Family Insurance: for Sam and Summer and their husbands (and any seeking family)

Little Things Are Big Things to God

  

Troubles piled on troubles, Aggravations on top. What’s going on here?  I didn’t sign up for all this. Much more and I just might lose my cool. I’m not perfect but I try to live right.

Okay, when all else fails, look up. I’ve learned that much. Listen instead of complaining. Okay, Lord. What did I do wrong now? No? It’s an answer to my prayer? Really???  I asked for ---- patience?  Oh yeah. Not how I expected the way you would teach me, but very effective.  . I remember now; I signed up for the course Following Jesus 101

My biggest problem may have been overlooking how small a problem impatience could cost me and others so much heartburn. Turning pages  in my Bible, my fingers stopped in Exodus telling about how drastic Your corrections can be when we lack faith and patience instead of remembering all the past miracles you brought into our lives—40 years wandering the desert, never able to enter Canaan, their promised land of milk and honey, just for their complaints and disobedience, tiny little things like building an idol to worship rather than the Almighty One who had shown them great mercy and promised great things for their nation. 

They could have learned this lesson painlessly if they had looked back –or ahead—at all the trouble brought into the world when Abraham tried to “help God” fulfill His promise of a son, a very important son, by improvising, bringing forth a son who has afflicted the world in every generation since and will continue to do so until this world ends in a war between his two sons. Abraham had failed to realize God’s promise included his wife, who much later gave him the son promised by God, who will eventually bring forth God’s son, the Savior of us all. 

How could there be a better example of the snowballing effects of rushing God instead of waiting prayerfully for His perfect timing, intruding in our impatience as we wait for His answers? 

A farmer shows us how to wait patiently for God’s timing: He plants a seed. Cares for it, waters the sprouting tree, removing any wild plants risking its growth and waits for the day he sees a tiny bud, then a small green fruit and finally a luscious juicy peach. He didn’t rush out and bite the small bitter immature fruit; he waited, exercised patience, endurance and faith until God provided fulfillment of perfect maturity of His plan and promise. His ways are not our ways. Wait upon the Lord.

God doesn’t need our help, just our cooperation and faith.

 

  

  

How to Catch a Monkey

An old tale based in Africa is a lesson in practical wisdom. Place peanuts into a hollowed-out gourd and leave it in a tree and watch. Soon a monkey will come by and smell the nuts and reach into the gourd. His fist closed around the nuts is bigger than the hole in the gourd. He has the choice to open his fist and drop the nuts onside or stay trapped, holding tight to the nuts he can’t remove. 

Dr. Jeffress, FBC, used this tale to demonstrate the choices of response when someone offends us. Reply angrily or return an offense to our offender (which puts you at the same moral level as him into an unforgiven sinner) or to remember His grace given to you and others who have done or said good things (which you may not have fully earned) and walk away remembering God said “Vengeance is Mine” and thank Him instead for all the times He Has forgiven your trespasses.

Exchanging insults or resentments will take you farther from your walk with your God, raises a barrier making it difficult for you to come freely to your Lord.  Bitterness is louder in your heart than the urge to talk to your Father. Your heart is engaged fully with the hurt you received; you have become a bondservant—a slave—to your offender. Your behavior is in his control.

 Or you can open your fist, release the hurt for God to handle and maintain that sweet fellowship with our Lord. Perhaps your offender was a fellow Christian having a bad day, causing his anger and your treatment may remind him to take his anger to the Lord to handle,  and renew his strength and relationship. Perhaps your offender does not know or to follow God’s teaching; he may continue inflicting his misery on you and/or others, but he will not go unchallenged; judgment will follow in God’s timing, the promise of heaping coals of fire upon his head

A New Testament example tells of a slave who owed his master more than he could never live long enough to repay and begged for more time and it was granted, though the king knew he would never be able to repay. Yet the slave went out to another who owed him a tiny bit of money and threatened him with prison unless he paid. When the king heard, he pointed out that the ungrateful wretch, who had been forgiven so much, had failed to forgive another so little, and condemned the ungrateful slave to prison.

Refusal to engage your enemy refrains from disturbing your status as a Child of our King and gives the offender a grace-filled span of time to change before his judgment day arrives. Will you choose to behave as a child of the King or as a monkey?

 

               If you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. but if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
–Matthew 6:14-15


            And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

The Precious Gift

 After I opened all the gifts from my friends—funny, sweet, or practical things now sating amidst discarded wrappings and clutter—I saw one more package. Stunningly beautiful Why hadn’t I noticed  it before? No tag, no clue of the sender’s name. I put it aside until my guests had gone and I could examine it more thoroughly. 

Who loved me enough to send such a beautiful package-- too lovely to cast aside such colorful, artfully decorated wrappings? I decided to leave it front and center of my coffee table to enjoy longer and admired it every day for a while.  Admiration morphed into a routine glance now and then and an occasional flick of my feather duster. When someone remarked on its beauty, asking why it remained unopened, I still insisted it was bound to be more beautiful than whatever was inside and I wanted to enjoy its mystery a little longer. 

One day, when I came home from a disappointing visit with my doctor, I lay on my couch, wondering what would become of me, My gaze fell on the gift and I picked it up. Wiping away a film of dust, I found my hands ripping away that once vividly beautiful package—no reason to save it for later when there might not be a later. 

Inside was only one pure white scroll with a title in gold lettering:  Adoption Certificate and it bore my name.  “With all costs borne by the Provider” I read, I have been named a Child of the King of All There Is. Entitled as co-heir with the Son of the Provider to inhabit the household of the Most High Creator, Provider, Healer, Loving King. 

I thought back over the months I skimped and saved, ill and needy. Barely getting by when  all this awaited me. All I had to do was receive the gift offered to me.

 

 

                                                     

   Th 

IN CASE OF FIRE---

Open Here. This new apartment has all the bells and whistles! It’s fireproof—why include am old-fashioned relic like this ancient warning from the olden days of horse-driven fire wagons? Forget that. I turned away. Still, occasionally I found myself glancing over at the box on the wall that seemed to draw my attention at nighttime, when worries seemed to invade my thoughts—rumors of a layoff looming at work and this apartment lease just signed. Pacing the floor, I eyed the box on the wall designed to provide safety. A good night’s sleep will do me more good--but do I smell a whiff of smoke? Probably someone cooking a late supper has left a pot on the stove—the apartment manager will check it out.

Definitely smoke, stronger now, closer perhaps. Maybe I’d better do something. Call the manager/ No answer! In case of fire. But there’s no fire, just smoke--but more than earlier. Why isn’t someone t taking care of this? Doesn't anyone see the danger? Ow! My door feels hot! My eyes seek the ancient box on the wall—would it even still work? I reach for the box. Maybe------

You have such an emergency box tucked away somewhere, in case your troubles get bigger than you can handle, called The Holy Bible. But why ignore a whiff of smoke until your coat tail is on fire before opening the book? Why not read some of the fire prevention teachings inside and avoid the death traps all around you? Didn’t you buy fire insurance to protect your physical dwelling? Isn’t your own life worth much more?

Rights and Wrongs

                             

Each of us has certain rights; common ethics warn us those rights end at point of contact with someone else’s nose. And that settles our limits to our satisfaction, in most disputes. And we guard those rights religiously. For some of us that’s our closest connection to religion, possibly our only contact, but who really needs that anyway?

Really? Just try to explain to someone that there are truths about this world and the next that, regardless of their opinion, they just don’t have all the facts. Their freedom has an expiration date and certain limits as well.  For instance, Mr. “Don’t Tell-Me-What-To-Do on the freeway,      speeding to a party on Saturday evening suddenly sees a highway worker waving a red flag. Mr. "Don’t" yells out his window: ”Get outa my way; I’m late.” The worker shakes his head, won’t budge. Mr. Don’t yells again “You don’t have the right to stop me. I have a right to go wherever I please:”

                                                    Hit the pause button.

Who is right? Mr. Don’t thinks that he is, He's entitled to his opinion, but he’s missing vital facts about his immediate future. The worker has nothing to gain—he’s simply trying to help a stranger and his boss handed him a sign to wave at oncoming traffic. Anyone failing to stop is putting himself in danger--He doesn’t know his path will lead him to forfeit all his rights, all his future.

Look back at the smiling friend holding a Bible tract out to you. Take it. It won’t cost much of your valuable time, and you just might find good news therein. You still have all your rights, plus the right to accept the promise of new life as a child of the King of All.

You know a bargain when you see it, don't you?

Compass. GPS, Logic?

 

There will be days when you don’t know which way to go—the sun is hidden and everything around you is in shades of gray. What do you do?

Panic may grip your heart but you try to stay calm and figure out the best path. There are no footprints in the snowy ground beside your own. You know better than to try to follow those tracks. Think! You’ve heard moss always grows on the north side of a tree, or is it the . . . ?

You are alone and must find your way to somewhere safe: Home! That warm, cozy safe home sounds really good right now. But it feels very far away, and your heart is in your throat.

But wait! Your loving Father always leaves the porch light on to guide His wayward child home and He is waiting for you to call for His help. You feel embarrassed that once more you have wandered from the path He showed you.

What had He said last time?

Of course! Now you remember: “You were forgiven. you are forgiven, you will be forgiven. Not because you earned it—but because of My love for My children bearing My Name, each of you are covered forever, purchased at Calvary by sacrifice of Holy blood in your behalf. Forever.”

                  

                                    But let all who take refuge in You be glad,                                                                                                                      Let them ever sing for joy;                                                                                                                                                May You shelter them                                                                                                                                                       That those who love Your name may rejoice in You                                        .                                                                     For surely You, O Lord, bless the righteous,                                                                                                                                   For You surround them with the shield of your favor.

                                                                           Psalms 5:11-12

                             

 

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.. 2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin He thus condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit              Romans 8:1-4

Why Read the Old Testamemt?

 As a child I enjoyed the adventures of the mighty men of God who did wondrous things. Later I became aware of their terrible ooops! moments when they went astray--like Sampson and Delilah, King David and Bathsheba--and their pitiful crying for forgiveness/ After all they had seen God do for their people, how could they sink so low? I was embarrassed for them, from my immature understanding of my secure identity as God’s adopted child.

At this point, I felt no kinship with this obstinate, whining tribe of God’s chosen people. But as the newness of my own relationship with God wore off, I began to see a familiar thread in the world around me. Awareness of the marvelous grace and forgiveness of God in my own uneven walk toward heaven, I began to see every generation has failed just as miserably. We no longer take our newborn child in unholy worship, a sacrifice to a murderous god; now we take the babe to a doctor who kills him in a sterile room, an inconvenience, devoid of love.

Could this be the reason we should read the Old Testament—to point us to our common pattern of forgiveness, falling away, returning. resolving to abide on faith? To realize we are incapable to change ourselves? To see how God deals with an unfaithful people? Yes, but it also confirms His assurance He is able to overcome our weakness and He has given us a glimpse of His command of history and future through hundreds of prophecies, which were 100% correct, and the future records one last prophecy: His return, beginning with the Rapture of His saints, when He calls those who are still alive to join Him in Heaven.

But He (Jesus) answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”  Matthew 4:4

 

Feed My Sheep

Jesus said, "Feed My sheep". He did NOT say, "Hang out with other sheep wearing bright white coats and look away from those sheep with muddy coats, who looked like they had been somewhere they shouldn't have gone.: All members of His flock are valuable to Him, although not all are identical in knowledge or experience. What He did say was that we grow as we nourish and teach the young lambs who are just learning how to walk. 

He said a rope of three strands woven together is superior in strength; as unity strengthens a family or group. Unity does not mean identical; indeed each strand may have some unique difference in his experience, knowledge. Some may be stronger, some more flexible, some more durable, yet each unique attribute strengthens the group.

We have more than enough enemies in this world around us. Indeed, they now show a new strength in their unity to destroy us. The tale of a wolf in sheep's clothing tells me to expect to find one sitting in a pew nearby, sowing the serpent's seed, right next to a lamb. This babe in Christ, watches the behavior of older sheep, more experienced in hearing the Shepherd's firm, quiet voice, more confident in their walk following their Master. The innocent babe desires and needs this training, and only God knows, but the wolf could possibly hear God's Truth and some leopards do change their spots. 

Discerning needy lambs from goats (or hungry wolves) is not for me, but for my Shepherd. If we can't approach others freely,  with love, we don't need a wolf to sow discord. Sharing our walk, encouraging one another, rescuing lost sheep is our job. Feeding His sheep blesses us as well.

Far too long, I was reluctant to speak out and expose my pitiful knowledge of the Scripture, believing I had nothing to offer. Years of growing, during everything He carried me through, enable me, encourage me, to boldly share from my experience. I know I have far to go to reach my goal, but looking back, I can see growth and changes I would never have believed possible. This river is moving!  No more a stagnant pool hoarding gifts from God's bounty as if He could run short.

Evangelism Explosion, a training program which enables a layman learn to effectively share his faith gave me freedom from failure. If the listener refuses what I offer, he isn't refusing me, but Christ.  

There will always be many who know the Bible far better than I do. but in this world, there will always be younger saints with many questions, lost sheep without a shepherd, who do not yet know they are lost.  As I benefitted in hearing how others navigated their way through some of my same problems,, I gained confidence in sharing my own experiences to encourage others who cross my path.

A stream, or stagnant pool? As we share, God replenishes us daily and blesses both the speaker and listener. God will provide a listener for every speaker who needs to share:  a speaker for every searcher.

We need each other now, perhaps more than any generation before. A basic truth: We must hang together or we are doomed to be hanged alone.  We each were created, purposely assigned for this day in history, assigned to walk this road surrounded by deep muddy ditches. Praise  Jesus for keeping us on the right road and holding our hands as we reach a particularly rough patch of rocky road.

evangelism Explosion 

The Loneliness Of Separation

"This hurts me more than it does you."  Have you said those words to a child you love? Do you remember hearing them from your own parent? It's a painful memory, either way.

I remember hearing them from my mother at about 4 or 5 years of age, with dread in my heart. The worst was not a couple of half-hearted swipes received. It was that cold feeling of separation, perhaps the warm feeling of being loved was lost forever.  I remember the terrible desolation as she walked away. Sobbing, I would follow her, crying, assuring her I loved her, holding my breath until she picked me up and hugged me and said she loved me. Only then would my world be okay.

I was just beginning to understand my freedom to entertain myself had limits/ When I did something I knew was wrong, there would be a reminder. I thank God for her teaching me the way this world works. Even as an adult, there would always be penalties or rewards, sooner or later. I needed to learn to avoid those tempting things displeasing to her, and later, to God. 

The difference is that as adults, after we ignore His warnings of dangerous places or behaviors, God often waits patiently while we dig ourselves such a deep hole we can't get out without His help.  And when all else fails, we repent, promising we have learned that lesson.  He will forgive us, knowing we mean well but also knowing that more enticing temptations wait ahead, when next we stumble into another of Satan's traps. Like any teacher, He will allow tests occasionally to help us to see how well we do at avoiding that loss of companionship with our Heavenly Father.

Remember the parental warning you never believed as a child?  "This hurts me more than it does you"  

Remember the coldness of your separation from your Father until your close relationship is resolved?

Remember the cross where He suffered the penalty you earned?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.                                                                                         Romans 3:23

HUMAN NATURE

I've lived a long time and have a few memories almost from the beginning of my time. I have realized that many people perhaps remember nothing of their early years and my flashes and glimpses of the tiny me must surely have some permanent value and perhaps I finally have discerned their purpose.

flash!   I was standing at the window, stretching to see outside, yearning to see the passing fire truck screaming past our house on its way to some unknown, exciting destination and I wanted to go too. Anger at being confined inside, perhaps also, as Mother explained a few years later, after I questioned her--possibly due to resentment or self-pity at being denied further bottle feedings, hungry but defiantly refusing to drink milk from a hateful cup.

flash!   I was crying over my skinned nose, after falling yet again as I sneaked next door to try again  to climb up into our neighbor's big porch swing. When Mrs. Cook or Mama found me screaming and rescued me, she reminded me I had been told to wait for grown-up help to lift ne up  so it wouldn't topple over backward, dropping me face-first  into a nose dive. But I thought surely this time----

flash!   I was in the front yard alone, with a new goal. Half a block away on Vickery Boulevard there was a street car! Mama and I must have ridden it before--I don't remember, but I knew it would be exciting.  Toddling to the sidewalk in my high top black patent leather Roman sandals buckled up to my ankles, I faced a formidable foe: the giant red ant nest straddled the sidewalk I must get past that on my way to adventure.  Quandary: Whether to run very fast on my wobbly legs before the little warriors  swarmed up my legs  or to tiptoe quietly, slowly past so they wouldn't be angry and sting me. I opted for the stealth approach and became frozen in fear and pain as they began to attack, which alerted Mama to run to the rescue, again. If not for those pesky pests, I surely would have gotten to the bigger street where the street car waited--or the heavy traffic there. Foiled again, but maybe next time-----

Common factor of these memories? I knew I was doing something wrong because my mother had told me not to do those things. Even if I didn't know why it was wrong, I knew by age two not to do them. Just in case you doubted what the Bible said about our inherited sin nature and still believe the fashionable fable about natural man reaching for the stars, always moving upward toward perfection--which they somehow expect to happen despite the  daily headlines to the contrary. Come on now! With all the unstoppable evil around us in this world?  Really?

Our Father often needs to get our attention quickly lest we fall into some danger or destructive behavior. He promises we will understand later (or much later) and will be grateful for His restraining hand. And since we've been adopted, redeemed, into His Holy Family and have become Children of the King of All There Is, how can we disregard His guidance?

            For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall be like Him, as He is.     1 John 3:23

Master Mind

 Whatever you do, don't think of a purple  hippopotamus. Nope, not likely. He's right there in living color, big as life.      

You have just learned a Priority One lesson, the gateway to understanding a Law of the Universe. which can change your life forever. and that's the truth.

No  two  different objects can ever occupy the same space at the same time.

"Well, duh!" you say, " "That's obvious to a first grader, so what?"  But-----wait!  There's more.

You know, we Jesus Followers desire, or should desire above all else,  to follow Him closely. After all, isn't that why we bear His name? Jesus Followers. But often, with the best intentions, whenever we discover an area of our lives that doesn't measure up, we tend to feel frustrated at how stubbornly it clings to us. So what do we do?  We keep a close eye on it, hoping to avoid stumbling over it again. Or NOT?

 

That brings us to another Axiom of Life that can increase our success rate, that most of us are slower to learn.

Perspective: Items seen in the rear view window may be closer than they appear. Thoughts concentrated on appear closer, bigger, more important than those held at a distance.

    Remember, you are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.

 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.        Colossians 3-:9-10

 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

 

 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 

have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

 

 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

 SEt your minds in thibngs VOCWM NOR ON EARTHLY THINGS, cOLOSSIANS 3:2

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is lovely,                               whatsoever is  admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think on such things.                                      Philippians 4:8

 3

 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

2

I  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

 

5

Settinally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

 4

 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2

  

Keeping Score

When you were a kid, you learned on the playground that life is not fair—big kids picked on little kids because they could. They didn’t need a reason. I guess it made them feel better, recalling how it was when they were little and got picked on and now figured it was their turn to be the boss. If you were like me, you probably gritted your teeth and promised to get even with them someday, somehow.

But then, also like me, your mom probably took you to Sunday school and bought you a Bible of your own and encouraged you to read it. Passages like “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord” and “Judgment day will come for evil-doers” found their way into my heart and soothed my ruffled feelings, and I waited eagerly for my tormentors “to reap what they sowed”.

As I grew older, I occasionally ran into other adults who I figured had been that kind of bad kids, who still thought they were more important, more fun, members of the “in-crowd” who seemed to consider me and my friend out of step, a source of entertainment at our expense. They huddled in a private group, whispering and laughing if we ordinary folk passed by. A puzzling situation best ignored; other people in the workplace- (and the church) considered us normal—We may have been a few years older, not wearing the newest styles, but still?

Embarrassed and hurt, I asked God why He permitted us to be so abused and when was He going to handle this hateful treatment.

Now, I’m sure you have learned as I did, that God doesn’t feel obliged to let us enjoy His “handling the problem”, but bless His Holy Name, this time He pulled back His curtain for me to see. One of these young women fell in the office and broke her hip, had surgery and their group seemed to lose their focus. Months later, she returned to work, leaning on her cane. No longer carefree. No longer looking young.

She sought me out to tell me of the changes in her life. Doctors had replaced her hip but told her it was good for 10-15 years before needing another replacement surgery, and due to being bedfast so long, her other hip must also be replaced periodically. Now in her early 30s and no fun, her husband left to find someone else to party with. She told me she had finally understood what her mother had told her: “Sometimes God has to get us flat on our backs before we look up to Him” and her life forward was with her mother and with her God.

I was happy now. Not glad because of all she had lost, but for all she gained. And grateful that God showed me the difference in revenge and forgiveness. She found the difference in fun and peace.

Just Imagine

 History tells us that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Can you picture this? As flames approached his palace, did he feel immune from harm, with smoke circling around his head?

Imagine with me a sunlit community where one lovely house, bigger than the rest, crowned the neighborhood in its brilliant white splendor, envied by many,  and perfect in every way--except for a wisp of smoke rising into the summer sky from its chimney.

Alarmed, a neighbor called the fire department and soon they arrived in their big red truck, axes in hand, and knocked on the door. The cloud of smoke was now bigger and much darker, but the lady who opened her door seemed unaware and questioned the firemen, refusing to let him in to check. "With those boots. on my lovely carpet? You are NOT going to swarm all over my clean house, breaking things with that huge axe!  Goo away! Leave me alone."

They tried to reason with her, but she refused to listen, so they sadly left her to her delusion and retreated to the street to wait, in case the fire spread beyond her house and endangered others.

Now, imagine two people from a local church, Bible in hand, knocking on your door. You weigh your options: let them in and listen to them tell you all the things you must change in your life in the hope of some reward later? Or send them away--you're happy and enjoying your life, doing as you please?    

Still, isn't it possible they know something you don't know? Isn't it worth checking out--just in case?

Behold I stand and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

         I will come in  to him and will dine with him , and he with me.

                                                                              Revelations 3:20

Digging for Gold

 Wisdom can come from various places, sometimes surprising places. Take gold miners for example. There are a few TV shows featuring their frenzied efforts to get rich quick. One thing they learn quickly is that it doesn’t promise riches quickly (or ever); it requires a hunger, hard work, team work, perseverance, and the ability to learn from experience. 

He learns to “read” the ground, to negotiate with owners for permission to mine, bring in his faithful crew and work hard to find the treasure he seeks. Now, I can look at a green hillside beside a river and see a lovely place created by God—he visualizes a future based on successfully probing the earth for the riches below. 

I have evaluated the Bible and believe there are riches beyond measure deep inside, which I can own if I am willing to search. (Actually, my name is in the Title Book, so they belong to me whether I ever find them and hold them); Since age and infirmity limit my reach, I have enlisted a team of ministers like Dr. Jeremiah, Dr. Jeffress, and others  I meet with weekly or daily via television to direct my search for gold nuggets inside, which cannot be consumed by fire, blown away by the wind, or stolen. 

Many people live their lives, never considering any attempt to mine for gold—they believe the gold story is a fable, the work is too hard, don’t know how, don’t want to learn. There are those who believe they can succeed quickly, but fail and walk away disappointed, a few who find a few grains or a gold nugget and walk away, satisfied. 

But a hunger consumes a true treasure hunter, keeping him searching for more, knowing in his heart he will find the mother load--Father load?) of shining promises from his Creator and Savior, who loves and rewards his faithfulness.  

 

 

Rose-colored Glasses: F A I T H

 

Sometimes I wonder if what we’re teaching our children isn’t upside down. What I remember of the superhuman accomplishments I read about in my Bible formed in my eyes a picture of super men unlike us, men who seemed to know God and follow His path in perfect knowledge of our Lord, secure in their success, infallible—expecting  a perfect outcome in all they did. Children fear the unfamiliar; why aren't we teaching them how to deal with fear?

Growing up with that picture relieved me of any responsibility that God would ever expect anything even vaguely similar from me. There were “comic book-like heroes” who walked with God, who seemed so sure of what God wanted them to do and had the capability to do exactly that, and there was me: paralyzed by fear, surrounded by giants in my life. I never dreamed My Lord expected me to face His enemy as did those “perfect” heroes! Even more impossible to consider: His faith in ME was greater than my faith in HIM!

And I began to see those following verses telling how they lived AFTER their heroic deed and wondered how they could lose that sureness of step, how they could become fearful, doubting God’s continual presence and protection, after their eyes had seen real miracles God used them to perform? How could they be heroic one day and unfaithful or fearful the next?  

Talking about falling on your face--look at King David who killed a giant, then killed a friend to steal his wife and ended up running for his life from his own son who wanted his crown! Was it possible after all, that these heroes were unsure of success, doubtful or fearful of the outcome or that when they stood tall, that I had failed to see their faith had propelled them forward in spite of the paralyzing fear they brought with them to the battleground?

 Before Moses died, God told Joshua, Moses' 2nd in charge, that He chose Joshua, because of his faithfulness, to lead His people, as Moses had done. I'm sure Joshua felt shock and  awe and unprepared to replace the mighty Moses, who had met God face to -- shadow at least--on the mountain and returned with God's law for His people. But Joshua was assured God would lead him, just as he had led Moses, the miracle Hebrew boy, to battle against the Pharaoh who held God's chosen ones captive. 

Perhaps we shouldn’t keep our daily struggles completely to ourselves. Perhaps knowing that we have had a problem and dealt with it through the wisdom of God can encourage a friend struggling secretly, drowning in debt or doubt, to look to God for strength and wisdom, which He joyfully will provide.

 God doesn’t change. He’s not with us one day, someone else another day and then lose His train of thought, to wander away! NO, it’s me who looks away—at the looming giant facing me today, forgetting yesterday's crisis won, forgetting in the heat of today's battle, that my Father can beat   any giant,   any day,   every day!

It's Not REALLY What You Know--

 It's WHO you know, WHO you trust.  Here's WHY.

I heard of an older preacher who asked his young friend, "Which is better, 200 inches of faith and 2 inches of ice under your feet when you cross a lake? or 2 inches of faith and 200 inches of ice? Is the size of your faith more important than the trustworthiness of the object of your trust?" Not a trick question,

His answer: "The object of your faith has to be trustworthy--if it's not, no amount of faith can save you from falling through the thin, fragile ice."

In this 21st century, there's an app for almost everything, limited only by someone's imagination and all these new gadgets cost big money (my phone even has an app to program my hearing aids, but that's another story). You've been hearing about a map app and it's worth a try--getting lost is a pain and gas is big money too! Try it out on a little road trip!  Sweet, soothing voice--nice!

Then "exit freeway turn right onto small local road" and you look suspiciously at the rough two-lane road leading into the woods and hesitate--you're making good time on the freeway, why follow that sketchy little road? You speed right past the turn until suddenly flashing lights ahead call your attention to a big sign ahead "BRIDGE OUT".  Ohhhh! That's why the detour! How did the voice from your phone know? Because it constantly "reads" highway info on road conditions and highway traffic volume--information you didn't have until you've hit the problem spot. Follow last year's map or today's up-to-date warning?

You can ignore expert advice, tune out the little voice of your map app--but sooner or later you will certainly regret it. Another very important fact: until you listen and take the new revised route as told, you may receive no more info. Wisely, the app gives you instructions one step at a time--you could never memorize the whole route. You need to respond to each instruction before you will hear another step.

You probably have a Bible. Probably a dusty one. Remember, the Author has information you don't have. If you're choosing your own path instead of following your Creator's Manufacturer's Guide  on how to negotiate twists and turns along your dangerous road to Heaven, you have forfeited your right to complain about your problems you chose to handle for yourself! 

If you take a detour, you're stuck--until you return to the spot where you left God's path for you, before He will give you further instructions. His instructions are not "multiple choice" You don't get to pick your preference! He will sit quietly, waiting for your response before He speaks again. You don't get to ask "WHY" (Well, actually,  you can complain but He's patient and will outwait you)

We accept the map app's infallibility, why do we insist God should open his map for our success for the next five years before we take that next step forward? ---and we all do it!  The book of Proverbs lists many suggested steps which can lead to the outcome He planned for each of us. God asked King Solomon, said to be the richest man ever, what one gift he desired from God, and he asked for wisdom, above all else--he shared the wealth of his wisdom from God with the world in this book.

His ways are not our ways. In Matthew 7, we learn that difference clearly:

        24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”      Matthew 7:24-27

           

How Do You Build a House

Just like you build your life. Basically, you consult an expert builder and acquire information, options and perhaps tools to design how you want to live, to be sure not to make mistakes. But first you need to make a list of features you want to include, decide where you are willing to compromise to reach your goal faster and get the most from your efforts. 

There are some places you cannot compromise—on safety issues, some that require expertise and exact dimensions or your house will never be a safe haven. The measurements throughout must be precise to fit together and survive the storms you know it must face. Everybody on the project must use the same ruler to measure bits that must fit together! It will not survive if everyone brings his own favorite measuring tool, personally acquired from his own tool belt. 

For our build to stand against fire and flood, there are certain decisions that cannot be based on whim or personal preferences. There truly are absolute rules, or truths, which cannot be ignored or avoided, where “my truth” or “your truth cannot stand. 

Jesus explained the difference in a house built on sand instead of a rock: It simply cannot survive, and any builder learns this or he won’t be around very long.  Yet even after several failed tries, many of us insist on relying on our imperfect preferences. We keep doing the same things again and expect different results rather than going to the Master Designer,    who built this universe from stars to starfish to us (on His very first try), out of nothingness  in the excellence of  Hs technical/moral standards. 

He has the blueprint to your life; you have only your mirror to go by—you don’t have all the facts. Where is your best chance of building a successful life? Not happy with His decisions? Tough! His Universe, His rules! 

You probably have a narrow-minded friend who keeps telling you there’s only one road headed where you want to end up. And you think he’s just bragging that he/s got something you can't hope for—and you’re offended! But if he knocked on your door tonight to yell “YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE. WAKE UP! Are you offended? No, unless he had set the fire (and of course he did not) You’d listen and then call out to your sleeping family. 

If your doctor gave you a terrible diagnosis, even though you are shocked and dismayed, you wouldn’t blame him.. On that day, he’s your best friend. He doesn’t carry bacteria or viruses in his black bag, but he recognizes them on sight.. 

Next time someone loves you enough to warn you that you’re on the wrong road and the bridge just ahead is out, he is your best friend; he is giving you the option (your free choice) to be rescued from your faulty view of life. You have the same choice to make as he did—and that offer expires on the day you die.

 Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.                                                                        '"just as life begins from union between a man and woman,, so spiritual life comes only through Jesus.                                 Romans 3:24 For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God                                                                                             Isaiah 53:6     We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all..    

Matthew 7:13-14  Enter through the narrow gate. for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and                 there are  many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few               who find it.                                                                                                                                                                                           John 14:6 Jesus answered,  "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  

Romans 2:12 Those people who don't know about God's Law will be punished for what they do wrong. And the Law will be used to judge everyone who knows what it says.  Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Even nature points to a loving Creator.     Psalm 19   The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the firmament shows His handywork, day unto ay uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

 

Answer to the Unasked Question

 A couple of generations ago, summer evenings were often punctuated by tent revivals, springing up around town in the odd vacant lot. The faithful flocked to the spot, often bringing friends or neighbors who they believed needed to hear the dire warnings of a horrific future the Bible predicts for all the unchurched unbelievers. Looking back, it seemed that sinners recognized two main categories of folks: Christians and sinners. Sinners didn’t expect the other tribe to accept their behavior as acceptable; they acknowledged their sin whether or not they ever repented and changed their lives and fate.

Some of Jesus’s followers today seem reluctant to bring up the subject, whether from fear of offending, wanting to “blend in” with today’s prevalent (missing) moral code, or from lack of knowledge, inability to share their faith. No wonder we’re accused of arrogance, ignorance, intolerance, superiority complex for insisting on absolute truth and deploring the current widespread depravity and degradation of principles. We stay too busy defending ourselves from charges of prejudice and hatred to exercise our wits and do what we were left in this world to do. 

The Bible tells us we are citizens of God’s heaven, ambassadors to a needy world, which resents our efforts to share our future kingdom. We are told to be ready, when asked, to answer and explain our faith. But seldom does anyone ask! Expecting the world to look at our imperfect, though devout, lives and become curious as to the source of our strength seems fruitless—they can always catch one of us doing something that allows them to call us hypocrites. Or they assume, if they even notice a holy blameless life, that person is very strong or very lucky in life and not subject to the problems most people encounter.  

 A preacher once described our responsibility as followers of Jesus thus: He and his wife were driving home one night and noticed smoke rising from a house and immediately stopped and ran to knock on the door to wake someone inside. A disgruntled, tousle-haired man yanked the door open, was amazed to hear of his danger and grateful his sleep had been disturbed. We are God’s volunteer fire department, trying to awaken those asleep in their sins.

This story spoke to me because my family had a similar situation, but in our case, where there was smoke, there was not fire.  We moved into our house one bitterly cold New Year’s Eve, and fell into bed, exhausted, about 11:45 p.m. About ten minutes later there was a knock on the door and we found a woman on our porch; she was driving by and saw smoke billowing high above our house. Thinking quickly my mate asked her to call the fire department because our phone wasn’t connected yet. She declined; she lived too far away. He then sent her next door to use their phone, while I bundled up two toddlers and got them out on the porch.

 By this time, to the background of firecrackers ushering the new year in, our front yard was suddenly filled with several tuxedoed strangers from next door’s party, carrying a garden hose. And then the firemen came. Instead of fire, they found the plumber had left our water heater on the highest setting; the safety valve had popped off, sending clouds of steam rising in the night sky. Relieved, but still alert for other unknown risks we faced a new year in a strange house, on guard to keep safe.      

We’re not promised easy work, just that our Lord is with us through it all and He provides on-the-job training. Dr. Jeffress, FBC Dallas, listed a few facts to remember when called to defend our faith, lest we be unprepared for being accused an exclusive group, intolerant of other philosophies:       

1. Nature of truth is absolute, not relative (different strokes for different folks is Satan’s deceit) 1 Corinthians 3:9

2. The Bible. Satan attacks God’s Word in Eden and it’s still his main weapon. John 8:41. John 9:32 

3. Deity of Christ denies universalism, pluralism, exclusivist- regardless of faith.    Matthew 7:14 John 4:6  

4. Necessity of atonement   Luke 22:41   Matthew 14:43    Matthew 7:13-14  

5. Evangelistic missions our work–1 Corinthians 3:9, Matthew 28:19

Life and death of Jesus a fact, based on His being seen for 40 days after resurrection by at least 500 witnesses who testified this fact to others. Jesus said He and the Father are one. He said He was there when the world began, He affirmed He is the way, the truth and life, the narrow road. If not Deity, he would have been a liar or insane. His birth, life and death were predicted many times beginning 700 years before. 

When Adam and Eve sinned and tried unsuccessfully to over their shame by covering themselves with leaves, God sacrificed an animal to cover them.  When He tested Abraham’s faith telling him to sacrifice his son, who was previously promised the first of a nation, God provided an animal for sacrifice. In the nation Israel, priests offered sacrifices for the family and nation, for atonement and Jesus as sacrifice for atonement of the world, available to any who ask.

 

Busy Signal

            Most of us are used to being busy, right? A fact of life is that many things are                                 engineered, it seems, specifically to interrupt our train of thought or slow down our                       response to someone else’s emergency in a long line of matters already on our To-Do list.             Right? 

To maximize our effort output, often we must juggle several things at once and always have a couple of crises simmering on the back burner, needing to be addressed before they erupt into open flames. Sound familiar? Often in self-defense, we tend to categorize calls on our time, 

So, we mentally list these occurrences according to our own judgment of priority. The risk is that a common result is that we tend to the urgent before the important. 

Often, we feel pressured when someone else’s emergency pops up, just as we made our plan for today. I know; you want to tell them to take a number, but crisis has to jump to the top of our list, right? 

Whether returning phone calls, or balancing our checkbook, if we don’t follow our schedule, those come with an implicit threat of complications if pushed aside for the urgent. But the interruption may be both urgent and important—investigate the circumstances, evaluate, and respond, postpone, or put your own agenda on hold and answer this new situation if warranted. 

Where is prayer’s place in this dilemma? We’re prayer warriors, right? What if an interruption comes while we’re praying? We’re certainly not irreverent enough to interrupt our time with the Lord. But what if the person on the phone is desperate—and what if they are praying too--for our help? Inasmuch as God gives us discernment, we must respond as God leads us—when we’re ready to resume that interrupted prayer, He won’t hang up He’ll be waiting. 

Even if all we can do to help that caller is to encourage him, calm him and go with him to God’s throne for grace, we have invested those few minutes with our God. We must guard against worshipping our routine instead of our God. 

At the same time, we must include in our day’s most important things  a scheduled time with Him—by prayer, reading His Book, worship, feeding His flock—remember we are Jesus’s  hands in this world. 

When that phone rings, we don’t want to put God on hold.