When Grace Meets Our Memories

"I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.  They only heard the report:  'The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.  And they praised God because of me.'"  (Galatians 1:22-24)  

Have you ever taken a long, hard look at yourself and wondered how God could possibly love you, a sinner?  

I talked with a man serving time for multiple counts of child molestation that happened over many years. Tearfully he said, “I’ve been told there’s no hope for someone like me.  Folks say I’ll never change.  I wish I could die and get it over with.”  Listening, I remembered why God came to earth in human form as Jesus, and why He died on the cross. He did it for this man…and for you and for me.  Sin is sin and we’re all guilty.


I replied, “Most people would agree with you, but God doesn’t.  God changes people.  Not by their own strength and determination, but by His power.” 


According to Galatians 1:23 people weren’t sure the Apostle Paul had changed either.  He had a bad reputation as an enemy of Christ’s church.  Read Acts 7:51-60 where Stephen was stoned to death by an angry mob.  Paul was there, “giving approval to his [Stephen’s] death” (verse 60).


I’ll bet Paul had nightmares about that.  I’ll bet he never forgot the whack and thud of stone on bone and Stephen’s cries for God not to hold them accountable for his murder.  But when Paul met God, he couldn’t stay the same.  God changed him.  Paul’s zeal to destroy Christianity paled in comparison to his zeal for spreading Christ’s message of forgiveness and lifestyle changes.  


God, we ask for your Spirit’s guidance in our lives so our eyes can behold you, our hearts can embrace you, and our lives reflect you so we can say like Paul, “And they praised God because of me.”


Sandra Milholland
Abilene, Texas

LIfe's Transitions

Our lives are a series of transitions.  We pass through them like a leaf floating in a river current. Graduations, marriages, children, or retirement are times of great happiness and celebration.   Yet these transitions, these passages tend to become anxious times, perhaps sorrowful, or even regretful moments stealing away the joy we should be experiencing.  We look back and wish for what was, we remember good times and long for them again, we want to hold on tightly to those precious to us, not wishing to let them go, let them grow up, or move on.    

Other transitions involve nothing we enjoy.  Loss of a career, loss of health, a child straying away, a marriage relationship falling apart, or the loss of one we love.  Around every turn in the river of life, instead of looking forward with anticipation we worry “what will happen next”.   

The world we live in leads us to seek happiness to deal with all of this, and we seek it, yet its results are only temporary.  It is no accident, no individual inadequacy that we feel as we do.   Satan wants us to be miserable, looking over our shoulders, and looking in the wrong places and the wrong direction to find relief.  It is a daily battle of monumental proportions.  Recognize the battle, know your enemy and know his lies are to divert us away from our only hope.   We must change our focus from seeking happiness to seeking Christ.   

A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life—life in all its fullness. John 10:10(NCV)
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23(NLT)
You are the giver of life. Your light lets us enjoy life. Psalm 36:9(NCV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13(NIV)
Keep your roots deep in Christ and have your lives built on Christ. Colossians 2:7(NCV)

In Christ there is never too much time that has passed. There is never too little time left.  In Christ there are no regrets or sadness over time's passing or opportunities missed in this world. They are forgotten as we hear His promise and understand there is another, better life we experience on a different plane.  Whether a life-long follower, or a new-born just beginning His hope will overflow in those who trust Him.  It’s a promise He keeps.  The love of God in Christ is new every morning we wake up and it is the source of joy and peace that doesn’t seem possible until you experience it.   It’s worth trying.  It’s worth fighting for.  You won’t believe it could be so good.  Trust Him with everything and there is a new life waiting.   

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Romans 16:20(NIV)

Lord, You have so much in store for me if I will just give You a chance.  You give me the choice and I choose You today.  Thank you for your mercy and patience.  Amen.

Scotty Elston
Shallowater, Texas

Prayer: It's Right in Front of Us

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountain to pray, and spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12).

How many nights have you spent praying to God? If you’ve spent even one, I salute you. I can count on one hand the nights I’ve spent in prayer by taking one finger and one thumb…to form a great big zero!

I’ve never spent an entire night praying, but the number of nights I’ve lain awake fretting are too numerous to count. Dark hours of anxious fear, heart heavy with sadness and worry…I’ll bet you have, too.

How was Jesus able to pray all night long? He had religious leaders dogging him. They hated him and wanted him dead. Multitudes of the curious and needy pressed him daily for signs and begged for favors. A large group of disciples followed him everywhere, hanging on his every word, but they rarely understood him. In their spiritual shortsightedness he was larger than life, and consequently smaller than the Heavenly King he really was.

At the end of “one of those days” in Jesus’ life he did what came naturally. He prayed. Luke 22:44 says of Jesus, “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” The Greek word for anguish tells us that Jesus knows what it’s like to be in dire straits, crushed between a rock and a hard place. He suffered every distress we can think of and some we can’t even imagine.

Like watching a bad movie, we lie awake at night playing and replaying our grievances, anxieties and worst fears.

Loving Heavenly Father, through Jesus who knows, forgive us for neglecting your precious gift of prayer, and thank you for the peaceful rest that’s ours because of your active presence in our lives. Amen.

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas

Modesty

I have been recently conflicted about a Bible verse. I discovered the bead stores in Stephenville when my daughter, Kim, said “Come make a necklace with me at the bead store”. I don’t have many creative bones in my body, but I was willing to try. We each made a necklace; Kim’s was very pretty.  Her comment about mine was, it was very “Mom-like”.  I have improved since that first effort and now I really enjoy “bead therapy”, making whimsical necklaces as gifts for friends and family.  Now for the conflict:

   

 1 Peter 3:3-4   NIV

3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 

I was hoping the verse I remembered prohibiting “putting on of gold jewelry” was in the Old Testament and had been made irrelevant by the new law. No such luck.

Is Peter telling us we should not wear jewelry; we should not braid our hair?  I am of the generation that did not wear makeup, jewelry, or nice clothes.  In high school I was most comfortable wearing patched old blue jeans and plaid flannel shirts. I didn’t wear jewelry anyway, so it was never a concern or an issue. When Doug and I got married, we were youngsters in college with part-time jobs. We didn’t spend money on things like fine clothes or jewelry.  It was simple to comply with Peter’s guidance to let your “adorning be the …imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit”. Now, I am older with more wrinkles and laugh lines. Jewelry is designed to attract attention and deflect notice from other areas.

Peter is not prohibiting wearing jewelry, braiding hair, and wearing fine clothes.  He is suggesting that women should not become obsessed with worldly things. Women should win their husbands to Christ with a gentle and quiet spirit, inner beauty. The current U.S. society is as obsessed with physical beauty as the ancient Greek society.  Too many girls are having cosmetic surgery to change their bodies and attract male attention.  The clothing I see young women and wives wear is much more provocative than it should be. The immodest clothing generally attracts the wrong type of attention, anyway. Women of faith should only consider the attention of men who look at a woman’s heart and character. It is important to keep in mind marriage is a life commitment and your values will be passed to your children. I recently heard a quote that fits this discussion, “Don’t marry a man unless you would be proud to have a son exactly like him”.

When we were first married, my husband pointed out a blouse I was wearing was too low cut.  I would never have thought so, but since that was his opinion, it made an impression on me.  From that time to the current, I always consider whether the clothing I wear is modest enough for my husband’s judgment before I leave the house.  

I have adopted a more unconventional style of dress, recently. The new style is a little out of character for an accountant. I like the flowing skirts, shawls, scarves and layers of comfortable, light fabrics because they are reminiscent of my youth, and fun to wear with my newly created bead necklaces. Dare to be different!

Dear God, Please continue to walk with me each day. Help me to be a woman of gentle and quiet spirit. I want to be a respectable example to young wives and women, pleasing to you, and to my husband.

Sherilyn Svien

Stephenville, Texas

Jesus Waits for our Invitation

Luke 24:13-29 tells the story of 2 disciples leaving Jerusalem 3 days after the crucifixion of Jesus. They are 7 miles outside of Jerusalem walking down the road to Emmaus discussing everything that has happened. They encounter a man on the road, who appears to have no knowledge of the events. They share everything they had witnessed.  Then this same man tells them that they are slow of heart to believe and shares every prophecy that was ever made regarding Jesus.  Soon after, they reach the village and the man acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us...”

If you know this story, you know the man was Jesus himself. The men were kept from recognizing him.  In this story, Jesus had risen from the grave earlier that day and yet he does not force himself on anyone. He lays out the truth before the men and keeps walking. He leaves them with a choice and this day they choose Him. They urge him to come to their home.

I recently read the book, “Tortured for Christ” by Richard Wurmbrand. He tells of preaching the good news of Jesus in communist countries. One story he told, not of torture, but of a man’s conversion touched my heart and made me think. The man’s name is Piotr (Peter) and he was 20 when he heard the story of Jesus. Piotr had grown up under communist rule. He had been told what to like, what to dislike, what to do and what to believe. There had been no choice in his first 20 years of life. Upon his conversion, he was asked what verse in the Bible most influenced him to come to Christ. He said, “Luke 24:28 because, as the two disciples drew near to the village, He[Jesus]indicated that He would have gone farther”. Piotr said, “ Jesus is polite. He wished to be very sure that He was desired. When He saw that He was welcomed, He gladly entered the house with them. In contrast, the communists are impolite. They enter by violence into our hearts and minds. They force us to listen to them from morning to late in the night. They do it with our schools, radio, newspapers, posters, movies and atheistic meetings with godless propaganda everywhere we turn. Jesus respects our freedom. He gently knocks at the door of our heart.”

After Piotrs’ conversion he repeatedly risked life and liberty to smuggle Christian literature in for the underground church. His brothers and sisters witnessed so much evil from Satan through communistic brainwashing and torture of their friends and family they vowed not to let Satan enter even 1% of their heart. They are completely devoted to Christ.  

In our neighborhoods, in America, with much freedom and the ability to worship without being arrested, we must not take this freedom for granted. There is a war between Jesus and Satan. Let’s join our persecuted brethren and stand up for Jesus, always.

Rev 3: 20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

Terry Smith
Stephenville, TX

Mother's Day in 3D

“  An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
   The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
   She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.

   Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
   She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
   She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
   Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her” – Proverbs 31:10-12, 25-28

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life
so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.  

--Selected

Hope in Christ

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:11

Hard times have not only shaken my hope, but they’ve allowed me to see I often misplace my hope. Sometimes, I experience disappointment because I have put my hope in material things, in money, a job and even in success.  But the apostle Paul had a different claim, “Hope in Christ does not disappoint.”  That’s good advice from a man who had many reasons to despair throughout his life. He often found himself hungry, naked, shipwrecked, beaten and imprisoned. Instead of losing all hope, Paul preached to his soul, like the Psalmist did in the verse above. They both chose to put hope in God alone. No matter the outcome, Paul was not disappointed.

In our lives, we may lose hope, but the God of all hope has not lost us. That’s when it’s especially important to cling tightly to the truth of 2 Corinthians 4:8, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.”  

While trouble may surround us, we are not alone. When we feel hedged in by doubt, we can remember we have a Helper, who is our great support. God is our hope. We don’t have to be perplexed, uncertain or concerned about our future. He has promised to deliver us.

We experience deliverance from hopelessness by remembering Christ’s counsel. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus is saying that financial trouble will come, health will falter, children may rebel, and loved ones will die … but He has overcome it all. Christ is bigger than any trouble you and I face.

I am learning to give up the illusion of a trouble-free life. In this fallen world, it’s just not possible. Desiring a life unmarked by pain and problems is misplaced hope. God never promised we’d be happy and healthy. No. He promised if we would trust Him in the midst of adverse circumstances, we would not be disappointed. That, my friends, is a hope we can hold on to.Dear Lord, I’m finished and done with putting my hope in people, things, and position. Today, I’m putting my hope in You alone. Even if my circumstances don’t change, I will trust You to fill me with Your peace and provide the strength I need to make it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Casey Dacus
Graham, TX