For the Greater Good?

In 1809, a boy was born to a leather worker and horse tack maker in France. By the time the boy was two, he was following his father to the workshop, playing while his father worked. Although warned many times not to touch his father’s tools, the boy was fascinated with them. At age three, the boy was playing with an awl, trying to make a hole in a piece of scrap leather, when a freak accident caused the awl to glance off the hard leather and into his eye.

Though taken to the best surgeon in Paris, nothing could be done to save his eye. He suffered for weeks as a severe infection moved from the affected eye to his good eye. He managed to survive the ordeal, but by age five, was totally blind.

Trying for normalcy, his parents sent him to school with his siblings. At age ten his teachers suggested his parents allow him to seek higher education. He went to Paris to live at and attend the National Institute for Blind Youth. He was passionate about learning. He devoured the few books available at the school and was left wanting more.

            This was the beginning of a story I heard during Teaching Time at the Community Bible Study I attend. The sixteenth lesson of a thirty lesson study on the book of Revelation brought us to Chapter 13, verses 1-10 this week (see below). Three themes emerged from these verses:

1)     Be alert to the schemes of satan.

2)     Recognize that sometimes God does allow suffering if it accomplishes a greater purpose.

3)     Endure hardship, trusting in God’s faithfulness to believers.

And now, the rest of the story.  This young man had a propensity for music, becoming an accomplished cellist and organist. He wanted to write music, but puzzled over how a blind man could do that. He yearned for two-way communication between the blind and the sighted.

He had heard of a system used by the French Army called “Night Writing.”This approach allowed soldiers to “talk” to one another without uttering a sound and tipping the enemy off to their location. Captain Charles Barbier willingly shared his system of dots and dashes with Louis, but it was too complicated for daily use. Louis began to experiment with Barbier’s system, adding ideas of his own. He designed a plan using a series of raised symbols to represent letters.

You have probably guessed by now the young man in the story is Louis Braille, founder of the Braille System which allows the blind to read and communicate.

But there’s more to this story. On a visit home, Louis went to his father’s shop to look for a tool that would make the perfect sized dots on the paper. Have you guessed yet that it was the awl? The object that crippled Louis Braille was used to enhance the lives of millions of people. By 1824, he had published a book on the Braille system. His second edition, printed in 1829, featured enhancements that brought it up to the system still in use today. His Braille music notation allows the blind to write music.

What is your awl? What is the thing that is crippling you, keeping you from accomplishing your purpose? Give it to God and allow Him to take it and use it for your good or the good of others.

Going out with joy today-

Cathy

Revelation 13:1-10 ESV

 13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. ² And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. ³ One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. ⁴ And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

⁵ And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. ⁶ It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, ⁸ and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. ⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

¹⁰ If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Were You Changed by Christmas?

Christmas 2012 has come and gone. Decorations and lights are in hibernation until next year. Thank you’s have been said and gifts have found a home in the toy box, on a shelf, in a closet. Rest has brought welcome relief from the weariness Christmas often brings. We’ve witnessed the advent of the year 2013. The hectic pace of Christmas and New Year celebrations has faded into normal routines. The holidays are over and a new year has started. Now what?

My brother posts a prayer on Facebook each day. They are interactions between him and God, but if you want to listen in, he doesn’t mind. I am always touched by them, sometimes to tears. With his permission I am sharing the one from December 26^th with you:

 

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:20)

“Lord Christ, You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. At Christmastime the diamond is touted as the gift that never stops giving. Only You can fulfill that kind of promise. Your faithfulness knows no end; Your love is unrelenting. The joy of Christmas is for every day of the year!

Thank You for promising me strength for whatever comes in the passing moments of every hour of the New Year. Knowing this, I plan to live each moment to the fullest. You have banished worry about tomorrow; now the future is a friend.

Like the shepherds who went back to work as different people because of beholding Your glory in the manger, I want to go back to my daily routines as a different person because of Christmas. I accept the gift that changes everything. With Christmas love, joy, hope, and peace, I can go back to old relationships, pressing responsibilities, the troubled world, and those problems I set aside until after the holidays. Nothing has changed, and yet everything is different. The difference is inside of me. Nothing can ever be the same again! You have recruited me to be a Christmas angel, a messenger, to the world around me. Some people will be disappointed that Christmas made so little difference. Today help me to communicate to burned out, demoralized, done-in people what it means to receive Your strength each moment. Amen.”  Tommy John, December 26, 2012

               How did spending time with Jesus on His birthday this year change you? Have you got your marching orders for 2013? As the year rolls on, will your call to ministry become reality?

Praying blessings of joy, peace, love and hope over you for 2013-

Cathy

P.S. If you enjoyed Tommy’s prayer, join him on Facebook so you can get his renderings every day. Tell him you’re my friend when you ask to be his.

Advent-Week Four

I must begin this post with an apology to my faithful readers. Like most of us do, I got caught up in the Christmas hubbub and missed two posting days. Please forgive me. This is a perfect example to show why Advent traditions are so important to keeping us centered during the busyness of the season. Thanks much for joining me as we finish out the Advent series.

So far, we have spent time focusing on HOPE, PEACE and JOY. During Week Four our thoughts were of LOVE. The candle we light on the Advent wreath is the Angel’s Candle. The four scriptures used for Week IV are printed below.

Our Youth Christmas play at church this year included a song asking the question, “What’s a Savior like You doin’ in a place like this?” I’m a visual person, so in my mind’s eye, I saw this scene play out in Heaven:

Jesus: “Father, look out through time with me. Do you see her? Do you see my Cathy? (You can insert your name here, because He did the same for you.) She needs a Savior. Please, Father, let me go to earth so I can help her. It’s time for us to put our plan of salvation into action.”

God: “I can’t send you into the world, Son. I love you so much and I know how they will treat you down there.”



Angels Attending the
Birth of Jesus

Jesus: “Please, Dad. Let me go. Cathy is precious to me. She needs my help to get through the trials of life.”

God: “Son, you know they will mock you, spit on you, ridicule you, beat you, shame you, reject you. You know the devil will do everything he can to keep your message from getting to Cathy. You know in the end, you will suffer an unspeakably cruel death on the cross.”

Jesus: “I know, Father, but she’s worth it.”

“And she brought forth her first-born son and she wrapped him in strips of cloth (the same kind used for burial) and laid him in a manger.” His end was forecast at His birth, but because of His great LOVE for me, and for you, He came.

Joyful, joyful, I adore you, my Father, my Savior, my King, my Friend-

Cathy

 A Collect/Prayer for Advent-Week Four

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Micah 5:2-5a

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,

who are one of the little clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to rule in Israel,

whose origin is from of old,

from ancient days.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time

when she who is in labor has brought forth;

then the rest of his kindred shall return

to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,

in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.

And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great

to the ends of the earth;

and he shall be the one of peace.

Psalm 80:1-7

Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
stir up your strength and come to help us.

Restore us, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

O LORD God of hosts,
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?

You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.

You have made us the derision of our neighbors,
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.  

Restore us, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Hebrews 10:5-10

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

but a body you have prepared for me;

in burnt offerings and sin offerings

you have taken no pleasure.

Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God'

(in the scroll of the book it is written of me)."

When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Luke 1:39-45(46-55)

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Advent-Week Three

The flame from the Shepherd’s Candle brightens the way in Week Three of the Advent season. JOY is our theme. The four focus scriptures are printed below. Week One and Week Two are available if you missed them and want to catch up.

“JOY to the world, the Lord has come,” we sing with gusto during the Christmas season. The baby whose birthday we are waiting to celebrate brought JOY to all of us with His first breath. When that same baby returns as a King following His Father’s orders to “go bring my children home," He will again bring JOY to the world.

Then we sing the next line of the song: “Let earth receive her King,” and we learn the choice to embrace that JOY is ours. We have to make a conscious decision to accept the JOY that is Him.

This week think about how God gave JOY to the whole world in the form of a baby. And ask yourself, “Have I opted to align myself with JOY or have I rejected the One who offers it to me?” My e-mail address is hiskid410@gmail.com if you need to talk.

Go forth with JOY-

Cathy 

Zephaniah 3:14-20 Israel's Joy and Restoration

¹⁴ Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
¹⁵ The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
¹⁶ On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
¹⁷ The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
¹⁸ I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
¹⁹ Behold, at that time I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
²⁰ At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.

 Collect (Prayer) for Advent-Week Three:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;

shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart!

O daughter Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,

he has turned away your enemies.

The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;

you shall fear disaster no more.

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands grow weak.

The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

a warrior who gives victory;

he will rejoice over you with gladness,

he will renew you in his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing

as on a day of festival.

I will remove disaster from you,

 that you will not bear reproach for it.

I will deal with all your oppressors

at that time.

And I will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change their shame into praise

and renown in all the earth.

At that time I will bring you home,

at the time when I gather you;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the LORD.

Canticle 9 The First Song of Isaiah Ecce Deus

Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *

I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *

and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *

from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *

see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *

And this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *

for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Luke 3:7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Advent-Week Two

Week Two

We are now in Week Two of the Advent season. The candle this week is the candle of Bethlehem (some call it the candle of preparation) and the theme is PEACE. The four focus scriptures are printed below for your convenience. The post for Week I describing Advent can be found here if you missed it.

I am blessed to be able to share a poem about preparation with you this week. I met Keith Wallis through ChristianWriters.com. He has an amazing talent for using words in unique ways to bring new meaning to them. Check out his blogs or books for other poems he’s written.

Ascend our Thoughts

By Keith Wallis

Resplendent in glistered frost we unwrap the special day

when all is changed,  though still the same,

and mangers, stars and hay

ascend our thoughts. 

Nativities have come and gone in varieties of craft

some creating tear drops,

and some creating laughs

ascend our thoughts. 

Discarded wrappings litter our paths and cheery homes

and somehow Jesus lays there

while reindeer, elves and gnomes

ascend our thoughts. 

The carols fuel our reveries, Silent Nights and First Noels,

and in semi-Bleak Midwinter

the turkey-roasting smells

ascend our thoughts. 

The Christmas gift, if gift it is, costing much yet given so free

meanders in the mistletoe

as mischievous kissery

ascends our thoughts. 

Yet, trapped within our wonders, the miracle of birth,

new sounds upon the quietude,

new feet upon the earth

ascend our thoughts. 

And Christ has come again, again. In mangers of unworthy hearts

unwrapped, and Holy, bright and new

that love of God, which He imparts,

ascends our thoughts.

               Throughout the remainder of the Advent and Christmas seasons, let’s set our mind on PEACE as we go about the myriad chores it takes to prepare for Christmas. Let your spirit be so peaceful that it spreads to others. When they mention how peaceful you appear, tell them where your PEACE comes from – the One we celebrate, who came to bring PEACE to all, now and forever.

May your days be blessed with PEACE and joy-

Cathy



Keith Wallis

Keith Wallis is an English poet and part of the Senior Leadership Team of Houghton Regis Baptist church. An Engineering Designer by trade, he brings an eye for detail as well as his faith into his poetry. Keith is also the poet in residence at Ruby e-zine and moderator at ChristianWriters.com. Married to Val in 1970, they have two sons and three grandsons. You can read his poetry on his blogs: ( http://wordsculptures-keith.blogspot.com/, http://ariverofsmallstones.blogspot.com/ , or wordsculpture. Keith has four books in print which you can find out about on his blogs.

Malachi 3:1-4 (ESV)

3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. ² But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. ⁴ Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

 

Philippians 1:3-11 (ESV)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸ For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. ⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 

Psalm 95 (ESV)

Let Us Sing Songs of Praise

95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
³ For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
⁷ For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand. 

Luke 3:1-6 (ESV)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
⁵ Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

Advent-Week One

Advent Wreath

The season of Advent on the Church Year Calendar began on Sunday, December 2, 2012. This marks the start of a four-week period in which Christians spend time preparing for the coming of the Messiah.

The word Advent originates with the Latin “Adventus” which translates   “coming” and is the equivalent of the Greek “parousia” which is commonly used in reference to the Second Coming. The season of Advent serves as a dual reminder of the waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the their Messiah, as well as the waiting Christians endure today as they await the second coming of Jesus.

Each week in Advent has a common thread including: a candle with a special meaning that is lit during corporate or family worship; there is a theme; and there are four scriptures. This week’s candle is the candle of prophecy, the theme is HOPE, and there are four scriptures, one each from the New Testament, the Old Testament, a Psalm and the Gospels.

Prophesy and hope are two sides of the same coin. Prophesy in the Bible was given as a warning of things to come, a heads-up so that people could change their behavior and receive the reward that is coming. It gave people hope that God loved them enough to give them a second chance to avoid the wrath that would come with disobedience. People living in obedience to God’s laws have an endless hope for the future rather than a hopeless end.

Moses with the
Ten Commandments
 

Before God gave us the Ten Commandments there were over 900 laws to obey. It was an almost impossible task so God boiled it down to just ten. That was better, but even that was hard. In the New Testament, Jesus boiled it down further to just two rules to live by – Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love everyone around you.

We do a long list of things to prepare for Christ’s coming at Christmas, but what do we do to prepare our hearts for Jesus’ birth and His Second Coming? The warning in the four scriptures for the week is to be ready at all times for His coming.

 How do we do that? Ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior and then Love God and love those around you. If you need help with that, my e-mail address is hiskid410@gmail.com and it would thrill me to be in the birthing room with you when you are born into your new life in Christ.

I’m praying that God will fill your spirit with hope today and that your journey will be “joy-full” –

Cathy

 

Jeremiah 33:14-16 (ESV)

The Lord's Eternal Covenant with David

¹⁴ “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵ In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ 

Psalm 25:1-9 (ESV)

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
³ Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.

⁶ Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way. 

I Thessalonians 3:9-13 (ESV)

⁹ For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, ¹⁰ as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, ¹² and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, ¹³ so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

 

Luke 21:25-36 (ESV)

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁵ “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

²⁹ And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

³⁴ “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Regrets Only

               Regrets Only the invitation read in the space where RSVP normally resided. Trying to meld this phrase which conjures up negative emotions and the festivity of a party or wedding left me puzzled. So few people respond to an RSVP these days , I can’t imagine anyone would call saying, “No, we’re not coming.” The interaction would force an excuse. I had a pastor years ago who said he had quit telling people he missed seeing them in church on Sunday because it seemed to obligate a response and he didn’t want to be the cause of folks having to lie to him.

               Regrets Only can apply to relationships. A former dear friend died recently and I felt deep regret at her passing. She was still a young woman at age fifty-five and I regretted her seven-month battle with cancer. A few months before her diagnosis, she had retired and was excited to see where God would lead her next. I knew something was amiss when her treatments started the day she was diagnosed. My main regret was the fact that our friendship had waned a few months before she was diagnosed.



Disciple Bible Studies

               We became fast friends when we rode to a Lay Speaker Training together. Over the next four years, we were in two intense Bible studies together and my husband and I attended the Couples Bible Study she hosted in her home. We led worship together at a local nursing home on the Second Sunday of each month and were both part of a year-long leadership development program for small membership Methodist churches.

               And then the unthinkable happened. My pastor felt I needed to be disciplined because I reported some worldly activities taking place in the church and a violation of the Safe Sanctuary policies. Against the guidelines of the Methodist Book of Discipline, he called together the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee and the Lay Leaders from all three churches in our Charge. My friend was a member of the PPRC and decided to stand with the pastor and seven other people as they took an approach that was neither Biblical nor according to the Discipline.

I was devastated and my family ended up leaving the church I had loved and supported and been an active part of for thirty-three years. I could not sit under this man who told me he was higher than God in these three churches. I could not sit in the pew and worship with people who thought taking the Biblical approach to reconciliation was NOT the right thing to do.

Although my friend and I made an attempt to save our relationship, it was never the same again. I forgave her, we had lunch together, were friendly toward each other but we had lost the depth in our relationship. I offered my services for any needs she had during her illness and was told, “I have a whole list of people who have offered to help.”

The Greek word for regret is metamelomai (#3338 in the Strong’s) and occurs six times in the New Testament. It means to experience a change of concern after a change of emotion, usually causing us to fall into emotional remorse afterwards. Repentance is tied to regret, causing us to understand that the thing we regret included some sort of sin.

Per Isaiah 9:6, Jesus has been my Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace through all of this. Do you have regrets in your life? I suppose we all do. How did you work through yours? Did you find that there was sin involved in the situation causing your regret? Did you repent and find freedom?

Be blessed, Dear Ones and allow God to give you renewed joy today-

Cathy

Isaiah 9:6 ESV     “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Never Too Old to Learn

Baptistry

            Forty-seven years ago I was baptized by sprinkling in a little Lutheran Mission Church. I acted out of obedience to Biblical truth as I understood it. It is a day I will never forget. God did a work in my heart that day that changed me. I have lived out that change every day since then.

            When I met my husband and we married, the subject of baptism was one we had to agree to disagree on. He was raised Baptist and was convinced that baptism by immersion was the only true baptism. I, on the other hand, had the example of Catholicism (baptism by pouring) on my father’s side and Lutheran and Methodist (pouring or sprinkling) on my mother’s side.

            A year and a half ago, my family left the Methodist Church we had been members of for thirty-plus years. Several months earlier my husband’s uncle had passed away. After his service, I remarked that I’d like to go hear the minister preach sometime. That first Sunday after we left the church, we got up not knowing where we would worship that day. Hubby suggested we go hear that pastor, Rev. William Swink at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.

            From the moment we entered the church, we were made welcome by people with a genuine love of others. I entered the service feeling like a dried up old sponge. As we left the church, I felt as though I had been soaked in a bucket of water, full to overflowing, revived again by being in the living presence of the Holy Spirit.

            Over the year and a half we visited and became a part of the church, I had been praying about joining the church. Years ago I had said I would never join a Baptist church because they wouldn’t recognize my baptism. I struggled with the notion I would have to be re-baptized. I couldn’t discount what God had done in my life that day long, long ago. I talked to people who might give me insight to help in my decision making. Nothing helped. The turmoil was still there in my spirit.

            Then about a month ago I heard a radio sermon on baptism by a well known preacher. I felt a crack in my resolve. How could I have been buried with Him by baptism into death if I was sprinkled? His text, from Romans 6:3-5, spoke to me:

^{3 “}Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Romans 6:3-5 ESV

            A few mornings later, after He had given me time to ponder and process this information, I felt God ask me, “Could your ideas about baptism be flawed?” When I responded, “Of course they could be,” a peace flooded over me. I knew what I needed to do. The next Sunday, we joined the church and, on Sunday, November 18, 2012, I was baptized by immersion. It was another great, joy-filled day on my journey to eternity.

            In 1960, I was obedient in baptism by the truth that was available to me at that time. In 2012, I was obedient in baptism by the new truth God allowed me to see as I matured in the faith. I am so thankful for a God who doesn’t think I am too old to learn new scriptural truths.

May you experience peace and joy on your journey-

Cathy

Veteran's Day

Veteran’s Day.  My chest bursts with pride, love, patriotism, freedom, and blessing; and yet I experience loss, sacrifice and what-ifs as well. I have such mixed emotions about this day every year.

S/Sgt William T. John

My father died while serving in Vietnam. He proudly served his country, in a war that wasn’t officially a war, so that I would have the freedom to do what I am doing today – publicly voicing my thoughts. He died at age forty-five with almost thirty-years of military service. He and the military were a perfect fit for each other. He left behind a wife and four children, ages 21, 16, 11 and 6. Thanks to his sacrifice, I had the right to vote in the recent Presidential election. I am proud of my Daddy for his service.

My husband was wounded on March 8, 1968 by shrapnel from a mortar round. He healed from the physical wounds much faster than he healed from the emotional wounds he brought home from Vietnam. When his tour of duty ended, he came home to protesters blaming him for the war.

Larry Biggerstaff
 

Unlike today, there were no “Welcome Home Troops” signs posted in airports, or organized groups of volunteers to greet them with, “Welcome home and thanks for your service.”  We met when he came to his new duty station in Fort Gordon, GA. Exactly one year after he was wounded, we married. I am proud of Larry for his service. Thanks to his sacrifice, I was free to worship in the church of my choice this week.

These two men are heroes in my eyes. John 15:13 tells us, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  These two men, and other military men and women, demonstrate a great love for fellow man and country. They not only lay down their lives for their friends, they lay them down for their enemies and for people they don’t even know.

Would you like to help me honor and encourage some young men and women who are currently protecting our freedoms in a combat situation? I have the address for a unit of twenty, fifteen men and five women. I am seeking a few people who will commit to sending a couple of cards a month for the next three months. If I get more than this unit needs, I’ll request another address from AnySoldier.com. Send me an e-mail at hiskid410@gmail.com to request the address.

Be a blessing and fill someone’s day with joy-

Cathy