Love Them Without Measure

Ephesians 5:25-28 " Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

There was a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and apprehensive. Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise.

The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off or did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?

She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."

Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read: "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."

Someone has said that the measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his spouse is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds.

He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction. He may say that he loves her to death. But he doesn't. He loves her to LIFE. For his love nourishes her life like nothing else can.

Mother Teresa once said, "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." And love your friends. Love them without measure.

 

I Choose

Galatians 5:22-24 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."

Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.
-I choose love. No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness, I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

-I choose joy. I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

-I choose peace. I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

-I choose patience. I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

-I choose kindness. I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

-I choose goodness. I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

-I choose faithfulness. Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My loved ones will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their parent will not come home.

-I choose gentleness. Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

-I choose self-control. I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.

To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

10 Things To Say To Bless your Children

Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

Sometimes your children need to hear these words:

-I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.

-You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like you. No one!

-It's all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. Big people cry too. I do.

-You've made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It's all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry. I forgive you.

-You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn't easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.

-I'm sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.

-You can change your mind. It's good to decide, but it is also fine to change.

-What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you come up with that? Tell me more. Your mind is clever!

-That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person. That must make you feel good inside. Thank you!

-I have a surprise for you. It's not your birthday. It's for no reason at all. Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.

A Real Friend

Proverbs 18:24 "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

-A Simple Friend has never seen you cry.
 A Real Friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

-A Simple Friend doesn't know your parent's first names.
 A Real Friend has their phone numbers in his/her address book.

-A Simple Friend brings a bottle to your party.
 A Real Friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to  help you clean-up.

-A Simple Friend hates it when you call after he/she has gone to bed.
 A Real Friend asks you why you took so long to call.

-A Simple Friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
 A Real Friend seeks to help you with your problems.

-A Simple Friend wonders about your romantic history.
 A Real Friend could blackmail you with it.

-A Simple Friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
 A Real Friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.

-A Simple Friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
 A Real Friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight.

-A Simple Friend expects you to always be there for them.
 A Real Friend expects to always be there for you!

Heaven's Fire

Acts 2:2, 3 "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them."

When I was a young man our church at Conway was always full of music. We didn’t have an organ, a band, or even a stereo. All that we had was one lady who could play the piano in two keys and my dad who could play in two different ones. Our choir wasn't trained, but when they sang I am sure that all of Heaven’s angels must have joined in. It was the songs that they sang during our Sunday services that live on in my heart today. I can still hear my dad playing lead guitar, Sister Betty on the piano, and Brother Cullipher's joyful voice leading the choir in the songs we sang. It was their music and spirit that were full of Heaven’s fire. They brightened you up, warmed you up, and lighted a fire in your own soul as well.

I could never thank my dad enough for lighting a fire inside of me to learn to play and sing the music I still enjoy today. He started a song in my heart that still goes on today. I just pray that he knows in glory how grateful I am to him for burning so bright. He was and still is my hero.

The most important thing that my dad taught me was that Heaven’s fire doesn’t just burn in the hearts of certain people. It is available to us all when we choose it. You can be full of Heaven’s fire too. You can light yourself up with love, joy, optimism, enthusiasm, energy, vitality, and oneness with God. You can brighten up the souls, warm up the hearts, and light up the lives of those around you. You can be a flame of goodness in an often dark and cold world. You can take your flickering candle and turn it into a blazing torch for everyone to see. You can share your generous fire and light a candle inside of each person you meet as well. Don’t let yourself be a smoldering ember in this life. Live well, burn bright, and let Heaven see your fire.

When Life Doesn't Make Sense-Love!

1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

"Does life ever make sense?" This was a question asked to me by a church member the other day. Like all of us this she has seen a lot of suffering, a lot of injustice, and a lot of insanity in this world.  She had seen parents having to bury their children, good people having to go through cancer, and hard working souls having to struggle to make ends meet. She had seen wars,
famines, and natural disasters. She had seen cruel and selfish people prosper while others with more caring hearts dealt with loss and tragedy.

As she asked me that question, I responded back and said the first words that came from my heart: "Only when you love." I think now that those words must have been sent to me by God, because the wisdom in them eased her mind and touched her heart. We talked peacefully a while longer and she thanked me for taking the time to share.

In truth, only love can make sense of this life. 1 Corinthians 13 shares that without it we are like sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.

-It is only when you love that you can grow better and more caring from the pains life brings you.

-It is only when you love that you can face injustice with a passion to make things better.

-It is only when you love that you can meet the insanity of the world with the sanity of your soul.

Love helps you to see the precious value of every life no matter how limited or how brief. Love helps you to face a life threatening disease with a greater joy for living. Love helps you to see that true wealth comes from the soul and not the things you own. With love in your life you realize the senselessness of war and the pricelessness of peace. With love in your heart you see every famine and natural disaster as a call to help others even more. With love in your soul you feel God’s love everywhere as well.

If you want to make sense of this life then just love. It won’t stop the questions, but it will help you live the answers. It won’t fully explain this life, but it will get you ready for the next.

Today

Psalm 25:5 "Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate!

Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger. I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart.

Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile.  I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know.

Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down.  I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

Tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens.  I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.
As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life.

The School Of Life

James 4:14 "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

When I was 18 life seemed to be a mysterious adventure that lay far beyond the security of high school. Little did I know then just how much of an adventure the next 44 years would be. My life has been full of ups and downs, joys and tragedies, triumphs and mistakes, laughter and pain, love and heartbreak. One thing is for certain, though, I definitely didn’t get what I always wanted. And for that I am eternally grateful.

You see, God in His infinite wisdom always gave me what I needed and not what I thought I wanted. If I had gotten what I had hoped for I would be a far more selfish and far less loving person today. Instead God kept me growing, learning, and becoming the person I was meant to be. Life was my school, troubles were my teachers, and the twists and turns of this world were my courses. The classes continue on as well for me, you, and everyone here.

These days I try not to think of what I want out of life but think of what I can give to life instead. I strive to be a loving father and grandfather, a caring friend, a good neighbor, and a good husband. I seek to do what I can with what I have to make Earth a little more like Heaven and to show others that they can do the same. I try to share all the things I have learned these past 44 years: that God loves us more than we could ever dream, that we can love each other as well, and that when we do so we will have joy no matter what struggles we may face or losses we may endure.

Take some time today then to think about what you can give to life. You are a beloved Child of God with unique talents, knowledge, and blessings. You can give this world so much love and do so much to help others. You can make this world and your soul a little better each day. And when you do so you will get what we all truly want out of life: sweet happiness.

A Glimpse Of Heaven

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Every now and then God clears our vision and lets us see a glimpse of Heaven while still here on Earth. My own eyes got opened for me a while back looking at some old pictures I had saved on my computer. Most of them were of my grandchildren from the time they were babies until now and some old family ones that were taken over 70 years ago that I had made copies off and saved on my hard drive. Each one of them, however, contained a precious moment frozen in time. As I looked through them too I noticed something very wonderful. It seemed that the happier the person was in the picture, the more the light shined from their eyes. I could see this pure, radiant, and loving light in picture after picture no matter how long ago it was taken. With every smiling face there were a pair of shining eyes sending their joy across the years and into my heart. It was then that I realized that God was giving me a glimpse through the window to the Heavenly soul in each person. This was who they really were. Each photo was of a Child of God, who was full of love, full of joy, and full of light. I knew too that even though those pictures would one day just be a memory that those souls would shine on forever.

I am still thank God for that little glimpse of Heaven. I am keeping it close to my heart, mind, and soul. I want to remember it not just every time I look at a picture but also every time I am tempted to judge another person. Only God knows the depths of our souls and only God can see the light within each of us.

God loves us so much. We are His Children and He put us here to help each other to grow in love, joy, light, and wonderful oneness with Him. Let’s embrace our birthright then. Let’s be the best Children of God that we can be. Let’s shine our light in our photos and in our lives. Let’s make each of our days a beautiful picture by loving, helping, and giving joy to each other.

Heaven And Hell

A man spoke with the Lord about heaven and hell. The Lord said to the man "come, I will show you hell." They entered a room where a group of hungry people sat around a huge pot of cooking stew. Everyone in the room was starving. Each person held a spoon that reached the pot but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arms that it could not be used to get the stew into their own mouths. The suffering was terrible. "Come now, I will show you heaven" the Lord said.

They entered a room identical to the first, the big pot of stew, the group of people and the same long-handled spoons. But here everyone was happy and well nourished. "I don't understand" said the man. "Why is everyone happy here and miserable in the other room? Everything is the same."

"Here, said the Lord, they have learned to SERVE each other."

Galatians 5:13-14 (NKJ) "For you brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love SERVE one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Marriage Proverbs

The institution of marriage in our nation has been downgraded, attacked, and forsaken by many. Yet the joining of one man and one woman is still sacred in the sight of God. I have conducted many ceremonies in the past 44 years and have heard so many things said in jest by a groomsman or parent. I call these the Marriage Proverbs. A marriage is still holy in the sight of God, but some of the things said in jest may just be true.

Here are a few of those Marriage Proverbs:

-Marriages are made in heaven, but so are thunder and lightning.

-If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep.

-Marriage is worth at least a grand, but divorce is even more costly.

-Married life is very frustrating. In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

-When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: Either the car is new or the wife is.

-Marriage is when a man and woman become as one; the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

-Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you said. After marriage, he will fall asleep before you finish.

-Every man wants a wife who is beautiful, understanding, economical, and is a good cook, but the law allows only one wife.

-Every woman wants a man who is handsome, understanding, economical and a considerate lover, but again, the law allows only one husband.

-Man is incomplete until he marries. After that, he is finished.

Getting Older Ain't For Weaklings

One of my members told me when I turned 60 that getting old ain't for weaklings. He gave me this list that someone had given his wife when she turned 60 several years before. I didn't realize then how much he told me would be realized in my own life experience. So these are some observations for those who are maturing:

For the Ladies:
-It's harder to tell navy from black.
-Everything old is new again, but if you wore it before, you're too old to wear it the second time around.
-Your kids are becoming you and you don't like them, but your grandchildren are perfect.
-Yellow becomes the big color...walls...hair...teeth.
-The last 2 outfits you wore had spots on them.
-You ask your husband or friend how your outfit looks and they tell you the truth.
-The 5 pounds you wanted to lose is now 25 and you have a better chance of losing your keys than the 25 pounds. -Your spouse is counting on you to remember things you don't remember.
-Your husband sleeps better in the recliner with the TV blaring than he does in bed. It's called his "pre-sleep."
-Your husband has a night out with the guys but he's home by 9:00 P.M... next week it will be 8:30 P.M.
-You notice everything they sell in stores is sleeveless.
-You don't have hair under your arms and very little on your legs but your chin needs to be plucked daily.
-What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
-Who wants to wear 3" heels anyway?

For the Gentlemen:
-Going out is good, but coming home is better.
-When the kids were growing up and you needed a discount you had to pay full price. Now you get discounts on everything. -You forget names, but it's OK because other people forget they even knew you.
-You used to say, "I hope my kids GET married. Now, "I hope they STAY married!"
-You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.
 -You use more 4 letter words: "What?" and "When?"
-You read 100 pages into a book before you realize you've read it already.
-You've never heard of most of the singers in the Top 40. 
-It seems that everybody whispers.

When You Are Broken

When Becky and I first began dating I found out how much she loved cats. I was helping my mom with ceramics then so I made her a set of cats from scratch. I poured the mold, removed the excess mud, and painted them for her. We still have them till this day.

The only problem is that one day one was broken into several pieces. As she broke into tears, I quickly grabbed all the pieces that I could find, grabbed the Elmer's Glue bottle, and begin to go to work. I constantly told her over and over, “It will be alright. I can put it back together again.”

Sure enough, I salvaged enough pieces to make it whole again. It has lasted another 25 + years since that day. There are still some visible cracks that can be seen, but you have to look real close to spot them. In fact many people at first glance never see the cracks because the body has been made completely whole again.

It’s amazing what God can do with broken things. He said in His Word in Psalms 147:3 “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

Jesus even specifies that He is the one that can put broken things back together again. Luke 4:17-19 “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

How many of you have been broken before?

-Were you broken by someone who betrayed you?

-Were you broken by the circumstances that you had to face in everyday life?

-Were you broken by a family crisis that never seemed to have an ending?

-Were you broken because your health failed and nothing helped the pain?

-Were you broken because somebody intentionally hurt you just to make them look better?

Jesus is still the healer of broken lives, hearts and families today. He is able to bind up your wound, heal the brokenness in your heart, and lift the heaviness from your spirit. When you are broken there is only one person who can put you back together-Jesus!

So if you need that touch today just ask Him. He has a miracle with your name on it and is standing by to bring it to pass.

 

 

 

Yielding To God's Vision-Part 2

Verses 6-9 “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”

Paul was planning on traveling east to take the Gospel message but was being kept from doing so by the Holy Spirit. We are not told how, but either by prophetic utterance or by circumstances they were kept from going.

This meant a change of plans.

It is important that they knew this was from God and not just an obstacle created by something else.  There may have been problems with travel, weather, or some other difficulty beyond their control that made it impossible for them to go, yet they saw this as a sign from God. No doubt had it been simply a logistics problem Paul would have pushed ahead anyway, but knowing God was preventing their going made him respond with acceptance.

We need to know when God says “no” that it is time to persevere and trust Him. We also need to have our life in such a relationship to God that we can know when it is God changing our vision and when it is simply a distraction that we should fight.

When Christians have too many voices and demands calling for them all at once the danger is that we can miss the voice of God in all the distractions.

Verse 9 “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”

 

Paul takes these events into consideration that God is redirecting his path.

-He has a vision by God.

-He is blocked from traveling east, possibly a prophetic utterance,

-He adjusts his vision to preaching to the west.

In his vision he sees and hears a man from Macedonia (the West) calling to them for help. Paul interprets the vision to mean that God wanted them to go to Macedonia and preach the Gospel, so instead of going east they are now to travel west. Paul no doubt creates in his mind an idea of how this vision will pan out. They will go to Macedonia and find a man who will be the link to them planting the Gospel in the west. But Paul was in for a surprise, for the vision was going to be a little different from reality when they get there.

When God has spoken to us that He is going to do something in our life we often stamp such a strong idea in our mind of what our visions mean that we may miss out on what God had in mind from the beginning. That’s why our vision must be flexible in God’s master plan.

I read a story the other day about a farmer who for many years desired to be a Pastor. One day while taking a rest in his field from plowing he looked up in the sky and saw 2 clouds that formed the letters “P” and “C”. Immediately he jumped up, sold his farm, and went out to obey this vision which he took to mean preach Christ. Unfortunately, he turned out to be a horrible preacher and after one sermon a neighbor came forward and asked him why he thought God had called him to preach Christ. After telling him about seeing the “P” and the “C” in the sky, the neighbor said, “Maybe the Lord wasn’t telling you to “preach Christ” but to plant corn.”

 

 

Yielding To God's Vision-Part 3

Verse 10 “And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”

Many Christians have hurt themselves and others because they saw in visions or prophetic utterances what they want to see rather than what God may be trying to communicate. There should always be confirmations before acting on any vision, especially if it comes from someone else. You need to know it is from God.

Verse 13 “And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.”

Paul’s vision of a man from Macedonia must have left him excited about what he was going to find. He expected men who were just waiting to hear the Gospel when they arrived on the scene, perhaps even a synagogue of men whose hearts were all prepared for the truth of God. He was anticipating a quick and full response by hungry men that would stir the city and the planting of a large Church.

The reality is Paul that when he and Silas arrived there were only women by the river conducting a prayer meeting. There weren’t even 10 Jewish men to constitute a synagogue, 10 being the minimum to have one. Paul’s vision didn’t match the reality that he found there. Instead of the man from Macedonia Paul finds a Gentile woman from Asia by the name of Lydia, who was from Thyatira. They weren’t crying out for help either as Paul had seen in his vision.

Paul had actually been there several days with no results according to Verse 12b.

So far the vision Paul had was hardly anything like the reality he encountered. At this point many Christians would have condemned the trip saying that Paul must not be living right or that the vision was false. Even a couple similarities would have been nice but there are almost none.

 So what’s a prophet to do?

 Paul accepts the reality as the fulfillment to God’s vision.

Verse 14 “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”

They stay and work with what they got, which is a bunch of women who opened their hearts to the Gospel. Imagine if Paul had given up on the vision because he got a Gentile woman named Lydia as a convert instead of a Man from Macedonia? If Paul had rejected the circumstances as not being the fulfillment of the vision there might never have been a Church planted in Philippi. The Philippian church became one of the strongest and healthiest churches in the New Testament.

Yielding To God's Vision-Part 4

Too many times we miss God’s best because things do not always match our concept of vision in ministry.

Verse 15 “And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.”

Many pastors do this with churches they pastor, they think they are all going to pastor mega-churches running in the thousands and they will be senior pastors of huge staffs and so, they never are content where they are, or find any joy in the reality of the vision they are in.

 Christians do this too with spouses, children, and ministry in general. It’s tragic when we can’t see in our spouse, our children, or in others God’s plan bloom because it doesn’t measure up to what we thought we were going to get or should get from God. Too much joy is wasted on false perceptions of visions or at least our ideas or visions in our churches, homes, and lives.

It may have seemed like a lousy start to fulfilling the vision God had given Paul, but he takes great delight in preaching the Gospel anyway to these women and finds a harvest and a start, albeit a bit different than he expected from the manly vision he had seen in his dream. Paul is neither disappointed nor bitter. We could learn something here about unfulfilled expectations or ideas.

We need to trust God more in the way reality unfolds in our lives. If we are proclaiming trust in God, then we ought to show it in our attitude even when things don’t pan out exactly like we expected.

There was a little girl who was frightened by thunder storms. As she was about to go to bed a real storm kicked up, lightening, thunder, and wind. She remembered how such storms sometimes knocked out the lights and how she hated the dark. She was heard praying, “Dear God, I hope it doesn’t thunder and I hope the lights don’t go out” … then after a brief pause she continued, “But I thought it over, and you can do what you want, in Jesus’ name, Amen!” –

Paul wasn’t about to throw the vision away because it looked a little different from what he anticipated. He had the privilege of baptizing this woman Lydia and her entire household. It was a small start but it produced one of the most stable churches. In fact the Philippian church became Paul’s home church and his epistle entitled “Philippians” in our Bible has as this central theme-Joy.

It is clear that Paul did not get hung up on the minute details of the “Man from Macedonia” vision. He holds on to the meaning of the vision without getting lost in the details and yields himself to the plan that God had to set revival in motion.

Yielding to God’s Vision-Part 1

Acts 16:9, 10 “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”

Unlike other animal species we are the rare exception in that we can see colors. We tend to think of things in visual ways with pictures. Even when we think about concepts we tend to do so in visual ways.

One of the realities of being visually oriented as a species however is that many times what we imagine doesn’t always look like what we expect it to be. This can be either good or bad. At either rate, when things don’t appear the way we expect them to we have to learn how to adjust our vision or we become agitated and blind.

 Most Christians have a vision of what they think the Christian life will be like. Yet, what we expected from God doesn’t always match the vision we had. It’s how we respond in those moments in our life when reality doesn’t match the vision we had or have that can result in fulfillment or failure.

The Christian life is full of tough calls, and we either become more and more agitated when the vision we had doesn’t pan out exactly like we thought, or we adjust and discover the wonder of God doing things in our life we never expected or at least somewhat different from what we expected.

The Bible is full of situations that didn’t match up exactly with the vision some originally had. We learn through these examples the importance of letting go of the vision as they expected it and adjusting to what God really intended to do.

 Remember that God’s will is not found so much in what we do as much as it is in what we are. When our focus is on God we cannot become disappointed even when our vision doesn’t pan out exactly like we expected.

A Little Humor For The Heart's Sake

A rich man went to his pastor and said, "I want you and your wife to take a three month trip to the Holy Land at my expense. When you come back, I'll have a surprise for you." The pastor accepted the offer and he and his wife went off to the Middle East.

Three months later they returned home and were met by the wealthy parishioner, who told them while they were gone, he had a new church built. "It's the finest building money can buy, pastor," said the man, "No expense was spared." And he was right. It was a magnificent edifice both outside and in.

But there was one striking difference. There was only one pew and it was at the very back. "A church with only one pew?" asked the pastor.

"You just wait until Sunday." said the rich man.

When the time came for the Sunday service, the early arrivals entered the church, filed onto the one pew and sat down. When the pew was full, a switch clicked silently, a circuit closed, the gears meshed, a belt moved and, automatically, the rear pew began to move forward. When it reach the front of the church it came to a stop. At the same time, another empty pew came up from below at the back and more people sat down. And so it continued, pews filling and moving forwards until finally the church was full, from front to back.

"Wonderful!" said the pastor, "Marvelous!"

The service began, and the pastor started to preach his sermon. He launched into his text and, when 12 o'clock came, he was still going strong with no end in sight. Suddenly a bell rang and a trap door in the floor behind the pulpit dropped open.

"Wonderful!" said the congregation, "Marvelous!"

Today's Media

If today's media got a hold of these Biblical stories . . .
-On Red Sea crossing:
     WETLANDS TRAMPLED IN LABOR STRIKE
             Pursuing Environmentalists Killed

-On David vs. Goliath:
     HATE CRIME KILLS BELOVED CHAMPION
            Psychologist Questions     Influence of Rock

-On Elijah on Mt. Carmel:
     FIRE SENDS RELIGIOUS RIGHT EXTREMIST INTO FRENZY
              400 Killed

-On the birth of Christ:
     HOTELS FULL, ANIMALS LEFT HOMELESS
              Animal Rights Activists Enraged by Insensitive Couple

-On feeding the 5,000:
     PREACHER STEALS CHILD'S LUNCH
              Disciples Mystified Over Behavior

-On healing the 10 lepers:
     LOCAL DOCTOR'S PRACTICE RUINED
              "Faith Healer" Causes Bankruptcy

-On healing of the Gadarene demoniac:
     MADMAN'S FRIEND CAUSES STAMPEDE
              Local Farmer's Investment Lost

-On raising Lazarus from the dead:
     FUNDAMENTALIST PREACHER RAISES A STINK
              Will Reading to be Delayed

Protect Your Reputation

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

The original Greek word for protect in this verse is pronounced stegō. It means: (1) to preserve, (2) to cover over with silence, (3) to keep secret, and (4) to hide, conceal the errors and faults of others. To protect someone means to protect all that concerns them. My wife protects mine. She is always building me up to others. I often think she makes me sound better than I am. She goes out of her way to make me look good. She does this because she loves me.

If we want to love others then we have to learn to protect their reputation. We don’t protect people’s reputation when we allow rumors to spread. Proverbs shares many verses on this subject and the reasons why we need to avoid it.

Proverbs 18:8 shares the most important reason. Solomon must have thought so because he repeated it in verse 26:22. The NLT version explains it as “Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart”.

Rumors contaminate our heart. 2 Timothy 2:16 says, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.”

When we put others down we take ourselves down as well. Idle words may seem harmless and feel good at the time, but it gradually hardens our heart. It is impossible to love others when our hearts are hardened.

Proverbs 16:28 shares another reason why we need to avoid false conversations. It reads, “A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.”

I wonder how many friendships have been destroyed by rumors? I wonder how many families have been divided because of false assumptions? Rumors spread like wildfire and don’t go out until someone put them out.  The more a rumor spreads the more it deceives. Usually the story told is twisted so far from the truth that you eventually know each person who shared it had to have added something new as they shared it with the next. What hurts the most is that often there was nothing wrong in the first place. The one who started the rumor didn’t like someone else being blessed, so they took something out of context and twisted it to make that person look bad. I almost lost a great friendship because of something I said in a private conversation that was repeated as fact outwardly with more stuff added to it. I learned my lesson that day.

Proverbs 26:20 says, “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”

Every one that shares a rumor throws their wood onto the fire to keep it going. All it takes is one person to stand up and say, “I’m not going to accept that.” The fire would’ve ended there.

We may not be the ones who spread rumor, but how many times do we sit in the middle of rumors and just listen? To protect someone’s reputation means that we’ll have to stand up in others’ defense when they’re being talked about.

Leviticus 19:16 says, “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD. “

People’s lives can be dramatically affected by rumors. How many people do you know that will never be respected because their mistakes have been shared with the world? We are to build up, not tear down. When we build others up and protect their reputations, God will protect ours.

I encourage you to pray for God to help you protect others. Pray for courage to stand up and defend those who are being slandered. Remember, as you build others up God will build you up.

1 Corinthians 8:1b AMP “Knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud), but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature].”

 

 

Integrity

If something is credible, it is believable. A credible witness is one whose testimony is trustworthy. His life and his words line up together.

The word authentic goes from English back to French back to Latin and ultimately to the Greek authentikos. It means “conforming to the original” or “reproducing the essential features” of something, as in “authentic French cuisine.”

 If something is authentic, it is not a fake or an imitation. Collectors will pay a lot of money for an authentic Abraham Lincoln signature. Another definition says that authentic means “being actually and exactly what is claimed,” and the example given is “genuine maple syrup.” Not watered-down, but maple syrup through and through. Therefore to be credible means that you are believable and to be authentic means that you are genuine and real, not a fake or phony.

Put the words together and a credible, authentic leader is someone who can be trusted because he is what he professes to be. He is the real deal, what you see is what you get.

Pollsters tell us that confidence in religious leaders has declined in the last few years. With all the scandals involving ministers lately, it’s not surprising that people look at spiritual leaders with jaundiced eyes. When I was serving at one of my former churches I had a good friend who had access to several major ministry folks in radio and television. He was deeply saddened at the carnality that existed when they walked away from the microphone. He told me then that very, very, very few of them exercise humility in their lifestyle. He also said that many people would turn the dial if they knew how these men talked and conducted themselves in private away from the cameras.

 Here are some observations about credibility.

-Credibility is earned over a long period of time.
-Credibility is not about what you do or what you say. It’s about who you are on the inside.
-You cannot fool the people closest to you forever.
-Your ministry will have lasting impact in direct proportion to the integrity of your own life.
-The great enemies of credibility are pride, arrogance, isolation, and excessive self-confidence.
-Ironically the more gifted you are and the more successful you are, the easier it becomes to fake your way through life.
-Credibility once lost is very difficult to regain.

 What qualities then does God use to mark a person as credible and authentic?

-Honesty.
-Willingness to admit your faults.
-Consistency.
-Kindness under pressure.
-Accountability in the small areas of life.
-Willingness to answer hard questions.
-Quick to take blame, quick to praise others.
-Not taking yourself too seriously.
-Knowing your own limitations.

-Not blaming others for your own problems.
-Confrontable.
-Approachable.
-Handling anger appropriately.
-Not offended when others get the credit you deserve (no need to brag).
-Keeping your word.

There’s another word for living like this. We call it integrity.

 

He Wasn't Cured But He Was Healed

Tony Compolo tells a story about being in a church in Oregon where he was asked to pray for a man who had cancer. Compolo prayed boldly for the man's healing. That next week he got a telephone call from the man's wife. She said, "You prayed for my husband. He had cancer." Compolo thought when he heard her use the past tense verb that his cancer had been eradicated! But before he could think much about it she said, "He died." Compolo felt terrible.

But she continued, "Don't feel bad. When he came into that church that Sunday he was filled with anger. He knew he was going to be dead in a short period of time, and he hated God. He was 58 years old, and he wanted to see his children and grandchildren grow up. He was angry that this all-powerful God didn't take away his sickness and heal him. He would lie in bed and curse God. The more his anger grew towards God, the more miserable he was to everybody around him. It was an awful thing to be in his presence.

But the lady told Compolo, "After you prayed for him, a peace had come over him and a joy had come into him. Tony, the last three days have been the best days of our lives. We've sung. We've laughed. We've read Scripture. We prayed. Oh, they've been wonderful days. And I called to thank you for laying your hands on him and praying for healing."

And then she said something incredibly profound. She said,  "He wasn't cured, but he was healed."

Family

Two men met at a bus stop and struck up a conversation. One of them complained of family problems.

Finally, the other man said, "You think you have family problems? Listen. A few years ago I met a young widow with a grown-up daughter, and we got married. Later my father married my stepdaughter. That made my stepdaughter my stepmother and my father became my stepson. Also, my wife became mother-in-law of her father-in-law. Then the daughter of my wife, my stepmother, had a son. This boy was my half-brother because he was my father's son, but he was also the son of my wife's daughter, which made him my wife's grandson. That made me the grandfather of my half-brother. This was nothing until my wife and I had a son. Now the half-sister of my son, my stepmother, is also the grandmother. This makes my father the brother-in-law of my child, whose stepsister is my father's wife. I'm my stepmother's brother-in-law, my wife is her own child's aunt, my son is my father's nephew and I'm my own grandfather. Now - tell me about your family problems."

I don't know if sorting out your family is a problem. A bigger issue for many of us is that we want more from family life than just knowing who's who, and more than we're presently getting. One of the most common complaints I hear from families is that they are not as close as they used to be. They may be close in proximity, but still not feel close as a family due to divorce, separation, or loss in a household. They may live next door to one another or even in the same house, but feel more like strangers today than they ever have before.

Families today should value closeness and work hard to keep anyone from feeling left behind or forgotten. Again, closeness is not so much about distance, but about the attitude we have toward each member of our family. We may live far apart from one another, so we need a willingness to do what it takes to keep our relationships close. Everyone feels closer when they feel understood, loved, and can look forward to time they can spend together with other family members. No one wants to feel left behind or forgotten.

Here are 10 ways to help keep closeness and appreciation for your relationships within your family:

-Treat your family members in a way you would like to be treated.
-Let them know that they are priority in your life and always will be.
-Set aside time to remember as a family both the good and hard times.                     -Show appreciation for the good things that they do and have done.
-Don’t let jealousy over a family member’s success cloud your relationships.
-Be available if possible in a time of crisis or need.
-Resolve any conflict with mutual understanding. Don’t let it fester.
-Be glad when a loved one fulfills their dreams.                                                                   
-Pray one for another. Even though it’s just a saying, prayer still works.

Cherish every moment you can spend with your family. In the long run, you will be glad that you did.

That Gift Is Hope.

My eyes have never beheld what I believe I will one day possess.

My hands have never touched hands damaged in crucifixion, yet I believe I will one day touch them.

My feet have never touched pavement of gold, yet one day I fully expect to walk on such streets.

My mind has never understood the mysteries of God, yet there will come a day when it will all make sense.

So until then, I will rejoice in what I do not possess because I have something that will carry me in confidence until that moment arrives. What will carry me is the belief that the Father has fully paid my sin debt which gives me the freedom to love and follow where He leads.

I don’t need to see it or hold it in my hands to believe that it is real.

Some say seeing is believing, but for me it’s the opposite. Belief comes first, seeing will come soon enough. I am willing to wait.

I have been forgiven. I have been loved. I have chosen to love and forgive in return. My heart yearns for a day, a time, a moment. Yet in that special moment there will no longer be a need for time. I don’t have to understand it all to hunger for my first taste of eternity.

My life can be lived in no other way than to believe, for without this trust, this conviction, this joyous confidence - I would become a pitiful cynic. A man in desperate need for the one thing I have rejected; The one thing that provides a doorway to joy, peace and contentment, the one thing so closely linked to love and faith.

We have a future and a promise. God has a plan for our good. He’s preparing a place just for us. He’s promised to come back for us.

We, more than all others, have the greatest reason to bubble over with this most joyous anticipation.

It is because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus’ that we have been given yet another wonderful gift from the hand of God Himself.

That gift is hope.