Month: April 2023

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trail; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

Last week while several of the regulars were enjoying our morning swim class, there appeared a new gentleman. He put down his bag, surveyed the group, and then began to walk around the perimeter of the pool seemingly assessing us and the situation. We smiled, offered use of our lanes, and welcomed him. He never acknowledge any of us, and yes, he heard us! In a few minutes, he walked back, picked up his bag, and began walking out. Over his shoulder he shouted, “Have a blessed day.” Everyone looked at each other wondering “what kind of day does he consider blessed?”

Contrast that with an older gentlemen who lives with his sister and brother in law in our neighborhood. Every morning around 8:30 I pass him, and he’s already dressed for the day walking up and down the street. Every time a car passes him, he stops, smiles, and waves. He exemplifies the gift of a blessed day to me because he makes me smile.

The first gentleman definitely did not exemplify his words to us. The second gentleman shows what a blessed day should be. Sometimes we are so pre occupied with our mission that we don’t take the time to take stock of what really makes a blessed day!

God is currently working in our midst, but unfortunately, we fail to acknowledge Him, and we sometimes miss the daily things He does for us! There are those who would cherish some of the things which we take for granted. Things such as paying our bills on time, recovering from an illness, hugging our children and grandchildren, smelling fresh brewed coffee, seeing the sun rise and set, or just saying the words, “I love you.”

When Jesus was teaching his disciples, one of the first things He taught them was how to pray. He told them to say, “Give us this day our daily bread”, but He never mentioned bread for tomorrow or next month. The making of this day into a blessed day for ourselves and others lies solely with our attitude and actions.

Sometimes we all find ourselves planning the next thing while doing the current thing, which of course, steals the present moment from us. We will never get precious moments back. For example, my Mama and I always talked on Sundays for about an hour in addition to short conversations during the week. She always wanted to know everything that had happened in our week, how church went, how the children and grands were doing, and what we were doing that was exciting. She would always say, “Now, don’t let me keep you” probably because she knew I was multi tasking while we were talking. After she died, I kept remembering her words and thinking that a blessed day would be one where I could talk to her again and savor each moment.

Every day is a gift from God. Next to His grace and salvation, today is the most valuable thing we will ever receive. So, what makes a blessed day? First, I think it should enjoy the magic of the moments we experience. Instead of looking at the list of the day’s “to do” list, take time to actually enjoy the pleasures of the day. Life is to be enjoyed not dreaded or regretted.

Next, celebrate the people God has placed in our path. Each person we encounter every day adds something to our lives whether good or bad. It’s easy to celebrate the friends, but not everyone is there to be a friend. God places each one to teach us something. Someone once said, “remember as you slide down the banister of life, there are going to be people who are splinters in your butt. Pick them out and slide on!”

Finally, invite God into your day! Jesus promised that if we seek His kingdom first, all the things we need to have a blessed day and life will be given to us. God is able to provide for us daily the things we are busy trying to acquire.

Remember to thank the giver of all our gifts and have a blessed day!

Forget about what’s happened – don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand new! It’s busting out! Don’t you see it? Isaiah 43:19 The Message

Spring is here, and with it comes colorful blooms, greenery everywhere, pollen, and the promise of new life. There’s been an increase in the animal population, baby birds are hatching, bees are pollinating, and even an occasional butterfly or two! The earth is going through a metamorphosis.

One of the most exciting times for me as a kindergarten teacher was the lesson we taught on the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. It starts with several caterpillars who slowly inch along and devour lots of leaves and food. The caterpillar gets fat and longer, and then it rigs up a silk thread and fastens itself to a branch. Once it’s secured to a branch, it begins to move around furiously until it unzips the outer skin revealing a chrysalis and wraps itself into it.

The caterpillar is motionless for about 14 days, and some of the students were upset because nothing apparent is happening. On around day 12, the cocoon becomes transparent, and we can see that something dramatic has happened. All at once, the little creature begins to move and push until the shell on its little incubator breaks open. It pushes itself out of that impossibly small pod, and we behold a Monarch butterfly!

The awe on the faces of young children as the butterfly stretches its wings and begins to slowly flap them is one of awe and excitement as they experience one of God’s wonders. Where there once was an ugly cumbersome caterpillar now is a magnificent butterfly which bears no resemblance to its former self.

My sweet three year old nephew, Griff, is involved in this process now. The first day as his Mom explained what would happen during this time, he listened intently, nodded approval, and went off to take his nap. When he got up, he ran to his Mom and excitedly asked, “Is it a butterfly yet?” Time frames mean nothing at that age.

Aren’t we so like this on many occasions? Metamorphosis is defined as a complete change in the form or nature of a person or thing into a completely different one. We want a change in our everyday life, our prayer life, our relationships, or just our outlook, but we want it now! Just like Griff, we think the metamorphosis comes in an instant, and we are disappointed when it takes time for the change to occur.

God has a plan for our lives. It includes things we can’t necessarily have today, but we will be able to enjoy tomorrow. When spring comes, the grass grows on its own timeline. The flowers bloom when the time is right. We see God being in control of this, but often forget to apply this knowledge to our own lives.

When kids are little and parents refuse to give them something that’s not good for them, they will stomp their feet and say, “I want it now”, but we don’t give in to that request because we know they aren’t ready for it! We need to stop struggling to accomplish something now that will be easy when the time is right.

God is teaching us that change happens on His timeline, but He’s also teaching us patience in the process. James writes, “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do it’s work so you can become mature.” (James 1:4) God takes his time with our lives so that we can learn important principles.

He allows certain things to happen in life to teach us principles like maintaining our faith when times get tough, developing new skills and better ways of thinking, and showing grace under pressure by controlling our responses.

God’s classroom for our metamorphosis is His church. When God wants to start a metamorphosis in his world, community, or home, He puts us with a family of believers where His spirit can work in us.

The process of metamorphosis takes time and patience. I love it that Griff is learning all about that, and I’m trying to remember that lesson in my own life. God is developing qualities in us right now that can’t be developed any other way. When He’s finished, we will have been through the metamorphosis that will provide the maturity to handle whatever He has in mind for us!

Father, thank you for all the prayers you’ve answered during my lifetime. You’ve answered small prayers and big prayers, evening prayers and morning prayers, quiet prayers and loud prayers, anxious prayers and peaceful prayers. May my own prayers be shaped according to you faithfulness. become less selfish and frantic and more calm and trusting each day that passes. Give me patience for the metamorphosis. In Jesus’ name. Amen copied

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20 from The Message

Paul Harvey is famous for his features entitled, “The Rest of the Story.” The premise here is that there are stories which are compelling, interesting, and fascinating, but they reach a point where it seems that the story is complete. Paul Harvey’s idea was that there is more, and what is more, what is to come could be even more compelling than the story which preceded it!

The Christian’s reaction to Easter and the resurrection can be like one of those Paul Harvey features. The words, “It is finished”, don’t need to apply to the Christian and the work that is now before us. We have agonized over the events that led up to the cross, felt the passion of Good Friday, sung “Hallelujahs” on Easter morning, but now, we have before us the rest of the story.

After the resurrection, Christ was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. He was also seen by more than 500 followers at one time, and finally by James and later by all the apostles. The Bible says, “He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.” In order to prove this true, Jesus finished the story by appearing to those who recorded seeing him.

Over two thousand years ago, Christ shared the power of The Great Commission with his disciples and gave them their orders. It is a mandate for all Christ’s followers, then and now. The great commission as recorded in Matthew 28 gives us three things to remember as we strive to continue the rest of the story. Briefly it states, that God has all authority, He is the God of all nations, and He is always present.

Jesus sent the disciples out with a new power after the resurrection. They reached more people in their revitalized ministry and established God’s church in various places. The fact is that the world needs to hear, see, and feel God’s love, and we, as Christians, have been given power to spread that love. The church is not a building, but rather people with a new power and purpose for Christ.

After the resurrection, the disciples also had a new perspective. They began to live authentic lives with complete transparency while taking the message of Jesus to the people. It’s our job to continue the mission and tell the rest of the story. The disciples turned the world upside down, and we can, too.

Jesus taught the disciples to demonstrate and exhibit Christ like qualities through their changed lives. They were commissioned to present Christ and His love in action. Christ’s words, “Go therefore,” apply to all of us as we go to work to spread the love in our community, our homes, and our world.

Josh McDowell tells the story of a corporate headhunter who liked to get potential executives relaxed, then look then squarely in the eye and ask about their purpose in life. Most were shocked and fell apart under the question. One day after talking for a while to a man named Bob, the headhunter leaned over, looked into his eyes and said, “And, what’s your purpose in life?” Without blinking, Bob replied, “To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.”

Today, someone’s eternal destiny may rest on our willingness to share God’s love with them. That’s our God given assignment, and in order to complete the rest of the story, we have to be willing to do it. How the rest of the story goes is up to us!

The hymn Tell Me The Stories of Jesus was written by William Henry Parker in 1885. His Sunday School class requested Parker to “tell them another story of Jesus”, and from that request came the six verse hymn. The first verse below speaks to how people long to hear the stories.

Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear; Things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here. Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea; Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

There are many unique things in this life we are privileged to live, and so often we tend to take most of them for granted. The unique beauty of a sunset, the unique voice of a loved one, the unique laughter of a child, the unique gift of friendship, and the unique gift of giving and receiving love, just to name a few.

Unique is defined as “being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else”. Sometimes the word unique is used in trivialities of life such as a unique flavor, a unique taste, unique clothes, unique personality, etc;, however, there is one thing upon which we can all agree. The resurrection of Jesus was a unique occurrence.

Why is his resurrection unique? First, the scripture tells us that He is the only one who didn’t die again. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead isn’t what makes him unique. The Bible records seven other resurrections, but only Jesus raised Himself from the dead. The other seven that were resurrected returned to their earthly lives.

Next, Jesus alone ascended into Heaven to represent us before God. He is there to intercede on our behalf so that no accusation against us will stand.

Finally, He has the power to resurrect us when we die. He says, “Because I live you will also live” (John 14:19), and that promise applies to us all. The historical and unique truth of Christ’s resurrection is beyond dispute to any honest, open mind, but the greatest proof of his resurrection can be seen in changed lives. Just as Paul said, “The spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.” Romans 8:10

Jesus came with a mission, and his coming was foretold in advance. David prophesied of Jesus in Psalms 16:10 when he said, “For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.”

Jesus lived his early life as a carpenter. Carpenters in Bible days had a unique custom. When a carpenter completed a job, he would take off his apron, fold it, and set it on his finished work signifying that the job was complete. We know that three days after his crucifixion, “Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb both of them running. The other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped, looked in, and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then, the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed, for until then they still hadn’t understood the scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.”

The words, “The cloth that had covered his head was folded up” are the keys to the story. Jesus, the carpenter, had finished his job. The unique mission of Jesus was realized and our salvation was complete. Three days after Calvary, Jesus won the victory over death for all who believe in Him.

Alfred Ackley was a talented musician and evangelist who worked with Billy Sunday in the 1930’s. At one of the evangelistic services, Ackley began to notice a student who kept asking, “Why should I worship a dead Jew?” Ackley could not get the student out of his mind, so his wife suggested that he write a song about his feelings in order to help him resolve them. Ackley re-read the Resurrection account from Mark’s gospel, and the words began to pour.

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today. I know that He is living, whatever men may say. I see his hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives. He lives within my heart. He Lives by Alfred Ackley

He lives, our sins are forgiven, and our place in heaven is assured. A unique occurrence indeed!!

Happy Easter!