Jehovah God

Did you follow the recent story of the destruction of a luxury home perched on a cliff at Lake Whitney? If not, check out http://m.ksat.com/Luxury-home-teetering-75-feet-above-Texas-lake/26435084. This home was built because of the wonderful view of the lake. The homeowners recently purchased the house with faith that the rock cliff would be a firm foundation indefinitely. This was not the case and, sadly, they watched their home crumble as the cliff fell away.  The house was condemned and had to be destroyed to avoid additional safety and environmental problems. Many spectators watched as the mansion fell into Lake Whitney.

I was sitting in my backyard contemplating what had happened and it made me think of America. Many in our country are building their faith on unreliable foundations. Those foundations are developing some deep cracks and lives are crumbling as a result. Many are experiencing the unsettling feeling of insecurity. As each day passes, we are the spectators watching American lives teetering on the brink of destruction.

The word of God is the only reliable, solid foundation to restore a feeling of security. Read first Chronicles, chapter 16. Focus your attention on a few words selected from several of the verses. Jehovah God is calling us to remember!

Vs 8 “Give thanks to Jehovah”

Vs 9 “Sing praises; talk of His works”

Vs 10 “Glory in His name”

Vs 11 “Seek His face”

Vs 12 “Remember his marvelous works”

Vs 14 “He is Jehovah our God, his judgments are in all the earth”

Vs 15 “Remember His covenant is forever”

Vs 23 “Show forth his salvation from day to day”

Vs 29 “Ascribe the glory due Him”

Vs 30 “Tremble before Him, all the earth”

Vs 32 “Let the sea roar, let the field exult”

Vs 33 “Trees sing for joy”

Vs 34 “His loving kindness endures forever”

Vs 35 “Save us oh God and deliver us”

Vs 36 “Blessed be Jehovah, from everlasting to everlasting”       

Don’t be deceived by the many opportunities to build your life on a shifting foundation. Jehovah God is the only solid, reliable foundation.  He is our center, our core, our stability, our guide and our salvation. We are called to live in the world but not of the world.  Take courage from Isaiah 44:8, “Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” Also, I Samuel 2:2, “There is none holy like the Lord; for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”

Dear Father, It gives me joy that you are my God.  It would be so sad to live in this world without you. I need you as my center and my foundation for life. Thank you for your promises. Thank you for being my Rock. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that lives within my core to stabilize me.

Terry Smith
Stephenville, TX

Like a Father

The recent observance of Father’s Day was, for me, a special time to remember and reflect on the significant, positive impact my father had on my life.  He was strong and gentle at the same time.  A man of principles and high expectations, yet his humility allowed him to be patient with those that didn’t see things his way.  I appreciated his self-confident nature and never questioned his unconditional love.

I realize the good memories of my father-child experience are not shared by all.  Who knows, in today’s culture, my experiences may even be atypical.  Sadly, some were mistreated by their fathers and some don’t even know the identity of their fathers.  Despite the harsh reality for some families, the positive role model is what was intended in a father, and it is definitely more preferred.

God is likened to a father in the Bible.  Depending on your perspective, this comparison can be an inspiration or an obstacle.  Before you negatively prejudge God’s character, listen to these “fatherly” attributes:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  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.  As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we were formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:8-14

God is a father of love and compassion.  He is sympathetic to our needs.  He is gentle when we make mistakes and patient with our slowness.  He is willing and able to forgive our sins.  God is tender-hearted, wanting us to share in his blessings.  Therefore, he is merciful and kind, even when undeserved.  It is my prayer you will know the Lord God as a father of compassion.

Carl Smith
Stephenville, Texas

Courage Seen, Courage Shown

"Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” 

 --Paul, to the Philippian saints (Philippians 1:14)

Being imprisoned for one’s faith in Jesus Christ was not news to Christians in ancient Philippi.  When Paul and his friends first brought the message of Jesus to this European city, he and Silas were thrown into prison…in the inner cell”. (Acts 16:23ff.)  Years later, imprisoned in Rome for his faith in Jesus, Paul wrote to encourage the Philippians who now also were suffering.   “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” (Philippians 1:29ff.”)

Thus the courage Paul demonstrated through his trials proved a blessing to others that observed such.  They were “encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”  (1:14.) Similarly, we draw strength from the noble endurance of others amid trials who are suffering for Jesus’ sake.  Believers in Asia Minor faced “painful trial” from a pagan world and it rulers.    Peter described such as “…the devil…as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”(1 Peter 5: 8.) What can one do under such duress?  “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (v. 9.)

Faith and fellowship are two great counterattacks God enables us to employ when Satan attacks us. Faith assures us that God is alive, and in control, and that it pays to serve Him. (Hebrews 11:6.)  Fellowship reminds we are not alone, and that others understand, have endured, and are ready to encourage us.

It may be the faith of ten Laotian believers imprisoned in Vientiane for sixteen months for meeting to study God’s word in the home of a teen-aged sister in Jesus. She and another young Christian lady spent the nights in a male prison, taking turns to lie on the floor of a broom closet, seeking sleep. Some days they were compelled to sit on a corrugated tin roof in the prison under a blazing Southeast Asia sun, or in the daily deluge of monsoon rains.  The saints had been betrayed to the atheistic authorities by a false brother.  It may be the faith of their wives with their babies, continuing to trust God while they waited in hope for their loved ones’ release.  It could be the quiet example of a mother, serving God as she cares for her children while praying night and day for the conversion of her husband, the children’s father. It may be seen in the acceptance of an older saint, burdened with the weakness and diseases of age.  It may be the answers of a babe in Jesus to unfriendly questions about faith in a righteous God, while burdened with concern for friends deceived by the post-modern mantra that “there is neither an Eternal God nor an absolute moral standard.”  Notwithstanding, God as He has in every age, by the faith, courage and hopeful endurance we see in the daily walk of faith by others encourages us.  

In God’s strength let us be such an encouraging example to others around us in our own generation.

Ted Kell

Brownwood, Texas

Dining with the Messiah

Her example is inspiring and fascinating.   She brought her most-valued possession. A courageous and humble act, she washed his feet with her tears, used her hair as a towel to dry them, with great affection she kissed His feet and anointed them with perfume of great value.

 Simon hosted the Messiah in his home.  He doubted Him to be a prophet.  Simon overlooked common hospitality of the day:  no water to wash dusty feet,no kiss of salutation, nor refreshment of anointing oil before the meal.

Jesus knew the hearts & thoughts of both.  He commended her faith, recognized her acts of service expressing great love.  He sent her on her way, reaffirming her forgiveness and blessing her with peace.

Jesus masterfully taught Simon through a parable of debtors.  Simon saw only the sinful past of the woman-seemingly unaware of his own sinful ways, sins tucked away in the heart, yet clearly visible through his actions; pride and doubt among them.

Following her example-let us grow in grace, humility, gratitude, generosity, loving and worship of our Savior. Avoiding Simon’s example-let us be faith-filled, sensitive & repentant of our own sinfulness, less judgmental, hospitable and aware of our desperate need for the forgiveness found in Jesus alone.

Find the complete story in:  Luke 7:36-50      

A well-known Christian song explores the heart of the woman and our own identity within her story.

Alabaster Box by Cece Winans

The room grew still as she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain

Some spoke in anger heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster

I can't forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box I'd thought I'd found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul with the wonder of His touch
So now I'm giving back to Him
All the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven
And that's why
I love Him so much

And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don't know the cost of my praise
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

Each moment we have a choice to live one of these examples; which will the world see in you & me today?

Gracious, Loving Father,

Your great love and faithfulness amaze us.  Thank you for the precious gift and sacrifice of Jesus.  May we live forgiven and free to love all.  Thank you for the blessing of abiding peace.  May we live as gracious and generous “kingdom” people.  May we never forget the debt we can never repay-keep us humble, Father.

Through the name of Jesus, Amen

Mischelle Oliver, Stephenville TX

WARNING: This Post Could Offend Regular Churchgoers.

“I miss seeing you.” - God

That’s the message on the sign outside a church in my rural community.  I feel certain the people who meet there are good, well-intentioned folks.  I feel certain they love God and try to live good lives.  

I just wonder if they believe God only misses seeing people at the building where they meet.

Now, I have no doubts God is pleased to see people at worship services.  I am sure he rejoices at the sight of his people rejoicing.  

My problem with the sign is that I feel like it sends a message that God wants to see us in church and leaves out the greater message that God wants to be present in our lives everyday, in every situation.  Always.  God sees me Monday through Friday at work.  At the gym.  At home.  He sees me on Saturday too.  Where I go, he goes.  

I have been a clock puncher.  One of those people who showed

up at church 3 times a week.  I even showed up at times when I did not want to go because I heard I would feel better if I went.  Does God really want me to feel better about doing something I don't want to do?  Or, does he want my heart and my life every minute of every day?  Does he want me to “go to church” or be the church in every nook and cranny of my life?

“Go and make disciples by baptizing them and bringing them to church…”  Huh?  That’s not what scripture says but it represents my take on the gospel at certain times in my earlier life.  “Do not forsake the assembly” is a phrase that was pounded in my head.  I still believe assembly is important and something I desire but now I think the message should be “do not forsake living as the church at every moment so the lost and hurting will desire to be a disciple, will desire to give their life to Christ.”  I don’t want church attendance to ever be the most important message I can put on my sign.  I want to go much deeper with God and his desire for my life.  

As I write this, I realize people may read it and think, "He's on a soapbox!"  I’m not.  I’m talking to me. You see, I used to follow the Gospel of doctrine and church attendance.  I used to believe if I followed the “rules” and showed up at the building, I was doing God’s will.  It struck me recently when I heard a professing Christian say that “my Christianity does not have anything to do with my job.”  Wow!  Then I realized that is how I have lived most of my life.  I was a Sunday Christian but the rest of the week was mine.  At work, I focused on work and not people.  On weekends, I had fun because we worked hard and played hard and it was time to play.  

God did not miss seeing me at church.  He missed seeing me “be church”.  And, I think, he missed me seeing him anywhere besides a big building.  

Community and relationships are core to the Gospel message.  Church attendance is not.  Love the Lord your God will all your heart, mind and soul is critical.  If I do that right, forsaking the assembly won’t be a problem.  

God wants me to be a disciple.  God wants to see me every day and know that I am living to glorify him. God wants so much more from me than just seeing me on a pew on Sunday and, I am confident he misses seeing me more when I don’t show up to help the hurting and lost than when I fail to show up at the meeting place.  

I hope you enjoy your worship experiences.  I hope you long for them and can’t wait to meet together with the saints.  And, I hope you show up every day knowing God misses you when his disciple isn’t at work, at the gym, on the streets, wherever he needs us and has called us.

Grace and peace.

Jeff Jones

Decatur, Texas

THE POWER OF AN INVITATION

Most of us have difficulty in realizing the value of as simple a thing as an invitation to a worship service. 

A professor of English and an instructor of Russian at the Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts in Chickasha, does not question the worth of a personal invitation. He recently penned the emotions of one who responded to such a call. It is hoped that his experience will encourage you and me to invite “that person” to hear the

gospel of Christ.  Here is what he said!

"In the past ten years, it has been my privilege to stand within the walls of some of the great cathedrals and churches of Europe. I have attended services in the Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris, in Westminster Abbey of London, in St. Stephens Cathedral of Vienna and in a host of other religious buildings, both large and small, both grandiose and simple, in 16 foreign countries. I have visited in synagogues and in Greek and Russian Orthodox shrines. I have had contact in the past ten years with 500 religious groups. And my attendance at each of these services came because of an invitation from a person who was a member of the faith involved.

But never, in my entire lifetime, had I been inside a church of Christ until five years ago. I had never been invited. Yet, as I have gone back in church directories of towns where I have lived and worked, I have found that more than half of them in this country have had congregations of the Lord’s church—including my home town where I spent the first 18 years of my life.

Still it was not until I moved to Chickasha and not until I had been here two years that I was invited to and did attend a service of the Lord’s church. Nor do I recall knowing, until five years ago, a person who said he was a member of the church of Christ. I must leave this thought with you! Had someone in the church taken the initiative years earlier, I, today, might be a member of the church of 21 years’ standing rather than of five

years. What about those you know?"

T.W. Pickard

With the Ink of His Life

I lost a friend a few days ago.  Yesterday, I had the privilege of standing by his family, a family that has been a part of my life for a long time.  They are as dear to me as anybody on the planet.  A small but close-knit group gathered to remember his presence among us and the true gift that he was to each of us.  It was my privilege to share some thoughts about his life.

He is one of the kindest, most tender-hearted human beings I have ever known.  His physical presence was humble and unassuming.  His physical abilities were limited.  

As I thought about his 58 years, from the first day I met him, he always reminded me of a 747 jet. They fly at 30,000 feet or better.  Moving at a high rate of speed, high above all the hustle and bustle of life, they nonetheless move along smoothly and quietly.  Human existence with all of its messes and struggles carries on beneath you....out of sight.  John's simple and unadulterated joy had a way of taking you "above it all" and reacquainting you with the simple joys of life...of faith, too.  He didn't do it intentionally; that's just who he was.  It's how he was wired.  

As I reminisced and scratched out words that were an understatement of the work of art that was his life, I couldn't help but think about the world and in particular the culture we live in.  It glamorizes the sheik, the powerful, and the accomplished.  John didn't have a resume.  Didn't have much to put on one...by our standards.  He didn't go to school.  He met few if any "movers and shakers."  His social circle was small. 

Late in the night and early into the morning, my mind kept reflecting back to an episode in John chapter nine. Jesus' disciples, having drunk from the well of tradition-history on the subject of evil and suffering, misframed a question and put it before Jesus.  I can imagine Jesus sighing, looking in the direction of the blind man, and waving aside their shoddy assumptions with his crisp reply: "He was born so that the mighty works of God could be displayed through him."

In our vernacular, he says, "God is at work here if you have eyes to see it!"

I couldn't help but think of the ways in which we are programmed by our culture to look at people - size them up.  We are conditioned to look at the wrapping.  We don't look deeper.  We don't see persons.  We don't ask the big questions.  John was a teacher.  He taught what was central to Jesus and His kingdom.

As I wrote, reflected, and wept, I was led to Matthew chapter eighteen.  Irony of ironies, the disciples ask who is the greatest in the kingdom.  I imagine Jesus sighing...again.  He looks at some children playing, eyes one and says, "Come over here....sit right here. Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus didn't say, "Give it some thought...toss it around...do it on Mondays."  No.  All or nothing.  My friend was a walking demonstration of this truth every day of his life.

All of this sends a few questions through my heart:

• Do we think about what we see in people and why we see it?
• What should we be looking for in people? 
• What is God screaming at me every day that I am too drunk with all the wrong thoughts to recognize?  What if we sobered up and saw rightly for a change?  
• In what ways do I look "whole" by cultural standards but severely lacking by heaven's standards?  It's a hard question.  It's a necessary question.  
• Am I a grownup...really?  How much does vanity rule my life?  How much time do I spend thinking about...me?  
• And, what if I could bring to a day of life what John brought to a day in his life?  How would I be different? How would my relationships be transformed?  What could God do with me that He can't do because I'm too drunk on all the wrong things to see and hear as I should?

More questions come to mind, but I will stop with these. Preparing for his memorial took me on a beautiful journey into the past, bringing into the foreground of my mind the names and faces of people just like him who had imprinted on my life in quiet but profound ways. The pen God gave them was simple looking at a glance but God wrote with it in breathtaking ways.

Refreshing winds continue to blow through my heart as I ponder John's life.  In the germ of his simple world was the truth of what life and faith are really about. I pray that the ink God used in his life to testify to what really matters can bleed over into my pen, too.  My life story has been better for it.  I pray it continues.

Thank you, brother.

Father, for friends and teachers like John I give you thanks.  They help me and I pray each of us to live life in the trenches with a 30,000 foot perspective.  Amen.

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas