Happy Thankgiving! Count Your Blessings!

Make Christ the King of Your Heart!

Last Sunday was Christ the King Sunday. Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? Is He the King of your heart? Meditating on His Kingship can be a powerful spiritual exercise. Envision Him in all His glory, seated on His heavenly throne, then see Him on the throne of your own heart.

Christ is the King! Philippians 2:5-11 speaks of Jesus Lordship and His kingly status.

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

The name King for the Lord is found in various forms in scripture: King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), King of Israel (John 1:49), King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11), King of Kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16), King of the Ages (Book of Revelation 15:3) and Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5).

Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of the season of Pentecost and of the church year. This day completes the Christian journey through the life of Jesus Christ on earth and in heaven which began with the preparation for the birth of Jesus in Advent. Kings are absolute rulers; they attain power by raising and leading armies into war against other countries. Jesus' war was not against people or against a country, but against sin, death, and the power of the Devil.

By His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus won the war against evil. All that Christians are asked to do is to accept that Jesus fought and won the war for their sakes and to recognize Him as King of Kings. On Christ the King Sunday, Christians recognize and worship Christ as king of heaven and earth for all time without challenge and without end. Jesus is truly King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Good Minds and Pure Hearts for God

Paul wrote to the Philippians that they were to keep their minds full of the good things of Christ. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

And, to the church in Rome, Paul wrote, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) Christians see from these passages that when they work at keeping their minds pure, they are open to God's will and teachings in life. God's thoughts do not dwell in the minds of men and women corrupted by the world.

There is a purity of heart that God wants from His people as well. "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matthew 22:37)

Jesus made everyone's heart, he paid for all hearts, and He will heal Christians hearts, even though it seems that these hearts are often damaged far beyond repair. It is the job of a Christian to keep the heart devoted to Him, and not be tempted to love the things of the world, other people, or even the gifts and talents He gives people much more than the love and devotion they give to Him. Let us bathe ourselves and each other in prayer, so that we may experience anew the pure and ever-refreshing love of Christ.

Always Pray, and Do Not Give Up!

Worship is important. In corporate worship in church is where God calls us back to be strengthened and renewed. He reminds us that there is no danger, or pain, or poverty, or evil, or death that can conquer us.

Worship is our fortress. God’s Word is our life. Holy Communion is God’s embrace, and salvation and heaven is our constant worship prayer.

And our worship forms a new prayer. It is the prayer that others would come to know the hope and joy, the courage and strength, the life that God gives us in Christ. Others, like family members, friends, and neighbors.

Pray for the people in your lives who need God, who need to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. God is at work, in and through those prayers. Have no doubt. Keep praying for your friends or family members. Pray for your faithfulness and strength in whatever you are facing.

It may seem like nothing much is happening. But, God IS working. And He is working quickly, because the time is short. THIS is what Jesus is teaching us, today. Be persistent in prayer, in these things “always pray, and do not give up.”

Love is Key To the Christian Life -- How Can You Be a Better Mirror of God's Love to Others?

"This is My commandment, that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER as I have LOVED YOU." John 15:12-14

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Jesus said:

"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is HE WHO LOVES ME." John 14:21

"If you keep My commandments, you will ABIDE IN MY LOVE just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and ABIDE IN HIS LOVE." John 15:10

The concept of love and obedience going hand in hand is clear. True agape love starts with obedience to Jesus' Word.

The impartiality of agape love

In Acts 10:34 Peter says that 'God shows no partiality'. If you read 1Corinthians 13, you will notice how that agape love is portrayed as being completely impartial or to put it another way, we have to work at not showing favouritism and not allowing decisions to be based on personal bias. This is probably one of the hardest things for us to do as disciples of Jesus.

This 'impartiality' though is based on what God requires of us and this may appear to be biased by those who do not have a knowledge of God's will. We are most assuredly accused of bias and lack of love for our country, when we state our case for objection to military service. This decision though is based on our agape love for Jesus and an impartial desire to serve and obey Him. (See Matthew5:39, 26:52; John 18:36) There are other facets of discipleship that people will not connect with love if they do not know God's will. (See 1 Peter 4:4)

'phileo' is the kind affection

The Greek word 'phileo' refers to a 'kind affection' for others, but does not carry the impartial self sacrifice concept of 'agape'. This is a much easier love to show because it is more than likely generated by personal taste rather than a love for God, and hence can be partial. We have a 'phileo' for our family members and special friends. The true test of course is that if we are, or think we are mistreated by our friends, the need then is for us to show the unbiased agape love.

Love in the Bible means 'a kind affection for' or in the most important sense 'impartial love' which is prepared to sacrifice selfish ambitions for others.

'phileo' in the Greek is the 'kind affection' and is translated: 'love' and 'kiss' in the New Testament. John 11:3,36, 12:25; Luke 24:47, 1Corinthians16.22; Titus 3:15; Revelation3:19, 22:15
'agape' (noun) and 'agapao' (verb) show no partiality and are translated: 'love', 'dear', 'charity', 'feast of charity' and 'beloved' in the New Testament. Matthew 5:43,44,46, 19:19; Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 8:1; Jude v12; Romans 9:25, Ephesians 1:6; Colossians3:12

Love God, Love Others as You Love Yourself! (Mark 12:20-23). Be a Love Ambassador for God! Reflect His Love like a Mirror for Jesus!

We Are Called to Be God's Faithful Evangelists!

We need to reach out to the world around us. this is what the Spirit is saying to many in the church today. get out of the box and spread God's love. Invade the public arena with His love. Bible studies in beer halls? You betcha! Christian basketball leagues? For sure. Churches rightly station smiling greeters at the front door, and we may take bread to visitors. But we need to reach out to those who do not visit.

We may invite someone to our church. But we generally do not feel comfortable speaking publicly about our personal faith. We need to get over it and just tell what Jesus has done in our lives. No big speech, just honest conversation.

I am a Presbyterian. I know Presbyterian pastors do not often preach evangelistic sermons or give altar calls, and door-to-door evangelism is rare among Presbyterians. but I feel that Presbyterians can reclaim with integrity our historical commitment to evangelism? The word evangelism has been hijacked -- it really is a very good word, meaning to share the good news of Jesus Christ!

Evangelism is one part of God's mission. There is a basic relation between mission and evangelism. The word mission comes from the Greek for "sending," and evangelism from "good news" or "public messenger of good news." God is at work in our troubled and broken world. This is good news!

What is God doing in this world where many forms of devastating evil are rampant? God sent the Son and the Holy Spirit and now sends the church into the world as instruments of redemptive mission. God is bringing to fruition the new reality that was manifested in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ — God's reign of life, love, justice and peace. While this reign seems hidden, it is present like yeast, light, salt and a small seed.

Jesus defined the mission of God's reign: "The Spirit of the Lord ... anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19). As his followers, this is our mission,too.

Lifestyle evangelism is really very effective. It is a matter of speaking, inviting and receiving, as if the Bible is true and jesus really is our Lord. We learn to speak about our Christian faith to others, to share what difference the presence of God and the support of the Christian community make in our lives, especially in times of suffering and transition. We tell others of the spiritual resources and guidance we find through prayer, Bible reading, worship and service. It is likeone beggar telling abother beggar where the bread is. It is the best thing we can possibly do for our freinds and neighbors.

I heard a great story about a college student who mobilized some friends to make and distribute peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (they called it The PBJ mission) to hungry people in their town. The students looked each recipient in the eye and said, "Jesus loves you." We need to find such a wonderful way to show God's love to the people where we live.

John Knox: A Man of Fervent, Effectual Prayer

John Knox and Prayer

It is said that Mary, Queen of Scots trembled when John Knox went to his knees in prayer. One time she even exclaimed that she feared Knox's prayers "more than an any army in Europe."

Why was she so shaken? It was because Knox believed that God worked through prayer. This was no simple assent to a truth. Knox acted on his belief. He would boldly come before the throne of grace like no other, throwing his petitions at the Father's feet.

Author Larry Christenson attests to this in his book The Christian Family. As a matter of fact, Christenson almost goes so far as to attribute the whole reformation of Scotland to Knox's prayers. He writes,

"[Knox] prayed with such power that all Scotland was awakened. 'Lord, Give me Scotland or I'll die!' he cried. And he prayed with such intensity that the Lord answered."

Here is what John Knox wrote about the Holy Spirit and prayer:

"HOW THE SPIRIT MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US. So that without the Spirit of God supporting our infirmities (mightily making intercession for us with unceasing groans, which cannot be expressed with tongue, Rom. 8:26), there is no hope that we can desire anything according to God's will. I mean not that the Holy Ghost does mourn or pray, but that he stirs up our minds, giving unto us a desire or boldness to pray, and causes us to mourn when we are extracted or pulled therefrom."

May the Holy Spirit stir your mind for prayer today!

Stop Lying America -- Let Us Stand Up for the Truth!

It is political ad season and much lying is going on. The presidential campaign has had so many lies in the ads, it is a travesty. The politicians who approve adsa that lie are liars themselves.

There is a plague that is grieving the heart of God and it is the dishonesty of America. Wall Street's problems can be traced to greed and lies -- a multitude of lies! The infection has spread throughout American business.

Why is lying wrong? Because the Bible tells us so! So does common sense, because lying corrupts society and cripples democracy.

What does the Bible say about lying? A lying tongue is not only something God hates, it is also something that is an abomination to Him.

Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

The Bible is filled with admonitions against being dishonest and lying. One of the Ten Commandments states:

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exodus 20:16

In John 8:43-47, Jesus calls the devil "the father of lies." The devil is behind every lie and as Christians we are admonished not to lie to one another.

Colossians 3:9-10 says, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."

Lying is bad because it treats those who are lied to as a means to achieve the liar's purpose, rather than as a valuable end in themselves. It is wrong to treat people as means not ends. Lying is bad because it makes it difficult for the person being lied to make a free and informed decision about the matter concerned. Lies lead people to base their decisions on false information.

Lying is bad because it's a basic moral wrong. Some things are fundamentally bad - lying is one of them. Lying is bad because it misuses the God-given gift of human communication. God gave humanity speech so that they could accurately share their thoughts - lying does the opposite.Lying is bad because language is essential to human societies and carries the obligation to use it truthfully. When people use language they effectively 'make a contract' to use it in a particular way - one of the clauses of this contract is not to use language deceitfully.

Lies obviously hurt the person who is lied to (most of the time), but they can also hurt the liar, and society in general.

Society is hurt because:The general level of truthfulness falls - other people may be encouraged to lie.It becomes harder for people to trust each other or the institutions of society.Social cohesion is weakened. Eventually no-one is able to believe anyone else and society collapses.

We need to cry out-- Stop lying America. Do not support any candidate caught lying against his opponent. Demand honesty in business affairs. Seek the truth. Imitate Jesus, who is the great Truth, and be an honest witness in all your own affairs.

Anti-God Movie Attempts to Raise People's Doubts

Bill Maher is a comedian who sometimes has a funny and truthful take on politics. But he is out of his league now, launching a crusade against religion on the big screen.

Maher, who has been picking on organized religion for years on his TV shows "Politically Incorrect" and "Real Time," zealously traveled the world for "Religulous," his documentary challenging the validity and value of Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths.

I heard from a Christian person who saw an advanced screening. She said it is an offensive, caustic, bomabastic attack on religion, Christianity in particular. The movie opens Friday in theaters around the country.

Raised in a Roman Catholic household by a Catholic father and Jewish mother, Maher decided at an early age that the trappings and mythology of the world's religions were preposterous, outdated and even dangerous.

"Religulous," directed by fellow doubter Larry Charles ("Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"), is intended to inspire similar skepticism in others — and perhaps get nonbelievers to talk more openly about their lack of faith.

"I'm not looking to form an anti-religion religion. That would defeat the purpose," Maher said in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, where "Religulous" played in advance of its theatrical release Friday. "It's the nature of the people who are not believers that they're individuals, they're individualistic. They don't join and all lock arms and say, `We all believe this and so it must be true because we have strength in numbers.'"

"When you're talking about a man living to 900 years old, and drinking the blood of a 2,000-year-old god, and that Creation Museum where they put a saddle on the dinosaur because people rode dinosaurs. It's just a pile of comedy that was waiting for someone to exploit."

Charles shot 400 to 500 hours of material around the world as Maher visited a Christian chapel for truckers in North Carolina, a gay Muslim bar in the Netherlands, the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, and Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy places in Israel.

Maher meets with priests at the Vatican, chats with rabbis and Muslim scholars in Jerusalem, encounters street preachers in London, and hangs out with the performer who plays Christ in a crucifixion enactment at the Holy Land Experience theme park in Florida.

The doubting duo claims that Christianity, Islam and Judaism were the trinity of faiths at the heart of Western conflict.

Charles grew up Jewish and once considered becoming a rabbi but was discouraged by his parents, who told him to "get bar-mitzvahed, get the checks and then get the hell out," he said. He said he now shares Maher's position: Heavy on doubt about the existence of a supreme being, even heavier on certainty that organized religion is hazardous to humanity's health.

"If I believe that Jesus is God and you believe Mohammed is God, then no matter how tolerant we are, we are never going to meet," Charles said. "All you have to do is push that one more step, then somebody's like, `You're in the way of people believing in Jesus,' and `You're in the way of people believing in Mohammed,' and the only answer is to kill you.

"Unfortunately, that sort of thing dominates the religious landscape, not the Mother Teresas of the world. She becomes the aberration. ... The altruistic wing of religion has been minimized and this militaristic, warmongering fundamentalism has become the dominant presence."

Maher openly scorns remarks made by Christians, Jews and Muslims he interviews. He hopes audiences will laugh with him, and that "Religulous" will stand as a testament for people who share his scorn.

"It is a sobering thought to think that the U.S. Congress has 535 members and there's not one who represents this point of view, and yet there are tens of millions of Americans who feel this way," Maher said.

When I read Maher's remarks it makes me so sad that he obviously has never met the Lord Jesus that I and a multitude of my friends know. Bill Maher is a harsh, sad, little man whose hate has made him rich, but he is hollow at his core. And he is being used by forces greater than him to spit at God and the people who respect God.

Pray for Bill Maher. He needs it.

Rely on the Blessing of the Holy Spirit!

PRAISE GOD FOR THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

"Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth:
for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me ..." John 16:13, 14
1. The Holy Spirit

A. With the ascension of Christ we have the arrival of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Acts 2) who ministers to the Church through the mediation of Christ (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Scriptures.

B. He is fully God; He is not a force. He is the third person of the Trinity.

i. He has a will - 1 Cor. 2:11 ii. He speaks - Acts 13:2
iii. He loves - Rom. 15:30
iv. He can be grieved - Eph. 4:30
v. He convicts of sin - John 16:8
vi. He creates - Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4
vii. He gives gifts - 1 Cor. 12:8
viii. He Intercedes - Rom. 8:26
ix. He teaches - John 14:26
x. He testifies of Jesus - John 15:26
xi. He baptizes - 1 Cor. 12:13
xii. He guides - John 16:13
xiii. He encourages - Acts 9:31
xiv. He empowers - Micah 3:8
xv. He gives joy - Rom. 14:17
xvi. He comforts - John 14:16-26

C. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer (Rom. 8:11) and continues to work in him to bring about sanctification (Rom. 15:16).

D. The Holy Spirit illuminates the mind of the believer (1 Cor. 2:12,13) and reveals to Him the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10,13; 1 John 2:27).

Acts 2:2-4 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:38 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Gal 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV)

Be Truthful -- Let your Yes Be Yes!

"I approve this message" the ads say, and we see the candidate's benevolent face. Sometimes the ads contain outright lies, but the approval is still there. It seems that lying in political campaigns is thought of by many people as "par for the course" and "to be expected."

Yet I see it as a symptom of a national spiritual sickness. Where is the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) in all of this? Do you want people lying about you? Has our respect for the truth evaporated in 21st century America?

Truthfulness is at the heart of the Gospel. God gives us the truth and He expects us to give the truth to each other, not manipulate the facts deceitfully to our advantage.

We need to go no further than the words of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount to see the importance of truthfulness and integrity. The principle that is present in Matthew 5:33-37 is to simply let your word be trustworthy enough to stand on its own. Jesus was simply instructing his audience to let their speech be so truthful that their “yes” meant “yes” and their “no” meant “no.”

The Sermon on the Mount provides Christians with a high standard for ethical living and right motivations. It is provides a solid ethical foundation to stand on in a morally-compromising world. However, just as the pain in a friend's body did not subside until she took some medicine, so too the principles found in the Sermon on the Mount will have no effect on our behavior unless we internalize them as well.

Let your yes be yes. Be truthful in all your dealings. This is the Word of God to you and me.

Living for Jesus -- A Checkup from the Heart Up

Here is a wonderful rendering of what we are to be as Christians --

Striving to be found faithful to
the Great Commission (Matthew 28),
the Great Commandment (John 13), and
the Great Community (I Peter 4), in accordance with
the Great Criteria (Matthew 25) of the least, the last, and the lost.

Questions for Churches and the Christians that are part of them:

Grace - Are we demonstrating the grace of God in this and every situation?

Biblically Grounded - Are we looking to the Bible as our guide for faith and practice?

Prayer - Are we consciously aware of our utter dependence upon God through prayer?

Reconciliation - Are we active participants in God's program to reconcile people to God and to each other?

Inclusiveness - Are we being careful to not limit anyone's participation based on unbiblical criteria?

Stewardship of Life - Are we responsibly managing all the resources that have been entrusted to our care?

Evangelism and Discipleship - Are we giving adequate attention both to reaching the world with the gospel and to nurturing the spiritual formation of the church?

Simplicity and Clarity - Are we sure we are communicating as simply and clearly as possible?

Autonomy and Interdependence - Are we balancing our individual rights and responsibilities with our responsibilities as a part of the larger community of faith?

Strategic Focus on Children and Youth - Are we utilizing the greatest window of opportunity to reach people for Christ?

Gift-, Ability-, Talent-, and Personality-Based Service - Are we helping people find their optimal place of service based on who they are?

Servant Leadership - Are we following Jesus' model and teaching to be the servant of all?

Radical Discipleship - Are we encouraging one another to make radical commitments to live for Christ?

ARE WE LIVING FOR JESUS EACH DAY?

The Blessing of a Wedding

I officiated at weddings the past two weekends and they were special occasions. You see how special life can be at a wedding. It is a service filled with promise, a ceremony that paints a bright picuture of what the future might be. At the heart of the service is a belief that God will be a partner in the marriage.

Hear is a prayer for all marriages -- O GRACIOUS GOD. Bless this marriage, as this couple continues their journey down the road of life together. Please bless their going in and the coming out, and every step along the way of their lives together. Oh Lord, we thank you for the union of hearts. We know that Heaven sings in triumph each day for the blessed and powerful love they share and that that love unveils the glory of your name. May they always walk with you by their side. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!

Resist the Devil and He Will Flee!

A simple definition of spiritual attack would be to say that spiritual attack is anything unexpected, unusual, or out of the ordinary, that causes us to question our faith, to have doubts about God, or anything that takes our focus off God and places it on other things. When either of these things happen, we may become ineffective in our witness to others and in our relationship with the Lord. But remember who you are in Christ, and pray for the Spirit’s help in fulfilling your calling for God. You are His child!

One thing all Christians need to keep in mind, is that if you've had a true soul-saving, born again experience, Satan cannot defeat you outright. Jesus told Peter that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His church. This applies in our lives as well.

The Lord Jesus Christ defeated Satan at Calvary on the Cross. And when we come under spiritual attack, we have at our disposal the full force of that victory. The shed blood of Jesus gives us the power to resist the devil. We are under its protection as long as we keep our focus on Christ and submit our will to His. Use the name of Jesus. Demons will flee! “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7, also 1 Peter 5:8-9

So what does this mean to us? Simply this, Satan has NO power over us that we don't give to him. Once you became a born again child of God, you came under divine protection. Nothing Satan does can take you away from God. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." So, since Satan knows he can't defeat us, what is his plan? To make us ineffective.

He does this by placing unwanted thoughts in our minds, by placing doubt about our salvation and about God in our hearts, by placing desires for worldly things in us contrary to what we know is Godly, or by getting us into situations or circumstances that he knows will try our faith. He tries to take our focus off Jesus and doing His will. He is the father of lies. Read the Truth aloud, and quote it as Jesus did. (Matthew 4”1-11)

This is not to say that EVERY bad thing that happens to us is caused by the devil. Sometimes it's the actions of our fellow human beings, or even our own flesh carelessness that cause bad things to happen. Often it is our own bad choices (flesh).

DESIRES: Unfortunately, Satan doesn't always need to intervene directly. When people follow the desires of their flesh, bad results usually follow. With these people, while the devil may have placed the desires there initially, the results are due to the decisions made by the people experiencing those desires. Sometimes the devil attacks us through weak links – not directly at us, but through other people in our family, etc.

Of utmost importance is having more faith in the power of God to protect you than in the enemy to harm you. (Psalm 91; 1 John 5:4, 14, 15, 19) The safest place is to see yourself as a little child with a great big Father. God does not ask you to step into a deeper realm of influence for which He has not already prepared your heart. Simply humble yourself daily as a little child before the Father and do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. Spend time each day just sitting in the Father’s presence and allowing Him to express His love and comfort to you. It is often helpful to play worship music and to meditate upon the words while you wait on the Father to reveal Himself to you. (1 Peter 5:5-10; Zephaniah 3:17) Pray for God’s angels’ to help!ugh jobs, etc.

Happy 4th of July -- Washington at Prayer

No Christian is Greater Than His Prayer Life!

A few years ago I was given a little card that reads, "No Christian is greater than his prayer life." I have come to a gripping realization that prayer is probably one of the greatest contributions we can make to advance the Kingdom of Christ. Yet, we as Christians, have yet to utilize this amazing resource at the levels God will allow us to do when we press into Him.

Surveys show the average Christian prays 15 to 30 minutes a week. If the statement, "No Christian is greater than his prayer life," is true, then it would explain, in part, why so much of the world is still not evangelized, and why so many lives are unraveling.

Years ago, when I was a high school teacher, I had a poster in my classroom, right next to the ten commandments. It read "Life is fragile, handle with prayer." This is so true!

Why do we spend so little time in prayer? Why is prayer one of the first things we neglect as we drift away from God? Many pastors have preached sermons condemning us for spending up to 3 hours a day in front of a television set while we pray less than 30 minutes a week. Although there is a need for such sermons, I have no intention of pointing out something for which you are probably already painfully aware. It is my desire to encourage you to pray more.

Satan would like nothing more than to distract us from our prayer life, because we can do so much vital good with prayer! Put your prayer time at the highest priority in your life. The family that prays together, stays together. The church that prays together moves mountains in the lives of its members!

When we as Christians approach God, He wants us to trust Him fully and understand that the solutions to our problems lie beyond our abilities. It is this recognition that releases the power of God. Prayer is an expression of the commitment and trust we have in God. When we come before God in prayer and give Him full control of a situation, we are acknowledging His sovereignty in that area. This is a powerful truth. We must humble ourselves before our God.

We are at our most powerful when we realize our own weaknesses and get on our knees. We will never have a true appreciation of how powerful and effective our prayers are until we enter God’s presence and He unfolds the completed story. At that time we will see how people were saved and lives changed as a direct result of our prayers.

Please pray for the sick and pray for those who are struggling with unbelief. Pray for the lost and pray for those who have hurt you. Pray for changes in heart and mind. Pray the Lord's prayer and mean every word. AMEN. AMEN!

Fruit of the Spirit

The most famous passage about the 'fruit of the Spirit' is in Galatians 5:22-23, where Paul gives us a list of fruit. The list is meant as a contrast to the list of the deeds of the flesh' found in 5:19-20. The fruit list is clearly not intended as an exhaustive description of the fruit, but was given to highlight the fruit that Paul wants us to keep in mind.

"Fruit of the Spirit" is a biblical term that sums up the nine visible attributes of a true Christian life. Using the King James Version of Galatians 5:22-23, these attributes are: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.

When Paul follows the list of the fruit of the Spirit by saying that "against such things there is no law", he was talking about the fact that the societal authorities find it pretty hard to object to behavior that shows these characteristics. Even a staunch enemy of the church will likely find these qualities appealing. They are known to be positive characteristics by the general public, in most eras, in most lands.

Love is foundational to everything. Jesus commands us to love each other (John 15). And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16). Through Jesus Christ, our greatest goal is to do all things in love. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Joy - "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

Peace - "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

Longsuffering (patience) -- We are "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11). "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). This is hard for many Americans. We live in a fast-paced world which is getting faster even as age slows me down. However, the Spirit, who can be faster than any of us, is not in it for the quick hit. The Spirit counsels patience : you have all of eternity, and all that is not joy today will pass away someday. Remember that God wins in the end, and trust in that.

Gentleness (kindness) -- We should live "in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left" (2 Corinthians 6:6-7). The gift of 'gentleness' isn't about being wishy-washy, indecisive, unassertive, or just plain wimpy. It is connected instead to a refusal to use power over anyone, an unwillingness to cut and slash at people, wounding them for vengeance, spite or control. It's about being out to build people up instead of harming them or scaring them.

Goodness - "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power" (1 Thessalonians 1:11). "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Ephesians 5:9).

Faith (faithfulness) - "O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" (Isaiah 25:1). "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:16-17).

Meekness - "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).

Temperance (self-control) - "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love" (2 Peter 1:5-7).

Notice that the Galatians list is made of stuff that is both something you are and something you do. It is the Spirit giving you the character of Christ.

Natural Disasters in a Broken World

This month our home state of Iowa has been overwhelmed with too much rain and the rivers have spilled over their banks. The devastation caused by the floods has been front page news across the county. There are many sad stories along the rivers of Iowa. We pray for these people as they attempt to rebuild their water-soaked lives.

Natural destruction is a shocking thing.Last month, on Sunday, May 25, I was chased from study in the library at the University of Dubuque by the wail of storm warning horns. A powerful thunderhead that spawned a deadly tornado was nearby. I drove to my campus room and went promptly to the storm shelter. Fortunately for the doctoral students huddled in that room, the tornado did not come to Dubuque last Sunday. But, to our sadness, we later learned that a monster tornado hit several Iowa towns, most devastatingly Parkersburg, with tremendous fury.

The tornado that leveled half of Parkersburg and killed seven people was the strongest to hit Iowa in 32 years, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.

The twister wasthree-quarters of a mile wide with winds of up to 205 mph, and it tore a path through Parkersburg, New Hartford and Dunkerton. Damage also was reported in the Hazleton area. The weather service ranked it an EF5 — at the top of its scale.

“You just don’t see many of these around,” said Steve Teachout, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Johnston. “There was nothing to hold that storm down. It just blew up.”

The tornado was the worst in the United States since May 4, 2007, when an EF5 twister flattened Greensburg, Kan., killing 11 people with winds up to 205 mph. That storm spanned more than a mile and a half.

The National Weather Service also ranked Sunday’s storm as the second deadliest Class 5 tornado in Iowa since 1950. The deadliest twister hit the Charles City area on May 15, 1968, killing 13 people and injuring 462.

The storm destroyed 350 homes, and another 100 suffered “extensive damage,” Iowa Governor Chet Culver said. In Parkersburg alone, 288 homes were destroyed, he said.

In addition, Buchanan County suffered extensive flood damage from area rivers. In Lamont, 240 of the town’s 280 homes were damaged by flooding, Culver said.

Pictures show the immenstiy of this catastrophe that struck near us in Iowa. But pictures also show horror from a terrible earthquake in China and a cyclone in Myranmar. Around the world there is horror at natural disasters. I will never forget the coloassal damge of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004.

Sometimes such disasters bring a resentment towards God, but it is worth recalling that nothing that occurs in natural disasters tell us anything about the nature of our finite earthly existence of which we were not already entirely aware. We all die a human death sometime.

Still, we have great sadness at misery on so large a scale, and such occasions are spiriutally perplex. This is a broken world, and untill it is fully reconciled in Christ, God will allow earthquakes, floods, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, cyclones, mudslides, and other natural disasters. While I find it distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather, it is natural laws, broken by sin, that are in play in the natural disasters.

God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work. Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding, some of which may be exacerbated by pollution and global warming. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting. A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake.

The Bible proclaims that Jesus Christ holds all of nature together (Colossians 1:16-17). Could God prevent natural disasters? Absolutely! Does God sometimes influence the weather? Yes, see Deuteronomy 11:17 and James 5:17. Does God sometimes cause natural disasters as a judgment against sin? Yes, see Numbers 16:30-34. The book of Revelation describes many events which could definitely be described as natural disasters (Revelation chapters 6, 8, and 16). Is every natural disaster a punishment from God? Absolutely not!

In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to demonstrate the consequences sin has had on Creation. Romans 8:19-21 tells us, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the universe we inhabit. Everything in Creation is subject to “frustration” and “decay.” Sin and brokeness in the world is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and suffering.

We can understand why natural disasters occur. What we do not understand is why God allows them to occur. Why did God allow the tsunami to kill over 225,000 people in Asia? Why did God allow Hurricane Katrina to destroy the homes of hundreds of thousands of people? What we can know is this…God is good!

There are many amazing miracles, in instances of natural disaster, that occurred - preventing an even greater loss of life. Just think of the early warning systems we now have for tornadoes. 8 people died in the Iowa tornadoes of May 25, but without the warning system it would have been a much higher total.

Natural disasters cause millions of people to reevaluate their priorities in life. But another great thing is that hundreds of millions of dollars in aid is sent to help the people that are suffering.

Christian ministries, like the Presbyterian denomination, have sent releif teams to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. They have used the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray - and lead people to saving faith in Christ! God can, and does, bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28).

Natural Disasters in a Broken World

This month our home state of Iowa has been overwhelmed with too much rain and the rivers have spilled over their banks. The devastation caused by the floods has been front page news across the county. There are many sad stories along the rivers of Iowa. We pray for these people as they attempt to rebuild their water-soaked lives.

Natural destruction is a shocking thing.Last month, on Sunday, May 25, I was chased from study in the library at the University of Dubuque by the wail of storm warning horns. A powerful thunderhead that spawned a deadly tornado was nearby. I drove to my campus room and went promptly to the storm shelter. Fortunately for the doctoral students huddled in that room, the tornado did not come to Dubuque last Sunday. But, to our sadness, we later learned that a monster tornado hit several Iowa towns, most devastatingly Parkersburg, with tremendous fury.

The tornado that leveled half of Parkersburg and killed seven people was the strongest to hit Iowa in 32 years, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.

The twister wasthree-quarters of a mile wide with winds of up to 205 mph, and it tore a path through Parkersburg, New Hartford and Dunkerton. Damage also was reported in the Hazleton area. The weather service ranked it an EF5 — at the top of its scale.

“You just don’t see many of these around,” said Steve Teachout, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Johnston. “There was nothing to hold that storm down. It just blew up.”

The tornado was the worst in the United States since May 4, 2007, when an EF5 twister flattened Greensburg, Kan., killing 11 people with winds up to 205 mph. That storm spanned more than a mile and a half.

The National Weather Service also ranked Sunday’s storm as the second deadliest Class 5 tornado in Iowa since 1950. The deadliest twister hit the Charles City area on May 15, 1968, killing 13 people and injuring 462.

The storm destroyed 350 homes, and another 100 suffered “extensive damage,” Iowa Governor Chet Culver said. In Parkersburg alone, 288 homes were destroyed, he said.

In addition, Buchanan County suffered extensive flood damage from area rivers. In Lamont, 240 of the town’s 280 homes were damaged by flooding, Culver said.

Pictures show the immenstiy of this catastrophe that struck near us in Iowa. But pictures also show horror from a terrible earthquake in China and a cyclone in Myranmar. Around the world there is horror at natural disasters. I will never forget the coloassal damge of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004.

Sometimes such disasters bring a resentment towards God, but it is worth recalling that nothing that occurs in natural disasters tell us anything about the nature of our finite earthly existence of which we were not already entirely aware. We all die a human death sometime.

Still, we have great sadness at misery on so large a scale, and such occasions are spiriutally perplex. This is a broken world, and untill it is fully reconciled in Christ, God will allow earthquakes, floods, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, cyclones, mudslides, and other natural disasters. While I find it distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather, it is natural laws, broken by sin, that are in play in the natural disasters.

God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work. Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding, some of which may be exacerbated by pollution and global warming. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting. A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake.

The Bible proclaims that Jesus Christ holds all of nature together (Colossians 1:16-17). Could God prevent natural disasters? Absolutely! Does God sometimes influence the weather? Yes, see Deuteronomy 11:17 and James 5:17. Does God sometimes cause natural disasters as a judgment against sin? Yes, see Numbers 16:30-34. The book of Revelation describes many events which could definitely be described as natural disasters (Revelation chapters 6, 8, and 16). Is every natural disaster a punishment from God? Absolutely not!

In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to demonstrate the consequences sin has had on Creation. Romans 8:19-21 tells us, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the universe we inhabit. Everything in Creation is subject to “frustration” and “decay.” Sin and brokeness in the world is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and suffering.

We can understand why natural disasters occur. What we do not understand is why God allows them to occur. Why did God allow the tsunami to kill over 225,000 people in Asia? Why did God allow Hurricane Katrina to destroy the homes of hundreds of thousands of people? What we can know is this…God is good!

There are many amazing miracles, in instances of natural disaster, that occurred - preventing an even greater loss of life. Just think of the early warning systems we now have for tornadoes. 8 people died in the Iowa tornadoes of May 25, but without the warning system it would have been a much higher total.

Natural disasters cause millions of people to reevaluate their priorities in life. But another great thing is that hundreds of millions of dollars in aid is sent to help the people that are suffering.

Christian ministries, like the Presbyterian denomination, have sent releif teams to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. They have used the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray - and lead people to saving faith in Christ! God can, and does, bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28.

A New Kind of Christian

One of the more interesting books I have read is Brian McClaren's A New Kind of Christian. It is sure to make most Christians reflect on the pressent state of the church, and where God may be leading us.Starting with the introduction, the reader realizes that A New Kind of Christian is not the run-of-the-mill Christian book. Author McLaren, an evangelical pastor, tells a story and uses his narrative to convey his ideas and opinions.

But let us look at another famous Christian storyteller: our Lord Jesus. The Lord often told stories to convey the truths he was teaching his followers. We call them parables. Are we to say that he didn't have an agenda? Of course he had a plan: he came to seek and save the lost.

Jesus effectively used narratives to force his listeners to grapple with the issue at hand. But a lot of time, even his closest disciples could not understand what he was talking about. In those cases, Jesus would stop and explain his point for them.

The main characters of the book are Dan Poole and Neil Everett Oliver
In order to understand the story, we must start with the characters. McLaren's story centers around an Evangelical pastor, Dan Poole, who is becoming disillusioned with his church, his ministry, and even the gospel. The narrative picks up when he meets Dr. Neil Everett Oliver, a high school science teacher who seems to understand what he is going through.

On one level the relationship between Poole and Oliver can be understood as something of an allegory. Pastor Dan represents today's disaffected evangelical church and Dr. Oliver, who insists on being called Neo (the Greek prefix for new), is none-too-subtly cast as a prophet for a new, postmodern Christianity.

Through this allegorical subtext and the conversations these two characters share, McLaren articulates a revolutionary vision of how the Church should accommodate itself to the changes going on in the culture.

The setting of the book is the dawn of a new age in the church. Neo leads Pastor Dan into an understanding of postmodernity. His first objective is to prove that such an age exists, that Christendom, the age in which the society at large, and institutions like government, supported the church, is over.

So McLaren has Neo, a history buff, present a Cliff's Notes version of history; explaining that the era of modernity is coming to a close and postmodernity is dawning. Neo claims that the year 2000 AD is a pivotal turning point just like 1500 AD. Appropriating the consensus that 1500 marked a shift from Medieval times to the Modern era, McLaren wants the reader to believe that finally, in the year 2000, the stars have aligned for the birth of a new era.

For both 1500 and 2000, seven categories of crisis are listed: a new communication technology, a new scientific worldview, a new intellectual elite, a new transportation technology that "shrinks" the globe, the transition of economic systems, a new military technology, and a revolutionary religious movement.

McLaren points to the "emerging church" movement of today,forwarding the ministry of Jesus in new and different ways,as the people of God in a post-Christendom context, as a new kind of reformation, producing a more enlightened, empowered Christian. There is a lot to think about in this book. Give it a read sometime.

Join the Barnabus Movement!

Join us in the Barnabus movement. Be a son or a daughter of encouragement. Practice radical acts of kindness in the name of Jesus. Serve Jesus with a glad heart. Brighten people's lives with a smile, a hug, and a kind word.

We could certainly use more kindness and courtesy in our country today.I believe we are called to practice deliberate kindness, inspired acts of beauty and beautiful acts of love. We are called to perform acts that respond to the serious needs of real people, acts that reveal the beauty of God and His ways, acts that rely on and point to the power and purpose of God to redeem us from evil and to bring about the Kingdom of God. Through such acts, God is glorified and the love of Christ is shown to a doubting and hurting world.

The movement for magnified and multiplied Christian kindness gets its name from Barnabus, the missionary partner of Paul, who we meet in Acts 4: "36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of encouragement,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet." We are called to be people of encouragement and consolation, too!

Author Jim Kok, who wrote "The Miracle of Kindness," calls on us to join in the power kindness movement. Encouragement is "in courage ment": helping another to take a hold of God's courage in the midst of a challenge or difficulty. We all deal with disappointments, stresses, or hurts everyday and so we need encouragement from one another. There are so many ways to give encouragement to others:

Sharing a "good thought" or Bible verse that blesses others.

Asking someone, "How are you?" and really listening with your heart.

Responding with patience and kindness when someone is mean to you.

Letting someone cut in front of you on the freeway.

Praying for someone even though they don't know it.

Inviting someone who is lonely to have a meal with you.

Volunteering to help clean up after an event.

Giving a generous tip to your waiter at the restaurant.

Offering specific words of appreciation when someone helps you - encourage the encourager!

Simply offering a friendly smile to a stranger can do wonders!

Letting people know how much they mean to you while they are still alive. Do not wait to send flowers. Send encouragement now!

Ah, Lord God!

Ah Lord GOD! behold,
thou hast made the heaven and the earth
by thy great power and stretched out arm,
and there is nothing impossible, nothing too hard for thee:
Jeremiah 32:17

This is the Scripture verse that got my wife through law school. She took God at God's Word. She believed nothing, not even her making it through law school with honors, was impossible with God, nothing was too hard for God. She beleived God would help her.

And God did help her. It was not impossible for God. She graduated and has gone on to a career of service to humanity, giving reality to the term: Christian lawyer. With her the term is not an oxymoron. She knows firsthand that othing is too hard for God.

What is possible with God? Man has many limitations on what we can do, but with God nothing is impossible. With God all things are possible. God is limitless. All things are possible with God.

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,
With men this is impossible;
but with God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:26

And Jesus looking upon them saith,
With men it is impossible, but not with God:
for with God all things are possible.
Mark 10:27

For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Luke 1:37

And he said,
The things which are impossible with men
are possible with God.
Luke 18:27

God is limitless and boundless. NOTHING is impossible with God. Everything, ALL things are possible with God. Alone man is limited and man is bound, but with God nothing is impossible. As human beings, we like to put limits to what is possible with God, but that kind of thinking is wrong, because NOTHING is impossible with God.

I, myself, might not be able to do something, but God can do anything, but with God nothing is impossible, nothing is impossible with God. Nothing is impossible with God, is truth from God that we should hold on to, say to ourselves every day when we wake up, and all throughout our day.

The unbelieving and defeated cry "I can't", which is NOT from God. "I can with God" is from God.

With God:

I can feel better -- I can follow Christ
I can witness for God -- I can quit [insert addiction]
I can have full joy -- I can have peace in my life
I can cease sinning against God -- I can have a close relationship with Jesus
I can find time for worshiping God -- I can quit lying
I can be full of His joy -- I can be content with my life God gave me
I can go to church -- I can help build the church up in Him
I can obey God -- I can study God's word
I can thank God for my life and ALL things -- I can live in love for God and others
I can forgive people in Christ -- I can love all people
I can have an abundant life -- I can do all things God calls me to do.

I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

There is nothing too hard for God to do! Say it, pray it, declare it, believe it, live as a child of God!

A Message to Take WIth You on Your Journey

Here is a message shared with our confirmation Class on Pentecost Sunday, 2008. The words can be applied to Christians in various stages of their faith journeys.

Today is an important day. Up until this point in your life, someone has been taking you to Church. Your parents literally carried you here when you were very young, enticed you to participate, and in some cases dragged you kicking and screaming to be here. Your parents were doing their job to give you a moral and spiritual foundation. So, in Sunday School, VBS and Youth Fellowship, you learned important stories from the Bible, you acted in skits and plays, you discussed moral issues, you prayed together, and you did mission and service for the Lord.
Today, you are making a stand for yourself.

Today, we as a church community recognize that you are now professing your faith. You are confirming the Spirit’s call on each of your lives. In this service, we are going to symbolize that starting out by having you read a scripture verse that means something to you, and take a plunge in the waters of the Spirit of God. You were baptized with just a little water when you were a child. On that day, your parents made a pledge to get you to this point, where you can stand on your own, walk of your own free will into the deep waters of the Spirit and take the plunge.

It is a wonderful symbol, spiritually speaking, of diving deeply into the adventure of life. You are just starting out on a great spiritual journey that will last the rest of your life. We cannot live it for you. You will have to make the mistakes yourself, find out God’s surprises yourself, and make profound leaps of faith all by yourself.

This year, we tried to give you a few things to pack with you on the journey, things that will come in handy later on. We read many of the important passages from the Bible, because years from now, if you are ever confused, perhaps frightened, the scriptures will give you a way back to the path when you can’t find it on your own. The Bible is God’s guidebook for your life.

We introduced you to the life of prayer because years from now, when you have to stay focused on what is positive and you have people around you that are sick or in trouble that need your spiritual strength, you will know how to tap into the great force of hope and healing through prayers in Jesus Name. Prayer changes things. The family that prays together stays together!

We got you involved with the idea of service as a lifestyle, because years from now you are going to understand that giving back keeps you human, and it is the Jesus way, and service keeps you grounded in Him. Helping people shows them God’s grace in action. Do acts of kindness.

We involved you in leading worship, because years from now we want you to be at home in the church and we hope you will be in a service of the Lord’s Day every Sunday, participating in His plan, and that worshipping God will be a key part of your lifestyle, and your family’s lifestyle. Going to church may help others more than it helps you, but it will help you, and more importantly, you will showing that you are putting God first in your life.

Lastly, we studied the founders of our denomination, for the Spirit led them mightily. We showed the value of our church and its history, because years from now, you will come to appreciate the fact that, as Christians who learn to love each other, we are the face of Christ for each other, and one of the most profound spiritual experiences you will ever have will be the rich experience of a loving community that really knows you and stays with you unconditionally.

The Reformed Christian tradition, centered on God’s amazing Word, is strong and it has a lot of spiritual nutrient that you will come to appreciate as you get older. And you will need it. Possibly you will be able to complete this adventure with nothing but one great experience after another, but it is not likely. It is likely that somewhere on your journey you are going to have to stand for something that is the right thing to do and others around you will be pressuring you not to do it. You will have to have the courage of your convictions.

It is likely that somewhere on your journey you will be deeply disappointed that something you really wanted or someone you really loved suddenly disappeared. You will have find hope in the midst of discouragement and doubt. It is likely that somewhere on your journey, you will not have enough material resources to do something that is very important and you will have to step out boldly in faith that things will work out anyhow without any evidence that they will. Where God guides, God will provide!

I hope that you will continue the pursuit of God’s truth in His Word. Strive to live out the central teaching of Jesus, the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’, and remember that understanding other people is a key to getting along in the world. As you go along the journey, enrich your mind by reading the Bible, and don’t be afraid to read the works of great thinkers in philosophy and theology.. As Benjamin Franklin once wrote: “You will only be as profound and as interesting as what you have read and studied seriously.”

Living for Jesus takes focus and discipline. Learn to focus your God given abilities.

There was once a young boy that was very smart, but he didn’t seem engaged in school. His mother took him to see a great Professor to see if he could inspire him to study. The Professor and the boy were talking about science because the boy was very gifted in science. The Professor said, “Tell me, what is the difference between a light and a laser? Do they emit the same energy?”

“Yes”, said the boy, “the energy is the same. The difference is that with a light bulb the energy is going in all directions at once. With a laser it is concentrated along a single beam.”

“Exactly”, said the Professor, “and that is how it gets its piercing power. And so it is with our concentration. We have to bring it to focus.”

So draw upon the great thinkers of the past and draw upon the best part of the Biblical tradition. What has it taught us? That the way of Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, for all who believe in Him. That the positive forces of hope, grace, love, forgiveness, and compassion will ultimately triumph over the negative forces of despair, indifference, resentment, and hate. Open yourself to the positive spiritual energy of God’s universe, and let God’s Holy Spirit flow through your soul, and be a blessing to others! The negative forces will not win. We must reorient ourselves daily to the Good, and focus our energies for God’s purpose and mission.

Yes, the promise of the Spirit is that, in spite of yourself, you can bless other people. You can release the power of love and goodness and beauty. St. Paul, once said, “While we were still the worst of men, sinners all, God loved us.” And at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what kind of skills we started out with, what kind of physique, what kind of mental abilities. What will matter the most is how much love you have released, how much compassion, understanding, grace, forgiveness, hope and peace. What will matter the most is how much blessing you have given to others. And blessing, my friends, is eternal.

So be positive, stay positive. Worship Christ, live in Christ, and share Christ. And may you live to eat the orchards you plant, may you inhabit the houses you build, may you live to see the blessing you release live through the next generations. God be with you, each and every one, in every way, everyday! Amen and Amen!

Memorizing Scripture -- Good Spiritual Warfare!

A minister friend of mine sent me some ideas on how to better memorize Scripture. It brought back a powerful memory of a minister in my distant past telling me that memorizing Scripture was "spiritual warfare", calling the action of memorization "storing up good treasure." He based his belief on Luke 6:45: "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."

Here are my friend's ideas on How to Memorize: "I was convicted to challenge you further to memorize scripture last week, but many people think they can’t memorize, or that they can’t remember anymore. If you aren’t just using those feelings as an excuse not to try, I would share a few suggestions from my own experience that could help you:

1) Pick a verse or passage that is meaningful to you. There is little incentive to put effort into something you are not interested in. I try to pick verses each week that connect with the message and support spiritual growth. If you are not interested in that verse, pick another, or work on a passage. I especially like to work on a special passage or chapter when I am traveling or on vacation.

1a) You should also decide what version of scripture is most comfortable to you. The blessing of a variety of translations is great for Bible study, but a bit of a hindrance when it comes to memorizing. I first started memorizing in the Revised Standard Version (RSV) and then went to NRSV and now use the English Standard Version (which is one of the most accurate and close to original syntax) which is how I print them out for you. Just pick what is best for you.

2) Write the verse on a card. You will start the memorization process as you write, and it will help you order the whole thought of the verse. You can then post the card in a place where you will see it that will help in learning and reviewing it- like on the bathroom mirror or by the kitchen sink, or carry it with you to review when you have a few moments.

3) Repeat phrase by phrase. I start with the reference (ex. Mat. 6:33) and then the first phrase of the verse, when I can repeat it from memory, I add the next phrase and start from the beginning. Continue adding until you have committed it all to memory.

4) Speak the words out loud. An extra dimension is added to memory when we hear ourselves saying the words (some authors talk about a 30-40% increase in memory.

5) Use mental images, vocal emphasis, or physical motions. I find these kinds of little memory tricks very helpful. For example: Romans 10:9 [cross index fingers like a Roman numeral, hold up ten fingers and then 9] Because if you confess with your lips [point to your lips] that Jesus is Lord [make a cross with index fingers and raise your hands, palms up] and believe in your heart [emphasize “believe” as you touch your temple and then your chest with your index finger] that God [point to heaven] raised [raise hand or hands palm up] from the dead, you will be saved. [extra emphasis on each word, I will sometimes double the extra on “will” or “saved”]

6) Think logically. Sometimes it helps me to think logically through the verse. It makes sense to the flow of order. Again to think about Romans 10:9: Confession + belief = salvation.

7) Review previous verses. Once you have taken the effort to memorize a verse, continue to repeat it daily. Review verses you have previously learned. You will find that after you have reviewed a verse for a few weeks, they are yours forever.

8) Be accountable. Make a commitment with another person, or start a group with the commitment to memorize scripture. The best intentions will fall by the wayside over time. It always helps to have someone checking up on you. To really raise the ante, recite your memory verse for someone else. That will really help to fix the verse in your mind.

9) Misc. helps. There are many more things I could share like: memory ability decreases as the day lengthens (it is more beneficial to memorize in the morning); loss of sleep lowers ability; strong feelings and emotions can have a negative effect on memory; intending to remember will improve your memory; you remember best just before sleep and just after you awake- those are the two best times I read my Bible and memorize scripture.

The important thing is to 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.' Colossians 3:16. Nothing worthwhile is gained without personal effort. Dedicate yourself to God’s Word and ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to treasure God’s Word in your heart. Attitude is everything. God’s Word is a precious gift and thinking of it in that way can make all the difference I the world."

I encourage you to memorize some key Scriptures in order to build yourself up in Christ. May God bless you in your practice of memorization.

Simple Acts of Kindness Can Change Your World

One of the great tools that Christians have for changing the world for the better is kindness. It is how we can show the world that Jesus is for real in our lives, making us His ambassadors, changing our communitites one kind act at a time. By doing kind acts, you are helped to see good in yourself, and bring the good out in others. Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts. Helping someone to smile may make their day, or even their week.

Stephen Grellet, a Quaker Minister in 19th century France, put it well: "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

Life is what you make it. Take every opportunity to support someone. You will never know when a person will need to borrow your ears to hear,or your heart to listen. Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. Isn't it amazing how often we can touch someone's life, and enrich our own, by a very simple act? Kindness is powerful, so pass it on! It is a wonderful way in which to pattern our lives, to be amassadors for Jesus, bringing kindness, mercy and love!

Christians must unite in a war for peace in our families, churches, and communities-- do simple acts of kindness every day, in every way that you can. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." : Matthew 5:16.

Things I Have Learned in My Calls

Today marks three years of ministry to the two churches to which I am currently called. A calling is a wonderful and holy thing -- As Presbyterians we believe that pastors and congregations are brought together through a call from God. It is a relationship established not primarily for the benefit of one or both of the parties, but for the purpose of service in the ministry of Jesus Christ. God has endowed both the leader and the people with particular gifts and experiences that, when brought together, provide the resources for effective ministry.

We believe that God uses committees, procedures, and our polity to call persons to positions of leadership, all guided by the Holy Spirit. Through every step of the process we pray for God's guidance in calling individuals to positions of leadership. Such was the case with my coming to my churches. Some obstacles were overcome, and we saw the mighty hand of God as He opened doors and gave us favor. There is much accountability in our system, and sometimes the hoops one goes through seems to squelch our hopes, but in the long run, we have seen this process work well for the discernment of God's will for churches and pastors.

The great Presbyterian writer Frederick Beuchner said that a calling was far more than a job -- He said "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

So it has been with all five churches I have served as a pastor over the years, and I see it most especially in the people and churches I serve at this time in my life. As an older pastor friend once said to me -- "You are God's gift to these people, and they are God's gift to you." He also said that if I kept my ears and eyes and heart open, I would learn much more from the people I serve than I would ever teach them, because that was how pastoring worked. So it ahs been the last three years.

You know, a lot can happen three years of ministry. Just look at what Jesus did with three years! And note that two of Paul's missionary journeys were three years in duration, while the third one was one year longer. And though not on the level of our great models of the minsitries of Paul and Jesus, we have seen the Lord do much good here in the three years we have been in our yoked churches. Never underestimate the power of God. God will surprise you all the time.

I have learned a number of things from the people, including 1. TEAMWORK 2. COMMITMENT –3. FAITHFULNESS -- 4. TRADITION –5. COMPASSION -- 6. JOY – and 7. LOVE -- Yes, love is all around. Everything must be done in LOVE,a nd it usually is.

I thank God for the calling God gave me and the churches I serve. May I serve them well, and may God's favor be upon these churches and the people who make them up. May we always serve Jesus our Lord with smiles and laughter.

Prayer is Needed to FIght the Battle

Take a look at verses 9, 10 of the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Colossians:

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:"

The Importance of Prayer

Three times in the first ten verses of this amazing letter, the Apostle Paul has told the Colossians that he is praying for them. He tells them he is thanking God for them and that his prayers on their behalf are unceasing. These are not nice platitudes only. I believe Paul WAS praying for these people. I believe we need to pray for each other just as fervently.

What is Prayer?

Prayer is talking with God. We pray when we open our heart to the Almighty. As simple as this is, it is also something people need to hear. Too many people feel that prayer is a certain sound . . . Shakespearean English, rich in theological terminology very often spoken VERY loudly. Others feel prayer is something that takes place in a certain place or with a certain posture. But none of those things are requirements for true prayer. In fact, you can sound holy and not be doing anything other than talking to yourself.

I love to share the story theologian Howard Hendricks tells of a young man who met Christ after many years of life in the world. After his conversion he went to his first prayer meeting. Everyone was getting up and uttering their flowery (and maybe showy) prayers. Finally, this new convert stood to pray and said, "Lord, this is Mel. I'm not sure whether you remember me or not . . . I met you last Tuesday night. I just wanted to say . . . well . . . Thank-you for changing my life." And then he sat down. The simplicity and honesty of that prayer brought tears to the eyes of many. I suspect it brought a smile to the face of the Father, as well.

True prayer is honest, humble and personal.

Four Reasons for Prayer

There are several good reasons to pray.

1) It is a great privilege. Can you think of any greater honor than to have an audience with the One who rules over ALL creation? We have been invited to talk with the one who put the stars in place. We are invited to seek counsel from the One who is truth and wisdom. We are invited to sit down with the One who knows all things.

The Puritan writer John Preston said many years ago: "Prayer is a privilege purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. Christ died for this end, it cost him the shedding of his blood, so that we, through him, might have entrance to the throne of grace. And will you let such a privilege as this lie still? If you do, so far as is in you, you cause his blood to be shed in vain. For if you neglect the privileges gotten by that blood, you neglect the blood that procured them." [The Puritans on Prayer p.17]

Conversation is a part of any vital and growing relationship. We sometimes measure the quality of a marriage relationship by how well the couples communicates. Or to state it another way, one of the first things people point to as evidence that a marriage is in trouble is a lack of communication. The same is true for our relationship with the Father. True, honest, heartfelt conversation is a sign of a healthy relationship. A lack of conversation, or conversation only in public is a sign of a relationship in trouble.

2) We should pray because we are in a fierce battle. Constantly we are warned of the Devil's intention to neutralize and demoralize us. We are told that "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 the heavenly realms." (Eph. 6:10). We are in a battle and we need the help of God. The enemy has marshaled his armies . . .when we neglect prayer, we go into battle unarmed.

It is tremendously instructive that Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, found it necessary to pray. He modeled prayer for us. If He felt prayer could help in the battle . . so should we.

3) Prayer is a deterrent to sin in our lives. In the quiet times of private, honest prayer God exposes the rationalizations and the excuses that we use to cater to sin. In prayer God holds a mirror up to our lives so we can see the way we really are. . .and repent.

4) Prayer makes a difference. I can't tell you how it "works" . . .I know that circumstances change when people pray. I have seen diseases healed, strength imparted, guidance given, hearts softened, and needs met. I know that when I pray for others it helps them. But I also know that when I pray, I am changed.

Prayer changes things and people. Pray for me. I pray for you. Pray for your church. Pray for your family. Pray for your pastor and church leaders. Pray for Christians everywhere. We all are in need of prayer.

America's Moral Backbone

I attended a seminar recently where a teacher asked us "What famous minister do you pattern yourself after?" There were interesting answers to the questions. Almost all the ministers in the seminar room said that they hoped they were like Jesus, the Head of the Church and the primary example for all ministers. Others said Paul and Peter, Barnabas and Moses, going down the Biblical list of leaders.

Then the teacher focused us on historical ministers and theologians. Augustine came up, as did Calvin and Wesley and Luther. Susanna Wesley and John Knox and Charles Finney were also spoken about, among other Christian leaders of the past.

Then the teacher brought us to speak of modern day ministers -- and names like D. James Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Oral Roberts, Joel Osteen, Charles Swindoll, David Jeremiah, and Kenneth Copeland were said, along with Billy Graham and T. D. Jakes and others. I was the first one to bring up Billy Graham, because his ministry has had a great affect on me over the years. His preaching in the area that God gave him -- evangelism -- faithfully, diligently, with great integrity, is a shining example for all ministers of the Gospel.

But if I were to speak of the minister who had the most influence on me,they are men who have not had the fame of television ministries, but had great impact on the parts of the world where they lived. There is a lot to be said for faithful ministry in small churches throughout America. Those ministries and those churches are the backbone of America's moral strength.

Like the Wind, The Holy Spirit Moves in Many Ways, And All of His Ways are Good

I am a believer that there is more than one way to worship God. There are quiet, reverential ways, and there are joyful, exuberant ways, and there are in between ways, and I believe God appreciates them all. It is the heart of worship that counts, not so much the ways that you do it.

I also beleive the Holy Spirit guides and empowers worship. But while I know there is a legitimate gift of speaking in tongues, I beleive the Bible tells us it is one of the Spirit's gifts, not the super gift that all must have for salvation or right service to God.

I believe the Spirit gives gifts to all of the members of the body for the edification of the Body of Christ, His church. I believe the Spirit works through all Bible-beleiving, Christ affirming denominations. We are like colors of the rainbow -- we all have our place and purpose, and together, when we work in love, we can make a beautiful panorama of love for God.

The Christian Church is often viewed denominationally, with distinctions made along the lines of doctrine or church governance. Richard J. Foster dissects Christianity, not along denominational lines, but along the lines of spirituality in his wonderful book "Streams of Living Water." Foster, is a professor and writer who shows how the Spirit has moved among the church in different emphases over the nearly 2000 years since Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit's work in the church did not begin with the Azuza Street Revival of black pracher William Seymour in California in 1906, as some modern day Pentecostals seem to tell it. No, far to the contrary, the Spirit was working in the ministries of many others, like Augustine and Aquinas, like Luther and Calvin and Wesley. There is no written evidence of tongue speaking in their lives, but the Spirit was definitely alive in their ministries. The fruit proves it. The same is true of modern day ministers like Billy Graham and D. James Kennedy. The fruit of their ministries prove the power of the Spirit in their lives!

Foster believes "the three great branches of the Christian family"---Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic--- "are all valid expressions of Christ’s Church" (p. 301). He calls on all Christians to be dedicated to church renewal and "to learn from others who have gone before us" in aspirating to imitate Christ.

Foster sees six historic streams of spirituality, devoting a chapter to each.

The Contemplative Tradition is the prayer-filled life, yearning for "a richer, fuller practice of the presence of God."

The Holiness Tradition focuses "upon the inward re-formation of the heart and the development of ‘holy habits’" to the end of addressing "the erosion of moral fiber in contemporary society."

The Charismatic Tradition focuses "upon the empowering charisms or gifts of the Spirit and the nurturing fruit of the Spirit."

The Social Justice Tradition is a "compassionate way of living" that "focuses upon justice and shalom in all human relationship and social structures" and "addresses the gospel imperative for equality and magnanimity among all peoples".

The Evangelical Tradition, which is the priamry tradition of the Presbyterian Church, "focuses upon the proclamation of the evangel, the good news of the gospel" and addressing "the crying need for people to see the good news lived and hear the good news proclaimed."

The Incarnational Tradition "focuses upon making present and visible the realm of the invisible spirit," addressing the "crying need to experience God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life."

I believe that we see some of all these traditions in the Presbyterian Churches I serve, but the Evangelical Tradition, the Word-centered path, remains the predominant way that we reach out to the world for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Still, we must appreciate all the ways the Spirit has moved and is still moving and transforming us!

Vigilante Prophets and The Damage They Do

There is a rash of self-proclaimed prophets in the land. In my own area there are some people who are self-proclaimed prophets who need to be very careful what they say and do.

It goes like this -- some other "prophet" gives a "prophecy" where the person is told they are a "prophet", and then the person feels they have a license to speak for God. The problem is there is very little accountability in such procedures. No denomination or governing body or church to supervise them -- they are vigilante prophesiers with "thus says the Lord" in their holsters instead of guns. But their "words from the Lord", if misappropriated or misdirected, can do as much damage as an errant bullet.

I am a pastor and an ordaianed minister of the Word and Sacrament, and I have spent many years in study and preparation. I am accountable to my local sessions and my presbytery and my national church bodies. I was affirmed and accredited by my home presbytery and the one in which I serve, and the one in which I began ministry. Along the way I have been checked out, vetted, tested and confirmed by many Christians. This kind of accountability is a good and necessary thing in the Christian church. Vigilanteism brings about a kind of lawlessness that has no kinship with our stewardship of things of God, which are called to be decent and in order.

Christianity has always had its share of false prophets from Marcion to Joseph Smith Jr. ear ticklers have sought to spread their personal revelations as if they were the voice of God on earth. Even in modern times false prophets and false messiahs like Sun Yung Moon and Jim Jones have sought to lead astray the very elect. We should not be amazed that the sons of belial should come as shepherds to lead astray the very elect, we were warned from the beginning that they would come.

Jeremiah 14:14 Then God said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart.

God even tells us explicitely how to judge a prophet for certain.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
When a prophet speaketh in the name of God, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which God hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

How do you test a prophet? Well Jesus states: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing,but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them."

So by their fruits you shall know them. The Bible is also clear that true prophecy is always in line with the revealed Word of God, the Bible itself. And there is also the Biblical principle of "two or three witnesses," found in a number of Scriptures, including Matthew 15:18-20. There is also the Biblical principle of love -- everything must be done in a spirit of love, even correction.

The great problem with vigilante prophets is their great ability to be hurtful to those they prophesy about, to those that believe the Prophet is hearing clearly from God. Then, when they miss it, it injures the faith and esteem of the one who believed in teh prophet and prophesy, sometimes taking their eyes off the true prophetic words of the Word of God. The Bible is our key for how to live.

I remember a "prophet" who came to an Alaskan village I was pastoring in a number of years back. He had a revival at the Assembly of God church. Not many folks went, but I did one night, in a gesture of ecumenism.

The young man was not seminary or Bible College trained, but he was a revivalist called by God "from his birth" by his own testimony, which was very fervent and heartfelt. That night he gave a prophecy over a young married couple expecting a baby. He told them that God was calling forth another great male prophet just like him. They did not need to have a sonogram -- God was telling them it was a boy and he would be a mighty preacher and prophet.

So the couple went to Juneau the next week and spent much of the husband's logging bonus on clothes and toys for their little boy. They even painted the crib room blue. People in town crocheted blue blankets and bought clothes for the little boy.

But then the little child was born, and she turned out to be a very healthy girl. Soon boy baby clothes were featured at the next village rummage sale. And the young couple started worshipping at the Presbyterian Church.

We are Easter People

We are Easter people! St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, wrote a great truth, almost 16 centuries ago, “We are Easter people and hallelujah is our song!”

We live our lives not burdened by the period, the full stop of death, but joyfully with the exclamation point of the resurrection!

A professor friend of mine once said that "We live in a Good Friday world." That I understood. A Good Friday world is a world full of suffering, questioning, unfairness, trouble, mistakes, hurts, losses and grief. Good Friday in the Christian faith is the day Christians commemorate Christ's suffering and death on the cross. So that certainly made sense to me, for we often have tough times in our lives. We are often affected by the brokenness of our world, and the pain of being humans in it. The pain breaks into our lives, and the dysfunctions of life assault us.

"But remember," the professor continued, "We are Easter people." Those words lifted me up! The idea of being "Easter people" gave me hope. And it can give others encouragement that there is light beyond the darkness, and healing after the pain.

What strikes me is that this believing in "Easter" in the midst of "Good Friday" is faith wrapped in joy, a transformational act. Christians are a people who believe in possibility. When our hearts are shattered, we are sometimes shocked to discover that there is joy as well as pain inside. There is hope in the midst of difficulties. Out of the ashes of our mistakes, from our defeats and even our despair, we rise again in better lives.

Yes, being an Easter people means that resurrection is part of our life experience, part of who we are, part of what it means to be us. Easter celebrates how Jesus dies and rises in each of us, in our personal lives, in family, church, and community. It celebrates how Jesus is present in our daily work, in our home life, in our relationships, in the joys and sorrows of the world. Our faith is founded in Bible truth and it is honed in experience - the experience of light following dark, of joy following pain, of hope out of defeat, of warmth beyond cold, of life out of death.

We have a story to tell and a song to sing - the story of our risen Lord and a jubilant song of hallelujah that should ring in our church and community's ears! Let us sing it together, holding each other up in the winds of life. We may not have the breath ourselves, but others can fill in our gaps until we can sing, too!

In a world where so many people die in hopelessness, where people are poisoned by cynicism and defeated by disillusionment we have to tell our story, we have to sing our song. We are Easter people and that song is Hallelujah!