A POWERFUL REMNANT

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Friday: Isaiah 10, 11, 12The concept of a “remnant” is introduced in Isaiah 10. What is the significance of such an idea from a spiritual point of view?
A "remnant" in a spiritual point of view is that group of people who never lose faith and hold on to God when everyone else has given up. Or those who stay faithful to God when everyone else has decided to follow their own desires and ideas. For God to know that a remnant would remain, even in the midst of widespread desertion of the once faithful, meant a lot to Him. And it still means a lot to God for us who hold Him dear, to live our lives that shows that we are a remnant. Sadly, a remnant is a smaller piece of a greater whole, but it can be the most power piece in faith and spirit.
PRAYER: Loving God, help me to stay faithful to You as your remnant today. May my life give example to others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

THE PRESENCE OF PEACE

Good day dear friends.
We ask your prayers for John Schaeffer of our church who was to undergo a stomach procedure up in Austin. He has had a rough couple of months with health issues and we pray for his quick recovery. Pending the outcome of this test he might be home for the Labor Day weekend.
Also, prayers for Katrina, our Children's Ministry Coordinator. She is undergoing an exam this afternoon.
Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: Isaiah 7, 8, 9Identify passages in this section that are often seen as prophecies about the coming Messiah. How do you understand them in this context?
All in God's time, and all according to God's plans, even when they don't make human sense. But if you think about it, in the context of human relationships and interactions, God's prophecy for the people of Israel comes when brothers/sisters are up against brothers/sisters. The tribes that have now become nations, who are directly related you would think would be supportive and loving towards each other, but they're not. And doesn't that happen when material possessions are involved?
God says to them/us, "I'm going to act in an unbelievable way: A virgin shall conceive. And she will bear a son and his name shall be Emanuel, which means 'God with us.'" It will take this incredible act in the midst of their warring to show that God still cares and is still involved in our lives. And later the Names of that child are shared that further our hope in God's majesty and might.
What will it take in your life for you to know God is still God and in control? God already fulfilled the prophecies through Jesus. Jesus doesn't have to be born again and again, except in your heart. Having the presence of Jesus in your heart will mean your having the peace of God in your life. What's holding you back?
PRAYER: God of unexplainable wonder and might, come into my heart again or for the first time today. Let me have the presence and peace of the Lord Jesus. I ask this in His Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

A LIVING SERMON

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Wednesday: Isaiah 4, 5, 6Isaiah 6, the story of Isaiah’s call is generally seen as the experience that shaped his ministry. What qualities in this experience would be especially significant in Isaiah’s thinking?
The ministry of Isaiah was forever shaped by this vision he had of God and God's heavenly court. As Isaiah is called into ministry, that of being a spokesperson for the Almighty, he gets to see God holy, exalted, and glorified. He sees the worship of God done by angels in their various rankings and order. This experience first made him realize how unclean and unworthy he was to go before God. His first thoughts were thoughts of death and how he deserved to die being now in the presence of pure holiness, but God, always merciful to those who admit their sin, has him cleansed. And it is after the cleansing that God asks who he can send to share His message and it is at that point that Isaiah says, "Here I am, send me!"
God continues to call people into the ministry. God uses several ways to do it, and many are called. I will always remember a night during the first month of my college years, when Dean Virgil Matthews, our sponsor for the preministerial association called all of us who happened to be "called" for a night together and at one point he said, "Take a good look around you. There are about thirty of you called by God into ministry, but only one or two of you will make it." I knew I was going to make it, not in arrogance, but in the certainty of my calling, but Dean Matthews was right. Maybe three of us that night actually went to seminary, finished, and then was ordained into God's ordained ministry. Isaish knew that whomever God calls, God will use, if that person is faithful in obeying, trusting and going as God directs. Isaiah knew that God would always be with him no matter what. Immediately Isaiah realizes the reality of his ministry would involve a very unpopular message to be shared and as a result people who not like him very much. But he was deeply loved by God.
Not everyone is called into ordained ministry, but all who love the Lord and have been baptized are called into ministry, that of sharing their faith story with others. People might not ever step foot inside a church, but as they live and work and play in your realm of influence, your actions may be the sermon that changes their lives forever. Love and trust God enough to say to someone today, "I love and trust God and God loves me. Do you want to know more?"
PRAYER: Loving God, I thank You for your love. As I go about my business or pleasure today, let me share Your love in my faith story. I know it doesn't have to be a verbal sermon, but let it be one that shares Your love. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

POPULAR MESSAGES?

Good day dear friends.
Please continue in prayer for Grace Hyatt. She suffered a stroke about a week ago, was paralyzed, then made a miraculous recovery. She is presently at Hays Nursing Facility and should be there two or three weeks. Eldrie Flowers is also there and was going home today. She suffered some complications following gall bladder surgery. Pray for Katrina Allison and her family as they travel to Plano for the funeral of one of her uncles.
Here is today's study guide:
Tuesday: Isaiah 1, 2, 3As you see the list of kings during whose reign Isaiah prophesied, how would you characterize the times in which he ministered?
It's never easy being a prophet of the Lord. A prophet was literally a "mouth piece" for God, one who spoke directly to the people from God. And the messages God shared were never easy ones to preach or easy ones to receive. The list of kings during which Isaiah lived show a list of those whose hearts were not God's hearts. They followed their own passions and desires and did what they wanted to do. Their ears were in tune with the times and not with God, so they didn't want to hear God's message. The prophet's messages were not popular, so they were not well received.
Is it easy being a Christian in today's world? Is it popular to stand for God and share what we believe God would have us say to the times today? If you did the readings that follow below (for those receiving ConCafe; others have to use their Bibles or go online to find the Isaiah passages), you'll see that the descriptions given about violence and lawlessness could very well be parts of the United States. It just seems people will do what they want to do and don't really care what God would have them do.
The more difficult question is: How are you living? Are you earnestly seeking God and what God would share with you or have you given in to follow what everyone else is doing? Again I say, it is not easy for us to follow the Lord nor is it the most popular thing to do. But we should seek to do what God would have us do.
PRAYER: Living God, speak to my heart about who I really amd and who I really need to be. Set me on the path that leads to the fullness of life that blesses You and Yours. I ask this in the Name of Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

A LOVE THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDS

Good day dear friends.
As you pray during your morning devotional, thank God for the joy of praying for others, even those you don't know. When I've been in situations where I've needed prayer, I didn't stop to think about who knew me or didn't as they prayed, I thanked God for all who were praying for me. That's the joy of prayer! Please remember Grace Hyatt, I understood from someone yesterday in church that she had had a stroke and was now in rehab at Hays Nursing Center.
Here is today's study guide:
Monday: Song of Solomon 7, 8Song of Solomon 8:7 is one of the loveliest descriptions of love to be found anywhere. List three instances, from your personal observation or reading, where such love has been demonstrated.
Some of us might better know Song of Solomon 8:7 in this version: "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one's house, it would be utterly scorned."
Getting close to the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the image of "many waters" and "floods" takes on a whole new meaning to this passage. But the writer was referring to the many waters and floods of sadness and challenges that come to relationships, especially with our spouses, and his (or her as it is "The Woman" speaking!) firm belief is that nothing can come up against true love and win. When one has found and enjoys true love, nothing can take it away. And in the same understanding, one who is in love will take nothing for that love, not money, material goods, riches, etc. One stays with/in love.
In the Katrina reference, when folks started leaving the flood ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast and came to places, love welcomed them and provided for them. I was so proud of how we made our gym look in the event we received any victims in our area. Having received only one family, the love of church members for these who were hurting, allowed them to receive a place to live, places of employment, even assistance to enter the university.
How is your love? Do you just love the ones who love you? Do you love just the ones you know? That's not true love as shown by Jesus' teaching. His very life was given "for the whole world," not just those whom Jesus knew. May we have that same kind of love for others.
PRAYER: Loving God, author of love, come and visit my heart with a generous portion of love. May I see beyond myself and my limitations to love others, even those whom I do not yet know. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

FULL CONTROL

Good day dear friends.
A special prayer to all parents dropping off their "babies" at college. One never gets used to the emotional rollercoaster of being excited that one's child is a college student and that s/he can't possibly be that old to be living away from Mom and Dad! Such is the situation from here in Denton. We're thankful to the Lord for opportunities of education and sad that we find ourselves without the delightful company of one's youngest daughter.
Here is our study guide for today:
Monday: Job 42Do you interpret this closing summary of Job’s life literally or figuratively? Why?
The better question would be, did you follow the story and its implications? To me it didn't hit me until yesterday during the 11 o'clock sermon. Job was too busy countering his friends and hearing their negative assessments of him, that he didn't make the time to truly go to God. He spoke to God, more in a heated rant, but he never stopped to humbly approach God and worship God as he confessed his sins. Once he did that, God restored him.
This happens to us. If some crisis or challenge comes along it becomes much too easy to seek immediate relief and solutions before going to God. It can become too easy to be distracted by wellmeaning friends whose ideas and comments keep us from approaching the Lord. A good rule of thumb should be, go to God first, listen for what God may share and then with the Spirit's assistance, you can listen to what God may say through friends or others. But once you let God have full control you'll be in a better position to move forward the way God would have you move.
As humans, we can't help but think that Job was never fully restored; the loss of his first children can never be replaced by "new" children, though their presence and love can help in healing. The same could be said for longtime servants and workers.
Seek the fullness of life through Jesus Christ today. Seek the Lord today and share with Him all that you're going through and let Him take full control and guidance of your life.
PRAYER: Come, loving Spirit, and search me. Fill me with the fullness of life as Jesus intended for me. Let me be guided by You. Take control of my challenges and crises and be glorified. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

LIFE IS GOOD?

Good day dear friends.
We had a wonderful prayer and praise service last night. United As One, the praise band from El Buen Pastor came and blessed us with their music.
Today starting at 9:30 until noon, if you are free, we need volunteers to help incoming freshmen move into their dorms. This is a great form of evangelism and witness. Ice cold water will be provided for the volunteers as well as the joy of helping someone not expecting any help at all.
Also, today is the day Kit and Leslie travel back to Wilmore, KY for the memorial service of the young man killed in a traffic accident. This young man was active in Kit's youth group when he worked at Wilmore UMC. Pray for their safety and ministry.
Here is today's study guide:
Thursday: Job 29, 30, 31List the elements in Job’s life as he himself summarizes his case in these chapters
God took care of Job. God held a lamp as Job walked through darkness. God was Job's friend. Job still enjoyed his children. Life seemed easy when it was "going (his) way." Job enjoyed respect and honor from everyone in his city. Job stopped robbers, Job did things for others. Job lived a life of caring and loving for all people. Life was good.
Job even lists the things that he could have done, but didn't. He makes a list of those sins that consume and destroy people and families and he says he is blameless before God, yet the question remains, why did this bad happen to a good person?
Is God taking care of you? Is God holding a lamp as you walk through darkness? Would you consider God to be your friend? Are you enjoying your children and going out of your way to help others? Are you enjoying respect and honor from others? Are you spiritually clean and living a life above reproach? And still you face challenges and difficulties? Do you still love and trust God?
PRAYER: Loving God speak to my heart. Awaken me to the reality of faith and the need to live a life that blesses You and others. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

THE PLIGHT OF THE POOR

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: Job 22, 23, 24In his suffering, Job seems to have become even more sensitive to the needs of the poor. Summarize his insights on the plight of the poor in Job 24.
Coming after the third attack by Eliphaz, in which he accuses Job of not caring for the poor, Job shows that he does indeed know of their plight. Job knows all the scenarios the poor must encounter: searching for food in alleyways like stray dogs, trying to get handouts through the kindness of strangers, shivering in the cold or suffering through the sweltering heat because of no shelter, this is the lot of the poor. Job also knows of their powerlessness, how they can easily lose what little they have including their nursing children.
Has that changed much from Job's day to now? No, the description given by Job is the same if you drive through certain parts of your town or city. The more important question, are you aware of the poor and what they suffer and need?
PRAYER: O God, Your Son Jesus said we would always have the poor, but this was not to dismiss them but to show that they need our attention and care. Make it so in our lives today. We pray in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Monday: Job 19, 20, 21Job declares his hope in a redeemer - specifically, a kinsman -redeemer. What light do Leviticus 25:25 and Ruth 2:20 throw on the role of kinsman-redeemer?
There is nothing like a relative coming to the rescue in our time of need. Both the Leviticus and Ruth passages speak of those who care enough for kinfolk, they come to their rescue and share with them that which will see them through. In the same way, Job shares how his plight is so terrible, no one pays him any attention. One has to imagine that he was so hideous that even "street urchins" paid him no mind. He mentions that family and even house-guests have abandoned him. What a sad situation for this man.
Job deep down knows that his only hope is in God, though for now Job feels as if God has abandoned him and there is no possible solution for him, but God is still in control and we will see that come in later readings.
Whom can you count on that will not let you down? Thank God we all have (or should have) those on whom we can count. There are several that I know I can call at any hour of the day or night and they would respond. Yet, like most, I am one who seeks to solve my challenges as quickly as I can on my own. I don't like to bother people. Where I to find myself like Job then I would call on some to help me.
What would you do if you lost everything? Who would you call? What would that do to your faith and hope? Would you still believe God is in charge and in control or would you go through a period of doubt like Job? I think the honest answer is that we all would go through a period of questioning about our situation and the why behind it, and certainly the why did God permit this question as well. But the person of deep, true faith, would say ultimately, God is still God and God still loves me.
PRAYER: For this day I give you thanks, O God and I pray that I can be one who helps those in need see the light of hope beyond their situation. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

THE RULES OF LIFE

Good day dear friends. Today is the Lord's Day! Let us be in preparation to worship God! If you don't have a church home yet, please feel free to worship with us at First United Methodist Church at 8:30, 10:45 or 11:00, 129 W. Hutchison Street, San Marcos, TX.
I spoke with Athena Reiche prior to her entering for surgery yesterday morning. She was in good spirits and was going to have her gall bladder removed. Surgery went well and she was supposed to be home last evening.
Madeline West fell yesterday at 6 a.m. and broke her arm. She returned back to the hospital after a brief stay in her nursing home because she is unable to care for herself now.
Also, our congratulations to Melanie Roberts and Chris Cunningham who wed yesterday afternoon at 1 p.m. Melanie had been coming to FUMCSM for about two years, but the two will be moving to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where Chris has his home.
Please keep these two of our sisters and the new couple in your prayers.
Here is our study guide for today:
Sunday: Job 16, 17, 18To what degree is Bildad justified in his complaints against Job?
In today's reading, Job's question about "an Attorney" or someone to plead his case is a shadowing of Jesus that it makes us know the need for God to send His only begotten Son to come into the world for our sake (16:18-22). As for Bildad he feels the need to defend himself against what Job is saying. In his suffering and frustration Job knows his friends may have at first desired to help him, but no find themselves telling him what they believe to be the truth and Job receives these as only verbal attacks from those who should have come to comfort and console.
Bildad responds by saying that he and his friends feel like they're being treated as know-nothings, but argues that they know the "rules" of life, that God extinquishes the light of those who are wicked and it may just be that Job was really one of those all along. We know better, but Bildad does not.
Do you know the "rules" about life and do you freely share them with your friends? Do you not know that perhaps the real "rule" that your friends might be seeking is to know that "God rules" and "God is love" so that we should "love one another as God has loved us."
PRAYER: Help me, O God, to be a true friend to those in need. While it is tempting and easy to share what we believe to be the 'rules' of life, remind us of Your love and Your commandment for me to love others. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

KEEPING THE LINE OPEN WITH GOD

Good day dear friends.
Please keep Athena Reiche in your prayers. Last night close to ten p.m. I got a call she was on her way to the hospital in Austin. I went to Seton on 38th but on my way there, was told she wasn't there and someone said it was at Seton Southwest, but was not there either. Reports were she was to have emergency surgery, but details are not known. Please pray for her and Hans and Elaine.
Here is our study guide for today:
Saturday: Job 13, 14, 15Summarize some of Job’s longings, as found in Job 13-14.
Job's longings were two: Stop the afflictions and address me directly so that I can answer you. It makes sense to ask God to first, stop with the pain! Enough is enough! I can't stand to suffer any longer and secondly, come and talk to me about why this is happening. Job had reached that point of anger that comes with all suffering. We all do. It's a natural part of the process. Elizabeth Kubler Ross wrote a book called "On Death and Dying" and in it she shares the results of her having studied the process of those who were told they were dying. Their loved ones also went through these alongside their dying loved ones:
Denial (this isn't happening to me!)
Anger (why is this happening to me?)
Bargaining (I promise I'll be a better person if...)
Depression (I don't care anymore)
Acceptance (I'm ready for whatever comes)
We find Job at the anger stage. Given all he had suffered and all he had lost, Job wanted answers and he wanted them directly from God.
We're not finished with Job's story, we just find him at this point where he wants to know more about what he has experienced. Please note the communication lines with God are still open. Some do find after suffering and crying alot for loved ones, that they can no longer pray, but St. Paul knew that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us "with groans and sigh," a language of prayer that only He can understand.
Keep the line open with God. God never hangs up on us.
PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for your listening and loving heart. As we face what we face, keep us mindful of Your presence and Your power to help us deal with all. Let us be used by You today to share with those who need a word of hope and encouragement. We pray in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

THE PATIENCE OF JOB?

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Friday: Job 10, 11, 12We often hear the phrase “the patience of Job,” though it is is not a biblical phrase. Describe characteristics of Job, negative and positive, you find in Job 10 and 12.
The lessons learned from Job about God is that God is big enough to take our anger and gripes. The lessons learned from Job is that we can try to make sense of suffering and pain and not really come up with much. The greater lesson is that we don't have to. Try as we might, God still holds us even when it seems we're free falling towards our end. What we've read here are the thoughts of Job brought into the open. "Did I say that out loud?" has become a comedy routine in movies and television, but it's true. Some things are best left inside; though Job brings them out.
The positive thing about Job is that he never stopped talking to God. He continued to be a man of prayer even in the midst of his suffering. And in his prayers, though some were negative, he holds God in God's perfect place: In control of all things. What troubles Job is what troubles us, can we make sense of what happens in life and should we hold God accountable always for the bad that may come our way?
PRAYER: Loving Father, let me this day seek You in all that comes my way. Let me walk towards You in faith and understanding. Help me to overcome the challenges in my life. I praise You and thank You for your love and the blessings that are mine because of You. I pray these things in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

CHRIST IN ALL THINGS

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: Job 7, 8, 9What is it that Job finds most difficult about his experience with God?
Job, like you and me, finds it hard to understand why bad things happen to us or others. We ask from time to time, where is God and why did God permit this to happen? Job very honestly does not understand. Job knows that in his heart he sought the Lord and to please Him in all that he did, yet he found himself losing everything and everyone. He even found himself suffering in his own body which brought the other suffering all the more closer, for to lose one loved one is too much, imagine losing them all and then having to suffer a disease of severe pain and itching.
Paul says we don't understand these things now, we just understand the presence and power of God. Paul himself was not immune from suffering or tribulation, yet he continued strong in his faith. Paul was different from Job in that Paul saw the risen Christ and was instructed by Him about his suffering and even his death. So, Paul was able to say, "If I live, I live for Christ, even in the midst of all suffering; and if I die, it's victory! I go to be with Him!"
How's your outlook? How has your faith shaped your outlook? I pray that in spite of what has come your way you would know to trust God and give God the last word in all things.
PRAYER: Loving God, come and speak to me in my situation right now. Give me the faith of Paul to trust You and be guided by You. I pray this in the Name of He present with us in all things, Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

IN THE GOOD AND IN THE BAD

Good day dear friends.
Our brother in Christ, Ed Teeter underwent a procedure to drain blood from his head yesterday afternoon at St. David's Hospital in Austin. I visited with him prior but have not heard how it went. Please keep Ed and Nancy and family in your prayers.
Here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: Job 1, 2, 3What are several indications of Job’s goodness?
In this version, we find the man Job as one to be "honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion." He was blessed and he knew it as he returned thanks to God for these blessings. He was also a man of prayer and worship, because after every party/celebration his children had, Job would offer up worship and forgiveness on the part of his children just in case "one of them sinned by defying God inwardly."
As he suffered loss, Job never lost faith. Even at the loss of all his children he was not angry with God. His own wife came and mocked him asking why he continued to be the way he was, when he could curse God and die. Not even that could shake Job's goodness.
How strong are we in our faith? What shakes us? What makes us give up on God? In the good and in the bad, we belong to God and should bless Him.
PRAYER: Loving God, let me bless and love you in the good and in the bad. Stand by me today and help me overcome all that comes my way. Let my life shine the goodness of Your love living in me. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

SUNSHINE AND LAUGHTER

Monday: Esther 7, 8, 9. 10Why do you think this book is traditionally such a favorite with the Jewish people?
Why would it not be? It's the story of a victory! A tremendous, albeit a most bloody one, victory over their enemies. In what starts as a simple story of adoption by an uncle for his neice, turns into a success story of that uncle becoming the second most powerful man in an empire that ranged in territory over a significant area. This uncle and his neice, who became the queen to this king, saved the lives of Jews "everywhere." In what becomes the celebration of the holiday "Purim", the Jews rememembered how their lives were spared by the intervention of the queen. You have to read today's reading which follows (or if you're reading this on one of the blogs, go to an online Bible, such as http://www.bible.com/ and do a search for Esther 7-10 or http://www.bible.crosswalk.com/.
Again, interestinly enough, the name of God does not appear, but clearly God's hand was upon those who cared for others and for saving lives from the hand of evil men. The title in the subject line comes from the reading in The Message version where after their victory over all their enemies, the Bible says, "it was all sunshine and laughter for the Jews."
Is it all "sunshine and laughter" in your life? It can be, if you do what God would have you do and you seek to please God!
PRAYER: Lord, if it appears that today is shaping up to be a day of gloom and weeping, help turn it to a day of sunshine and laughter. Let my actions reflect that in the lives of others, especially those who need it the most. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

GOOD JEWS

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Sunday: Esther 4, 5, 6What are the qualities in Mordecai and Esther that made them useful to the purposes of God?
Mordecai and Esther were Jews. They were good Jews. Not a racial thing, but a spiritual thing; they were people of faith. They prayed and believed in fasting and they turned to God in hopes that God would be with them and help them. They believed in confession and repentance. They also believed in getting people together to pray with them and that is exactly what they did when they faced their elimination. The second in command in this kingdom hated all Jews, but especially Mordecai. Haman is this man and he had offered to pay with his own money to have all the Jews eliminated. A mass worship/prayer service was held and there together they lifted up their voices together towards God for their great need.
They also knew they could use their talent and ability, and in this case, yes, beauty, for the good of all the Jews. Mordecai knew that if Esther could go and plead with the king the Jews might be spared.
It's a great story, but you have to keep reading....
PRAYER: Lord, help me to be more of a person of faith in all things. Help me to pray during the good as well as the bad. Let me trust You and glorify You. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

IS GOD MENTIONED IN YOUR LIFE?

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Saturday: Esther 1, 2, 3As Ahasuerus, Vashti, Esther, Mordecai, and Haman are introduced, one senses a mystery unfolding. What do you make of the fact that God isn’t mentioned?
Sometimes the most powerful pronouncement of the presence of God is not His mention, but his action in us. If you think about it, you can preach powerful sermons about God without even opening your mouth. I read just yesterday in the local paper about the founder of TOMS Shoes. Its founder was a third-place finisher in CBS' Amazing Race. He regretted having to rush through countries trying to win the million dollar prize, so after his turn on tv, he spent his own money to visit those countries he had rushed through. He fell in love with Argentina and noticed that the soccer teams used a simple, but comfortable canvas shoe. He also noticed that the majority of children didn't have shoes. So, he learned how to make the shoe, established a contract with shoe manufacturers down there and vowed that for every paif of shoes he sold, he would give one away. He arrived in Los Angeles with about 800 pairs of this new shoe and made a deal with a trendy store to sell them. A fashion writer with the LA Times bought a pair, wrote about it and many shoes were sold. Soon, he was back in Argentina with 5,000 pairs of shoes to give away. Now he does the same, working nine months of the year making and selling shoes, then he takes three months to give shoes away. This year he is taking a trip to South Africa to give away 40,000 shoes. God isn't mentioned once in this story nor do you expect it to be. The fact that he loves and cares for people enough is a strong message of God's presence in his life.
Does God get mentioned in your daily life? Not by name, but by deed? In the book of Esther, God is not once mentioned by name, but you know He's there. Keep reading. And oh yes, keep preaching!
PRAYER: God, be made real today in my life in the way I live. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/life/stories/style/08/02/0802coffee.html?COXnetJSessionIDbuild44=V3tfG0phS3GQR6d699PTDh25QnHxMqtQDzy41vCnTGrd6n22Tgdg!-1145148353&UrAuth=`NYNUOcNXUbTTUWUXUVUZT[UcUWUcUaUZU]UcUcTYWYWZV&urcm=y

EZRA'S MEDDLING AGAIN

Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: Nehemiah 9, 10On what basis did Ezra make his appeal to the people for repentance?
Ezra simply had to remind the people of all that God had done for them. The message was simple: We've messed up, we don't deserve God, yet God still loves us and has not abandoned us, why are we carrying on the way we are? We should be getting right with God!
Interestingly enough, that is my story and your story as well. God has done so much for us, and what have we done? Doubted, feared, wandered off, believed other things, done other things, haven't done the things we should; and it can be summed up the same way: We've messed up, we don't deserve God, yet God still loves us and has not abandoned us, why are we carrying on the way we are? We should be getting right with God.
Take a moment to think on your immediate spiritual past. What path have you followed? Is it a path of faithfulness and righteousness or has it been one of something opposite? If you're honest you know it's closer to the latter than the former. God calls us home. A home of love and protection, of grace and blessings, if we would just turn to Him. What's holding you back?
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for not giving up on me. Let me find my way home to You right now. Let my life witness to the peace and joy you have ready for me and others. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

Good day dear friends.
I just got back from our monthly United Methodist Men's breakfast. Always great fellowship and a great meal! Pastor Ryan, our new associate shared his faith story with us. Next month we'll have the new Texas State Football coach with us to share his story. And in October, Ross Compton will be our speaker as he shares his trip to Puebla with our medical mission trip. Please make plans to attend, it's the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 a.m. Every man is invited!
Here is our study guide for today:
Wednesday: Nehemiah 7, 8Nehemiah 8:1-12 has so many insights on spirituality and on human psychology. What matters stand out for you?
When people are all ears, they tend to hear and receive what is being shared with them. In matters of spirituality, this passage of Neh. 8:1-12, the people were all ears to hearing the Word of God. As Ezra read from The Revelation of Moses, they began to feel their hearts stirred and they uttered their approval of what was being read, and they began to weep as their spirits were touched by the moving of God's Spirit among them. They wondered what they should do as a result of this movement of God's Spirit among them and they were told to celebrate! In other words, as you feel God moving among you and you're touched by it, what should you do? You celebrate! I believe this is why Sunday lunch is so important even to this day. If you've gone to worship, and you've been "all ears" and you've felt God speaking to you and moving among you, you should celebrate! You should do something special and make the presence of God continue among you.
If you're like me you remember or still celebrate, those Sunday lunches. In my childhood home it was a standard, it was a given, that every Sunday Mom would make fried chicken. And I remember where at a youth gathering we sang a new stanza to "I've got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart" where the stanza said, "I've got that chicken-eatin' Methodism down in my heart" and I thought, hmm, so that's why!?But it went beyond food, it was a great time to be together and enjoy each other and discuss what had been preached (or why we had misbehaved) during church. Nellie has continued the tradition in our own way, and our girls would say that Sundays to them were a roast of some kind with mashed potatoes. Again, it's not the food, it's the company and the celebration that comes with being together and being with God.
Sharing with those who don't have, as Nehemiah said to the people there should also say a word to us. True celebration is that which goes beyond who we are, what we look like, dress like, or talk like; it's a "we're all in this together." I remember the Rockets' first NBA championship. We happened to be in Houston that weekend when the players of Choke City became the heroes of Clutch City. During that last final game, coverage of the game switched to that infamous O.J. getaway in the white Bronco. We screamed bloody murder at the household, but soon enough the game was back on and the Rockets won the first of two championships. We were there for victory parade and the feeling among all who lined the city streets said, "we're all in this together!" Can't the same be said when we've been in God's presence? Can it not be carried over into that realm which matters most?
PRAYER: Loving God, we're all in this together with You. Help our hearing and receiving today and all days, especially on Your day, Sunday, be a call to celebrate with all, that we belong to You and to each other. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.