You Can Do It!

O.K.; it’s time to stand up and be counted! How many of you are still sticking to your New Years resolutions? All right, good! Now for the rest of you, what happened? Well, we’re only half way through the month and it’s never too late to try again. Most of the time we’re trying to form a new habit or break a bad habit and I’ve got to tell you it’s not easy to do. Think of it this way. Psychologists tell us it takes twenty-eight days to form a habit that will stick to our everyday lifestyle. But, I’ve never read about getting rid of a habit, so I came up with my own formula using personal experiences. I believe it takes thirty days to rid yourself of a habit. The two extra days are for you to decide you really want to get rid of the habit. That’s where most people fail. They haven’t truly made up their mind they want to stop or start doing something that will change their lifestyle. Then of course, we need a little encouragement from our friends and family. So I say to you who are holding on and changing your lifestyle, keep going, you’re already half way there, only fifteen days to go. For you who have slipped, don’t be discouraged. Consider the last try practice, take two days to think about it and try again.
We may not always realize that everything we do; Affects not only our lives, but touches others too. A single happy smile can always brighten up the day; For anyone who happens to be passing by your way. And a little bit of thoughtfulness that shows someone you care; Creates a ray of sunshine for both of you to share. Yes, every time you offer someone a helping hand; Every time you show a friend that you understand; Every time you have a kind and gentle word to give; You help someone to find beauty in this precious life we live. For happiness brings happiness and loving ways bring love; And giving is the treasure, that contentment is made of. (Author Unknown)
[Hebrews (chapters) 11, 12 & 13] Do you need encouragement in your resolution to become a more dedicated, faithful Christian? Maybe your resolution is a little more difficult, like it was for the Jews in the first century, in your wanting to enter into the Christian lifestyle. The author of this letter to the Hebrew people is unknown, but nevertheless was inspired by the Holy Spirit and is a great encouraging message to anyone wanting to become a child of God. Chapter 11 tells of those who by faith followed God’s lead, not looking for a reward in this life for being obedient, but expecting God to reward them with the promise of a heavenly home. Their faith has affected billions of people throughout history. Chapter 12 talks to us about what we must do to approach the throne of God. We must change our lifestyle by turning away from sin and looking to Jesus for guidance. The writer tells us to expect discipline from God, as a father would discipline a child. Then the writer tells of some of the habits we must start and stop in our life, for the Holy Spirit is warning us that God is not someone to mess with. Our reward will come in two different ways and it is purely up to each individual which reward he will receive. Then with our faith in tack and growing Chapter 13 tells of how we are to continue living showing our deep faith and affecting those about us by telling them of the influence Jesus has had in our life. (1 Timothy 1: 15-16) Paul calls himself the worst of sinners, but grace was given him so Jesus would affect others through him. God’s grace awaits you, so you can show others God’s love.

Where Is It?

How many times in your life have you gone looking for something only to discover it’s not where you expected it to be? I can’t count the times I’ve seen an item clear as day in my minds eye as to exactly where I’ll find it, to not find it there at all. Then thinking about it for a moment, get another picture, and not find it there either. I’ve probably spent many hours looking for stuff I knew exactly where they were, only to never find them. Of course if they are found, they’re always in the last place you look, I hope.
Can you find the names of 25 books of the Bible in this paragraph? This is a most remarkable puzzle. Someone found it in the seat pocket on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping himself occupied for hours. One man from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his johnboat. Roy Clark studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Victs mentioned it in her column once. One woman judges the job to be so involving; she brews a cup of tea to help calm her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot, that’s a fact. Some people will soon find themselves in a jam; especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. The truth is, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them. At the worst, something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have. Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation may help. Books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without there numbers. And punctuation or spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete. Remember, there are 25 books of The Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph.
[Acts 1: 7-11] In Montana, overlooking the Missouri River and the Great Northern Railroad is a monument erected to pay tribute to ole “Shep”, a collie dog that had belonged to an old shepherd. Wherever the man went, Shep was always at his side. Then in 1936 Shep’s master died. Shep accompanied him one last time as men took his body to the train station; it was to be shipped back east for burial. Shep tried to board the train, but was put off. Shep followed the train as far as he could. After losing sight of it he returned to the station, dug a spot under the depot platform and waited for his masters return. For six long years he would expectantly greet the arrival of each train, looking for his master. In January 1942, a train struck and killed the faithful dog. Railroaders who had befriended and fed the dog, buried him on a nearby bluff, and the monument was erected in his memory. Everyone has a master and everyone spends much time waiting on and serving their master. Unlike “Shep”, I have the hope, knowledge and faith that my master will return. The two (angels) who appeared to the disciples assured them that Jesus would return and staring up into the sky was just a waste of time. We’re to be about our Fathers business, saving the lost, and yes preparing for the last day, but not dwelling on it. If you would spend the time you’re about to spend on the puzzle, each day studying Gods Word, you’ll find your master is alive, and working in your life though He is out of sight. (Titus 2: 11-14) I once was lost, but now I’m found, in Christ.

Spiritual Resolution

Once again the calendar has flipped leaving behind another year and propelling us into the sixth year of the second millennium. Scientist tell us this is also the year we need to add one second to our time pieces to catch up with the rest of the universe. I have no idea where they come up with this stuff, but I imagine I’ll find something to do to fill the extra time they’ve allotted me. It’s not a leap year, so we don’t have to figure out what to do with a whole extra day. Our leaders are still contemplating the extension of Daylight Savings Time, if only they can figure out what to do with all the electronically timed devices we use every day that automatically adjust one hour forward or backwards at the current schedule. I suppose it will end up something like forcing High Definition TV on all of us. Oh well, let me tell you about one of my New Years resolutions. I’ve always read about the futuristic products coming to the consumer and I plan to continue reading a little about a lot of things, whether I understand it or not. From what I can understand, the next five years are going to bring about huge changes in the world that will directly impact all of us, and like it or not we’re all going to have to educate ourselves every day or get left behind. Ha! Really nothing new under the sun, because if all of us look back twenty years I think we’d discover we never dreamed we’d be doing some of the things we do today or we’re already lost in the flood of technology.
Another year is dawning; Dear Father let it be; In working or in waiting; Another year with thee. Another year of progress; Another year of praise; Another year of proving, thy presence all the days. Another year of mercies; Of faithfulness and grace; Another year of gladness; the glory of thy face. Another year of leaning, upon thy loving breast; Another year of trusting; Of quiet, happy rest. Another year of service; Of witness for thy love; Another year of training, for holier work above. Another year is dawning; Dear Father, let it be; On earth, as it is in heaven; Another year for thee.
[Ecclesiastes 12: 9-14] My most used study Bible introduces Solomon’s book as follows: “Life seems inconsistent, unpredictable, and unfair at times. No matter the generation, no matter the time in history, the righteous and the wicked have the same experiences, face the same trials, and grapple with the same problems. And all end up in the grave! As people grow older they look back and see what a breath, what a vapor, life is. It passes so quickly. What was its purpose? Was what we strove to obtain worth it? Did we live as we should have? What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? And what is the conclusion of it all?” I think no one experienced life to the fullest as did Solomon. Did he regret some of his experiences? I think all of us can say yes to that, including Solomon. What is life? It is a gift from God and without God involved in my life, life becomes meaningless. Read the entire book of Ecclesiastes. In it you’ll find several warnings to those who do not include God in their life. No matter how unfair we see life, it will not go well for the wicked in the end. A good New Years resolution for everyone would be to focus on their spirituality. No, don’t get all weird about it. Start investigating and studying to answer some of the questions you have about yourself. Is this life all there is, and do I truly need to be preparing for the spiritual life that follows? Awaken your spirit. Let God in, and discover a peaceful, fulfilling life.

Watch Your Back

I know a man with a bumper sticker that reads, “I’ve Worked Hard All My Life. I Finally Got It All Together, And Now I Can’t Remember Where I Put It.” I felt just about that brokenhearted last weekend, as I laid in bed too sick to care about anything. I had just been bragging about how I’d dodged all the illnesses going around and was quit proud of my health. My whole life, it’s rare to find me ill enough to put a hold on everything and simply lay down in defeat. It seems though, that about every ten years, during the change of fall to winter weather, my tonsils decide to rebel with a full-blown attack on my entire well-being. No cough or congestion, not even a small sneeze suggesting the onset of a cold, oh, no, nothing that kind. They attack with infection and toxins throughout the body making me feel like I’d been hit by a train, producing temperatures above one hundred and screaming out with pain every time I swallow. So, if you missed me in your mailbox last week, now you know why. Well, I missed writing and must admit feeling rather awkward not doing my normal Saturday routines and missing Sunday worship. I guess our good health is always resting in the perils of time.
Two robins were sitting in a tree. “I’m really hungry,” said the first one. “Let’s fly down and find something to eat for lunch.” The other agreed, so they flew down and found a nice plot of newly plowed ground that was full of worms. They ate and ate and ate until they could eat no more. “I’m so full, I don’t think I can fly back up into the tree,” said the first one. “Let’s just lay back here and bask in the warm sun for a little while,” said the second. “Sounds like a great idea,” said the first. So they plopped down, basking in the warm sun. No sooner than they had fallen asleep, when a big fat tomcat jumped them and gobbled them down. As the cat sat washing his face after his meal, he let go with a loud purr and thought to himself, “I just love Baskin-Robins!”
[1 Peter 4] I must admit, as I laid in bed feeling completely helpless and thinking that just a microscopic bug could do this to me, life isn’t easy to deal with sometimes even though I might be doing all the right things. Paul reminds us at the end of his letter to the Ephesians that our struggles in this life not only deal with the physical perils of the world, but “…against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6: 12-13) I think that’s what Peter is trying to get across to us here. No matter how good we are, no matter how well we practice the will of God in our day to day life, trials are going to come our way to discourage and attempt to defeat us in our righteous living. Peter says we should not be surprised as though something strange were happening to us; it’s completely normal for the world to attack our way of life. He encourages you and I to endure these trials and hang on to the end, for they are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us. No matter how hard we struggle in our physical well-being, let’s face folks, it’s still a losing battle. Take your vitamins, eat right, wash your hands, do all the right things and some microbe is going to crawl in and break you down. Peter warns us in the next chapter (5: 6-9) that even though we may be doing everything right in the eyes of God, our spirit must still be on alert because “…Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Resist him; stand firm in your faith; and he will go away. Amen!

Gingham & Homespun

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off a train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment to the Harvard University President’s outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks, had no business at Harvard, and probably didn’t even deserve to be in Cambridge. “We want to see the president,” the man said softly. “He’ll be busy all day,” the secretary snapped. “We’ll wait,” the lady replied. For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn’t and the secretary grew frustrated, then finally decided to disturb the president. “Maybe if you see them a few minutes, they’ll leave,” she urged him. He sighed in exasperation and agreed. Someone of his importance obviously didn’t have the time for them. The president, stern faced and with self-dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady addressed him; “We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was very happy here. But about a year ago he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus.” The president wasn’t touched at all. “Madam,” he said gruffly, “We can’t put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery.” “Oh, no,” the lady explained quickly. “We don’t want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard.” The president rolled his eyes, and then exclaimed, “A building? Do you have any idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard!” The lady grew silent. The president was pleased. Maybe they would go away now. Then the lady turned to her husband and said, “If that’s all it takes to start a university, why don’t we just start our own?” Her husband nodded. The president’s face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. Mr. & Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away. They returned to Palo Alto, California where they established the university that bears their name, Stanford University; a memorial to a son that Harvard rejected. (A true story by Malcolm Forbes)
[Isaiah 53] Nearly 2000 years ago a prophet of God brought a message from God to the chosen Jewish Nation. He spoke of a kingdom that was coming, that he would be the one to establish it and would be its king. He explained that this kingdom would not be of this world, but would be a spiritual kingdom open to all the people of the world. The leaders of the Jews were too entangled in the laws and rituals of the world to spend any time with this prophet investigating his claims. They simply rejected him as a prophet of God. They rejected his message because they could not see their God as a loving and compassionate being. He was the Messiah, the Savior of the world. The one they read about in the scrolls of Isaiah. But because he didn’t speak or appear as they expected, he simply was a problem, and he needed to be gotten rid of as soon as possible. The prophet Jesus, the Son of God, paid the price himself to establish the kingdom of God, the church, by giving his life as the perfect sacrifice to God for the sins of mankind. For those who believe in the message and are baptized into the likeness of the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus, for the forgiveness of their sins, the Kingdom of God welcomes with open arms. I may be rejected by the world, but never by God, who loves me, for me.