Recently I read a story about a man in South Africa who came home and found nine would-be thieves in his house. Seven of them ran away, but two remained and confronted the homeowner. He struggled with them and managed to throw them in his pool. One couldn't swim, so the homeowner jumped in to save him from drowning. When he got them out, the one who couldn't swim brandished a knife. The homeowner reports, "When I saw the knife, I threw him back into the pool. However, he started struggling to breathe and drowning, so I jumped in and rescued him again."

Sometimes our inner self causes us to confront the one who has rescued us - our Heavenly Father. Even though we have been redeemed through the grace of God, our old nature causes us to rebel against God. When we do, God will take appropriate action. He will "throw us back into the pool", so to speak. However, he deals with us in grace, and will pull us out when we have learned our lesson.

We need to fight against our inner desire to be a rebel, not against God who has pulled us out of the water. Paul writes about this inclination in Romans 7:15, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." What is our answer to this dilemma? Read further in Romans 7, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (vss. 24-25) Give thanks to God, who deals with us in grace!

Recently I read a story about a man in South Africa who came home and found nine would-be thieves in his house. Seven of them ran away, but two remained and confronted the homeowner. He struggled with them and managed to throw them in his pool. One couldn't swim, so the homeowner jumped in to save him from drowning. When he got them out, the one who couldn't swim brandished a knife. The homeowner reports, "When I saw the knife, I threw him back into the pool. However, he started struggling to breathe and drowning, so I jumped in and rescued him again."

Sometimes our inner self causes us to confront the one who has rescued us - our Heavenly Father. Even though we have been redeemed through the grace of God, our old nature causes us to rebel against God. When we do, God will take appropriate action. He will "throw us back into the pool", so to speak. However, he deals with us in grace, and will pull us out when we have learned our lesson.

We need to fight against our inner desire to be a rebel, not against God who has pulled us out of the water. Paul writes about this inclination in Romans 7:15, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." What is our answer to this dilemma? Read further in Romans 7, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (vss. 24-25) Give thanks to God, who deals with us in grace!

Nature videos intrigue me. I remember one I saw at some time where a mother eagle was feeding her eaglets. As she brought the food in, the eaglets frantically struggled to get the food. Barely able to hold their heads up, they nonetheless would fight with each other and peck each other to get the most food. You would think there was a shortage of the food, but that was not the case. The mother was bringing in plenty of fish to eat. This was just the nature of the birds and their instinct to survive.

Survival instincts are usually a good thing. However, we often allow our instincts to take us to places we shouldn't go and lead us to do things we shouldn't do. When our desire to have things extends to the things that actually belong to someone else, that can cause a real problem. James 4:1-3 says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." God has plenty for all of us. We shouldn't want what is not ours. We need to trust God to provide for us what we need when we need it.

I am always amazed at the chances people take "just for the thrill of it." Now, I am not above some adventure. For example, I used to love to ride roller coasters – the bigger and faster the better. I no longer am able to ride them because of a detached retina. And I miss the thrill! But I was never able to bring myself to bungee jump or parachute or anything of that nature. I was watching a show one time and saw a video of a group bungee jump that went awry. The cable snapped and the group plunged into a body of water at an estimated speed of 85 MPH. There were a number of injuries but, incredibly, no one was killed. I know you have heard of incidents where people lost their lives in a "thrill seeking" exercise.

As much as we wonder what motivates people to pursue these thrill-seeking endeavors, I am just as much in awe of those who continue to pursue life without a relationship with Christ. In a very real sense, this is just as dangerous, and in actuality is more dangerous, than pursuing some activity which could very well lead to death. Individuals living life without the assurance of eternal life are in danger of losing much more than their earthly lives. I hope you are not in this category. You are in danger of being disowned if you are. Listen to what Christ says in Luke 12:8-9, "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God."

Take chances in life if you will - pursue thrill seeking activities if you want. But don't take chance of losing your eternal life by not accepting Christ as your Savior and receiving the gift of eternal life. If this happens, it will be no thrill.

Once again we are called upon to pray and to lend assistance in any way we can to a part of our nation that has experienced a great calamity. The tornado that hit Oklahoma City left a swath of devastation and death that will have a profound impact on that area for years to come. It hit almost two years to the day after the Joplin, Missouri, tornado. Dozens are dead, and the destruction is unfathomable. Let's keep these people in our prayers, and as we have opportunity, do what we can to help in the rebuilding.

When Job was notified that his family had been destroyed in a "tornado," he responded, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." (Job 1:21) In this statement, he reflected the reality that our life is so very, very fragile. He also maintains our need to continue to trust in God when we experience the inexplicable. God will provide what is needed to repair lives that are profoundly affected by the catastrophes of life. Job wrestled with this, and became aware of God's sovereign plan through his interaction with God. We need to do the same. Keep our interaction with God open and remember that he is in control no matter how out of control events may seem.

A bricklayer had a brother who was a world-famous violinist. He was talking one day with the head of the construction company for whom he worked. "It must be something having a brother who is so talented and is known the world over for his ability on the violin," remarked the executive. He added, "Sometimes the way that talent is distributed in families just doesn't seem fair." "That's for sure," replied the bricklayer, "It's a good thing my brother can afford to hire people. He doesn't know the first thing about building a house."

This is a great thing to remember in every area of life, and especially in the church. Different people are given different abilities. There is no one person who is capable of doing everything well and everybody has an ability to use in some capacity. Exodus 31 records that there were people who were given special skills in different areas to be able to construct the tabernacle and to make the items contained and used in the tabernacle. God said, "I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills." (Exodus 31:2) In various passages Paul talks about the variety of gifts that have been given by the Spirit to followers of Christ. We read in I Corinthians 12:7, "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." We should honor God with the jobs we do that helps to support our lives and our families, and we should honor God through exercising the gift he has given us as followers of Christ for the benefit of the church. Putting our abilities in action helps us, helps others, and gives glory to our Father.

In 1983 Steve Jobs challenged John Sculley, then CEO of PepsiCo, with this statement, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?" What happened after that is history. The story of Apple computers along with the success of IPods, IPads, and the IPhone is a part of our current culture. Of course, it took some people making hard decisions and stepping out into areas where no one had ventured before. Their decision brought about technology that has made our lives different that what they would have been.

We need this visionary outlook when it comes to the message of the Gospel. We have news that has changed the world in a much different way than did the efforts of Sculley and Jobs, yet we often are mundane about our role in spreading this news. Christ called the early disciples with these words, "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people." (Matthew 4:19) When the power of the Holy Spirit came upon these followers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), they boldly began to proclaim a message that did change the world. Later, they were accused of turning the world "upside down" (Acts 17:6). Wouldn't that be great if we were accused of doing just that? We have the same Power as did those early disciples. The Holy Spirit is still resident in those who follow Christ. We should yield to the leadership of the Spirit and quit selling sugared water. We should work to change the world.

In "Notes from the Underground", Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote, "There are certain things in a man's past which he does not divulge to everybody but, perhaps, only to friends. Again, there are certain things he will not divulge even to his friends; he will divulge them perhaps only to himself, and that too as a secret. But, finally there are things which he is afraid to divulge even to himself, and every decent man has quite an accumulation of such things in his mind." Since this is true, how can we ever hope to stand before a holy God? Habakkuk 1:13 tells us, "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing." Knowing what is said here and understanding the truth of Dostoevsky's words leads us to the place of Isaiah where he said, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5)

Indeed we are ruined. However, God provides a solution for our dilemma. I John 1:7 gives us the answer for our problem, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." We need to note the important aspects of this verse. First, the solution to our problem is conditional. We need to "walk in the light." This requires action on our part. Secondly, when we do so, we are granted fellowship unconditionally with the Father. Thirdly, this provision is made at a price - the blood of Christ. Finally, all of our sin, not just part, is covered. So the things we divulge only to our friends and the things we divulge only to ourselves and even the things that we are afraid to divulge to ourselves are wiped away. This is news that shouldn't be kept "underground!"

I have never been big on the idea of an identity crisis, that is, trying to find "who you really are". However, I realize there are times in our lives when we do ask questions about who we are and what we are doing, or what we have done. Teenagers sometimes suffer angst as they are in a position of leaving behind the relatively carefree experience of childhood and enter into a time in their lives when they are more responsible for their own actions and their own decisions. As we enter middle age, we often wonder about choices we have made and sometimes face disappointment as we feel we haven't met all of our goals. During our senior years, end of life issues are experienced and often cause anxiety and concern. What is the answer for the struggles we face at these times, or any time for that matter? What helps is to recall and rehearse God's view of who we are.

As followers of Christ, we can remind ourselves that we are redeemed people. We should remember that "you were bought at a price." (I Corinthians 6:20) We are forgiven (Acts 10:43), reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18-19), new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17), God’s adopted children (Gal. 4:4-7), and God’s witnesses and ambassadors (Mt. 28:19-20; 2 Cor. 5:20). Best of all, we are destined to be like His Son (Rom. 8:29). As we remember and review these characteristics that are made possible through our relationship with God, our identity becomes a bit clearer.

It is not what you have been given that is important; it is what you do with what you have been given. A person who demonstrated this principle well was Sir Edmund Hillary. After conquering Mt. Everest with his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay in 1953, Hilary refused to "rest on his laurels." The rest of his life was devoted to building schools, hospitals, and bridges for the Sherpa community. For almost 5 decades he labored to help the people of the person who was his friend and guide on one of the most significant endeavors of any person up to that time. A TV newsman once said of Hillary that his status as a hero was "not about what he did when he stood on top of the world, but what he did when he came back down."

Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain in Israel. There, he was "transfigured," and the disciples witnessed him in a state of brilliance and glory. Moses and Elijah appeared, and the three men talked. As they were leaving, Peter said, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (Luke 9:33) The text then tells us that "he did not know what he was saying." (vs. 33) I find it interesting that this event is recorded in Luke just after Christ has told them the cost of following him. Each person must "deny (himself), and take up (his) cross daily". (Luke 9:23) Through these events, Christ's followers are reminded of what they have through him, but more importantly are reminded of what they should be doing with what they have. They cannot stay on the mountain. They need to come down to the work.

So it is with us. We cannot stay on the mountain and admire what we have or what we have done. There is work to do in the valley, and we need to get to it.

A Gray whale was sighted in the Atlantic off the coast of Namibia, a nation on the west side of Africa. This was the first-ever documented sighting of a gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in the southern hemisphere, and only the second sighting of a gray in the Atlantic. Gray whales are found in only two locations in the Pacific. There aren't that many of them and they have been extinct in the Atlantic for hundreds of years. Essentially, the whale got lost, and found its way into the Atlantic. The problem is there are no other whales of its kind, and it is therefore consigned to a pretty lonely existence far away from "home."

That is pretty much what has happened to us. We are lost and are far away from where we should be. We are lost and have strayed away from God. However, unlike the whale, there is hope for us. We can go home because Christ has made a way for this to happen. Through his provision, we can arrive safely in the presence of God. Without Christ's provision, we are "dead" to the ways of God and are lost, wandering aimlessly. Paul tells us what happens when we place our faith in Christ, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. . .But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions." (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5) When this happens, we find our way home.

I read this morning that Dr. Joyce Brothers has died at the age of 85. Perhaps you are familiar with Dr. Brothers. As the first "TV psychologist" in the 1950's, she pioneered "pop psychology" through her roles on TV, as a columnist, and frequent appearances in movies and talk shows. She was a guest of Johnny Carson more than 100 times on "The Tonight Show." As well as a daily column syndicated in more than 350 newspapers, she wrote 15 books that dispensed advice on a broad range of topics. When asked about why she was so successful, she replied "because you were hungry."

People are hungry for advice on how to live the right way and what to do in certain situations. That is fed by a desire to be correct and to look good in the eyes of others. We who are followers of Christ should be more concerned about how we appear in the eyes of God than how we appear to the eyes of others. Therefore, we should be hungry for knowledge of God's desire and designs. With all due respect to Dr. Brothers, seeking her counsel will not help us to know the mind of God. Following what God has given us in His Word is the way to gain understanding of God's plans. We read in Psalm 119:10-11, "I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Following Dr. Brothers advice might be ok for a little problem you have encountered, but if you truly want to know how you should order your life, go to the source of life.

We often hear it said, or perhaps even say it ourselves, that we are our own worst enemy. Many of you are facing challenges at work, in your marriage, in your family, at school, or in your church, and the reason may very well be you. Your attitude or your actions, or both, are at the root of your trouble. We can very well be our own worst enemy when we fail to have significant insight into our own behavior and fail to see that our choices are the cause of the struggle we are facing. We need to hold a mirror in front of us, literally and figuratively, and ask ourselves hard questions as to who really is to blame.

I saw an incident this weekend that gives a somewhat more objective view of this principle. Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods were neck and neck all weekend in The Player's Championship, a golf tournament in Florida. Garcia hit a bad shot and put the blame on Tiger Woods saying that Woods' actions during his swing caused him to mishit the ball. Later in the competition Garcia had a few more bad hits that could not be blamed on Woods, and he lost the tournament. We all have a tendency to do this - blame others or blame outside circumstances for troubles that really are caused by our own shortcomings or mistakes.

Paul reminds us that we do indeed have the ability to be our own worst enemy. In Galatians 5:16 - 17 he writes, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." He then goes on to contrast the attitudes of the flesh with the attitudes of the Spirit. The bottom line is that we have it within us to be a problem to ourselves and we need to guard against this possibility. Don't be your own worst enemy!

This Mother's Day is a bit unique for me. This is the first Mother's Day since the death of my mom, and it is also the first Mother's Day for my oldest daughter. As I have written about recently, she had her first child three weeks ago, and I am now a grandpa. I wish my Mom could have met her beautiful great-granddaughter, but that wasn't to be. Mom is where she needs to be through God's wisdom, and we continue in our lives here, welcoming new life and celebrating God's goodness.

As I reflect on Mother's Day, I think of how mom's are a source of so many important facets of our lives. Moms are a source of enlightenment. We learn so much from our Mom's. I learned things from Mom up until the time she went home to be with the Lord. Paul speaks to the influence of mothers and grandmothers in II Timothy 1:5, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." Moms are a source of encouragement. Mary's encouragement was a pivotal influence in Christ's first miracle (read John 2:1-11). Moms are also a source of endurance. We learn endurance from our mom's. A mother's influence has been involved in many stories involving endurance.

If you still have your Mom, take the time to thank her for what she has given to you. If your Mom is gone, take time to thank God for the Mom you had.

These words were displayed in the home of a follower of Christ, “You love Jesus only as much as you love the person you love the least.” Wow, this is a rather convicting thought, isn't it? There are similar words in 1 John 4:20, “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” We often find ourselves positions where loving someone is a little difficult because of some situation or circumstance or some quirk in the relationship with that person. But we need to strive to love others, even when loving others is a difficult exercise.

This is what we see in Christ when he was living on earth, and is certainly a characteristic of the Father. How else can you explain why God pursues us in spite of our bent against him? There seems to be no better way to show the love of Christ than to show others who are hard to love that we love them. When we do this, we certainly fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

Jesus was at Caesarea Philippi with his disciples. This location was a little out of their territory and was a place of spiritual oppression. It is located in the midst of the Golan Heights in the northern part of Israel. A temple to the Greek god Pan had been built there and it was also a location of one of the "Gates of Hades". Even today, when you visit the ruins you sense desolation, which is appropriate as Pan was the god of desolate places. It was here that Jesus asked his disciples two incisive questions. First he asked, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (Matthew 16:13) Read the passage and you will learn their responses to this. Then he asked a more penetrating question, "But what about you? Who do you say I am?" (16:15)

When it comes to our relationship with Christ, this last question is the most important. We live in the midst of a spiritually oppressive and desolate world. The territory around us is full of opinions and non-opinions regarding Christ. What others say is irrelevant. We need to know his identity and then boldly uphold his identity to others. Along with Peter we should declare, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." (vs. 16)

Today is going to be a rare day in the life of my family. I am going to be with both of my daughters at one time in the same place. What I took for granted as they were growing up is now a treasured event - being together. As I wrote earlier, my oldest daughter just had her first child who is also my first grandchild. This little girl is my youngest daughter's first niece, so it will be a great reunion. I am looking forward to this immensely. The only problem is our reunion will be short-lived. Tomorrow my wife and I have to return to our home in Illinois. Nonetheless, I am going to enjoy the next 24 hours as much as I can. In the scripture we read of a reunion that will never end.

All of us have loved ones who have gone and their absence makes us realize who short-lived our time on earth is. Our earthly reunions remind us of how precious our time together with our loved ones is. Christ wants us to be together and that is why he has gone to prepare a great big place with a lot of rooms. That is what he told his disciples as he was preparing to leave them. He said, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?' (John 14:2) Our hope in Christ is what secures our assurance of a reunion with Christ and those who have died in him. Enjoy your reunions here as much as you can, but make sure you have made preparations to enjoy the great reunion that has been promised by Christ.

Recently I read of a lady who keeps a "Heaven file." It is a file where she has clippings, pictures, letters, and other mementos from friends and family members who have died. She does not do this because she is overcome with grief, she does this as a perpetual reminder of the hope she has of seeing these people again. He file is a tangible expression of hope - not hope for something that might take place, but hope in something that will take place.

In I Thessalonians 4, Paul tells the Thessalonians they can have a "Heaven File": "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words." (vss. 13 - 18) What a Heaven File!

There are times in our lives when we feel as if the hand of God has turned against us. However, someone once said, "Do not be too quick to judge whether something is a blessing or a curse."

A person in the scripture who gives us an example of someone who judged too quickly is Naomi. You find her story in the book of Ruth. Naomi means "pleasant". After her husband and both of her sons died, Naomi said, "Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter." (Ruth 1:20) She judged God in light of her circumstances, and she judged wrongly. God's hand had not left her. She may have lost her husband and two sons, but she gains a daughter-in-law whom she helps find a kinsman-redeemer. Boaz not only makes life pleasant again for Ruth, whom he marries, but also for Naomi. Her daughter-in-law becomes part of the line of the Messiah. Julie Link wrote, "Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to us can open the door for the best God has to give to us."

One of my favorite musicals is "The Music Man". I have seen several stage versions, and of course have watched Robert Preston's memorable performance in the 1962 film. The show has a special place in my heart as I was cast as one of members of the quartet in our local high school's production in 2002. This experience was made all the more special as my real-life daughter was my wife in the play.

The high school did this play again this spring, and I enjoyed the "re-make" a great deal. If you are familiar with the plot, it involves a traveling "con man" by the name of Harold Hill selling fictitious musical instruments to the children of the town in order to from a band. What happens is a real treat to watch and hear.

In a real-life scenario involving young people and musical instruments, Gary McPherson studied 157 school-aged children who had decided to play musical instruments. The purpose of the study was to determine why some children become very good in music and some do not. He asked each child a question, "How long do you plan on playing the instrument?" What he discovered was that those who said they only planned to play a short time did not become proficient while those who indicated a desire to play all their lives became accomplished musicians.

Peter reminds his readers that becoming mature in faith requires commitment. He tells them that they should "make every effort to confirm your calling and election." (II Peter 1:10) If they do, they "do these things, you will never stumble." (vs. 11) Following Christ is a life-long pursuit. The only way to become proficient is to live like we are convinced this is true.

One of my favorite Simon and Garfunkel songs is "The Sound of Silence." The message of the song is a little bleak, but there is a lesson we can learn - silence is not bad. Matthew Kelly writes about a survey taken in the U.S. last year where folks were asked what they most feared. What was feared most was death. The second object of fear was silence. People are afraid of the absence of noise, of sound. We are so used to having sound around us - radios, traffic, machines - that the absence of these things is a frightening proposition. Taking time every day to be silent is a good thing. Taking time every day to sit and pray, meditate, focus on God's word, focus on our thoughts, is a positive thing. We don't need to spend a great deal of time in this exercise to reap benefits. Matthew Kelly suggests that just 10 minutes a day can bring us a great deal of peace.

We avoid such things - but it is interesting to see that Christ didn't. We read in Matthew 14:13, "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." He did this in response to the news of the death of John the Baptist, but there are many other instances where we read about his withdrawal to a private place. If Christ could benefit from such an activity, it would be wise for us to consider doing the same thing. We read Christ's words in Mark 6:31, "Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'"

Take some time to do this - you will be amazed at the benefits you see in your life. Don't be afraid to try it - just spend some time in silence. You will probably be amazed at what you are able to see and hear in silence.

Do you have a good friend? One of the greatest things we can have is someone we consider a good friend - someone who laughs at our goofs, is there for us in our sorrows, helps us to be accountable, and, now this is sometimes hard, is not afraid to give us sound advice, even when the advice is hard. In other words, they just won't tell us what we want to hear. Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." It takes time to build such a relationship, but it is time well spent. Going through life without such a friend makes the road less enjoyable and sometimes makes it more difficult.

The scripture tells us much about friendship, and even gives us some examples. One was the friendship that existed between Jonathan and David. Despite his father's hatred of David, Jonathan was determined to stick by his friend at all times. This caused him some unpleasant moments, but he never deserted his friend. We read some about this friendship in I Samuel 18:1-5, "After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt."

Take time to develop friendships - they are so important. And remember that true friendships are two-way streets - the best way to have a good friend is to be a good friend! Enjoy your friendships!

Mart DeHaan wrote of a photographer who arranged to be flown into a desolate region in Alaska in the spring of 1981 to photograph the Alaskan tundra. He took along 500 rolls of film, 1,400 pounds of provisions, several firearms, tents and so forth. Spring turned into summer which turned into early autumn. His diary entries turned from expressions of wonder to expressions of concern. In late August he wrote, "I think I should have used more foresight about arranging my departure. I'll soon find out." In November he died in a nameless valley, by a nameless lake, 225 miles northeast of Fairbanks. He had taken great pains in planning his trip except for one thing - he hadn't contacted anyone to pick him up. He had not planned for his departure.

We need to be planning for our departure. Listen to the words of one who had made provisions for his departure, "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." These are the words of the apostle Paul he wrote to Timothy (II Timothy 4:6-8) not long before he was martyred in Rome. It sounds like he had made some preparations, doesn't it?

Are you confident about your departure? Do you know for sure where you will be when you leave this life? You can know! You can be confident, but it takes an advance decision. Don't leave your departure up in the air - know you are prepared!

I have heard it said by a number of people at various times, "I feel like my prayers aren't getting above the ceiling." What is usually the situation is that the person is in the middle of a time of intense testing, facing some circumstance that has left them feeling down and emotionally spent. When they make the statement above, what is being said is they just don't feel like God is hearing their prayer because they don't see any action being taken to relieve them of the pain they are experiencing.

David expressed these feelings in Psalm 13:1-2: "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?" When we face times like these, remember it is our feelings that make it seem as if God is far away. He hasn’t moved - he hasn't gone away. He has promised he will never leave us. David realized that and in the midst of his times of wondering what had happened to the presence of God, he expressed hope, knowing that God was indeed near. Later in Psalm 13 he says, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me." He expressed faith in God, knowing that God was there. What he needed to do was continue to trust in him, knowing that at some point his "feeling" would reconnect to the "fact" that he had not been abandoned.

Continue to trust! God has not abandoned you! Meditate on this fact and realize that you need time to let your emotions catch up with what you know to be true. God never has, has not now, and will never leave you!

God wants us to enjoy life, and he wants to be a part of every facet of our lives. Many people are surprised to find out that this includes our work life as well. God wants us to be industrious and he wants us to be good workers. As a matter of fact, he tells us in Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Isn't that interesting? When you work, your need to perform your tasks as "working for the Lord. . .It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Honor the Lord as best you can with everything you do - including your work. If you are a businessman, conduct your business nobly. If you are a teacher, teach well. If you are a farmer, farm well. If you are a factory worker, work well. If you sack groceries, do that well! Remember that as a follower of Christ, you are to do these things to please him. Paul also gives us this encouragement in II Corinthians 5:9, "So we make it our goal to please him." Is this your goal? It should be! And it includes every part of your life, including what you do for a living! So - work well!

I was a big fan of Superman when I was a kid. I never wanted to miss "Superman" on TV. Of course, I had a Superman outfit. I even made a cape for my dog, Blackie, so that he could accompany me on my adventures. The problem was, he never seemed quite as enthusiastic about these endeavors as I was. I knew that my costume could help me fly, and I was determined to prove it. I was going to climb up on our roof and jump off. Somehow, my mom figured out my plan and thwarted my attempt. At the time, I was a little miffed, now I realize she saved my life. I understand that Superman costumes come with a warning label now: "Warning! This costume does not enable the wearer to fly." Of course, that should be obvious!

Isn't it amazing how many things have warning labels these days? The labels state what should be obvious, but because of the concern over lawsuits, and the fact that some people miss the obvious, make the labels necessary. However, a problem has cropped up regarding labels. Many researchers have shown that because of the proliferation of warning labels, the warning labels have become less effective.

The scripture contains many warnings for us. However, because we sometimes ignore the scripture and don't take time to find out what it says, we miss these important messages. Ezekiel 33:7 tells us, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me." God does give us warnings on what we should do, what we shouldn't do, and the consequences of ignoring his statements. He does it for our benefit and our protection. So - heed the warnings!

I am always amazed at the chances people take "just for the thrill of it." Now, I am not above some adventure. For example, I used to love to ride roller coasters - the bigger and faster the better. I no longer am able to ride them because of a detached retina. And I miss the thrill! But I was never able to bring myself to bungee jump or parachute or anything of that nature. I was watching a show the other night and saw a video of a group bungee jump that went awry. The cable snapped and the group plunged into a body of water at an estimated speed of 85 MPH. There were a number of injuries but, incredibly, no one was killed. I know you have heard of incidents where people lost their lives in a "thrill seeking" exercise.

As much as we wonder what motivates people to pursue these thrill-seeking endeavors, I am just as much in awe of those who continue to pursue life without a relationship with Christ. In a very real sense, this is just as dangerous, and in actuality is more dangerous, than pursuing some activity which could very well lead to death. Individuals living life without the assurance of eternal life are in danger of losing much more than their earthly lives. I hope you are not in this category. You are in danger of being disowned if you are. Listen to what Christ says in Luke 12:8-9, "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God."

Take chances in life if you will - pursue thrill seeking activities if you want. But don't take chance of losing your eternal life by not accepting Christ as your Savior and receiving the gift of eternal life. If this happens, it will be no thrill.

One of the more poignant stories in the Scripture is the story of David and Mephibosheth. We first read about Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 4:4 where we learn he was made lame through a fall when his nurse was trying to escape the city where they were. We learn that he is a son of David's best friend, Jonathan, and grandson of David's nemesis, Saul. When David becomes king, he asks, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" (2 Sam. 9:3) He then is told about Mephibosheth. He commands that Mephibosheth be found and brought before him.

When Mephibosheth first learns that the king wants to see him, he may have been afraid as David might desire to eliminate him as a threat to the throne. But, as you learn from reading the "rest of the story" (with apologies to Paul Harvey), just the opposite is true. David puts a place at his table for him (2 Sam. 9:7), restores his property, and even gives him a servant and his family to work the ground, creating perpetual income for him, as well as the family of the servant. This he does on behalf of Jonathan. Someone has pointed out that as long as Mephibosheth sat at the table of David, no one would see the problem that he had. This David did because of his great love for Jonathan. So it is with Christ. When we come to him, he restores us and covers over our sin problem so that we might enjoy his presence. This Jesus does because of his great love for us.

King David was a "man after God's own heart" but not without faults, as you know. Besides the incident with Bathsheba, there was a time when God punished all of Israel for David's mistake, and was going to do more. David ordered a census of his army, demonstrating his pride and arrogance (read II Samuel 24). When he finished, he realized his mistake (isn't that often the case with our sin - so determined to do something and then upon completion of what we wanted to do, we immediately realize our mistake?) - "David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.'" (24:10) As a result, God sent a plague, and was going to do more until David intervened and came before the Lord at the threshing floor of Araunah. His repentance spared further sorrow.

This story reveals that David had flaws, yet was still used by God in a mighty way. One of the reasons why God could still use David was his understanding of what needed to be done when he made mistakes - confess, repent and turn to God. God can use us, but we need to come to him on his terms. We need to understand our weaknesses and give them to God for his help. Don't use your mistakes as excuses in your service for God - turn them over to God and let him deal with your sins. He can do that, you know?

God knows more about us than we do about ourselves. We admit that verbally, but sometimes how we are living demonstrates that we really don't believe it. Psalm 139:1-4 makes this abundantly clear, "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD."

We need to make sure our lifestyles mirror our belief in this area. Whether it involves a matter of trust in God in a situation, or a matter of obedience to God, or a matter of control over an issue in our life, we need to allow our actions to match our words when it comes to acknowledging God's role in our lives. God does know all about you - live as if you believe this.

An old adage goes "take time to smell the roses." I am always impressed by how much more I see of things when I walk by them as to when I drive by. For one thing, you can't afford to be looking around too much when you are driving. And, you simply don't have the time to take in all the details you can when you are going at a slower pace. I can drive by a location 10 times, and then walk by it once and say, "Well, I never noticed that before."

The obvious lesson here is that sometimes we need to slow down and take in more detail. That is why we have such comments in the Bible as are found in Psalm 37:7, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;" and Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God;" A literal translation of the "be still" in 46:10 is "cease striving." In other words, slow down, observe, and listen. This is something we need to do more of - whether it be in our spiritual lives or in life in general. "Be still" and see how much more you see!

Yesterday was a rather eventful day in the life of my family. Our oldest daughter gave birth to her first child, our first grandchild. What a wonderful blessing! The birth, however, was not uneventful. I have spoken often of the need to expect the unexpected, and this was indeed the case with her delivery. Stephanie experienced a fairly rough couple of weeks during the latter part of her pregnancy. She was watched fairly closely, but what started out as a routine delivery changed dramatically when she manifested signs of HELLP syndrome. This condition is experienced in about 5 percent of the pregnancies in the U.S. and is fatal in 25 percent of these cases. Among other things, it is marked by a substantial decrease in the platelet count, the factor in the blood that controls clotting, and increased liver enzymes. An emergency C section was warranted, and a time of anxious waiting ensued. God was gracious to us. Stephanie delivered a beautiful baby girl and as of this time, both the mom and her newborn are doing well.

I am writing this to express my gratefulness to God for both my beautiful daughter, and her little girl, my beautiful granddaughter. God sent people to us who were so helpful: the staff at the hospital, friends and relatives who called, and my son-in-law's aunt, whose presence was Heaven sent. We learn to trust God in all circumstances, and we know we can lean on him. I simply need to thank him, and thank him publicly for his goodness. A verse I use so often, and quoted to myself over and over during yesterday's events is "They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall walk and not grow weary, they shall run and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31) Indeed we will.

Memory is an interesting thing. I am to the point in my life now where I can remember all sorts of insignificant items, but there are sometimes I have to stop and think about my own address or something else of real importance. The "memory" in machines is also really fascinating to me. I sometimes carry around a little thing that I can plug into the USB port of a computer and store data or share data. This little device has more than 100 times the amount of memory of our first computer here at the church.

Of course, compare all this to God's memory and it is no contest - except in one little detail. Psalm 103:10-12 says, "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Isn't that something? The omniscient God chooses to totally eradicate my transgressions when I come to him and ask forgiveness. He chooses to not remember them. That's memory loss I am happy about!

At the 1968 Olympic Games held in Mexico City, John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania finished last in the marathon. That would not be noteworthy except for the fact that he finished an hour behind the rest of the runners, entering the Olympic stadium with a bloody and bandaged leg because of an injury he had suffered during the race. He had fallen at the 19 km point of the 42 km race, cutting his leg and dislocating his knee. When asked why he didn't just quit running, Akhwari replied, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."

This should be our attitude in our service to God. Too often we develop a list of reasons for why we leave ministries - "I'm getting too old for this," "It's time for someone else to step up to the plate," "I've done this for a long time." We need to keep growing and maturing in Christ, no matter how long we have been at it. We need to keep going until we finish the race. We have a lot to give, and as long as we are alive, we have a lot to learn. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us." Finish the race!

I remember being at the beach one summer when I was much younger. I was lying on a "boogie board" and almost went to sleep. When I opened my eyes, I was much farther from shore than I wanted to be, so I began to paddle to get closer to the beach.

This can happen to us spiritually. If we relax and close our eyes, we will find that we begin to drift. There are many attitudes that can cause us to drift: Thinking we need more than we have in order to be happy, placing relationships with others ahead of our relationship to God, having unrealistic expectations of what God should provide for us, ignoring God's discipline, not listening to his Word when we are uncomfortable with what we hear, and many others. Satan will use these to bring space between God and us.

Job and his wife struggled with this. After some of his initial bouts with hardship, his wife said, "Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!" (2:9) Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (vs. 10) We need to continue to focus on God when we face circumstances that could cause us to drift. Exercising faith in him provides us with what we need to keep us from drifting. Stay close to God!

A council of the Ministers of France was being held to discuss a treaty they had made with another country. Specifically, the ministers were arguing about breaking the treaty. Doing so would bring certain advantages to France. The council was leaning towards annulment of the document when one on the ministers spoke up. The Duke of Burgundy laid his hand on his copy of the treaty and said, "Gentleman, we have an agreement." With that, he voted against the dissolution of the document.

It is important that followers of Christ speak so that the Savior is glorified. Others need to know that they can trust what we affirm. Our word should be our bond, and being trustworthy should be looked upon as something to be desired. If you make a commitment, honor it. If you have an obligation, keep it. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:37, "All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'." If you are tempted to go back on an agreement or to break a promise, remember the words of the Duke of Burgundy, "Gentlemen, we have an agreement."

Rembrandt painted many memorable pictures of the crucifixion. In one, he can be seen plainly at the foot of the cross looking on. It is really hard to miss him as he is dressed in clothes that would be contemporary for the time in which he lived, even wearing a beret. I have read a number of theories about why he put himself in this painting. One article stated that he is there because "The scene is a visual metaphor for the struggle in his own mind to create his painting and art's archetypal subject is not The Raising of the Cross but The Crucifixion." Now, this sounds interesting, but I wonder if Rembrandt put himself there because he wants to point out that he is just as responsible for the Crucifixion as any of the Romans who actually accomplished the deed.

This is something we should always keep in mind: Christ died for our sins which makes each of us equally responsible for his death. It is truly marvelous to think that Christ died for you, but it is also a sobering thought as you realize what this actually means. Keeping this in mind will help us not to take lightly his great sacrifice on our behalf. Our attitude towards the cross should be that of Paul's, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14) We need to put ourselves in the portrait of the Cross.

An elderly nearsighted man was with a group that decided to visit an art museum. He fancied himself to be somewhat of an "expert" in art, and the fact that he had forgotten his glasses didn't deter him from commenting upon the paintings that were being viewed. He had comments about each work and he made sure he spoke loudly enough for each person in the group to hear. He stopped in front of one particularly large piece and said, "The frame is altogether out of keeping with the picture. The man is too homely and shabbily dressed. In fact, it was a great mistake for the artist to select such a shoddy subject for his portrait." His wife finally shushed him and said, "Dear, you are standing in front of a mirror."

Character faults seem to pop out at us when we observe them in others, but usually we are slow to see our own. We need to be careful about our short-sightedness when it comes to our flaws. We should allow the mirror of God's Word to reflect that which we need to see and to change. It is much too easy to fall into the trap of criticizing others. Don't do that! Pray for insight and let God smooth out the wrinkles of your life. Proverbs 16:10 says, "How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!" Pray for valuable insight!

Spring is getting here in fits and starts this year. Some folks have already gotten some things planted in their gardens. I haven't yet, but we do plan on having a garden. What will be plant? Well, there will be a variety, as usual. That is the nature of most gardens. There are a variety of plants because we want a variety of vegetables and fruits to enjoy later on. The overall purpose of the garden is to provide items of food, but there are different plants that fit this bill.

So it is with the church. The overall purpose of the church is an organism to bring about God's will on earth. However, there is a variety of people who are working in different ways at different times to accomplish this. God does different things with different people within the church to accomplish his purpose. That is why we need to be careful about comparing ourselves to others and comparing our roles and our ministry to others within the church. It is easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves with others and feeling threatened if we see God moving someone else differently that what we are experiencing.

Be careful about comparing your experience with others. God uses different people in different ways to bring about his will. He knows what he is doing and we need to trust him. Isaiah 55:11 tells us, "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." This is true for each of us in our lives. Our role is to obey God and let him do with us what he wants; remembering all the time that he knows what he is doing.

Many of us draw back from ministry because we ask, "What can I do?" The important thing is to always do you best. When you do, God can take your effort and multiply it greatly. Don't forget what Christ did with the five loaves and two fish given by a young boy on the shore of Lake Galilee. Andrew said, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (John 6:9) Christ showed them just how much that was!

D. L. Moody told the story of a man on a ship crossing the Atlantic. He was confined to his cabin because of seasickness. A cry rang out, "Man overboard!" He wanted to do something to help but didn't think he could because of his condition. Then he thought, "I'll at least put my lantern in the window. Perhaps the light might help." The next day he learned that the person who was rescued said, "I was going down in the dark night for the last time when someone put a light in a porthole. As it shone on my hand, a sailor in a lifeboat grabbed it and pulled me in."

Each of us by putting forth our one small light can bring about a great deal of illumination. Exercising our gift, no matter how small that may seem to us, can mean a big difference when the Spirit of God multiplies the effort. Don't ever forget the conclusion of the small boy's offering, "When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.' So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten." (John 6:12-13) Do what you can and leave the results in the hands of the Savior.

During our celebration of the Resurrection and all throughout the year, we gratefully acknowledge Christ's finished work for us. His death, burial, and resurrection were essential for us that we may have the hope of living with him throughout eternity. However, we should not forget his ongoing work for us that continues and is being accomplished even as I am writing this article and as you are reading this article. Hebrews 7:25 tells us, "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." Even as he prayed for us the night before his crucifixion (read John 17), Christ continues to intercede for us. The vital work of Christ continues as long as we need his help, comfort, and blessing.

The Scottish theologian Robert Murray McCheyne wrote, "“If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet the distance makes no difference. He is praying for me!" As you face difficulties, struggles, and problems, remember that Christ is praying for you. He always lives to intercede for you. As you struggle to live the way he wants you to, and even when you fail and fall into sin, remember he praying for you and interceding for you in your struggle. Through his intercessory work, you can experience the hope that only Christ can give!

How good are you at making enemies? Yes, you read it right. I didn't ask how good you are at making friends, but how good you are at making enemies. Making friends is easy - don't ever say anything different than what you hear being said, don't ever disagree, and don't ever ruffle any feathers. I am not advocating that irritating others intentionally be made our mission in life; I am just saying that a follower of Christ will create the scenarios above simply by being a follower of Christ. When you interact with people who are opposed to the message of God, you will cause friction simply because of your relationship to Christ IF you truly are allowing your relationship to Christ to be evident.

Christ said, "“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12) This doesn't mean we want to make people angry intentionally; it does say that if we are living our lives as true followers of Christ at some point we will indeed make someone angry. The Word of God cuts both ways. It brings comfort to those who conform to its teachings and conviction to those who challenge it. So it is with our lives when we are following Christ. If you are following Christ, don't be surprised when you face criticism.

As Moses was finishing up his "training period" in the desert, he witnessed an incredible sight: a bush that was on fire, but was not being consumed by the fire. As he approached, God spoke to him, "'Do not come any closer, 'God said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground (Exodus 3:5).'" We read of a similar experience in Joshua when God tells Joshua, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:15).As they drew near to God, they were to show respect.

As you draw near to God, do you show respect? We do have free access to God as the veil has been torn in two (Matthew 27:51). We can approach the throne of grace with confidence because of the work of Christ (Hebrews 4:6), but we also need to never forget that God demands and deserves respect. Proverbs 9:10 states, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." We who have experienced God's grace should never lose our awe of God. He is worthy of our praise. Don't ever lose your wonder of God.

There are times when we are sure of our position on an issue, but then a critic's forceful, perhaps even biting criticism, of our position makes us have second thoughts. It is important for us to have the confidence to stand up in the face of critics when we know we are right. When we know we are objectively correct, to change our story in the face of a challenge shows dishonesty. When we know what is right, we should confidently stand where we are. This demonstrates integrity. This is especially true in the realm of spiritual matters.

David was facing critics because of his stand for the Lord. He was being falsely accused and assailed because of his position. In Psalm 26:1-3 he says, "Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth." What did he do when he faced his critics? He put his trust in God and allowed God to be the basis of his confidence.

This is what we can do. In all matters, whether you are talking of matters of faith or simply matters that come up in life, God will help you to stand firm in the face of critics. He can give you the self-confidence you need as you take your stand. Be confident in the Lord!

There are times when we need a "spiritual adrenaline rush" to help us accomplish some task the Lord has given us. We need to remember that God will always provide the strength to move the logs that need to be moved. Moses proclaims in Exodus 15:2, "The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." Do you have a need? God can provide the strength to help meet that need. When you need "spiritual adrenaline," God will provide it.

We read these words in Acts 8:1, "On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." How does reading these words make you feel? Uncomfortable? Imagine how the 1st century Christians must have felt! When we read about the persecution of Christians, we usually have an emotional response. Why does this need to happen? Well, often it is persecution that helps the church to fulfill God's purpose. In Acts 1:8, Christ tells his followers they are to be witnesses "in Judea and Samaria." The persecution that broke out was what helped the early church fulfill God's intention for them. It made them uncomfortable, to say the least, but led them to new heights of obedience and fulfillment of God's will.

God is more concerned with our character than our comfort. When difficulties arise, these can be opportunities for us to move to new heights of obedience and conformity to God's will. The persecution the church faced strengthened the believers. This has been seen in the church of today - persecution has helped the Church to grow and thrive in places such as China and Burma. It is also true of our lives as individuals. Is there something making you uncomfortable? Let it help your growth in Christ!

A mother and her little girl were visiting friends. The friends owned a bulldog, and the mother noticed the little girl making angry faces at the dog. "Don’t do that, honey." the mom said. "But, Mom," replied the daughter, "He started it!" The little girl was sort of correct, considering the natural scowl of a bulldog. But making faces at the dog was a pointless exercise. Desiring to seek revenge when one feels wronged is just as pointless. Yet, that is the attitude some have - when you are wronged, don't get mad, just get even! If you think you need to repay every angry word or deed that is directed towards you, you will have a never-ending task. As followers of Christ, we need to be a little more gracious when we face those who do us wrong. This is a hard task, but it is what Christ lays out for us. Christ tells his followers in Matthew 5:43-46, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?"

Don't make faces at bulldogs! It's pointless and won't get you anywhere. Turn the tide by showing love, not anger, when you are mistreated. This is truly showing the mind of Christ!

A mother and her little girl were visiting friends. The friends owned a bulldog, and the mother noticed the little girl making angry faces at the dog. "Don’t do that, honey." the mom said. "But, Mom," replied the daughter, "He started it!" The little girl was sort of correct, considering the natural scowl of a bulldog. But making faces at the dog was a pointless exercise. Desiring to seek revenge when one feels wronged is just as pointless. Yet, that is the attitude some have - when you are wronged, don't get mad, just get even! If you think you need to repay every angry word or deed that is directed towards you, you will have a never-ending task. As followers of Christ, we need to be a little more gracious when we face those who do us wrong. This is a hard task, but it is what Christ lays out for us. Christ tells his followers in Matthew 5:43-46, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?"

Don't make faces at bulldogs! It's pointless and won't get you anywhere. Turn the tide by showing love, not anger, when you are mistreated. This is truly showing the mind of Christ!

A mother and her little girl were visiting friends. The friends owned a bulldog, and the mother noticed the little girl making angry faces at the dog. "Don’t do that, honey." the mom said. "But, Mom," replied the daughter, "He started it!" The little girl was sort of correct, considering the natural scowl of a bulldog. But making faces at the dog was a pointless exercise. Desiring to seek revenge when one feels wronged is just as pointless. Yet, that is the attitude some have - when you are wronged, don't get mad, just get even! If you think you need to repay every angry word or deed that is directed towards you, you will have a never-ending task. As followers of Christ, we need to be a little more gracious when we face those who do us wrong. This is a hard task, but it is what Christ lays out for us. Christ tells his followers in Matthew 5:43-46, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?"

Don't make faces at bulldogs! It's pointless and won't get you anywhere. Turn the tide by showing love, not anger, when you are mistreated. This is truly showing the mind of Christ!

With all of notoriety going on with cruise lines these days, I wasn't sure about using this story. But, I will anyway. A group of passengers on the ocean liner "Vistaford" were invited for a tour of the bridge. The captain explained what all the equipment was and how it functioned. One member of the group was amazed at all the brass and how it gleamed like gold. She asked, "How often do you polish the brass to get it to gleam so?" "Every day," the captain replied. "If we don't polish the brass every day, tarnish begins to appear and it loses its luster."

I think there is a sermon in that statement. Each day that we live, we need to pay attention to our spiritual lives and make sure we do some polishing. We need to spend time in communion with our Lord, we need to spend time in his Word, and we need to spend time in reflection and meditation on our life with him. Neglect in this area can lead to problems. Failure to take the time to polish our walk means we are allowing tarnish to appear. Sin needs to be dealt with and our commitment needs to be deepened through daily disciplines.

A first-grader beamed with delight as he handed his paper to his parents. The teacher had written across the top of the sheet, "100% - Great work!". His parents responded with many gestures of affirmation. He had done something he really wanted to do - please his parents. His desire to please his Mom and Dad was a motivating force in his life. Our desire to please our Parent should be a motivating force in our lives. As followers of Christ, thoughts of bringing pleasure to our Father should be uppermost on our list. This was a desire of Christ reflected in his prayer in Gethsemane, "Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:19) Paul writes to the Colossians of his hope they would live "so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:10)

Are you living to please God or are you living to please yourself? Does your motivation to do God's will outweigh your desire to please others? Wholehearted devotion brings the greatest glory to the Lord when it comes from a yielded and loving heart.

The submarine laid disabled on the ocean floor with little chance of being rescued. The communication equipment had failed and the crew was unable to transmit their location to ships that had the potential of reaching them in time. The oxygen supply began to run out. The commander suggested they sing a hymn. They sang "The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide." A weakened sailor passed out and lurched against the lifeless controls that determined whether the vehicle was to dive or to surface. The force of the sailor falling against the faulty mechanism caused it to start working. The submarine made it to the surface with no casualties.

With the world trapped in the deep darkness of sin, God sent his Son to make a way that sinking humanity could surface safely. Through Christ's provision, we who were trapped at the bottom could rise to the top through the grace of God. When we trust in Christ's provision, we can escape the waters of death and enjoy the sunshine of God's love. David wrote, "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him." (Psalm 40:1-3)

Booker T. Washington was one of the most influential individuals of the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century. He was born April 5, 1856. Early in life, he worked in a salt furnace and a coal mine in West Virginia. At the age of 16, he walked 500 miles to attend Hampton Institute in Virginia and later Wayland Baptist Seminary in Washington, D.C. He credits his love of the Bible to a teacher he had at Hampton Institute. He developed a profound understanding of how important knowing God's Word is. With the Bible as a great influence on his life, he went on to teach in West Virginia and in 1881 he founded the famed Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The institute has trained hundreds of young people and is responsible for changing many lives.

Washington was keenly aware of the need for spiritual development and made sure this was part of the curriculum at the Tuskegee Institute. Washington said, "As a rule a person should get into the habit of reading his Bible. You never read in history of any great man whose influence has been lasting, who has not been a reader of the Bible. The men doing the vital things of life are those who read the Bible and are Christians and not ashamed to let the world know it...No man can read the Bible and be lazy."

Our lives should be centered on the Bible. The influence of Washington was no secret, and he recognized the powerful effect of God's Word. We should declare along with the psalmist, "I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." Do not neglect God's Word.

Isaac Asimov tells the story of a man who was experiencing sea-sickness during a particularly rough ocean crossing. A steward patted the man on the shoulder and said, "Take heart, sir, no one has ever died from being seasick." The man replied, "Oh, don't tell me that. The thought of dying is the only thing that gives me hope."

Many of us would think this to be an odd statement regarding death. We fear death and wish to prolong live and therefore put off death as long as we can. However, reading what Paul had to say about the subject of his death shows he truly had hope and looked at death as a release to something far better. We read in Philippians 1:21-24, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." For the follower of Christ, we know our death is simply a transition into life with Christ. A positive attitude towards our death can truly enhance our experience in life.

The reduced load limit signs are coming out where I live. This is an annual thing - load limits are reduced because of the stress placed upon roads during the "freeze-thaw" cycle of winter. Load limits are necessary on roads and bridges to prevent too much damage to the road or bridge. This isn't just an economic and maintenance issue - it is a safety issue. Load limits are necessary for the good of everyone.

We have our load limits as well. Stress is part of our lives - but we need to know how to manage stress and do what we should to avoid undue stress. We each have our load limits that, if exceeded, can lead to harmful consequences. We need to know our load limit and to learn how to manage stress. Stress can be caused by a number of things - we need to be aware of this and apply some preventative measures as well as some healing measures. We also need to remember that God is faithful and will not put on us more than we can bear. He knows our load limits better than we do. According to 1 Corinthians 10:13, "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able."

Remember you have load limits - do what you can to not get to these limits and when you are faced with circumstances that cause you to experience an increased load, take steps to manage what is taking place. Remember God's faithfulness and allow him to be a part of the process to keep you from exceeding your load limit. When you feel your strength failing, draw on his!

The most popular image of Christ ever produced is Warner Sallman's "Head of Christ," which he painted in 1941. This image has been reproduced over 500 million times. Mr. Sallman had been working against a deadline to produce an image of Christ. He struggled with the image, how should Christ be depicted? He awoke in the middle of the night, just hours before the image was due, and penciled the rough image that would become "Head of Christ."

It is no wonder that Sallman struggled with what to paint. The New Testament does not contain any description of Christ at all. . Was he tall or short? Was his hair curly or straight? Was he homely or handsome? We really don't know. Our desire to know what he looked like is so strong that we sometimes accept images such as Sallman's as reality. This, or course, is a mistake. It really is good we don't know what Christ looked like. This makes us concentrate on what we do know something about - his ministry and his character. The New Testament says quite a bit about both of these. And since it does, these are the aspects of Christ on which we should focus. I'm glad we have no actual physical description of Christ. If we did, we would want to emphasize this in our study of Christ. We would want to imitate his physical appearance. In our appearance-crazy age, I would imagine we would do all kinds of things to "look like Jesus." I am sure that every plastic surgery would be in the mix.

What is important is that you be like Christ and act like Christ, not look like Christ. Paul talks about emulating the attitude of Christ in Philippians 2:5, "Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus. . ." Colossians 2:6-7 says to us: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." We don't know how he looked, but we do know how he lived, so we should want to live like Christ, not look like Christ.

What does it take to develop a one-on-one ministry with another person? Perhaps the most significant step is to realize the importance of just such a ministry. Sometimes I think we are so enamored with "numbers" that we tend to gravitate to "mass evangelism" and "mass discipleship." Even with emphasis on small groups, we tend to lose our understanding that one-on-one discipleship is vital and effective. We need to focus on the importance of the individual. Each person has worth, gifts, and abilities that need to be nurtured and developed. We need a heart for people based upon this realization, and the realization that each person has the potential to be a channel of blessing that God can use.

There are many biblical examples of one-on-one mentoring. We see one-on-one discipleship taking place in the interaction between Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Paul and Timothy. We even see this taking place in the ministry of Jesus when he singles out Peter for some "individual instruction." It was specifically to Peter that these words were addressed during a post-resurrection appearance of Christ: "'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.' Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.' The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?'" (John 21:15 - 17) We need to follow these biblical examples of one-on-one discipleship in our churches today.

Ah, yes, April Fool's Day! Have you got anyone yet? Has anyone got you? The history of April Fool's Day is varied and confusing. It seems that many countries of the world have a "fool's day" in their history. The dates and titles for the day are many. Why is it that people have such a day? Well, it seems that we have a penchant for wanting to play tricks on each other. Now, when this is done in a spirit of playful fun, there usually isn't anything wrong. However, when we intentionally set out to deceive someone else or to try to put someone in a bad light by manipulating circumstances so that they look bad or just out-and-out lie to someone, that is wrong. And this is no April Fool's joke.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" We need to remember this, and don't be surprised at our penchant to be deceitful. Let's just make sure our "April Fool's Jokes" are just that - jokes - and avoid doing something that could indeed bring harm to someone else.

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!'" (Luke 24:1-6)

Is there any more refreshing scripture in the Bible that this passage? In just a few verses, you have a group of Christ followers being moved from a position of despair and grief to a place of wonder then to a place of fear and finally to place of pure joy when they realized what had happened. Can you imagine how they must have felt? Well, we probably can't. There really isn't anything in our frame of reference to which we can compare this experience. However, we can share in the joy knowing that what took place on that Sunday morning not only brought joy to the ladies, but brings joy to us. Our joy is not just for the ladies as they realize their precious Loved One is alive, but for ourselves because we know their precious Loved One is our Loved One as well. The resurrection was Good News for all people, not just the ladies.

As you celebrate today, celebrate with the joy of those who realized Christ was alive. The tomb was empty! The tomb is still empty! Because He lives, we can have life!

This was a time of great confusion and fear among the disciples of Christ. For three years they had followed him, listened to his teaching, witnessed his miracles, and lived side by side with him. Now, he was dead and buried in a tomb provided by a wealthy Jew. What were they to do? There was no clear answer to that question. So, they waited. There was really nothing else they could do. It would take some time to sort out what to do next. Of course, we know they didn't have to wait for long. On the third day after his crucifixion, he would arise and show them the meaning of his life. However, they did not know this on that Saturday after Christ’s death. So, they could do nothing but wait.

There are times in our lives when this is what we are to do. There are times in our lives when we are hit with the unexpected and don't know how to respond, so all we can do is wait. It is at those times that we can certainly indentify with what the disciples must have felt on their Sabbath of waiting. There are times when we face a Sabbath of waiting. There isn't an apparent reason for why three days were the time frame chosen by our Lord to complete the story of the Gospel, and there isn't a clear reason for why the "waiting time" coincided with the Sabbath, but I cannot help but think that it was not just by happenstance. The Sabbath is to be a day of waiting. This aspect of that day was never more fraught with meaning than it was when Christ's body was in the tomb on that Sabbath, awaiting the first day of the new week when the waiting period would be broken.

When you are in a place of waiting, remember the experience of the disciples. Know that your waiting will not go on without end. There will be a time when God will break through and all will be clear. In your time of waiting, continue to trust God, and remember his promise. David had said about Christ, "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." God will not "hang us out to dry". In your period of waiting, continue to look to him.

Today is the day we generally refer to as Good Friday. The term is predominantly used in English-speaking countries and the origin is unclear. You won't find it referred to in the Bible. How can a day when Jesus was tortured and put to death be called good? That is a reasonable question, and as stated, the use of the term is ambiguous. However, it is good for us that he gave himself to die. Had Christ not followed through on the plan that was ordained from eternity past, we would be lost in our sin with no hope of redemption.

Matthew 12:35 says "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him." Now, this is not actually referring to Christ. In reality, Christ is the one speaking. However, it certainly describes who he was and what he did. He accomplished what he did on that Friday long ago for our good. He came for that purpose. As you go about your activities today, be grateful that Christ was willing to die for you, which for us is a good thing.

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Today is a day we call Maundy Thursday, and the day the Christian church observes as the time when Christ celebrated the Passover with his disciples, was betrayed by Judas, and arrested by the high priest. The events of this night many years ago led to Christ's torture and crucifixion. As we celebrate today, let's remember why Christ allowed all of this to happen - the betrayal, the arrest, the trial, and the crucifixion. The name we use for today helps to answer the question as to why. The term "maundy" derives from the Latin maundatum, which means command. Our word "mandate" comes from this word. "Maundatum" is found in the Latin translation of John 13:34. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Christ made this statement to his disciples on the night we are commemorating. He told them they were to display love towards each other, and then he gave the greatest display of love ever made by allowing himself to be taken and killed. Even in his betrayal, he displayed love. His great love was the motivation for his great sacrifice. Let's give thanks for his love, and let’s make sure we follow his maundatum and love each other.

Reading the book of Judges is like reading a "Who's Who of God's superheroes". There is Samson the strong man, Deborah the prophetess, and Gideon the amazing leader who took care of an entire army with 300 soldiers. Then, you meet Othniel. Not many details are given about Othniel's exploits. The story is told in just a few verses in Judges 3: "The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died." (vss. 8 - 11)

One commentator wrote about Othniel, "There is nothing but the bare essentials in his account. Hardly anything about Othniel. What you do have is what the Lord has done and what the Lord is doing. The Othniel account helps us to see what is most important--the activity of God. Interesting folk can sometimes obscure that. We end up concentrating on these fascinating characters and we fail to see what the Lord is doing." It is more important for people to see what God is doing through us than for them to see us. As John the Baptist said, "I must decrease to that he may increase." Let folks see God in you rather than just seeing you.

When my girls were younger, they always knew I had an "open door" policy in my office. They knew that at any time, they could come in to see their dad at any time. They had free access to me because I am their Dad and they knew loved them and would always be interested in what was taking place in their lives, or hearing about a problem they have, or taking care of some other issue. They knew they were welcome and wanted.

We have this same opportunity with our heavenly Father. We are wanted and welcome with him because of his great love for us. He allowed his Son to die for us so that we may have a way of being forgiven allowing us to come to him freely. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) We can approach him boldly and know we will never be turned away!

I rarely sleep until the alarm sounds to awaken me. However, my wife has the habit, as many do, of using the snooze button. A student at MIT has invented an alarm clock that would prohibit this practice. "Clocky" is an alarm clock with wheels that moves when it sounds. The movements are random, so the clock is never in the same place twice. Before you turn it off, you have to get out of bed to find it, so it inhibits the use of the snooze button.

Hitting the snooze button cannot stop the fact of time. Time continues to move forward and dictates to us so many activities, including the need to get out of bed to get the day started. Whether we get out of bed early or stay and sleep we are being carried along by the mysterious force called time.

Someone once said, "Time stays and we fly." David wrote, "Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure." (Psalm 39:4-5) Our life is fleeting and time continues on. We must do what we should in the time we are allotted to perform our tasks. Make sure to spend time wisely.

David Egner tells the story of a doctor in a remote area of Minnesota who treated an elderly Native American lady on the verge of death. The lady recovered, and not long after the entire family made the journey into town to visit the doctor. They presented him with a 150-year-old pair of moccasins that had been made by a great-great-grandfather. When the doctor tried to protest that the gift was too costly, the man said, "You saved the life of my mother. We insist that you accept these moccasins. We do not express appreciation with a cheap gift."

How many of us express appreciation to God with cheap gifts? God gave us his Best, but often we are guilty of being stingy with what we give him. David knew the value of expressing gratitude. In II Samuel 34 he is presented free of charge the threshing floor of Araunah to offer a sacrifice along with all that would be needed for the sacrifice. David replied, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (II Samuel 24:24) That would sort of defeat the purpose of a sacrifice, wouldn't it? Then why is it that we seem not to have a problem offering the Lord "cheap gifts"? By definition, sacrifice involves a cost. When you give to the Lord, give generously.

Most of us would agree that there is a great difference between an opinion and a fact. A fact is what it is - a fact. An opinion is a statement that is up for debate as there is more than one point of view with each point of view having the same degree of importance and, in most cases, correctness. We usually do not have a problem distinguishing between the two. However, some funny things start to happen when it comes to fact vs. opinion and the Bible. Too often we elevate opinions about the scripture to the level of facts and relegate the facts of scripture to the level of opinions. This is dangerous.

The statements of the scripture need to be taken and understood just as they stand. One area that is an example of elevating an opinion to the level of fact is what we think about God. The scripture tells us what God is like, what he expects from us, and what he will do in many situations. Yet, we often have opinions about what we think God should be that are elevated to a fact of how God is. Let's be clear in separating our opinions from the facts. During his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, Elijah said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." Let's resolve not to elevate our own opinions above God's, and to elevate opinions to the plane of facts, lest we lead ourselves and others down the wrong path.

Dr Paul Brand was a world-renowned orthopedic specialist and leprosy surgeon who worked primarily in India with people affected with leprosy. He solved a riddle that had plagued the world for centuries; "Why do the hands and feet of leprosy-affected people fall off? What causes the terrible deformities of leprosy? Can anything be done to prevent them or restore the damage?" He discoed that it was infection and injury that caused the loss of digits and limbs among lepers and that both problems were treatable.

Dr. Brand developed a machine that would beep when the person would be near fire or some other potentially harmful situation. Typically a person with leprosy loses sensation in fingers, hands, feet and toes. Many suffered severe injury through cuts and burns leading to infection and loss of limbs because they did not feel pain. Dr. Brand's invention helped by warning of potential harm.

Like physical pain, our conscience serves to warn us of potentially harmful situations. However, it is possible to develop a lifestyle where we sear our conscience to the point that we no longer feel "pain" and therefore are prone to continue with harmful behavior. Paul writes that it is possible to sear your conscience, "Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." (I Timothy 4:2) To keep a clear conscience, we need to respond to the pain of appropriate guilt by confession, repentance, and restitution. We need to avoid allowing our conscience to be seared. We need to follow Paul's example, "So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." (Acts 24:16) Keep your conscience clear by maintaining Godly character!

Companies that depend upon public dollars do their best to make sure they please consumers in order to keep their business thriving. We recently ate at a certain "chain" restaurant that we enjoy. At these restaurants the food is good, and the service is usually top-notch. However, this dining experience was a little lacking when it came to the service. Now, I consider this an aberration, and will no doubt go back. However, I know the powers-that-be in this corporation would not want to hear that this is happening on a regular basis. They depend upon good experiences of their customers to bolster their reputation. Companies that offer services know that shoddy products and poor service can damage their name, and they do not want to see this happen.

I find it amazing that God has placed his reputation in our hands. He chooses to work through his people, and this means that how we serve will reflect directly on our Father. Israel's behavior had a detrimental effect on God's name. Ezekiel 36:20-21 says, "And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, `These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.' I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone." Isn't that a shame?

Make sure your behavior enhances God's name. As Christians we bear the name of Christ. Is our behavior bringing honor to his name or dragging it through the mud? We should want our behavior to reflect beneficially on the name of our Savior. God stakes his reputation on us!

Today is the first day of spring, but you would never know it from the temperatures we are experiencing here. The high today is only supposed to be 31 degrees, which is pretty cold. There are those around the Great Lakes and in New England who are getting quite a bit of snow. This is not what one might expect for the first day of spring, but we shouldn't be too surprised. We have seen weather like this before on the first day of spring. As Solomon wrote, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Solomon is not just commenting on unusual weather patterns that we have seen before, he is telling us that life without God is boring and meaningless. If we exclude God from our life, life can be tedious and a dead end. Warren Berkley writes, "Solomon doesn't intend to merely express gloom. He wants us to learn from his book (as early as possible) what he finally learned late in life. If we are waiting for some new thing to excite our interests or fill our lives, it is futile. Life is far more boring than modern man admits. Political empires arise and fall. There are periods of war, followed by periods of peace, then other wars follow. The famous American philosopher Yogi Berra may have said it well: 'deja vu all over again!'"

Don't get caught up in the humdrum trap of life without God. Living without him is indeed a meaningless existence that leads to nowhere. Following him brings true joy and purpose. Happy first day of Spring!

I recently read an ad for a program that said you could pick up a new language in as little as ten days. I didn't go for this, as I have studied a couple of foreign languages and I don't think ten days is enough to learn how to understand and speak in a different tongue. Language barriers are not impossible to overcome, but they have caused difficulties in both personal and political relationships for almost as long as humans have been around. Differences in languages have posed a problem ever since the differences arose as a judgment against the sinfulness of mankind. You can read this story in Genesis 11. God "confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth." (vs. 9)

There have been situations when a difficulty in translation has proved to be beneficial. In 1917, the British General Allenby was leading an assault on Turkish-held Jerusalem. Upon reading Isaiah 31:4-5, he came upon a plan to win the battle. These verses say, "As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it." Allenby decided to fly small scout planes over Jerusalem and drop notes in the Turkish language instructing the Turks to surrender Jerusalem. Having never seen an airplane, many of the Turks became fearful. The note was signed Allenby. In Arabic, the phrase Allah Nebi is similar to Allenby and means God’s Prophet. Needless to say, the Turks gave up Jerusalem without firing a shot and the British took control of the Holy City.

Of course, someday all the confusion will be over. And we know that now, whatever language we speak, God hears and understands. Psalm 18:6 tells us that he hears and answers, "I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice." Nothing is lost in translation in our communication with God.

John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, died on this date (March18) in 1845. Chapman was a rather eccentric individual, known for walking around barefoot with his long hair tucked up in a mush pan. He was the son of a Revolutionary War Hero and started a practice of collecting apple seeds from cider mills in Pennsylvania then giving them to settlers heading west. He also traveled throughout Ohio and the Alleghenies delivering apple seeds to residents there. During the war of 1812, he ran 30 miles from Mansfield to Mt. Vernon, Ohio, to warn people there of an impending attack by the Indians.

Appleseed had a rather unconventional but deep devotion to nature and the Bible. He never was anywhere without his Bible, and read to people wherever he was from the pages of his well-worn copy of the Scriptures. He called the apple blossom "a living sermon from God" and quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes were his favorite. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5) certainly seemed an appropriate description of his life. Poet William Henry Venable penned these words about Johnny, "Remember Johnny Appleseed, All ye who love the apple, He served his kind by word and deed, In God's grand greenwood chapel."

I have a book in my library entitled "The Hard Sayings of Jesus." Written by F.F. Bruce, this book examines 70 of Christ's sayings that are difficult to understand to help the reader gain insight into the meaning of these sometimes enigmatic statements. For me, one of the most difficult teachings of Christ is found in Matthew 5:43-45, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." Now, this statement is really not that hard to understand; Christ's meaning is clear. What is difficult is actually doing what Christ tells us to do – love those who don’t care for you.

Today we are celebrating a person who gives us an example of how to apply Christ's teaching about loving your enemies. Patrick of Ireland, St. Patrick, was captured by marauders when he was a young boy and taken to Ireland from his home in Britain. After a few years of forced labor, he escaped. However, he later returned to the land of his captors to bring them the story of Christ. He spent the rest of his life in ministry in Ireland. While he didn't actually drive out all the snakes in Ireland, as folklore would have us believe, he did see many converts to Christ during his lifetime. Christ's teaching about loving your enemies is hard, but Patrick showed us that it is not impossible.

At first, this may sound a bit strange, but bear with me. There is a house in a neighboring town that I have passed frequently when I've traveled to the town. Used to be each time I passed the house I would say to myself, "That house needs something." The house is actually a really nice house - a very attractive ranch style that sits on a large lot. However, the house looked sort of, well for lack of a better word, unfinished, even though it was finished. The house seemed to be lack something – landscaping, brighter trim, shutters or something. Actually, and this is the strange part but remember I said bear with me, the house looked sort of lonely as it sat there off the street on that large lot. It just didn't seem to fit.

Some time ago, another house was constructed on the large lot. When the new house was finished, I remember driving by and saying, "Well, isn't that something! That is just what that first house needed - another house next to it!" As different as this may sound, the new house helped the first house stand out more. The original house appeared more attractive, more appealing, not as bare, and not as "lonely". You actually noticed the original house more with the newer house there. Now, the styles were different, the color was different, and, the newer house was brighter. But it still helped the original house look like it was right where it was supposed to be.

This little story about the house illustrates an important point: Even as the house was enhanced with company, we do better with company. God did not intend for us to be solitary beings. He created us to exist in relationships. Some choose solitary lifestyles, but that is robbing oneself of developing full potential and being what you can be. John Donne wrote, "No man is an island, entire of itself every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." This reflects the biblical principle of relationships and working with others. This is the nature of the church. We do better when we work with others and when we work together. This is why the writer to the Hebrews wrote, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

Sounds like we should meet together and work together, doesn't it? This is God's intention for us. When we do this, it just seems to help things fit. As we worship together, serve together, and meet together we will find that we are right where we are supposed to be.

"Beware the ides of March" said the soothsayer to Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s drama "Julius Caesar." This event was based upon a real-life interaction between Julius Caesar and a soothsayer as he was going to the theater in Pompeii to meet with the senate. According to Plutarch, he joked to the soothsayer, "The Ides of March have come" to which came the reply, "Yes, but they have not gone." Later, Caesar would be set upon by more than 60 senators at the meeting who stabbed him to death. The Ides of March, or March 15 in our calendar, corresponded to a religious holiday in the Greek and later in the Roman culture. It has been made more notorious because of the assassination of Caesar.

Caesar probably went on his way from the soothsayer thinking nothing would happen as opposed to simply being not in fear of death. How would he have acted if he knew indeed he had but a few hours to live?

We don't know what the future has in store for us, but one thing we do know is that at some point in time, if Christ tarries in his return, we will face death. Are you ready for this? Can you, like Paul, walk confidently in spite of impending death because your hope is in Christ? Paul's attitude towards death is found in Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Do you have this assurance?

A team of Australian scientists were doing a study on the development of galaxies. An unexpected by-product of their research was an estimate of the number of stars in the known universe. According to their calculations, there are 70 sextillion stars in what we know of the universe in which we live. That is 70 followed by 22 zeros. Here is what this number looks like: 700,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Yeesh. That is a lot of stars. Isn't this incredible? One team member said, "Finding the number of stars is not really the research we were doing, but it was a nice result to play around with."

We may not know the exact number of stars, but God does. When you roll this thought around in your mind for a bit, you come to the realization as to why we need to praise God. Psalm 147:1 & 4 tell us, "How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." So, God not only knows the number of the stars, but he knows the name of each star. As Bill Gaither sang, "We have a great big wonderful God." Isn't that the truth?