Christian Writing and Inspiration

Sword of Truth

            Having lived in Europe for close to eight years altogether, my parents and I had the opportunity to tour many castles and palaces which have stood for many centuries. Within these structures that continue to show the signs of past conflict over the ages, many relics stood on display including swords and armor. One could only imagine these relics being used in actual battle as we roamed these structures that were once heavily fortified. Some castles, which stood high upon hills over the surrounding flatlands, would actually demonstrate the use of this armor- which was an awesome and thrilling sight. One could almost picture themselves wayback in the 1200’s! Sword hitting sword was an awesome sound which echoed through castle courtyards, although none of the actors physically got hurt; however the demonstration of history was clearly remarkable.

            Reflecting upon these mock demonstrations and sword drills, I am reminded as a child in Sunday school of the “sword drills” we would have. Taken from the biblical reference to the Word of God as a two-edged sword, sword drills were competitions designed to see which student could locate a scripture passage the fastest. Students would stand in a straight line across the front of the classroom and the teacher would bark a series of commands: “Attention, draw swords, John 3:16, charge.” The first student to find the passage would step forward from the line-up, then be called upon to read the passage to be sure that the student had indeed located the correct text.

            The bible has been around for over 2,000 years, full of stories and lessons about how human beings, mere mortals, encounter the living God, the creator, sustainer and savior of the universe. The bible, the words of scripture, reveal unshakeable and timeless truths. The castle walls in perspective, reveal timeless truths about the battles that’ve hit them; marked with hits from cannon balls. These marks have stood for generations. The sacred words of the bible were recorded on scrolls, and over the years collected into the books that we call the bible.

            All scripture is inspired or “God-breathed”. Because God inspired scripture, these sacred writings prompt many different kinds of encounters with God. First, scripture teaches general lessons about life and about God. Second, scripture reproves or rebukes sinful living. Third, scripture offers a course correction. And fourth, scripture provides specific instructions for right living. The purpose of each of these encounters is to solidify faith and equip believers for service in the kingdom of God. Bible study promotes and provokes active participation in the community of faith.

            Too often, the bible becomes a book of quotations that individuals use to attempt to prove a point in favor of their own biases. Actually, as a book of history, the bible testifies of a God who is firm and faithful, gracious and generous across the generations. As a book of hope, the bible portrays a future with God that is beyond imagination of comprehension. Scripture invites us to anchor our lives in realities that transcend tentative circumstances.

            The scripture will equip you for good work. Every Christian has the capacity for good work. As you encounter God in the scriptures, the word of God will shape and reshape, form and reform your character and your giftedness so that you are prepared for your spiritual life as it blossoms. Make bible reading and bible study a part of your regular discipline. The accumulation of bible knowledge builds within your mind a reservoir that gives you strength, especially during seasons of distress.

            Read the scriptures. Let the words on the page come alive as you encounter the God who inspired them. Is the bible one of your regular conversation partners? Choose for it to be today!

Seek and you Shall Find

              Have you fervently asked God for guidance or for strength? I think we do most especially when we’re faced with trials and obstacles rather than on a constant basis. When we ask God for guidance and strength, we’re continually inviting our Creator to reveal himself in a variety of ways; and it can be both enriching and rewarding to our spiritual growth.

            Jesus made it clear to his disciples, to his followers ( we to are followers ): they should petition God to meet their needs. So should we. Genuine , heartfelt prayer provides powerful changes in us and in our world. When we lift our hearts to God, we open ourselves to a never-ending source of divine wisdom and infinite love.

            Do you have any questions about your future that you simply cant answer? I think we all do, for noone knows the future besides God. Do you have needs that you cant meet by yourself? God is our provider. If you answered yes to these questions, then ask God for direction, for protection, and for strength- and don’t just stop there; keep asking him everyday that you’re blessed with life. Whatever your need, no matter how great or small, pray about it and never lose hope. God is not just near; he’s here and he’s perfectly capable of answering your prayers. Now, its up to you to ask!

            Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.    Matthew 7:7-8

Put God First

            As I was getting ready to cross the street at a crosswalk in the downtown district of a major city, I kept telling myself that the signal light was taking forever. Drivers do that a lot, however walkers-such as I tend to grumble more, especially when we know it’s getting ready to rain, or it has already! The traffic light reminded me of a scripture as I stood there practicing patience; the scripture is found in Proverbs 3:6 and reads “ In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”

            Signal lights are designed for safety; when cars stop, walkers get a walk light. When cars stop, other cars can go. Busy intersections without stop lights would be a disaster; could you imagine downtown New York City without stop lights! I wouldn’t want to imagine! Signal lights are designed for safety; and when we put them first, we easily get to where we’re going. Those signal lights could represent God; when we put him first and let him direct our flow of traffic, flow of life- he’ll direct us. Not only will he direct us, he’ll crown our efforts with success.

            When we follow a traffic light, our efforts most often are met with success. If we go against a traffic light, chances are most that we’ll wreck. If we’re walking, chances are most that we’ll get hit. When we go against God, we won’t succeed and our efforts will fall into ruin. We may not like the timing of some traffic lights, we may wonder when Gods timing will meet our deadlines; in everything you do, continue to put God first, and he will direct your efforts in his timing. Take comfort in the fact that he will never give us more than what we can handle, if we only put him first!!

Members of the Body, as One

            The first day I joined a church body in northwest Oklahoma, a friend of mine asked if I was ready. To her response I gave an enthusiastic yes; only to be greeted that following week by a funeral on a Friday and a wedding on Sunday of the same week! This friend of mine served on both the kitchen, usher and wedding committee; and so, I came home that Sunday afternoon wondering “if I was really ready!” Yes, I was. When I joined, I was dropped into the center of a hurricane where there was absolute quiet and peace. There is no safer place than in the center of the will of God. We may not know what Gods will is for our lives, but we should be continuously receptive. Gods will at that point in time between a funeral and a wedding, was to show me how a church body functions together as one to get the job done. We are all members of one body. ( Ephesians 4:25 )

            Each member of a body working together reminds me not only of a church body, but of a family working together as one whole body. Each person makes us that family; a family is ultimately united by two, husband and wife; and when we join a church, when we give our lives to Christ- there’s union of two, and then a greater union with all the members. What a family has in common is their last name; what a church family has in common is the name as well-christian. For mo matter if we’re Catholic, Baptist, or Methodist for example; our common goal is to bring the light into the world, that light which first illuminated is through the Word or through others in evangelism efforts. How was that light carried through others? Through the work of the body as one; the congregation prayed for the pastor who in turned delivered the Word within the location of worship prepared by other members. We all have a purpose, the key is the blood which Christ freely shed for us, that we become free to realize our gifts and talents.

            Once we grasp a hold of that freedom Christ created for us and the promise of life everlasting, one we realize our gifts and talents and begin to seek Gods will in our lives, we can expect great transformation! We can expect awe inspiring growth in our personal lives, and within our church families that we have formed a unity with….AMEN

One in the Body

During my last visit to the hosptial, while waiting for the doctor for what seemed like eons; I heard one of the nurses say to another, "Could you take care of the gallbladder in 2B?" The "gallbladder?" It sounded so impersonal in the language of the professionals, as if there were no person, only a gallbladder in the bed down the hall!

The ER, and the Church

I took a fall recently and hurt my wrist, which resulted in a trip to the local emergency room for a check-up. There were several other people in the waiting room with various injuries in need of treatment; and what everyone had in common was a concern for one another, as we asked one another "what happened" and "if there was anything we could do for the other" despite our personal injuries or those of loved ones. There was a sense of fellowship and connection that brought comfort to each of us for momentary release of the pain we were experiencing.

Upon those moments of time, my mind drifted to our places of worship and the church body- the people, that fill those places. The church can be related to much like an emergency room; where those in need come to seek healing and comfort. The question for each of us that fill the church building during times of worship, bible study, and fellowship; is are we complacent in what we've become used to each Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or whatever day we meet? Or do we enthusiastically greet newcomers who may come in seeking healing from lifes hurts, habits and hangups. Our church is much like a hospital, where those in need come in search of comfort, in search of an answer.

We are the hands which God has to hug and reach out to others in unconditional love and fellowship; the hands which God has to help wipe away tears of others and bring comfort; we are the legs which God has to deliver that care and love to others.

Noone would like a complacent hospital where patients wait for eons because the staff think that there's noone waiting; we would shudder at that thought if we were a patient waiting! The same is true regarding the church; if we ourselves in the shoes of a newcomer, wouldn't we want to feel welcome in a non-complacent church? One where the members warmly and openly welcome the newcomer, the new believer, the lost, the hurt, the lonely, the hurting, without a second lost. As a church, thats our job, our commission; to go forth- to go forward, to make the first step...that step begins today!

Why does it begin today? The church is the people, not the buildings; and we represent the church at our jobs, in our communities- wherever we may be. When others see us, they see the church, they see the light shining through us- a light they may have been looking for. It's not a light for us to hide, but rather for us to shine. AMEN.

One Another

A Tiny Spark, and Success

            We’ve all been to a race, or have seen a race; and know that the object is for the runner to reach the finish line, in order to win the prize which lay ahead. Most races contain a prize, however there are some which are run solely in remembrance of someone, something or some event; and there is no prize. Rather, there is the satisfaction of knowing that success was achieved. One of these marathons is the Oklahoma City Memorial marathon, in which the runners run in memory of one of the bombing victims of that fateful April 1995 day that they may not know. Many runners who complete this marathon will take their medal and leave it at the memorial marker of the person they ran for on the OKC Memorial grounds.

            Success is the “completeness” of something; and in the example of a race, a successful race is achieved through the cheers and support of others in the crowds. As a course marshal for a marathon, the feedback of the runners was overwhelmingly thankful for those who had cheered them on in the run. It was feedback that I could translate into our christian walks of life.

            In the first days, prior to and right after I gave my life to Christ; I needed the help of others to make that transition. I had questions and needed answers about this new christian walk of life; and through the help and guidance of others, there was success. My brothers and sisters in Christ had succeeded in bringing me into the light of Christ, and I had succeeded in reaching salvation through the cross and blood of which Christ shed for all of mankind. The prize was everlasting life, however success continues as I began to reach out to others in unconditional love; teaching them as I was taught. Even if others that I reached out to in evangelism efforts weren’t ready to take the plunge into the “living waters of life,” I continue to cheer them on with encouraging words and a warm smile and loving heart.

            Success dwells in knowing that we did all that we could and gave out best; for if we shoot for the stars and miss, at least we’ll still land among them. You can’t achieve success without first trying. Continue to reach out to others as is the greatest commission of Christ; to go into all nations everywhere, teaching others as Christ has taught us. We do this through love, the new and greatest commandment; christian love which is unconditional in nature and has the power to transform many. How does one person out of some 6 billion people have the ability to begin this transformation in others? It takes a tiny solitary spark to start a flame; it takes a tiny solitary spark to bring forth light. Christian outreach and success begins with us….AMEN!

 PRAYER, it works!

            Connections are an important part of our life; from the days prior to our birth, we had a connection through our internal feeding cord- the umbilical cord. It connected us to our mother’s nutrients so that we could grow and develop into who we are physically. After we were born, we quickly developed connections to our families or nurturers; and perhaps they helped us to develop a spiritual connection. Sometimes we had to form that spiritual connection on our own, or perhaps you’re still working on that connection. Remember always that there is a family of brothers and sisters under Christ, the church, willing to extend their connections to all.

            Power flows through connections. A disconnected toaster can’t provide warmth. A disconnected stereo can’t play beautiful music. A single disconnected wire can prevent your car from moving forward. Likewise, if you are spiritually disconnected from God, you lose the warmth, beauty, power, and direction he intends for your life.

            I remember mailing over twenty cards at one time at the post office during Christmas, and in the rush to put stamps on all the cards, I missed one. Indeed, the card came back to me with a note requesting postage. That card missed its intended recipient, its intended connection; all because I was in a rush, and missed that important forty-three cent postage connection.

            When we’re in too fast a pace, often we miss the mark, often we miss the connection to that which is so important; our prayer life with God. Too often our one on one connection with God can become neglected when we allow life’s daily grind to impede with that all too important relationship. It’s like allowing a connection in a vehicle to spoil; before long, without maintenance that vehicle will quickly grind to a stall. Without prayer, our relationship with God will quickly grind to a halt.

            Does God hear our single prayer upon the some 6 billion people on this globe we call earth and home? The answer is, yes! God knows the number of hairs upon each of our heads; and if he knows that much detail of each of us, then, yes, he hears our prayer! Prayer is just as much of a connection as our esophagus connects our mouths to our stomachs; prayer provides us with spiritual nourishment in the form of communication with Our Heavenly father, answers to prayer, and a time to hear God speak to us. Prayer gives us a time to unwind and meditate, a time to find spiritual refreshment and renewal.

            Prayer doesn’t have to be fancy, it is talk with God just as you would talk with your best friend; talking and conversation with God about your life, what you need, and want to change. You see, God knows already, but wants to hear it from our heart just as we would our boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, son, daughter, or best friend- it’s a relationship with God. Talk just as you normally would to the person next to you, that’s the connection of prayer. A simple prayer could be:   “Good morning God. I love you, thank you for all you’ve done for me, help me through today, I know I’m not alone- that you’re with me.”

            Prayer is a fantastic connection to an awesome and mighty God, Our Heavenly Father and Daddy who dwells all around us, and yearns to dwell within us; pray today! Prayer works! AMEN

ALARMS

            I bought a used phone once, which worked great; it was a cell phone with all the fancy bells and whistles including a camera, voice recorder, FM radio receiver and day planner. It worked great with the prepaid service that I had at the time; and for the most part, the phone sat silently plugged into the charger. I often forgot that it existed, except for the few times that it rang with use as my website phone number; and those were most often wrong numbers. Aren’t wrong numbers exciting, especially when you’re expecting an important call; your heart leaps with abundant bounds in great expectation!

            This cell phone sounded like the army of a thousand trumpets one night, as I was just settling in for a nights sleep. “A prayer request,” I thought, as I quickly rose from the binds of my comforter to answer the call. Stumbling over every object in my path, I found my way to the phone and flipped it open to the response of, “Hello!” There was no answer on the other end, to which I again said, “Hello!” In the meanwhile, the phone continued to blare like a trumpet call!

            At a much closer glance, I noticed that the phone wasn’t ringing; but rather, it was a reminder of someone’s birthday that was programmed into the phone. I didn’t program the reminder, and what’s worse, I don’t know whose birthday it was; all I know it that their name was Avery. Avery was celebrating his twenty-first; so Happy Birthday to Avery, whoever you may be, with many more to come!

            The point of this devotional is to be aware of false alarms, and not be caught up with over obsession in them. Some false alarms are worth heeding, such as a fire alarm or tornado siren; however, the alarms I’m referring to are, “The world is going to end at midnight on the second Saturday of the month!” We’ve all heard from others when the world will end; and in reality, we don’t know. Matthew 24:44 tells us that “you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” We don’t know, however, we can prepare our hearts in the right place for the Lord.

            Matthew 7:15 tells us to, “Watch out for false prophets, who will come to us in sheep’s clothing inwardly, but are ferocious wolves.” We have to stand guard and always keep our hearts in tune with the One Way, One Truth, One Light; Christ Jesus who bore the pains for all people everywhere, despite race, gender, class or origin. Salvation is for everyone, which can be received in us this very day. It’s this salvation through the cross that carries us from an empty life, into one of fullness and strength; the bridge across being that cross upon which Christ was nailed with outstretched arms in a bridge-like form.

            The Holy Word tells us through the Ten Commandments to worship no other gods or false idols; gods with a lower “g”, for there is only one true God. The one true God is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega. The one true God with a capital “G” is our Heavenly Daddy, Comforter, Nurturer, Provider, and Guide. Thanks be to God for all he’s done for all mankind! Let our hearts be in tune to the nature which abounds us, to life in itself, and hear God who whistles in the wind across the valleys and in the waves of the oceans and seas. Let us hear God who sings from the melodies of the beautiful birds and through the voice of all who sing praises aloud to our God on high! AMEN!

 Bible Facts Devotional

          We are always learning something new; learning doesn’t stop when we leave home school, high school or college; there’s simply so much in the world around us, that all we can do is stand in awe of a mighty and loving creator. Through God all things are possible, even those things that escape our understanding, because we’re called to have faith. Just look around you, here are some facts:

            It’s estimated that between 1.4 and 1.75 million animals and plant species have been discovered; and most people think that humans only have five senses ( sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste ). But scientists now agree that we have at least nine senses and maybe as many as 21, including the ability to feel heat and to feel pain. Our biologists and scientists have a lot still to learn, learning never ends. In nature, most hawks have such good vision that they can see a mouse from a mile away, and a chicken egg has 10,000 pores through which the tiny chick can breathe. A few more facts, before you kiss your significant other or slap on some lipstick; did you know that most lipstick contains fish scales! If you’re looking for a job, you can be a scatologist; the person who studies poop!

            There are many fun and interesting facts within the bible. Do you know those long names that you simply couldn’t pronounce, the ones that seem like they’re 35 letters long? No names or words of more than 6 syllables are found in the bible!

            In the bible the word “Lord” is found 1,853 times. Truly points to who’s important; the one way, truth and light. The word “Jehovah” is found 6,855 times.

            The four most inspiring promises are one: John 14:2-6, “In my Fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “ I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”      Two: John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I don’t give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”         Three: Matthew 11:28, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”      And finally four: “Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

            We all are missionaries, for our neighborhoods are the mission fields to which we belong. The first verse of the 51^st chapter of Isaiah is the one for a new convert. It reads, “Listen to me, you who persue righteousness and who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn.” If you’ve ever seen a rock quarry, than you’ve seen the heavy equipment and all the work that it takes to cut the rocks; the blood which Christ shed for us upon the cross cut us out of the rock quarry, that may at one time have seemed so impossible.

            Bible trivia for those who like numbers; there are found in both books of the bible 3,538,483 letters,  773,693 words,  31,373 verses,   1,189  chapters  and 66 books.

            The most beautiful chapter is the 23^rd Psalm, which as many know, reads “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his names sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

            Each verse of Psalm 136 ends alike, and the repetitive ending is, “His love endures forever,” for it truly does, Praise God!

            The 35^th verse of the 11^th chapter of John is the shortest of the entire bible. It reads, “Jesus wept.” Jesus walked through all of humanities battles, so that we can claim victory, because he was victorious. At the same time, he experienced many of the same emotions of humanity, because he came into life as man….and he wept.

            These are just a few of the many facts that can be found in the bible; the best way to learn more is to read more, and more will be revealed. Our God is an awesome God, and this day is a gift, it wasn’t a promise. So make the most of today and learn something new, of which I hope you have through this devotional. If you still need a fact to convince you of the amazement of all that surrounds us, a cows nose-it has a unique imprint, just like our fingerprint; each cows nose throughout the world is different!

            Praise God for all of the wonders of life that surround us; in nature, in our personal lives, in our bodies, and in scripture…..lets pray:

            Father, Creator Almighty, we give thanks for this day, the gift of life; we give thanks for all you’ve done for us and continue to do. We thank you for everything that you’ve created that we find understanding of, and even those things that we don’t yet find understanding—help us all to grow stronger in faith and simply to believe, because we know that you are in control. Help us to open our hearts and minds to continued learning and growing as we continually seek your will in all we do,  AMEN

Admission

            “Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God and someone I trust.”

We’ve all had a secret at some point in our life, perhaps we’re holding a secret today. I’d like to know who’s holding the secret to how we’re going to zero out the national deficit of a few trillion….that would be a great fundraiser! But to hold a secret takes energy, to keep ourselves in bondage by not admitting our unhealthy ways of life takes energy. It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. So we can actually save a few calories! If we really think about it, admitting things was fairly simple as a child. When I was a child and I rode my bicycle through the open fields and hit a patch of prickly thorns, I came home and told dad what I did because I needed a new inner tube. We too, need to admit, because we have much awaiting us that we can be joyful for, if we only take that step.

            When we’re doing something that’s not healthy, that’s hurting ourselves or others, or holding us back from experiencing the true blessings of the one true way, one truth and one light-Jesus; we have that cartoon like angel and devil on our shoulders. Our conscious tells us that we’re about to do make a mistake in judgment or we already have. So we acknowledge our faults; but the difference in acknowledge and confess is that we repent-we turn back!

            God knows already what we’ve done, but through admission, we identify the weakness; and the person we trust….sponsor, accountability partner, pastor, friend, teacher, wife, husband, counselor-they can help us to sidestep those same obstacles when they appear again. Why is it so hard to admit our wrongs? We somehow feel like we have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Once again, it’s important to realize that God knows already; but we become stronger by personally saying “I messed up!” When I was a child I loved pushing my finger in the Kool-Aid powder. My fingers turned red, and you could say that I was caught red handed! I had no choice but to admit that I was wrong, but that experience made admitting my wrongs a lot easier. Also partly because I was the only kid and “Fluffy the cat took off before she could take the blame.

            Seriously, however, do you know what we really have to lose by telling our secrets and sins to another? One, we lose our sense of isolation. Two, we will begin to lose our unwillingness to forgive; when people accept and forgive us, we start to see that we can forgive others. Three, we will lose our inflated, false pride. As we see and accept who we are, we begin to gain true humility, which involves seeing ourselves as we really are and seeing God as he really is. Four, we will lose our sense of denial. Being truthful with another person will tear away our denial. We begin to feel clean and honest.

            What do we have to gain, we all love to gain things; and the best inheritance we have is eternal life in heaven through the blood Christ shed on the cross for us. By admitting our wrongs, our habits, hang-ups and unhealthy ways of life we gain one, healing that the bible promises. Look at James 5:16, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” This is one of the most important reasons that the fellowship with one another in church, or in any type of support group such as Celebrate Recovery is so important. You may hear people say…”Well, I read my bible-I don’t need to go to church!”....we need one another! God forgave us when we confessed our sins to him; now he says you will begin the healing process when you confess your sins to another. Two, we gain freedom. Our secrets have kept us in chains- bound, frozen, unable to move forward in any direction. Admitting our sins snaps those chains-AMEN! Psalm 107:13-14 tells us that “they cried to the Lord in their troubles, and he rescued them! He led them from the darkness and the shadow of death and snapped their chains.” The only sin God can’t forgive, is the one not confessed. Three, we gain support. We gain the support and encouragement of others and help in choosing the right path. Many others have been down those paths before us, and they serve as living testimonies and witness, so that we may learn.

            In closing remember Romans 3:23-24 which reads “All have sinned…yet now God declares us not guilty…if we trust in Jesus….who freely takes away our sins.”  Remember also 1 John 1:9 which reads “ If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and he will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness..”

            We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. One final note; it’s important to stress in this, “the exact nature” of our wrongs. No beating around the bush with the should have, could have would have or if onlys; no, the exact nature of our wrongs. Why did we do what we did? I stuck my finger in the Kool Aid because I loved the instant access and gratification right off my finger, even though my conscious told me not to.

            We’re not perfect, we all make mistakes, we all err at many points in life; it’s human nature. Thanks be to God that he sent his only Son to shed his blood upon the cross for our sins.  Let’s pray:

            God, we ask that you fill us with your peace and strength. We know that you have forgiven us for our past wrongs and sins. Thank you for sending your Son to pay the price for us, so that our sins can be forgiven. Thank you for allowing the chains of my past to be snapped. In Our Saviors name we pray, AMEN

 TIME

            The topic of this selection is time; that element which we add to many phrases of our lives such as, too much time….too little time….or not enough time. The reality is, everyone has the same amount of time in each day; and an even greater reality is that the time we are spending at this moment is a gift from God. Many times, we may allow ourselves to focus on yesterday; we beat ourselves up and exhaust ourselves with what should’ve been or what could’ve been. Just the opposite, we may worry about tomorrow, when tomorrow hasn’t yet materialized; and thus, we lose focus of the gift of this day. We’re only human and thus, it’s in human nature that we worry about yesterday, later today or tomorrow; no one is immune.

            There is an acrostic that I would like to share about time, that can help us to make the most of today-a gift from God, Our Father. God is good all the time; all the time God is good. The first letter in time is “T” which stands for “trust.” When the going gets tough, and the tough gets going; when it seems that you’re faced against a brick wall in your daily walk of life, have trust that God will provide that rope to make it over the wall! Trust in God and submit your lives to Christ’s care and control. We will face hills and valleys in our lives, sometimes more rugged hills than peaceful valleys; that’s a guarantee…even after we’ve submitted our lives. When faced with trials and obstacles of many kinds, remain in the present day; let go and let God work. Once Jesus was baptized, he went into the wilderness for 40 days; for 40 days he was tempted and for those 40 days he persevered through trust. In God all things are possible, even those things we feel to be impossible. Christ successfully made it through those 40 days; he wasn’t alone, the Holy Spirit was with him, and Our Father was with him. Through 40 days, there was provision.

            The next letter in time is “I” which stands for “invest.” How and where do we invest our time is important. Walking down the movie and game aisle of a department store can provide true shock and awe into what today’s generation is immersed in. So many movies depict violence and foul language; the same can be said for 3-D video games, teaching those underage especially, that5 it’s ok to fight and engage in acts of crime. The world-wide web is a wonderful tool for research, for connection to one another and to our church families; these are a few of the positive things. The internet, however, can be used as a portal to view sites of immorality at the stroke of a few letters. The greatest investment are internet filters and television V-Chips, so we can get a better grip on what our youth today watch and see.

            How do we invest our time outside of the church doors after worship and bible studies? Are we Sunday Christians, or do we take the light of the world-Christ, within our hearts- and let it shine for others. Do we avoid others within our communities that don’t meet our liking; or do we treat each person we come across as like an angel unaware? Do we treat each person as if they could be Christ, unbeknown to us? How much time do we invest in immersing ourselves in scripture, our roadmap of life; look for a bible whose pages have been highlighted and underlined from front to back- and you’ll find great devotion to the word! When we “invest” in something, we’re saving something, or making the most of something; Christ gave his life to “save” us from sin. Through the blood of Christ shed for all of humanity, we have the opportunity for eternal life- something we can truly be thankful for. Today, at this moment in time, is one in which we can surrender all the Christ; for the future isn’t promised to us; except for life everlasting in Christ when we take time to consciously submit our lives and will to his care and control.

            The letter “M” in time stands for “make” time. No, we’re not going to perform a miracle here and create time…but we can make time. Just as football, basketball, hockey and other sports players take time outs to regroup and realign their game plans; so we too, have to take time to prioritize. Often this includes taking an inventory of what we’re doing and not doing, what we do well at and what we struggle with; and placing God in the lead of all we do, is the top priority. Making time and investing tine go hand in hand, except that when we make time, we make a self sacrifice of those areas that perhaps aren’t as important as we once thought-and only serve3d to hold us back. This is where the surrendering of our hurts, habits and hang-ups come into focus. In John Chapter 5, Jesus asks the crippled man who has been sitting by the pool for 38 years if he want to be made well. Sure, we want to be made well; however, being made well, often is a personal choice. Are we willing to give up those areas that are holding us back; are we willing to make time for Christ? It’s through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can each pick up our mats and walk free of whatever is holding us back.

            The final letter in time is “E” which stands for “exciting”….what an exciting feeling it is when we experience God working in us and through us to help others. We are the hands which God has to hug others with and make contact; the mouths with which to speak the “truth” of the gospel-Jesus-into our communities. What an exciting feeling when we submit our lives to Christ and release all the baggage that’s been holding us down like a weight; what an exciting feeling it is to know that Christ has already defeated all of our battles- that we can claim victory! What an exciting feeling it is to know that we’ve been blessed with the gift of today; and that today we have the opportunity to reach out for a new beginning. What an exciting feeling it is to know that we’re covered in the blood of Christ, that we’ve been redeemed……AMEN

Sponsors

            Fear is a common reaction to many of life’s struggles, in which we’re faced with and don’t immediately understand how we either got into the situation, the situation found us, or how we’re going to find peace through that situation. We could recall many fears in our lives, and some of those fears we could look back at and smile; while others may still affect us to this day. My biggest recollection of a fear occurred at age ten when my family and I moved to England for the first time. Having suffered a toothache for what seemed like ages, and moaned like it was the end of the world, my mom and dad arranged an appointment for me to be seen at the local “surgery” where we lived off base. When they told me that I had an appointment at the surgery for my toothache, words could not express my reaction! Why do I need surgery for a toothache? Surgeries are for broken bones, organ transplants or new born deliveries- but a toothache! Suddenly I think I was feeling better, and that toothache quickly disappeared, with the word surgery looming overhead. It took some strong convincing from mom and dad that the term “surgery” was old English for “doctor’s office.” I was still hesitant until the exact day and time that I saw the doctor, and then realized that I was indeed safe from massive surgery!

            Through my fear, however, I had mother and father to nurture me and assure me that things were going to be ok. As a child, we all had a guardian, normally our mothers and fathers- but not always; although there was someone to care for us. Their job was to raise us and support us as we grew and learned. Others that nurtured us included counselors, pastors, and school teachers to name a few. I remember in the first day of school; high school especially, being loaded down with what seemed like twenty books. At fist those books read almost like some kind of Egyptian hieroglyphics. The teachers helped us to understand what we were looking at, and slowly it began making sense.

            When we make the decision to turn everything over to Christ; we are emptying our lives of all the ways that we have been used to. We are giving up all of those hurtful habits and hang ups that resemble shards of glass; that have done nothing more than cut us and cause pain for ourselves and perhaps those around us. Christ takes those broken pieces, and through his love makes us a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us “ when someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He’s not the same anymore. A new life has begun.”

            It’s easy to say that in words; in reality, however, the devil tries harder and harder to knock us over when we surrender our old ways. Many times this discourages those who have surrendered, because they thought everything was going to be great; and it is, when you have someone walking with you that’s been through the “mud.” Christ has defeated all of our battles; we can claim our victory in Christ. It’s important when you surrender to Christ, to plug into a church home, into the word-through bible study, daily devotions, and recovery groups such as Celebrate Recovery. It’s also important to have a sponsor.

            Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 tells us that “two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone…there is no one to help him…two men can resist an attack that would defeat one man alone.” Recovery is much like playing a football game; sometimes we grab a hold of the ball and make the touchdown, and other times we fumble the ball and then fall flat on our face. If you’ve ever watched a football game, when a player falls, his teammates are right there holding out their hand to help pick him up. Our sponsor is there to help pick us up, to encourage us. Proverbs 27:17 tells us “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” The phrase “one another” is used in the New Testament over fifty times! We need one another!

            To be christian is to be Christ-like; to be Christ-like is our job. Our sponsor is like our job coach to be able to point out our old dysfunctional and self defeating patterns and quickly confront us with truth and love; without placing shame or guilt. Ecclesiastes 7:5 tells us that “It is better to be criticized by a wise man than to be praised by a fool!”

            There are many qualities of a sponsor. Does the walk match the talk? Is their lifestyle matching their talk, or do they leave the church building leaving behind all the church values each week? Do they have a growing relationship with Christ? Do they express their desire to help others on the road to recovery; there’s a difference in helping someone and trying to fix someone. Do they show compassion, care and hope, but not pity? You don’t want someone to feel sorry for you, but you do need someone to be sensitive to your pain. Are they a good listener? Do they offer suggestions, because sometimes we need help in seeing options and insight that we may not be able to find on our own. Can they share their struggles with others? I want a sponsor who is living and working the ways of Christian love everyday; someone that is a continual testimony of what recovery can do.

            A sponsor has many jobs, most importantly to be available in times of crisis or potential relapse; someone that a new believer or someone who has just surrendered can call at any moment before relapse. Once again Ecclesiastes 4:12 says it well “that two men can resist an attack that would defeat one man alone.” Another important job of the sponsor is to be a good sounding board and someone that can share his or her own experiences to offer strength, hope, and encouragement to the new believer or the person who has just surrendered.

            Celebrate Recovery groups believe strongly in sponsors and accountability partners, to help encourage those that have surrendered areas of their lives to Christ. I believe that church bodies should embrace the idea of sponsors to new believers and new members. Turning ones life to Christ can be an awesome experience, but also brings increased temptations, trials and hardship. The devil tries harder and harder to trip up the new believer. Then discouragement can begin to set in, and then there’s degeneration in ones beginning steps of faith as they begin to experience fear. They’ve given up ways that they’ve known for so long, and they need someone to help replace that emptiness with friendliness and encouragement. They need to know through witness of others that things will be amazing as they grow in Christ, and a sponsor can do that. A sponsor can be anyone dedicated to raising and nurturing a new believer in spiritual growth.

            When you encounter someone who is seeking God or asking about spiritual matters, as new believers often do, you are seeing God at work. If someone asks you spiritual questions, whatever else you have scheduled, cancel your plans. Go with that individual and look t4o see what God is doing in that persons life; encourage them, uplift them, provide words of inspiration….that’s the quality and work of a sponsor. A sponsor can begin with you, today! Our greatest sponsor, Christ! The sponsor who is always at work around us, Our Heavenly Father…Praise be to God!

Judges 6:11-16           Walking Together ( out of Denial )

Having lived amongst the massive wheat fields of northwest and central Oklahoma for close to twelve years and counting- beaten by hailstorms, windstorms, ice storms, dust storms, floods, and droughts; you’d assume that I would’ve picked up some working knowledge of farm life. All I know however, if that the trains during harvest can be long, and the wait can seem grueling if you’re waiting at the tracks- about to be late for work. It also seems as if there are more cows in Oklahoma than people, which makes me ponder who or what exactly harvests the crops? Of course, there are professional farmers; and although I don’t know a lot about farming, in this particular passage of Judges…you wouldn’t normally thresh wheat in a winepress as Gideon did!

Wheat is normally threshed in the open; however Gideon threshed wheat in a much hidden place, a winepress, to keep it from the Midianites- the enemy of the time. When we hide something, normally it’s in denial. More than likely Gideon had thought that the Midianites would pass though and not find the hidden wheat. I’m sure that we all have something that we want to hide, that we want to deny; and all the efforts we put into hiding, it can become wasted energy. As a child I used to sneak into the kitchen and jab my finger into the Kool-Aid powder for a quick tasty treat; and I thought I could keep it hidden, except for my red finger gave it away, all the time!

As Gideon was hiding his wheat, as he was hiding the labors of his life, an angel of the Lord appeared and said, “the Lord is with you mighty warrior.” We are all survivors; by taking the time to read the words, and having the gift of an opportunity to take another breath- a gift of God alone- we are a survivor. The Lord is with us, and if we believe that with all our heart, then that alone makes us a mighty warrior; armed to conquer all those battles that lay before us, covered in his blood.

“But”, Gideon replied, the most famous word as we were growing up, “but why has everything happened to us? What about all the promises….the manna, the walls of the temple falling…here we are in the hands of the Midianites.” I believe that we’re all guilty at some point, or many points of asking “Why God”….when something happens, when we don’t understand something in our lives. And I believe it’s when we get to the point that we don’t understand something in our lives, that we reach out for our own personal securities…drugs, alcohol, overeating, lust, or in other ways threshing wheat and hiding in that winepress- which won’t successfully work.

The Lord tells Gideon, the Lord tells us to “go in the strength that you have.” We all have different gifts and qualities that make us special and make us unique; and all those gifts combined can help one another. “Go in the strength that you have”….the Lord is our strength…”the Lord is with you mighty warrior.” Sometimes things happen that we can’t understand, such as illness, sickness, oppression, and poverty. Take for example the disciples in John 9 who asked Jesus if it was the man of his parents that sinned, that the man was born blind. Jesus responded that it was neither, the blindness happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. But not only in his life, but in our life when we go forward in the strength that we have; and break out of our denial. When we show everyone what we have to fight for, everything we’ve worked for…our lives, our families, our educations, perhaps our jobs or knowledge to help one another….we are a mighty warrior.

“ But Lord”…”But Father”…how many times once again did we say that as a kid! As a kid most likely it was because we didn’t want to do something; but I believe it’s almost a sign of admitting weakness…”But Lord, how can I save Israel. My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the weakest in my family.”

The Lords reply…” I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites ( the enemies ) together.” When the Lord says that he will be with us, it’s the same Lord that created the earth on which we stand and spoke, and so it was created! When we work together, pray together, join together with accountability partners, bible studies, step studies; we are working together to defeat the enemy that wants to put that temptation in our lives to hide behind.

Coming out of denial, coming out of hiding and walking with the Lord can be a bed a roses; a beautiful thing. There are thorns, however, and we’ll feel the pain- that’s a guarantee. But we don’t have to do it alone; Christ has been before us, he’s walking along side us- and within recovery teams and church families; we have others to help us….and that’s the true testament of Christianity, to be Christ-like, helping others along the way. Our road to recovery, it begins with the Lord with us, mighty warriors! Today is the day, a new beginning, day one; that we can step out of denial and into the grace of God, knowing that we’ll have others to help us along the way…we are, and we can be mighty warriors…AMEN