Overcoming Temptations - by Drew Saucier

"At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him."                                                                                                                                                         Mark 1:12-13

Lent is a time of cleansing yourself of your sins and getting reconnected to the Lord. We all know that, but do we really do Lent the right way? Is giving up your favorite candy or your favorite Coke what God really planned for us? What if we're supposed to really focus on turning away from those temptations the devil is throwing at us while we're in the wilderness. We all know those temptations, whether it be when you're at that party and you're offered a drink that you know you shouldn't take or when you stay out all Saturday night instead of heading home so you can go to church in the morning. God expects us to be strong in these moments, yet most of the time we fail him. So this Lent, try zeroing in on being a holy Christian and reconnecting with God so that those temptations don't seem so tempting anymore.

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

                                                                                                 1 Corinthians 10:13

Our Christian Responsibility - by Joy Wells

“…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me….whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.”       Matthew 25:  40, 45

It is a sad fact that many go to bed hungry each night; as Christians, we do what we can to alleviate this form of suffering.  But I wonder how many countless more individuals go to bed hungry for a word of encouragement and the recognition that they matter.  Perhaps the real challenge to our own personal growth is the challenge of our responsibility to those around us.  Indeed, we define our faith in the ordinary stuff of our daily routine, and the way we are with others may be the truest test of our faith.    How do I respond to the homeless person on the street?  What about the sharp-tongued, harried mother just trying to get through the check-out line?  The irritating comments made by someone I disagree with?  How about the lonely widow down the street?  The list goes on and on, doesn’t it?

Read again the words of Jesus above.  There is no escaping the reality that all our thoughts, words, and deeds addressed to others are in a real sense addressed to Jesus!  “Though Christ no longer visibly moves among us, we minister to Him in the ragamuffins within reach.  Each encounter with a brother or sister is a mysterious encounter with Jesus Himself.”  (Brennan Manning, Ragamuffin Gospel)

 “The kingdom of God is within you.” * As Christians, Jesus lives within each of us, and His light is within.  Indeed, we are people with a treasure inside, and that treasure is beyond price.  Let’s not discount what we have to give to those who may be hurting.  Let’s be “a vessel for honor, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” *   Mother Teresa was such a vessel.  She said, “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.”  Elizabeth Elliott put it more directly:  “Let me not imagine that my love for the Lord is very great if I am unwilling to do for a human being something very small.”

Finally, let’s remember that love leaves a legacy!  Our deeds are our monuments!  We have the privilege to live in the future, long after we are gone.  When we honor the Lord by extending love to others, our acts will live on, growing and building in other lives exponentially.  What a wonderful thought!

Lord, thank You for loving me in countless ways!  I want to return Your love by loving others.  Help me to see Jesus in each person I encounter today, and let me extend the light of your love in any way that I can, if only by a smile or a kind word.  Let me think with the mind of Christ, see with His eyes, and love with His heart.  Amen

*Luke 17:21, 2 Timothy 2: 20-21

On Keeping Your Word - by Dr. Chris Duke

“I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that that went forth from my lips”
                                                              Psalm 89:34 (ESV)

 

Dr. David Jeremiah shared a story in a recent devotional that underscores this very scripture: 

While cleaning his home last year, Darwin Day, 70, of Grand Prairie, TX found a set of old Topps Baseball cards from 1957-1958.  Included were packets of Bazooka bubble gum, that had a wrapper which offered a prize from the company to anyone who correctly filled out in the scores from certain teams in certain games.  Since there was no deadline listed on the communication, Day filled it out and sent it in. 

Executives from Bazooka were surprised to say the least, but they kept their word.  They sent Day a baseball glove, T-shirts, a Bazooka pillow and lots of Bazooka bubble gum!  The company made good on a promise that had been made almost 60 years before!

We all make promises.  We make covenants.  Occasionally, circumstances make delivering on these covenants difficult, but we find a way.  I have in a joking way shared with my wife Ann that whether it’s a business, civic or family matter, “I have to sometimes live up to a promise if it just about kills me in doing it!”  After all, Jesus gave us the gold standard for challenging us to keep our word.  Matthew 5:37 (ESV) says “let your yes be yes and your no be no.  Anything that goes beyond this is from the evil one”.

Life teaches us that before we speak up, we should measure the consequences of answering “yes” or “no” carefully.  It is more honorable as a Christian to say “no I can’t” than to say “yes I can” in order to appease, but not follow through.

Prayer:  Lord, help us with wisdom this Lenten season.  Help us all commit to causes worth our time and energy, that also are commitments you desire us to make.  Above all, help us keep our word with others.

Closing thought:  If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath or binds himself to a pledge, he should do all that proceeds out of his mouth.  Numbers 30:2 (ESV)

Worrier or Warrior? By- Rhonda Pepper

Many things are passed down from grandmothers, to mothers, to daughters.  Many of these things are great and make us who we are.  Unfortunately some are not so great.  I have inherited the “anxiety” gene from generations of womanly worriers.  If there was an Olympic medal for worrying, I would have several.

Although I trust God, my ugly humanness makes me “what if?” entirely too often. Sometimes it is something very serious, but others it’s just petty. But it is always a sin.  What if I get in a traffic jam and I am late picking up my third grader?  What if my college student make more Bs than As?  What if I get a stain on my new white pants? What If? What If? What If?

What if, instead of wasting time worrying, that I use that time during Lent to build my faith and strengthen my relationship with God through prayer and t0 become a Godly warrior instead of a womanly worrier?

What if I remember that God is always with me even while I am experiencing anxiety?  Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

What if I remember what God has already done for me, Rhonda Jo Huffman Pepper? Praise the Lord, O my soul. And forget none of His acts of kindness. Psalm 103:2

What if I am both prayerful and thankful in EVERYTHING that I do?  Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God? ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:6-7

Lent just might be the best season to turn my gaze and thoughts from all fears to the sweet face of Jesus and let Him handle my concerns.  My time worrying will not change a thing; but my God sure can. And I can rest in His peace.

Join me this season in laying down your worries at His precious feet. It’s not gonna be easy, but it is what He demands.   My goals are to remember your Word for me and talk to You whenever fears start creeping.  I want the warrior in me to overcome the worrier.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank You for forgiving me for worrying.  I want to lay my anxieties at Your feet.  Please help me to leave them there and know that You can handle them far better than I am able.  I don’t want my worrying habit be a stumbling block to my faith or to others.  Amen

Not Yet -by Joy Brown

When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped                                                                      Exodus 4:31, NIV  

When things don’t always go our way, it’s tempting to gripe at God, blame Him and want to rely on our own strength.

Almost everyone we know is walking through or has walked through a storm. If you are walking through a storm right now, do you feel God’s nearness?

Or does it feel like He has forgotten about you?

Have you wondered if God is with you?

Or do you believe He treasures you even though He’s not giving you what you want right now?

Guess what…He does has not forgotten about you! He is with you! He treasures you!

It is hard to wait, walk and worship in the storms. However, this is the perfect time to remember that God does listen to our prayers. If we trust and obey Him while in the storm, we will see how He leverages our hardships to actually work in our favor. We can rejoice over the way God will make all things beautiful in their proper time.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us (Ephesians 3:20, MSG).

Trust in the Name of the Lord. It is impossible for Him to fail you! Worship Him through your storms. Worship God because He is always good, even when we can’t see what He is up to.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to learn that You make me wait because You are making me ready. Thank you for taking Your time with me. You know what is best for me. Help me trust you and when it is all said and done, I know I will be glad I trusted You. Help me realize that I trust You now. My soul waits for You, Lord.

In Jesus’ Name, I pray.

Amen.

Never Too Late - by Mary Ashbaker

When I look back at my youth, I remember my mother taking my sisters, my brother and me to church every Sunday.  My father who was definitely the head of the house remained at home.  He ruled the house with a firm hand and no one disputed his word.  He did not believe in sparing the rod and spoiling the child.  My mother who most people considered kind but weak, never stopped praying for Dad to find the Lord.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my power is made perfect in weakness.    2 Corinthians 12:9

My grandmother who lived next to us really did not like my mother – so her lack of love for her spilled over to us – her grandchildren.  Grandma went to church every Sunday but her love did not spill over to our family.

As the years passed, Dad became ill with cancer.  Mom prayed even harder for Dad to find the Lord.

Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing.  In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.   1 Thessalonians 5:17

Her preacher came every week for two years and visited him.  They talked about sports, the world and upon leaving he would pray with him.  On one of the many visits home to Illinois, I felt it was time for me to talk to Dad.  I knew that I would not be at peace with him passing unless I spoke to him about the Lord’s love and grace.  As we sat on the porch talking, Mom stayed in the house – I’m sure praying.

Dad talked about Grandma professing to love the Lord but not living the life.  He talked about Jonah and the whale and confessed that was pretty hard to believe.  I reminded him that he lived with someone who did talk the talk and walked the walk with the Lord daily.  Then we talked about faith and inviting the Lord to come live in our hearts.  I left feeling that our talk did not make any difference in his life.

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as the mustard seed you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there, and it will move.”  Matthew 17:21

A few weeks before he passed, the preacher was visiting Dad in the hospital.  Dad never talked about their visit or what he said.  Later when I talked to Mom she said that Dad had asked the preacher to baptize him.

Through all of the suffering with cancer - my mother considered my Dad’s death peaceful for in his last days he came to know the Lord.  So after his death, we could see how my mother’s faith, love, strength, and prayers worked for all those who love Him.

Lord, give each of us strength to be the light for someone who does not know you as their Lord and Savior.  Help us to remember that all things work for the good of those who love Him.  Amen

Lift Up One Another - by Ben Mullen

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another even as also ye do.

                                                                                       -1 Thessalonians 5:11

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.

                                                                                        -1 Corinthians 12:25-26

I remember driving in to work one clear, cool autumn morning thinking what a beautiful day it was and how peaceful everything looked.  Then, my cell phone rang, and my mother told me that a plane crashed into the World Trade Center.  Of course, we all remember what happened after that moment.  I thought the country and maybe the world would devolve into chaos.  And, yet what I saw was such an astounding unification of people, people from all walks of life, all around the globe, coming together and supporting and caring and loving one another through this horrific event.  I saw this again following the December 26, 2004, tsunami and then again on the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina.  It gave me, and continues to give me, great faith in humanity and more so in the fact that God’s word and Christ’s direction are in so many of us.  But, it does not take a monumental disaster for us to lift one another up.  Each of us endeavors to work through “mini-disasters” and challenges every day.  We should be attuned to the needs of one another and always be available to help, even if helping is simply listening or offering a prayer with our neighbor.  Learn to be trusted friends and remember that we are all integral parts of one body in Christ such that each supports the other in times of need and cheers and rejoices in the blessings each receives. The smallest of kindnesses often count in the largest of ways.  While one person’s crisis may not be a newsworthy event, the difference we make by following the Word of Christ by being one together is truly monumental.

Lenten Fasting - by George Duffee-Braun

Traditionally Lent is a period during which we give up something – usually something pleasurable or habit forming such as candy, chocolate, certain television shows, coffee, or smoking.  Many consider Lent as a 40 day period which can continue if the fasting or sacrifice is successful.

For some, the 40 days is a period of fasting to purify one’s system and draw closer to God.  Doing so is a reminder of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and his temptation by Satan.

Or perhaps it is simply a time of meditation and prayer leading up to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

If nothing else, it is a period of time that most people recognize as a time to at least pause the daily routine, a time to reassess priorities.  This year, that pause comes at a most opportune time.

The nation and communities are deeply divided over the nature of government and the future course of our society.  Heartfelt opinions are leading to extreme irreconcilable differences, resulting in a risk of friendships and relationships being torn apart.  Leaders across the country are responding to and reinforcing their constituents’ opinions by in turn becoming not willing to dialogue with anyone with opposite opinion.

The fasting this Lenten period could be the pause that cleanses our spirits.  Instead of giving up a favorite treat, perhaps the fasting should be a spiritual one – giving up miscommunication.  Remember the words from a similar difficult period some 50 years ago – “people talking without speaking, hearing without listening.”  Suppose we simply resolved to fast from not listening?  Suppose we resolved to open our hearts to the Spirit to enter and lead us?

As I write this on Valentine’s Day, I am blessed by family love and devotion.  I am also reminded of that greatest love of all, the eternal undeserved love of God.  Can we use Lent to reflect that love in our actions towards others – the neighbors Jesus told us to love.  Can we show that love unconditionally to those whose opinions are different from ours?  After all, isn’t it easy to love your family and friends and those who love us? 

During Lent, it is time to do something difficult and love those different from ourselves  in opinion, culture, religion, politics or country of origin.  Giving up our personal opinions and distrust could result in greater purification of our spirit and lead us closer to God than any other Lenten sacrifice.

Luke 6:32 – “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?”

Joy in Lent - by Rev. Elijah Mitchell

Jesus said, “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

    Luke 15:7

Lent is a somber and solemn time because we are remembering the death of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  But Lent is also a time to rejoice because of what Jesus’ death means to me and you.  Like the angels, we should rejoice each time a person recognize they need to be forgiven by God and then they go to God for their forgiveness.

Anytime a person repents, the power of the cross is working because people lives are being transformed in a positive way, because of what Jesus did for us on the hill called Calvary. So, when we repent of our sins, our faith is strengthened because Jesus released us from the burden of sin. And every time we repent, confess our sins, and renew our commitment to follow Jesus Christ, the devil’s power is broken.

Finally, Lent is also a special time for meditation, prayer and penitential practices. It’s a time to increase our understanding of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. Lent is a time for us to rejoice, renew our baptismal vows and recommit to the Christian life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, every time we repent give us joy to worship and praise Your holy name. Amen.

It's Not All About Me - by Sally Boswell

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, said the lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”   Isaiah 55:8

If I have learned anything from my first year of halfway being in the real world at college, I have learned how easy it is to focus on myself. Everyone is constantly worrying about being successful and making a difference, myself included. Actually just before I sat down to write this, I took a nap and had a dream that I wasn’t involved enough around campus to be successful!

I have also learned that, debatably, being seen as a Christian (going to church, posting scripture on Facebook, etc.) often fits into the narrative society draws of a well-rounded, successful individual. I do not think this is bad; it definitely encourages more people to be in spaces that glorify God. However, the reason we go to church and identify as Christians is to seek a relationship with God, not to make other people think we have our life together.

We are not called to worry about if other people think we are impressive, and we are not even called to worry about what our lives will look like in ten years. As Luke 10:27 says, we are called to love the LORD our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind and to Love our neighbors as ourselves. Furthermore, we are called to stop worrying!

God is capable of far more than we can wrap our minds around, so why worry? Seek a relationship with Him because you love Him, not because you live in constant fear of how you are perceived. Once you know Him, it will be so much easier to worry less, to focus less on yourself, and to give more of yourself to others. The love of Jesus Christ lives in each and every one of us; living out that love is the only place our focus should be. 

I Grew Up in a Railroad Town - by Walt Brehm

Scripture for today – Matthew 25:37-40; 45 (NIV)

³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”  ⁴⁰The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”     ⁴⁵ He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” 

     I grew up in a railroad town in northeastern Pennsylvania in the late forties through the fifties and into the early sixties. This was well past the heyday of hobos but especially in the early years there still were itinerant workers who moved from place to place by hopping freight trains and our house was within easy walking distance of the railroad yards.   Although I have vivid memories of this happening only twice, conversations with my siblings lead me to believe it was not uncommon for one of these men, being hungry and without resources, to come to our back door and ask for food.  The memory of my mom making a sandwich and pouring a steaming cup of coffee for a man in need was burned into my soul at an early age.  This act of obedience is something she learned from her parents during her childhood.   This is something I try to practice and hopefully have passed on to my daughter. 

     St Paul United Methodist Church offers multiple opportunities for us not to seek our salvation but to demonstrate it.  Back pack buddies; the hopefully only temporarily suspended, Living Well Ministries; The Lord is My Help; Seashore Missions.   I have found that my participation in these activities has helped me far more than those whom I have served.

Prayer – Our Father in Heaven, we praise your holy name.  We thank You for the opportunities You provide for us to be Your agents here on earth to bring physical and spiritual recovery to Your hurting children.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  AMEN

                      

Thought for today – “If not me, then who?”

I Ask Thee Not to Do But to Be - by Gwenda Wells

Go into all the world and preach the gospel.

For years I had been a Radio Gospel announcer in Pascagoula MS at 1580 AM.  On Sunday mornings the D&D Gospel Hour came on at 5:30 a.m., different groups had thirty minute sessions until 12 noon when First Baptist church of Pascagoula was turned on which turned my session off.  I truly enjoyed the years that I served as an announcer.  I received many engagements to serve as Master of Ceremony, speaker at anniversaries, plays and programs. 

While enjoying the golden opportunities, life was gracefully moving forward with living life, rearing my five sons, participating in school activities, church youth group, morning devotion before the school bus arrived, and Bible study around the dining room table after school. 

The time arrived that my duties had to change due to my financial status.  I found myself working in Security on Sunday mornings at a gate called D-Dock for Friede Goldman Inc.  My question was, “Lord, I thought You called me to the pulpit?”  The response was, “This is the pulpit, over five hundred men will come through this gate every Sunday morning, who will not go to a building that is called the church.  Your life will preach my word, you stand and shine and I will do the rest.  Sunday after Sunday for eight months I watched so many lives change without even quoting verses as I usually did, telling stories from the Bible and sharing His promises.

Heavenly Father,

            Please order my footsteps in Your way, demonstrate through me the nine fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

Hope in God - by Donna Lewis, Social Worker LCSW

I was born to a family with generational abuse.  My mother's father at age 14 was sold by his father to a man he owed a debt to in Wisconsin.  He escaped to New Orleans where he met and married my grandmother.  Their daughter met and married my father the oldest son of a sharecropper.   He was physically and emotionally abused by his impulsive and cruel father who used religion to justify his behaviors. 

My father, a veteran and good provider, inherited his bad temper so as children we learned to fear him.   So it is completely understandable why my mother fearing that my father would become vigilante, told me to not tell anyone when I reported to her at age 12 that I was being molested by my father's brother.  I prayed and asked God to stop the circumstances.  My uncle was drafted and sent to Vietnam. 

I felt very alone and abandoned.  At church the pastor began to talk about childhood sexual abuse.  My heart leapt.  You mean there were others like me?!?!   The sorrow returned when he closed with, "this only happens in other religions not in our church".  Again I was unseen and unheard.  Did God see me as damaged also? 

I had difficulty concentrating in school.  I blamed myself.  I believed I was damaged and unlovable.  I continue to pray.  I continued to read the scriptures.  As a teenager reading about Joseph ,  a part of Genesis 50: 20   came very much alive. " You planned evil against me.  God planned it for good." This gave me hope!   I knew then that I had a purpose.  I could and would be a strength in God's hands.  "All things work to the good for those who love the Lord”  Romans 8:28. 

I made many bad choices and I learned and grew just like Jesus did.   " He learned obedience through the things he suffered" Hebrews 8:5.  After a divorce to an abusive man, my son and I relied on second Corinthians 12: 9 “My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness.”.  I entered USM school of social work specializing in trauma recovery. 

Today God has used my weakness to be my strengths.  Children and adults who have suffered or are suffering abuse are comfortable speaking with me.  I understand what they feel because I have experienced it.   The Spirit of Lord is working through me.   American Standard Version Genesis 50:20  And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.   I have been blessed greatly as the things that I suffered have now become my strengths.   The word of God lives in me.

Taste and See - by Rev. Dr. Rick Brooks

“It is good, so very good, to experience the quiet ministry of the living spirit of the living God.”  - Howard Thurman

1 Peter 2:2-3 reads, “As newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk, the real stuff, not watered down. That is what will make you grow up to salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” Peter is actually quoting Psalm 34:8: “Taste and see,” says the Psalmist, “that the Lord is gracious.” Then, like a newborn baby who has tasted his mother’s milk, you will want more. And more.

Who can fail to comprehend this simple picture? We are to yearn for the ministry of God’s Spirit the way a newborn yearns for nourishment.

Nothing else will satisfy. Nothing else comes close.

“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84: 12).

Our souls hunger for what only God can satisfy. As St. Augustine famously said, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.”

He alone holds what we need.

Here’s the thing, the Lord waits upon us to be gracious and give us what we most need. But we have this propensity to forget that very thing – and to forget him, and to starve ourselves. The question of why we do this is one of the great sermons you will no doubt get to hear if you keep coming to St. Paul (wink, wink). For now, let us diligently agree that it doesn’t have to be this way.

One of the primary ways we receive the goodness of the Lord is through prayer. But prayer, communion with the Divine Lover of our souls, is not limited to one kind of habit or method – not by any means.

Just as we are not all wired the same way, some of us find certain ways of praying more helpful than others. Some of you may drink in the goodness of God by quietly reading and studying the word. Others find that a meditative walk on the beach, or gently moving in another area of God’s creation, opens up a pathway to the peace and assurance of God.

I have heard that some like to knit, keeping the hands busy so that the body’s somewhat engaged, freeing the mind and spirit to receive the presence of the Lord God. Others encourage their own spirits to tune in to the divine dimension while the body engages in yoga poses. For that matter, why not simply sit down in quiet and taste and drink in the goodness of the Lord with your coffee or tea?

Taste and see that the Lord is good! As the old commercial put it: It doesn’t get any better than this.

“It is good, so very good, to experience the quiet ministry of the living spirit of the living God”

Vine to Vine - by Barbara Lemon

Express:

The idea of how I enter situations and the attitude in which I carry , has been an area in which God placed on my heart to search and examine.       

In this life we are on the move, in our hearts, our minds and of course the physical journey that I would say is one of perpetual motion.   I, like many of us, wake up feeling one way and throughout the day this can take on changes, and by the end can look totally different.

I know who I was this morning but I've changed a few times since then. - Alice in Wonderland

As I am a spirit of wondering thoughts, I am often tempted to jump from one topic to another in a matter of seconds.  When I remember I am God created, I can be more forgiving of myself,  but also humored by the fact,  that my "monkey brain" can leave many dazed and confused as it does myself sometimes.

Explore:  

"I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.- John 15:5

As I am stirred often by others words of influence, I have discovered I can simply take a word or phrase that was directed for one particular situation and apply it to other areas of my life.  The phrase I heard recently was from a preacher speaking on the subject of marriage.  He asked the question, "what have you killed lately based on your reactivity?"  

As I  proceed into my day, the reality is that all my interactions are subject to "reactivity".  I have never been convinced that I would set out to kill, steal or destroy, I mean that is the enemies job, right?  But,   I do have to ask myself when or how have I responded to another, in word or action, where I put them on defense or hit on a nerve leaving someone else's heart on a path of negativity.  My response to others is often a gauge of the attitude in my heart.  I can sometimes be found swinging from vine to vine in my thoughts, as well as my heart.  If I miss out on abiding in Christ, this most important vine, than my reactivity will miss the mark and produce nothing good in me or in those I am around.  It has clearly been a learning journey of how I alone, become less productive and more destructive, and proving the futility of self-reliance. 

I am so thankful, how God reminds me time and time again,   He that is in me is Greater, for I alone can not produce that good stuff, that good reaction, that good fruit.

Embrace:

My challenge as I embrace this journey, is that I will cling to the vine of Him who is greater, and trust He will guide my reactivity into a victory.  I would love for my reactions to be that which produces lasting fruit…. this is how I desire to enter situations, in all my moments that make up my day from portal-to-portal.

Have You Given Your All? - by Rev. Tom East

Read: Psalm 54:4-7

I will sacrifice to you freely; I will give thanks to your name, Lord,

because it is so good    Psalm 54:6

During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in a bind.  Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances.  After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia if they would bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country.  Each piece of jewelry he received, he would exchange for a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude.  These decorations would be inscribed, ‘I gave gold for Iron, 1813.’

The response was overwhelming.  But more importantly, the women prized these gifts from the king even more highly than their former jewelry!  The reason of course was clear.  They were proof that they had sacrificed for their king.                                      .

When we come to know our King Jesus, we, too should want to exchange the flourishes of our former life for Him. The amazing thing about our King Jesus is that He not only takes our jewels but He takes our rags too -- and uses them for the good of His Kingdom!

Perhaps there are some things we need to sacrifice to him today. Let's pray and ask for His revelation. There are great things awaiting those who give out of gratitude for what God has done for us in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to be givers rather than takers so we can give freely as Jesus gave for us on the cross. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer Focus: A thankful heart

Greatest Miracle - by James Freeman

It was a normal Sunday 40 years ago—and then God took the scales from my eyes (Acts 9:18).  We had been to church and Sunday School.  In our adult class, we had lively discussion about John 6:1-14, Jesus feeding the 5000.  The idea was presented that the greatest miracle is the miracle that changes our hearts.  With all those people there, the probability was highly unlikely that the only food available was from one little boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  The real miracle was that, seeing Jesus bless the boy’s offering, everyone’s hearts changed so that they shared what they had and their extreme generosity resulted in 12 basketfuls left over.

Then we got in the car to go home.  Our 3 year old daughter exploded from the back seat: “You won’t believe what Jesus did!  He took just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and He made it so there was enough to feed thousands and thousands of hungry people.  And everyone got full and even had leftovers!  Isn’t that great!  It was a miracle!”

Nailed.  Convicted.  In that moment the scales fell off my eyes.  I saw the miracle afresh, in its truth:  Jesus miraculously multiplied the loaves and fish.  Period.  The faith of a child was what I returned to.  I had let my adult intelligence, knowledge, and experience get in the way.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:3 to be like little children.  Child-like faith is humble, pure, believing, and oh so beautiful to our Lord.

Have you, like me, let your adultness get in the way of seeing Jesus?  When it comes to God and the things of God we just have to abandon all we think we know, human logic (Isaiah 55:8,9 and 29:14).  We must cast down reasonings, intellectual arrogance, proud ideas, arguments, and theories so that our very thoughts obey Christ and exalt and magnify Him (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Return to the child of God in you.  Ask Him.  He will take the scales off your eyes.   

Delight in God’s Word                                 Psalm 119:162, 77 

See Him anew in the world around you.     Psalm 119:18 

Rejoice in your child-like faith                     Romans 10:17, Philippians 4:4

God, The Provider - by Nate Payne

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”     Jeremiah 33:3 (NRV)

In 1998 I took a job as the night supervisor at a rural Louisiana hospital.  Though our proximity to the interstate system provided us with the occasional medical challenge we were close enough to larger urban medical facilities that all but the must unstable trauma cases would usually divert to one of the metropolitan hospitals.  It was a wonderful work environment with a dedicated staff of locally trained nurses and physicians who embraced their role as healthcare providers to the surrounding communities.  As night supervisor I wore many hats. Extra hands when needed, staffing assignment for the day shift, transportation and transfer arrangements for incoming and outgoing patients, and procurement of any needed supplies during the dark hours when central supply was deserted.

It was one such dark Saturday night, while struggling with the next day's staffing, that my beeper sounded with an urgent call from the ER.  Glad for a diversion from the glow of the computer screen I jogged down the 2 flights of stairs and through the side door of our small emergency room to find the staff nurses hastily organizing trauma supplies in two of the rooms. The charge nurse informed me she had just received a call from the local ambulance dispatch who had two units at the scene of a houseboat fire just outside of town.  Preliminary reports from the scene indicated there were two victims with significant burns, which mandated treatment at the closest facility.  It would be our job to stabilize the victims until they could be safely transported to the appropriate specialty facility.

One of the greatest dangers for burn victims is the risk of infection often inoculated during initial treatment. Larger hospitals carry disposable packets of bedding, gowns, and equipment covers to minimize bacterial exposure during treatment of burn victims. My job would be to locate these items in the minutes before the victims arrived in our ER. I unlocked the door to the massive room filled with narrow aisles of tall shelves, knowing there was not time for the laborious process of searching the catalogue and cross referencing stock numbers to narrow the search. I hurried to the area I thought most likely to contain the items I sought, uncertain as to what they looked like or where they might be stored, eyes flitting from item to item and shelf to shelf frantically searching for something I could not envision. I remember muttering anxiously "Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus......" as I scanned aisle after aisle hopelessly, dread rising in my chest as I thought of the diminished chances for survival of the victims if we could not provide an aseptic environment for treatment. As I came to the end of an aisle I slowed and my eyes were drawn upward to the top shelf and though I could not see what was there I knew what I would find. I climbed up and grabbed three medium-sized parcels and sprinted to the ED and distributed them to a relieved staff. We used the contents of the parcels to dress three treatment areas, finishing moments before the ambulances arrived carrying three burn victims.

It was hours later that a tired staff transferred the last patient to a metropolitan burn unit, and I returned to the dreaded staffing computer and completed the forms and charges attendant with trauma treatment. My last call before signing out was to central supply to let them know what I had taken from the shelves so they could allocate the appropriate charges and restock. It was just after 7 am that a sleepy voice answered the phone. "This is the nursing supervisor, I got three packs of CBT sterile coverings from the supply room last night, please reorder and get with the ED about charges."  "Can't do it" said the voice, "We don't stock them, never have."

Lord lead me to call on you at all times that my answers be bound not by earthly constraints.