* Don't Be Scared; You'll Get Your Quilt

But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [taken complete possession of them]. However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

John 16:6-7 The Amplified Bible

The story goes like this: After Sunday School, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. 

The daughter replied confidently, "Don't be scared; you'll get your quilt."
Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later that day, the Mom stopped the Sunday School teacher and asked the Scripture reference for the day's lesson. He said "John 16:6-7."

Quilt - Comforter - it's all the same to a child. I laughed because I have had some very similar lessons with regard to children and their interpretation of what they heard and what was actually said (and some adults, too!).

But aren't we just like that sometimes? We think we know what God said, but we miss something in the interpretation, or substitute what we think means the same thing. We think "Close enough" or "Good enough,"  However, God is a very specific communicator. He says exactly what He means. He establishes His Word.

In verses 13-15 of this same chapter in the Amplified Bible, Jesus assures us that the Comforter - the Holy Spirit  -  when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.

So, do we want a quilt - just something to cover ourselves - or do we want the Comforter? Pay attention...

Prayer:

Father,

           Open our ears and our hearts to fully hear and understand what You would say to us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Giving More *

But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.

Isaiah 32:8 NLT

I had lunch with an old friend who I hadn't seen in awhile. We tried to catch up on everything we could, talking non-stop in an extended lunch visit. It was good. My friend told me an amazing story of how their extended family had been lost from them for more than 40 years, and over the years, they had tried to find them without success - but how they were finally able to search out the cousins, the offspring of an aunt who had always been very kind and very generous. I could see love's glow remembered in my friend's eyes and I knew just how loving the woman had been. It was a wonderful story to hear and I was very excited at all the good news of it.

The cousin who was first found later went to her sibling and said, You will never guess who called me. To her shock, her brother said my friend's name without hesitation... keeping in mind, it has been 40 years. When asked how he knew, he replied that his cousin had been on his mind for a couple weeks... the same amount my friend had been searching this last time around! God has such a sweet way of answering the desires of our heart.

We talked the rest of the time about all their plans to reunite face to face - oh, it is going to be such a grand time! As we were standing in the parking lot saying goodbye, my friend said, Before we go, I want to tell you one more thing about my aunt...  And I feel compelled to share it with you now.

It turns out that the aunt and cousins were very poor when they were all growing up, but it never stopped them from giving to others. The woman's life personified generous hospitality, with the emphasis on generous. The daughter of the amazing woman told this story. Her mother used to go to the grocery store and pick up the wooden fruit crates from the trash bin in back. She would then take them home, break them down, and tie them in bundles to sell for firewood to have money to buy coal to heat their home. One Christmas, the woman worked twice as hard to get enough money - not for toys for her children - but to get enough to buy an extra load of coal. 

When the coal cart driver came, she pressed that money into his hand and said, I want you to use this to buy coal for the poorest family on your route. I can't bear to think of anyone being cold on Christmas.

The driver was overcome by emotion and tried to hand back the money, but she insisted. Finally, when he could speak, through his tears, he replied, Missus, you are my poorest family... 

Poorest by the world's standards, but richest in the eyes of God.

Today, all three of her children are very successful in their career of choice (helping others in one form or another) and able to travel to different parts of the world. God's Word has much to say about those who are generous in spirit. Don't you just love it?

Prayer:

Father,

        Thank You for orchestrating such a wonderful reunion for my friend! Such a loving and generous thing for You to do!! Lord, change our hearts and cause us to be more like You! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Follow Me +

[Jesus speaking] Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

John 12:26 NLT

Not too long ago, I had the privilege of having a heart-to-heart conversation with a non-believer who really did not have a clue who God is in all His glory and majesty. He believed “good” people should get to go to heaven simply for being good to others. I told him that would be nice, but that’s not how it worked. 

I explained to him the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ – by confessing our sin, then believing that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, accepting His sacrifice on the cross for our sin, and finally to confess with our mouths and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead. My friend didn’t like that because he knew people who were always kind to others and gave to charities and helped others, but they didn’t believe in Jesus. He thought they should get to go to heaven. I was praying in my heart during the whole “defense” of what he believed, asking for the right words to say in response… and this is the analogy God provided.

I have a very good job. My boss lines out what I’m to do and if I expect a paycheck – what I believe is my just reward for doing what’s expected of me – then I do what I’m supposed to do. And if I don’t, I can also expect to lose my paycheck. You see, it’s not my company, so I can’t make up the rules to suit my likes and dislikes, to be what I want them or don't want them to be. I have to follow the rules established by the authority to be able to reap the benefits of being employed.

Who do you think created heaven? Who do you think it belongs to? Who do you think is the Boss there?  

To all three questions, he replied unequivocally, “God.” 

So I asked him, If God created heaven, and heaven belongs to Him, and God is the boss there, then He makes the rules, and His rule book clearly states that the only way to heaven is through Jesus. There is no other way in.

My friend had never thought of God in that capacity. He thought of Him as a kind of good luck deity that would follow US around, and be at our beck and call, blessing us when we did something good. However, neither God nor His Son said they would follow US. Jesus DID say they would be with us always, but that’s because He first said, Follow Me.

Prayer:

Father,

          We are so wrong. Forgive us for our rebellion when we want to lead You and want You to follow and bless what we want. Lord, we choose to follow You. Give us a clear understanding of who You are in Your fullness and help us to walk in Your steps. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Family Resemblance *

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

Ephesians 1:5-6 NLT

I'm sure we all know families that look so much alike, you could put them in a room with hundreds of people, and you would still be able to pick out who was in their gene pool. A long time ago, I used to work at an elementary school. As the registrar, I was often amazed by the younger siblings who would come to start school and they would be the spitting image of their older sibling at that age. Strong family genes.

How strong are our genes? 1st John 3:2 tells us, Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

What will we look like? Or more importantly - Who do we look like? I'm reminded of a time, several years ago - it was a gathering of friends at Gringo's with a new waiter who didn't know we'd ever been there. We straggled in, coming from all directions, and when we were finally gathered, the waiter looks at the 7 of us and says, Oh, I get it. It's a family meeting! We all smiled and said, Yup, that's it - a family meeting. Proof positive - adopted into the family of God through Jesus Christ. That's our common gene pool. And it's strong enough through Christ to see our Family Resemblance.

Praise His Holy Name!

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for adopting us into Your family and making us joint heirs with Your precious Son, Jesus. When we grow up, we want to be just like You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Twenty or The One +

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
2nd Corinthians 9:7-9 NLT

Here's how the story goes:
A well-worn one-dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty-dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation.  The twenty-dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the country.

"I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed. "I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, New Orleans and San Francisco, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean." 

"Wow!" said the one-dollar bill. "You've really had an exciting life!" 

"So, tell me," says the twenty, "Where have you been throughout your lifetime?" 

The one dollar bill replies, "Oh, I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church..." 

"Wait! Wait!" The twenty-dollar bill interrupts, "What's a church?"

Well, we all chuckle, but sadly, if money really talked, this conversation could very likely have taken place! (Uh oh! Messing with the money now.) Relax! I'm not here to take an offering or beg. But I would like to remind you that tithing and giving is a covenant relationship, and according to Malachi 3:10, we are to "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!"

I have come to learn that the giving principle works in every area of life, and that receiving isn't all about the bucks. If I sow my time by volunteering or helping a friend, invariably, I wind up with enough time for what's on my schedule and then some to spare to do it again. If I sow kindness, I will receive kindness in great measure. If I sow love, I reap it in bundles too large and overwhelming to comprehend. If I sow mercy and/or grace, I will get it abundantly in return...and I need it. And when He sees I need some more of any of it, He pours out! Scripture reads, "Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands." 

I don't want the representation of the life that precedes me to Heaven to be a one-dollar bill equivalent. I want to pour it out and give it my all. That's what Jesus did AND does!

Prayer:

Father,
         Help us to see the beauty of Your majesty, to receive Your great love to us and to us through others. Teach us to give ALL, just as You gave all for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Act or Action

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 

Mark 9:23 NKJV

We say we're believers.

We sing songs about it. I believe in God the Father - Almighty Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth - And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord...

We quote Scripture, chapter and verse:

Genesis 15:6 NKJV
And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Mark 11:24 NKJV

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name...

When talking to another believer, we distinguish those at work and/or in our family: She's a believer or he's a non-believer but...

Does any of that ring as true for you as it does for me?

As I was reading the Scripture, With God, all things are possible, I believe God challenged me on it.

Do you really believe that?

Yes, I really do.

When you really believe something, don't you take action based on what you believe?

Yes, of course, I do.

Then why don't you take action on My Word? Not ACT like you believe it - BELIEVE it and take action on what you believe!

It was then, I had to reply like the child's father from our Promise for Today, verse 24 - Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  The Amplified Bible reads, "Lord, I believe! [Constantly] help my weakness of faith!"

Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for - the EVIDENCE of things not seen. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Period. There's no question mark, there's no fill in the blanks at the end for the words of doubt - Can I? Can You?  There's only acting like I believe or taking action on it.

Prayer:

Father,
        Forgive me for my weakness of faith. Take the blinders off my eyes and my heart so I can see Your Word for the Light and Truth that it is and then take action on it with complete follow through! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

* Generically Speaking

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Psalm 34:8 NKJV

I love church potluck dinners. I think I've mentioned to you how our church does it differently. We bring it in and set it in front of us on the table where we choose to sit. Right at 7, Pastor says grace and we dig in - no waiting in lines and no running out of food. And I will tell you that both the women AND the men at our church have an anointing to cook.....mmm-mmmmmmmm! It's a great night of fellowship, and Pastor brings a short word while we're gathered around the table together, and then we pray with whoever's at our table.  

If you attend LCC for very long, you learn whose table to visit for food - that is if you want something besides what's in front of you. It's share and share alike, but some of them cook from scratch and we know who "them" are. (Did I mention their anointing to cook?)

Isn't that funny? Our lives are so busy and so hectic that very few of us cook from scratch anymore and yet we all still flock to those tables and love the food and inhale it like we've been starved for nutrition. And the truth is, we probably have been starved for real nutrition, but we'll still eat whatever's cheap, fast and easy because we don't make the time - or take the time - to get the "real" thing. You know, like when money is tight, we tend to buy off-brands of everything and convince ourselves we like it and it tastes exactly the same... until we get a bit of the real thing. 

The question is do we do the same thing in our relationship with God? How often do we listen to Christian radio and try to justify that we have focused on God in praise and worship while we're driving down the highway? Or caught snippets of Scripture about life lessons and then try to convince ourselves we have spent time meditating on His Word? Don't get me wrong - listening to Christian radio and anything from Scripture are both good. But when was the last time you got down and served up a healthy portion of praise and worship one-on-one to God Almighty? How long has it been since you've done more One Minute Sermons than one-minute games on the social network? Or read more pages in the Bible than pages on Facebook?

We're settling for processed, ready-made, generic Christianity. Why? It's not because we can't afford it. God said come without money and buy. And He paid for it in full. God wants the best for us. He's GIVEN the Best for us. There is NO generic substitute.

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for giving us Your Best - in all things. I pray that we would take the time to dig in and get to the good stuff. Help us to see how to get there. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Whatcha Lookin' At? +

A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 24:45-51 NLT

Just a reminder, we are only as good an employee, a friend, a Christian, as we are when no one is looking to see what we are doing…  

Don’t start cutting corners now. Don’t slack off. You may be tired, but in 2^nd Chronicles, we are told that the eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are FULLY committed to Him.

What is He seeing?

Prayer:

Father,

          We want to be pleasing in Your sight. Strengthen our hearts, O God. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Ready or Not, Here I Come!

However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

Matthew 24:36-42 NLT

The late Anthony Burger - one of the greatest pianists of our time - told a precious story about his then five-year-old son, Austin. In the children's play, Austin played the part of Jesus. Austin knelt in the garden and prayed, "Father, I don't want to die. But I will if You want me to, 'cause I'll do anything for You." Then they attached him to a cardboard cross and afterward, they carried him across the stage to the "tomb." Little three-year-old girls were crying outside the recreated tomb, "Jesus is dead. What are we gonna do?" Anthony said you could see Austin in there with his eyes so tightly closed, and then he came out and asked, "Why are you crying? Don't cry. I'm alive! I died but I came back. I only needed it for the weekend."

Anthony choked up and said he was so proud watching his son from the third pew... until Austin walked back into the tomb. Anthony said he was embarrassed that his son walked back in there, thinking he messed up. Then just about that time, Austin yelled from inside the tomb, "Ready or not! Here I come!"

I've heard people just recently make the comment, "Yeah, I've been hearing that all my life..." As if it's not true that Jesus is coming back soon. 2nd Peter 3:9-10a reads,The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act. The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day heaven will pass away with a roaring sound. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed.

Ready or not, He IS coming...

Prayer:

Father,
        We pray for all those who have had ample opportunity to turn their lives over to You, but have not yet done so. Move on their hearts again, Father. Draw them to You. Let them accept Jesus as Your Son and His Blood shed at Calvary as the atonement for their sin. Breathe new life into them, Father. Make them anew in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Living Proof +

I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:2-3 NLT

You’ve heard it since you became a Christian. Fact of the matter is, you probably heard it before you became a Christian, right?  What, you ask? Well of course, that God has a plan for your life. 

I know I am not the only one who ever asked God what He was thinking when I didn't have any idea about what was going on in my life at a particular moment. I know I am not the only one who ever asked to be let in on the Master Plan, because I was not "getting it." I know I am not the only one who asked for a clue – just one clue – to reveal His Plan for my life.

Here’s the clue:

John 1:1-3 NLT, In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

Combine this with our text for today and a light glimmers. …they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him [Christ] lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Who is Christ? He is the Word… It is IN His Word that we find hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It is His Word that is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. The Light by which we can see to follow His Plan!

And if we have doubt or have a hard time seeing or hearing Him, He has other ways of getting through to us. Paul had his experience on the road to Damascus. Do you remember that story? Sometimes, He uses a donkey to talk to a prophet. Remember Balaam? Sometimes, He uses a complete stranger to remind you of the Plan He has for you. Ask my daughter about the shop owner in Kimmswick, Missouri, who spoke to her about her life, in a store we had not planned to go in.

There IS a plan. God has one for you. It has much to do with faith. He is the Author of it, and He is the Finisher of it. And how do we obtain the faith of which He is the Author and the Finisher? God has given everyone a measure of faith. I've also learned that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. How do I know that? It’s in the Bible – the Living Word of God (Romans 12 and Romans 10). 

I’m gathering clues so I can understand God’s mysterious plan.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for a Plan that works. Thank You for a Plan that is fail-proof and written in Blood. Help us to follow the clues You’ve very carefully placed before us. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

an apology

For some reason, I am unable to access the Internet via My computer. I'm making this post using my phone which is less than satisfactory I apologize but I will not be able to resume until I resolve this Issue. I hope you will check back with me on Monday. Praying blessings on you and yours