en http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org © Copyright 2000 - 2009Church Community Builder. All Rights Reserved. http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=475 "God stepped into time in history as a man in Jesus Christ, but he was limited by the culture." Those were the opening words of Pastor Betsy Ouellette as she preached on "Believing." The sermon was based on Mark 5:21-43. This was a memorable day to consider the topic of believing, especially for those who have been members of Good Samaritan USMC for awhile. It was the first service in our newly renovated worship area which has nearly doubled the seating capacity. Early members have always believed this kind of growth could be achieved and God continues bless the church and reward our faith. Pastor Betsy told the story of the woman who had been plagued by a bleeding problem for 12 years. She was considered to be unclean and was not supposed to appear in a crowd in public. But, she broke all the rules to get near Jesus because of His reputation for healing and when she touched his robe, so great was her faith, she was healed. The story of Jairus the overseer of the synagogue was also discussed by the pastor. Likewise, based on the reputation of Jesus as a healer, he also broke the rules. Jairus was desperate for his daughter, who was seriously ill, to be healed. While Jairus was seeking out Jesus his daughter died. Jesus told the crowd the daughter was merely asleep. They laughed at Him. Betsy said that "Jesus left all the doubters and scorners behind and taking the Mother and Father and three trusted disciples with Him, He went into the daughter's bedroom. There He took her hand and said to her: "Talitha koum" (Little girl I say to you, get up!). She did! Betsy pointed out that "Jesus came to reveal the character and goodness of God." We need to have the courage to touch Jesus even if it means that sometimes rules need to be broken. Pastor Betsy's sermon can be heard on line. Pictures of the renovation are in the on-line photo album. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:04:40 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=474 Pastor Betsy Ouellette asked the congregation to consider the story of Jesus calming the storm as viewed through Mark 4:35-41 and Matthew 8:23-27. In both gospels, a sudden and furious storm came up, causing waves to break over the boat carrying Jesus and his disciples across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is sleeping. In Matthew, the disciples woke Jesus, pleading with their Lord to save them. Jesus asked why they were so afraid, and calmed the weather with his rebuke. The disciples were amazed and, as depicted by a video clip shown by Betsy, mirthful. The disciples in Mark woke Jesus and asked, "Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?" Jesus ordered the weather to be quiet and still. But of his disciples, Jesus asked why were they so afraid. Did they still have no faith? The disciples were even more afraid after the storm, asking each other who was Jesus. They were coming to appreciate that they were in the presence of God. Betsy offered that some commentators also see Mark's version as illustrating how Jesus was going beyond teaching in parables to teaching with actions. In this way too, Jesus reproached his disciples because he expected something more of them. Betsy spoke of how the disciples were active participants with Jesus in other miracles, such as feeding the crowds and when Peter walked on water. Did the panicked disciples not realize that they could calm the storm because Jesus was with them in the boat that day? How we react to chaos is pivotal, explained Betsy. Citing a modern day example, Betsy presented the backstory of airline pilot Captain Chelsey Sullenberger, popularly known as the Hero of the Hudson. Sullenberger, a man of faith, attributes a lifetime of preparation for his actions on January 15, 2009, when engines of the plane he piloted lost power. After directing the plane's emergency landing in the Hudson River, Captain "Sully" walked the aisle of the plane twice to ensure that not one passenger was left behind. Imagine, asked Betsy, what would have happened if Captain Sully had allowed himself to be paralyzed by panic? Where is Jesus when the storms of life hit? How do we grapple with unexpected loss or suffering? "Christ is in you," said Betsy. With Jesus, there is strength. As she introduced the time for Communion, Betsy invited the congregation to be Christ to someone in need this week. As immediate opportunities, Betsy shared the stories of two families suddenly bereaved. Betsy suggested giving comfort in the form of condolence notes to one, and through financial assistance to the other where a car accident took the life of the mother to the two minor children and left the father in critical condition. In closing, Betsy welcomed all to partake of Communion as "strength for the journey." *** A giant Father's Day card welcomed Dads in attendance. Children attending The Arts Camp earlier in the week drew pictures and wrote messages honoring their fathers on the north wall. The wall, scheduled for demolition as part of a plan to expand the sanctuary, provided an inspiring canvas for camper Grace Marsiglio to share the endearing poem Walk a Little Slower Daddy (author unknown). ### Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:28:54 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=472 Pastor Erick Ashley introduced the sermon topic with a video clip from the television sitcom Seinfeld. After lamenting that he had no job and still lived with his parents, character George Costanza decided to take an "opposite" approach to life. Starting with ordering chicken salad rather than Tuna on Toast, George made decisions that went against his first instincts or common sense. As recounted by Pastor Erick, George's circumstances suddenly changed for the better to the surprise of his friends. "God's 'opposites' are mysterious to us," said Pastor Erick. Sharing examples from 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 (anointing of David), Ezekiel 17:22-24 (planting a tender cedar sprig), and Mark 4:26-34 (The Parable of the Mustard Seed), Erick talked about how God often does or chooses the opposite of what we would expect. How can we better make decisions that reflect God's mystery? Pastor Erick suggested staying close to God through: 1) reading and studying scripture; 2) spending time in prayer; 3) being involved in a community of believers and 4) practicing solitude. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:28:54 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=468 Pastor Betsy Ouellette said, after reading the scripture lesson found in Acts 2:1-13 that this New Testament book is called: "Acts of the Apostles" but it could be called "Acts of the Holy Spirit." She said there are two things to focus on concerning the Holy Spirit. These are: 1) The Holy Spirit comes to create community. She pointed out how that was true at Good Samaritan because there was nothing here, but woods before and now we have a church community. 2) The Holy Spirit gives us the power to witness. Betsy said that a powerful way to witness is to love one another. She gave a personal example of showing love to others in a women's group meeting she was involved in over the weekend in Apalachicola and how the group helped share one woman's pain and became closer. Then, Robert Wagner, a visiting guest musician gave a powerful testimony concerning how the Lord has worked in his life taking him from a homeless person on crack cocaine to a reformed, happily married man and a father of a 7-year old. He now spends weekends praising the Lord through his music.The visiting band, led by Wagner sang, "My Jesus;" "I Believe;" "Be the Center;" and "Friend of God."Pastor Betsy's sermon and Robert Wagner's testimony will be available on-line Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:28:54 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=93 var sc_project=2425099; var sc_invisible=0; var sc_partition=23; var sc_security="798fe448"; Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:28:54 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=112 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=112&article_id=470 June 28June 21June 14June 7 Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:43:01 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=82 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=82&article_id=457 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:47:06 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=473 Boaz gave orders to his men. "Even if she (Ruth) gathers among the sheaves, don't embarrass her. Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pickup and don't rebuke her" Ruth 2:15-16 One of the standard questions I like to ask athletes when I interview them for a magazine article is "Besides Jesus, who is your favorite person in the Bible?" That question has produced a variety of answers although David may be the one most of them choose. A few years ago I asked Andre Wadsworth that question when I was writing an article for Sports Spectrum magazine. Andre was an All American defensive lineman at Florida State University who later played with the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL. He came up with an answer no one else had given. He chose Boaz. When I asked him why, he said he had recently heard a talk by team chaplain Clint Purvis about Boaz and how he treated the women in his life. At the end Purvis asked the assembled players collectively: "Will you be a Boaz or a Bozo?" This was at a time when there were news stories out there about men, especially athletes, being arrested for violence against mates or significant others. That talk made an impression on Wadsworth and he said: "I want to be a Boaz to a wife one day. If I ever get a wife I would like to be that kind of a figure to her." So, who is this Boaz guy anyway? What's the deal? Well, you'll find the story of Boaz in the Old Testament book of Ruth. Short little book. Just four chapters sandwiched between Judges and Samuel. It contains a beautiful story. A love story, but beyond that it is a story of loyalty and overcoming odds stacked against you. And it has one of the most memorable and striking quotes of any OT book. Remember this one? "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything, but death separates you and me." Wow! Is that something? Well, it is not what Boaz said to Ruth. It's what Ruth said to her Mother-in-law, Naomi. Here's what happened. Naomi and her husband Elimelech moved from Bethlehem to Moab. There their two sons Mahlon and Kilion married Moabite women named Ruth and Orpah. But, the three men died leaving the women to fend for themselves during a time of famine. Naomi decided to go back home to the land of Judah where she thought she'd have a better chance of finding food. She told her two daughters-in-law that they were released from any obligation to her and they should stay in their home country where they would have a better chance of finding another husband. Orpah took her up on it, but Ruth, who loved her mother-in-law deeply, refused to let Naomi go it alone. That's when she made the beautiful statement we just read. (Ruth 1:16,17) Now, here's where Boaz enters the picture. Back in the day, the poor people were allowed to go out and "glean the harvest." That means that they could go along behind the reapers and gather up the poor grain that had been missed and take it home to make a meal out of it. The Quest Study Bible says it was "established in the Law of Moses as a sort of welfare system." But, what was left for them was usually of poor quality and not much of it at that. So Ruth went out to pick up the leftover grain and found herself in the field of Boaz. When Boaz arrived at the field he saw Ruth and asked his foreman who she was. He was told that she was the "Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter." Now, suffice it to say that "ugly" or "homely" or "unattractive" would probably not be terms used to describe Ruth. Boaz was immediately stricken. So he immediately gave orders to the men as to how she should be treated. He told them not to embarrass or abuse her in any way. Further, he instructed them to pull out some of the good stalks from the bundles and leave them in Ruth's path so she would come upon them. Now Naomi owned a piece of land which she was forced to sell. First rights to buy it went to the "kinsman redeemer." That would a relative of Elimelech. He was willing to "redeem" the land until he found out the widow would have to be taken care of as well. When, Elimelech died the land had passed to his son, Ruth's husband, who then died. So it reverted back to Naomi. When the "kinsman redeemer" heard this he backed out. Said it might endanger his own estate. So, he passed the opportunity on to Boaz, which is just what he wanted. There is more to the story which I encourage you to read in Ruth. But, here's the neat part. Boaz and Ruth married and she gave birth to a son. They named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David and as the Bible tells us Jesus was born in the family line of David. So, Boaz treated the poor girl Ruth kindly. He could have lorded it over her and taken advantage of her. He didn't. He fell in love with her and treated her with respect and kindness. Consequently, he became a part of the family line of the Savior of the World. You never know where an act of kindness will take you. Will you be a Boaz or a Bozo? Oh yeah, about Andre Wadsworth! That Boaz approach works. He now has a beautiful wife and three adorable children. Monday Prayer: Lord, thank you for the example of Boaz and the rewards that come to hearts filled with kindness and love. Amen! ***author's note: Boaz or Bozo. It's a simple choice. It's all about love, respect and kindness. Let those be a part of your life this week and reap the benefits. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:39:45 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=471 And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. Philippians 1:6 When today is over how will you be different from when it started? Good question to consider, especially in a devotion entitled: "Don't Disengage Your Brain." That's probably something we do more than we realize. We are busy doing familiar things, ones we've done so often we can do them by rote. Don't really have to think about them. We can disengage our brain and still get them done. I think it is sometimes that way in church especially if the pastor happens to be preaching on a very familiar scripture, one you have heard many sermons preached on before. So we really don't stop to think about how that scripture speaks to us. How is it applicable to our lives? When we woke up this morning we received a gift. God gave us a fresh 24 hours to use however we see fit. We can work hard or be lazy. We can be productive or not. We can learn something new or put our minds in neutral and coast along. God has a message specifically for you each day. You'll find it in His word or in nature or in activities or a variety of ways. Whichever way God chooses to communicate with you will be beneficial if you receive the message, but if your mind is disengaged and you are coasting along you might miss it. If you had started your day by reading this, "And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work, until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again." and you didn't disengage your mind just to get through the obligatory daily Bible reading, then you have the potential for a great day. Here's what the NLT commentary (pg. 1887) says: "Do you sometimes feel as though you aren't making progress in your spiritual life? When God starts a project, he completes it! As with the Philippians, God will help you grow in grace until he has completed his work in your life. When you are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on you. He promises to finish the work He has begun. When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember God's promise and provision. Don't let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to him." Knowing how many unfinished projects I have laying around that is comforting that God is not like that. He finishes his projects. Well, of course I intend to finish mine too...uh, when I get around to it. But, I can't say I have a specific plan for finishing each one of these. Maybe I should, but I don't. Realistically the ones that I take through to completion will be the ones that I just decide to make a specific plan for finishing it and stick to the plan. Thankfully, it's not that way with God. He has a plan for us and he will complete that plan. That's why it is important to try to get in tune with that plan and not disengage our minds while doing so. In the mega-bestselling book "The Shack" Jesus is talking with Mack, the main character who is trying to work his way out of what he calls "The Great Sadness." (you have to read the book to find out what that is). Mack asks, "So what do I do now?" Jesus answers "What you're already doing, Mack, learning to live loved. It's not an easy concept for humans. You have a hard time sharing anything." He chuckled and continued. "So yes what we (the Trinity) desire is for you to return to us, and then we come and make our home inside you and then we share. The friendship is real, not merely imagined. We're meant to experience this life, you life, together, in a dialogue, sharing the journey. You get to share in our wisdom and learn to love with our love and we get...to hear you grumble and gripe and complain and..." Mack laughed out loud and pushed Jesus sideways. What a great deal for God, huh? He gets all our grumbling and complaining and we get his love? But, I've included this little vignette because I think it says a lot about the kind of relationship we can have with God if we don't disengage our minds and just float along like always. It says that He loves us and is looking for ways to share that love. He wants to extricate us from these problems and bring joy into our lives. But, sometimes that requires out-of-the-box thinking. We have to look for and think about ways in which God wants us to receive His love and what we are to do with it. "Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ" it says in the NLT introduction to Philippians. The Lord wants us to be joyful. Awhile back I wrote a devotion called the "Great Spoilsport in the Sky" in which I wanted those who have not disengaged their minds to think about how much joy there is in doing things God's way. He ain't out to spoil our fun. He wants more of it for us and when we do things His way that's what happens. The conversation between Mack and Jesus shows the kind of relationship He wants to have with us. He wants to talk things over with us. He wants us to reach us through His Word, to talk to him through Prayer, and to build a relationship with Him by getting to know His bride better....the Church. When you determine not to disengage your mind and to see what's on God's mind you'll have the kind of day that you look back on before going to bed and smile with a sigh of contentment. Then that sense of peace that surpasses all understanding will descend upon you. Monday Prayer: Lord, we want to develop a deeper relationship and a greater friendship with you. Help us to keep our minds engaged and focused on that purpose. Amen! ***author's note: Keep that mind engaged while seeking the Lord's way this week and get set to enjoy a stellar week. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=469 But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they go right on producing delicious fruit. Jeremiah 17: 7-8 (NLT) Once again I'm going to borrow from Wayne Cordeiro's informative book "The Divine Mentor" to make a point in today's devotion. I'm sure Wayne won't mind because this is also an encouragement to you to read his book. There is a lot in there that is helpful in ordering your daily life. Wayne said that when he and his wife Anna moved into their first home that he needed a desk. He had always dreamed of having a genuine oak rolltop desk. They went to a furniture store and immediately saw one. It was on sale, so he threw caution to the wind and bought it. After all this "stately piece of history" that would be inherited by children, then grandchildren would only increase in value since it was solid oak. Then, one day he made a startling discovery. Only the rolls on the rolltop were genuine oak. The rest of the desk was pressboard. It was oak veneer covering the pressboard innards. Who would ever consider a pressboard desk as a family heirloom? To be considered authentic or genuine it had to be oak all the way to the core. Solid oak not veneer. Veneer means to give a superficially attractive appearance to something. You cover up the imperfections or the lesser quality with something of more value to give the appearance that the whole thing has more worth than it really does. It is only attractive on the surface. That's where the true value is. The rest is fluff. I bet you already know where I'm going with this, don't you? Yes, we do as Cordeiro says "live in a veneer world." A lot of things are not what they seem to be and we get fooled. We think they are one thing and they turn out to be something else. Image often takes precedence over reality. We are ripe for the next, newest, style until another bigger, or faster, or more colorful one comes along. We are never completely satisfied when it comes to stuff When it comes to our lives veneer is not enough. Sure we can manage to survive and even give the appearance of true happiness but the veneer won't last. Under it is pressboard. The success we enjoy today can lead to regret tomorrow if it's not genuine to the core. The way around this dilemma is an age old solution. It's to simply trust in the Lord. Now, I say "simply"but it isn't always that simple because there is a lot of veneer out there. There are things parading around disguised as goodness which are the opposite. In Jeremiah 17:5 the Lord says: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, on the salty flats where no one lives." Then we read in our selected scripture...verses 7 and 8 about those who see through the veneer and only settle for solid oak. Their trust in the Lord has given them hope and confidence to the extent that they are like a tree planted by a river. Their roots go out into the water so it doesn't matter if there is a drought or not. They always have nourishing water to sustain them. The NLT commentary says "in times of trouble, those who trust in human beings will be impoverished and spiritually weak, so they will have no strength to draw on. But, those who trust in the Lord will have abundant strength, not only for their own needs, but even for the needs of others." It is easy to fall into bad habits. How soon we can forget and even forsake God. We're so busy doing things. That's why I'm happy I came across Cordeiro's book. As a writer of religious devotions and religious/sports books I'm going in and out of the Bible quite frequently. During my writing day I am constantly referring to scriptures, commentaries, other devotions, religious books, etc. In fact, I have been doing so much of that I forgot to study the Bible. Say, what? Yes, I hadn't really been taking any quiet time to let God show me the way to a scripture each day and to figure out how that particular verse fit my life. Where could I apply the lesson I learned from it? Obviously God had something specifically to say to me and I was missing it. I re-discovered what I had always known but sometimes forget. God will bless whatever time you give to him. You will not go away empty. By choosing a scripture, writing it in a journal, then writing and observation about it, i.e. what is this saying in contemporary terms? Then, thinking about and writing down how I could apply the principle in that scripture to my life that day. Finally, writing down the central thought of a prayer about that situation and asking the Lord to help me execute what I had just learned. The first thing I discovered in doing this was that a great sense of peace came over me. This enabled me to think clearly about what God was telling me through His word. You know how you wake up and a thousand thoughts assail your mind. All the things you have to do that day. The ones you forgot to do yesterday, et. al. I found that the peace and quiet of this time spent in His word enabled me to do a better job of organizing my day and subsequently accomplishing the things that needed to get done. In other words, the instruction I was receiving was genuine to the core. It was solid oak not veneer. Now, I can't wait each morning to see what scripture God will be using to start my day. Prayer: Lord, help us to discern what is solid oak and what is veneer as devote ourselves to the kind of success that is genuine to the core. Amen! ***author's note: Makes sense not to settle for anything, but the best. I've always believed in going first class and by immersing ourselves in God's Word we learn how to do that. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=467 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them... Matthew 5:1 John Riley came to town last week. Now, whenever he comes to Tallahassee or the surrounding area, the Lovely Susette and I make it a point to go hear him speak. He never fails to inspire and motivate us. Apparently, we're not the only ones that holds true for. John Riley has given more than 10,500 talks and has spoken in over 15 countries. Riley claims he is just an old country boy from the small town of Abbeville, AL. But, he's more than that. He is a true man of God who has been used by the Lord for over 30 years as an evangelist ever since he injured his knee and lost his place-kicking job with the Oakland Raiders. Well, this time was no exception. John brought with him "10 Powerful Phrases for Positive People." After hearing these I call them "The Big 10." And you thought this was going to be about a college athletic conference didn't you? So, since you weren't able to hear John's talk, I'd like to share these 10 Powerful and Positive Phrases with you. John did give a disclaimer up front. He admitted that he had borrowed these from Rich DeVos, the founder of Amway and his book by the same name. To put his own spin on these phrases John started off by reading the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. They are also found in Luke 6:20-23. Early in his ministry Jesus went throughout Galillee preaching, teaching and healing. Once, when he saw a great crowd he decided to lay out some of his own Powerful Phrases for Positive People. They were called the Beatitudes. I hope you'll take some time to read and reflect on them. Riley said, to lay out positive rules is to emulate Jesus. So, the first one of the Big 10 that Riley gave us was; "I was wrong." That's a hard one isn't it? And John admitted that it seems to be harder for men to say they are wrong than it is for women to do it. But, he said it is a very strong statement and really makes it mark when you apologize to someone by simply saying, "I was wrong." When you get up enough nerve to do that then it becomes a little easier to say the second powerful phrase which is; "I'm sorry." In fact, you can back that one right up to the first one and say, "I was wrong. I'm sorry." That will have an impact. It shows that you are person who is concerned with the feelings of others and that you are not too big to admit a mistake. This is a tough twosome for some. Haven't you known people who tenaciously clung to a wrong opinion, argument or viewpoint no matter what happened? It takes character to simply say: "I was wrong. I'm sorry." Phrase number three was "You can do it." Encouragement is one of the best gifts you can give another person. Simply let them know you have faith in them. Every time I feel a little down and uncertain about a matter, the Lovely Susette, without hesitation, tells me I can do it. She has confidence in me and that means the world to me. She doesn't have to say anything more, but if she did it would be Riley's fourth phrase" "I believe in you." Coming from a person you respect and love that means a lot. My pastor once said those very words to me and it really stoked up my determination to excel in the task at hand. Simply saying, "I believe in you" is a great gift. Number Five is "I'm Proud of You." John said that in high school his football coach once came to him near the end of the season and told him that he wanted him to play center because the first string center and his backup were both injured. Only problem was Riley had never played center and they were in a crucial stretch of the season. They needed to win the game that week to get in the playoffs. But, Riley said he would. Then he practiced hard and played so well he helped his team win that game, the playoffs and the state championship. Later he was walking down the hall at school and his coach was coming from the opposite direction. The coach stopped and said. "Good job at center." But, then he added; "I didn't think you had it in you." How deflating was that? John said he has always remembered that statement and the disappointment he felt. How much better it would have been if the coach had said: I'm proud of you. I knew you could do it." Number six is simply to say "Thank You." I say simply because it's easy to say, but nowadays it draws a response that is inappropriate and has almost become commonplace. I know it's a comeback that drives the Lovely Susette batty, and lots of folks agree that when you say "Thank You" the appropriate response is not: "No Problem," but should be "You're Welcome." Phrase number seven is "I need you." That's often difficult to say. It is hard to admit that we can't just go on out there and do something by ourselves. Remember the song with the lyrics "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world." Jesus knows we need help. That's why He is always available. The eighth powerful phrase is "I trust you." That's a great one. How wonderful it is to have a friend that you can trust with your inner most secrets. One who is aware of your faults and weakness and still cares about you. It makes no difference what problems you have. Number nine is "I respect you." This is very important. One of the worst feelings in the world, I think, is to be disrespected by another person. To be looked at as a person of no importance or not worth the time and trouble, is terrible. Finally, John said that everyone had probably already figured out the 10th Powerful Phrase for Positive people. Yes, it's "I Love You." Perhaps, nothing is more meaningful than to be told that you are loved. It pumps you up like nothing else can. Thank You John Riley! Come back soon. We always leave feeling more determined to be better people after we hear you talk. Monday Prayer: Lord thank you for these simple, yet powerful phrases that will make our lives richer and more rewarding if we incorporate them into our daily lives. Amen! Author's note: If John Riley is ever speaking in your area, even if you have to drive awhile to hear him, don't miss the opportunity. It's a one-of-a-kind experience. Maybe your church would like to contact him. His website is http://www.johnsriley.com/ . Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=466 "Martha, Martha", the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things., but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10: 41-42 During World War I the Polish government approached Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the revered pianist and composer and asked him if he would be willing to play concerts in order to raise money to help out during the war. According to Wayne Cordeiro ("The Divine Mentor") Paderewski said, "I will be part of the war effort under one condition. You must allow me everyday to continue playing scales, three hours a day. Pay me for eight hours; but I will play scales for three." Now, I'm certainly not a musical person...I enjoy music, just can't play or sing it very well. The only instrument I've been able to master is the Tonette. What's that you ask? Well, way back in 4th grade we were issued this black, reedlike instrument and during music class we learned to play simple tunes. I advanced all the way up to "Row Your Boat." Years later when I tried to learn how to play guitar I advanced all the way up to playing "Row Your Boat." But, one thing I did learn was that "playing musical scales" is the most basic of all the things you do in music. That's why I find it amazing that Paderewski, as advanced and accomplished a musician as he was, insisted on playing scales for three hours a day. Well, I'm sure he took scale playing to a little different level than I did on the Tonette. There is a great point here. It's about mastering and sticking to the basics. Cardeiro points out that Jerry Rice, the all time NFL leader in pass receptions said during his playing days, "I may be able to run and receive passes, but I also do a thousand sit-ups every day." So, why do great performers still spend time with simple, basic things? Paderewski said, "If I skip one day of scales when I play in concert I notice it. If I skip two days of scale, my coach will notice. And if I skip three days, the world will notice." Apparently by practicing these scales his fingers stayed more nimble and he could breeze through more difficult pieces with ease. What are our basics? What are the scales we need to constantly stay sharp on so we can breeze through or at least make it through those difficult times? Our basics come from the Bible. That is why we need to set time aside every day to read it and think about how the things we read are applicable to our daily lives. For ten days now I have been practicing the procedure that Cordeiro suggests in the formula he calls SOAP. For 30 to 40 minutes in the morning I have been going back to the basics. Opening up my Bible, finding a scripture to focus on. I read it and write it down in my journal. Then for "O" I observe what it is saying to me. What is really being said here? What's the message being directed my way. Next comes "A" I write down how I feel I could apply this to my life. Finally, "P" I pray about it. It makes for a neat little devotional time. As you can imagine, being a writer of devotions, I find this a good way to learn and grow. To help find a scripture you could use a book of devotions, (I would mention one here, but I'm sure you already know about "Monday Morning Devotions"). :) Here's what Cordeiro says about daily devotions. "When you miss your devotions one day, you notice. When you miss them two days your spouse and kids notice. And when you miss them three days, the world notice." You see if we aren't depending on something beyond ourselves for instruction and direction we slip back into worldly solutions and those are not always good. Certainly, they are lacking in the depth we attain from scriptural solutions and prayer. Jesus would slip away and go up into the mountains to pray and have quiet time. What better example could we have to point out the importance of uninterrupted and focused devotional time? Cordeiro tells the story of a young man who wanted to make a living in construction. He was talented, but short on funds so he went to a discount store and bought some cheap tools. (Let me hasten to say that I'm not knocking seeking discounts and making wise, money-saving purchases). But, continuing with the story when the foreman inspected the man's work he found that it was all "slightly askew." They had to redo all his work. Consequently, the foreman called the young man in and...well, fired him. When, he picked up his tools to leave the foreman said, "Wait a minute. Let me look at that tape measure." When he put it next to his own tape measure they discovered the problem. The cheap tape measure was off, so everything he measured was slightly askew. The young man had skimped on the basics and it cost him. In last week's devotion we talked about how the YAH, that little red-circle on our Census computer which indicated "You Are Here" told us if we were going in the wrong direction. That's what the Bible does it keeps us going the right way. Spending daily time in the scriptures in like a GPS (Global Positioning System) that tells you where you are and shows you the right road to take. By consulting God's word it helps us stay on the right road and going in the right direction. I'm sure you've gone in the wrong direction while driving, like I have. The problem is when you discover this and hopefully you find out quickly that you're going south when you should be going north, then you have to retrace your route. You have to waste time going back in the opposite direction, covering the same ground you just passed over, to get back to where you started, then go the right way. Colossal waste of time! Highly infuriating. It's the same in the daily actions we take. If our scripture reading and prayer get us headed in the right direction we don't have to back track and waste time. We are more productive so by following the basics; i.e. playing the scale our pay scale will also be improved. Monday Prayer: Lord, you've made it simple for us. Just stick to the basics. Play those scales first and we are warmed up for the task ahead. Keep us immersed in the word and we will look for great things to happen. Amen! ***author's note: A simple idea, but so important. Staying in touch with the basics of the Bible get us headed in the right direction so we don't have to back track. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=463 At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord. Genesis 4:26 b For the last couple of months the Lovely Susette and I have been following the YAH. You probably already have formed a mental picture of us sitting in a dark, incense-filled room chanting...uh... what do you chant when you chant stuff anyway? Well, that's not what we were doing. No, the YAH that has directed us along some unique paths and really just took over our lives for awhile was a little red circle with a small...I guess you'd call it an arrow or a pointer as a part of it. One of the first things we did every morning was to unplug our HHC, which had been charging overnight, turn it on and rub a finger across it so our fingerprint would be recognized and we could proceed to find out where the YAH would lead us that day. All right, enough already, you are saying. What the heck are you talking about? Okay, it's government talk, well, in a way it is. TLS and I have been working with the United States Census Bureau, helping get things ready for the 2010 Census. As most of you know the Constitution declares that we must take a Census every 10 years. It's the way we find out how many people actually live in America. It is also one of the ways that the Government determines how much Federal funding goes to each state based on the population. Businesses use census information in their developmental strategies. I'm sure there are many other reasons to take a census, but since I was just a temporary guy out there chasing the YAH, I'm not sure what those are. So, here's the deal. In the first stages of the Census you have to find out where people live whether it is in a house, mobile home, boat, retirement home, prison, wherever. So , the enumerators (that's us) are issued an HHC (handheld computer) and given AA's (assignment areas) to verify addresses. These verifications have to be accurate so the census forms can be mailed to the people. OK, so some get their mail at the post office, some live in one state and get mail in another and there are probably as many variations of that as there are grains of sand in my hair, sneakers, and lounge chair when I come home from the beach. But, to keep it simple enough to fit into this one devotion let's just say we were out there with a hand held computer finding out where people live. Now here's where the YAH comes in. Once you pull up your AA on your computer and zoom out to see how far it is from where you actually are then you start driving and the YAH starts moving on your computer in that direction, provided you are going the right way. Those of you who have more modern cars than we do are probably saying that sounds like your GPS (Global Positioning Satellite). A GPS is a constellation of 27 orbiting satellites that will tell you exactly where you are on earth at the moment. Thank you very much...Google! Now here's the deal. YAH stands for You-Are-Here! Cute, huh! So if that little red circle ain't in your AA you are in the wrong place and should not be verifying the addresses there. If you are in the AA and aren't heading in the direction that little pointy thing is aiming at you'll find the YAH going one way and you are going the other. In that situation guess who's going the wrong way, you or the YAH. Yep, you guessed it. So, the YAH pretty much guides your life during your work hours. I'll have to admit the first time I saw YAH I thought they had left off part of the word. All these years of Bible study have conditioned me to think about the whole word YAHWEH which is one of the names for God. So, just as the YAH directs the life of a census worker, YAHWEH directs the life of the believer. Pretty cool, right. There are a lot of different names for God in the Bible, but YAHWEH is one of the most important. In fact, in ancient times the name was considered so sacred that the followers wouldn't even say it. So they wrote it as YHWH, which of course, without any vowels is unpronounceable. YAHWEH actually comes from the verb for "to be" thus as Nelson's Bible Dictionary says it means simply, but profoundly. "He is!" Remember in Exodus 3:14 when Moses wanted to know who he should tell the Israelites sent him to deliver them from slavery. God said: "I am who I am." That meant He was the head honcho. Telling them that "I am" sent him would cause the Israelites "to think of God's absolute supremacy and their unique relationship to Him." (QSB pg 79). That was the only authority they needed. They had their YAH and they needed to follow his directions. Interestingly, I first looked when I up YAHWEH I actually came across the word YAH. The dictionary said that YAH was an abbreviation of the word Jehovah which is a name for God used more frequently in the Bible. Of course there are a lot of other names for God that stem from YAHWEH than just Jehovah. There is Jehovah-Jireh, which translated means "The Lord Will Provide." Also, Jehovah-nissi (The Lord is my Banner); Jehovah-shalom (The Lord is Peace); Jehovah-shammah (The Lord is There) and there are more. So, the Israelites depended on YAHWEH to be their YAH. Whenever they were following His directions they knew that they were in the right place. If they moved out in a direction on their own or took actions unpleasing to Him the YAH was not going the same way they were. This is still true today. If we go in a different direction from our YAH (WEH) we'll get off track, become lost and won't like the end result. Monday Prayer: YAHWEH we ask that you continue to be the YAH who leads us in the right direction and that we are wise enough to follow. Amen! ***Author's note: Look for your YAH so you know where you are, then look to YAHWEH for the way to go. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=461 Therefore this is what the Lord says, "I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape...Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress. Jeremiah 11:11, 14 Is there a time when God simply refuses to hear our prayers?. If we have been very lax in our prayer life and all of a sudden we have a major problem does He say: "Sure, now you come running to me. What about all those other days when I wanted to have a conversation with you, but you were too busy? How about the time I had a job for you to do and you just weren't available? Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not a God of convenience to be called on only in time of trouble." Maybe there are times when even you are bored with your prayers. Maybe it's the same old, same old...delivered without much interest. You think, "Gosh, if this is boring to me, wonder what God thinks about it!" Cheer up. The Quest Study refers to the above scripture in Jeremiah by saying, "God sees, hears and knows everything----including our prayers. Nothing escapes his attention." So, why did God tell Jeremiah, "Forget it. Don't pray for them." Well, this was a special case and judgment was unavoidable. So it was useless for the prophet to pray for them. This had been a long, on-going situation in which Judah had disobeyed God's laws continually and ignored his pleas not to turn to idol worship and refuse to heed his instructions. But, the commentary does point out that there are ways that we can sabotage our own prayers. One of the ways is through sin. Sin is basically anything that separates us from God. If it something puts a wall between us and God it is sin and will certainly not be a thing we could pray about. If it is wrong, hurtful, misguided then this sin will sabotage our prayers because you can't be sinning and praying simultaneously. We pray in order to be close to God, to be in His presence, to be heard and granted wisdom. So when we are thinking bad thoughts how can we expect a Holy God to be listening intently and favorably to our plea? I'm not saying He is not listening because as the QSB said, He sees and hears everything. But, if a prayer is being offered up with a sinful attitude, how can we expect God's favor on that prayer. Sometimes we have doubts that we need dispelled and that's okay. God can handle that. He can help you get over these especially if you just look around and count your blessings...just pause to see all the things you have been favored with. Another way to sabotage your prayers is through disobedience. We all know when we are doing something wrong. If we go ahead and do it anyway, I'm sure that puts a different slant on the way God views those particular prayers. Does God hold these things against us and keep bringing them up everytime we pray. No, I refer you to one of my favorite passages of scripture Micah 7:18. "Who is a God like you who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." One pastor said that when God throws those sins into the deepest part of the ocean he puts up a no fishing sign. Those sins will not be brought to the surface again. They are forgiven and forgotten. But, these are sins we have repented of and asked His forgiveness for. So, sin and disobedience, which is in itself a sin, can damage the effectiveness of our prayer. Prayers can also be sabotaged through hypocrisy and insincerity. In Malachi, 1: 7-9 God calls out the people for, uh...playing dumb. They bring less than their best to him. They were bringing animals to sacrifice that were blind or crippled or in someway defective and keeping the best for themselves. Then they expected God's blessing on their offering. I wonder if we give back to him, grudgingly and as an afterthought, dollars he has put us in a position to earn is that really worthy of praying for God's blessing? Or is it hypocritical and insincere? Praying with the wrong motives can deflect God's favor. In Matthew and Luke we find examples of hypocritical praying. Those who pray, loud and in public like the Pharisees who did so, not to honor God, but to direct attention to themselves. Sometimes our faith is just not strong enough when we pray. James says, (1:6), "But when he asks he must believe not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." Even marital difficulties can sabotage prayer. If we are unkind, or inconsiderate and do not function in a loving manner with our spouse. James says to "be considerate as you live with you wives (husbands) and treat them with respect as heirs with you in the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." That's pretty clear. So, there is really never a time when God doesn't hear your prayers. As I told a congregation in a recent talk I gave, "prayer, at anytime, any place, any length, written, ad lib, delivered after great forethought or spontaneously, quickie prayers, prayers offered up while in your car (but keep your eyes open if you're driving)...all prayers are heard and honored by God." So, the least of our worries is whether God is listening or not. He is! It is just up to us not to sabotage our own prayers by having the wrong attitude, or doing the wrong thing, or lacking faith. In those instances it would be hard for even a loving God to find favor in our prayer. Considering prayer from God's viewpoint is a good starting place. When we do that we will not pray amiss, but our sincere and honest prayers will find favor with the Heavenly Father. Monday Prayer: Lord, thank you for the assurance that you hear all our prayers. It is our desire that our prayers are pleasing to you and will find favor in your sight. Amen! ***Author's note: Think about your prayer life this week and determine to be on God's wave length. You'll have a great week! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=460 This is what the Lord Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you! You have planted much but harvested little... Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!...I am with you, says the Lord So, the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of...the whole remnant of God's people. Haggai 1:6,13 "Encouragement is God's native tongue." How about them apples? Well, you say, "If God is so great at encouraging people why do I feel so discouraged?" Maybe you have periods of time in which you feel heartened, but then something happens and you lapse back into despondency. The inspiration for today's devotion comes from a book recommended by Pastor Erick Ashley, Good Samaritan UMC, Tallahassee. He told our congregation about "The Divine Mentor" by Wayne Cordeiro, senior Pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii.. Of course, all you have to do is mention just about any book that sounds intriguing to me and I'm there. I'll track it down and get a copy. And in following the Pastor's advice I got Cordeiro's book and the accompanying Life Journal. OK, it's true confession time. Maybe this will help you too. Even though I write a lot of stuff, almost daily, in which I draw on scriptures and I'm always alert for ideas that I can incorporate into a devotion or a book that I am writing, I have recently felt something is missing in my daily relationship with God. It wasn't that He wasn't speaking to me each time I looked for scriptures to support a devotional idea. God was always faithful to provide just the right Bible lesson although sometimes he made me dig harder to find it. But, I really didn't feel I was experiencing the personal growth that would enable me to live the way I thought He wanted me to. That is important because only when we are in touch with Him daily concerning our personal life can we do that. It is easy to become stagnated or disoriented and lose our way. Only when He's directing the paths we head down can we experience success and gain peace of mind. So, I opened up Cordeiro's book and read the "native tongue" quote about encouragement. The author followed that up by saying, "But, encouragement without change is like a bicycle with only one pedal. Our participation is required. Encouragement turns into hope when His instructions find our ready acceptance and application." If we want to be encouraged and shake off depression or a feeling of hopelessness we have to do our part. So, I went searching the scriptures for examples of God's encouragement. There are many. But, one that might not come to you immediately is found in the Old Testament book of Haggai. When's the last time you opened your Bible to Haggai and read a little? If you are like me you can't remember a time you did that. Even if you have it probably was because a sermon was being preached on a Sunday morning and the pastor instructed everyone to open to Haggai. Although I can't remember any sermons I've heard on that book either. One idea I immediately encountered in the NLT version of Haggai was in the area called "Mega-themes" with a sub-heading of "right priorities." Here's what it says: "God had given the Jews the assignment to finish (building) the Temple in Jerusalem when they returned from capitivity. After 15 years, they still had not completed it. They were more concerned about building their own homes than finishing God's work. Haggai told them to get their priorities straight." Think about that! Do you have some unfinished business on your plate? Maybe it was something you felt good about when you started, but somewhere along the way you lost your enthusiasm for it. You got side-tracked...too busy with other things. Perhaps, you still feel it's a good thing to do. In the beginning, you even prayed about it and thought it really was God-directed. Well, who lost interest? Was it you or God? If it was truly an assignment or a project from Him, rest assured He wouldn't abandon it. Sure, it might not be easy, but most good things we achieve or receive require effort. A certain amount of stick-to-it-edness must be come into play. An old Georgia-term I used to hear growing up was to have "gumption." I'm not even sure that's a real word, but if it is you could substitute backbone, determination, toughness or similar words for it. If you have gumption you stay the course. You are Noah building an ark or a Paul in prison or a Joseph sold into slavery, even a Daniel in the lion's den. You refuse to be defeated. So, Haggai tells them, "Sure you were all "hot-to-trot" and threw yourself into rebuilding the temple when God rescued you from slavery "Thank you very much, Lord?" Now, look at you 15 years later you are still piddling around. What's up with that? You know, that hit me right between the eyes. I've got writing projects sitting around. When, I started these, after a good deal of prayer, I was enthusiastic. Then, as the reality of working on them every day proved to be hard work my eagerness to approach the task waned, diminished and petered-out. They are still sitting where I left them. Some fresh idea, I was excited about, replaced them. I jumped into this new adventure and soon the degree of difficulty made me put it down and head off on another one. I'm thinking you can identify with that. Don't you feel bad about some things that you haven't completed and just can't get around to finishing? Some day you will, right? When? I think I can tell you when you and I will get back to finishing un-finished business. We will when we get our priorities straight. "So the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai. Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?" That's the key. God's blessings will come...projects will get finished...we'll understand the message He is sending...when we put Him first. I encourage you to find the encouragement you need from digging into God's Word and asking him for the specific message He has there for you. You'll discover it when you do this. Amen! Monday Prayer: Lord, it is so easy for our priorities to get out of whack. Please keep us on track, so we will seek Your will first and gain the encouragement that enables us to do great things. Author's note: I hope you receive the inspiration from this devotion to know that your list of unfinished business is not so intimidating when you rely on the Lord for encouragement. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=454 For I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you HOPE and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 On April 23, 2009 a most unusual event occurred in these dire times. On that Thursday evening over one million people in more than 6,000 locations watched a live video streaming event, from Oklahoma City, featuring Dave Ramsey called "Town Hall for Hope" The unusual thing about this was the positive, refuse-to-give-in-to-fear approach Ramsey has espoused during the current recession and hard times facing America. Ramsey, a radio host and financial genius who has helped millions of people defeat debt and get back on their feet during these hard times, is all about not letting fear bring you down. Dave says that FEAR stands for False, Evidence, Appearing, Real. Frequently Ramsey refers to Bible scriptures to make his point and in addressing the fear factor he said, "fear is not a fruit of the spirit." He added, "fear is the enemy of hope." There is so much negativity in the news these days that Ramsey is kind of like a voice in the wilderness preaching hope and encouragement instead of gloom and doom. While the current recession is being blamed for a lot of ills Ramsey encourages people to simply say, "I'm not participating in the recession." He urges people to do three things. First, Dave wants people to "get up and take action." Second, he says, "stop listening to loser talk." The third thing he proposed as a cure for the current conditions is to start giving. Point one about taking action refers to not settling for being a victim. He says to choose activity, rather than giving up and just letting things happen to you. Dave wants people to take control of their personal money and follow the steps he outlines in his books and Financial Peace University course. These have helped thousands get out of debt, establish a plan and gain their financial footing. Ramsey says to get informed about what's happening in the economy and hold your representatives in Congress accountable. Write letters...emails...text messages however you choose to make your views known. His second point, about avoiding loser talk, is to inject positive messages and ideas filled with hope in the conversations you become involved in about the economy. Refuse to get involved in all the whiny, negative, poor-little-old me talk. The final point about giving is something that Ramsey believes is very important. He says, "when you give you take your eyes off of yourself." One of the major prophets in the Old Testament who faced a somewhat similar situation to Dave Ramsey's was Jeremiah. For 40 years he served as God's spokesman to Judah, the southern kingdom after the nation of Israel split into two kingdoms. Judah was quickly sliding toward destruction. They had disobeyed and rejected God's instructions. So, "Jeremiah wrote a letter to the captives in Babylon to the elders, priests, prophets and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzer (Jeremiah 29:1). He instructed them to move ahead with their lives, to stop bemoaning their predicament and to pray for the pagan nation that had captured them. The NLT Bible (pg 1156) comes to the same conclusion Dave Ramsey pointed out. "Life cannot grind to a halt during troubled times. In an unpleasant or distressing situation we must adjust and keep moving. You may find it difficult to pray if you are under the authority of evil people." During those times yit is hard to pray for those who are oppressing you. "But that is when your prayers are most needed." NLT says "When you enter times of trouble or sudden change, pray diligently and move ahead, doing whatever you can rather than giving up because of fear and uncertainty. It is in this letter Jeremiah penned the scripture that has provided me a lot of comfort and peace of mind over the past few years, since FSU women's basketball coach Sue Semrau introduced me to it. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." God doesn't wants us to fail. He has not set us up to do so. But, the way that we become more closely attuned to His plan, is to pray, then roll up our sleeves and get to work. You might be thinking, "I'd like to but I lost my job during this recession." Dave Ramsey is encouraging you not to give up, but to leave no stone unturned in finding a place where your talents can be used. Being pro-active and creative can lead to good things. If nothing else just the activity will help your feelings. Jeremiah was saying the same thing. God has plans for us, but sometimes they take a hit because of a variety of factors often involving other people. But, he was telling the people to hang in there, not give up and to keep working. The NLT commentary on Jeremiah says, that "unfortunately when Jeremiah spoke nobody listened." People wanted to do things their own way, so God let them be taken into captiivity. But, that didn't mean He didn't still care about them. Dave Ramsey is telling us not to despair, we have "a new season of hope." But, as it was with Jeremiah, there are a lot of folks who are not listening and would rather concentrate on placing blame and feeling bad for themselves than doing something about it. But, for those who do heed the positive approach instead of dwelling on all the bad things that have been and are happening there will truly be a "new season of hope." Monday Prayer: Lord as we begin this new season of hope may we take a fresh approach. One that will keep us positive, active and giving in our actions so that we may embrace a new season of hope. *** Author's note: Why not let that new season of hope begin in your life right now?. Think positive, be hopeful and stay in touch with your Heavenly Father. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=452 You say, "I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. Psalm 75:2 "Time is of the essence." "That was right on time." "Well, it's about time." Stop and think about how many different sayings you've heard and use concerning the subject of time. Time seems to dictate how and when we do things. If a meeting is scheduled to start at 8 o'clock and we don't get there until 8:15 it will start without us. First pitch, kickoff or tipoff are scheduled to happen at a specific time. If we're not there, even if we have purchased front row seats (as if that were possible---unless of course we are celebrities) then they will start without us. Of course television dictates those strict starting times for athletic events. It TV says start the game at 2 a.m. then, that's when they start it whether anybody is watching or not. Everything has a starting time. Weddings, church services, trials, and even funerals are scheduled to begin at a certain time. No wonder I feel pressed for time so often. It's a feeling I don't really like. I'm the kind of guy who likes to get places ahead of time. I want to have a little time to find my seat, look around experience the atmosphere. Then, I'm ready to enjoy the event, when it gets started, right on time. Now, the Lovely Susette, that's another story! She's always trying to get one more thing done. Consequently she often rushes in at the last second. Or if there is an unexpected traffic tie up, or an extra long red light (can you say Tallahassee) or any unexpected happening she might be late. I have to admit, however, she's gotten better at getting ready ahead of time and meeting our D-O-D (Driving out of the driveway) deadline. But, I think that's mostly because she's trying to honor my wishes. Notice all the qualifying words I used such as "often;" "might be;" and "I think." That's because I read these devotions to TLS, for her feedback, and I don't want to get in trouble. But, the fact is that we all feel "pressed for time." It wouldn't matter if the Lord gave us a special dispensation and added more hours to the day─I have a feeling that even more things would crop up that would command our attention and we would still be pressed for time. Children have the most difficulty with the concept of time. Tell them to wait a little while before it is time to go or it will be time to do something, then seconds later they'll ask "is it time yet?" On a trip, when the kids used to ask: "Are we there yet? or "How much longer before we will be there?" Susette always had a stock answer. "About an hour," she would say. The kids had no conception of how long an hour was anyway, so it didn't really matter what they were told. And of course there is this statement. "Time doesn't matter to God." Well, maybe that is not entirely true. I'm sure He created the concept of time for our benefit so we could have some order in our lives. He certainly didn't need it. He created a universe that has run in an orderly fashion since the "beginning of time" to use another familiar phrase. So things happen when God decrees they will happen, not when we, in our limited knowledge think they should happen. Psalm 75:2 says: "You say, "I choose the appointed time, it is I who judge uprightly. The NLT commentary (pg 986) says "As limited human beings, we can't understand God's perspective about time. We want everything now, unaware that God's timing is better. When God is ready He will do what needs to be done, not what we would like Him to do. We may be as impatient as children, but we must not doubt the wisdom of God's timing. Wait for God to reveal His plan, Don't take matters into your own hands." Sometimes we are like the little kids in the back seat of the car on a trip. We are impatient to have things happen. We want to rush God's plan along. "Are we there yet?" we wonder. And if we aren't there yet, we wonder what's taking God so long to get us there. But, God's timing is always perfect. If we aren't getting to our desired place in life fast enough there is a reason. Maybe we need to learn more, grow more or have a change of heart. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what is best for us, even when we don't. Sometimes he holds us back and enables us to gain success in the future in spite of ourselves. But, rest assured, God does have a plan, and it does involve time. Ephesians 1:9-10 reads: "God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ designed long ago according to His good pleasure. And this is His plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ─everything in heaven and on earth. The NLT commentary says: "Many people still do not understand God's plan; but at the right time, he will bring us together to be with Him forever. Then, everyone will understand." Sometimes we wonder when God is going to bring about something in our lives. We ask and he says "In about an hour." But, keep in mind that God doesn't view time in the same perspective that we do. The One who created time, who holds eternity in the palm of his hand, doesn't look at time the same way we do. So, "about an hour" from God may seem as long to us as that hour seems to the kids in the back seat of the car on a trip. It could seem like an eternity and maybe it is because we, not God, are the ones who are always "pressed for time." Monday Prayer: Lord, grant us the patience and wisdom to know that time is only important from an earthly perspective. May we understand that the concept of time from your viewpoint is what is important and help us not to rush ahead of where you would have us be at this point in time. Amen! ***Author's note: I hope that you will feel less "pressed for time" this week, and more -willing to await God's leadership in time-related action. Have a great week! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=447 Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against Him. Ephesians 4:18 Jesus said to the people, " I am the light of the world. If you follow me,you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12 Once I was driving on a mountain road in bright daylight. It was a beautiful day and I was enjoying the scenery , looking at all the mountain wildflowers and various shapes and sizes of the rocks on the steep slopes. Obviously I was not paying close enough attention to the road signs or I would have seen the one indicating there was a tunnel ahead. Before I realized it I had gone from bright sunshine into pitch black darkness. I was seized with a sense of shock and almost panicked until logic prevailed. As I fumbled around on the dashboard trying to locate the lights (it was a new car and I hadn't driven it that much) I realized I was in danger of crashing into one of the tunnel's walls as, trapped in the darkness, I had no sense of space. I couldn't tell if I was in the middle of the road or near a wall. So, after the shock wore off, I did the smart thing and stopped the car, fully aware that if another car came barreling into that tunnel the crash could take us both out of there. So, pick your poison---crash into a wall or risk getting hit a by another vehicle. Fortunately, I found the lights (right where they had always been) turned them on and drove safely out of there. Although I will admit that was right leg was shaking a little and felt weak as I pushed down on the accelerator. But, I certainly gained a great appreciation for the saying that we casually toss about, "I can see light at the end of the tunnel." Coming from the darkness into the light is an exhilarating feeling in any area of your life. It could be a dark depression you are experiencing. This could have been brought on by any of a variety of reasons. Could be illness. Perhaps, financial. Maybe it was relationship oriented. But, when things are worked out. When you finally glimpse the light in the form of new understanding, a new environment or just a greater understanding that life goes on, then you began feeling positive about things again. This past weekend we celebrated the culmination of Holy Week. On Good Friday our church held a Tennebrae service. Tennebrae means "shadows" in Latin. Everything about the service is dark. It is not intended to be uplifting. Tennebrae is not a happy service. Our pastors Betsy Ouellette and Erick Ashley were dressed in black robes. The readers and singers were attired in all-black as well. The lights were very dim. Up front their were a number of candles which Pastor Betsy lit to begin the service. The number of candles was equal to the number of readings, concerning the betrayal, abandonment and crucifixion of Jesus. As each reader read his or her part they would extinguish a candle. Finally, the only lighted candle remaining was the Christ candle. Then, as the pastor read the closing verses about the death on the cross of the Lord, she extinguished the final candle. There was no light. There was no happiness; only despair. The congregation left the building quietly. The hushed silence revealing that people had been moved by what they had heard and seen. It was the old, old story revisited. Especially touching was the Samaritones' (Worship Band) solemn, but lovely singing of "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" As the congregants gathered outside one lady said: "I kept wanting them to tell the rest of the story." But, all would have to continue waiting until the third day when the story of His resurrection would be unveiled on Easter Sunday. This year our Easter Service was held in a large tent on the church grounds. There was plenty of sunshine and light. Spring flowers were visible. The Easter lilies, placed in the tent to commemorate and honor loved ones who had passed on, were beautiful. This was a happy service! There was joy in singing and hearing how "He arose." There was pride and pleasure and thankfulness in closing the service with the pastor saying, "He is risen" and the congregation responding: "He is risen indeed!" This proclamation was repeated three times with each one getting louder until the final one was a shout! The world had emerged from the darkness into the light. Jesus had proven that He was "the way, the truth and the light." Not all accept that. Those who don't remain lost in darkness. But, when one who was in the darkness does see the light there is cause for rejoicing. A life is changed. No longer does darkness cover them; they can now come out of that tunnel of darkness, breathe deeply and enjoy the sunshine and the life that is a gift from God. It's a new life. In Ephesians 4:18 Paul says those who close their minds to this story of resurrection and new life are "full of darkness." They have "shut their minds" and "hardened their hearts." Sometimes even as believers we slip and fall into the darkness as we shut our minds and take a hard hearted approach instead of a loving one. But Jesus tells us the good news about that. We are not doomed to the darkness of anger, depression or hardness of heart. He says in John 8:12: "I am the light of the world. If you follow me you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." We are no longer doomed to darkness. We can come into the light and enjoy life because. "He is risen indeed!" Monday Prayer: Thank you Lord for the sacrifice You made so that we might escape the darkness and bask in the light of a wonderful life. Amen! ***Author: Let the sun shine on you and in your heart this week as you rejoice because of the risen Savior! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=445 The rain continued to fall for 40 days and 40 nights. Genesis 7:12 Last week in Florida's Capital City we could certainly see why Noah was very fortunate that God instructed him to build an ark. A couple of stormy weeks enabled us to practically overcome the entire year's water deficit. In fact, as I'm writing these opening paragraphs I was looking out of the office window, which is located in our carriage house on the second floor, and I could hardly see the house from where I was because it was raining so hard. Had to shut down the computer once due to brief power outages. The wild winds were even blowing the limbs of the stately oaks about at will. More disconcerting was the internet weather report I read before shutting down the computer. It said that a tornado had been spotted 17 miles from Bainbridge, GA which is only 30 to 40 miles from Tallahassee. Unlike Noah we did not go out and build an ark. We had no pre-storm warning from God like Noah had. All we had was radar. Noah had Heavenly Radar─that's better. With our radar we could never tell that it would rain for 40 days straight. But, we do know from reading the Bible that God has promised not to destroy the earth again by flooding. He's taken that one out of His bag of tricks. But, as we think about the weather, especially during a storm, we realize that it can really have an impact on our lives. The best laid plans can be thwarted by inclement weather. It affects our moods, our actions, even our patience at times. In dealing with weather diversions,the old saying expresses it best when it says to "just go with the flow." Obviously weather is something we have no control over. We must just accept it. Not let it defeat us. Choose alternate plans that are productive. When I had to shut the computer down I started writing my thoughts for this devotion in long hand. Yes, there are still things like pens, pencils and pads around. Then when electricity was re-gained it was a simple procedure to type all of it in. Of course, if you have a laptop you could put it on "battery" and keep typing. Or perhaps you could just take a nap! Anyway, back in Noah's day there was such an explosion of evil that God could not abide it any longer. He decided that he would destroy the earth by a flood and start over from scratch, with the exception of any righteous men, He could find. They would be spared. Unfortunately only Noah and his family qualified. Now, does this mean God was admitting that He made a mistake and He regretted creating humanity? The NLT Bible (pg16) says "No. God does not change his mind (1 Samuel 15:29). Instead, He was expressing sorrow for what the people had done to themselves, as a parent might express sorrow over a rebellious child. God was sorry that the people chose sin and death instead of a relationship with Him." But, being a fair and just God, he decided to first see if there was even one righteous man left on earth. He saw Noah. Does this mean that Noah was sinless? No! Back to the NLT. "To say Noah was righteous and blameless does not mean that he never sinned. Rather it means that he wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God. For a lifetime he walked step by step in faith as a living example to his generation. Like Noah, we live in a world filled with evil. We are influencing others or being influenced by them. So, that's good news. Even Noah sinned and God saved him. If that weren't the case I'm sure I would have lost out long ago. But, if we walk in faith, believing that God loves us and we are trying to do the right things, then God won't condemn us when we slip and make a mis-step. The more we try to honor Him and do the things He is calling us to do, the fewer mis-steps we will make. So, God saw that Noah was trying, in the midst of all this evil, to do the right things. Honoring that, God told Noah to build an ark. Now this wasn't any small undertaking. The boat He was told to build─and God gave him detailed instructions─was to be the length of one-and-a-half football fields and as high as a four-story building. It was definitely the Titanic of it's day, with one exception. Noah's ark was unsinkable because it was built to God's specifications. If we are building a life according to God's specifications we are in good shape. It's when we take those shortcuts, without determining if they are in His will, that we get into trouble. We use shoddy material, not building those dreams high enough or long enough. God has better things in store for us, just like He did for Noah. Despite the fact that they hadn't had much rain and none was in sight, Noah began to build an ark under cloudless skies. He did as God commanded and got right to work. The NLT says: "other people must have been warned about the coming flood, but they didn't expect it to happen. Today, things haven't changed much. Each day thousands of people are warned of God's inevitable judgment, yet most of them don't really believe it will happen. But, remember God's promise to Noah to keep him safe. This can inspire you to trust God for deliverance in the judgment that is sure to come." We have confidence, even in the midst of stormy times, that God will protect us. When it seems that we are flooded out and we feel despair and discouragement, one day soon, we will wake up to a beautiful sunny day. Than, once again God's glory will be revealed and we will remember how much He loves us. Monday Prayer: Lord thank you for the rainbow at the end of the storm. Your eternal promise that You will find favor with those who honor You and try to live as You want us to, encourages us and directs us to a better life. Amen! ***Author's note: Enjoy your week. No matter if it rains or the sun shines, God still loves you. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=443 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Psalm 32:8 Lately, for our morning devotional time together, The Lovely Susette and I have been renewing our acquaintance with some of the devotions in my 2002 book, "Monday Morning Devotions." For us it is kind of a refreshing and fun exercise because it takes us back to an early time in our relationship and we experience each of these together again. It is interesting to recall where we were, what was going on in our lives and where we were in our spiritual life at the time the Lord directed me to write that book of Devotions. Let me share one of the true stories from Chapter 40: "If it Ain't Broke Fix it." Looking at this chapter again and then processing the information in light of things that God has brought to pass in my life since then. It shows me just how God works His plan out in our lives. Quoting from that chapter: "Our title this morning says the opposite (of the one you usually hear). We've changed it to read: ‘If it ain't broke FIX it." Maybe your life is going along just fine. Things can always get better. Only one person has ever lived the perfect life. Sometimes our lives might not be broken. We might not be morally and spiritually bankrupt. We're good people. We're trying to do the right things. We aren't leading broken lives, so we don't need fixing in the sense of a major overhaul. We may just need some minor repairs." "It's like a problem I had with my car. I started hearing a little high pitched noise. Actually even farther back than that a friend had heard it and brought it to my attention. This person has super-sensitive hearing and frequently hears noises I don't even hear. But, since she has great hearing and mine is less than stellar, we usually disagree about the noise. When it is something to do with the car, I always try to downplay it. I'll say something brilliantly stupid like, ‘Oh, that's just engine noise. Car motors just naturally make a certain amount of noise. It comes with the territory.' " "But, when a friend, with excellent hearing, hears a different noise, it hardly ever is just engine noise. It usually means I've got a developing problem. In other words, ‘it ain't broke, but I'd better fix it,' or it will be." "As I have said before the only thing I know about cars is when you turn the ignition key on it's supposed to work. So, when it doesn't do that I have to do some figuring. I always hate it when I must take the car to the service department and tell them, ‘I've got a funny noise I want you to check out.' Because, invariably, when I get the car in front of a mechanic the noise will stop.' Then, he's liable to say something brilliant like, ‘That was probably just engine noise' (because he can't hear anything). Then he'll add. ‘There's a certain amount of noise a car's motor makes. This is some of that.' " "Notice how when the mechanic says that it sounds like a brilliant deduction. When I said it to another person it just sounded dumb. Sounds like a cop-out. But, this time when I took it to the mechanic he heard the noise and said, ‘That's your indicators.' "Oh, okay. Now, I didn't want to sound too illiterate, but I had to ask, ‘indicators for what?' Apparently those indicators start making a high pitched noise, one that only a friend with good hearing could discern, when the brake pads start wearing thin." "Now if that situation isn't tended to soon, the pads will wear out and you'll have metal on metal, when you try to stop your car. Then' you'll have a real problem cause you could have to not only replace the brake pads, but a rotor as well. We're taking major expense here." So, no matter how much I want to ignore the developing problem by taking an ‘if it it ain't brokedon't fix it attitude,' I really have to think "if it ain't broke (do) fix it" because if I don't it really is going to be broke(n). So it means I have to take the time and trouble, to say nothing of the expense, to get it fixed. But, wait a minute...what expense? What about the warranty? This is a lease car, I've had it less that two-years. Surely the warranty covers that. Wrong! On brakes the warranty only covers the first 12,000 miles." The point to apply to our daily lives is this. Our lives can be going along smoothly and everything looks great from the outside to those who can't hear the indicators. So, what are the indicators in your life? Are you tuned into those so you can avoid the major, metal-on-metal type of problems. Our associate pastor Erick Ashley made a good point in church this past Sunday. We are studying John Wesley's "3 Simple Rules" which are: 1) Do No Harm 2) Do Good and 3) Stay in Love with God. Erick said those rules probably should be inverted. He said "staying in love with God" is the most important." That way we are in tune with His plan and follow his directions. Otherwise we could get so caught up in trying to Do No Harm and Doing God that we burn out and have nothing left for God. Erick suggested picking a time, each day, when we are at our best, to get closer to God and His plan for us. This would be a time...30 minutes or so...when we read the Bible, pray, and write down in a journal what God reveals to us. By doing this we not only stay in love with God, but we can go back and look at times and circumstances, review where we were and see what has changed, There we will find indicators that will show us how to fix it even if it ain't broke, but could soon be. Monday Prayer: Lord help us to be aware of the indicators you give us that trouble could be coming, but can be avoided by our staying in love with and close to You! Amen.*** Author's note: Stay alert for those indicators this week. They will help you make the right decisions...ones that honor God and fit His plan for you. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=441 "...I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious─the best not the worse; the beautiful, not the ugly' things to praise not things to curse." Philippians 4 :8 (The Message) Anybody ever ask you, "What's on your mind?" Maybe you just had that intense look on your face and they could smell the sawdust burning. J So, did you give them a truthful answer? Or simply give the usual reply: "Nothing, really." Well, you can't have nothing on your mind. There is not a time, that I know of, when you are not thinking about something. Okay, so you don't have to share your thoughts if you don't want to. People ask, at their own risk, when they question what you are thinking about. Yet we are always thinking about something. As a little boy once described it: "Thinking is when your mouth stays shut and your head keeps talking to itself." Perhaps one of the most familiar and profound statements about thinking was uttered by the Philospher Descartes who said: "I think therefore I am." In my book "Monday Morning Devotions" (MMD) published in 2002, Chapter 36 was entitled: "Think About What You are Thinking About." In it I quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote: "A man is what he thinks about all day long." Since we tend to actually "become precisely like" what we are thinking about or imagining ourselves to be then we can deduce that thoughts are things that actually possess dynamic power. Our thoughts control our actions and our actions tell the world a lot about who we are and how we think. Also in MMD, Norman Vincent Peale is quoted in his landmark book "The Power of Positive Thinking." Peale wrote "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." Human beings are able to store and retrieve information to reason and solve problems. So our thought process, according to Wikipedia, involves reasoning which is the way we use our knowledge to "draw conclusions or infer something." Problem solving is "finding a solution to an unfamiliar task using the knowledge we have." For example, The Lovely Susette just told me that our garbage disposal is stopped up. It was a simple process for me to figure out a solution. Reasoning out what to do based on my long proven tag of being "mechanically brain dead", I was able to solve the problem by suggesting that we call a plumber. Then, I could go back to thinking about things I could personally take care of without worrying about a plumbing problem I had no idea how to fix. Paul was writing to the church at Philippi to thank them for their thoughtfulness. They had sent Paul some money to help offset expenses as he awaited trial for preaching the Gospel message. He also wanted to encourage them to stick together and maintain unity. Paul realized that divisiveness begins in the mind. So he was dispensing advice and exhorting them to guard their thought processes carefully and to put positive things in their minds. In this way a lot of strife would be avoided. When Paul encouraged them to think lovely thoughts. The QSB says: "Paul is not thinking about fleeting impressions that invade our thinking. Thoughts of temptation or discouragement can come unannounced . But we can discipline ourselves making conscious choices to contemplate good things. Reading Bible verses, for example, or listing God's attributes can get us on the right track." Several years ago Dr. Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral wrote a book called "Power Thoughts." Schuller believes that what we think will govern how much we accomplish so he says, "Power Thinking is acting like we are what we would like to be! It sees the fun, the humor in life." Schuller says that "We are as likely to act ourselves into a way of thinking and feeling as we are to feel ourselves into a new way of acting." So we are cautioned that sometimes we may act on the spur of the moment. Once we have acted then we might have to rearrange our thoughts to back up our actions. If we are used to thinking in a positive manner it is likely that these kinds of acts that come out of nowhere will be good ones. Obviously there is a lot of interaction between what we say and what we do. Most of the time we do what we think about. William B. Given Jr. (in "Quotable Quotations") had this little warning about thought power. "Don't let yourself say or even think, "I am busy," "I haven't time," "I am tired." This makes you feel busier, or more rushed, or more tired than you actually are." I guess that takes us back to the old power-of-positive-thinking principle. Or in this case the power of negative thinking. It behooves us to monitor our thinking and redirect the negatives into a more positive mode. As Betty Sachelli (in "Quotoable Quotations) pointed out. "Two thoughts cannot occupy the mind at the same time, so the choice is ours as to whether our thoughts will be constructive or destructive." This self-examination should include things like what we read, the conversations we have, relationships we foster, i.e. anything we put time into because these things will occupy our minds and govern our thinking at least for the time frame in which they occur. Some will change us as people and as thinkers. Let's make those changes positive ones. And some will just reinforce our thinking which hopefully was on the right track. So, it is very important to think about what in the world we are thinking about. But, there is one comforting thought about thinking. As Charles Kettering said: "Thinking is one thing no one has ever been able to tax!" Amen! Monday Prayer: Lord help us in taking this to heart and pausing to think about the things that occupy our minds. We pray that we'll be able to focus on the positive, the uplifting and the lovely thoughts thereby limiting and erasing the negative thoughts that would defeat us. Amen! ***Author's note: Well there's food for thought. Not very often do I consciously try to redirect my thinking. Maybe if we start doing that this week it will become a habit and we'll benefit from it in a lot of ways. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=436 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good... Genesis 50:20 The best bumper sticker I've seen recently was one that challenges us to "Just say "no" to negativity." Isn't that great! I like it! Boy, everywhere you turn these days you see negative things in abundance. People are down. Jobs have been lost. The stock market has tanked. Gas prices skyrocketed. We remain in a recession. Food costs are soaring. The cost of health care is beyond soaring. Wars continue. It is very easy to develop a negative mindset. With all the bad things going on how do we say "no' to negativity? One of the best ways is to focus on where we want to be instead of getting mired in where we are. It's easy to get bogged down and lose sight of our goals; let our hopes fade and our dreams get dashed. It's hard to put aside the misery and remember what things were like in better times. At first, when bad things happen, we can still remember the good times. But, if they continue..if you get up everyday and see your bank account dwindling; your life savings diminishing or having to be used to pay bills..then the longer the problems exist the harder it is to recall those more carefree days. That's just one example and I use it because financial concerns are on a lot of folks minds presently. Now, do I have an answer as to how to make all this go away? I wish I did. But, I do know this. When we get through it we'll be stronger...we'll be more appreciative of things we take for granted...and yes, we will be better off. The bad will turn into good. Let me give you an example. Last week The Lovely Susette (TLS) and I were struck with a vicious virus. (So, why did I get a flu shot. Sure didn't help me avoid this one.) This was unlike anything I had experienced. Now, TLS and I have been blessed with great health and we are truly thankful for that. In fact, having undergone this recent experience we are even more appreciative and careful to thank God for the blessing of health. But, it was hard to recall what it was like to feel good, even though that has been the case for most of our lives. When, you have to literally run to the bathroom and experience explosive...uh, throwing-up (sorry, I know this isn't a pretty picture but it makes a point) then that's about all you can think about. It was almost a week before TLS and I could really even eat a decent meal without fearing repercussions. Still can't enjoy a cup of coffee. Used to like smelling coffee brewing in the morning, not now. But, before Starbucks starts getting worried, let me hasten to add that I have not made a vow to give up coffee. So, what is the good tah came from this bad thing...this week of sickness? Well, it caused me to take a look at my health habits. It caused me to think differently about salads, fruits, nuts, and drinking lots of water. Sure, I had heard nutrionists talk about those things before...yada, yada, yada. Then I'd snack during the day on candy, potato chips, etc. Never ate fruit. Okay, I'd eat half of the obligatory salad that came with dinner. Guess what? In just 10 days of simply paying attention to what I'm eating and trying to eath healthy, I feel better than I have in years. Energy level is up. Positivity abounds. This is a very good thing that has come out of a really bad thing. Same old problems are around. Having to watch every nickel we spend in a tough economy with business being down. Still looking for just the right publisher or agent for the book I've written. Susette's interior design business, like just about every business in today's economy, has felt the pinch. But, you know what my mindset is just so positive that I am able to say "no" to "negativity." You say fine. That and a buck will buy you a cup of coffee somewhere. Well. let's review an old familiar story for more positive reinforcement. It's one in which harm was deliberately intended, but the end result was absolute victory for the victim. Remember the story of Joseph, the father's favorite, in the book of Genesis. His brothers were jealous, hated him, sold him into slavery to a caravan of traders who hauled him off to Egypt. Of course, because Joseph just said no-to-negativity he really made something of himself despite the circumstances. He was so successful that he became governor. Then, when the famine hit and Joseph's brothers had to come to Egypt to buy the only grain that was around they had know way of knowing they would come face-to-face with the brother they had betrayed. After making them jump through some hoops Joseph did reveal who he was. Oops! They immediately fell on their knees fearing imprisonment which they deserved or even execution. Now here's the amazing thing. Joseph did not reap revenge on them. He saw the big picture and said: "Do not be distressed for sending me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. (Gen. 45:5) So then it was not you who sent me here, but God."(vs 8) QSB says, "...the brothers did not have to treat Joseph wrongly for God to do what he desired. God's options are infinite. We can now understand Joseph's story in light of Romans 8:28 "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God can take the bad and turn it into good. Trust Him. Keep your chin up and your faith strong. Take the little victories as you find them each day and do as Dr. Robert Schuller says' "turn those hurts into halos and scars into stars." God is a Master at turning bad into good! Monday Prayer: Lord, as a people we are hurting in many ways. Still we are abundantly blessed. We look forward with great anticipation to joyfully experiencing the good times that will follow the bad ones. Amen! ***Author's note: Keep on hanging tough. Remember God plus "one" equals a majority and that "one" is you. :) Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=433 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosover believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 93 million is an extremely large number. I can't even envision what it would look like to see 93 million of anything in anyplace at the same time. That's why it was astounding to me to hear that 93 million people didn't know THE most familiar verse of scripture in the Bible: John 3:16. It has become such a universally known verse that people often just refer to it as 3:16 without even prefacing it with the name of the New Testament book and other believers immediately know what they are talking about. What brings this up is that recently the Florida Legislature and Governor Charlie Christ had a special day of recognition for the University of Florida's national championship football team. The Gators were led by QB Tim Tebow, a very strong Christian, whose parents are missionaries to the Philippines. Tim has assisted them in the mission field since an early age. Tebow has become an exceptional athlete as well. He has now played on two national championship teams and won a Heisman Trophy. But, despite all the accolades heaped upon him he has always given credit to the Lord for blessing him with talent and granting him success. One of the things that Tebow does to point attention to the importance of his faith is to write a scripture on the eye black that players wear under their eyes to cut down glare and aid their vision during a game.. When the television cameras focus close up on him in uniform on the playing field this scripture is clearly visible. During the season Tebow had worn a different verse: Philippians 4:13. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But, Florida Coach Urban Meyer told the Legislature that Tebow changed it for the National Championship Game to John 3:16. As a result of that apparently 93 million people "googled" that verse to see what it said. If you are like me you can't remember a time in your life when you couldn't recite from memory. 3:16. It is the first verse I remember learning as a child in Sunday School. It is probably the most recognized verse of scripture in the Bible. And of course the Bible is the all-time mega-best selling book in history. No other book even comes close or has even nearly as many editions. In fact, more pages on more books have been devoted to Jesus Christ than to any person whoever lived. It is as astounding to me as it was to Tim Tebow that 93 million people had to go on-line on the internet to find out what this scripture said. Is that an eye opener for us as believers? As Christians, especially those who grew up in the church and it has always been a part of our lives, we just kind of assume that everybody knows what we believe. Everybody knows about Jesus, right? Apparently not if that many people had never heard the most important verse about Him. John 3:16 says a lot in that one sentence. It is about love, trust, faith and hope. God's love for us is so great that He was willing to give up His only Son for our future. So this verse points out the importance of our accepting that gift and trusting Him as the way to our salvation. It is a verse that gives us hope for the future, no matter how dark the times we are going through might seem. We accept all this on faith and it continues to sustain us and give stability to our lives. The NLT Bible puts it this way: "To ‘believe' is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in Him that He alone can save us. It is to put Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. Believing is both trusting His words as reliable, and relying on Him for the power to change." This Son has impacted more lives than any other person. Phillip Yancey, noted Christian writer, has a book called "The Jesus I Never Knew." Yancey notes how his relationship with Jesus has changed over the years. His book begins this way: "I first got acquainted with Jesus when I was a child, singing ‘Jesus Loves Me' in Sunday School, addressing bedtime prayers to ‘Dear Lord Jesus,' watching Bible Club teachers move cutout figures across a flannelgraph board. I associated Jesus with Kool-Aid and sugar cookies and gold stars for good attendance." Yancey goes on to say as an adult looking back on his Sunday School image of Jesus was one of "someone kind and reassuring, with no sharp edges at all─a Mister Rogers before the age of children's television. As a child I felt comforted by such a person." In Bible College he encountered more of a Cosmic Christ who he was urged to develop "a personal relationship with." Despite all this he admits that Jesus grew more remote from him. As the years passed by Yancey's picture of Jesus and his relationship with him continued to change. Each person's individual relationship with Jesus is different as they view Him in a context that fits for them. Norm Evans, former Miami Dophins lineman wrote in his book On God's Squad "I guarantee you Christ would be the toughest guy who ever played the game. If he were alive today I would picture a 6'6", 260 pound defensive tackle who would always make the big plays and would be hard to keep out of the backfield for offensive linemen like myself." Former Major League pitcher Fritz Peterson views Jesus as a player who "...if Jesus Christ was sliding into second base would knock the second baseman into left field to break up the double play." Yancey says the more he studied Jesus the more impossible it became to pigeon hole him. He concludes: "Inevitably a search for Jesus turns out to be ones own search. No one who meets Jesus ever stays the same." That's why Tim Tebow, rightfully, feels compelled to attract the attention of "The 93 Million" to John 3:16. Prayer: Lord Jesus we seek to know you better and thank you for those who have great public influence, like Tim Tebow, and are unafraid to proclaim you as their guiding light. Help each of us to examine our own sphere of influence and do the same. Amen! ***Author's note: Each day we have an opportunity to let the love of Christ shine through us. Let's do it! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=432 Publish His glorious deed among the nations; tell everyone about the amazing things He does! Psalm 96:3 According to the Writer's Digest Magazine website (http://www.writersdigest.com/ ) if you type the word "writer" into the Google search engine "it will bring up an astonishing 243-million websites." Wow! There sure are a lot of writers out there! But, the fact is that we are all writers, of a sort. In fact, the older we get the more all of us write because we discover if we don't write important things down we...uh, let's see, where was I going with this? Oh yeah, we forget them...without a written reminder. :) So, yes there is a whole lot of writing going on and you don't even have to be good at it to write. With the advent of email people found that they could get messages to others even more quickly than placing a phone call by simply composing a brief email and sending it to them. They would receive it almost instantaneously on their computers. We are spending more time on our computers now than ever before. You don't get sidetracked by a long conversation that takes you away from other stuff when you send an email. Text messaging, available from cell phones, is becoming more popular. People use a special language people to keep the message brief...such as using "U" for "you." This gets their message across in a time saving manner and because of the special "you have a text message ring" the receiving party is instantly notified that your written message is there. This is attractive to people who are in a hurry (aren't we all?) and they aren't interested in forwarding a perfectly written, grammatically correct, smartly punctuated message. Just the facts! I love to write! I hate to write! Contradictory statements? Well, yes and no. When the thoughts are coming so fast I can't get them down quickly enough and I get excited about what I'm writing, I love to write. When, I am struggling with a topic and just can't get into it, then writing ain't so much fun. I can think of lots of things I'd rather be doing. But, since I chose to become a professional writer several years ago I have to write whether it's fun and exciting or depressing and prosaic. The other day I was sitting around analyzing where my life is headed. I started by examining what I spend most of my time doing. In so doing, it occurred to me that I spend a major part of my time reading, writing, or reading about writing. The good thing about this is that I can consider myself working even if I'm reading a good book. As a writer your world is influenced by the things you read. The techniques, styles, plots, characters and formats used successfully by others help shape your own writing personality. For years I had wanted to be a writer, but the thing that prompted me get out of radio and into writing is addressed in Psalm 96:3. "Publish His glorious deed among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He Does." Sure I wanted to ─forgive this oldest, most unimaginative cliché─"write the Great American Novel." I realize, by using lines like that one, I would never pen the Blockbuster book I desired to write. What happened is I began writing life experiences based on the Bible. Since most of my involvement had been in sports─playing, watching, broadcasting and talking about games─a lot of what I wrote was sports-themed. But, more of it than I had anticipated was religious, or faith-themed as well. Slowly, I began to realize this might be a little niche I could fit in. By being a sportscaster on television, then radio, I had access to a lot of sports material. Having been intrigued and shaped by studying the Bible since childhood I also had become well-versed─I use that term instead of expert, which I am not─in Biblical stories, themes and lessons. As a writer I have found if you can discover an area of great interest in the lives of people, a scriptural correlation can be used that will get their attention and cause them to examine and hopefully, improve their lives and God's plan for them. David, who is believed to be the writer of this 96th Psalm, was doing a little reflecting on his life. In so doing he became overwhelmed by all that God had done in his life. So he exhorted us to think about God's blessings and "publish" them everyday. When something good is going on in your life it is natural to want to tell somebody about it. You want someone to share your joy. Well, King David says that something good is going on everyday. So, tell people about God's goodness...publish this good news. Telling others about these things comes naturally when our hearts are full of God's blessings. We grow a little each time we tell (publish) God's goodness so others can consider this and be uplifted. You really don't have to want to write a book, article, memoir, journal or anything of that nature to be a writer. While being a professional writer is a different category all of us do write something, Most people write down things to jog your memory and use them on a personal basis only. That's the extent of what they write. Some are letter writers or diary keepers or write out goals or strategies. Business people write out proposals or work plans. One other reason I became a writer was that in looking at the years quickly passing by and trying to find some lasting meaning and purpose in my life, I realized that after you are gone, the things that you have written down on paper or in your computer are still here. These are things you will be remembered by. That's a good thing. Seeing your work in print can be heady stuff. Going into a bookstore and seeing your book there, on the shelf can be even headier. If your book is sitting next to John Grisham's latest that's ulitimate. Your thoughts are captured in print. So are your mistakes. So, it is best to thoroughly think through what you are writing about. How do you want to be remembered? The Lovely Susette says that I am "the right writer for her." I like being called that. It's what I do and who I am. Having her approval is very important to me. I've even recorded that "right writer" description on my website (http://www.writeman.com/) incorporating it as my theme or slogan. Yes, no matter what you write...professionally or personally...being a writer is a good thing. When, your written thoughts proclaim God's blessings that's even better. Prayer: Lord thank you for the art of writing. Help us to express our love and appreciation for You as writers and speakers, personally, one-on-one, or professionally in a venue intended to reach the eyes and ears of many. Amen! ***Author's note: OK writers, readers, talkers, thinkers. Return God's love by thanking Him and telling others this week. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=429 I am the Lord and I do not change. Malachi 3:6 As I was walking with the Lovely Susette this morning we started talking about what would make a good devotional topic for the week. Well, we got around to that after we finished whining, complaining and wondering why we were walking, in the first place, since the temperature was in the mid-30's and a chilling wind made it seem even colder. 30's in North Florida in February! Can you imagine that? But, since I love cold weather I shouldn't be griping at all. Anyway, she started talking about something she was doing in her business and would be bringing her assistants along with her. She was going to do a deeper analysis of her interior design business (Affinity Design Group- http://www.affinitydesigngroup.com/) She wanted to really look at all aspects of her business and be sure that her business model was one that was best for her clients and for the business as a whole. Everyone is suffering through harsh economic times now. So, rather than be discouraged and defeated, undergoing an examination of your work, your play, in fact the way you "do" life is a productive thing to do. It is something that could pay major dividends for a brighter future when things get straightened out. When they do, those people who learned from their difficulties will come out even stronger than before. You see, life is really a process. From birth to death it involves a process. As Webster, of dictionary fame, likes to say process is a "continuing development involving many changes." I'm sure you can say "amen" to that. As a fellow once said: "the only thing in life that is constant is change." If you are breathing, your life will change. Some folks like to call it a journey. Some are blessed with longer journeys and greater exposure to opportunities to benefit from change than others. That's why we need to make the most of the process everyday. I'll be celebrating a birthday this week. In doing so I usually find it a good time to think about my life and examine just how I am handling this process. Obviously, I like everyone else, am undergoing physical changes. Some for the better and some...well, uh. we won't go there. Just let me say unlike the time, quite a few years ago, when my son Clint and I were walking past the booth of one of those "carney" types at Six Flags Over Georgia. You've seen those guys. They try to interest you in defeating them by getting them to guess your weight or your age, with a small margin for error built in. They usually win.If they lose you get a prize. So, I said..."Hey I'm gonna nail this guy." And sure enough he missed my age by 19 years. Had to show my driver's license to prove it. All my life people had been telling me I didn't look my age... they thought I was much younger. When I was young that was not a compliment I liked. The older I have gotten the more treasured those observations are. I don't hear them a lot any more. But, more significant are the mental aspects of the process. Hopefully we grow wiser with time. Sometimes the old cliché, "Experience is the best teacher" holds true. Often we learn things that accelerate our growth before we have the actual experience. But, change is certain in our lives, for sure. In our weekly "Science and Theology" class last week we discussed "Tectonic Plates." In scientific terms these explain changes in the earth. They demonstrate that even the earth we inhabit is undergoing a process. Briefly, and I hope I get this right, if I don't, well, I'm not scientist. But, apparently all the landmass of the earth at one time was joined together. Then over time because of the movement of water and these tectonic plates the land broke apart in certain areas forming separate continents. Okay, now maybe that's not it exactly, but it serves the purpose of demonstrating that there is a process behind the earth's changes. Now here's the thing. While all these changes are going on the one real constant, the thing we can depend on is that God does not change. Whether you believe that he incorporated some evolutionary process to create the World or if you believe the description in Genesis indicates that he created everything in a set amount of time, there is a process involved. More and more scientists, in their on-going studies, have come to realize that there is a certain order in the world and that these systems did not just happen. They didn't get there by accident. This order speaks of the work of a Creator. Despite what some of the school textbooks do not say there is great cause to believe in Intelligent Design. Of course, I'm preaching to the choir here. We, as believers, do have a big advantage in this on-going process. Our faith enables us to see change and testing and times of struggle as ones of growth and fulfillment of hopes. Because we communicate with the Lord we can have the "peace that surpasses all understanding" even in the most difficult of times. The prophet Malachi rebuked the people and the priests for failing to remain steadfast in worship and not staying within God's will. As the NLT Bible says, "Their relationship to God had become inconsequential." Their process was going the wrong way. They were growing the wrong way. They did not stop to analyze what was happening and realize their process was headed in the wrong direction. Fortunately for us and for the Israelites, who were being warned by Malachi, to change their ways, God seems to have endless patience. He lets us make our own foolish mistakes then welcomes us back to sanity. He realizes that we are still in a process. We are not a finished product yet. So, even if we notice a few more gray hairs and nobody mis-guesses our age by 19 years any more that doesn't matter. We are still in a learning process. Hopefully we get more things right than wrong the more we learn and grow and work at it. Just as the Lovely Susette's business benefits from the process of redesigning the Business Model, so will our self-analysis and understanding of God's role and his love and patience. These will give us an improved model to guide us. Then, the process will continue to move forward in all aspects of our lives. Monday Prayer: Lord please grant us the wisdom to keep you involved in every part of the process of building a life. Thanks for loving us. Amen! Author's note: Keep the process in line with your hopes and dreams and God will grant you favor in your endeavors. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=427 For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. Proverbs 5:21 Tony Dungy, in his book "UnCommon" says when he was coaching the Colts and they were trying to decide which new players to add to the team they had a category on their evaluation form labeled "DNDC"─Do Not Draft because of Character. Dungy writes, "Every year many players that we put in that category get drafted in the first round by other teams and some even go on to be household names in the NFL. But, we pass on them because of something we see in their character that makes us think they are not worth the risk. Most of the time, we're right. And those times when we are make it worth those times when we're not." Character! Although there are at least 15 different dictionary definitions the one that fits what Dungy and his staff were looking for is: "moral strength, self-discipline, fortitude." It also alluded to a "good reputation." I believe all of us picture ourselves as men or women of character. But, to be people of good character we have to act like that kind of a person. Dungy says: "What you do is not as important as how you do it." Then he adds, "Those words keep coming back to me when I am tempted to choose what is expedient over what is right. People who bend the rules to get ahead usually get caught in the long run. But, even if they don't get caught, they will always know how they made it to the top. And at some deep-down level, they'll know that they're frauds and that maybe they didn't have what it took to accomplish such achievements on a level playing field." Sometimes it is very tempting to take a short cut, do the wrong thing and take the easy way out. A person might be able to get away with it for awhile, but eventually someone will find out. In Proverbs 6 we are told to consider the ways of the ant. Ants are always on the move. They are always working, gathering and storing provisions. The commentary on this (QSB) says: "There is no formula or shortcut to success. But, self-discipline is certainly a character trait of all successful people...".the writer (of Proverbs) suggests "There is wisdom in hard work motivated by a spirit of foresight and diligence." Does this mean to have character we must become a workaholic...work all the time and when we do take a break be thinking about work? No! Absolutely not! Working hard and doing it in the right way is just one of the elements of character. Looking in my Synonym Finder for other descriptions of character, I discover words such as integrity; honesty; honor; courage; strength; backbone; respectability; uprightness; goodness; truthfulness; sincerity; conscientiousness and scrupulousness." Show me a person who possesses all of those attributes and I'll show you a true saint. He or she would certainly be a godly person. So, none us possesses all of the traits incorporated in character. But, we all have some of these and can develop those and acquire others. Aristotle said: "Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all." So we can learn, develop and cultivate those traits that broaden our horizons and deepen our character. Remember the anti-drug ad line: "Just Say No!" That's often what it takes to build character. When we are dead-tired, stressed, under-pressure it can be tempting to cheat. Fatigue can cause us to compromise our principles. It's hard to say "no." Sometimes there are some mighty tempting offers to do wrong out there. Things that are bad for us can come gift-wrapped and looking good. But, as people of character we can resist these. May not be easy, but it can be done. Dungy says: "Character begins with the little things in life. I must show that I can be trusted with each and every thing, no matter how trivial it may seem." I fully believe that when we do this God rewards that kind of behavior. When we show that we can be trusted in the little things, God will entrust us with more and more. This may not happen overnight, but little by little, if we stop to analyze the way things have unfolded in our lives we will see this is true. We just have to keep working at it and doing things in the right way. In addition the Coach says: "Outwardly, character reflects an inner life committed to honor and uncompromising integrity." Albert Camus said: "Integrity has no need of rules." If a person has this built-in integrity he or she doesn't have to be bound by a set of rigid rules. Intuitively they know what is right and wrong. They understand what is genuine and what is specious. Instinctively they choose the right path. All that being said let's remember "there are no perfect people." Because we err, sometimes slip up and make bad choices does not mean we are not people of character. God forgives us in these times...if we ask Him to. It is up to us to learn from these times and move positively forward. We can't continue to beat ourselves up for mistakes, but we don't want to err in the same manner again. According to Dungy, "Ultimately, character and its growth don't come from rules, but from the small actions of responsibility that occur day after day." In further reflection Aristotle said; "Excellence of character is a state concerned with choice , this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it." So, it is our choice. We can choose to have character or be a character. Or maybe we can do both. Whatever we do, if being a person of character defines it that's a good thing. Then, God will never write DNDC on our evaluation form. Prayer: Lord help us to be ever mindful of our character development. As we order our lives in such a way that we are people of good character we know that our actions will honor You. Amen! ***Author's note: Let's make sure our actions reflect our character this week by thinking about how they reflect who we are before we act. Have a great week! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=423 If any man builds on this foundation...his work will be shown for what it is because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of the man's work. 1 Corinthians 3:13 I couldn't help being impressed by one thing in particular during this year's Super Bowl telecast. No, it wasn't the commercials which cost $3 million dollars for a 30-second ad. But, doesn't that seem a little out of line in these harsh economic times? The thing that most impressed me as the Cardinals and Steelers engaged in a duel to the finish, was individual effort. Sure everybody has to play hard in a football game for his team to win. But, let's face it sometimes a player will loaf or take a down off. In this game, it appeared to me that every player on the field was going all out on every play until the final gun sounded. Yeah, those guys are getting paid lots of money to play the game. But, when it comes down to the fact that the game is on the line...the outcome could be determined by the next play or the next one, each player had to dig down deep, forget about fatigue and show that they had heart and talent by doing everything in their power to win. As the game wound down to it's exciting finish can you imagine the pressure on each player competing in front of 100 million viewers on television. At that point it didn't matter if a player was making thousands or millions of dollars. Each one had an equal opportunity to make a play or mess up a play that would be captured on video, in newspapers and talked about forever in football history. Talk about pressure. That was big time stuff! Okay, so what does that have to do with us as weekly devotional readers? The point I want to make concerns doing your best. The things that those players did to get to the point where all the world was watching them didn't start out that way. You don't just go out and play in a Super Bowl when you first start playing football. It takes years of hard work, practice and perfecting your game to get there. Countless hours of practice, commitment and hard work are required to make it.. Then, when you do arrive you must give the greatest effort of a lifetime to justify having committed a major part of your life to get to this one game. These football players don't start out with any guarantees that they will ever make it to a Super Bowl. They begin with a dream. They can envision themselves in a uniform playing on such a stage. They all start with that same dream. Not all make it. In fact, percentage-wise very few achieve their dream. And of the ones who do, only one team walks away from the Super Bowl field as a winner. What should inspire us is not the money, the glory, the fame, but the effort. Putting everything we have into something has it's own rewards and victories as well as its own share of frustrations and defeats. We go to work day after day with dreams of having a better life, enjoying a wonderful retirement, of being able to look back with satisfaction at what we have accomplished. But, let's face it. Sometimes that can be drudgery. We lose sight of the big picture, the end result we desire. It takes so long to get where we want to go. But, the things we do every day and how well we do them lead to the end result. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians that we can lay the foundation for our work and then throw ourselves into it and we should do this, but the end result will be tested with fire. I think he uses fire as an example because fire refines things. It burns away all the impurities. In the case of gold it gets all the dross out of the way and leaves the real thing...a glittering, glowing precious metal. It is the same with testing out the things we do in our daily lives. Everything we do adds up to something. If we keep piling on hard work, unselfishness and kindness that is the kind of result we will end up with. We will have a lifetime of victories, some big, some small. People will like us; even admire us. But, if we get lazy, slough off, lose sight of our goal and let the dream fade then we are headed for disappointment and regret. The wouldas and shouldas and couldas will be all that is left of the dream. Now in verse 11 of today's scripture Paul writes: "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." In verse 12 he adds: "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw then (vs 13) his work will be shown for what it is... The vision we have, to be achieved, must start with the proper foundation. When, that is our faith and we believe that Jesus is that foundation, we're off to a good start. Remember those WWJD bracelets lots of folks were wearing at one time. They were reminders that "What Would Jesus Do" was an important measuring stick for the things we do each day. Just like the establishing of good practice efforts start those players on the road to the Super Bowl, so do our daily actions head us out on the road to a lifetime of achievements that will stand the test of time and the purifying heat of fire. There will be fumbles, interceptions, missed tackles and penalties along the way for us, just like the Super Bowl players have experienced. It is what we do with these negatives and how we compensate for and overcome them that counts in the long run. So, we must treat each day as another day of practicing to achieve perfection as we strive to reach the Super Bowl of life. Meanwhile, it is important to enjoy the journey. Let's continue to count our blessings and build on that foundation that has been laid out for us. It's up to us as to what kind of materials we use from here on out. Prayer: Lord, we are thankful that you pick us up when we fall and encourage us when we face discouragement. You have equipped us to win the Super Bowl of life, so we pray that we will stay on track and not stray from the path you have mapped out for us. Amen! ***Author's note: Have a Super Week! Enjoy each day for the blessing it is. :) Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=422 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Acts 11:24 Remember having fun with those "connect-the-dots" puzzles when you were a kid or now as a parent or grandparent watching the determined look on a child's face while doing one? It is a great way to teach "counting" as the kid has to connect dot #1 to dot #2. "Now what comes after two? Three...that's right Bobby. Now draw a line..." This continues until the final dot is reached. Then, all of those lines connecting the dots reveal a picture. Great fun! Connecting the dots is important. In the case of a puzzle you have to connect all of the dots to have a complete picture. Yes, you could probably guess what the picture was going to be before finishing and just stop and I say, "Okay I know what that is. Let's go on to the next one." But, the picture would be unfinished. That's how some people conduct their lives however. I've been guilty of it at times. Those who have a Type A personality and want to get things done as fast as they can, will abandon a puzzle or a task as soon as they know the answer. They won't stick around to enjoy the completed picture and admire the work that achieved it. Just as some kids give up or tire of the project before all the dots are connected, some adults give up on a project before it is completed or they move on to another step in the process without having the total picture. This often leads to failure or achieving an incorrect or untrustworthy result. Of course, some never get started. They look at the task and say, "Aw, I don't think I want to do that. That's too much work." Or "That's not worth it." Or "I don't think I'll get anything out of it. It's a waste of time." Researching this topic I came across a dots puzzle from January 20, 2009. Just looking at the arrangement of dots and numbers and remembering that it was Inauguration Day in the USA, I could tell the picture would end up portraying our new President Barack Obama. In effect, I was connecting the dots in my mind without connecting the dots on paper. Wikipedia says: "The phrase ‘connect-the-dots' is sometimes used as a metaphor to illustrate a person's ability (or inability) to associate one idea with another." Recently, in a post game press conference, Coach Sue Semrau (FSU, Women's Basketball) was asked about the role of senior Mara Freshour. She said "Mara is a connect-the-dots" player." She meant that Mara was so versatile and so unselfish she was willing to step in and do any task that would most help the team. She could bring the ball up court, or hustle down and post-up. She would get a steal, block a shot, get a rebound, hit a free throw or a three-pointer and guard any player, big or small, she was assigned to. Now, how important is having a player like that around in basketball--- a team sport? Actually any team could use a player like that. Barnabas was God's connect-the-dots-player. He is one who God was able to use effectively in a variety of ways because he made himself available. Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus whose given name was Joseph. The Apostles called him Barnabas which means "son of encouragement" because that was his real strength. Barnabas knew how to encourage people. He could defuse anger and bring about consensus. He was a great assistant or a great leader, whichever role was most needed. Thanks to Barnabas' ability to connect-the-dots we have a lot of the New Testament in its present form. No, he didn't write it, but his work made it possible for much of it to be written. You see, without his good reputation and friendly demeanor, the Apostle Paul's career and Kingdom work would have been greatly diminished. Barnabas became a convert and one of the first things he did was sell some possessions and give the money to help Christians in Jerusalem at an early time in the life of the church. So, the first dot he drew a line to was a financial contribution. After the stoning of Stephen many of the new believers scattered around the area. They were still telling the Good News of Jesus, but only to the Jews. But, some went on to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks. The faith of these new believers needed a little shorting up. They needed someone to come in and let them know that they were doing good and to encourage them. Who better to do that than the old master encourager himself---Barnabas? So he connected another dot in the early church. Later, after the Lord called Saul, the persecutor of Christians, to be Paul the dynamic apostle, all the Christians were afraid of him and didn't believe he had changed sides. So, it was Barnabas who the Lord called to connect another dot. This one was a biggie. Barnabas found Paul and took him with him to Antioch to convince the Believers that Paul had a true conversion. Then, for a year, they went around as a team preaching and the people began to trust Paul. The next dot Barnabas would connect was to convince Paul that his nephew, John Mark, should accompany them on their first missionary journey. When he abandoned the trip, Barnabas would later connect another dot by agreeing to create a another missionary team since Paul wouldn't give John Mark a second chance. Thus Barnabas and John Mark, who would write the Gospel of Mark, became a team. Paul and Silas worked together, thereby doubling the number out in the field. So, as church-goers and believers, we owe much of the early growth and stabilizing of the church to the efforts of Barnabas, the encourager, and premier connect the dots person. In thinking about the things we do in our lives, I believe each of us can become a connect-the-dots person, in some form, by simply looking for ways to do good and encouraging others to do their best. One connect-the-dots person on the team is great. But, if you have a whole team full of them. Wow! Just imagine what could happen! Prayer: Lord, teach us how to connect-the-dots by encouraging others. By doing this they will improve and we'll get better as well. Thank you for always hearing our prayers. Amen! ***Author's note: When you connect-the-dots this week the puzzle will be solved and a beautiful picture will emerge. Have a great week! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=416 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13 You're standing on the 18th tee. It has been a frustrating round of golf. You have seen parts of the golf course, while looking for your errant shots, that haven't been visited by human beings in ages. You're thinking, "Maybe I should give up this humbling game and take up some other hobby." Then, it happens! You swing the club and connect solidly making a sound you haven't heard all day or many times in your life. You have made contact with the sweet spot on your "driver" and you admire the flight of the ball which is long and straight and right in the middle of the fairway a long way from the tee. Maybe you won't give up this game after all. Hitting the "sweet spot" will bring you back. Best selling author and leadership expert, Lee Colan, has a good explanation of the sweet spot: "Most types of sports equipment like a golf club, a tennis racquet or a baseball bat have a certain spot that, if the ball hits it, will give the player the optimal result. Hitting this sweet spot yields a long drive down the fairway, a swift crosscourt return or home run swing. Every sport has a sweet spot of some type. If you have experienced it, you know when you hit the sweet spot, you barely feel it. The ball goes where you want it to go---even further and faster. Doesn't get any better than that." Once I hit the "sweet spot" on my bat with the bases loaded and the game on the line. The ball jumped off the bat so quickly and headed for the gap with a game winning hit that I thought, momentarily, "who hit that ball?" It was a great feeling. Walked around with my chest puffed up, feeling good about myself, the whole next day. Scientists call the "sweet spot" on a baseball bat the "center of percussion." That's physicists talk for "the point where the ball's impact causes the smallest shock to your hands. If you hit the ball closer to the bats handle than to the center of percussion (sweet spot) you'll feel a slight force pushing the handle back into the palm of your top hand. If you hit the ball farther up on the bat than the sweet spot you'll feel a slight push to your fingers in the opposite direction, trying to open up your grip. But, if you hit the ball right on the "sweet spot" you won't feel any force on the handle." (http://www.exploratorium.edu/) Actually all this makes sense in life as well. If we find the sweet spot in any thing we do success is more likely. Finding the sweet spot means seeking out the very best...not settling for anything less. Often the sweet spot is not easy to find. It takes experimentation, patience and awareness in your efforts to find a better way to do something. Sometimes compromise is required. Usually the sweet spot is in that "gray" area that Pastor Adam Hamilton talks about in his book "Seeing Gray in a Black and White World." The sweet spot is seldom found in the extremes...the black or the white...but most often the best solution is somewhere in between. That's where the sweet spot is. As Christians we often struggle to know what the right thing to do is. It is not always clearly delineated. It's fine to read the Bible and pray and that's what we should do. But, at times there is still a fuzziness out there and we can't get a handle on the best solution because there are so many factors involved. There could be many reasons for this. Maybe there are distractions that are keeping us from focusing when we read the Word or in our prayers. The enemy is a master at distraction. Maybe God isn't ready to have us discover the solution until we do some more research, pray some more, look at other options. We may need to grow a little more, learn some additional things before we are ready to execute this portion of God's plan. Sometimes finding the sweet spot will involve another person. God may be sending someone to us who can clarify our decision, but maybe that person isn't ready yet. Maybe he or she has some growing to do. But, it is important to keep searching, asking and being confident that God will reveal the sweet spot to you when the timing is right. Hamilton says: "When we can hold together, in tension, the call to freedom that comes by grace and the call to holiness in seeking to live by the Spirit, we find the sweet spot─the perfect balance between grace and holiness─that allows our faith to soar.' There is a certain rewarding, confidence-building result that ensues when you have found the sweet spot. It's a hard-to-describe great feeling. When you say just the right word or do just the right thing at the right time to help someone you've hit the sweet spot. When you take the right approach in your sales presentation and the customer confirms it by buying your product or service you are right on the sweet spot. If you write the right paragraph or sentence or even chapter at the proper time create a valuable long or short term reference for others you've found the sweet spot. Zig Ziglar says he is convinced, "You can get anything you want in life, if you first help others get what they want." Jesus said: "Love God first. Then, Love your neighbor as yourself." That's the quickest way to find the sweet spot. Look for it in terms of others instead of yourself. Martin Luther King Jr. said when we are deciding whether we should get involved in helping someone else or not we should not ask: "What will happen to me if I help." King said to ask, "What will happen to them if I don't?" That's the way to find the sweet spot. Prayer: Lord, in a world that is seldom all sweetness and light, help us to dispel the darkness by seeking to find the "sweet spot" in the way we conduct our lives. Amen! ***Author's note: Have a "sweet" week. One in which those "sweet spots" are clearly evident in the things you do. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=414 You must understand this, my beloved; let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak. James 1:19 Our church, Good Samaritan UMC has recently begun a 5-week study based on Adam Hamilton"s (Church of the Resurrection, Kansas) book: "Seeing Gray in a Black and White World." In the second week of the sermon series, video and home group discussions one of the assigned chapters was a particularly meaningful one (Number Six, pg 43.) called: "Shhh! Just Listen!" Pastor Hamilton frankly admits: "One of the struggles I face is simply to listen."Say what? I thought that was just part of the job of a pastor...to listen to the problems of other people. Well, it is, but as Adam says pastors tend to be "people of strong convictions." Of course, when you have strong feelings about a subject it is just natural to want to jump in and voice your opinion. Ever been involved in a conversation with a "butinski?" That's what I call them─a person who continually "buts in" or interrupts what you are saying to interject their thoughts or to correct what you are saying or even worse yet, to change the subject while you are in mid-sentence. Boy, that can be annoying. Or maybe you are engaged in a conversation and you do solicit an opinion and the "season changes" before you get to talk again. Don't know if that person comes away from the conversation feeling fulfilled, but you certainly don't. In Hamiliton's study he is trying to encourage people to find a "gray" area, i.e. a middle ground...one of compromise and understanding in dealing with the issues of today. He points out that people who call themselves "liberal" when they hear a "conservative" person talk or read or hear an idea that is clearly conservative in its take on things, then they are automatically in the other camp. Have you known people like that, especially in politics? There is one politician I've observed over the years, who is a flagrant violator of the "seeing gray" principle. You can almost always tell where he is coming from based, not on whether the idea was a good one or not, bur more on whether it was conservative or liberal, or by which political party the person proposing the idea was a member of. Now, in this second week of Hamilton's study the topic was: "Christ, Christians, and the Culture Wars." He said, "One of the reasons for today's culture wars is the unwillingness of people on either the left or the right to listen to those with whom they disagree. They are quick to speak, and quick to anger, but slow to listen." In today's scripture lesson from James...the earthly brother of Jesus advices us to be "quick to listen, slow to speak" and equally as important "slow to get angry." Reading that same scripture lesson from James in The Message Bible, which puts things in contemporary, easy-to-understand and often blunt terms, hear is how it reads: "Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life." Pretty strong stuff, but I like it, so let's read on for a few paragraphs: "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like." Okay, so maybe the last part was unnecessary and takes us a little off of our main point, but I think it was good information and instruction. It stresses the importance of assuming a listening mode and even biting your tongue if you have to in order to let the other person get his or her thoughts out. I know there are times when the Lovely Susette is exasperated, complelely frustrated, even angry and wants to talk about something. Most of the time she is a remarkably even-tempered, steady and not easily angered person. So, when she brings something to my attention that has really gotten under her skin that should be a warning to me. The antennae should go up and my mouth should close. She just wants to talk. She needs to vent. Wants to get it out of her system. If allowed to do that she'll get over it quicker and be fine. But, being Mr. Fixit, like most men are, soon after she starts talking I come up with a solution and jump right in with my analysis and opinion. That is exactly what she is not looking for and just prolongs the getting-over-it process. Looking at the commentary for this same verse of scripture (James 1:19) in the NLT we read (pg 1986): "When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas are much more important than theirs. James wisely advises us to reverse this process. Put a mental stopwatch on your conversations and keep track of how much you talk and how much you listen. When people talk with you, do they feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value?" Adam Hamilton, in stressing the importance of being a good listener, points out that when he finds that there are a lot of people with opinions and support for an issue that it really bears listening to, no matter what your immediate inclination is. He says there are rarely that many "idiots" on that one particular side. So, it bears listening to in order to discern if there is a "gray" area that can contribute to a better solution. Proverbs 12:15 says: "Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to advice." Hamilton adds to that: "In a country polarized between the left and the right, and a world that is plagued by terrorism, violence, and war, hope is not found in people on both sides shouting their views louder, but in people learning to listen, and actually hear, what others are saying." So, this week...Listen up! Your perspective may change or your viewpoint may be strengthened. Either way the person you are listening to will feel that you care and they will welcome your respect and your attention. It may take some extra time, but in the long run it is a win-win situation. Monday Prayer: Lord help us to be better listeners! Amen! Authors note: Be a good listener this week and see how it changes your world. I wish you well, my friend. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=412 Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Job 22:21 Why is it a continual battle...this idea of turning everything over to God? Maybe you are thinking: "What's he talking about, I don't have any trouble turning things over to God." Well, with all due respect I'd say it might be a good idea for you to rethink and analyze that thought. I just don't think that any of us turn everything over to God. Should we? Yes! Do we? No! Now I'm not trying to be a troublemaker. I don't want to stir up any uneasiness between you and your Heavenly Father. The fact is that He still loves us whether we turn everything over to Him or not. So if that's the case why should we strive to turn things over to Him? Well, in the first place maybe I should be asking Why Not? instead of Why? I think that sometimes we don't think about turning some of our ideas or activities over to Him. Sure, when we have troubles we remember to do it, but if everything seems to be okay we might forget to do it or deem it unnecessary. Everything's going OK. Why bother God with it? And then there are the things we hold on to and don't submit to Him because...well, we have an idea what His answer is going to be and we are not sure we like it. Selfishly we are clinging to an opinion, a practice, a way of believing and doing in a situation that we like, but subconsciously we feel ain't right. It may be an addiction or it might just be something that is pleasurable. Okay, have I, as the old saying goes: "Stopped preaching and gone to meddling?" I don't mean to─preach or meddle. It's just that I get these topic ideas from time to time and many of these are things I personally struggle with so I share them with you in hopes that we can work through them. So, let me just pass on this one bit of wisdom that we should all remember. "Your arms are too short to box with God." Heard that statement before? It's the title of a Broadway musical by the same name that is based on the book of Matthew. The stage play first hit Broadway in 1976 then was revived in 1980 and 1982. It was directed by Vinnette Carroll who, with this musical, became the first African-American woman to direct for Broadway theatre. The opening lines read: Now if man's the son of God and God's son, the Son of man That means we're walking hand in hand Is that so hard to understand? As Christians that is one of the first things we acknowledge... that Jesus is the Son of God. We also find, throughout scripture that He often and I believe fondly, refers to Himself as Son of Man. What that says to me is He has "been there, done that." Well, maybe he didn't do some of the dumb things I've done, but He had temptations to overcome, too. The fact that He did have these, is good reason to put faith in the solutions he reveals to us when we trust and as the song says: "walk hand in hand." He spent a lot of time in prayer for guidance, which sets an example for us. Still we have this propensity for handling matters ourselves. When we do that we sometimes come in direct confrontation with God. We may not see it that way, but if we are barging ahead and taking a wrong path we are boxing with God. In his book "The Purpose of Christmas" Rick Warren states it a little more boldly as to why sparring with God just isn't smart. "How can you, an imperfect person, be reconciled to a perfect God? Well, it's not a matter of compromise or bargaining or negotiating with God. Peace comes from surrender. You admit that God is God and you are not! You give up the ridiculous notion that you know more about what's best for you and what will make you happy than your Creator does. You give up the rebellious attitude that you can pick and choose which of God's rules you'll follow and which ones you'll ignore." Gosh, Rick, why don't you tell us how you really feel? Don't pull any punches or spare us...just lets us have the full blast. J Even though that was strongly worded and we might not see it that way there's a lot of truth to it. Sometimes we just try to gloss things over and we just say "well, I'm a good person. I try to do the right things. Look all those other folks out there doing bad things. What I'm doing isn't so bad compared to them." You know what. That's probably true. You are not a bad person and you try to do the right things. At least that's how I look at myself. But, if we are honest we just have to admit that we can do better and there are areas in which we are not fully in sync with God's plan for us. Our scripture lesson from Job 22:21 says if we submit to God and are at peace with him prosperity will come our way. Wow, that's reason enough right there to turn our will over to God. But, what kind of prosperity is the writer of Job, who is unknown by the way, referring to. The Quest Study Bible commentary asks: "Can we become prosperous by following God?" The QSB answer is: "Yes, we can become spiritually prosperous, but not necessarily materially wealthy." Notice the qualifying words "not necessarily." It doesn't say that God won't grant you material wealth. That may come. It depends on His plan. That kind of wealth could be a part of His plan. Maybe there are steps that you and I need to take to get our house in order first before that part of the plan unfolds. But, He will grant you spiritual prosperity as a reward for submitting to Him and lots of good things come from that, things that can lead to success in many areas of your life among which could be material, as well as these spiritual rewards. The boxing lesson we learn is a life lesson that teaches us thatit's all about trust and having faith. The song in the Broadway musical draws the same conclusion we should: Because to claim to understand Him Is nothing more than a façade For the wisest men have known Your arm's too short to box with God. Prayer: Lord, sometimes we don't look at the things that we do without your approval as boxing with you. We ask for Your patience and understanding as we learn these life lessons and use them in Your Kingdom. Amen! ***Author's note: It's great to know we don't have to be a Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano or Muhammed Ali to win in life. Our boxing matches are not with God, but with the Enemy and we have the Heavyweight Champion on our side. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=410 This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 The oversized envelope is beginning to show signs of wear. We could replace it, but since it is still serviceable and because of the memories contained within there is no need to. It is the one that the Lovely Susette and I drag out of it's place of top priority in our files each New Year's Day. We have it situated right in the front of the see-through top drawer of the file cabinet in our office. Even though it is only hauled out once a year it is visible every day if we glance at that drawer of the cabinet. It stays there so that on the first morning of the New Year we don't have to do an exhaustive search to find it. On the front of the envelope it reads: "Do not open ‘til..." Then it says: 1-1-06, but the '06 has a diagonal line through it and next to it is an '07 which is lined through as well. Then comes a canceled out '08, now followed by a marked through '09. The only numbers not struck through are 1-1-10. That's the next time this envelope will be brought out. If you open the envelope you will find smaller envelopes inside dating back to 2004 (only started striking out the year on the front of the big one starting in 2006). On the front of each small envelope is written "To be read on -----" and the new day is listed. Inside each of the envelopes are two letters. One says "To be Read to Jim on Jan 1, 2010 or whatever year is appropriate. That's the letter that the Lovely Susette wrote on Jan. 1, 2009 and will read to me on next New Year's Day. The other letter is the one I wrote and will read to her. So, what's in these letters? Are they love letters? Well, sort of! They actually are after-the-fact re-countings of what we think, hope and dream will happen in the upcoming year. They are written as if they have already happened and of course some end up being on target and some don't come true that year at all. Then there are lots of other things that the Good Lord sends our way that we never dreamed would happen. So, this New Year's morning Susette read to me the letter she wrote one year ago with all the confident expectations she had for the year while writing as if these things had already happened. Some of them did and some didn't. Then, I read to her my projections for the year as if they had already unfolded even though it was Day One of 2008. It's fun to compare the expectations with the realization. In Mark 11:24 we read: "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." So, that's what the Lovely Susette and I are doing. We are asking and writing it down just as if we have already received these things and frequently we do receive them. So, I guess you are wondering what all this has to do with the Muck and Mire Park. For some strange reason as I thought about the year ahead and reviewed in my mind the hopeful optimism with which we naturally greet each New Year a vision of the Muck and Mire park entered my mind. There is a certain brightness about a new year that dispels any potentional for despair. But, often we have to go through some things that aren't appealing to get to those gifts of beauty. When our boys were little and we lived in South Florida I used to pick up their grandparents and we would all go to the Muck and Mire Park. That was our name for it. Don't even remember its real name. But, the reason we called it that is because to enter this park you had to walk over this long and winding boardwalk which went over, well, a lot of muck-and-mire. The water was really black and yucky looking. There were a bunch of Cypress trees standing in this dark, unappealing, swampy looking water. I don't even think alligators or snakes would frequent that water. So, we would just keep on walking on that long, winding boardwalk until suddenly it came to an end. And there would be the prettiest little park. The always green grass (grass doesn't turn brown in the winter in South Florida) was in stark contrast to the ugly blackness you had just passed over. If you persevered and kept going you would be rewarded with a nice place for a picnic, ball game or leisurely strolling. Flowers and interesting looking plants grew there. It was a true delight to experience. I guess on this New Year Day I thought about that because as we read our hopeful letters from the year before even though we saw great evidence of God's blessings, but as everybody did, we also went through some tough times. We had moments of despair, confusion, uncertainty even depression. These were the muck and mire times. But, when we weighed the bounty of our blessings against these, as always we were astounded at how God had worked in our lives sometimes despite our inadvertent efforts to derail His plans. We saw how negligent we can be to realize where these blessings are coming from and to give proper thanks. Once again He had brought us through the muck and mire to a place of beauty. Psalm 118:24 advises us to greet each day by acknowledging that it is a day the Lord has made and to determine to give thanks and enjoy it. This is a good strategy in those muck and mire times, even though it is tougher to do on those days. The NLT Bible acknowledges this: "There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Our mood is down, our situation is out of hand, and our sorrow or guilt is overwhelming." These muck and mire times are the best times to rejoice and praise God because we know He has better things in store for us." NLT continues "When you don't feel like rejoicing, tell God how you truly feel. You will find that God will give you a reason to rejoice. Although the Lovely One and I probably both avoided projecting any of those muck and mire experiences in our letters for 2009 when those kinds of experiences inevitably occur we can think about that little green park ahead and anticipate the blessings God has in store for us. Then, January 1, 2010 will be another great day of celebration. By the way, Susette says her letter for the year is only 2 pages long? Hmm! Wonder what that means? My letter runs 5 pages. Guess that means The Lord has 7 pages of blessings for us! It could happen! Happy New Year! Prayer: Lord we pray for your favor in our lives in 2009. When the muck and mire situations threaten to engulf us help us to remember the beautiful green park experiences you have waiting for us. Amen! *** Author's note: Hope your New Year gets off to a great start and gets even greater as the year progresses. :) Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=408 Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 I guess this is the time of year, in writing devotions, that you could refer to as a "tweener." It's in between Christmas and the New Year's holiday. Warm memories of Christmas linger in our minds, while the cold reality that we have to move ahead starts to creep into our thinking. So, what to do in creating a timely devotional topic for this week is the dilemma I faced today. Should I hang onto those heart warming feelings that Christmas brings about, or do we just need to let go and charge into the future? How about doing both? Maybe in beginning to plan and execute a strategy for the coming days we could preserve the warmth and love of Christmas and use it to change our approach in future endeavors. The way to do this is to lead our heart instead of letting it lead us. If our heart is filled with the love and joy of Christmas it can lead us to do meaningful and fulfilling things capable of transforming all aspects of living. As the Lovely Susette and I were reading the "Love Dare" by the Kendrick brothers (B&H Publishing Group, Nashville) which is based on the movie "Fireproof" we came across a chapter (14) entitled: "Love takes Delight." This book continues to impact our lives. Each chapter ends with a "dare" and we've found that by taking these seriously we just think about each other's needs and wants in a different way. This also spills over into the way we view other relationships, even with people who only come into our lives for a season. But, the way Day 14 begins is" "One of the most important things you should learn on your Love Dare journey is that you should not just follow your heart. You should lead it. You don't let your feelings and emotions do the driving. You put them in the back seat and tell them where you are going." In doing this we make a conscious effort to take control of our heart which can be deceitful, when given full reign, and lead us down a path we don't want to travel and might regret in the future. I speak from experience on that matter. I'm sure we all can think of times when our heart deceived us. We did something foolish. We wish we hadn't and would like to take it back, but we can't. That's why it is important to take control of the heart. To lead it and in so doing traverse the trails in our journey that ultimately lead to the right place. How important is the heart's role in our lives? Important enough that the Bible refers to the heart in over 900 scriptures. These references begin with Genesis 6:5 and are interspersed throughout the Bible ending with Revelation 18:7 (NIV). In researching these Biblical heart matters and trying to come up with a summary of what the divinely inspired writers of scripture were trying to get across as the central ideas I came across the following.(http://www.biblequestions.org/) It made sense so I pass these along: "The Bible heart consists of four elements if you will: 1) The heart has emotion (John 14:1; Matt; 5:28) 2) The heart has will or volition (Exodus 35:5) 3) The heart has intellect (John 12:40; Romans 1:21) 4) The heart has conscience (Acts 2:37)" Obviously with those important aspects attributed to the heart, if you control and lead your heart in the way that is best in your life, you will be much better off every area. Nelson's Bible Dictionary makes these important distinctions: "heart: the inner self that thinks, feels and decides. In the Bible the word "heart" has a much broader meaning than it does to the modern mind. The heart is that which is central to a person...The thinking processes are said to be carried out by the heart. This intellectual activity corresponds to what would be called the "mind" in Englsh." Nelson's goes on to say that the heart thinks, understands, is wise, imagines, and speaks to itself. Decision-making is carried out by the heart. It also says, "heart often means someone's true character or personality. Purity or evil; sincerity or hardness; maturity or rebelliousness" reveal this. The heart is used in our everyday language to describe people. Someone may be said to be hard-hearted. Or warm hearted. Or he or she could have a "big heart." We engage in "heart-felt" actions. Have "affairs of the heart." Reveal "confessions of the heart." We "speak from the heart." Physically we can have; "heart attacks;" be attached to a "heart monitor;" We exercise to get our "heart rate up;" require a heart pacemaker;" or a more drastic measure need a "heart transplant." When a person's "heart is in the right place" as we often hear it said then that person is leading his or her heart. The person who leads the heart is engaging in the mental aspects of the heart. They are taking positive action to control feelings, interpretations and opinions and channel activities in a positive manner. Conversely, if we are led by our heart, with its susceptibility to the pleasures and easy-way-out mentality of society, we are not likely to take the higher road. We may be led into the entanglements, briars, thorns, mud-holes and despair of misguided perceptions. Jeremiah 17:9 points out: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Reading in verse 10 "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct according to what his deeds deserve." Matthew 22:7 says that the most important duty of anyone is to first "love God with the whole heart." Since God is love, when we obey that scripture it is certain that we will lead our hearts in the right direction. And God will provide the help we need. Jeremiah 29:13-14 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." In determining how you want your life to go from the warmth of the Christmas Experience right on through the New Year until Christmas comes again you must make sure that you are leading the heart in the right way and not being led by it in unfruitful ways. Happy New Year! Prayer: Lord fill our hearts with your love so that we may lead our hearts in meaningful ways in the coming days. Amen! Author's note: As we embark on an exciting New Year I wish you heart-felt hopes for great success in all areas of your life in 2009. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=404 About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire...Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée who was pregnant. Luke 2: 1-5 (The Message) Has something really good ever happened in your life and caused you to think, "Wow, that was perfect timing!" It just seemed that all the things that had to come about for this joyful event to occur just happened to do so at the right moment in time. It was truly a case of perfect timing. Those times, when perfectly timed events take place in our lives, are probably more frequent than we realize. But, they don't really happen by accident even though we sometimes just feel like we got lucky. Yes, it is our good fortune that they happen. But, with God there is no such thing as coincidence. He has a plan. Sure, sometimes He has to take us on an alternate route because of circumstances created by the choices we make. But, he is never fooled. He can't be tricked or surprised. God never has to put us on hold until He figures out a solution. Sometimes a delayed answer is the best answer and it is during these times we may feel God isn't working. Did he take the day off? Is he on vacation? Maybe, we just didn't get the message. Maybe we were looking in all the wrong places for the wrong kind of solution. I'm sure you have heard the old saying "God works in mysterious ways." Duh! Why wouldn't He? What kind of a God would He be if the things He did were so predictable we always knew what was going to happen. From reading scripture we can see many occasions where people were surprised by God. Sometimes things that had been prophesied, predicted and long-awaited finally took place and because the people had envisioned a different outcome they missed it altogether. Sometime, between 740 and 710 BC, the Prophet Micah had prophesied that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). So, anybody who studied the ancient texts would have known where God planned for His Son, the Savior of the World, to be born. But, when? That was the other side of the coin. It would take a lot of faith, believing, and patience. Many of the faithful would not see this happen in their lifetime. Many of the later believers would come along after it happened and they too would have to take on faith that what they read in the eye-witness accounts of the apostles was true. And then there were those who were right there when that miraculous birth took place and still missed it's significance. But, it was right there in God's plan. He would use the decree of an emperor to execute the plan for the King to be born in His own perfect timing. You see when Caesar Augustus made the decree that a census was to be taken in King Herod's territory he thought he was doing it for taxation and military conscription purposes. God knew different. Proverbs 21:1 says: "The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he turns it wherever he pleases." The NLT Bible (Pg 1541) says: "Augustus' decree went out in God's perfect timing and according to God's perfect plan to bring his Son into the world." Why was that the perfect time for Jesus to be born? It occurred centuries after it had been foretold in ancient writings. The people had looked forward to the grand event. It occurred centuries before contemporary believers were born and we now look back on the memorable occasion. I have no idea and neither does anyone else know why God selected that place and that time for this event. What we do know today is that every time a person puts up a Christmas tree and gives gifts, it basically, whether they acknowledge it or not, is in celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, who was God's gift to man. Think about it. In God's plan this most special baby was born in a smelly-old stable. His crib was a manger which Webster says is "a box or trough to hold fodder for horses or cattle to eat." From the moment He was born people began to plot his death. Herod killed a bunch of male babies trying to be sure the one born to be "King of the Jews" would not survive. But, he did. Then as Jesus grew to manhood there were always those who were skeptics, who were jealous and who hated him. They finally got him. The cruel public humiliation and crucifixion enabled these enemies to foolishly think, "We got him. It's over." That was some plan God had for his son, huh! It played out in a time when there was much less knowledge and sophistication than we have today. But, gosh couldn't God have chosen to do this another way? Perhaps at another time and in a different place? Yes, He could have, but He didn't. Why? I don't know. But, I do know this. There are more pages in more books in more places in the world written about Jesus than any other person who ever lived. The Bible is a mega-mega-mega Bestseller. No other book even comes close. So, there must be something about the time, the place and the person that made it the perfect time for God to schedule the birth of the Christ child. What that says to us is that God's master plan for our lives may not always make sense to us. But, when circumstances threaten to beat us down and defeat us we can look at the lowly place and less than ideal situation into which Jesus was born. Look at the hard times he endured as an example for us. Then remember the basis for all of it was Love. God's love for you and me is exemplified by that Baby in the manager. We have in common with Him, the fact that we are here at this time and go through the positive and negative things in life because they fit God's perfect timing. Merry Christmas. God Bless You and Keep You! Prayer: Happy Birthday Jesus! Thank you for loving us deeply, fully and making our lives complete through your humble birth and spotless life. Amen! ***Author's note: My wish is that this will be one of the all-time greatest Christmases ever for you and those you love. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=400 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. Luke 1:31-32 Last Monday night the Lovely Susette and I completed a 13-week course at our church called Financial Peace University, the creation of radio host Dave Ramsey. Many of you have taken the course or heard him on his daily nationwide radio show. Each week Dave, in an hour long video, tackled the financial problems of the world giving each student commonsense solutions to money situations and a sound plan for savings and a secure future. Basically, his gift to us was a tried and tested way to be good stewards of the resources that God has graciously blessed us with. All through the course our instructors had informed us that the last class would be special. They said it would be one we would not soon forget. They were right! Looking ahead I had noticed that the title of the final video and corresponding chapter in our workbook was: The Great Misunderstanding. I wondered what thorny, financial dilemma, Dave would tackle in this one. Would he belittle Credit Card companies; say people were foolish to take out long term mortgages; or further dispel myths in the financial arena? As it turned out the answer to my question was none of the above. Dave said that the paradox of the Great Misunderstanding "is the mistaken belief that the way to have more is to hold on tightly" to what we have. He said the opposite is true. The way to have more is not to hold your money in a tightly, clenched fist. Instead, by opening your hand, the one with the money in it, and giving generously you become ...and this is a direct quote from his Financial Peace University Workbook: "Giving moves you to become less selfish and less selfish people have more of a tendency to prosper in relationships and in wealth." What Dave had chosen to do in summing up all the other lessons was to give each of us a gift. He gave us the gift of giving. It was especially appropriate and well-timed that our final class came just before Christmas. Because it is at this time that we come to understand what a miraculous gift God gave to us. He gave us His Son. In our scripture lesson from the 1st chapter of Luke today we read about the gift announcement God sent to Mary. He called on an angel to deliver the news first-hand. This gift was so special that God didn't just send any old ordinary angel, if there is such a thing. He sent Gabriel. According to Billy Graham, in his 1975 book, Angels: God's Secret Agents─ still the best book I've read about angels─Gabriel in Hebrew means: "God's Hero," or it also means "God is great." Gabriel is God's messenger. When he appears a person should get ready for some very important news. But, as Graham says, "Gabriel is primarily God's messenger of mercy and promise." Everybody loves good news and that's what Gabriel brings. He puts you on notice that God has something great in store for you. Now, not understanding who Gabriel was and that he appears four times in the Bible, Mary was naturally afraid when he suddenly appeared to her. "But Gabriel said: "Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God." Wow, that in itself is a gift. Something we all want; to find favor with God. But, there was a much greater gift in store for Mary. She had been chosen by God to be the one who would give His greatest gift to the world. Gabriel told her she would have a son and God wanted her to name him Jesus because not only will he be a great success by ruling over "the House of Jacob forever;" but His Kingdom would never end." How is that for a gift? We all want our children to be successful. Each child is a gift from God. Okay, some are greater gifts than others, but ultimately each one is God's gift to us. But, as Dave Ramsey said, we don't own the money God gives us. In fact, he said God owns it all and we are caretakers of it. If we doubt that and start thinking it's mine and holding it tightly in that clenched fist, God could decide to take it all and go zap! There would be nothing left of us but a grease spot. Good thing He is a God of mercy, isn't it? God generously gave Mary a gift that she could share with the world. This baby would be God's most amazing gift. So important that over 2,000 years later our lives are still being impacted by this gift. That Baby brings us hope and a fuller understanding of what Love really is all about. As the Lovely Susette and I drove home from the final FPU class we were talking about what a timely blessing it was to us, coming at a time when the entire economy is struggling. God planned for us to learn some valuable financial lessons during lean economic times. Then, I stopped to think how that the gifts received from us during difficult times are even more appreciated than in times of plenty. That makes gift-giving an even more treasured pursuit. There are three special gifts I have received this year that I want to share with you in hopes that will be a blessing to you as well. The Lord has given me these and to tell you about, so they are available to you. I'm including a website with each so you can learn more: The first is the Financial Peace University class I've referred to. It could be that a church near you will hold one soon or you could send off for his materials at http://www.daveramsey.com/. My second gift was the book The Shack. I'm re-reading and studying it and it has opened and enlarged my thinking about God and especially the Trinity work in people's lives. http://www.theshackbook.com/. The third is "The Love Dare" a devotional book featured in the movie "Fireproof." This book will help you take a good look at your life especially within the context of your marriage. http://www.lovedarebook.com/. Consider those references as my gifts to you this Christmas. I hope you receive the same blessing from them that Susette and I have. They could be life changing. In closing, here is a salient point that FPU makes: "Giving makes us more Christ-like; a spiritually mature Christian gives." Then, Dave Ramsey summed up what financial peace really is, he said, "Financial Peace is when the Great Misunderstanding is understood." Happy giving this Christmas! Prayer: Lord, your Word tells us it is more blessed to give than to receive. May we experience the gift of giving gifts first hand this Christmas. Amen! Authors note: I hope today's devotion will make your shopping more joyous and less of a chore this Christmas. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=397 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose and we have come to worship him. Matthew 2: 1-2The three wise men had another one of those frustrating days. During daylighthours, once again as they had done for many months now, they searched the ancient scrolls meticulously trying not to miss any hint of a prophecy telling when and where the King of the Jews would be born. They felt it would be soon, but they could find no clue that would detail the time and place. Then as sunset passed and the dark of night descended, they searched the stars. Starting in the west moving across to the east they looked at each individual star stopping to analyze its size and brightness to determine if this could be the one. Looking for that special star to start them on a journey that would be recorded on all the future scrolls. Finally, tiring and disappointed again, they decided to call it a night. Balthazar said, "Before we turn in want to catch a movie?" "Sure, I'll choose, "said Gaspar, heading for the DVD collection next to the maps on the workroom shelf," "Oh boy, we know what this one is going to be," said Melchior. "He picks "A Jerusalem Tale" everytime. Loves that little mouse, Fievel." They settled back and once again little Fievel gets separated from his loved ones. Lost and lonely he begins to sing... "Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight. Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight. Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer that we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there." "Wait a minute. Stop the movie," shouted Melchior. "Aw Melky...why?" "I have this feeling. Let's get back to work." So, they went outside and began to scan the heavens. "Look! Look! There it is. The bright one. That's it," said Balthazar looking to the east. That star is the sign we have been looking for." They were so excited. More like little kids than revered scholars, they began to jump up and down and to high-five each other. "Look," said Gaspar. "It's beginning to move. Grab the gifts, I'll round up the camels. Let's get on the road, baby. Somewhere out there we are going to find the King." Okay, so maybe the story doesn't read just like that in your Bible. But, there was reason for great excitement among these staid old, single-minded astrologers. They knew that the words of the prophets were now going to come true. All their studying, pondering, believing and patiently waiting had paid off. These men had a strong belief system. They had faith and now God was going to reward that faith. They were about to play a major role in history. How about your belief system? Have you remained patient and confident despite all the setbacks and false trails you've gone down. Somewhere out there is the answer to your dreams. Ultimately your belief in the truth of this Christmas story will be rewarded. By keeping the faith and trusting in the Word as you celebrate Christmas 2009 you will ultimately know the greatest happiness. But, God has happiness in store for you now...somewhere out there. After I saw the movie "An American Tale" and heard little Fievel sing that Academy Award nominated song, it stayed with me for days. It would often pop into my head when least expected. It just reinforced my feeling that somewhere out there, one day I would find─ The Lovely Susette because as Fievel sang: "Somewhere out there if love can see us through, then we will be together, somewhere out there, out where dreams come true." And in the most expected manner that dream came true. You're probably saying, "Oh brother, what a sappy guy. Is that corny or what?"Okay, I don't apologize for being sentimental at Christmas time. Especially if I get a little nostalgic over memories from Christmases past. The manager scene has always been among our Christmas decorations at home. My family reads the Christmas story in Matthew and Luke on December 25th. We've acted in plays based on it and participated in the Living Christmas Story at church. Christmas is a very important part of my life...not because I get lots of presents, because we got one big present a long time ago. God decided to give us a gift for all time. He became human through His Son being born in that manager. Thus, our world was forever changed. We can see him and talk to him through this baby who grew up and died for us. In faith, the wise men started on a journey and they came to their destination. They achieved their goal because they never gave up. The endless months of waiting and watching paid off. Their dream came true and somewhere out that they found the Messiah. I wonder if months from now when the bright colored lights are put away and the tinsel has been taken down, if this story will dim and we'll forget until next year the promise that somewhere out there, when the times is right, we will see that baby, too. He is all grown up now and went back to heaven a long time ago. But, as the wise men discovered he is out there. As Fievel sang, "And even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star." Over 2000 years later we are wishing on and following the same bright star that rewarded the faith of the Wise Men. Prayer: Thank you Father for sending your Son to be born in that lowly manger. Thank you for the story of the Wise Men and how their faith and patience was rewarded. We pray for that kind of devotion and confidence as we celebrate Christmas 2008. Amen! ***Author's note: Enjoy every day leading up to Christmas day as each one is a special gift from the Father. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=394 But, you Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2 The Lovely Susette and I are doing something a little different during this Christmas Season. We're walking to Bethlehem. We are going to try to capture the feeling and gain an understanding, as well as we can, what it was like for Mary and Joseph to travel that 80 miles from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem. They had to take the journey because of the census the Roman Government, under King Herod, had declared everyone must participate in. Naturally Susette asked: "Do I get a donkey to ride on like Mary did?" I answered: "Only if you are pregnant like Mary was." That put an end to that line of questioning. But, we do have a handicap that Mary and Joseph didn't have...Sandy! Yep, on our walks we have to take Sandy with us. He's an 8-year old dog, sandy-colored lab who is part blue tick hound. Some people think he looks like a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Okay. Possibly. All we know is that he is an impossibly hard-headed dog who wants to do things his way. Whenever we take him on a walk he slows us down because has to "mark" a bunch of spots, sniff every tree and bush and also wants to play with every dog he sees. So, it might take us a little longer to get to Bethlehem than normal Sandy-less folks. By now you have probably figured out that we've gotten involved in a little church exercise program consisting of a seasonal Bible study and walking program. It is really a Pre-Advent-to-Epiphany walking program that covers the same distance Mary and Joseph had to walk to get to Bethlehem from Nazareth. The program began the week of November 17th and should be completed by the end of the first week in January. Each week there is a scripture lesson to read before you start the week of walking. Then you are supposed to think about that scripture and try to imagine what it was like for Mary and Joseph on their little journey. They not only had to go to Bethlehem because of the census, but the prophets also had foretold the place where the Messiah would be born. Micah 5 2-3 (which is actually the scripture associated with this week?the third week in the Walking with Jesus Program) says this in The Message: "But, you Bethlehem, David's country, the runt of the litter?From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule Israel, He'll be no upstart, no pretender. His family tree is ancient and distinguished. Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes until the birth pangs are over and the child is born, And the scattered brothers come back home to the family of Israel. He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God's strength, centered in the majesty of God-Revealed. And the people will have a good and safe home, for the whole world will hold Him in respect?Peacemaker of the world!" They had to accomplish what the prophets said was going to happen or that would have thrown the whole Bible off track. So, that's why the walk we are taking goes from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a distance of 80 miles. Obviously, if you average 10 miles of walking a week for eight weeks you've got it made. In the first week, Susette and I walked, six miles. So, with some quick and easy calculations you can determine we are behind already. With the holidays coming up and company arriving...oh boy, it's gonna be tough. But, we'll do it. Just hope we don't have to walk 60 miles or so that last week. But, as we think about that journey that Mary and Joseph took and we consider the whole wonderful birth of the Savior there are lots of things to contemplate whether you are walking to Bethlehem or just thinking about what occurred. First of all, we read that an average day's journey back then covered about 18 miles. So, if that is true then it would have taken Mary and Joseph about four-and-almost-a-half of a day- to get to Bethlehem. Susette and talked about this on our first walk. Can you imagine how totally exhausted they must have been when they finally got into town. When you are as far along in a pregnancy as Mary was (Jesus was born that night) it is impossible to get comfortable. And then they had to go from inn to inn to try to find a room. I remember once we went on a trip without making a motel reservation in one of the towns we would have to stop in. As usual we pushed it to the limit of tiredness before stopping. But, the first motel had no vacancy. Neither did the second or the third. By then, we were totally wiped out we would have settled for a stable. Well, that's the way it played out for Mary and Joseph. I don't know why, as was our case, they didn't think to have the inn keeper get on the computer and see where the nearest available room was. But, they finally had to settle for a stable and a manger. Of course, we are getting ahead of the story here. But, I don't think I'm spoiling the plot for anyone reading this devotion by revealing the ending. But, that's what the suggested thing to do in this walking program is. Think about and try to feel what those involved saw experienced and felt on the journey. The Prayer for the journey is: "As we walk together and meditate on Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, on Jesus' birth, the Angels, Shepherds and Wise Men, let us remember God's gift of Love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." It's going to be an interesting journey. It's one we invite you to come along with us on because it requires us to carve out time to do something that is beneficial to our physical health as we walk outside and breathe the fresh air. But, an even greater benefit is that it helps us think about what Christmas is all about as we put ourselves in the sandals of those who lived it. Happy Walking! See you in Bethlehem. Prayer: Lord, our hearts are warmed and our spirits renewed, as we take the trip to Bethlehem and think about how that marvelous story unfolded. May the spirit of Christmas elevate us to a deeper and more meaningful experience this year. Amen! ***Author's note: I hope you enjoy the Holidays to the fullest extent this year as you contemplate the true significance of this wonderful time of year. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=389 For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and bread to eat. In the same way He will give you many opportunities to do good, and He will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when you take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (NLT) Okay, it's that time again. This Thursday, November 27th is Thanksgiving Day so I guess we've got to pause and say a word of thanks. I mean that's why they call it the Thanksgiving Holiday isn't it? However, we can't take too long to do it or all that turkey and dressing will get cold. All right, I know I'm being facetious here. That's not the way it really happens. We give thanks more often than that, don't we? But, the fact is we cannot thank the Lord, too often or too much. It is just that the giving-thanks-part-of-our-lives comes into focus more clearly on this holiday. It is a natural thing to stop on Thanksgiving Day and consider how greatly we have been blessed, then pass along our heartfelt thanks to the One who is responsible for all of this. Being the sentimentalist that I am, I love to revisit the story that we attribute to the beginning of this holiday in America. It's fun to recall how the Pilgrims survived that first year with the harsh weather up in New England and the threat of Indian attacks and finally sat down, with those Indians, to a feast and time of Thanksgiving. Now, I may not be getting this story exactly right, so if any of you out there actually attended and were eye witnesses to this special event, please feel free to correct and substitute any information that you want to. I do know this. The Pilgrims Governor William Bradford declared November 29, 1623 to be that first official time of Thanksgiving. His declaration started off this way; "In as much as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest..." He ended the first paragraph of this two paragraph declaration with the words..."has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own consciences." Governor Bradford then went on to invite everyone to a meeting between 9 and 12 o'clock at the meeting house to "listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all his blessings." (http://juntosociety.com/thanksgiving). One of the neater stories of the Pilgrims adventures was that of an Indian named Squanto. Not Tonto, he would come along later with the Lone Ranger, but Squanto. He was an Abnaki Indian, who was given a referral to the Pilgrims by his friend Samoset. Amazingly both of these Indians spoke English, but Squanto had gone on voyages to Spain and to England where he learned the language. Squanto was one of the blessings that the Pilgrims should have given thanks for. He taught them how to grow corn, tap maple trees for sap, which plants were poisonous and which ones had medicinal value. (http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.) So the Pilgrims sure had a lot to be thankful for and they did recognize where there blessings came from and gave praise and thanks accordingly. Did they focus on the fact that it took 65 days to get to America in that drafty old Mayflower? No! Did they bemoan the fact that of the 110 folks who came over only about 50 survived that first harsh winter? Well, I'm sure there was some sadness there, but the survivors gave thanks for still being around to celebrate this first Thanksgiving. One of the neat things about remembering that first Thanksgiving is to go to a first grade class or a pre-K and see the pictures the little ones have drawn of the Pilgrims and the Indians and the turkeys. I remember doing that as a child. Only problem was, in my drawing, you couldn't tell which ones were the Pilgrims and which were the Turkeys. Grownups when looking at my art work and trying to be nice and encouraging would say. "And is this an Indian over here? That's good Jimmy." My reply. "No mam, that's a tree." So, much for my art work. Never was very artistically inclined. Paul talks a little about thanksgiving in 2 Corinthians 9:10. Before he does that he points out that "God loves the person who gives cheerfully." That's not the same as giving because there is this 10% tithing rule or because you feel guilty if you don't give or help out or whatever good thing you are doing. Giving of yourself is one thing. Begrudging the fact that you have to give is another. Which one of those attitudes do you think God appreciates and blesses more? But, I digress. Back on track. I think Paul is trying to tell us to be thankful that we can give cheerfully. We are to give thanks for the opportunity. It is a blessing. Then, there is going to be a double portion of thanks because the one receives or benefits from your unselfish giving will all be thankful and will give thanks as well. Giving thanks is very important. To illustrate let me revisit with you a story from Luke chapter 17 about 10 lepers. As Jesus entered a village on the border between Galilee and Samaria there were 10 lepers, at a distance, because they were not allowed to get anywhere near other people because of this disease, and they cried out to Him. "Jesus, Master have mercy on us." Jesus told them to go to the priests and they would be healed. On the way their leprosy disappeared and they all went joyously along their way. All except one...the Samaritan in the bunch. He ran all the way back and fell at Jesus' feet praising and thanking Him. Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Does only this foreigner return to give glory to God." Then Jesus told him, "Stand up and go your faith has made you well." All were healed physically, but the one who gave thanks was healed beyond that. His thanksgiving had healed him outside and on the inside as well. This thanksgiving let's examine our true thankfulness. Is it a one day thing in which we assess the bounty of our blessings and give thanks. Or will this spirit of thanksgiving carry over into every aspect of our lives throughout the year? This year, in addition to offering up my traditional thanks for the four "F's"---Faith, Food, Family and Football, I want to give thanks to someone else....YOU! For everyone who regularly reads these and even those who are reading one of them for the first time, I say "Thank You" for taking the time to read what the Lord has directed me to write. May you harvest a rich abundance of God's blessing to be thankful for. Prayer: Lord, as that old Hymn says: "Come ye Thankful People Come" and we do come into your presence with grateful hearts as we praise and thank you for everything. Amen! ***Author's note: Happy Thanksgiving! May your blessings be plenteous and your thankfulness expressed in abundance this year. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=388 But seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well. Matthew 6:33 Have you ever shouted at your microwave oven..."Hurry up?" No? Well, I bet there are times when you felt like it. Gosh, what if you had to turn on an oven and wait on it to warm something up. You might have to wait five minutes for it to heat up instead of twenty seconds. So, what are you going to do with those extra four minutes and forty seconds you gained anyway? Rush out, hop in your car and get caught by three red-lights where you can shout at them to change as you sit there for a minute-plus grinding your teeth. What's the big rush, Jim...oops, I mean folks? Why is everyone in such a rush? Looking at John Ortberg's book again "When the Game is over it all goes back in the Box" he talks about the squares on a Monopoly game board. But, he points out that we have a board that we play on all the time. This board is full of squares just like a monopoly board has, Our board is a calendar. It is filled with squares. Each square represents another day. No matter how much we rush around or even if we were to slow ourselves down to a snail's pace we still have to live in the square that represents today. As I write this it is Friday afternoon...that's much later in the week than I like to work on the weekly devotion. I'm a guy who likes to get things done early. Approaching deadlines drive me nuts if I haven't got a major part of the work done. So, today I've been doing exactly what I am cautioning you not to do. That's rush around like a madman while trying to get things done. I have a Tuesday deadline for a newspaper article I'm writing and of course this devotion hits the website on Monday. I know. You're saying wait a minute...Monday is three days away and Tuesday is four. Yeah, but you see this is a football weekend in Tallahassee. So Saturday is game day and on Sunday we go to church. Then it's Monday. So there!. You see what I'm talking about. I rushed up to my office this morning and got right on the computer. It has been going well. I can feel the tension easing with each sentence as my fingers fly over the key board. But, here's my point. That little square on the calendar representing today is really the only one we can take care of. We can't do anything about tomorrow until it gets here. Yesterday is done. What we can do is make tomorrow a little easier and make what we did yesterday more meaningful by taking care of today. Part of the problem and one that causes such a hurry-up-and-get-stressed-out attitude is all those "have-tos." Ortberg frequently gives a talk and for props he uses an empty glass jar, a pitcher full of sand, and four tennis balls. The pitcher full of sand represents the have-tos in life. These are the things you are obliged to do. The empty jar represents your life. You guessed it. He looks at the things we "have" to do and as he rattles them off he starts pouring the "have-to sand" into the empty jar that is your life. Guess what? All those work related tasks, and the personal ones that you waste time doing like sleeping and the household and family chores fill the empty jar...your life...to overflowing. So, how do you take control of that and make changes that allow you to enjoy life? Well, Ortberg takes the four tennis balls and labels them G; P; C; and J. He intends to fit those balls into this jar as well. But, how? It is already full of sand. Here's what the tennis balls represent. "G" stands for God. Ortberg says "God is not one priority among many. He is THE priority." Oops got to get the "G-ball" in that jar. Okay lets pour all the sand out and start over by placing the "G" ball in there. The second one---"P"---stands for people. This is important. You have to notice and treasure your wife/husband, children, friends, relatives, etc. "A striking aspect of Jesus' life was the way he could pay attention to whoever he was with." "C" is for calling. This is what you have been given the talent to do. Ortberg points out when he is not doing what he's called to do and is drifting that calling turns into self-serving. Finally, "J" is for joy. Jesus wanted His joy to be in us so that our joy might be complete. He wanted real joy for us. Not superficial and momentary things we experience and then are gone just as quickly. One of the things I have determined to do each day through the rest of the holiday season is to spend some time being joyful. To do that I'm going to think about things of the past that have brought me joy. Not gifts or stuff. But, solid memory-making life experiences. I want to recall times with my Dad. The smells and tastes of the thanksgiving holiday. Sitting around with family telling stories, reminiscing, remembering. Visiting my grandmother's peaceful churchyard grave and remembering. I'm looking out my window now and see a holly bush. Yes, in Florida. The bright red berries remind me of Christmas. The joy of revisiting that birth in the manager by reading Luke and Matthew. The glow of candles. Jingle bells. Uncle Bing singing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." Yes, there is joy to be had without rushing around like a crazy person. Those tennis balls need to go into the jar first. Then the other "have-to" grains of sand can fit around them...that's what you'll do today. And the sand that's left over what do we do with that? Well, tomorrow we will have a brand new square on that calendar. As Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom and the rest will be added to you." Prayer: Thank you Lord for this lesson that reminds us to first look for the things you have called us to do. Then, we will enjoy all the rest of it without having to rush around to do it. Amen! ***Author's note: Tennis anyone? Think about those tennis balls this week and the things you do will be more rewarding. Have a great week! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=386 Eliphaz: Consider now, who being innocent, has ever perished? Job 4:7 Bildad: Your words are a blustering wind. Does God pervert justice? Job 8:2-3 Zophar: The mirth of the wicked is brief... In midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him. Job 20:5,22 Job: Miserable comforters are you all....I know my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. Job 16:2; 19:25. Aha! The old fundamental attribution error. It'll nail you every time. Say what?Many of you are scratching your head and asking, "What in the world is he talking about? Has Jim gone off on some kind of a wild tangent?. What does he mean any way? Perhaps there are some, maybe even more than I realize, who know what a fundamental attribution error is. I might be one of the few who didn't know until I read about it in John Ortberg's book: "When the Game is Over, It all goes back in the Box." I told the Lovely Susette I was going to write about Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) and she said, "Okay, go ahead. You can do it." Now, I'm scratching my head? Does that mean that she has known all along what it is and she's just humoring me? That girl is pretty tricky at times. Sometimes she doesn't commit one way or the other, just takes kind of a middle ground, in public, although she already knows, in private, what her opinion or understanding of a subject is. This time I'm betting she doesn't know and I do. But, that's only because I just read about it. It's pretty simple, really. Something we are all guilty of at times. It's a kind of an integrity problem. Wait a minute! Hold on! I'm not accusing anyone of lacking integrity. But, I do think we are all guilty of committing a fundamental attribution error at times. Let's read Ortberg's explanation of what it is. "Another integrity problem we have is called the ‘fundamental attribution error.' It works like this: If something good happens in my life, I tend to explain it by taking credit for it; but if I fail, I tend to explain by blaming circumstances. If I do well on a test it is because I am smart; but if I do poorly it is because I was distracted." "But, the FAE technique can also serve as a way to explain the behavior of other people as well, hear Ortberg out: "What makes fundamental attribution error even worse is the way we explain the behavior of other people. We tend to explain bad behavior in terms of mitigating circumstances; we tend to explain other people's bad behavior in terms of their character defects." "If I yell at my child in the grocery store it is because they behaved to an extent that would exhaust the patience of Job. If you yell at your child in the grocery store it is because you are an anger management problem waiting to happen, who should never be granted a parenting license in the first place." Are you detecting a little pattern here? I'm sure this doesn't apply to you, but read on anyway. Ortberg says. "If I get a speeding ticket, it's because the police needed to fill their quota, so they set up a trap when they should have been out catching criminals. If you get a speeding ticket, it shows what a careless driver you are." The Bible abounds with cases of fundamental attribution error. Remember Adam's explanation for his disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Eve gave him that forbidden fruit. That's why it happened. Not that he didn't have the right to say "no" or anything like that. His error was attributed to someone else. Eve just happened to be the only "someone else" around at the moment. And then there is the case of poor old Job. He was trying to do the right thing, but God permitted Satan to attack him anyway. Actually it was a vote of confidence on God's part because he was certain that Job would withstand the bombardment in the end and it would be a major learning experience for him. More challenging than the physical and mental bombardments of the Evil One may have been the three experts in the art of fundamental attribution error placement, who had been disguised as Job's true friends, in providing advice. Satan went to work and Job lost his sons and daughters, physical ailments began to plague him. Even his wife became a doubter and began to think that Job had brought all this on himself somehow through his actions. To this Job replied: "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" Even in his refusal to cave in to the idea that he had brought this on himself Job pulled a little bit of an FAE. He attributed it to God. His statement indicated that he thought God caused it to happen. Actually it would have been accurate to say God allowed it to happen. That's the way it is with us. Even as believers, and I dare say that few, if any, of us are as righteous and faithful as Job had been. Okay, I'm speaking for myself there. Anyway, just as God allowed Satan to put Job through this misery, it is still happening today. We are besieged by the Evil One. He wants to shake our faith. He wants us to give up and try to right a wrong by doing another wrong thing. He would like to put doubts in our heads and provide us expert training in the art of fundamental avoidance error. "It ain't our fault," we say. Then, that frees us to mess up again. When we break the rules that is when we are most likely to lapse in FAE-dom. Ortberg addresses that: "The way back home for rule breakers is the way of grace through repentance. We need God's help to see the truth about our lives and character. Often He will enlighten us not only through times of reflection, but through other people who see and know us well. And then we need to reroute our lives." Whenever I refer to Job's story I always like look at the end result. Job 42:12 says: "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first." But, beyond the restoring of wealth and health the QSB commentary (pg 726) points out: "Perhaps the most comforting revelation of all for Job was that God was still his friend. Though he seemed silent or even absent, God was no mere spectator to Job's suffering. He was with him through the experience." Even through all of our fundamental avoidance error posturing. God still cares about us. He is our friend. Prayer: Lord, thank you for the lesson we learned today. When we make mistakes help us to submit them to You and know that You can right all wrongs and You care what happens in our lives. Amen! ***Author's note: If you're like me you'll be thinking twice this week when something unwanted happens and asking God to redirect your thinking and reroute your journey in accordance with His plan. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=382 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instructions. 2 Timothy 4:2 Finish this sentence for me: "It ain't over ‘til ___ ____. I think most of you accurately filled in the two-word completion which is "it's over." The familiar, but not necessarily grammatically correct statement reads: "It ain't over ‘til it's over." That saying is attributed to baseball's Master of the Malapropism Yogi Berra.I was reminded of it as the Lovely Susette and I were going through my book "Devotions for the Armchair Quarterback" during one of our morning devotional times. First of all what's a baseball quote doing in a book about football and the Bible? Well, it was in the chapter entitled "Halftime." And it fits because halftime is when some of the gridiron game's most inspiring speeches have been given. Still you have to go out and play the second half. Head coaches try to inspire teams to give their best effort in the second half and march on to victory, no matter how bleak things may have appeared in the first half of the game. A game is only over before the final buzzer sounds...when people believe it's over. When you give up, reduce the intensity of your efforts, i.e. start just going through the motions, then it's over. But, if a coach can convince his players to give maximum effort, then there's always a chance because "it ain't over," officially and in the record books, " ‘til it's over." Until the clock ticks off that final second the game is not over. Hope prevails. The sports world is full of stories of miraculous comebacks. Teams that refused to give up when the odds were stacked against them and made a victorious charge. In life, as well, there are times when the odds are stacked against us to such a degree that coming back seems to be a daunting, even an overwhelming task. Those who don't give up are the ones who still have a chance for a miraculous comeback. The Lovely Susette and I are currently attending Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" class on Monday nights at our church. Dave is a radio personality whose financial advice Talk Show is heard on over 300 radio stations daily. His website: www.daveramsey.com has more basic information if you want to check it out. I bring Dave up because he provides a classic example of the truth in our simple statement that "it ain't over ‘til it's over." He's helped thousands of people get out of debt and begin saving while developing an understanding that in the financial game "it ain't over ‘til it's over." You can always dig your heels in, make a fresh start, and turn the game around. In our scripture lesson from 2 Timothy the apostle Paul, writing from prison, is telling Timothy that the game isn't over and giving him a little pep talk to keep things going on the outside. He feared that his teachings about Jesus were being turned away from as people saw what was happening to him and how he had been arrested for preaching the Word. He was using his best, "it-ain't-over" pep talk to keep Timothy strong in the faith and courageous in his preaching. He wanted Timothy to know that his effort in the cause was of paramount importance. The Word in Life Study Bible puts it this way: "convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching." In other words Paul was telling him to "do any thing you must to convince them that the game ain't over for the followers of The Way." The strategy for turning things around is not always the same. Just like there are myriad problems that can beset us in life, the commonsense solution to each is not the same. So, the coach must sometimes get really basic. Devotions for the Armchair Quarterback page 73 says: "A coach may find it necessary to review the fundamentals of football at halftime. He may have to talk about blocking and tackling, pass protection, and play execution. All of these must be crisp in the second half to win." He might even have to be real elementary about the whole thing and get down in a blocking or tackling stance to remind the players what they must focus on fundamentally, if a turn around is going to get started. Unless they do the fundamental things right a comeback is over before it (the game) is over. Sometimes a "rebuke" may be in order. In other words, a good old-fashioned chewing-out might be what is needed. Or the situation might call for confidence-building. Taking a positive approach he might talk about the things they have done right and tell them by focusing a little more and doing these things more often in the second half the game will be theirs. The lesson for us is to know that the game ain't over for us no matter how difficult that steep, up-hill climb might be. When we turn to our fundamentals and search the scriptures we get fortification by reading about the other battles that God has brought his people through. By praying and asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can get the help that is provided for all believers. With proper focus here we start seeing ways in which we can make headway and start chipping away at the problem. As we start making progress our confidence grows and we begin to understand: "I can do this." With this new found confidence we find that success breeds success. Pretty soon that snowball of worries whether it's financial, relational, health-related or whatever, starts to melt. Then, we understand that Yogi, whose team was nine games out of first place very late in the season, really did know what he was talking about because "it "ain't over ‘til its over." Instead of giving up Yogi managed his team, out of the morass, to win the pennant. When we don't give up, but keep the faith and take the fundamental steps that have been time-tested by believers over the centuries, we will truly know that "it ain't over ‘til it's over." Prayer: Lord, we take comfort in knowing that with You as an ever-present help in time of trouble, the game is never over until it's over. Amen! Author: There are different versions of the "ain't over ‘til it's over" saying. But, they all stem from this basic one, so Yogi's mis-stated bit of wisdom is all we need to know to get started turning things in the right direction. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=380 Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. In the book of Isaiah, God said, "Look, I am sending my messenger before you and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness; Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road for him!" Mark 1:1-3 "It falls to you Mark, as I am no scholar, neither am I skilled with the quill. But, if you are to do this, to spread abroad a written record of the gospel of Christ, I must supervise it and examine every word." There you have the conversation between an early writer and editor as imagined in the novel, "Mark's Story" by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins, the authors of the highly popular "Left Behind Series." Now that "Left Behind" has been...well, left behind, the authors have started on a new series of Bible stories told in Novel form. Their first was on John and now the latest follows Mark author of the New Testament gospel by the same name. Mark, a brilliant young scholar, has followed Peter, listening to his preaching and had many conversations with him about the Messiah, Jesus, over the years. Since he was a writer and Peter was just a rough and ready fisherman, Mark feared that all these Jesus stories would be lost , so he tried to convince Peter to let him commit them to paper, uh...papyrus. Can you imagine, in this day of instant information and ready access to the written word having the patience to pull out a sheet of papyrus, a quill and ink to preserve your thoughts in writing. First of all you say, "What's papyrus?" Well, it's a plant that according to Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79), that grows in the swamps of Egypt or sluggish waters of the Nile. It has a sloping root as thick as a man's arm." People used papyrus for firewood; woven together to make boats; and chewing gum. But, more importantly it was used to make a rough form of paper that in ancient times served as writing material. Now, I fancy myself as a modern-day Mark, a guy who is fairly good with the written word. In fact, when I retired from radio to become a writer I adopted for my writing business (Writeman Enterprises) the slogan: "The right writer for the write job." But, gosh I'm glad the Lord put me in this era. I don't know if I would have the patience to deal with a quill and papyrus. Gosh, how would they even keep up with their writing schedule if they couldn't enter it in their Blackberry? But, thanks to young Mark's diligence, we have the earliest and the shortest of the gospels. It is one that places an emphasis on action recounting the travels, teaching, healing, parables, Last Supper, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. He details the selection of the disciples and also provides an eyewitness report to the arrest, then recounts the trumped-up trial and sentencing of Jesus. One of the crucial things in the success of any book is deciding where to begin the story. Mark starts with a most unique, yet dynamic character...John the Baptist. He focuses on John's unusual, attention-getting appearance and how he is a forerunner of Jesus. He was only there to pave the way for the Savior─the One the people have been awaiting. Why is Mark writing this story? Why is John the Baptist telling this story? They are doing it because they were "called" to do it. So, what is a "calling" anyway? Recently as the Lovely Susette was going through some of her parents stuff, she came across a version of the Bible that I hadn't seen. It was "The Word in Life Study Bible" (Thomas Nelson, 1993). This particular one was a New Testament Edition. On page 780 I saw the heading, "Who is called anyway?" Good question. Do you know what you have been called to do? TWLSB says, "Nowadays people often speak of a calling to signify a career that one has made a life-long passion, a vocation to which one feels deeply committed." So, is that what a calling is, just a job or is it more? Peter was a fisherman when he was called to follow Jesus and he left his profession. In Romans 1:1 Paul says he was "called to be an apostle." Obviously their calling necessitated a change in their lives...although from time to time Peter would still fish, and Paul would make tents. The TWLSB goes on to say that you and I have the same calling as Peter and Paul. No, we are not necessarily being called to drop our current jobs and go out preaching or serving as full-time missionaries. Romans 1:6 says, You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. God loves you dearly and he has called you to be his very own people. (NLT) In other words, we are to do Kingdom's work wherever we are...we don't necessarily have to change jobs, but that might be called for. I feel God has called me to be a Christian writer. Does that mean that everything I write has to quote scripture, include a Bible character or take on a preachy tone? Absolutely not. It just means that I approach my writing as a Christian and I pray for guidance that my writing might be meaningful as well as enjoyable. The Lovely Susette is called to be a Christian Interior Designer. In her work she helps many people feel better about their homes, their workplace, the kinds of decisions they make and the selections that appeal to them. In the end they feel better about themselves. Mark was the "right writer" of his day. Glad, he didn't chose that as a slogan or I would have had to ask permission of his publishing company to adopt it for Writeman Enterprises. Not sure how I would track that one down. I encourage you to spend time in prayer about your calling. When you do, just like the Gospel writer you will "hit the mark." Monday Prayer: Lord, we pray that our calling will be clear and we will be found faithful in pursuing Your will for our lives. Amen! ***Author's note: Think about your calling this week. Perhaps, you are right on track with what God wants you to do and then, maybe not. Have a great week! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=379 How precious are your thoughts to me. How vast is the sum of them. If I should count them they would outnumber the sand. Psalm 139: 17-18 There's a new movie out about love. Gosh, that's great you say. Just what we need...one more movie about love. How many movies, with love as an underlying theme, have been filmed over the years? Countless numbers of them would be the answer. Why bring it up at all? Well, because this one is different. Yeah, yeah that's what all the movie promoters say. So, prove it. O.K. this movie contains something called "The Love Dare." Google the word "Love" and you will come up with two-billion choices. That's right I said billion, as in a "2" followed by nine-zeroes. So, I guess love is important in our society. Gosh, that's an awful lot of information, much of it bogus or inappropriate I'm sure, to have to wade through. So I googled the phrase "true love' and that narrowed it down to the millions...44 million six-hundred thousand to be exact. Still an awful lot of material to go through. Let's check out the Bible and what it has to say about love. There you will find 308 scriptures containing the word "love" and 97 others using "loved." So, maybe we should narrow it down to one movie to give us a better handle on love and why "daring to love" can have such rewarding and life enhancing results. But first let me share something I came across on the internet on The Life.com. Now I'm not real familiar with that site, so I can't vouch for everything written on it, but I did find something interesting in an article by Harriet Sun. She writes: "Love is a choice. It is a commitment...The Bible says that God is love. God as our designer and creator, made us with needs for love. Do you ever wonder why we constantly seek love from others, but never feel completely satisfied? It's because God designed us for an unconditional love, and we, as people, are flawed." Okay, I'll agree with that. That's basic stuff. Nothing startling there. But, does that mean that we can never experience real, meaningful, and satisfying love because we couldn't equal anything good enough that would measure up to God's perfect love? Absolutely not because "Love" is God's gift to us. All of us have the ability to love. Sometimes we throw the word "love" around carelessly. "I love steak and baked potatoes." "I love going to the theater and seeing a good play." "I love that dress." Sure, those are superficial ways of expressing ourselves about things that bring us pleasure. But the deep, satisfying kind of love that makes you a better person is what the movie: "Fireproof" addresses. While it is basically about the depth of love that shapes a marriage and the lives of a couple in it, this movie has something to say about love that can make us all more loving and unselfish people. The centerpiece of the movie is a book called "The Love Dare." It is given by a father to a son who is experiencing marital problems. It has 40 days of "dare" in it. Each day he is to read a chapter on love and take up the "dare" to do the things that foster love that day. I want to bring your attention to some of those...without spoiling the movie or the book for you. The reason I am so attracted to this is the example of how God can take a dream and multiply it many times over. That gives me hope for the dreams I have, so maybe you can experience the same kind of feelings. First of all, "Fireproof" was made by a church in Albany, GA.---Sherwood Baptist Church. The Pastor Michael Catt set as his goal "to reach the world for Christ from Albany, GA." "Right Pastor...that's gonna happen from a little old South GA town" people were saying. Well, it did. A couple of brothers , Alex and Stephen Kendrick, assistant pastors at the church, made a movie called "Facing the Giants" using local volunteers, It was picked up by Sony Pictures and distributed nationally with great success. It played all over America and has inspired thouands and thousands of people, athletes, coaches, teachers, men and women in all professions. Now, they are back with "Fireproof.," In first three weeks "Fireproof" has been in the top ten in movie attendance every week. The book featured in the movie "The Love Dare" is already in it's 7th printing and hit #1 on the NY Times Paperback Advice Bestsellers list. Obviously this movie has something strong to say about love and here's what I want you to consider. On Day Four of "The Love Dare" entitled "Love is Thoughtful" we read; "Love thinks. It is not a mindless feeling that rides on waves of emotion and falls asleep mentally. It keeps busy in thought, knowing that loving thoughts precede loving actions." This is not only important in marriage, but in everyday life. How are you programming your mind? How much of what you think about or involuntarily allow to creep into your thoughts is based in love and caring? When those kinds of un-loving thoughts do unobtrusively slide into your conscious thinking, how quickly and effectively are you able to replace them with more positive, loving thoughts. On the next page of The Love Dare it says, "If you don't learn to be thoughtful you end up regretting missed opportunities to demonstrate love. Thoughtlessness is a silent enemy to a loving relationship." The Love Dare that goes along with this particular day (Day #4) is to: "Contact your spouse (or friend or relative) during the business of the day. Have no agenda other than asking how he or she is doing and if there is anything you might could do for them." When you dare to be thoughtful, you are taking up the Love Dare and your life and the lives of those around you will be better for it. Prayer: Lord, the gift of love is one of your greatest gifts. Help us to treat it like the treasure that it is by "daring to love" others in the way You have taught us. Amen! *** Author's note: I do recommend the movie "Fireproof," another movie made by volunteer, unpaid performers including movie star Kirk Cameron. It certainly has the potential to change lives, foster love, and restore or strengthen marriages and friendships. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=376 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48 When Friday rolled around and I had not come up with a devotional topic this week, I did something I have done in the past...panicked! No, just kidding! I asked The Lovely Susette, "What should I use as a topic for this week's devotion." A frown came across her pretty face─that indicates she is thinking hard about something─and then she uttered the key word: "Winning." I was curious as to why she picked that subject, so I asked. She replied that we are in tough economic times and people are struggling in many areas of their lives and they need a positive message. She added that she had heard a talk on leadership and she just thought it was a good time for people to think about being positive leaders wherever they are. Bingo! Smart girl. I knew I married her for some other reasons than just her loveliness. Of course, the only information she failed to add to her suggestion was what to write about in the context of winning. She left that part up to me. Oh well, I guess I have to do a little work around here. The first thing to do was to find a scripture to inspire and inform us about winning. So I located this scripture in Luke (12:48) that talks about being given much. Certainly if you have been blessed with plenty of talent, intelligence, intuition, those kinds of things; you would be regarded as a winner, wouldn't you? Not necessarily! It depends on how you use those things. See the second part of verse 48 says to those who have been given much, much more is expected. In other words, the Lord expects us to use the talent for good purposes. Then we are considered a winner. When we speak of winning my mind automatically focuses on sports. I love the thrill of victory you get when you play together as a team and are victorious in a game. That's why I write a lot about sports and seek correlations in the Bible. Winning in life is more important than winning in sports, so why can't we take success stories in sports and see what Biblical principles can be found in those and apply them to our own lives? There is a certain mindset that accompanies winning. I've found that in sports whenever a team starts playing cautiously and trying not to lose, instead of concentrating on what it takes to win...they usually lose. Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:7) that the Lord did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but power, love and self discipline. Therefore, we have no reason approach life with a fear of losing or making a big mistake or saying and doing the wrong thing. The One who made us instilled a spirit of boldness that allows us to go for the win, not try to avoid a loss. Often we allow ourselves to get overcome by the magnitude of the task. That's when the winner breaks it down into smaller more do-able tasks. As we knock them off one by one we gain confidence to win the big one. When he was coaching Lou Holtz once said: "I don't think we can win every game; just the next one." That's a good attitude. When you win the next one, and the next one and next, eventually you will have won all of these battles or at least so many of them that there is no doubt you are a winner. Vince Lombardi once said: "The will to win is dependent upon the will to prepare to win." No one just falls out there and wins a contest, an advantage or satisfactory result. It takes preparation, forethought, practice and a burning desire to be successful. There's also a certain amount of stamina involved because winning doesn't come easy. It might take extra innings or over time or more hours on the job, additional study time. Developing a "whatever-it-takes-attitude." At times I've gotten frustrated when I felt like one of the Lovely Susette's clients was being unfair. Sometimes they have called on her to do extra stuff that really didn't seem to be called for. But, I've never heard her turn a client down, no matter how ...uh, ridiculous or menial the task might appear to be. But, you know what? That's what makes her a winner. That's why her Interior Design Business continues get referral after referral. When her customer wins, so does she. And it provides more opportunities to win with more people. I've heard Pastor Joel Osteen say on many occasions that God didn't create any losers. You are a winner because he created you. I know you're saying, "Yeah, yeah well how come my business is failing, my marriage is a mess, my kids won't behave, even my favorite teams are losing. The answer to all of those could be "attitude." Do you have a winning attitude? Sure, sometimes circumstances beyond your control will beat you downt. But, you don't have to stay down. If you are determined to succeed you will rebound. You will get back up and try again. Even though you are trying to do the right thing are you going to make mistakes? You're darn right you will. But, as John Wooden said: "A man may make mistakes, but he isn't a failure until he starts blaming someone else." So, if you make a mistake admit it.Then set about to correct it or to do better the next time. I hope this devotion has encouraged you in some fashion. Think back over the things you have done recently. If they were all simply rated a win or a loss, how many of those would fall in the "W" column. Maybe you have more "L's" than "W's." It doesn't matter if you do. Remember it is the will to prepare to win. So as you analyze the things that went wrong, decide on a positive course of action, and get back in the ball game. That will make you a winner! Prayer: Lord thank you for creating us to be winners. We pray for a winning attitude that will honor Your creation and prepare us to do Your work. Help us to develop winning habits. Amen! ***Author's note: I know you are going to be a winner this week in the things you do, because you have decided that you will not be defeated. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=373 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy...For in sixdays the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Exodus 20: 8, 11 Saturday was fun! So enjoyable you probably got to bed later than you had intended. Now as the sun light comes streaming through the bedroom window, you blink your eyes, yawn, stretch and try to think what day it is anyway. Then, it sinks in. Hey, it's Sunday and I don't have to go to work. I can turn over and go back to sleep. Wrong! Get out of that bed and get ready for church. That thought enters your mind, but here's where rationalization takes over. "Sunday is my only day off. I work hard the rest of the week. I should be able to take Sunday off without catching a bunch of grief about it." Well, actually you could stay in the sack. And probably nobody would jump on your case, unless your Mom still lives with you. But, the reason you need to roll out of that sack and go to worship is not to please someone else but to benefit yourself. You've been to church before. You know that good feeling you have when you are leaving the worship service, until someone cuts you off in traffic. So, why is it a struggle to get going on Sunday? Christianity Today magazine reports the Barna Research Group findings that there are "10 million self-proclaimed Christians" in the United States who have not been to church in six months (exept for Christmas or Easter). Why? Well, some folks say they don't need to go to church. They can worship God anywhere. Why not catch a few zzzz's then go to the beach. There you can experience the fullness of God, and certainly as you view the beauty of His creation you can give thanks and draw close to Him. But, what about later in the week when things get wacky and you need support? Can you draw on what you learned on the beach to comfort and help you solve your problems? Pastor Bob Tindale (Killearn United Methodist Church) once said that he hadn't really met anyone who was strong enough to worship consistently without being involved in a church. Tim Stafford writing for Christianity Today said, "The church is the body of Christ, the tangible representation of Jesus' life on earth...If you miss connecting with the body, you miss connecting with Christ." Okay, so there is no such thing as a perfect church. And if you look close enough and go to a service with a big enough chip on your shoulder, you'll find something that is not totally to your liking. But, Stafford says, "Can you imagine the Apostle Paul arriving in a city, finding a local congregation not to his taste and simply staying away. " Remember the old song, "People, people who need people are the luckiest people in the world." Well, we all need people, but let's qualify that further. God's people need God's people. Stafford clarifies this by writing, "All God's promises were made to God's people─plural. All the New Testament epistles address Christians in churches. The Bible simply does not know of the existence of an individual, isolated Christian. There was a television commercial a few years ago that showed a business meeting in which the CEO was telling his managers that an old friend, who was also a customer, had recently told him he missed the personal, face-to-face meetings they used to enjoy. Seems they were now communicating by fax, email, telephone and other means that expedited doing business. The CEO said that he was sure that was the case with lots of other clients. So, he started passing out airline tickets to his managers...to Cleveland...Boston...New York...etc. to go see their customers face to face. When, asked where he was going, he said, I'm flying out today to see that old friend. Teleconferences...speaker phones...video tape...all can get the message across, but not the personal touch. We can read the Bible, watch the Charles Stanleys and Robert Schullers on Television, but it is not the same as being there. Being in church where you can kneel at the altar. Being in church where you can fellowship with Christian friends. Being in church where you can feel the Holy Spirit's presence. To be baptized, you need to be in church. To take Communion, you need to be in church. Singing the praise music in a congregation uplifts you much more than singing along with a CD in your car. Going to church can be habit forming, but so can not-going-to-church. I know that I just feel that my week is not getting off to a proper start if I'm not in church on Sunday. Somehow there is a void in my week that starts on the first day and carries on through. Being part of a newly-formed church I'm especially aware of the need for regular church attenders. You can't build a church if you don't have people you can count on. There will always be those who sample what your church has to offer and may come back periodically or you may not see them again. But, the ones you can count on to be present during fair weather or foul, good times or bad, when troubled or happy, are the building blocks of the church. Philip Yancey, Best-Selling Christian Author wrote a book called, "Church, Why Bother?" Growing up Yancey rebelled against his childhood church and the picture of a stern, judgemental God. He bounced around from place-to-place, in and out of church and tried giving up church altogether. In the end he found that despite all the imperfections of church that is where he felt closest to the Lord. That's a good reason to roll out of bed on Sunday and go to church. After all you can always take a nice Sunday afternoon nap and you'll probably enjoy it even more. Prayer: Lord thank you for the privilege and the power of church attendance. Whatever brings us closer to You is good and we know that your stamp of approval on church attendance is evident in your Word. ***Author's note: See you in church. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=372 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Ephesians 6: 12 He's a funny looking little guy. He has on an all-red outfit, has horns and carries a pitchfork. Kind of cute actually. Looks like he's full of...uh, devilment. Watch out! That's just what Satan wants. He likes it when we see that kind of a depiction and we think more about mischief than meanness. Kind of like a mischievous child. One who is running around, misbehaving, but, he's so precious he doesn't mean any harm so we let him get away with it. But, what if "little precious" pokes another kid in the eye with a stick or causes him to fall and hurt himself? I think you are starting to get the picture as to why we have to be on-guard and have a solid defense against that little devlish looking guy who is just full of devilment. It's a trick. Read what C. S. Lewis unveils this in The Screwtape Letters─ a book in which he created "an imaginary correspondence between a senior level demon, Screwtape, and his bumbling nephew, Wormwood. Screwtape tells his nephew: "The fact that ‘devils' are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of our existence begins to arise in his (i.e., the victim's) mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he can't believe in that (it's an old textbook method of confusing them), he therefore cannot believe in us." The Prayer Coach, Reverend James Nicodem cautions us not to be naïve. He asks, "Do you believe in the devil and his cohorts? The Bible never pictures him with horns, pitchfork, and a red outfit. We're told, rather, that he was once one of God's angels. That makes him a created being, and in no way (thankfully) equal in power to God. Motivated by pride, the devil challenged God for His job, lost the contest, and was banished from heaven." Ever since that time, Lucifer (star of the morning) as he was called before his fall, has been on a rampage to bring as many unsuspecting folks down with him. The good news is that, unlike God, Satan is not omnipresent. He cannot be everywhere at the same time. The bad news is that he doesn't have to, he has lots of help. Revelation 12:8,9 talks about the war that went on in heaven when Satan's rebellion was overcome and he was cast out as the archangel Michael and his angels fought against him. "But, he (Satan) was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great red dragon was hurled down-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." So, even though he can't be everywhere simulataneously he does have these angels turned demons to help. That's why when we resist the evil temptations these bad guys will go elsewhere and try to get a foothold in someone else's life. They want to work where they will find the least resistance. But, does this mean they won't be back? No way! They'll plot a different strategy and be back to beat you down. Now, does all this sound like fiction? Makes an intriguing story, doesn't it? But, that's why Rev. Nicodem cautions us not to be naïve. If you believe there is no evil force out there who delights in seeing you do wrong you become a sitting duck. They have a great starting point because you do not recognize the enemy, so you are not on guard to fight off his advances. Billy Graham says, "Satan's strategy is to persuade us to rationalize." Think about the times in your life that you have done wrong things. Okay, so I'm going to use the Biblical term..."sinned." You see sin is what separates you from God. You can't be sinning, i.e. doing wrong things, and be close to God at the same time. When you are separated from God that is when you are defenseless. You are most vulnerables and there are any number of strategies that can bring you down. Nicodem says, "Sinning has been our natural inclination for years. It's become an ingrained habit. We do it without thinking. Our inherent propensity is to disobey God." Of course, when we do this we regret it later. The mistakes we make stick with us...unless we call on the Holy Spirit to help us. God has certainly not left us defenseless. We are his children, but like those mischievous little ones, we are sometimes hard-headed. We want to do it our way and we do not avail ourselves of the defenses he has given us. Reading on in today's scripture lesson, verses 13-17, we read about the weapons he has provided. the belt of truth; breastplate of righteousness; shoes of peace; shield of faith; helmet of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit. So, you can not only defend yourself, you can fight back. But, Nicodem points out two other enemies, besides Satan, with potential to harm us. The first is...us! As Pogo said in the comics, "We have met the enemy and he is us." In the flesh we are our own worst spiritual enemies." It's the old "stuff syndrome." At least that's part of it. Seems we can never get enough stuff, doesn't it. Soon the stuff controls us or at least the desire for it does. That's where our other spiritual enemy comes in: the World. Nicodem says that world prompts us to leave the path of righteousness. So many factors out there are at play. Peer pressure. The entertainment world. Bosses and job expectations; advertising; even school textbooks." All of these can promote "values, priorties and moral standards that are contrary to God's." So, don't fall into the trap of being lackadaisical. There is a formidable foe out their working against you, in your life, every day. But, the good news is that you have an ally who is even stronger and more formidable than the evil foe. How do you access this powerful Helper? Verse 18 says; "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." He is always faithful to heed your call! Monday Prayer: Lord we are aware that Satan wants to bring us down. We also understand that you won't let him. Thank you for being accessible and for loving us enough to protect us from harm. Amen! ***Author's note: Have a great week. Be cautious of Satan's traps, but confident of the Lord's protection. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=371 But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan?this rebirth comes from God. John 1:12,13 On the day you were born did God scratch his head and say: "What have I done here? I don't know about this one." Never happened! Even though you may feel that way sometimes, God loves all of us. Sure, sometimes we give Him every reason to be vexed with us. We test His patience. We don't deserve His blessings. But, enough about how unworthy we are. Obviously we could never measure up to the standard set by Jesus when he was here on earth. The good news is we don't have to. "Jesus loves me this I know." Now where have I heard that before? There's a reason every children's Sunday School class sings or has sung that song. We want to make sure that our kids know about love and that love starts and ends with God. For some reason I feel compelled to pursue the topic of God's love today, so hang on because I'm not sure where all this is leading, but wherever it's going we will...well we'll get there. Our church, Good Samaritan UMC, has been pursuing a study series in worship services and small home groups about exploring our Christian roots. We recently studied Lutheranism. Boy, do we owe a lot to Martin Luther. His questioning mind. His boldness. His refusal to just go along with the same old routines and doctrines accepted, without question, throughout the ages. When we accept the status quo without asking why, things should be done this way, we are opening ourselves up for abuses in a system or a way of thinking. In his book "Christianity's Family Tree" Adam Hamilton (Church of the Resurrection) says that Martin Luther was ordained a priest in 1507, but "it was his personal, spiritual and emotional struggle that moved him to desperation in his search for a God of mercy." Some said that Luther struggled with depression and bouts of despair and that is what led him to try to find love and acceptance in God's message to the world. Makes sense. It is in the darkest of times, those periods in which we struggle with failure or temptation or waning confidence, that we wonder if God is really scratching his head and puzzling over how we could get things so messed up. It's in those times we forget the things we have learned about God like; "God will never call on you to do anything he hasn't equipped you to do." We feel lost and we can't find our way. We make a start only to discover we are going in the wrong direction. For years Luther struggled until he finally formulated what would become the hallmark idea of the Protestant Reformation. "Human beings are justified or made right with God not by our works, but by God's work in Jesus Christ." And what was that work? It was a work of love. He gave His Son as a sacrifice so we might be forgiven for all the misdirection and wrong roads we travel. Luther's discovery came about when he was reading Paul's letter to the Romans which in effect said don't beat yourself up over the wrong things you have done because we all have done them. But, we are now justified by God's grace as a gift, given through Jesus Christ. Luther discovered all kinds of abuses in the Roman Catholic church of that era. How about the little "pray for pay" scam they had going on. They were raising funds to construct Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome, so preachers were commissioned to conduct a capital funds campaign. They told the people if they would contribute money, prayers would be offered up for their departed loved ones so they would spend less time in purgatory. The clergy also felt it was dangerous for the laity to have access to Bibles because they might misinterpret the scriptures and cause problems. So very few people had Bibles. They had to rely on the priests for interpretations of the Word. Luther investigated these abuses and came up with 95 statements of misconduct. He called them the "95 Theses" and to make sure the public knew about them he posted them on the doors of the Castle Church on Halloween, October 31, 1517. Lutherans call this Reformation Day. Some of the basic things he pointed out obviously made the clergy a little angry. Perhaps, in the same way Jesus angered the Pharisees. Hamilton says, "Luther spoke of the priesthood of all believers." Believers were told they could go directly to God in worship without having to be ordained as a pastor or bishop. In fact, Luther maintained "all believers were ordained, in their baptism, to serve God and do God's work." Another of Luther's affirmations was that of "sola scriptura." This means "scripture alone." That's all you need to define your faith and formulate your doctrine. It's all based on the Bible and Christians can read it on their own and ask the Holy Spirit to help them interpet it. So, Luther began to teach and encourage others to read and study the Bible. Another thing Luther refuted was the idea that since we are sinners our salvation hinges on doing enough good things to overshadow the bad ones. So Luther came to see "God as a God of love and mercy and that the response required from us as Christians is simply to trust in this love." And that statement makes my point. The day this all-powerful, but tender, loving God created you, if he did scratch his head, it was because he was thinking. "Wow, what great things are in store for the world because of the talents of this newborn baby. I know because a lot of love went into his/her creation." Now it's up to you to trust in that love and use the gift you've been given to help others experience it as well. Prayer: Lord of heaven and earth, Creator of all things big and small we revere You and are humbled by Your unconditional love. Amen! ***Author's note: No head scratching this week because we know Jesus loves us. That's our starting point for all we undertake to do. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=370 "Teacher which is the greatest Commandment? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew22:37-39 In a recent conversation I had with Mickey Andrews, the defensive coordinator for the Florida State Football team for the past 25 years, we were talking about the fundamentals of faith, sort of. You see, Mickey is a strong believer in adhering to fundamentals as a way to win in football and in life. I told the coach that I had always remembered hearing him say to his players on the defensive line, many years ago, that "low pads win." When the ball is snapped the battle begins up on that line. The player who gets his shoulder pads under those of his opponent has the leverage he needs and can best utilize his strength to win that one-on-one battle. He then has the advantage in getting to the ball and making the tackle. Or if the offensive lineman wins that battle by getting his pads lower, he'll be able to protect the passer or ball carrier. But, then Mickey talked about one of the fundamental things that he believes in that gets him through each day. "Prayer has got to be a strong part of it." he said, then added. " That's something you can do anywhere. You can pray in your car. In your bedroom. The bathroom. You can pray in your living room. Or in your office. You can even pray while you are driving." Obviously, Mickey Andrews, one of college football's best defensive coaches, has learned that in a tough game, one requiring a certain amount of physical strength, the inner strength gained from communicating with the Heavenly Father is how real strength is gained. In life it is important to know what the fundamentals are, as well. In the early days of the church, the followers of "The Way" as they were called back then, actually began with Judaism. But, as more Gentiles began to buy into the gospel message Christianity continued to develop and become more distinct from Judaism. As time passed by, there began to be some conflict in the church as arguments cropped up concerning theology and practice. Consequently, in 325 AD, bishops from throughout the world gathered in Nicea to determine what the fundamentals of the faith were. They wanted to agree upon and write down just what is was they believed. Out of this meeting the came Nicene Creed. This document basically summarizes what we as Christians believe. Now the fundamentals were in written form. Those words that were agreed on and are basically the same ones we recite in churches today. The fundamental thing that was laid out in this creed was that as Christians we believe in God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit---a triune God. God in three persons. All kinds of denominations with varying theological approaches have sprung up over the years. But, the fundamentals are still there. The beginning point of worship is with the Trinity: Heavenly Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This fundamental understanding of the Trinity speaks to many areas of our lives and beliefs. Nelsons' Bible Dictionary explains: "The most distinctive characteristic of the persons of the triune family is their selfless love for one another. Each esteems and defers to the other in a way that makes the original family of the trinity a model for the Christian family of believers in the church." "The Father gives all authority to the Son and bears witness to Him, as does Jesus to himself (John 8:18) Yet the Son claims nothing for Himself; He gives all glory to the Father who has sent Him (John 12:49-50). The key to unlocking the mystery of the trinity is to observe how the persons of the triune family give themselves to one another in selfless love. They are always at one another's disposal." "The Father serves the Son; the Son serves the Father; Father and Son defer to the Holy Spirit, who in turn, serves and defers to the Father and Son in a oneness that is eternally dynamic and inexhaustible. The mutual love of the triune persons spills over into the creation and is seen in their generous cooperation in saving the lost (John 14:15-17, 25-26)." So, look at those fundamentals. First of all God is love. He created or invented it. He gives it freely to us and the love that is demonstrated in the Trinity, models this most basic and important fundamental in life. The Trinity is a model for the Christian family. It speaks to how we should conduct ourselves as believers and demonstrates the value of teamwork and cooperation. I recently read "The Shack" which is an allegory meant to shed light on the Trinity and this separateness of personalities and how they coexist, cooperate and fill different roles in watching over us. Some may be offended or might not like the writing style of "The Shack", but I believe the reason it went to the top of the Best Seller List is that it opens up and enlarges our thinking and enables us to focus on the fundamentals of the Trinity. That Spirit of love for each other, willingness to fulfill special roles, the teamwork involved in fulfilling a higher purpose is basic in the way we should strive to live our lives. But, as Mickey Andrews added, the fundamental idea that "low pads win" is only effective if you follow through with the other things required to capitalize on that strategy. The intensity, the quickness, the strength, and the execution that must follow this basic, fundamental premise are what, in the long run, make it work. When we start with the fundamentals that were demonstrated by the Trinity going all the way back to the Creation, we'll have the low pads needed to win those battles in life. Prayer: Lord thank you for laying out the fundamentals that lead to success for us. Love, cooperation, teamwork, willingness to perform the role you have given us the talent to achieve. To God be the Glory. Amen! ***Author's note: Sometimes we forget about the fundamental things in life that ensure success. No need to despair. Just revisit, re-learn and reapply them and the Lord will put us back on the right track. Have a great week. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=368 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes world? Only he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4 (QSB) Hello Football! It's great to have you back where you belong! If you are like me you miss the gridiron game when it is out of season. Okay, so maybe I overdo the football watching thing a little bit when it is in season, but let me point out that I refuse to watch the NFL pre-season, exhibition games. You know that month's worth of games on the tube that are more like glorified practices. By skipping all of those I should get a gold star shouldn't I. Well, maybe a platinum or bronze one anyway. But, I'll admit once the season begins the games are hard for me to resist. First of all I enjoy football watching. I like the games, strategies, matchups, excitement...all of it. Second, in recent years, I've become more in tune with how the things that bring about success in football, when duplicated in life, can also lead to great accomplishments. This is especially true when you examine this in light of Bible scriptures. I've found many correlations. So many, in fact, that I put some of them in a book: Devotions for the Armchair Quarterback (2004, Gom Publishing) and have a new book I'm shopping to publishers and agents called God's Game: The X's and O's of Football and the Bible. The main correlation that I see between football and life is the role of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The QSB commentary tells us what faith is like: "Faith means abandoning all trust in our own resources, abilities and reasoning─the things we see. It means relying instead on things we cannot see─God's promises, provisions, and his concern for us. An inner attitude alone does not define faith, though. For faith to be present, action is required. Faith proves itself by its obedience to the Lord." Here's where Biblical advice crosses over football reality as we read in the introduction to the book: Gods Game..." Football coaches must get their players to buy into a message of faith for the team to be successful. Fans must have faith that the coaches have a plan the players can execute and win with and the players are capable of doing the job. So, fans, coaches and players are all in the same boat. They want the same thing. Everyone wants to win football games and to be successful in the other areas of their lives as well. Nobody wants to fail. We know what we hope for and we must have faith that what we do not immediately see will become a reality in the future." Faith played a big role in the life of David Tyree. He was, by his own admission, an obscure special-teams player for the New York Giants. When the Giants made it to the 2008 Super Bowl they were actually facing giants...the New England Patriots whose flashy, unbelievable record coming in was 18-0. NY, 13-6, barely made it to the playoffs as a wild card team. No wild card team had ever won the Super Bowl. The night before the big game Tyree asked his spiritual mentors Pastors Kimberly and Ardell Daniels to pray with him. While praying they felt moved to tell David something that was being revealed to them. They believed that a clear message was coming though to them in answer to their prayers for Tyree's performance in the game. They felt that David would make "a big play" in the game. Proceeding on faith...a confident faith that made him sure of what he hoped for and certain of what he couldn't yet see...David entered the game and dispelled from his mind the last practice session in which he dropped about every pass thrown to him. According to a Charisma Magazine excerpt from Tyree's book (More than Just a Catch, Charisma House Publishing) when he went to Quarterback Eli Manning before the game to regain his confidence, Manning cut him off...looked him in the eyes...and said "I know you're ready. I trust you." In the second half, trailing 7-3, Manning went to Tyree. The Syracuse graduate grabbed the 5-yard pass for a touchdown─his first TD of the season. He thought that was the big play that his spiritual mentors had told him about. He was wrong. The Patriots regained the lead (14-10) and in the closing minutes of the game Manning avoided the charging linemen and lofted a 32-yard pass toward Tyree who describes the play this way. "Touching the ball with my fingers and pinning it down to my helmet, I was determined to hold on. I could not let go." The miraculous catch set up an easy game winning touchdown pass (to Plaxico Burress) against the stunned Patriot secondary. The next day ESPN's Sports Center called the Tyree catch "the greatest play in Super Bowl history." Tyree's action that flowed from his strong faith achieved a miracle. He heard the message. Trusted that it came from God and it has changed his life forever. David Tyree no longer calls that game the Super Bowl. He refers to it as the Supernatural Bowl. Recently I spoke to Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden who is approaching his 500th game in coaching and has won conference and national championships. He's also been through some tough times in coaching and in life. Bobby said: "One thing that has sustained me and got me through is my faith." Faith and football complement each other. God has given us the game of football to enjoy, but not to make it our god. Football brings us enjoyment and enriches our lives in many ways. One of the best ways it does that is to provide life lessons that emanate from the Bible to strengthen us and give us victory through Jesus. Monday Prayer: Thank you Lord for football and the life lessons we learn from it when we measure them against passages of scripture. Strengthen our faith and speak to us through our enjoyment of the gridiron game. Amen! ***Author's note: Bring on those kickoffs and with them maybe a new view of how faith and football intersect in our lives. Keep scoring those touchdowns for the Lord! Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=365 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. Nehemiah 1:11 "God is in the business of working through His people to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks." (NLT Bible pg 749). Keep that in mind as this story unfolds. Have ever thought: "You know that is like butting your head against a brick wall." I have. Sometimes you just come up against something, maybe even a stream of somethings, and you can't figure it out. How to solve it, fix it, get around it, make it go away, whatever. Yep, I can tell that you know the feeling. Well, I want to provide a solution. First, thanks to Tony Dungy, Coach of the World Champion Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI. for introducing me to Nehemiah. I probably would never have given him much thought if Dungy hadn't pointed out, in "Quiet Strength" (Men's Bible Study) the way the Prophet's actions helped him during his career in sports. Dungy studied the book of Nehemiah during his first year playing in the NFL for the Steelers. That study gave him the strength he needed to get through many of his struggles. Dungy says: "The book of Nehemiah is packed with wisdom for attacking problems or circumstance that require strength we don't have on our own." So, let's see what Nehemiah did that we can learn from. First of all here's what the QSB Bible says about Nehemiah. "If you've ever faced an overwhelming task or felt inadequate to meet a challenge, you'll be able to identify with Nehemiah. He struggled with issues still with us today: movtivation, fatigue, criticsm. But, this book also offers inspiration and vision. Without neglecting the practical. Nehemiah shows how to takle God's difficult assignments and survive both opposition and apathy." Why haven't I discovered this guy before? I've read the Bible through from cover to cover five times, but I guess I was speed reading when it came to Nehemiah. Shame on me! Nehemiah had a comfortable and wealthy position in Persia. He had the position of cupbearer for King Ataxerxes. His job was to ensure the safety of the king's food and drink. He was trusted and well liked. He was also an exile from Jerusalem. Word got back to Nehemiah that things were not going well for his people who had been allowed to return to Jerusalem. Even though they had completed the rebuilding of the temple, the wall around the city had been torn down and the gates had been burned. Thus, they were at peril from enemies who could attack the city. Walls were very important back in those days. They were kind of the home-security systems of ancient times, minus the codes you have to punch in when you come home to keep from being considered a burglar by the monitoring system at the police station. To make matters worse the leadership, for lack of a better term, was totally disorganized. So, what did Nehemiah do about it? He prayed. He asked God to look down and see him "praying night and day for his people." He confessed that the people had sinned. He also called upon God to grant him favor with the king in his request to go back to Jerusalem and provide help. He put on his un-happy face and went in to see the king. When the king asked him why the long face he said" "Why shouldn't I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and the gates have been burned down." Now, he had the king set up and when he asked how he could help, Nehemiah asked for permission to go home and fix things. Now, to make a long story short the king gave him the go ahead and sent letters with his seal to get him past the trouble spots. So he got there surveyed the damage then he told them what he was up to. They replied: "Good let's rebuild the wall! So, they began the good work." End of story. Not quite! Things are never easy as I'm sure you are discovering every day. He discovered some kibitzers. Well, actually more than that...enemies. Sanballat-Governor of Samaria and Tobiah, governor of Transjordan were determined that this wall building wasn't going to happen. A rebuilt Jerusalem was a threat to them and it was particularly disconcerting that one of the King's most trusted assistants had been given his blessing to do the work. So, they tried all kinds of tactics to make this project fail. They ridiculed the people saying they would never be able to do it. But the Jews kept on working. Tobiah said, "That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!" But, the Jews kept on working." They tried to call a meeting in which they would kill Nehemiah. He didn't attend. They accused them of treason. They didn't fall for it. It took awhile and the builders started to complain they spent so much time working on the wall they didn't have time for their families. Weren't getting paid enough to support their families. Whine. Whine. Whine. But, Nehemiah calmly addressed every problem. At every turn he prayed for God's help. And guess what? They built that wall. What we can learn from Nehemiah that will help us today is to examine his prayers that were the key to his success. He got the bad news, recognized God's holiness, confessed his sins, and made a specific heartfelt request of God. When the mocking and ridiculing started he expressed anger to God, but still trusted God to show him the way. When he was threatened he showed trust in God and asked for strength while taking the necessary precautions to protect the city. (NLT pg 743). Every step of the way...in every difficulty that occurred instead of butting his head against a brick wall of problems while constructing this stone wall to protect the city, Nehemiah presented the problem to God, in the right way with the proper timing and God was faithful to answer those prayers. It happens just like that today. Got wall problems? Do what Nehemiah did. Get God involved. Prayer: Thank you Lord for helping us knock down those brick walls of resistance with the ultimate weapon...the power of prayer. Amen! Author's note: Amazing that I had never really paid close attention to Nehemiah before. But, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from him even others I couldn't address in a short devotion. I recommend reading Nehemiah, it's only 13 chapters. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:02 MST