The Baby Changed Everything

There is a wonderful story by Bret Harte called THE LUCK OF ROARING CAMP.  Roaring camp was supposed to be the meanest, toughest mining town in all the west.  More murders, more thefts---it was a terrible place inhabited entirely by men, and one woman who tried to serve them all.  Her name was Cherokee Sal.  She died while giving birth to a baby.  Well, the men took the baby, and they put her in a box with some old rags under her.  When they looked at her, they decided that didn't look right, so they sent one of the men eighty miles to buy a rosewood cradle.  He brought it back, and they put the rags and the baby in the rosewood cradle.  And the rags didn't look right there.  So they sent another of their number to Sacramento, and he came back with some beautiful silk and lace blankets.  And they put the baby, wrapped around with those blankets into the cradle.  It looked fine until someone happened to notice that the floor was so filthy.  So these hardened, tough men got down on their hands and knees, and with their hardened and callused hands they scrubbed that floor until it was very clean.  Of course, what that did was to make the walls and the ceiling and the dirty windows without curtains look absolutely terrible.  So they washed down the walls and the ceiling, and they put curtains on the windows.  And now things were beginning to look as they thought they should.  But of course, they had to give up a lot of their fighting, because the baby slept a lot, and babies can't sleep during a brawl.  So the whole temperature of the Roaring Camp seemed to go down.  They used to take her out and set her by the entrance to the mine in her rosewood cradle so they could see her when they came up. Then somebody noticed what a dirty place that was, so they planted flowers, and they made a very nice garden there.  It looked quite beautiful.  And they would bring her, oh, shiny little stones and things they would find in the mine.  But when they would put their hands down next to hers. their hands looked so dirty.  Pretty soon the general store was all sold out of soap and shaving gear and perfume and those kinds of things...for you see, the baby changed everything.

Those of us who have had the gift of a baby know the changes that can bring, but nothing like the changes Bethlehem's baby brought to our world and lives.  For when that baby comes into your life, he slips into every crack and crevice.  He touches every part of our lives.  He washes us clean and makes us new.  He reaches down deep and draws us close to our Heavenly Father.  For from the manger is fashioned a cross of punishment for sin--ours.  That cute little baby of Bethlehem died one day 33 years later--and that changed everything.

Silence

“Without the practice of silence…. spiritual disciplines will become objects we employ in an attempt to produce our own transformation or in an attempt to manipulate God to bring about the changes we have decided are needed, or in an attempt to impress (and thereby control) others with our spirituality.  The practice of silence is the radical reversal of our cultural tendencies.  Silence is bringing ourselves to a point of relinquishing to God our control of our relationship with God.  Silence is a reversal of the whole possessing, controlling, grasping dynamic of trying to maintain control of our own existence.  Silence is the inner act of” letting it go.” 

Through prayer “God will gradually awaken us to the multiple layers of controlling, grasping ‘noise’ in our lives: the defensive postures by which we justify our control of people and circumstances; the attack dynamics by which we extend and maintain our possession and control of others and our world; the indulgent habits by which we grasp things and others for ourselves; the manipulative practices by which we inflict our will on the world; and especially the ways in which we attempt to use God to support and justify these structures.”

(Robert Mulholland, “Invitation To A Journey,” InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1993, pp. 136-137)

Questions

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The older I get the more questions I have.  I’ve noticed that children go through a time when they drive their parents nuts with “why” questions.   Teenagers can’t figure out why they have all the answers and their parents don’t have any.  College graduates enter the work world sure of their answers, at least that’s the image they portray.  I remember I left the seminary with all the answers to questions no one was asking.  It didn’t take long for all of those answers to be tested.

There really are only a few questions that matter in the total scheme of life.  “Where did I come from?’  “Who am I?”  “Who is God?”  and  “Where am I going?”  Every philosophy and religion tries to answer these.  All come up short because there is only One who has the answers, and that is Jesus.  He is the “way, the truth, and the life.”  He tells us that we are “beloved children of a loving God, who made us and will take us to be with Himself one day.”  That’s it!  These things are sure.  So my questions may multiply as the length of my life shortens, but the answers that really matter are rock solid and will take me straight into eternity with Him. 

The Value Of Suffering

A man found a cocoon hanging on a branch.  One day a small opening appeared.  He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body  through that little hole.  Then it seemed to stop making any progress.  It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.  So the man decided to help the butterfly.  He took a pair of scissors and snipped  off the remaining bit of the  cocoon.  The butterfly then emerged easily.  But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and  expand to be able to  support  the body, which would contract in time.  Neither happened!  In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.  It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.  If God allowed us to go through our lives without  any  obstacles, it would cripple us.  We would not be as strong as what we could have been.  We could never fly!

St. Paul writes: …We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”  (Romans 5:3-5 NRSV)

The Peace Child

Don Richardson talks about working as an American missionary with certain tribes in Eastern New Guinea who are at war with each other in his book, "The Peace Child."  In that culture the great heroes are those who best practice treachery.  To trick your enemy is the ultimate feat.  They fatter their enemies with friendship and then slaughter them.  Nearby villages are lulled into believing that peace is desired and after a period of time to honor this new friendship a feast is given.  People are invited from the tribes with which they are at war to come to the feast and when they arrive they are informed that they are to be the meal.  And after eating them the cannibals with great delight tell the story over and over again of how they tricked their enemies into trusting them.  Richardson had a special problem taking the Gospel story to them.  For them Judas was the hero.  As they heard the story they admired Judas, because he tricked them all.  Richardson after trying to get through to them, finally in great discouragement, told them he was going to leave.   He couldn't help them and was very discouraged about their continued fighting.  Since he was a missionary doctor his antibiotics had helped many.  They didn't want to lose him.  So in a panic the hostile tribes decided once more to seek a truce.  But their problem was how to convince Richardson and each other that this truce was not just another example of treachery.  When you've lied so often, no one knows when you are telling the truth.  So in order to communicate to Richardson their honesty, their good will, they did something incredible.  One of the tribesmen went to his wife. who had a baby not yet a year old.  He took the baby, lifted it up over his head and walked across the battlefield to the other village.  He handed his baby to the other tribe and said, "This baby is now your baby.  And as long as you raise this baby and take care of it, it will be a sign between the two of us that our peace is genuine.”  This act of self-sacrifice by this leader convinced the other villagers that this was a truce that they could trust.  The celebrations began and it was agreed that the child would carry the name of the other village and it served as a bond between the two villages from that day on.  This child was known as the "peace child."  Now Richardson knew he could share the Gospel.  So he told them the story of one who was sent from the heavens to this hostile world, sent as a peace child to bring about a truce.  He was one whom God lifted upon on a cross for our peace.  And as long as we believe in the gift of this peace child God has made peace with us.

Reason or Experience

When we are dealing with spirituality and faith, we may struggle with the tension between an intellectual and experiential relationship with God.  On the one hand, we may emphasize reason and intellect to the exclusion of religious experience.  Doctrine, its pursuit and preservation, is all that really matters.  Because of the excesses in fundamentalist and non-denominational groups, we may become suspicious of the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit.  This results in a faith which is distant, lacking passion, and ineffective in our lives today.  On the other hand, we may withdraw from the contemplative dimension.  In this case, meditation and the “signs of the kingdom” (e.g. healing, miraculous gifts of the Spirit) are considered time bound to the New Testament era and maybe even to be feared.  In the process we lose the deep, mystical awareness of the presence of God in our lives.  Faith becomes a set of doctrines we give assent to and not a life transforming relationship.  In reality, we are called to give our whole selves – physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual – to the Lord and our relationship with Him.  It is by His promised Spirit that we live as the disciples of Jesus.

Stormy Waters

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As I contemplate the events of this past week in the northeast, I recall the many summers we vacationed at Houghten Lake, Michigan.  This particular summer I was five.  Dad and I would go fishing every day, but this day the sky looked particularly dark.  We went anyhow.  About hour from our cottage we saw that a bad storm was coming up.  The dark clouds churned, the wind blew, white caps began to toss our boat, and I was scared to the bone.  I just knew that I was going to drown.  Dad saw my fear.  I'll never forget what he said.  "Art, I think we can ride the storm out.  I just want to tell you two things.  If the boat turns over, hang on.  It won't sink.  And secondly, no matter what happens, I'll never leave you."  And right out there in the middle of that raging storm, a deep sense of calm came over me.  He would be there.  God wants to tell us today that when our life is stormy, "No matter what happens, I'll never leave you."

 Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”  (Mark 4:39)

Belonging

A little boy was riding across town on a city bus.  He was huddled close to a very well dressed woman and was swinging his legs back and forth as little boys will do.  Accidentally, his shoes rubbed up against the woman sitting across from him.  She got upset and asked the well-dressed woman, "Would you please ask your son to keep his feet to himself?"  She hadn't seen what happened, but answered, "He's not my son.  I've never seen him before."  Embarrassed, the little boy moved to another seat, slouched down as if to hide, fighting back tears.  "I'm sorry," he told the woman.  Realizing what had happened, she responded, "That's OK.  Are you traveling alone?"  "I always travel alone.  My mommy and daddy are both dead and so I live with my Aunt Maggie.  When she gets tired of me she sends me to Aunt Elizabeth."  Feeling sorry for the little lad, the woman said, "You sure are young to be riding on this bus alone."  The boy piped up, "Oh, it's OK.  I never get lost but sometimes I get lonesome.  So, when I see someone I'd like to belong to, I sit real close and pretend they're my family.  That's what happened when I got your dress dirty.”  Hearing this, the woman moved over, put her arm around him, and hugged him.  All he wanted was to belong to somebody.  Don't we all!

In fact, we do belong to our heavenly Father – “This is my beloved son/daughter…”  And belonging to Him brings us into the fellowship of believers, where we belong and extend that belonging to others.

A Prayer Of Faith

Great and loving God, the One beyond time and space, we thank You for teaching us to know You through Your written and Living Word. Empower us to look beyond the things that surround us to the wonders of the heavens above and to the miracle that is each of us. We thank You for providing us with our daily needs.  Empower us to look beyond our own needs to the needs of all who live on Planet Earth-and to care and share in the spirit of Your Son, our forgiving Savior and Servant Lord. We give You thanks that You have prepared an eternal home for us, and pray that You will keep us in faith so that we might live with meaning and eventually bid farewell to life in this world with peace, joy, and sure hope. In the name of Jesus, in Whom we have seen You and through Whom we belong to You. Amen.                                      (“Heaven's Name” by Dr. Harry Wendt, Leaders Manual, Page 11)

One Day At A Time

 There are two days in every week about which we should not worry; two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.  Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.  All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.  We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a singe word... Yesterday is gone!

The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow with its possible burdens, its large promise and poor performance.  Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control; Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds....but it will rise.  Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.

This leaves only one day ... today!  Anyone can fight the battle of just one day.  It is only when you and I have the burdens of those two awful eternities, Yesterday and Tomorrow....that we break down.

It is not the experiences of today that drives us mad....it is the remorses of bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.  Let us, therefore, live but one day at a time.     (unknown)

I am reminded of the Israelites in the desert who learned dependence on God one day at a time.  May we walk more closely with God, trusting He is sufficient for the day.  He alone forgives our yesterdays and gives us hope-filled tomorrows.

Sharing Jesus

As a kid I was proud of the fact that I was the only one in our gang who knew the biggest word in the English language – “antidisestablishmentarianism”.  I had no idea what it meant.  One day I looked it up in a dictionary, which defined it as “the doctrine or political position that opposes the withdrawal of state recognition of an established church.”  That’s a mouthful in itself. 

When St. Paul shared his faith, he didn’t try to impress people with big words.  Instead, he wrote in his letter to the Corinthian believers: “When I came to you, I did not come with high sounding words or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God”  (I Cor. 2:1).  Big words used to impress point to self.  Paul wanted to point to Jesus, so he spoke in the words of the people.  So his words didn’t get in the way of the message, but rather supported it.  It’s reassuring that when we share Jesus, we don’t have to use big or churchy words.  It is more real and effective to tell others of our relationship with Jesus in words they can understand.  May God bless you in your sharing.

Mission Alive!

I experienced a powerful missionary movement, empowered by the Holy Splrit, during my two weeks in India, January, 2008.  Mission India has recorded over 3,200 conversions every day during the past 10 years.  Prayer, healing miracles, and witness in the face of harsh persecution are at the heart of their mission.  One of our Sunday mornings we traveled 3 and 1/2 hours into tribal territory.  We finally ended up driving down a very narrow and wooded pathway into a clearing.  There we found St. Mary’s Lutheran church.   About 50 people came out, greeting us like long lost brothers and sisters.  During the first hour of worship people kept arriving until the room was absolutely packed.  I asked the pastor why so many of his members came late.  He explained that most of his families walked at least two hours to worship, and some even six.  When the time for baptisms came, he invited the three of us who were visiting to perform them.  19 adults came forward that day.  He then explained to us that in that moment they crossed a line – their lives were transformed.  They would go home to rejection, loss of jobs and homes, and for some, even death.  Everything would change for them as disciples of Jesus.  After the service we ate and danced together in front of the church.

I couldn’t help but to feel this is what it was like in the Early Church.  That’s the way it is today throughout Africa and Asia, where Christianity is growing by leaps and bounds.   Why isn’t different in America?   Is our prayer and faith that lacking?  Have we become so intellectual, sophisticated, and business-like in our lives and church that we leave little room for God to make a difference?  At the same time, there is deep spiritual hunger and emptiness all around us.  This is our opportunity.  Are we ready to be disciples, who make disciples, and who focus on building the Kingdom?

Prayer Is Preparation

I was touched by this devotion, so in spite of its length, I thought you might find it helpful as well.

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:1

Prayer does not give you spiritual power. Prayer aligns your life with God so that He chooses to demonstrate His power through you. The purpose of prayer is not to convince God to change your circumstances but to prepare you to be involved in God’s activity.

The fervent prayer of the people at Pentecost did not induce the Holy Spirit to come upon them. Prayer brought them to a place where they were ready to participate in the mighty work God had already planned.

Jesus told His followers to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:4-5). The disciples obeyed His command, waiting for God’s next directive. As they prayed, God adjusted their lives to what He intended to do next. As they prayed, a unity developed among them. For the first time the disciples used Scripture as their guide in decision making (Acts 1:15-26). The day of Pentecost arrived, and the city of Jerusalem filled with pilgrims from around the world. When God released His Holy Spirit upon the disciples, He had already filled the city with messengers who would carry the Gospel to every nation. Prayer had prepared the disciples for their obedient response.

Prayer is designed to adjust you to God’s will, not to adjust God to your will. If God has not responded to what you are praying, you may need to adjust your praying to align with God’s agenda. Rather than focusing on what you would like to see happen, realize that God may be more concerned with what He wants to see happen in you.  (9/13/12, Blackaby Ministries International)

Thoughts From Solitude

One of my favorite prayers was written by Thomas Merton in his “Thoughts From Solitude”. 

 “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am

following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always

though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,

and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

Friends In The Night

The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.  (1 Samuel 18:1)

Do you have someone you could call in the middle of the night when you need help?  I called Tom at 2 am one night in despair.  He simply said, “Hang up.  I’ll be right there.”   He showed up with all the fixings for making sundaes.  We talked for at least two hours before he went home. 

Friends like that are crucial during difficult times. Jonathan was that kind of friend to David. Jonathan’s father, King Saul—who was filled with envy at David’s popularity and God’s blessing on him—tried to kill him (1 Sam. 19:9-10). David escaped and asked his friend for help (chapter 20). While David hid in the field, Jonathan sat at dinner with his father and quickly realized that Saul really did intend to kill David (vv.24-34).

Because of their deep friendship, Jonathan “was grieved for David” (v.34). He warned him of his father’s plan and told him he should leave (vv.41-42). David recognized what a good friend he had in Jonathan. The Bible says they wept together, “but David more so” (v.41). Their souls were touched each other.

Do you have loving Christian friends you can count on in a crisis? Are you someone your friends would call a “2 a.m. friend”?  A true friend is God’s answer to our prayers of despair.  It is someone whose soul is “knit” to ours.

Two Mothers

In my sermon this past Sunday I shared the following story:  There once was a man who had two mothers.  Both mothers loved him and were good to him.  They both did what they thought was best for his upbringing.  One of those mothers adopted him and gave him a palace in which to live.  She had the finest teachers in the land brought in to teach him.  He had every toy a child could ever want.  He had servants, the best food, and clothes.  Nothing was spared. His other mother, the one who gave him up for adoption, was a slave.  His people had been slaves for 9 generations. She wanted a better life for him.   She could give him few material things, but she gave him what she had -- her time, her love, her faith, and her prayers.  And when Moses became a man he had to choose between those two mothers – a choice that was made more difficult because he loved them both.  The Bible reveals his choice:  “Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather his slave mother.”  (Hebrews 11:24)  You see the slave mother gave him what matters most, her love, time, and a deep faith in God.  What are we giving our children?  What will our children take with them into life?  Our society convinces us that the only list that counts includes -- music and dancing lessons, sports, name brand clothes, pool memberships, and the like – none of which is wrong.  But if that’s all there is, what will sustain them when the storms of life come? 

It Is Well With My Soul!

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul!

It is well ... with my soul!
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

One of my favorite hymns, "It is Well with my soul", was written by Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled, "It is well with my Soul", you would indeed have to be rich and successful. But the hymn's words were not written during the happiest period of Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.

Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago, because of Horatio's legal career and business endeavors and because of their prominent support and close friendship with D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. It was 1870 when things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four.  Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan, but in 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.

Aware of the toll these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. He would follow later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone."

On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, "You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God."

Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.

The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26 (read all of chapter 4). They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still maintains that 'It is well."  Spafford's song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers.

It would be very difficult for any of us to predict how we would react under circumstances similar to those experienced by the Spaffords. But we do know that the God who sustained them would also be with us. 
                                                                                                                                               (Author unknown)

A Quiet Place To Pray

"A life without a lonely place, that is, a life without a quiet center, easily becomes destructive.  When we cling to the results of our actions as our only way of self-identification, there we become possessive and defensive and tend to look at our fellow human beings more as enemies to be kept at a distance than as friends with whom we share the gift of life."     (Henri Nouwen)

Defragmentation

Several years ago my computer was gradually slowing down.   Alan, our computer tech, introduced me to “defragmentation.”   He explained that frequent use of various programs and documents causes pieces of information to become scattered on my hard drive, requiring my computer to search for and reconnect the pieces before I can use them.  The fix, he explained, was to run a program which reclaims the pieces and puts them back together again. This is called “defragmentation.”

Like my computer, my life often gets fragmented.  I am pulled in many directions and suffer from information overload.  My perfectionistic nature causes me to try to accomplish everything on my plate.  I end up running in every direction and am not allowing myself to center.

So I pray:  “Lord, I need Your help.  I am scattered, restless, and only half here.”  King David also went through similar times (Ps. 55). In prayer, David spoke to God, confident that He would hear and answer him (v.17).  You see, he had learned that prayer can defragment our lives.  When we cast our cares on the Lord, He will show us what we need to do and what only He can do.  Listen to David’s encouraging words to us: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you”.   (Psalm 55:22)  By the power of His Spirit, He can and will defragment our lives.

Time Exposure To God

“Our lives are like photo-graphic plates, and prayer is like a time exposure to God.  As we expose ourselves to God for a half hour, an hour, perhaps two hours a day, his image is imprinted more and more upon us.  More and more we absorb the image of his character, his love, his wisdom, his way of dealing with life and people.”   That’s what happens when we spend time in God’s Word and in prayer.  We reflect him and less of ourselves.  People see Jesus.

                                                                     (Kent Hughes, “Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome,” Wheaton, Ill, Tyndale, 1988, p. 139)

Forgiveness

Yesterday's sermon at Good Shepherd on "taking down walls and building bridges", reminded me again that the foundation of our walk with the Lord is "forgiveness" – His forgiveness of us and the forgiveness we offer and receive from others.  (Matthew 6:14-15)   The two main themes of Jesus ministry are love and forgiveness.  I have learned some things along the way that have helped me live a more forgiving life:

• Accept God’s forgiveness, it is His gift to you
• Acknowledge the anger and hurt cause by the offense of another
• ‘Decide’ to forgive – “let go” by the power of the Spirit
• Pray everyday for at least 30 days for the person who hurt you
• Rule out revenge – always “take the high road” 
• Walk in the offender’s shoes – “If I were in their place, I would feel…”
• Extend good will to the offender – acts and words of kindness
• Give yourself time to heal and take care of yourself

Jesus modeled forgiveness and the Holy Spirit empowers us to live it.  The greatest witness we can give to the transforming power of Jesus in our lives is to live a life of love and forgiveness.

Under His Wings

                  Psalm 91:4 declares:

“He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge:

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

As these times produce more and more days of unrest for our country and our people,

we, as Christians, must always remember that there is absolutely nothing to fear about tomorrow.

Why? Because God, the Almighty, our Lord and Savior is already there. Praise be to Him!!!