7.7.2014 Where is your Faith?

Dear Heavenly Father,   You are our creator and you have given us life. Your words are powerful and can create something from nothing. Thank you for loving us. Help us to quiet our minds for the next few minutes to dwell on you and your life giving words. Teach us the truths you have for each of us from this passage. In Jesus name we pray, Amen Hebrews 11:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

² This is what the ancients were commended for.

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

What is Faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us faith is being sure that the things we hope for will happen and knowing something is real even if we cannot see it because we trust the one who told us.   In order to have faith we must trust the one we are putting our faith in. Truth is the bases of trust. We must believe the person who tells us something is reliable. If we don’t trust a person we will not believe him. We can trust the things we see but we must trust the promise maker to have faith in what he says. The people mentioned in Hebrews 11 were commended for their faith because they trusted God and His promises and lived their lives like the promise was true. They never saw the fulfillment of the promise yet they had faith in God to do what He said. They gained God’s approval because of their faith.

How do we get faith? The Bible tells us in Romans 10:17.

¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

When we read the Bible we see the promises God made to His people. Some of the promises have been fulfilled and because of that we can trust God’s faithfulness and that He will fulfill the rest of his promises. God is unchanging, His words are true, and His promises are always fulfilled. We have faith in God when we believe His promises.

At the beginning of the year I choose a word to pray for the year. I choose the word contentment. Through time in His word God has shown me that to have contentment I must trust Him and His promises. I needed to determine if I would find contentment in my surroundings or in God. Do I trust Him completely in all things? I can have peace, joy, hope and contentment through Jesus and anything else is empty. Jesus has won the war with Satan. As Pastor said yesterday All our battles are winnable because of Jesus. God has promised to be with me and to give me all I need.   I need to take my eyes off of the glitter of the world and focus on the truths and promises of Jesus to find contentment, peace, joy and hope. Regardless of what the world says I can choose to have faith and believe Jesus’ promises. I have no reason not to be content.

Where is your faith?

Is it on Jesus or your circumstances?

Do you need a fresh faith focused on the truths and promises of Jesus?

Dear Heavenly Father,   Thank you that you have given us everything we need to have complete trust and faith in you. Thank you for the assurance that you always keep your promises. Help us keep our focus on you to find fulfillment and contentment. You are trustworthy and have won the battle for us. Thank you for being with us, loving us and giving us all we need. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Charleen

7.3.14 Rejoice in the Hope!

Thursday, July 3, 2014 Rejoice in the Hope

Good morning. May the meditations of hearts be lead by Jesus, now and throughout our day.

Romans 5:1-5

The New King James Version (NKJV)

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The Message (MSG)

5 ^1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

^3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Wow…the expectations of our heavenly Father, for you and me, afforded to us through faith in the Son and brought to reality in our lives by way of His love and mercy…His grace! I think that’s what Pastor would have us characterize as Big”T” Truth!...and through grace we have access to the Father…to be in relationship with Him…through the doors of our lives being opened by way of Christ..opened to the fullness of life, basking in the glory of God the Father through His doorway…which was always open. Thank you Jesus!

The part about standing really caught my attention this morning. Especially in relation to where we are in Pastor’s message series in Eph. 6 “Stand firm then..” and what all that entails.

You see, how Paul describes “standing firm” is not how the world or satan would have us see it…much less experience it. In this world of instant gratification that we live in, we want to get right to the “hope” part, and then define that hope based on how we feel at the moment. But our heavenly Father’s expectations for his children is much, much bigger than that. The hope that you and I have is brought to and amplified in our lives through patience, perseverance, and good character that is forged in the true virtues of Christ...by way of his sufferings and grace, we get to live a life of expectancy each and every day. So, together, let’s suit up and ask…What do you have for me this day, Lord?...and let’s do it with the assurance that in our sufferings we can “…rejoice in hope of the glory of God”.

Sure would like to hear from you.

Blessings to you and yours,

jim

7.2.14 Jesus is the Way to the Father!

Jesus is the Way to the Father  

Heavenly Father, thank you for this time we have together.  I thank You for the many blessings You’ve poured into my life, known and unknown, and praise You for the work you’ve begun in me.  Quiet my mind and thoughts, that I can hear only You.  Amen.

John 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God^[a]; believe also in me. ² 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? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In this age of information, we are hearing more and more about the world’s faith life.  Do they believe in God?  Do they believe in “our” God?  I have heard many people declare that we mustn’t judge other people’s “gods” – how do we know their god isn’t the same as ours?  Well, to me, these verses make it very clear.  To be called a true Christian, we must believe not only in God the Father, but we must believe in God the Son, Jesus.  It reminds me of some conversations I had two years ago.

I had the honor of sharing God’s Word in Kitengela, Kenya two years ago.  Our group was there operating a vision clinic – we examined people’s eyes, and determined if they needed glasses.  One of the “stations” at the clinic was called “triage”, where we would share the Gospel with Kenyans and pray with them.  We would sit and talk (sometimes through a translator, either a Kenyan pastor or “vicar”), and we would ask them if they believed they were going to heaven.  We also gave them a coin that had the verse, John 3:16, on it in English on one side and Swahili on the other.  Sometimes they were uncertain about going to heaven, and they would say, “Well, I think so”, or “I hope so”.  I would ask them why they were uncertain, and they would tell me about their troubles in life – a shaky marriage, or children addicted to drugs, or unemployment.  I would ask them to read the coin, and then ask, “Does it say “For God so loved the word that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever “has a perfect marriage” or “is rich” or “has successful children” or “has a great job” has eternal life? J  They would smile and say no, the verse says that we must believe that God gave His Son as a sacrifice for us.  I would hug them (and usually cry), and then we would pray and take their personal challenges to Jesus’ feet.

We must daily do the same, remembering that God sent His Son for us – it is nothing we do that that secures life in heaven with Him except our faith in Jesus, his sacrifice, and his resurrection.

Heavenly Father, please send your Holy Spirit to remind me daily that Jesus is the only way to you.  Make me bold as I walk through this life to share this simple but profound truth.  We thank You and we praise You for this gift of love and grace.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

kristi

*Spoiler Alert! The Devil Lies!*

Our Scripture for today is John 8: 31 & 32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

How easily do you fall for a lie? Do you sniff them out easily, or are you more likely to want to see the good and try to believe what someone is telling you could be true? Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting to believe people have the best of intentions. It is when that wanting overshadows common sense and our hearts or spirits get damaged by someone’s deceit. When we are lied to enough we are in danger of that lie becoming truth in our lives; we might reason, “He/she keeps saying that…maybe it is true. Maybe I really am (insert lie here).

The flip side of that coin is never believing the truth. Sometimes we have been hurt so badly we are skeptical of everyone and everything. We might think, “Oh heck no, I will never let anyone close to me again! He/she/they taught me that I can’t trust anyone!” We all fall into each category at different times in our lives, it seems.

Jesus is telling us, without question or hesitation, in our verses today that He IS Truth and He WILL set us free from the lies and hurts we gather as we travel through life. We have to commit to spending time in His Word, getting to know Him. The New Testament is filled with stories of Jesus’ love, His perfect and complete Love, which He shares readily with us! The “formula” is so simple: Read the Bible, talk with Jesus in prayer, really get to know His heart and follow Him!

The thing is there is a 3rd party throwing a wrench into the works keeping us out of our Bibles when he can. He is our enemy; he hates us with venom we cannot even begin to comprehend. He is a devil, his name is Satan, and he is real. Satan is so hostile toward us and God that he will do anything to make us believe we are NOT loved by God – he will lie, trick us, break our hearts, steal our joy…anything it takes to get us to believe God’s Love isn’t for us. The devil’s joy comes through our heartache and pain – he is the father of lies (John 8: 44).

However, Satan cannot stand in the presence of God; he will never be welcomed where God is Present. Ask God to be present with you every morning, spend even a few minutes in His Word, and communicate with Him throughout the day - Satan will have no choice but to flee! Below I will add an excerpt from the Daily Prayer by John Eldredge that Pastor has mentioned many times in worship. It is a truly transformational prayer!

Let Jesus love on you today; God delights in His kids (that’s you and me, by the way) and wants our attention, as well as to lavish us with His attention! What better way to say, “I love you, Jesus! You are my Truth, my Light, my Everything!” than to share space in our hearts and minds with Him?

Blessings friends, Jennifer

A Daily Prayer by John Eldredge

My dear Lord Jesus, I come to you now to be restored in you - to renew my place in you, my allegiance to you, and to receive from you all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day. I honor you as my sovereign Lord, and surrender every aspect of my life totally and completely to you. I give you my body as a living sacrifice; I give you my heart, soul, mind, and strength; and I give you my spirit as well. I cover myself with your blood –my spirit, my soul, and my body. And I ask your Holy Spirit to restore my union with you, seal me in you, and guide me in this time of prayer. In all that I now pray, I include (my spouse, and/or my children, by name). Acting as their head, I bring them under my authority and covering, and I come under your authority and covering. Holy Spirit, apply to them all that I now pray on their behalf.

Dear God, holy and victorious Trinity, you alone are worthy of all my worship, my heart’s devotion, all my praise and all my trust and all the glory of my life. I worship you, bow to you, and give myself over to you in my heart’s search for life. You alone are Life, and you have become my life. I renounce all other gods, all idols, and I give you the place in my heart and in my life that you truly deserve. I confess here and now that it is all about you, God, and not about me. You are the Hero of this story, and I belong to you. Forgive me, God, for my every sin. Search me and know me and reveal to me any aspect of my life that is not pleasing to you, expose any agreements I have made, and grant me the grace of a deep and true repentance.

6.30.14 "Dead to Sin! Alive through Christ!"

Colossians 2:13-15 ¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made youalive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Several images came to mind for me while reading this passage.  First, the story of Dorian Gray, the timeless literary piece about a young man blessed with stunning good looks which eventually consumed him.  As the story goes at the time of his prime Dorian sat for a portrait that managed to capture his incredible likeness.  Dorian became depressed when faced with the truth (little “t” as Pastor put in the sermon yesterday) that the picture would always be stunning, but he would eventually age and die.  In the flesh he wished with all his heart that it could be he that remained handsome and ageless while the portrait took on the inevitable.  In the story, the wish was granted and with no consequences for his actions, Dorian went on to live a life of unspeakable sin, crime, and decadence, sneaking glimpses occasionally of the portrait which of course hideously bore the weight of his deeds.  But ultimately, all that sin was transferred from the portrait to the flesh and the well-deserved consequences for Dorian’s choices was a very painful end.   How would you respond if suddenly there were no consequences for your actions?  Would your choices be different than those of the character Dorian Gray?  Would GOD forgive?

The second image is one that has become an Ash Wednesday tradition at PoG.  If you look very closely at the cross displayed at the left front of the sanctuary of the church you will notice it is covered with holes, more specifically nail holes.  Part of the PoG Ash Wednesday tradition involves a station that allows participants to reflect on their sins, write them down on a piece of paper, and nail them to that cross.   That cross is indeed holy but are our sins really transferred to that cross?

Laboring very intently just under the surface of both these images is what Pastor calls the 3^rd party.  The story of Dorian Gray is particularly dark with the presence of a force encouraging selfish indulgence and wickedness.  On the faces of those of us who sit at that station on Ash Wednesday and contemplate what we’ve done and what we’ve left undone is the question why?  Why do we do these things?  Indeed we too have been encouraged to participate in the wiles of the flesh.  But, does GOD forgive?

The message of this passage provides the answer and the answer is good news.  We are most certainly forgiven, no matter how bad, no matter how many times!  Think of the toy “Etch a Sketch” which allows you to create drawings on a slate using knobs and by just flipping it over and shaking it, all of the drawings are gone!  The slate is clean, no matter how bad, no matter how many times.  We simply cannot out sin the grace of our GOD through the sacrifice of HIS Son JESUS CHRIST!

Great and Magnificent GOD of the universe we thank and praise YOU this Monday morning no matter where we are, no matter what the situation.  Remind us that we need not fear or worry because YOU have already handled the consequences; YOU are in charge of the day.  Put us in that place LORD that ensures us of YOUR mighty presence and most importantly, YOUR incredible love!  In CHRIST name we pray. Amen.

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture! What is it saying to you today? How does it relate to your life right now? How does it relate to the message from Sunday? Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is: Psalm 70

1 Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, LORD, to help me. 2 May those who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. 3 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame. 4 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The LORD is great!” 5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; LORD, do not delay.

Share your thoughts! What is God saying to you today?

A Crafty Serpent

The scripture for today is Genesis 3: 1-7 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Dictionary.com defines the word crafty as “skillful in underhand or evil schemes; cunning; deceitful; sly”.  As I picture the serpent slithering toward Eve, I hear the hiss of his voice, sense the plotting mind seeking to destroy her precious relationship with God through subtly twisting and distorting the truth.  Note how subtly he questions her – “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Eve replied that they could eat from the trees in the garden, just not the one in the middle.  If they touched it, they would die.  The serpent then tells Eve that they won’t die; instead they will become knowledgeable of good and evil, like God.  Notice how sly the serpent is, using her desire for knowledge and power to deceive her into disobedience.

Just like Eve, we are vulnerable to the serpent, Satan.  He knows enough about our sinful natures to craft lies and deception that feed right into our weaknesses.  In his book, “Gods at War”, Pastor Kyle Idleman teaches that we all have a God-shaped hole that can only be filled by God. When we seek to fill that hole with something other than God; pleasure (food, sex, entertainment), power (success, money, achievement), and love (romance, family, me) – we are allowing our sinful nature to lead us into idolatry and away from the Father who loves us.

Pastor preaches on an unholy trinity – our sinful nature, the world, and the forces of evil. This was a new teaching for me and I have found myself reflecting on that teaching since I heard it.

Satan is the prince of this world and the world is full of his deception.  We are bombarded with images and advertising that tell us that we must be beautiful, wealthy, famous, and educated; we must have the fancy car, clothes, and house; we deserve the latest electronic gadgets, the vacation of a lifetime, and the most fulfilling job.  Our sinful nature and its tendency toward idolatry are fed by the world around us.  Satan, the force of evil, is so clever.  He recognizes our desire for status, knowledge, and power – the human tendency to want to be gods of our own lives.  He then uses our sinful nature and human frailty to create lies – lies that destroy our relationship with God, with ourselves, with our families, with our friends and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Rather than focusing on our value as a beloved child of God, made in his own image, we focus on the lie that we aren’t successful enough, beautiful enough, talented enough, and powerful enough, etc.

Father, I pray that I can take up YOUR armor, put it on and stand confidently against the powers of evil.  Remind me each day that I am YOUR precious child, washed clean by the blood of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am “enough” – I do not have to conform to the value that the sinful world around me places on me.  My enemy, Satan, is a defeated enemy.  In YOUR Son, I am victorious against the powers and principalities of this world.

 Kelly

6.26.14 "Devour!"

Welcome to the PoG blog! The scripture for today is 1 Peter 5: ⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

"Devour" is a powerful word!  It is like we discussed on Sunday in the message at PoG, "The evil one is relentless and conscienceless!"  The idea that there is an enemy out there that is prowling around seeking to devour me and those important to me - well that is a little shocking.  It seems Peter wants to get our attention with this comment!

My mind goes to yesterday's scripture when Jesus said, "...the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy..."!

Devour...destroy... this enemy is real and relentless!  I think Peter and Jesus want me to first of all take this enemy seriously.

Secondly, Peter and Jesus want me to take the resources I have at my disposal and use them in the battle!  The good news is that I can "resist him, standing firm in the faith, knowing I am not alone but fellow believers around the world are fighting as well and that God will restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast."

If I take the battle seriously then I have to take God's solution seriously!  It is only God's weapons and resources that will work.

As I write this I am feeling a little attacked.  I sense the enemy trying to steal joy, devour hope, kill love and destroy relationships today!  Right now I am rising up to believe - to stand firm in the faith - to trust that Jesus has conquered him and that in His Name I can resist the devil.  "In the name of Jesus I come against Satan and all forces of evil that are trying to mess around with me and my family today.  I come under the reign of Jesus in this moment and declare the kingdom of God, the rule and reign of Jesus over my life - my body, soul and spirit, my heart mind and will!  I stand firm in my faith in Jesus in this moment! Amen" 

I want to get better and better at resisting the devil and standing firm in the faith in every aspect of my life! I look forward to growing as a soldier in the battle!  In Jesus I can become stronger and more firm and steadfast!

What about you?  How is the battle going?

Please share!

delton

6.25.14 "What tempts us to turn away from Jesus?"

Dear Heavenly Father,   You alone are God and you alone are the Giver of all life. Dear Lord, quiet our thoughts and open our hearts to help us fully focus on you.   Teach each of us Lord, the truths we need to learn from this passage and show us how to use it in our life.

In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen

John 10:7-10

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁷ So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸ All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.  

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jesus tells us in this passage that He is not only our Shepherd, who leads us, provides for us and protects us He is the door we go through to join the flock and to have Jesus as our own Shepherd.  Then He warns us that there is a thief that comes to steal and kill and destroy the abundant life He promises.  Satan stole the abundant life Adam and Eve had in the Garden with God.  Satan enticed them with lies and they chose to yield to the lies and believe they could have a better life.  He does the same thing to us.  He tempts us with the “bling” of the world like houses, cars, travel, money, status and more.  We can choose to listen to Satan and believe our life will be better if we have them.  However, in trying to achieve them we lose the abundant life Jesus promises such as time to spend with Him, our relationships with our spouse, children, parents, and others Jesus has placed in our live.  We struggle to get to the top, to achieve success in the world’s eyes, and lose our peace and joy and feel abandoned and alone.

There was a book I read years ago called Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus.  It is a story about 2 caterpillars who observed many other caterpillars crawling somewhere so they followed to see where everyone was going.  Then, they saw it, a huge caterpillar column rising so high the top was lost in the clouds. All the caterpillars were trying to get to the top but they did not know what was at the top because it was lost in the clouds.  Finally the one called Strip could take it no more.  He had to know what was at the top so he left everything and started to climb.  But, when he got to the top, nothing was there.  Then flying around him, as a beautiful butterfly, was his friend Yellow who he had left behind.

Jesus offers us the abundant, joy-filled, peace-filled, love-filled life with Him.  He is faithful.  He will do everything He has promised and He will never ever leave us.  He never promised us an easy life but He does promise us that He will always be with us through everything and that we will have abundant life now and eternal life with Him in heaven.  We have the choice just as Adam and Eve did.

When I made the choice in my life to let the plans I had made, since I was a little girl, go and reach out and trust Jesus with what He had planned for my life it changed.  I had a purpose and a job to do that I loved.  I have been blessed by that choice beyond what I ever deserved and have had joy and love poured out on me.  God told me to trust Him with my dreams and He promised me that I would find fulfillment in Him.  He never filled my dreams that I started with but changed them, over time, to His.  I am very thankful that I stepped out of myself and reached out and accepted His calling for my life.  I would have missed sooooo many benefits and blessings.

What is God asking you to choose between?

How is Satan trying to tempt you and steal the abundant life Jesus promises now and for eternity?

Dear Lord Jesus,   We thank you for your faithfulness to us.  Thank you for the abundant life you have promised us.  Forgive us for not turning to you with every decision we have. We love you and desire to choose the plans you have for us and not the bling of the world Satan offers.  Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and keep Satan from our thoughts and our decisions.  Thank you for your love, for your, peace and for your joy that you give us every day.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Charleen

“The Lord is faithful and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”  

2 Thessalonians 3:3

6.24.14 "Healing Cloths and Standing Against Evil"

Acts 19:11-16

11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,  12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. 

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed.  They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches,  I command you to come out.”  14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priests, were doing this.  15 One day the evil spirit answered them,  “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”  16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all.  He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 

The first thing that catches my attention is that people are being healed and set free from demons just by touching the cloth that Paul touched!  Wow!

I don’t remember reading or hearing this story before!

It is so incredible and unbelievable,  that I don’t want to believe;  but I do believe it, because it was written by Paul,  and by the power of the Holy Spirit, who helped him to make an account of all that he experienced and witnessed.

If  we believe that the Bible is God’s Holy Word, and that it is all true then this story that Paul shares is true.

The second part of this story is also true about the sons of the chief priest attempting to drive an evil spirit out of a man, and the evil spirit spoke to them and then attacked them!  That sounds like a horror movie!  Why didn’t it work for them?  What did they do wrong?

In Matthew 9:22  A woman is healed just by touching the hem of Jesus’s robe and he tells her it is because of her faith that she was healed.

I think that the sons of Sceva, had no faith in Jesus as God’s Son, they had no faith in the Holy Spirit, therefore the Holy Spirit was not with them to protect them from the demon-possessed man.

In yesterdays, blog we read that we need the full armor of God to protect us from the enemy.

And as Pastor said in his message this week,  we are not strong enough on our own to stand against the evil one.

This is because our holes and brokenness make us vulnerable to evil.

I let down my guard when I don’t pray, then I go about my day with my own thoughts and feelings leading me along, and not really paying attention to what God is telling me to do.

I let doubts come in when I’m not in the word regularly. I forget the message he has for me in his word.  I sometimes doubt that it is true and that God is real.

I give the enemy a foothold when I give into my emotions and let them control me and my actions.    By the grace and protection of the Lord I have been spared many times from many dangers all around me.

It only takes a second of  taking my focus off of  Jesus,  to get turned around, to feel defeated and to want to give up.   That’s what Satan wants us to do.

But when I call on Jesus, he is there right beside me.  With Jesus I can stand against evil.  With Jesus I feel peace and I am strengthened in my spirit, because of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of me.

Evil is real and we need to recognize it when it invades our space!

But we do not have to fall victim to it!

In the Name of Jesus we stand against the enemy and all the evil that he tries to attack us with.

Dear Lord

We need you, and we ask you to protect us from the enemy by reminding us to stay close to you each day through prayer, through reading your word and in fellowship with other believers who encourage us in our faith.   Amen.

6.23.14 "The Armor of God"

Ephesians 6:10-13 The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Not really having a reason why, I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. It wasn’t because something happened or that I was feeling ill or anything, just something that came over me and felt like it was holding me, my spirit, and my will hostage to my bed. Only through prayer did I finally manage to roll myself out of bed and start walking around. It was so hard, even after I got up, to stay up and then to begin to get ready for the day.

And then I read the scripture I’d be blogging about today. WOW! Talk about a moment when scripture really deals with something that is happening in the now! It amazes me how scripture can never be outdated because it’s so relevant to our every day. Especially this one! This one literally speaks to our every day walk in this world because putting on the armor of God is something we need to do daily.

I remember this scripture as being one of the first I heard when I started going to church. I carried a lot of baggage in that building with me! I wasn’t a Christian until 5 years ago, so I had a lot on my heart when I first came to Point of Grace. Pastor mentioned on Sunday about the Winning Against Evil series he preached on 5 years ago. That was the series that had started when I first came, and he was right - it was an immensely powerful series. Literally life changing for me! Between that series and the Alpha course, I came to have this understanding of Jesus in a way no one ever told me about before. So for God to even out my day from the evil I was powerless against in the morning, to the peak of understanding I needed today, all with this little, but powerful passage, I’m so grateful.

Have you ever had scripture stand out to you when you really needed it to speak to your situation? Please share!!

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us of Your love and of Your power every day. I pray for the strength to walk through this day, and every day remembering to suit up in Your armor and to not be afraid. With You, in You, I am not powerless. I love you so much! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Toni

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture! What is it saying to you today? How does it relate to your life right now? How does it relate to the message from Sunday? Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is: Psalm 32: 1-7

1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Share your thoughts! What is God saying to you today?

6.20.14 "FATHER Knows Best!"

1 Peter 5:5-7 ⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

It was a warm and humid day in early June, not unlike those we’ve had around here lately.  School had just let out and I was feeling pretty good about myself.  I had made it through my sophomore year of high school, managed to get a great little job for the summer, and had achieved some independence via the purchase of my first vehicle, a very old but to me a very awesome VW Beatle.  Life was good and since I had a couple of days before I started my summer job I decide to drive down to the local soda shop and spend a few hours hanging out with my friends.  I remember finding my Mom in the backyard removing some sheets from the clothes line (Yeah it was that long ago).  I told her about my plans and she got that look.  You know the one, the Mom one.  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” she said.  “Storm’s coming.”  Alls I could see was just a few fat puffy white clouds in the sky, nothing at all serious.  So then I got that look.  You know the one, the kid one.  “I won’t be long, promise,” I pleaded. She relented but not before warning me to be vigilant in watching the sky and to keep the visit short.

About half way through my double chocolate chip milk shake a serious clap of thunder rattled the windows of the old soda shop and flickered the lights.  It was only then that I noticed how dark the sunny afternoon had turned.  I had forgotten all about the time, but now I could hear my Mom’s voice in my head.  It began to pour just as I got inside the car and as I made my way home the wind and torrent intensified tossing the car around like a toy.  Still I was only slightly agitated that I had not heeded my Mom’s warning.  That all changed when the hail began to fall and just as my agitation grew to anger the rain and hail suddenly stopped.   In that instance I heard the warning siren go off and looked in my rearview mirror into a swirling mass of total darkness.  Now I felt a different emotion swelling up as I realized what it was that I had just seen.  I floored the little car and zoomed around tree branches and trash cans being tossed around in my path like paper cups.   Refusing to look back in the rearview mirror my concentration was on one thing, getting home.  I remember turning onto my block and only then realizing that it had stopped raining and it seemed to be relatively calm.  I had driven out of the storm and it had tracked away from my neighborhood.  In the distance I could see our house and there she was standing on the front porch looking and waiting…Mom.

I thought about that late spring day when I read the passage for today.  There was no Doppler or Satellite images back then, yet she knew.  Mom was a small woman and I towered over her but when she embraced me as arrived back home I felt tiny in her arms, stupid, and so very safe.  Smaller still under the massive storm cloud and so blessed when I saw the damage it caused and how fortunate I was to escape it.  Our GOD has wonderfully arranged the order of things to work in our best interest and to HIS great glory even when we think we know better.  This passage also reminds me of the title of an old TV show that seems appropriate, “FATHER Knows Best”!

Heavenly FATHER we thank and praise YOU for this day and for the opportunity to share YOUR awesome love and power with the world.  When the storms come, give us YOUR gracious understanding and grant us confidence and peace in the midst of it all.  Remind us that we have nothing to fear because of who we are and because of who YOU are.  In Christ name we pray!  AMEN

Jim L.

6.20.14 "Submission, Respect and Humility"

We are blessed with two blogs today! What a treat!

1 Peter 5:5-6

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Submission, Respect and humility

As I write today’s blog, it’s 4am in the morning and I’m in my room in the 31^st floor of a downtown Tokyo hotel.  Correspondingly, at the top of my mind is Japan and work.  I can’t help but apply these verses from 1 Peter to what I’ve recently learned about the Japanese culture and what I’ve learned over the years about humility at work and in life.

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders.

One of the strengths of Japanese culture is the tradition of respect for the elderly.  Every year on the 3^rd Monday in September, Japan has a national holiday called “Respect for the Aged” Day to celebrate and honor its elderly citizens, to recognize their contributions to society, and to celebrate their long lives.  In Japanese multi-generational families the elderly hold places of honor and respect.  While they don’t always live up to this ideal (just look at who’s sitting and who’s standing on a typical subway), most do profess to value and respect the elderly.  This is a wonderful example of acting on Peter’s advice.

^5b All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

The definition in Wikipedia says “Humility is variously seen as the act or posture of lowering oneself in relation to others …”.  Being humble - - how difficult that is sometimes.  Worldly thinking is that the way to succeed is to do great things and to get recognized for it.  “See me!”  “Be like me!” “I am the greatest!” are common attitudes among the celebrities and athletes that are so admired in our culture.  However, this attitude is contrary to biblical teaching.  Humility is the way.  As examples, in whatever task you take you take on; do so without fanfare, without excessive pride or vanity.  Simply do the best job you can.  Take on tasks that no one else wants to do.  Be open to new ideas … no matter how long you’ve “been around”, you probably don’t know everything.  Listen to everyone as if they mattered.  When you succeed, be sure to share that success with others.  I believe that this humble approach to work will lead to a success both in life and in your career … and in a manner more consistent with biblical teaching.

Blessings, jdh

My First Job in a Varied Career

The Scripture for today is Ephesians 6: 5-9 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.  Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.  Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

  And masters, treat your slaves in the same way.  Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

I vividly remember my first job.  I was fourteen years old and worked at Bruno’s Little Italy, an Italian restaurant in Little Rock, AR.  Most of the time, I bussed tables.  Bussing tables is not glamorous work.  I didn’t really enjoy cleaning up soiled dishes and linens, wiping down the table and booth or worst of all, cleaning up after a tiny tot’s spaghetti dinner.  That job required plenty of elbow grease – it is amazing how much spaghetti ended up heaped on the floor and smeared all over the high chair, not to mention on the little person.  However, to the waiter or waitress whose tips provided their livelihood, it was critical that I do a good job and do it quickly so that the table could be sat with another group of paying customers.  At the end of a long night of bussing, my feet ached, I smelled faintly of marinara sauce and to be honest, I just wanted to go home and tumble into bed.   Although the work was tiring and demanding, the servers that I bussed tables for were kind and generous.  In exchange for helping keep their tables clean and ready as soon as possible, they shared a small percentage of the tips they received.  For a fourteen year old kid working for the first time, this was a very good example of the importance of team work, cooperation and service.  In addition, the family that owned the restaurant was kind, generous, and compassionate.  Our evening shifts began with a freshly prepared meal served family style.  Patience and courtesy were modeled – even when things didn’t go smoothly or mistakes were made by the employees.  Discipline was administered fairly – you were held accountable to do your work, however, they never berated their employees.

As I reflected back on Delton’s teaching on Sunday and thought about the “slave and master” relationship that the apostle Paul taught the early church, I realized how my early experiences as a teenager working for the first time illustrated this relationship.  My job was to work hard (even when no one was looking); to demonstrate respect for the customers, my co-workers and employers; and to follow the directions that I was given.  My employers’ job was to treat me with kindness, administer discipline fairly, and to pay the wage that was promised.

I have had many jobs since that first one and find that this wise and practical teaching has applied to all of them.  I have been in leadership roles as well as subordinate roles.  I have had glamorous jobs and jobs that weren’t so glamorous.  As a Christ-follower, I can’t control the actions of those around me but I can respect my employer and submit my will to their authority.  I can have a sincere heart that genuinely desires their success and that of the rest of the organization.   I can serve with joy and gladness, remembering that I have the privilege as a child of God to serve my Lord each day in my home and vocation.  I can seek opportunities to mentor, counsel, comfort, serve, and teach others in addition to my professional duties.

     Father, I ask you today to bless the work of my hands.  Give me a servant heart to love and encourage others; wisdom and discernment to determine where you are working and where I might join you; energy and enthusiasm to carry out my duties to the very best of my ability and humility to honor and obey those placed in authority over me.  I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus.  Amen

Kelly

6.16.14 “A Counter-Cultural Calling”

The Scripture for today is Ephesians 6: 1-4 Children, obey your parents as believers in the Lord. Obey them because it’s the right thing to do.2 Scripture says, “Honor your father and mother.” That is the first commandment that has a promise.3 “Then things will go well with you. You will live a long time on the earth.” (Deuteronomy 5:16)

4 Fathers, don’t make your children angry. Instead, train them and teach them the ways of the Lord as you raise them.   

The last two Sundays, Pastor has taught on passages from Ephesians and Colossians regarding submitting and obeying.  In our culture today, those words are hard to hear and hard to act on.  Our culture and freedom says it’s great to get everything we want and it’s ok to do whatever we want, whenever we want.  Our culture today is all about us...and that makes the word “humility”, hard to swallow.  Even in the culture these words were written in, the words submit, obey, humble yourselves, and serve were hard to live by and understand because of the way women, children, slaves, and the poor & sick were looked upon.  And yet the “counter-cultural” Jesus, set a new standard of living for us through submission, service, love, sincerity, inclusion for all, and no favoritism.  This new way of living, although to some may seem weak, offers true freedom and strength for those who trust Jesus and live according to this calling.

There’s a reason why Jesus calls us to this higher standard of living with each other.  Power and domination breeds more power and domination.  It squelches out love and respect for others and leaves our families and relationships empty and unfulfilling and broken.  I used to be over-sensitive to the passage about wives submitting to husbands.  It felt old and out of date to think about submitting or obeying my husband...and it scared me because I felt like I would lose my identity or my voice if I submitted.  I alsoI have a rebellious nature about me, which doesn’t help!  But I realized through study and teaching and life, that submitting means none of that.  Submitting is respect and doesn’t rob me of anything...but instead offers something strong and encouraging to my husband and confirms my identity in Christ which is the most important identity I have.  Out of my submission (respect) to my husband, flows love and appreciation back to me from him.  It’s a win/win situation and God knows that we work that way because He created us to work that way.  It brings unity!

Today’s passage is about children obeying and honoring their parents.  It’s a hard thing to do with peer pressure and temptations being so strong in our society. Its more likely a child will honor parents if they see respect and humility at home, so I want my children to see me honoring their father.  I have grown children - all out of the home, but it’s just as important they see us living out this higher calling now, than it was 10 years ago when they were home. We are still training up our children even though they are adults now.  It will be a continuous process as long as we are alive, which makes these passages about  submission, honor, respect and love, even more powerful and fresh everyday!

Father, help me to be humble.  Help me to submit to you and your authority on marriage and relationships.  Help me to trust you fully and to submit to Mark as my husband and family leader on earth, for his sake, for our children’s sake, for my sake, and for your Glory! Use this counter-cultural way of life to set an example for others and to lead them to you.

How does this passage speak to you today?  What goes through your mind as you read and contemplate God’s word’s through Paul?

Denise

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog!Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture! What is it saying to you today? How does it relate to your life right now? How does it relate to the message from Sunday? Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is: Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Share your thoughts! What is God saying to you today?

6.13.14 "Life by the Spirit"

  Life by the Spirit

Heavenly Father, thank you for this time we have together.  I thank You for the many blessings You’ve poured into my life, known and unknown, and praise You for the work you’ve begun in me.  Quiet my mind and thoughts, that I can hear only You.  Amen.

Galatians 5:22-26

The Message (MSG)

^22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

^23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

^25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

I missed Pastor’s message about marriage and “love’s possibilities” on Sunday, but our son brought the message notes home for me to study this week.

Jim and I have been blessed with 35 years of marriage, and I am so thankful we began our lives together rooted in our Christian faith.  However, looking back, in the beginning, it was a very superficial faith compared to the kind of relationship we long for now, in the Spirit.  We were very “faithful” to attend church on Sunday, attend Bible class, and were involved in our home church life.  As verse 23 above says, it was a very legalistic relationship we had with our Jesus – I sort of mindlessly walked through my life with Jesus then.

In some ways, lately, I feel like a very new believer, because I’m working hard to shed my old ways of thinking about relationship with Jesus.  And in the context of marriage, this new relationship really is challenging me.  I feel that it is a new kind of life in the Spirit, and my old habits of going through the motions of “shoulds” and “we’ve always done things this way” have very little meaning for me.  I’m excited and so thankful that God’s word reminds me that I’m an original, and better still, I’m to remember that everyone around me is an original, and my goal is to have affection and compassion for them.  Less me, more Jesus.  Less me, more husband.  Less me, more everyone around me.  We have so much to look forward to in our marriage, looking through the lens of the Holy Spirit.

Dear Father, thank you for your Word, that reminds us to dwell in the Spirit.  From that perspective “we have far more interesting things to do in this life”.  We praise you and we thank you for this!  Amen.

kristi

Second Fiddles, Art Supplies, & Belly Laughs

Romans 12:9-16 (The Message)

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

“Father, thank You for Your Word today. Help me to be still; to put aside all the noise of the world around me, and to listen, really listen to what You are saying to me now. I Love You.  Amen.”

“Practice playing second fiddle….” I can remember back in school, trying out for a play or a sport, and not making the lead role or first base. I can remember the tears of my own children who did not get a great part or major position on the baseball team they were trying out for. And we would cry. And then at some point I would gently remind them, “Maybe it’s someone else’s turn to be the star. Maybe God needs you to be in the background and help someone else to shine.”

“Lord, where in my life do you want me to be content with ‘second fiddle’? Who do you want me to help to ‘shine’ today?”

“Be inventive in hospitality…” One of my all-time favorite memories of creative hospitality happened at Point of Grace four or five years ago. A dear lady, Priscilla, had just lost her husband, Juan. Her daughter Ruthie went to the same school as the Jost’s children. Lisa Jost  heard about what had happened and reached to them.  Instead of food or a card or money, (which are also wonderful gifts of love) she found out Ruthie and Juan used to spend time painting and drawing. So, Lisa gave her a basket of art supplies, paints, brushes, paper, etc.   It was certainly inventive, and meant so much to Priscilla that someone took time to find out more about her Ruthie! Many of you know these families – and Priscilla and Ruthie have been a part of the Point of Grace Family ever since! I love this example of inventive hospitality and more importantly, how this basket of art supplies led to a friendship, and ultimately to a new relationship between Priscilla and Jesus Christ!

“Lord, is there someone in my life today that You are asking me to reach out to? Please open my eyes to notice. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and give me a creative, inventive way to love this person.”

“Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down.” “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (NIV) Just last night, I got to spend time catching up with a very dear friend. Quite a few times the laughter was uncontrollable. It felt so good to share a good belly-laugh with her. And we also mourned with one another and shed a few tears as we caught up on life and it’s challenges. Within our church family, we have mourned alongside families who’s loved ones are now in heaven. We share joy with our brothers and sisters in Christ who have found jobs, or have announced that they are expecting a baby. That is how God intended the Body of Christ to function - to love one another!

“Thank You Father, for giving me wonderful friends to laugh and to cry with. Thank You for knowing what we would need here on earth, and providing such a wonderful plan of the Body of Christ. You know that we need one another. You know that we need someone to rejoice with and to mourn with. Thank You so much! Help us to love one another in these ways. Thank You for giving us Your Son, Jesus Christ, who gives us the example to follow in all of these ways. Help us to be more like Him today, Amen.”

Please take time to share any stories or thoughts that these verses bring to your mind! That is one way to share this Love – by writing it out on these Blogs – it encourages one another, builds each other up, and gives great testimony to the Father and how He is working in our lives.

Have a wonderful day! -dawn

5.11.14 "Love After You Messed Up!"

Welcome! Lord Jesus, come by your Spirit I pray and speak to my heart through your word!

1 Corinthians 13:1-8a  "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains,but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing. ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails."

Even though I have heard this passage read, especially at weddings, so many times it still pours great meaning into my soul as I read and contemplate it again.  What grabs me today is the repeated phrase, "...but do not have love, I am nothing."  

As I contemplate this in the context of last Sunday's message about marriage relationships in Ephesians 5, I am drawn to a humbling conclusion.  Love is the real "salt and pepper" of my relationship ability with people and I can have the greatest of gifts but without love to adorn the use of those gifts I wind up amounting to "nothing"!  However, even the simplest acts of love that reveals something of patience, grace, hope, forgiveness, celebration, honor and perseverance - seasons my connection with others in profound ways that I cannot imagine!.

As I write this I am remembering a missed opportunity I had over the last several days to reach out with a simple act of love to a friend who has suffered a loss.  I missed it!  I had the chance to season our relationship with a simple act of love at an opportune time and I missed it.  I regret that!

What do I do now?

My mind immediately went into defense and excuse mode! Self-justification for missing opportunities is rarely satisfying!

Then I started to engage myself-condemnation/failure mode!  That did not go anywhere positive!

Then I tried the grace/love path!  Now we are getting somewhere!

I remembered that this love - explained above - is how I have been loved by God and really how I am loved by this person.  God has seasoned His relationship with me with love for a long time.  So I can receive forgiveness from God and myself while now thinking creatively (not guiltily) about how I can still show this person love even though I missed the prime opportunity!  Love seasons hopeless situations with life and joy and creativity!

Love always gives me another chance!  I get to love today even though I missed opportunities yesterday!  That is the way I have been loved by God - in the midst of my failures He continues to love me!  I get to "salt and pepper" the relationship with my friend with love today even though I missed an opportunity to season it before because love is patient, kind and hopeful ------ and keeps no record of wrongs!

How does all this strike you?

delton