Livng in the Lord's Presence

Recently, I’ve been thinking about what it means to live all of the time in God’s presence. I’m not talking about the fact that God is omnipresent. We know that God is everywhere, always present in our lives and world. Rather, I’m talking about our awareness of our life being lived in God’s presence. Am I living each moment with a true and unmistakable sense of God’s presence in my life?

I love what the psalmist says:

He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.And so I walk in the LORD’s presence as I live here on earth!  - Psalm 116:8-9 NLT

While the author of Psalm 116 says in verse 9: “I walk in the LORD’s presence as I live here on earth!”, the Hebrew is literally translated “before God’s face.” I get the idea from the psalm that he is not just living in God’s presence when he is doing “religious stuff” like praying, reading scripture and attending a “worship service”. I think that the message of the psalm is that he is living with a keen awareness and deep sense of God’s presence throughout his everyday life on earth.

I’m reminded of one of my favorites New Testament scriptures.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to (daily) give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy (daily) sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him (live in his presence).   – Romans 12:1. (paren-thetical words and phrase added by me)

Paul tells us that everything we think, hear, say and do…our every day lives... are worship to God. Our daily lives are lived in his presence. We don’t do this in order to earn God’s favor. The psalmist and Paul both remind us that we live this way in response to what God has done for us already: “He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the LORD’s presence as I live here on earth!” (116:8-9).

Living in God’s presence as an act of daily sacrificial worship is our response to his magnificent and gracious salvation. Ask God this week to remind you that you are living with him “face-to-face”.  Ask God to remind you that everything that you do this week is done as though God was present with you.  Ask God to remind you this week that your life is lived daily as selfless worship to Him. Truly living in the presence of God will advance our personal and communal journey of being transformed into the image of our creator.

Tim Oliver

Lubbock, Texas

Waiting

Joseph, waited on the LORD;

sold into slavery, separated from family,

lived among strangers in a foreign land,

falsely accused and placed in prison.

Yet, he continued to trust God; while he waited, he served.

The story of Joseph inspires us as we face “times of waiting.”

Who comes to mind when you think of those who worship, trust and obey as they wait?

Are you waiting for something or someone?

Test results…?

A phone call…?

A prisoner to be set free…?

Prodigal to return home…?

A baby to be born…?

One lost to be found…?

Ultimately, we wait for our LORD Jesus to return.  May we be found serving and worshiping, living in obedience and hoping in the LORD God; being mindful to point others to Him and His saving grace.

Just three of many verses that impart strength in times of waiting…

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.

Isaiah 40:31
Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

From the soundtrack of “Fireproof”

John Waller:  While I'm Waiting Lyrics

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am peaceful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it's not easy no, but faithfully I will wait
Yes, I will wait

Loving Father God,

We praise You for Your wisdom and goodness.  Thank You for presenting times of waiting.

Times we learn to trust You, Your Word and Your eternal plan.  

Help us grow in faith, hope and obedience while we wait.

In Your Son’s holy name.

Mischelle Oliver

Stephenville, Texas

Firm Footing

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.  He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.        2 Corinthians 1:21-22

A person with firm footing is not easily moved, physically or metaphorically.  The placing of one’s feet, or heart, in a stable position is an intentional or deliberate act.  God generously gives us the resources to be strong in our convictions.  However, it is by faith that we set our priorities and make choices to stand firm in Christ.  Firm footing equips us to withstand the struggles and temptations of our earthly existence.  Firm footing allows us to focus clearly on the victory we have in Jesus Christ.

God helps us stand firm in three ways:  First, He chose us as His heirs.  His anointing is evident through the giving of His Son.  Before we knew how to love, He loved.  Though undeserved, he gave.  Next, He set His seal of ownership on us.  We reflect His glory and live with the assurance that He cares.  Lastly, God gives us His Spirit as a deposit or a pledge.  This gift serves as a down payment for the great riches in store for us in heaven.

The Holy Spirit supplies confidence to overcome uncertainties, peace to replace anxieties, and hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19).

Never allow doubts to cause you to question God’s sincere affection for you.  Never permit temptations to bring about change in your faithful priorities.  Never let the burden of struggles permit you to give up on God’s promises.  Stand firm in Christ.

Dear Father, please give me strength to stand firm in Christ.  I truly appreciate Your love and protection and encouragement.  I look forward to the Day my hope is fulfilled and Your promises are revealed.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Carl Smith
Stephenville, TX

Jesus—Our Passover Lamb

Every year on Easter weekend, Hillcrest Church of Christ in Abilene goes to the H.E.B. encampment for a church retreat weekend.  We have just returned from our weekend for 2012.  This past weekend, the theme for our retreat was Passover.  The highlight for the weekend was on Saturday evening when we all participated in the Passover meal.  As twilight began, we entered the meeting room where red paint had been dabbed on the doors to the entrance.  We were seated in family groups.  Before us, all the elements of the Passover meal were waiting for each family group.

We ate the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs, lamb, and a mixture of items representing the bricks made in Egypt, and we drank four cups of wine (grape juice).  The blessings that accompanied the meal were spoken and the Psalms (113-118) were read.  All the elements of the meal were explained as we participated together in this most ancient, ceremonial meal together.

We were urged to think in two ways as we participated together in this Passover meal.  First, we were urged to remember Israel in Egypt at their very first Passover.  We were asked to think about how Israel had experienced nine plagues alongside the Egyptians.  And now, on this night, an angel was going to pass through the land of Egypt and every firstborn child in the land was subject to death.  Secondly, we were asked to think about the subsequent Passovers—how this became an educational process for Israel in all future generations.  As we ate together and reflected, the power of this meal for Israel was obvious.

Our experience was heightened because our Passover event was also viewed from a Christian perspective.  As we looked back to Egypt and Israel to the early Passovers, we reflected upon the way in which Jesus used the Passover meal to institute for us today a new remembrance.  Jesus Himself has become the Passover Lamb for us.  He has rescued us from bondage—freeing all of us from the slavery to sin.  When we eat the Unleavened bread (as Israel did), we remember His sacrificial act that rescued us from sin.  When we drink from the cup the fruit of the vine, we remember the precious blood that Jesus shed for us.

I hope you can experience the Passover meal at some point.  Maybe your church can do this together.  Or, maybe your family can have this experience together privately.  If you would like the information that was shared by our church family, contact me at hillcrestonline.com.

Prayer:  Father, we thank You for providing for us Your Son, Jesus—our Passover Lamb.      

Terry Brown

Abilene, Texas

Been Watered Lately?

Two weeks shy of Easter and its 28 degrees outside with snow berms over my head.  This winter has seen record breaking snow fall in Alaska.  While the snow is beautiful and fun to play in, once the vernal equinox rolls around my eyes expect to see signs of spring.  My mind wanders back to the sights and smells of West Texas awakening from its winter slumber.  The candy red of the spider lilies, the vibrant green of budding pecan trees, and the heady smell of wisteria fill my heart with longing.  

For now, I have traded in the white Easter sandals of my youth for boots with traction.  Feeling my plight and attempting to cheer me up, my best friend brought me a bundle of tight, dry, husked blooms the other night.  The label promised me they were daffodils, so I put them in water and went to bed.  The next morning I awoke to beautiful yellow blooms trumpeting their Creator’s praise.  I was amazed to see how a night spent in water had transformed the buds.  

By night, Nicodemus came with a question and Jesus answers him with, “water and Spirit”.  In John chapter 4, Jesus tells the Samaritan women that if she drinks of the water that he gives, not only will she will never be thirsty again, but the water he gives will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.  Jesus goes on to describe the Holy Spirit as a “flowing river of living water,” in John 8.

Much like the tight, dry, daffodil blooms, our human hearts stay tightly wound and hard until we come into contact with the living water of Jesus.  The prophet Isaiah reminds God’s people that if we “loose the straps of oppression” and cry out for God we will be like a well-watered garden...beautifully blooming to our fullest potential.  Like time spent in a beautiful flower garden, time spent with us will be restorative and pleasing to the soul.   We will also provide nourishment and shelter.  Let the words of Isaiah wash over you and bring your heart joy, like they did mine.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry,
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.    Isaiah 58:9-11

Dana Jaworski 
Anchor Point, AK

The Grandeur of God’s Creation

“…When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

Prompted to contemplate the glory and grandeur of God’s creation, you might be inclined to go out on a clear night and gaze into “outer space” at the innumerable stars in the heavens. Of the thousands of stars visible to the naked eye, only 12 are within a range of 10 light years, and only 133 within 50 light years. If there were a means of travelling somehow at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), you could span almost 6 trillion miles in a year, and yet at that speed, it would take you over 4 years to reach Proxima Centauri, a relatively small brown dwarf star not much larger than  Jupiter, and the closest star to our sun. If you take the most distant stars visible to you and me, those at a distance of approximately 2000 light years away, we’re still talking about a distance that is only 1/50th of the diameter of the Milky Way.

That’s “outer space.” Let’s take a look at “inner space!” To put things in perspective, picture a relatively large body of water, such as the Gulf of Mexico.  Emptying into the Gulf is a rather non-descript river system we call the Brazos. There are hundreds of smaller tributaries that in turn feed the Brazos. Among those, just north of Abilene, 3 small creeks—the Elm, Catclaw, and Cedar—merge, and, after a small hiccup called Ft. Phantom Lake, flow into the Clear Fork of the Brazos.

Now, pull a single eyedropper of water from Cedar Creek and place a drop between two glass slides. Beneath the lens of a microscope, a marvelous universe appears!  This is where I believe God did some of His finest work. Look! There’s an amoeba! Its size is only about 90 μm (symbol for micrometers), and yet it moves and digests and reproduces. It is a living, single-cell organism. In comparison, it’s about 900 times the size of an average virus; and to put that in terms that are a little more visual, it’s like a 6 ft. man standing next to a man over a mile high.

Consider the human body that is made up on a cellular level of countless muscle fibers, bone fibers, blood cells, dendrites, nerve endings, tissues—none of which on an individual level has the remotest ability to conceive what the concerted work of all as a whole looks like or is able to achieve. And we honestly fail to consider what a wonderful machine we are. We fail to appreciate all the unique and individual parts that make up our physical, mental, and emotional being.

Whether we look to outer space or inner space or our own wonderfully constructed beings, why are we so tempted to limit our imaginations? Is it really so hard for humankind to contemplate that whatever we have become in this vast universe of outer and inner spaces we are…under our Creator’s eyes?

Keith Morgan
Abilene, Texas

To Whom Much is Given

I would consider myself a talented and energetic person.  If I choose, I can make it through the day without calling on God. I usually complete my job and the day goes well.  As I pen these words, this verse comes to my mind, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48   

I am a registered nurse by profession. I strive to provide organized and efficient care for many people.  I possess patience, kindness and a warm smile and the patients know that I truly care about them. Some days, I choose to rely solely on myself as I go about my work.  On other days, I go to God in prayer and ask for his help to make me a better nurse. I ask that He make me more patient and more able to see the needs of others. God grants me more energy, he strengthens me and my heart has a greater capacity to show love. I become a better listener and I am given more insight into the heart of those for whom I provide care. I am more in tune with their frustrations and I am given a keen ability to help them overcome with words of encouragement. On those days I may leave my job feeling very tired, but I am filled with JOY, which is much better than a day that simply goes well.

As I write this blog I am asking myself, why don’t I go to God everyday and ask for help. I realize it is my own self sufficiency, this fast paced society and the fact that until I slowed down and took a pen to my day I failed to realize the difference that God was making.  I know now, that I was frequently missing the joy that God provides. I also realize those I serve and those I work with were possibly missing His blessings, because I did not call upon God’s help for the day.

I believe I can parallel my life with the Israelites who often forgot what God had done for them. I was forgetting it was God who gave me these talents. God waits for me each morning and gives me an opportunity to tap into his power and I neglected to ask Him to be involved in my day.  I have a new understanding: God did not give me these talents so I could be self sufficient. He gave them to me so that he can build on them and do even greater things than I can do on my own.

Writing this blog has opened my eyes and hopefully sparked something in yours. God seeks to set us free from dependence on ourselves, so that we will depend on Him.  When we depend on Him, MUCH can be achieved!

Dear Father, Thank you for humbling me and showing me how much you can do through me when I ask for your help. Take away the independent spirit in me. I am much stronger with you living through me. In the name of the Jesus! Amen.

Terry Smith
Stephenville, TX

High or Low?

I have been fascinated with the life of Sam Houston since first reading about him when I was a fourth or fifth grader.  Read ahead and see what you think.

   Sam Houston was born in 1793 in Virginia

   He was 14 when his father died and the Houston family moved to Tennessee.

   Sam ran away from home and lived with the Cherokee Indians for nearly 3 years,

        (he was adopted by the chief and given the name "raven").

   He returned home, became a teacher and set up an 'academy' in a log house.

   In 1813 he joined the militia.  He ended up under the command of Andrew Jackson in a

        battle against Creek Indians who had killed about 400 men, women and children.  In

        the defeat of the Creeks, Sam was wounded with an arrow in his thigh and two rifle

        balls in his right arm and shoulder.  Andrew Jackson never forgot Sam's bravery.

   In 1818, Sam passes the bar exam and becomes a lawyer.

   From 1823 to 1827 he served in the U.S. Congress.

   Sam is elected governor of Tennessee in 1827.  After a brief, unsuccessful marriage in

        1829 Sam resigns as governor and moved back to live with the Cherokee.  (I have

         read the marriage was political for the bride's parents and Sam returns her to them

         stating the marriage was never consummated).

   Sam returns to Washington D.C. to report on frauds practiced on the Indians by

         government agents.

   In 1832, he is sent to Texas by President Andrew Jackson to negotiate treaties with

         the Indians.

   In 1835, Sam is chosen commander of the Texas militia rebelling against Mexico.

   In 1836, he defeats General Santa Anna at San Jacinto.

   In 1836, Sam Houston is elected President of the Republic of Texas.

   In 1846, he is selected as a U.S. Senator from the new State of Texas.

   In 1859, Sam is elected Governor of Texas.

   In 1861, Sam is deposed because of his unsuccessful attempt to prevent secession.

   In 1863, Sam Houston dies at age 70.

I continue to be amazed and cannot imagine the 'ups' and 'downs' he experienced during his lifetime.  Other men like Moses and David of the Old Testament had their share of 'highs' and 'lows' and yet, years later, we continue to read about these great men. 

Where are you today, in a 'high' or 'low' period in your life?  Do we have the stamina, courage, or FAITH to continue to have hope?  We may never be acknowledged like these men of the past, but God tells you and I, "Do not be anxious about anything...." Phil. 4:6; "Cast all your anxiety on Him..." I Peter 5:7;  "...the man who trusts in the Lord is like a tree...that is not anxious in the year of drought..." Jeremiah 17:7-8. 

Wherever you are in life, God is always available to those who seek and trust Him.

Doug Burns

Stephenville, Texas

Interceding for Me

The Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  It is God who justifies.  Who is he that condemns?  Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  - Romans 8:26-27, 33-35

My first significant job after college led me to a South Texas town as a complete stranger.  My only contact came from a call to the office of one of the local churches of Christ.  “Mark” met me at the church building as I arrived in town.  He fed me lunch, showed me a desirable apartment complex and co-signed on my new electric utility account.  He introduced me to several people my age.  In just a few days I was settled, with new friends and a church home.  Left on my own, these blessings and unexpected experiences could have taken weeks or months to occur, if they would have happened at all.  Mark chose to get involved, since we had a common bond in Jesus Christ.  Mark was interceding for me.

God’s Holy Spirit and His son, Christ Jesus, are both interceding for me.  God knows my weaknesses and provided this intervention to reconcile our relationship.  Amazingly, I receive the benefit of numerous spiritual blessings because I am God’s child.  The Spirit intercedes to the Father with a perfectly worded prayer.  God wants to know the priorities of my heart and the Spirit translates on my behalf in accordance with God’s will.  Christ Jesus intercedes with protection and assurance.  Satan’s attacks are futile since God is for me.  Jesus represents me before the Father and defends my merciful justification.  Praise God the Spirit and Jesus are interceding for me.

Dear Father, I thank you for the gift of your Son as the atoning sacrifice for my sins.  I thank you for the gift of your Spirit, guaranteeing what is to come.  I appreciate that your Spirit and your Son intercede for me, overcoming my weaknesses, bringing me near to you and helping me wait patiently for hope fulfilled.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Carl Smith
Stephenville, TX

Faithful God and Provider

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
       let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
       that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
       you surround them with your favor as with a shield. – Psalm 5:11-12

Does the story of Noah encourage you?Whatever Noah needed, God provided.  Whatever God commanded, Noah obeyed.
Noah was given a daunting task…to build one of the largest sea-worthy vessels with limited tools and assistance.  God provided the design, the materials, the time and strength to complete it.

I wonder:     

How did he cut the large quantity of wood needed?

Did he chisel tongue and groove to hold the boards together?

Where did he find the volume of pitch to cover inside and out?

Did his wife, his sons and their wives assist or encourage him?

His sons may have been mere babies when he began to build.  

He gathered provisions for his family and the menagerie aboard the ark, BUT how did he know the length of days they would be in the ark?

Thoughts of Noah continue to perplex my mind, yet bolster my spirit. The bittersweet story of Noah and the flood contains many lessons for the generations that follow him.
God has a task for each of His children.
He will provide all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
He will not ask more of us than we are able.
He is a God of absolute faithfulness, to man and to His every Word-eight survived, all others perished.

Imagine how closely Noah walked with the LORD God.
Is the joy of the LORD where Noah found his strength (Neh. 8:10, Psalm 5:11-12)?
I can almost hear Noah singing joyful praises to his LORD as he built and prepared day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
Yet his heart heavy with sorrow for souls that rejected God over and over.  They ignored his preaching about the coming wrath.  Then came the day.  It was too late. The ark was closed up and the rain began to fall. 

Noah was obedient.Twice Genesis records that Noah did all that the LORD commanded.
    Noah did everything just as God commanded him. (Gen. 6:22)

Noah was a man of faith.  He believed, so he obeyed completely. (Gen. 7:5)

And again, after the flood stopped and the water dried up, he did not leave the ark until the LORD God commanded-Gen. 8:15.  He, his family and the animals had been aboard the ark for 1 year and 10 days!  Noah didn’t trust his own judgment but he wholly trusted God. 

Noah was faithful.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Heb. 11:7)

Noah was compassionate.  He preached righteousness to deaf ears beyond the seven that would embark with him.  If (God) did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;(2 Peter 2:5)

Let us learn the lessons God provides in the story of Noah, may they strengthen our resolve to teach the lost, and build our faith to obey Him completely. 

Wise, Patient and Loving Father ,
How majestic You are. Your love floods over us.  May it also flow through us to a world who knows You not.  Increase our faith and compassion, that we may obey you wholeheartedly and   teach the gospel.  As You patiently wait not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.  One sorrowful day it will be too late just as in the days of Noah.   Thank you for the way of salvation You gave to us.
In the precious name of Jesus, Amen 

Mischelle Oliver

Stephenville, Texas

A Delightful Land

"Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty.  Malachi 3:12

 

I used to teach a class called The ABC’s of Behavior Modification.  “A” is for antecedents (what happens before) “B” (the behavior), and “C” is consequences.  The secret to a better life is found in your A’s, B’s and C’s.  

Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, reads like a behavior modification textbook.  It contains 4 short chapters.  (Its historical context can be studied on your own if you wish).      Through Malachi (“my messenger”), God urges his children to stop their sinful behavior and return to him before it’s too late.  As rebellious children often do, they deflected God’s warnings with a series of disrespectful questions:

• How have you loved us?
• How have we shown contempt for your name?
• How have we defiled you?
• How have we wearied you?
• How are we to return [to you]?
• How do we rob you?
• What have we said against you?

God doesn’t mince words.  His response left no doubt about the consequences awaiting them.  I hope I would be among those who respected God enough to take him at his word.  Malachi 3:16 says, “Then, those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.”  

What happens when people fear (respect) the Lord?

• They are God’s treasured possession.
• They are spared compassionately as a father spares his son.
• The sun of righteousness rises for them with healing in its wings.
• They are so different from the wicked that the whole world knows it.
• God throws open the flood gates of heaven and deluges them with blessings.
• They leap like calves released from the stall, and trample their enemies.
• The world calls them blessed, “for yours will be a delightful land.”

Almighty God, because you are Love, you’ve never done anything but love us.  You’ve showered us with unending mercy time and time again.  May our faithful obedience reflect our gratitude.  Amen.       

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas 

Why the Sabbath?

Jesus chose to heal, act, and challenge conventional religion.

As Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Jesus and his followers.  When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus’ followers, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus left there and went into their synagogue, where there was a man with a crippled hand.  They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they asked him, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath day?” (Matthew 12: 9-10) 

Jesus encountered a group of people who only cared about being “right” and following the law.  They condemned Jesus because he wasn’t following their rules.  Their focus was to discredit Jesus, defend their religion, and hold on to their beliefs.  Amazing is their blindness and ridiculous criticisms as before their eyes Jesus miraculously helped and healed hurting people.  The Jewish religious leaders only saw rules being broken rather than lives being saved. 

Jesus approach was opposite of what everyone expected from the coming King.  He chose to be with tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, homeless street people, beggars, and social outcasts; those that the law said not to associate with.  He healed, fed, touched, and taught these people and was not concerned with religion, but with loving people.  When asked, Jesus summed it up this way: “Listen, people of Israel!  The Lord our God is the only Lord.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.  The second command is this:  Love your neighbor as you love yourself.  There are no commands more important than these.”  (Mark 12:29-31)

Focusing on rules and law will keep you away from a close relationship with God.  Worrying over matters of opinion not salvation shift our heart away from loving others.   Living as a rule follower is a futile, frustrating, unsustainable path.   Aren’t you tired of trying to follow rules, of guilt, of the emphasis on matters other than loving God and loving your neighbor?    Aren’t you tired of the debate, the criticism, and the attempts to discredit others for their acts of faith?   Wouldn’t you like to have a passion for something real?   When confronting the Jewish religious leaders with their blindness Jesus said “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice”  (Matthew 9:13).   At the heart of our Christianity as God intended it to be is Christ himself calling us to mercy and love, not laws or rules. 

Scotty Elston

Shallowater, Texas

Remember Who You Are

The most memorable line in the musical “The Lion King” comes when the young lion Simba is uncertain and fearful of accepting his responsibilities, and the old king appears to his son and says, “Remember who you are.”

Parents often say the same to their children, especially when the children are going to be away from home, “Remember who you are,” and, if they are Christians, add, “And whose you are.” In those countries with a royal family there are certain rules and standards of protocol governing its behavior. Departures from those expectations are regarded more seriously than breaches of conduct by others. Even in our democratic society the families of public figures receive closer scrutiny than others.

The New Testament often calls on us to live as who we are in Christ, to be what we are said to be as Christians. Because we are a holy people (“holy nation”—1 Peter 2:9), we are to live lives of holiness: “Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:14-15—quotations are from the NRSV).

Because we are a chosen people (“chosen race”—1 Peter 2:9; “chosen ones”—Colossians 3:12), we are to live according to our calling in separation from worldly desires: “I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1); “I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you” (2 Corinthians 6:16-17).

Because we are made one in Christ, we are to practice unity: “Making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are” (1 John 3:1). Because we are children of God we are to imitate the divine qualities of love and forgiveness: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

These and other similar passages say to us, “Remember who you are”; “Be what you are as a Christian”; and “Act according to your status.” The Christian life is a process of becoming what we are.

The evangelist Billy Sunday said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.”

The eternal King says to us, “Remember who you are—a child of the King.”

Everett Ferguson

Got Any Alone Time?

Be Still and Know that I am God.   Psalm 46:10
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.  Psalm 37:7
Come near to God and He will come near to you.  James 4:7

Spending time alone with God is important. In our fast paced world it is becoming harder to set aside time to dive into the word of God and let it wash over us.  I talk to many who have trouble prioritizing their day in order to spend time alone with the Father.

This thought became evident recently when I invited my Mom to go shopping with me at a department store. We went up one aisle and then the other chatting casually along the way. After we left the store we stopped for some yogurt and then headed home. When we arrived at my house she said, “Thanks for inviting me along. It seems like I don’t get to visit with you much lately.”  I wondered about that statement as she drove off.  

My normal day is filled with work from 8am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. I am blessed to have my Mom volunteer one morning a week at my workplace. We see each other at worship service on Sunday morning and we are together in a small group Bible study on Sunday evenings. We see each other a minimum three times a week. Why would she say she hasn’t visited with me much lately?

I considered things from her point of view. I realize she watches me at work and observes my work ethic. She watches me interact with others on Sunday morning at the assembly and she frequently hears how things are going with my other activities. She participates with me in our small group Bible study. In each of these situations we are among a group of people, which is not the same as one-on-one time.

I believe our God has the same longing for each of us. He is happy that we are out serving Him and doing good things. He is happy that we work to support our family and that we give Him the glory in all we do. Yet, he yearns for us to sit down and spend time alone with Him.

The Holy Spirit tells us to slow down and invest ourselves in knowing the Lord. Do we listen?  Our God is near. Spend time with Him. If we’re too busy to spend time with God, we’re simply too busy.

Dear Father, I confess to you that I often put other things ahead of spending time alone with you. I am so blessed by your presence when I am still. Thank you for always being a whisper away. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Terry Smith
Stephenville, TX

Living Water

The smell of coffee wakes me gently each time I spend the night at my grandma's house. Meme, I call her. I barely crack my bedroom door and I'm already greeted by the softer scents of bacon, bread toasting, the general splendor of a morning in a grandma's house.

So soothing, my bedroom is. It's the back one, on the front side of the house. Floaty, sheer curtains cover the windows and mask the scandalous sunlight, collaborating with the blinds to leave just enough up to the imagination. The comforter and plush pillows are the coldest shade of blue. Cold colors make me feel right at home.

But there are certain colds I like, and certain colds I don't. I don't like a head cold. I don't like the unforgiving slap in the face from a bitterly cold wind, waltzing across the sky in perfect rhythm with ice, taunting me to the point of tears. And--my least favorite--the cold scent of inevitable decay, creeping through the walls into my room. It is death's predecessor, like John the Baptist is to Jesus, though far less wild and hairy.

It reaches its skeletal fingers up and around my neck, sneakily choking me, forcing out breath and life and feeling. Snuffing out a good day before the scent of it has even had a chance to permeate my room.

I venture out the door. I glance nervously to my right. I wrinkle my nose at the bed. The hospital bed, moved unceremoniously into the spare room, occupied by a helpless patient, offends me with its very presence. Stepping into that room is like stepping into a different world, a world where there is no hope, no joy, no purpose, no persevereance. Persevereance is pointless. Purpose is gone forever. Hope and joy are evasive and sneaky and as taunting as the icy wind in my face.

But she stares at the ceiling day after day. She wills her eyes open and she wills her lungs to breathe. She pushes past the pain and I don't understand why. I wouldn't. Some people wonder why many of my peers smoke and drink with as much dedication as Jay Gatsby. I think it's because many of them would rather die young and beautiful than old and useless and decrepit. But, life is the only thing she has left to fight for, so I guess she decided to dedicate all her energy to doing just that.

She's my great-grandma, my granny. She's so far from what we are, in appearance, in ability, in age, in everything. But she has a quiet contentedness that I will never know. She is not pestered by the cynicism of the age. She is not obligated to look dispassionately on life, to assume the attitude called "devil-may-care," to believe that knowledge is the only god, because she has a trophy case full of sufferings to remember. What do we have? Nothing.

We have the right to consume. We have the right to choose. We have the right to be right. We have the right to vote. We have the right to spend. We have the right to waste. We have the right to cry. We have the right to get our prescriptions filled and rack up credit card bills and drown our sorrows in tiny shot glasses of vodka.

We have lots of things. We have healthy hair and clear eyes and trimmed hedges and lithe bodies and prestigious jobs. We are at the center of our culture. We are at the top of the social ladder. And we have empty trophy cases. We have everything and she had nothing and yet she is the one making it in this world on exactly that. Nothing. She survives on nothing that is visible to us, at least. She is shoved to the margins.

And then there is my Meme, dutifully arriving with breakfast everyday, without fail, chopped up in tiny pieces so Granny can chew it with her gums. Bathing her body with the utmost care. Sitting up with her at night. Functioning as a sort of "Jesus" to the overlooked, the socially unacceptable, the marginalized. Functioning as Jesus did to the blind man, the Samaritan woman, the lame man. No one sees what she does. But she is reminding me that the ones whom society scorns are often the ones to whom Jesus gives special care, offering them living water when the rest of the world leaves them parched and dry.

Lord,
Give us eyes to see the ones who need our special care. Even if the situation seems hopeless, even if the rest of the world wouldn't give them a second thought, remind us to do so because Jesus would. Thank you for manifesting the joy of your kingdom here on earth through the life, death, and resurrection of your son. We love you.
Through Jesus, Amen.

Erin Daugherty
Abilene Christian University

A Priceless Gift

I love doing random acts of kindness that are done in small ways that don’t call attention to me, but allow others to see Christ and the Spirit at work.  I get a sudden burst of energy and sense of well-being. I feel at those times, I am being molded, shaped, and transformed into the image of Christ.  It also allows me to stop, pause, and listen for the Lord. I believe one of our greatest needs in our homes and lives is kindness. Doing things that benefit someone else.  Kindness is a Christian virtue. (II Peter 1:7)  We are saved because of God’s kindness. (Titus 3: 4-7) What a priceless gift to pass onto our children.

Yet people simply don’t have time to be kind.  We are too busy! It seems people are in a hurry, impatient, and short-fused most of the time. Jesus says that we are to carry His light and let that light shine. (Matt. 5:16) When others see kindness they are drawn to it.  Children are a perfect example of this.  They are quick to sense and pick up on this quality in people who really have it.  

Are we too insensitive to the needs of those around us to spend any time helping? Kindness does take time. In Luke 10: 25-37,  Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan and how he was sensitive to the man’s need and took time to help. Jesus showed kindness to the disgraced woman of Samaria as she drew water from a well. The result of her faith because of His kindness was amazing and many believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony. (John 4) 

I like the following adage:  I shall pass through this world once, any good I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do now and not deter it, for I shall not pass this way again.

It starts with you. Pass it on.

Carla Henson
Tuscola, Texas

The Blessing of Getting Chosen

A friend has just adopted her second child. With big brother being four (and also adopted), he has been privvy to much of the excitement and goings-on as the family gathered at the hospital to greet the new arrival and welcome her into the family.

While the weary mom has been busy assimilating a precious baby into her home and diapering and feeding, she has obviously been doing a thorough job of answering all of brother’s questions about adoption and what it means to a family. Have you been around a four year old lately? The questions... they are legion.

Big brother was getting it all straight in his head and summed it up:
“Me and Sissy and dad and our pups were adopted. If you're adopted that means someone loves you when you're born. Mom you were not adopted so they left you at the hospital and then you had to find your own home."

Aren’t children so funny, yet speak words straight from the Lord?

What beautiful insight this child has into what is means to be adopted and chosen. I’m so grateful for the family that God picked out for him that is modeling what it means to be adopted by Christ: someone loves you when you’re born.

Someone loves you when you are helpless. Someone loves you when you cannot love back. Someone loves you when you are demanding and loud and cause a ruckus. Someone looks deep into your eyes and says, “Yes! You are EXACTLY what this family has been missing. Welcome, precious one.”

Perhaps those of us not adopted, like myself, that were just left at the hospital to find our own home  may have trouble understanding this concept of adoption. Love on sight. Loving into a family. How the Lord could possibly choose us -- die for us, even -- when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).  I think big brother is pretty clear about it.

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will– to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:4-6

Sarah Stirman
http://www.sarahstirman.com/
http://twitter.com/SarahSt

I Want More

I have a wonderful and blessed life, to be sure. I am married to a Godly man, I have two beautiful children, I am living my dream of staying at home to raise them, I am well-fed and protected, and I have family and friends nearby. But something evades me still. A certain hunger, a longing for meaning, depth, and peace.

Have you felt that desire? Have you looked into your own heart and found that all the things around you, even the good things, are not enough?

You could choose put the blame on the things themselves. You could go through life searching, believing that if you only had a better husband, a better job, a better house, or a better church, you could finally be happy.

You could choose to repress your desire. You could try to “grow up” and not have too high of expectations for your life, keeping your head down and your hands in your pockets. But there is another way.

“Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
–CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

Have you ever thought about that? The fact that you have that desire at all is proof that God exists, that Heaven is truly waiting for those who follow God’s path! After all, where else would that desire come from? People throughout history have been asking the question, “What is the meaning of life?” And as Lewis says, “If the universe had no meaning, we should never have found out that it had no meaning.” Animals do not feel this desire for inner peace. It is unique to humankind, put there by our Creator to set us searching for Him.

So open your heart fully – let that longing all the way in. Lewis reminds us that continually looking forward to the eternal world is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking. It is not an emotion. It is one of the things a Christian is meant to do.

The book of Hebrews calls hope “an anchor for the soul” (Heb. 6:19). Our hope of eternal life is what keeps us steady, frames all our decisions, purifies our motives, and helps us let go of the things that don’t matter in this life.

If we choose to hope, it doesn’t matter comes our way. At the most, our troubles can only last one lifetime. But Heaven will last for thousands of lifetimes (2 Cor. 4:16-18)!

 I don’t know exactly what Heaven is going to be like. But I do know that any piece of happiness I feel here is less than a shadow of the pure, even tangible joy we will live in.

 Your longing was put there deliberately. God wants you to listen to it and even spend energy building it up. Celebrate the fact that true peace can be found. Stoke the fire, and dream on!

Bicky Tolar
Abilene, Texas

Staying on Track

And God said:

... and then there was light!

Is it important that we know everything about God’s Creation?  If it were imperative that we know all of the details, they would have been provided in God’s Word.  I don’t sweat the unknown variables. My daughter went to a women’s Bible study group recently. The ladies were discussing the Creation.  The teacher was adamant that God created the world in six 24 hour long days and rested on the seventh day.  There were no dinosaurs, and the world is approximately 10,000 years old.  That certainly may be the case, but there is a surfeit of evidence that dinosaurs roamed Somervell County, Texas, including bones and tracks preserved in rock.  We have all picked up fossil rocks of sea creatures that lived long ago.  Scientists believe those fossils may be much older than 10,000 years, maybe millions of years old.  I believe that God has created everything and did so purposefully. I don’t believe it is impossible He achieved such a grand project in 144 hours; I just think time is relative, especially to God. 2 Peter 3:8 says “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  I don’t believe it is important to my salvation that I know which method of Creation God used.

Another issue was raised in my Bible class this morning. Adam’s son Cain left the area after he killed Abel, had children with his wife, and built a city he named after his son Enoch.  Where did Cain’s wife come from?  Why build a city unless there are other people to live in it?  Why would Cain be afraid other people would kill him for his actions toward his brother?  Most people in the class believe that Cain and Seth married their sisters.  Genesis 3:20 says “Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.”  Mother of all the living may mean Eve was the first and only woman directly created by God.  It may also mean she was the first of all of the women created by God.  Adam may be the first of all of the men created by God or he may be the only man directly created by God.  The history of the world outlined in Genesis describes my God as omniscient, wonderful, powerful and forgiving. Genesis also represents the beginning of the line of ancestors leading directly to Jesus, God’s own son.  Jesus, God’s son who redeemed us, is the factor of the creation story that is important to my salvation.  I cling to that as unquestionable truth.

Dear God, Help me to be ready to study your word, and share your love and grace with those around me.

Sherilyn Svien

Stephenville,TX

At the Cross

I remember a dark time in my life. The church was going through difficulty; I was going through the wringer. I cried more than I laughed. I sighed more than I prayed. It was during this sad time, Steven came to visit. Steven is our oldest grandson. He was three at the time. We had a ritual he enjoyed. We would go into my office at home, sit on the couch and look at guns. We would talk about hunting and adventure.

That evening, we were looking at a rifle. I was depressed and didn’t want to get up and get it, so I was ignoring him. Then he said, “You know, Pa, when you look through that gun, you see that cross like where Jesus died. He was talking about the cross hairs in the scope. But when he said it, I was shocked back to reality. “What did you say? I asked”. He replied, “You know, that thing that when you look through it, you see that cross like where Jesus died.”  “Tell me about when Jesus died.” So he did.  Every detail.  I was overwhelmed and started to cry. Steven said, “It’s O.K., He’s alive now and He’s coming back.”          

Well, I really started to cry and I went and got Patsy. I sat her down on the other side of Steven and said, “Steven, tell Honey about when Jesus died.” And he did. Only better this time. He added more details and excitement to the story. Now we are both crying. That little guy took our hands in his and said, “It’s O.K., He’s alive you know and he’s coming back. NOTHING CAN STOP JESUS!        

You know, I knew that, but I must have forgotten. I was so busy with my sins and others, that I forgot. So the best sermon I ever heard was from a three year old. “It’s O.K., He’s alive you know, and He’s coming back.”

Dear Father, You sent Your son into darkness to save me. You held nothing back to free me. Thank you for Your great love and great grace. Even when I forget You, You do not forget me. When I am faithless, You are faithful. Help me to remember when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death that You are with me. Help me not to be afraid. Help me to remember You have already won. In the name of Jesus, that name that nothing can stop. I pray. Amen

Paul Shero

San Angelo, Texas