20.

To help us get deeper in the word here is our study guide for today:

Monday: Sunday’s sermon was to emphasize how important it is for us to be prepared to do good. For today’s devotional time, let’s go to a passage in Acts 9:1-19. Read there the story of the young man converted to Christ, who spend a significant time in preparation. Find those passages within the text that mention preparation. Notice how the first passage mentions a time of fasting. Are you familiar with that practice? Do you practice fasting on a regular basis? Please note that this Wednesday I’m asking the church be in prayer and fasting for our readiness for ministry. That means to ask God to prepare us all to faithfully respond to His leading in all situations.

Here is that text:

"9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Anani'as. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Anani'as." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." 11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tar'sus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Anani'as come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Anani'as answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17 So Anani'as went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus."

The young man in question is Saul (aka Paul) of Tarsus. In terms of his preparation, he was a Rabbi, lawyer, prosecutor, and well-connected. He secures permission to arrest any Christians in Damascus and while on his way there had a near-life encounter with Jesus. His willingness to follow Jesus brought Saul to a new life. Verse nine tells us that for three days he neither ate nor drank anything. This was his time of prayer and fasting, first steps in preparation. While in prayer the Lord was showing Paul all he was to do and suffer for the Lord's sake and still Paul said yes, he would go. And after receiving his sight back, he was baptized; another step in preparation, and spent some days with the disciples learning about his new faith in Christ. He then traveled to Jerusalem to learn more from the original disciples and after spending time with them went to Tarsus to continue his preparation.

But where would Saul/Paul have been had he not prayed nor fasted? Both prayer and fasting are important first steps in any work of the Lord, yet we tend to overlook both with fasting being something that many Protestants don't practice. Fasting is denying ourselves of something physical in order for the spiritual to be made more real for us. If we give up a mealtime, we should spend that time we would have been eating in prayer. The spiritual nourishment takes the place of the physical and strengthens us. Please remember if you must eat or have a physical condition that requires food, you can fast by giving up something other than food. You can give up time spent listening to music or watching television and allow instead that time to be spent reading God's word. Whatever you give up in the physical replace with the spiritual. Remember we said reflection is a part of prayer and so it is with fasting as well. We let God have His turn in speaking to us.

For today resolve to be prepared for a day of fasting on Wednesday. Spend some time today in prayer asking God to reveal in your life what it is that He would have you do.

PRAYER: Come, Lord God, speak to me today. Let me see clearly Your plan and vision for my life. Make me willing to serve you. Help me to better prepare myself for Your service. I pray in Christ Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

FREEDOM TO HONOR THE LORD!

Good day dear friends. We praise God for His faithfulness in our lives and we continue to study on how to best honor and serve Him.

Here is today's study guide:

Thursday: Read John 4:1-39. We find someone, who after a life of not honoring and serving God, repents of her lifestyle, finds “living water” and commits her life to following Jesus. As a result of her testimony, many came to faith in Christ because of her. This story shows that no one can ever say they cannot lead a good life after having been away (separated) from God. How does this story speak to You?

Here is that passage in NRSV: John 4:1 Now when Jesus learned that the Phar'isees had heard, "Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John" 2 --although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized-- 3 he left Judea and started back to Galilee. 4 But he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sy'char, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" 13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." 15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." 17 The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, "I have no husband'; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" 19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you {The Greek word for [you] here and in verses 21 and 22 is plural} say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." 25 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." 26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." 27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" 30 They left the city and were on their way to him. 31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." 33 So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" 34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35 Do you not say, "Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36 The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." 39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done."

This is an awesome story. In it, Jesus speaks to a woman, beginning with His asking for a drink of water from the woman (Sunday night classmembers, remember we studied this as a passage where the humanity of Jesus comes through in his being thirsty, fully human, fully God). The woman, of Samaritan descent, is surprised that Jesus, a Jew is asking water of her. As the passage notes, "Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans." That was a nice way of saying there was hard feelings between the two cultural groups. But the woman enters into a discussion about water and "living water" with Jesus. Jesus reveals to her that He is the living water from which we can drink and be satisfied. Jesus is revealing an eternal spiritual truth. She desires that water and Jesus calls her to repentance in asking for her to go and get her husband. The woman replies that she has no husband, then Jesus confronts her with the truth about her life and then she understands that Jesus is a prophet, meaning she realizes that Jesus is a spiritual authority. It's at that moment that she honors the Lord though she does try to change the subject and the Lord continues to lovingly minister to her. As a result of her faith and testimony many of the Samaritans in her village came to faith in Jesus.

Is there a sin in your life that keeps you from honoring the Lord? Could you not confess it right now to Him and receive from Him that which sets you free to honor and serve Him? It's as simple as saying, "Lord free me from my sin and deliver me to obedience and service to You."

PRAYER: Lord, free me from my sin, and deliver me to that place where I can faithfully serve you and be faithful and obedient to You. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

OUR DAY OF PRAYER

Good day dear friends. Thanks to all of you who went out and made the
Strawberry sale a big success and blessing for our medical container
that we're sending to our hospital in Mozambique.

Here is our prayer guide for today:

Wednesday: For our day of prayer and purpose, reflect again on the
passage from yesterday. How could you pray that God would use you to
bless Him by teaming up with someone to do this? Ask God to build up
teams in our church to better honor and serve Him in all things. Ask
God to make you an encourager of people and not an obstacle.

TEAM MINISTRY TO HONOR AND SERVE THE LORD

Good day dear friends. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to all. May this be indeed a day of true love for us all as we bask in the love of God.

Tuesday: Read Judges 4:1-10. In this passage we find a woman who honored and served the Lord. Her life was one that inspired others to honor and serve but in these verses we find some who are afraid to honor and serve on their own. Sometimes we can honor and serve the Lord better by doing it with someone else. Re-read the passage and identify with either the woman or the man. Pray that God would help you team up to honor and serve Him!

Here is that text: 4:1 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after E'hud died. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of King Ja'bin of Ca'naan, who reigned in Ha'zor; the commander of his army was Sis'era, who lived in Haro'sheth-ha-goi'im. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years. 4 At that time Deb'orah, a prophetess, wife of Lap'pidoth, was judging Israel. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deb'orah between Ra'mah and Beth'el in the hill country of E'phraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and summoned Bar'ak son of Abin'oam from Ke'desh in Naph'tali, and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you, "Go, take position at Mount Ta'bor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naph'tali and the tribe of Zeb'ulun. 7 I will draw out Sis'era, the general of Ja'bin's army, to meet you by the Wadi Ki'shon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.'" 8 Bar'ak said to her, "If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." 9 And she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sis'era into the hand of a woman." Then Deb'orah got up and went with Bar'ak to Ke'desh. 10 Bar'ak summoned Zeb'ulun and Naph'tali to Ke'desh; and ten thousand warriors went up behind him; and Deb'orah went up with him.

What a team! A daring, obedient, trusting servant of the Lord and a military leader reluctant to fight. The daring, obedient, trusting one was Deborah, the female judge of Israel, and the reluctant military leader was Barak (no, they didn't name the place where soliders sleep after him, though it might not be a bad idea!). As the judge, Deborah could and did give the order for them to honor God in fighting this battle. Barak said he would go, but only if she would go with him. Keep in mind the order had come from God and with that order had come the promise of victory. How many times have we been assured in our spirits of a victory for the Lord yet we are reluctant or unwilling to go and do as God has asked? The honor belongs to God and God will be honored in our responses to His call to serve. And sometimes we do have to go as a team or in partnership with others, and this was also modeled by Jesus when He sent out disciples two by two.

If you read carefully this entire chapter you will see where God gave the victory to the army but to Barak God gave the opposing general to "the hand of a woman." The work was still done and God won the entire victory and God was honored. Yet the fullness of the honor would have been greater had Barak trusted God like he should.

What has God asked of you? Are there things "pending" that could honor God? Are you reluctant to obey? Are you limiting God's ability to work through you in whatever you believe needs to be done? This is a great story to inspire us to honor and serve God. Notice no one limited the ability to serve God based on preconceived notions of what one sex can do or can't do; those who obey God can achieve all things. To honor and serve the Lord means to take God at His word and do all that is asked of us.

PRAYER: Lord, let me honor you today. Speak lovingly to my heart as You reveal to me where I should serve You. Give me the courage and obedience of Deborah. If I feel scared or shy, give me a "Deborah" that can be a part of a team to honor and serve You. I pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

TO HONOR AND SERVE OUR LORD!

Good day dear friends.

We started a three sermon series covering our Mission Statement or Purpose Statements as others call it. Our statement is "To Honor and Serve Our Lord by preparing God’s people for works of service so that the Body of Christ be built up." It took almost a year and a half to come up with the statement through the hard work of our Goals committee, a subcommittee of our church council. We're in a growth mode and we want our growth to reflect our faithfulness to God. As I mentioned yesterday using the kite as an illustration, we seek to be grounded through this statement in the things of God. Our sermon yesterday focused on last year's statement which was the first part, "To honor and serve our Lord."

Here is our study guide for today: Monday: Yesterday we covered the words “honor” and “serve” as it relates to God. If we were to apply this to our relationships would there be much of a difference? In Exodus 36 we find the story of Bezalel and Oholiab, two skilled men who were in charge of receiving the offerings brought to carry on the work of God. The people responded so well to this that in verse 6-7 we find something we should find in every church. Please read that passage and see how this speaks to your life.

To honor means to place someone in high respect in our lives. Part of the wedding vows married people take includes the word "honor," and I mentioned that to honor God means to put God first in our lives. The passage selected for today is an interesting one. It is found in Exodus 36.

Here is that passage:1 "Bezalel and Oholiab, along with everyone whom God has given the skill and know-how for making everything involved in the worship of the Sanctuary as commanded by God, are to start to work." 2 Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab along with all whom God had gifted with the ability to work skillfully with their hands. The men were eager to get started and engage in the work. 3 They took from Moses all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the Sanctuary. The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning. 4 All the artisans who were at work making everything involved in constructing the Sanctuary came, one after another, 5 to Moses, saying, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!" 6 So Moses sent out orders through the camp: "Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!" 7 There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough." (The Message)

This passage speaks of the great honor with which the people treated God as they built their Sanctuary. Moses asked people to bring freewill offerings and the incredible thing is that the two men in charge of receiving the offerings, Bezalel and Oholiab, soon discovered that they had "enough and more than enough." Moses had to order the people to stop bringing their offerings!

To honor God involves all aspects of our daily life. We seek to be in God's presence, as we covered in the earlier Exodus passage yesterday, Exodus 34:29-35, the passage where Moses was in God's presence in such a way that his face was radiant and people could tell that Moses had been in God's presence. The more time we spend honoring God the more we will "radiate" and people will know we've been in God's presence, and the more people will want to seek what we have. To honor God also means to walk and trust God and to give to God as we should.

To honor God means that we place ourselves and others aside and seek God. Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Mt. 6:33). What are you seeking?

PRAYER: Loving God, help us to seek you first. Let our aim in our life seek to be to honor and serve You. We pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

TO HONOR AND SERVE OUR LORD!

Good day dear friends.

We started a three sermon series covering our Mission Statement or Purpose Statements as others call it. Our statement is "To Honor and Serve Our Lord by preparing God’s people for works of service so that the Body of Christ be built up." It took almost a year and a half to come up with the statement through the hard work of our Goals committee, a subcommittee of our church council. We're in a growth mode and we want our growth to reflect our faithfulness to God. As I mentioned yesterday using the kite as an illustration, we seek to be grounded through this statement in the things of God. Our sermon yesterday focused on last year's statement which was the first part, "To honor and serve our Lord."

Here is our study guide for today: Monday: Yesterday we covered the words “honor” and “serve” as it relates to God. If we were to apply this to our relationships would there be much of a difference? In Exodus 36 we find the story of Bezalel and Oholiab, two skilled men who were in charge of receiving the offerings brought to carry on the work of God. The people responded so well to this that in verse 6-7 we find something we should find in every church. Please read that passage and see how this speaks to your life.

To honor means to place someone in high respect in our lives. Part of the wedding vows married people take includes the word "honor," and I mentioned that to honor God means to put God first in our lives. The passage selected for today is an interesting one. It is found in Exodus 36.

Here is that passage:1 "Bezalel and Oholiab, along with everyone whom God has given the skill and know-how for making everything involved in the worship of the Sanctuary as commanded by God, are to start to work." 2 Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab along with all whom God had gifted with the ability to work skillfully with their hands. The men were eager to get started and engage in the work. 3 They took from Moses all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the Sanctuary. The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning. 4 All the artisans who were at work making everything involved in constructing the Sanctuary came, one after another, 5 to Moses, saying, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!" 6 So Moses sent out orders through the camp: "Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!" 7 There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough." (The Message)

This passage speaks of the great honor with which the people treated God as they built their Sanctuary. Moses asked people to bring freewill offerings and the incredible thing is that the two men in charge of receiving the offerings, Bezalel and Oholiab, soon discovered that they had "enough and more than enough." Moses had to order the people to stop bringing their offerings!

To honor God involves all aspects of our daily life. We seek to be in God's presence, as we covered in the earlier Exodus passage yesterday, Exodus 34:29-35, the passage where Moses was in God's presence in such a way that his face was radiant and people could tell that Moses had been in God's presence. The more time we spend honoring God the more we will "radiate" and people will know we've been in God's presence, and the more people will want to seek what we have. To honor God also means to walk and trust God and to give to God as we should.

To honor God means that we place ourselves and others aside and seek God. Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Mt. 6:33). What are you seeking?

PRAYER: Loving God, help us to seek you first. Let our aim in our life seek to be to honor and serve You. We pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

WINNING AT THE VERY END

Good day dear friends.

I shared with you sad news about Kit Tomlinson's uncle dying unexpectedly yesterday afternoon. He was in his 50s and in good health, Friday he felt the flu coming on and thought that's what he had. The family had to call EMT to take him to the hospital and he died Wednesday. Please pray for the family of Jay Ribble. Also, continued prayers for the missionary hospitalized in San Antonio battling a brain tumor. And for Darrell Patillo, who is fighting cancer.

Our study guide on winning seems a bit long today, at least the recommended texts, but they take us to the Final Battle. I've shared the recommended texts below in The Message, a very easy to understand version of the Bible. What should be our hope in reading these passages is the knowledge of the Victor at the final battle. Think about it, how can the Creator of all things possibly lose to one of His own creatures? John's vision included this final battle and while it may mean many things to many others, for us it should mean whatever battle we may fight, with God on our side, we cannot lose. And when the days do come to an end, our God of life will be still alive, giving life to those who in Him trusted. A word of caution, any time we read the Word of God we must begin with prayer, so please say your own prayer, then read the passages. Let God speak to you today.

Here's our study guide:

Thursday: Read Revelation 19 and 20. This may be a lengthy reading, but it’s an apocalyptic reading about the final battle. The main message of the passage for us today is the victory that is God’s when it’s all said and done. This is an eternal victory. Compare the struggles of today versus the ultimate victory. How does your faith allow you to read this passage?

Here are those two chapters in The Message format of the Bible:

1 I heard a sound like massed choirs in Heaven singing, Hallelujah! The salvation and glory and power are God's - 2 his judgments true, his judgments just. He judged the great Whore who corrupted the earth with her lust. He avenged on her the blood of his servants. 3 Then, more singing: Hallelujah! The smoke from her burning billows up to high Heaven forever and ever and ever. 4 The Twenty-four Elders and the Four Animals fell to their knees and worshiped God on his Throne, praising, Amen! Yes! Hallelujah! 5 From the Throne came a shout, a command: Praise our God, all you his servants, All you who fear him, small and great! 6 Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder: Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! 7 Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. 8 She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints. 9 The Angel said to me, "Write this: 'Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.'" He added, "These are the true words of God!" 10 I fell at his feet to worship him, but he wouldn't let me. "Don't do that," he said. "I'm a servant just like you, and like your brothers and sisters who hold to the witness of Jesus. The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 11 Then I saw Heaven open wide - and oh! a white horse and its Rider. The Rider, named Faithful and True, judges and makes war in pure righteousness. 12 His eyes are a blaze of fire, on his head many crowns. He has a Name inscribed that's known only to himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe soaked with blood, and he is addressed as "Word of God." 14 The armies of Heaven, mounted on white horses and dressed in dazzling white linen, follow him. 15 A sharp sword comes out of his mouth so he can subdue the nations, then rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the raging wrath of God, the Sovereign-Strong. 16 On his robe and thigh is written, King of kings, Lord of lords. 17 I saw an Angel standing in the sun, shouting to all flying birds in Middle-Heaven, "Come to the Great Supper of God! 18 Feast on the flesh of kings and captains and champions, horses and their riders. Eat your fill of them all - free and slave, small and great!" 19 I saw the Beast and, assembled with him, earth's kings and their armies, ready to make war against the One on the horse and his army. 20 The Beast was taken, and with him, his puppet, the False Prophet, who used signs to dazzle and deceive those who had taken the mark of the Beast and worshiped his image. They were thrown alive, those two, into Lake Fire and Brimstone. 21 The rest were killed by the sword of the One on the horse, the sword that comes from his mouth. All the birds held a feast on their flesh.

Chapter 20:1 I saw an Angel descending out of Heaven. He carried the key to the Abyss and a chain - a huge chain. 2 He grabbed the Dragon, that old Snake - the very Devil, Satan himself! - chained him up for a thousand years, 3 dumped him into the Abyss, slammed it shut and sealed it tight. No more trouble out of him, deceiving the nations - until the thousand years are up. After that he has to be let loose briefly. 4 I saw thrones. Those put in charge of judgment sat on the thrones. I also saw the souls of those beheaded because of their witness to Jesus and the Word of God, who refused to worship either the Beast or his image, refused to take his mark on forehead or hand - they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years! 5 The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were up. This is the first resurrection - 6 and those involved most blessed, most holy. No second death for them! They're priests of God and Christ; they'll reign with him a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years are up, Satan will be let loose from his cell, 8 and will launch again his old work of deceiving the nations, searching out victims in every nook and cranny of earth, even Gog and Magog! He'll talk them into going to war and will gather a huge army, millions strong. 9 They'll stream across the earth, surround and lay siege to the camp of God's holy people, the Beloved City. They'll no sooner get there than fire will pour out of Heaven and burn them up. 10 The Devil who deceived them will be hurled into Lake Fire and Brimstone, joining the Beast and False Prophet, the three in torment around the clock for ages without end. 11 I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. 12 And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there - before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. 13 Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. 14 Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death - Lake Fire. 15 Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire.

PRAYER: Come Lord of life to my life today and speak words of victory in all I face. Speak Your word of comfort and love to those mentioned above especially those who have lost loved ones. Remind us over and over again that there is no death for those who die in You. And we pray in Christ Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day.

e.v.

KEEP A STRONG GRIP ON YOUR FAITH!

Good day dear friends.

Please hold Mr. Robert Storey in your prayers. He has been been feeling well lately and given his age, the family is concerned about him. Prayers for those of us at Minister's Week 2006 on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

We continue our study on winning and here is today's study guide:

Tuesday: Read 1 Peter 5:1-11. In this passage you will find the victory that we aim for as believers in Christ Jesus. Read the list as a word of encouragement from the Lord through Peter. Let it speak to you about life and how to win at life!

Here is that text in The Message:

1 I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it's like to be a leader, in on Christ's sufferings as well as the coming glory. 2 Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.[ 3 Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way. 4 When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he'll see that you've done it right and commend you lavishly. 5 And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for - God has had it with the proud, But takes delight in just plain people. 6 So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. 7 Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. 8 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. 9 Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. 10 The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ - eternal and glorious plans they are! - will have you put together and on your feet for good. 11 He gets the last word; yes, he does.

Pleasing God is all about serving God. And as we read the words found above in 1 Peter, Peter is urging us to please God by caring for one another. And that my friends is teamwork, and winning people are part of winning teams.

One of my former associates when he led prayer would say, "Now church, remember to pray for one another, because if you pray for each other, you can rest assured that someone is praying for you!" And that always spoke to me. What a feeling to know that as we live life and face whatever we face, someone is praying for us. That doesn't mean we don't watch what we do, Peter says, "Keep your guard up" and later, "keep a firm grip on the faith." Winners never give up.

What a victory is ours through Christ Jesus. Yesterday's lecturer, Rev. Tyrone Gordon of Dallas, Texas, revealed a time in his ministry when he reached a point where he was burned out and went to his office and just sobbed. The secretary heard the crying and called Rev. Gordon's wife, who called his best friend. At the time Rev. Gordon and family were living in Wichita, Kansas, and his best friend was in Dallas. The friend got in his car and drove six hours to reach Rev. Gordon. By the time Rev. Gordon got home, his wife had packed his bags so that he could return to Dallas with his friend and receive ministry from his friend. "Afflicted but not crushed," said yesterday's text. And today's text speaks to us about caring for one another.

PRAYER: Loving God, help us to care for one another. As thoughts and images of folks we know come to our minds, let those people be in our prayers. Lift up those who are down. Strengthen those who are weak. Fill up those who have poured out much. Comfort those who mourn. We pray in He will fills us all, Jesus the Lord. Amen.

THE VICTORY IS OURS!

Good day dear friends. We lift up Shirley Austin to your prayers. Right before going in to our worship service at 11, she slipped and fell, cut the back of her head and required seven stitches. She was taken to the ER and is now home and doing fine.

We had great fun in worship with the souper bowl offering. Thanks to all of you who supported our bishop's call to fight hunger. It was clear to see in both of the traditional services the Seahawks "won." We also were blessed by the over forty or so Scouts that we had in uniform for Scouting Sunday! If you had a chance to go to the Activity Center to see the pine wood derby you know there were over 100 people there for pizza and the race.

What's the Truth About Winning and should that be a concern for Christians? We studied how a believer possesses the promises of being "more than a conqueror" through Jesus Christ in whatever s/he faces in their life. We used two passages that we'll study today to see the checklists Paul used to show that even facing death, a believer does not despair or ever feel abandoned by God. "Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus."

Here is our study guide for today:

Monday: We had two powerful passages about winning during yesterday’s sermon. They’re found on the reverse side of this sermon guide. Read those two out loud. Let each word speak to you about who you are and in Whom you believe. Ours is a faith of hope and neverending life! Let this day serve as a day that helps you claim that for yourself.

Here are those passages:

2 Corinthians 4:8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

Romans 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

During the 11 o'clock service I used the story of Ruth to show how God didn't abandon her and used her as one of Jesus' ancestors, even though she was not Hebrew. A famine forced her future father-in-law to leave Judah to come to her country. While there Ruth marries one of his sons only to lose him ten years later. Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law urges Ruth and Orpah to stay behind with their families while she returns home to Judah, but Ruth's new faith in Naomi's God allows her to make the decision to follow her and to make the declaration, "for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;" (Ruth 1:16). All the situations mentioned in that first chapter of Ruth could have made so many say, "I give up!" And that would put them in the "loser" category, but all had faith in God's leading. Their faith allowed a nonbeliever to make that declaration above, "your God (will be) my God." Are you living your faith in a way that calls others to believe? Are you "winning" at life in spite of all you've faced?

Look again at the verses and all that Paul mentions as a checklist of things he's faced.

Afflicted?______ Crushed? ______
Perplexed?______ Despair? ______
Persecuted______ Forsaken?______
Struck Down?______ Destroyed?______

In the above, even if you checked the first column you don't have to check the second one. For example, Paul says, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;"

And in the second list, even if you check both columns you can still walk away saying, "Nothing separates me from Christ's love!"

Hardship?______ Distress? ______
Persecution?______ Famine?______
Nakedness?______ Peril? ______
Sword?______

And more importantly we say, with Paul's faith, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

Go out and win!

PRAYER: Dear God, we thank you for the victory that is ours in life, through Jesus Christ. May your blessing be upon those who feel unusually afflicted or oppressed or weak as they go through some struggles in their life. Comfort those who are feeling near despair. Speak lovingly to us so that we can share that with others. In Christ Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

IT'S OUR CHOICE! BALL AND CHAIN OR FREEDOM?

Good day dear friends.

We continue our study on forgiveness. Here is our study guide for today:


Thursday: Read Colossians 3:5-13. This is Paul’s understanding of what makes up the right relationship between the believer. Use Paul’s list as a checklist for your own life. Does the list seem possible or impossible? Are you answering that from a faith perspective? Or is your faith not yet sufficient enough to be a forgiving person?

Here is that text: Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things--anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive {Or [filthy]} language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scyth'ian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all! 12 As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Christ has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Just yesterday a church member was sharing how my sermon on Sunday had allowed her to forgive her now deceased mother for a lifetime of neglect and no affection. I know it was very difficult for her to forgive a woman who never said she loved or was proud of her daughter or who never showed up for any of her daughter's graduations. But now this remarkable woman is free to enjoy the life Christ meant for us when he said we must forgive. You see, too many times we forget that when someone does something against us, they've placed the burden on us. Often the other person goes on with her/his life not even bothered with what they may have done against us. We're the ones who have been burdened with a heavy weight to bear. Sunday, my secretary and her son made the props for my sermon which were two ball and chains (afterwards a couple of church members said they had the real thing at home!). The illustration is that when we don't forgive, the ball and chain stays on our ankles and we are not free to enjoy life or to move on with our life. We are shackled to an ever growing and ever increasing weight of this restrictive device. Forgiveness is that key that unlocks the ball and chain from our spirits, emotions, and bodies.

The above passage speaks of what can be ours in a joyful Christian life: "compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience." (v. 12). And once we have these indwelling in us we can "Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Christ has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (v. 13)

The choice is ours. Do we want to live a stressed out life ruled by restrictions imposed by someone else? Or do we have to enjoy the freedom that is ours through Jesus Christ? Jesus said He had come to bring us life in abundance (Jn. 10:10) and it's ours for the taking.

PRAYER: Come, God of abundance and bless me today. Set in my heart the wisdom and courage to break free from all that is weighing me down. I pray in the name of He who sets us free, Jesus the Christ, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

LIVING THE UNEXPECTED

Good day dear friends. We received great news from a couple of folks yesterday in church: biopsies negative! We thank the Lord with these our brothers and sisters. Don't forget the men of our church are invited to the monthly men's breakfast tomorrow morning.

We continue our study of forgiveness. Here is our study guide for today:

Tuesday: Read Luke 6:37-47 and discover that forgiveness is a foundational part of the Christian life. What, in addition to forgiveness, matters to God? What do you suppose happens if we don’t forgive as we should?

Here is that text:

Matthew 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." 39 He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbor, "Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. 43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. 46 "Why do you call me "Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.

The Sermon on the Mount was the first motivational seminar. In it Jesus shares the secrets to abundant living. The best thing was that He didn't have to sell movitational tapes or books. Jesus in effect said, "God expects you to do the unexpected!" Jesus taught the people how to pray and then after the prayer emphasized the parts of the prayer that we sometimes take for granted and then in this passage goes into talking about relational living. We are told not to judge. We do that all the time and find it easy. We're living in expected ways. The unexpected lifestyle says we do not judge. And for those that may be wondering what it means to judge, it means to place people in pre-determined categories or to place labels on persons and then treat them accordingly. It also means to judge some people as less than us or of little worth. To NOT judge means to accept folks as they are. Notice right after this comes, "Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned." This is easy too. I find it very easy to condemn as I watch the television news. Sometimes a story comes out that is so hideous that I find myself condemning the person doing or accused of having done the malicious deed. Just last night a news report showed a garbage bag dragged out of a river containing a live baby girl. Thank God the child had not drowned as perhaps was the intention, but the child was still alive. This occured in Brazil. I found myself condemning the mother or whomever was doing this. But Jesus says, that's expected. Do the unexpected. I did ask why would a mother or someone do this? And I silently prayed for the Lord to touch that person's heart to realize the error of his/her ways. Then comes, "Forgive, and you will be forgiven." This is the foundational basis of a good life. Letting go and letting God, as the simple saying says. Letting go of the weight that grudges cause comes when we forgive. And being free of that weight helps us to enjoy life to the fullest.

The rest of the passage deals with right living. We must realize we need God to help us live our lives filled with grace. We must be positive towards others and towards life. We must continually share hope with others. We must love others. Resolve to be a person that is known as being good. One who lives a life that does the unexpected!

PRAYER: God of the unexpected life, come to me today and help me overcome all this is evil in me. Let me show, because You live in me, that I am good. Let my actions shine the Light of Jesus. In Whose name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

FORGIVENESS

Good day dear friends. We shared a sermon on Forgiveness yesterday based on the scripture from Matthew 6:14-15, which comes after the Lord's Prayer. “For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sin, your Father will not forgive your sins.” This was our primary text. Another Matthew passage from Matthew 18:23-35 on forgiveness between servants that owed different amounts towards the king.

Here is today's study guide:

Monday: Re-read yesterday’s text. Let the text speak to you again about forgiveness. Remember this passage comes from Jesus’ post-Sermon on the Mount where Jesus has taught the disciples’ how to pray. It is in the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus has taught us to pray, “Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Given the sacredness of prayer and the seriousness of our praying to God, we should realize how powerful this passage is in the prayer. How can we face God in this prayer saying we are a forgiving person AND ask for forgiveness if we haven’t forgiven?

We sometimes approach prayer with the speed of our lives. Usually a rapid-fire declaration of needs lifted out, instead of up, with the hope that it gets heard. Biblically, prayer is a sacred time meant to be enjoyed. Jesus' prayer to the Father was meant to share a foundation of structure on which we could build a worship time with God. And right towards the end, He shares a line about forgiveness that says "we forgive." Yesterday, I shared with the church, it doesn't include the word "should" or "if we feel like it" or "if we get to it" or even "maybe." The implication is that we DO forgive others. And notice that our forgiveness is dependent on whether we DO forgive others or not. And remember, this is while we pray so it might not be a good idea to lie.

To not forgive is not to love. Sometimes we find ourselves loving gthe idea of revenge more than the other person, and that is a sin. We sometimes love ourselves more than others and turn that love inward and we don't forgive, and that is a sin. Forgiveness is putting the love of others before the love of self.

Forgiveness is the surrender of pride to humility and service. Forgiveness is the embracing of God’s vision for peace and rejecting our selfish vision of comfort.

Forgiveness is, as we demonstrated with the ball and chain, taking the key to abundant living and setting free the weight that could keep us down.

PRAYER: Dear God, make this a day that our eyes are open to the need to forgive. Let us put ourselves aside and look towards the needs of others as we need to forgive them. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.