Lost!

 

The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.

Luke 19:10

I have a knack for getting lost – in parking lots.  My car does not have a key fob that you can use to locate your vehicle.  And I have never fully cemented the habit of checking my surroundings to earmark where I am leaving the car.  Thus, when I come out with a cart of shopping bags or groceries, I have no blooming idea where the car is.  If I am at Food Lion, that’s no big deal.  The parking lot is a manageable size.  But if I am at Target, or the Walmart Superstore, or, heaven forbid, the mall – I can end up doing a lot of walking.

There are times when our spiritual lives can go missing – through emotional upheaval, physical pain, poor health, depression, etc.  Life has a million ways to get us down, and like the sheep in Jesus’ parable, we can end up wandering from the fold.  Praise God that He is ever willing able to come find us, and lead us back to the safety of His arms.

Today's Summer Reading:  Ephesians 1-3

Sunday's Summer Reading:  Ephesians 4-6

Storms Will Come

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat

So that it was nearly swamped.

John 4:37 

When I tuned in to the 5:00pm news today, the broadcast was all about the weather.  Virginia in general and Richmond in particular has their fair share of thunderstorms during the summer months.  A big storm was brewing, traveling southeast straight for us.  Fortunately, it never made it past Fredricksburg.

My daughter in Maryland was not so fortunate.  This was a nasty storm with high, damaging winds and hail.  My granddogs – particularly Santana, - do not appreciate lightning and the accompanying thunder.  Niki usually builds Tana a pillow fort to hide in.  That and some serious nose rubbing usually calms them down. Both dogs huddle close to Niki, instinctively knowing that she will protect them.

The only place to hide on the boat facing the raging Sea of Galilee was the place where Jesus was fast asleep. The disciples may not have had great faith, but they knew enough to turn to the One who could and would protect them.  He is the One who will stand by us through every storm – physical, emotional, and spiritual.

When the storms of life are raging, stand by me.

When the storms of life are raging, stand by me.

When the world is tossing me like a ship upon the sea,

Thou who rules wind and water, stand by me.

Rock of Ages

 

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart

be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 

Agustus Montague Toplady was born in 1740 in Farnham, England.  His father, a British Army major, was killed in the war without ever seeing his son.  Toplady was preaching sermons at the age of 12, writing hymns at the age of 14, and ordained an Anglican priest at the age of 22. 

As a staunch Calvinist, Augustus despised Charles and John Wesley’s Arminian theology.  As one historian says, “for many years, they were rather unpleasant to each other.”  His most famous hymn was written as part of an article on forgiveness, written as a slap to the Wesley’s.  Fortunately, the hymn outlasted the animosity of these three men. 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.

Let the water and blood, from Thy riven side which flowed.

Be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power.

 

Fountainview Academy, British Columbia, Canada

Squeeze It Out?

Let everyone give as his heart tells him,

neither grudgingly or under compulsion,

for God loves the man who give cheerfully.

God can give you more than you can ever need,

so that you may always have sufficient for yourselves,

and enough left over to give to every good cause.

2^nd Corinthians 9:7-8

I have been a tither since childhood. I was taught that the first 10% was God’s money.  That was fine with me, as long as the other 90% was mine!   I don’t remember ever begrudging God His portion.  But I have to admit that at times I can be downright stingy when it comes to what is mine.

In his second letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul talks about a collection he will be receiving from them to help the fellow believers in Macedonia.  He wanted the brethren to take up the offering before he arrived, and he “would like it to be a spontaneous gift, not money squeezed out of you.”  How I laughed at that thought.  Does God have to squeeze money out of me?  I suspect at times He does!  Lord, give me a generous heart, in appreciation for all You have done for me.

Today's Summer Reading:  2nd Corinthians 13

Worrywart!

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34 

Bedtime for me is worrywart time.  After crawling under the covers, my mSind starts a seemingly endless circle of “What if’s.”  What if I forgot to turn everything off on the stove? (Get back up!)  What if I forgot to lock all the doors? (Get back up!)  Turning on the outside lights, turning off the printer, putting the computer to sleep – I could go on and on.  Sometimes those “what if’s” turn more sinister:  What if someone breaks into my house?  (Really, Sherrie?)

I have always loved this verse, because it comes from the lips of Jesus Himself.   It’s not my mom, or my kids or even my friends who are saying, “You are such a worrywart!” This is God, the Creator of the Universe, the Great Shepherd who assures us: Don’t worry!  I hold you in the palm of My hand.  Leave your worries with Me.

Be not dismayed, what-e’re betide: God will take care of you.

Beneath His wings of love abide:  God will take care of you.

God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way.

He will take care of you - God will take care of you.

Today's Summer Reading:  2 Corinthians 10-12 -  Sorry for the error.

Encouraging Others

For He gives us comfort in all our trials so that

we in turn may be able to give the same sort of strong sympathy

to others in their troubles…

2^nd Corinthians 1:4 

I have spent most of yesterday watching the Olympic games on television.  The athletic competition has been amazing, but what impressed me the most was the kindness and compassion that was exhibited from one competitor to another.  This even carried over into the commercials, many of which emphasized the care and compassion between athletes.

One commercial in particular caught my eye.  It did not say, as one might have expected: 

Your skill, talent and hard work = your greatness. 

No, it showed two Olympic hopefuls taking the time to help each other even though they were from different teams representing different countries. The slogan of the ad was something that I would be honored having applied to me:

Your Goodness is Your Greatness

Summer Reading - New Testament

Monday, July 26                2 Corinthians 7-9

Tuesday, July 27                2 Corinthians 10-12

Wednesday, July 28           2 Corinthians 13

Thursday, July 29              Galatians 1-3

Friday, July 30                   Galatians 4-6

Saturday, July 31               Ephesians 1-3

Sunday, August 1               Ephesians 4-6

Monday, August 2             Philippians 1-3

Forgive

Bear with each other and forgive one another if

any of you have a grievance against someone.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 

Forgiving someone who has wronged you or hurt you should be a simple process:  God forgave us  =  we forgive them.  Unfortunately, it is not that simple, particularly if the cut is deep.  If the  person who has offended us is sorry for what they have done, forgiveness is much easier. But if the other individual(s) feels no remorse, or worse, if they feel justified in their actions, then forgiving them feels nigh impossible.

God speaks so often in the Bible about forgiving those who offend us, because He knows a fundamental truth:  If we do not forgive, the offense sits in our gut like a rock, eating us from the inside out.  Forgiveness does not condone the act, but pours out grace to the offender.  Holding on to our “rightness” will never change the other person, but it can destroy us.

Forgiveness does not excuse their behavior.

Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying your heart.

Today's Summer Reading:  2nd Corinthians 1-3

Sunday's Summer Reading:  2nd Corinthians 4-6

God's Plan

 For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord,

thoughts of peace and not evil - to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11

I want to share with you a paragraph from my devotional this morning:

God says, "Come to Me first, for I created you.  I know where the winding paths you walk will lead.  I know how to use the most heart-wrenching moments in your life to propel you to passionate, free, purposeful living.  Every thought I have about you is good, never evil, to ensure your future is bright.  When you come to Me first, you position yourself to receive an injection of hope each day.  The plans I have for you are to make you what I expected when I conceived you in My infinite mind.  I am always right here waiting for you to remember that you have someone in your corner who is, by divine providence, turning your hardships into glory.  Will you trust that My every thought for you is good?"  -Shari Loveday, Words of Life

Whatever is happening in your life today, God wants to turn it into showers of blessings.  Place your hand in His and He will lead the way.

Showers of Blessings | Fountainview Academy Orchestra & Singers

The Gift of Love

The love of which I speak is slow to lose patience.

It looks for a way to be constructive.

It is not possessive.

It is neither anxious to impress

nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.

Love has good manners and

does not pursue selfish advantage.

It is not touchy.

It does not keep account of evil

or gloat over the wickedness of other people.

On the contrary, it shares the joy of those who live by the truth.

Love knows no limit to its endurance,

No end to its trust,

No fading of its hope.

It can outlast anything.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8

The Gift of Love performed by Becky Craig

Today's Summer Reading:  1st Corinthians 13-15

Running the Race

Do you remember how, on a racing track, every competitor runs,

but only one wins the prize?  Well, you ought to run with your

minds fixed on winning the prize.  Every competitor in

athletic events goes into serious training.  Athletes will take

tremendous pains for a fading crown of leaves.  But

our contest is for a crown that will never fade.

1^st Corinthians 9:24-25 

Two days from now the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo will officially begin with the opening ceremonies.  This year’s games, however, have been overshadowed, indeed overrun, by the Covid 19 pandemic.  Team members and individual athletes have tested positive and been sent home.  There are no fans in the seats, no free-wheeling camaraderie among the contestants. It is, without question, a very different Olympic Games.

The Apostle Paul was acquainted with athletic competition, and likened the struggles and triumphs to the life of the follower of Christ. The difference?  In the Olympics, there is only one winner for each competition.  For us?  We are all winners.  Christ has claimed the crown of victory for His entire team. 

 

Gimme, Gimme

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

This was one of my mother’s favorite Bible verses, and during my childhood, she repeated it often.  In my five-year-old brain, this verse meant:  “Love Jesus, and He will give you what you want.”  As a child, what did I want?  Why, things, of course: dolls and bikes and kitties and French fries and… It took years for me to begin to understand that this verse was not talking about “getting” material things.

As an adult, I ask myself exactly what I desire from a relationship with the Creator:  A closeness to God, feeling His presence, knowing that He hears me when I pray, knowing that He wants the very best for me, trusting that He will guide me in all aspects of my life.  All of this and more is mine – and yours – every day, if we take the time to “delight” ourselves in the Lord.

Today’s Summer Reading:  1^st Corinthians 4-6

Half-way Point

 

For the Word that God speaks is alive and active;

it cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword:

it strikes through to the place where soul and spirit meet,

to the innermost intimacies of a man’s being.

It examines the very thoughts and motives of a man’s heart.

Hebrews 4:12 

Back on June 1, I started a summer reading project – reading through the entire New Testament in the three months of summer – June 1 to August 31.  I am now at the half-way point, and it has been an amazing experience for me.  I have been reading the Phillips translation, and it has brought clarity in areas where I did not know I needed it!  I am in First Corinthians now, and I tend to get bogged down in Paul’s writings.  So far, however, the Phillips has kept my interest and understanding engaged.

The writer of Hebrews declares that the Word is alive and active – staying at the forefront of your thoughts and coming back to your memory when it is most needed.  I thank God for His Word, and for men like J.B. Phillips, who give of their time and talents to enable us to better understand His message to us.

Summer Reading Program – New Testament

Monday, July 19                1 Corinthians 4-6

Tuesday, July 20                1 Corinthians 7-9

Wednesday, July 21           1 Corinthians 10-12

Thursday, July 22              1 Corinthians 13-15

Friday, July 23                  1 Corinthians 16

Saturday, July 24              2 Corinthians 1-3

Sunday, July 25                2 Corinthians 4-6

 

 

What You See...

 

And in their mouth was found no guile,

For they are without fault before the throne of God.

Revelation 14:5

My father always taught me that I should live my life as though I had a sign attached to my person that said:

What you see is what you get! 

My dad preached that gospel to anyone who would listen, but this proclamation did not originate with him.  The disciple John, writing his thoughts while imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos, was inspired with the same idea.  He who had been a fisherman much of his life used the word “guile” – fish bait of a baited hook – to illustrate a life of transparency.  A hook is used to fool the fish.  The people of God that John described in Revelation have no fish hook:  no deceit, no deception, no lie.  They are transparent people.

Living life as an open book is not an easy proposition in this murky, less-than-truthful world.  We do not want to appear innocent, naive, or inexperienced.  But I would love to return to a societal norm where your word is the pledge of your integrity and your character.  God values truth.  After all, He is the Truth.

They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love

 

Love must be sincere

Hate what is evil – love what is good.

Be devoted too one another in brotherly love.

Honor one another above yourselves

Never be lacking in zeal.

Keep your spiritual fervor – serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Share with God’s people in need.  Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you.

Rejoice with those who rejoice.  Mourn with those who mourn.

Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud,

 but be willing to associate with people of low position.

Do not be conceited.  Do not repay evil for evil

If it is possible, live at peace with everyone.

Do not take revenge

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

-Romans 12:9-21

Toward the end of his letter to the church at Rome, Paul gives a lengthy list of how the members of the church should relate to one another.  His advice to them is just as applicable to us today.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Doxology

 

O the depth of the riches

of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

How unsearchable are His judgments,

and His paths beyond tracing out.

Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been His counselor?

Who has ever given to God

that God should repay him?

For from Him and through Him

and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever.  Amen

-Romans 11:33-36

T

Anthem Lights / Selah

Today's Summer Reading:  Romans 10-12

Who Can Separate Us?

 

Who can separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

through Him who loved us.

-Romans 8:35, 37

Paul puts to the church in Rome one of the $64,000 Questions of life:  Who can separate us from the love of Christ?  In our text today, he lists a variety of circumstances that would bring hardship to his listeners, but not separate them from God.  Paul then proclaims, I am convinced that this next list can’t do it either:  Death, Life, Angels, Demons, the Present, the Future, any Powers, Height, Depth, or anything else in all creation.

So what can separate me from God’s love?  ME.  God’s love is unconditional and omnipresent.  He will never leave me.  But I can choose to walk away.

Today's Summer Reading:  Romans 7-9 

 

 

Since By ManT

 

Therefore, since sin entered the world by one man,

And death through sin,

In this way death came to all men, for all have sinned.

Romans 5:12

When I was a teenager in Phoenix, participating in the Messiah rehearsals for our local community choir, one of my favorite choruses was Since by Man Came Death, based on this scripture from Romans.  The piece is very short, compared with many of the other choruses, but packs a powerful message.  

Since by man came death,

By man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die,

Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Our legacy from Adam and Eve is sin and death.  Our birthright through Jesus Christ is eternal life.  Which one we receive is our choice – a choice we make daily.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir - from the Messiah

Today's Summer Reading:  Romans 4-6

My apologies for the lateness of this post.  

Power was out all morning.

 

My Scars

If I rise with the wings of the dawn

If I settle on the far side of the sea

Even there, Your hand will guide me,

Your right hand will hold me fast.

-Psalm 139

Every scar has a story.
What will mine tell?
What will come of this
When I’m better, when I’m well?

I want my scar to tell
Of how I’ve overcome,
Of how I made it through,
Of where I have come from.

I want my scar to whisper
About the pain I faced,
About the very hard times,
The marathon I raced.

But mostly I want my scar
To speak of something greater
I want it to shout
The name of my Creator.

Let my scar be evidence
That there’s a loving Lord
Who fought my scary battles
And on whose wings I soared.

Let my scar proclaim
That all things work for good,
That by myself I could not
but with my God, I could.

Let others take a look.
Let others peek and see
My scar shows God is great
It points to Him, not me.

-Christina DeCarlo

Wings of the Dawn – MS Baptist All State Choir

Summer Reading - New Testament

Monday, July 12                Romans 1-3

Tuesday, July 13               Romans 4-6

Wednesday, July 14         Romans 7-9

Thursday, July 15             Romans 10-12

Friday, July 16                   Romans 13-15

Saturday, July 17              Romans 16

Sunday, July 18                1 Corinthians 1-3

Monday, July 19                1 Corinthians 4-6

The Heavens are Telling

The heavens are telling the glory of God

The sky speaks without words

Messages that warm my heart.
It never ceases to amaze me,
Like a timeless work of art.

How it stretches far and wide,
With neither beginning nor end.
A fingerprint of the Creator,
Far more than I can comprehend.

It assures me of His blessings,
In its marvelous way of adorning
Each day with the sunrise -
That they're new every morning.

Happy times are understood
By the radiant hues in the sky.
Rain drops from darker shades convey
That sometimes it's okay to cry.

Now and then in broad daylight,
The beauty a rainbow will afford,
Affirms how great it is I'm loved,
By He who always keeps His word...

The One who sets the stars in space
And calls them each by name;
The One who set me here by design
And upholds me just the same.

What more is needed to show
The sovereignty of the Most High?
I find enough each time I spare
A lingering gaze at the sky.
-A.T. Alibi

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 2013

Today's Summer Reading:      Acts 25-27

Sunday's Summer Reading:    Acts 28

Summer Reading - New Testament

Monday, July 12               Romans 1-3

Tuesday, July 13              Romans 4-6

Wednesday, July 14         Romans 7-9

Thursday, July 15             Romans 10-12

Friday, July 16                  Romans 13-15

Saturday, July 17              Romans 16

Sunday, July 18                1 Corinthians 1-3

Monday, July 19               1 Corinthians 4-6

Saved by a Nephew

 

But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of the plot,

He went into the barracks and told Paul.

Acts 23:16

I just had a visit from all five of my children - at the same time!  It was a blessing!  Family can be a wonderful system of support and encouragement.  They can also be a pain in the neck!  For Paul, God utilized his family to save his life.

The Jews concocted a plan to entice the Roman commander to send Paul to Jerusalem.  As soon as the traveling party was away from the barracks, a mob of 40 men would attack them and kill Paul.  Paul’s nephew overheard the plot and ran directly to the barracks to tell him.  Paul asked one of the centurions to take the lad to the commander.

When the commander heard the young man’s words, he ordered the boy to let no one know of his knowledge of the plot. Then he directed his leaders to put together a detachment of 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen, who would leave that night, under cover of darkness, to take Paul to Governor Felix in Caesarea.   Even the hate-filled Jews would not pit their 40 men against a contingent of 470 of Rome’s finest.

Todays Summer Reading:  Acts 22-24

 

Eutychus

 

Seated in the window was a young man named Eutychus,

who was falling asleep while Paul talked on and on…

Acts 20:9

Paul had so much too say to his audiences, and so little time to say it, that he often talked for many, many hours at a time.  He obviously must have been a terrific speaker with a passionate message, for his audience stayed awake and responsive – all of them except Eutychus.

Eutychus was a young man of Troas who was in sitting in the open third floor window of the building where Paul was speaking.  He started his discourse after the breaking of bread (lunch time) and continued throughout the day.  Around midnight, Eutychus, who was sound asleep, fell out of the window and died on impact.

Paul went down, put his arms around the young man, and brought him back to life.  Then, as though this was a common occurrence, Paul went back upstairs, again broke bread, then continued talking until daybreak!  What an astounding experience for the believers, and what a story for Eutychus to tell some day to his grandchildren!

 

Let Go!

 

Cast your cares upon the Lord,

And He will sustain you.

Psalm 55:22

 

As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend

I brought my broken dreams to God, because He is my friend.

But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help, with ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried,

“How can You be so slow?”

“My child,” He said, “what could I do?

You never would let go.”

God is greater than any burden you are carrying.

Today's Summer Reading:  Acts 16-18

 

Don't Make It Difficult!

 

It is my judgment, therefore, that we

should not make it difficult for

the Gentiles who are turning to God.

Acts 15:19 

A group of men came down from Judea to the Christians gathered in Antioch and began to teach that all Gentile converts had to be circumcised.  Paul and Barnabus about went through the roof.  They were appointed, along with a few other believers to go to Jerusalem and talk with the Apostles about this controversy.

Some of the believer’s said, Yes!  Gentiles must be circumcised and must obey the law of Moses.  Peter testified that the Gentile believers had been accepted by God, filled with the Holy Spirit, having their hearts purified by faith.  “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are saved, just as they are.”

The Jerusalem Council, after hearing passionate testimony by Paul and Barnabus, voted to not place the burden of circumcision on the new converts.  Instead, they gave guidance on food sacrificed to idols and to abstain from sexual immorality.  When they returned to Antioch, the people were overjoyed with their message of encouragement and hope through the grace of Jesus Christ.

Watching Angels

 

Now I know without a doubt that the Lord

sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches…

Acts 12:11 

King Herod decided he had tolerated the new Christian sect long enough, and began to arrest the believers and their leaders, including Peter.  He was placed in prison, and Herod had four squads of soldiers guard him – a total of 16 men. 

The night before his trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, who were chained to him on either side, and two sentries guarding the entrance to his cell.  An angel of the Lord entered Peter’s cell without disturbing the sentries, woke him up, and as he stood, the chains fell off his wrists.  The angel told Peter to wrap himself in his cloak and follow close behind.  They strolled by the guards, and when they reached the main gate, it silently opened for them.  They walked the length of that street, and suddenly the angel disappeared.

Peter went to the house where everyone was staying, letting them know that their prayers for his release had been answered, then he “left for another place.”  The next morning, the  unfortunate guards who were missing a prisoner were all summarily executed.   

Angels watchin over me, every move I make

Angels watching over me, every breath I take.

Angels watching over me.

 

Summer Reading – New Testament

Monday, July 5            Acts 10-12

Tuesday, July 6            Acts 13-15

Wednesday, July 7       Acts 16-18

Thursday, July 8           Acts 19-21

Friday, July 9                 Acts 22-24

Saturday, July 10           Acts 25-27

Sunday, July 11              Acts 28

Monday, July 12            Romans 1-3