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.

God Will Provide - by JoAnne Bush

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.                  John 14: 26-27

Since the age of thirteen, I have played piano and later organ for my church.  As a young adult, I began directing a choir of about 25 people and was daunted by the task of assuring that the songs selected would support the pastor’s message each week.

Brother J. A. Sharp was our pastor at the time and I asked that he tell me what songs he would like to sing each week.  He quickly advised that we didn’t have to worry over it, that God has the plans and we just follow them; that I should read the scriptures of the week, pray, and not worry - God would help me select the songs.  Brother Sharp would then provide three months of planned messages and God and I would begin the task to select the music for each week. 

Using his directions, on the first Sunday, the song we sang just before the message had some of the same words that Brother Sharp used in his sermon that day.  It is hard to express in words how strongly I felt the overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit at that moment. I experienced a physical realization that prayers were answered, and reassurance that He was with me in the work I was attempting to do, as simple as it was.

This occurred over and over as the years went by, scripture, prayer, then song selection, followed by a joyful anticipation each week to ‘see what God had done’ for our

services.  I realized with confirmation that God is in Control if we will give it all to him.

Prayer:  Father, we give thanks for the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Amen.

God is Eternal - by Jason Thornton

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!

                          Revelation 4:8

God existed before the world began. He had to precede it all because He made it all. God will also continue to exist forever. We know this because He promises to share eternity with us (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). Eternity is completely in His command.

Eternal life is the crown that God has promised to those who love Him. It is the believer's ultimate reward. Although we presently experience some of the benefits of eternal life, we possess it on promise; some day we will receive it in its fullness. We are still waiting to enter into our future reward. At the Lord's coming, He will grant to us the fullness of eternal life.

The apostle Paul expressed a similar thought: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). When Christ returns for the church, Christians will be granted a life of eternal righteousness. We will all receive the same crown consisting of the rewards of eternal life, righteousness, and glory.