Second Hand

Beware of a second hand relationship with the Word of God. Get into the book yourself! You can be going to church every time the doors are open, listening to Christian music, reading books on the Bible, and--stagnate as a Christian unless you yourself are in the book--reading and studying. Develop an intimacy with the Book and the Spirit who uses the book to show you who you are, who He is, and how you can become more like Him on a daily basis. A second hand relationship is not enough--not nearly enough.

Builders

Anyone can tear down. In fact, we do it so naturally because negativity just flows from our sinful, prideful heart. Building up--edifying--takes conscious effort--effort that begins in our thoughts. Put your mouth on pause tomorrow; after you've thought about what you were going to say--if it would tear down, don't say it. If it would encourage, comfort, edify, exhort positively, strengthen--speak. Words are not easily forgotten. If you don't have anything constructive to say, smile and hug. That will be remembered too. Be a builder of lives--a conscious, deliberate builder.

Redeem the Time

Time is a gift from God. Redeem it! How?

Rejoice in each moment of this day! Yes, every moment. Demonstrate a child's heart.

Treasure those in your life that God has given you to make you rich. Let them know you treasure them with your words and actions.

Spend time alone with the One who gave you this day to draw closer to Him so He can draw closer to you--which is the deep desire of His heart.

No murmurings. They kill a thankful heart.

Sing.

Don't despise the little things that His love gives you every day. You'll be surprised some day at how big they were.

Remember those past blessings.

Be anxious for nothing. Cast your burdens on Him. A simple prayer will do it.

Build up those around you! Anyone can tear down.

Eagerly anticipate that this will be the day He comes to make all things right.

Paul

There is a word in the New Testament that we often just slide right over when we should just stop for a moment and contemplate its lesson. The word? "Paul." Here was a man born a Roman citizen--a man of prestige. Here was a highly educated man especially in Judaism--he sat at the feet of one of their all time great teachers: Gamaliel. Here was a man of leadership--a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Here was a man who put into practice what he believed with all diligence. Here was a man who hated Christianity and the name of Jesus. Cheered at the death of Stephen and then in brutal cruelty tried to wipe Christians from the face of the earth--both men and women. His hateful zeal was so strong that he wasn't satisfied with just trying to rid Jerusalem of Christ's followers, he was going to go wherever he could go in order to attack and destroy them. Damascus--and who knows where else was on his list of targets. We don't know for sure what was eating at his soul--Stephen's face glowing at his trial, his call for forgiveness as they stoned him to death, the faithfulness of the believers that he persecuted as they refused to blaspheme the name of their Savior. No one could see his heart but our Lord and Savior. But this we know--he was saved by the grace of God. He was transformed into a child of God, a faithful witness to Jew and Gentile, a man who lived a life of steady obedience to the Lord he came to know and love--faithful, no matter what.
Lessons: Two, at least, come to mind; in a sense they are intertwined. First, God's grace can save anyone. The best education, tremendous intellect, positions of authority, religious zeal and fervency, hatred for the Christian message and Christians--nothing is a hindrance to the Spirit's work of grace in any person's heart. Any person can be saved by grace. Which leads me to the next lesson. Second, who is that I know who seems so arrogantly, blasphemous toward the gospel that I've assumed that he or she is beyond the reach of grace? Who is it I have quit praying for that he or she might find the Redeemer because I think it is impossible for God to reach such a heart? Shame on me! May I stop for a moment and reflect the next time I open one of the epistles of the New Testament and read these words, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." Keep praying. With our God of infinite forgiveness and infinite grace nothing is impossible. Nothing.

Doers

When James admonishes us to be "doers of the word and not merely hearers," he immediately tells us what we should be doing:

Taking care of orphans and widows,
Keeping ourselves unstained by the world.

How are you doing?

2014

I gave up on New Year's resolutions years ago. Who wants to feel like a failure on January 2nd? What I do instead is make a list of prayer requests for the coming year. I begin, of course, with the prayer request that is the foundation of our prayer life: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Here are my others as I begin a New Year in His presence:

1. May you Lord by any means necessary continue to draw me and the ones I love closer to your heart.
2. May you remind me on a daily basis that I do not have the strength necessary to do what you have called me to do. I need to rely on your strength and power--which is always enough for each day.
3. May I have the vision to see all the wonderful things--"great" and "small"--that you bring into my life on a daily basis so my heart of gratitude will be unceasingly overflowing.
4. May each student in my classes know that regardless of their academic prowess or even their desire to serve and follow you that they are unconditionally loved and that that love is only possible because you first loved me.
5. May the beauty of the Acres constantly remind me that you are the Creator and the source of all that is lovely and that you are "Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature."
6. May "the beauty of Jesus be seen in me." When this year is over, may I be more like you than I have ever been before.
7. May I pray daily for those you have chosen to put in position of authority knowing with confidence that the heart of the king is in your hands.
8. When I look into the mirror of your Word, may I not walk away unchanged.
9. When I walk through difficult days and the circumstances seem to say, "He is not here. He cannot be in this"--may I remember that your goodness permeates all things and that it is by faith in Who you are that I please you and may I soar on the eagle's wings that you provide in the winds of adversity. May I be faithful to you no matter what.
10. May I live a life of visible joy. Each day may you put a song in my heart.
11. As you lay before me needs that I can meet, may I trust in your provision and give sacrificially and as anonymously as possible to meet those needs.
12. "Even so, come Lord Jesus!"

2013

2013 is about to become the past--forever. It has been an eventful year for this chubby old bald guy. After I had been taking care of Mom for over four years that ministry ended when the Lord took her Home in late February to a reunion with Pop and the old Chatham church gang. I never imagined that such a ministry of one was part of my future; yet, I loved that the Lord saw fit to use me in such a way. And the Acres that He had given me years before were a perfect fit for the days Mom and I had together. (She loved them as much as I do.) Imagine that--He knew what was coming years before it arrived and had "made arrangements."
And I really believed that once she went Home that I would probably lose the Acres. Especially after I had looked unsuccessfully for work just about everywhere; and in addition, couldn't find anyone willing to refinance the old Homestead. And then, He opened another unseen, unexpected door--back to a ministry of the hundreds. (How did I even make it from February to August? Hadn't even thought of that miracle.) If you had told me last year at this time that I would be back in the classroom torturing students, I would have laughed--loudly. It was not in my plans--remotely. Yet, He opens the door where He needs us (and closes the other doors we're trying to kick down), and puts us to "work" back in the kingdom. I suppose if the school can continue to tolerate me as its resident IDE, I will continue on as long as the Lord gives me the health to do so. (IDE: Idealistic Dinosaur Educator--a rare species that should be extinct, but has at least one survivor still hanging around, hiding out in classrooms.)
And I still have this totally illogical ministry of trying to minister to others that I've known from my high school days til today through technology which I despise. A ministry that came into existence because I was at home all day taking care of Mom. (Blame my sister Chloe and her husband Larry; they gave me the computer.)
I even ended up with a pet through all this "stuff." Well, a new boss.

What lessons have I been taught in 2013?

1. God has a plan. Precious in His sight is the homegoing of one of His kids--even the kids that are 99 years old.
2. And He makes His plan known so that even the dumbest of His children can see what He has for them to do next.
3. You don't have to wait to go to Heaven to bask in God's goodness. He's active right now in your life doing indescribable good things.
4. God can use anything/everything He's given you to do His will. Five acres in the country. A computer even. Who knew?
5. And the greatest lesson of all. Shame on the Christian who does not have an overflowing heart of gratitude toward the Lover of his soul.

Who knows what 2014 will bring? He does. And it will be good--as promised.