once

 There was a British writer by the name of Frederick Lonsdale.  Lonsdale was a member of this club in London, and one New Year's Eve, he was attending a club gathering and was asked by a friend to reconcile with a fellow club member. It seems that Lonsdale and this other fellow had quarreled in the past and never restored their friendship.  And so Lonsdale’s friend told him, “You really need to try to make things right.  It is very unkind to be unfriendly at such a time as this.  Go over now and wish him a happy New Year."

As the story goes, Lonsdale reluctantly crossed the room and spoke to his enemy.  He said, "I wish you a happy New Year…but only one."  Forgiveness can be a difficult thing.  And one of the biggest problems between husbands and wives, friends, and members of the body of Christ who struggle in their relationship with one another are those interpersonal problems that remain unresolved.

I’m not talking about those petty little annoyances and offenses that come our way from time to time.  Solomon said, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” (Proverbs 10:12)  Not every little thing that rubs you wrong needs to be brought up and hammered out.  Some things we’re able to overlook just because we’ve learned not to get offended at every little thing that goes wrong.

But sometimes there is a problem in a relationship that can’t be ignored.  It’s causing a problem and it’s not going to just go away.  And in those situations, loose ends need to be tied up and taken care of.  Forgiveness needs to be sought.  Forgiveness needs to be extended.  Either way, it can be a tough thing to do, but it's crucial if we want to preserve a good relationship.

Jesus said, "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone...." (Matthew 18:15).

He also said, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23)

Seek to be reconciled.  If you have done wrong, apologize and make it right.  If you have been done wrong, summon up the courage to say (without anger or resentment), "You hurt me. What was that all about?"    And be prepared to forgive!  We can’t be right with God until we’re right with each other.

doing

A Sabbath school teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem.  A young girl answered:  "Because they couldn't get a babysitter."

Another Sabbath school teacher was carefully explaining the story of Elijah the prophet and his contest with the false prophets of Baal.  She explained how Elijah built the altar, put wood upon it, cut the bull in pieces and laid it upon the altar.  Then Elijah commanded the people of God to fill four barrels of  water and pour it over the altar.  He had them do this three times.  "Now," said the teacher, "Can anyone in the class tell me why the Lord had Elijah pour water over the bull on the altar?"  A little girl in the back of the room raised her hand with great enthusiasm.  "To make the gravy."

It was a good question.  Why DID the Lord tell Elijah to pour the water over the altar?  The answer is obvious (and it has nothing to do with gravy).  The Lord wanted to exhibit His power in an absolutely incredible manner.  When God was finished, no one was going to say, "Well, maybe Elijah used a flame he kept tucked away in his cloak."  No!
The fire from the Lord burnt up the wet sacrifice, the soaked wood, and even the rocks used to build the altar!

If there is any lesson to be learned in this story, it is that our God is a powerful and awesome God!

Though we ourselves may not see displays of God's power like what happened on Mount Carmel, it is comforting to know that the God who hears and answers our prayers is the God who has such power.

     "Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength!  We will sing and praise Your power." (Psalm 21:13)

old

    The story is told of a little girl who went to visit her great-grandmother.  The elderly lady had hair that was white.  Her face was covered with wrinkles.  As the little girl looked at her, she asked, "Grandma, are you an old lady?"  With a twinkle in her eyes, her great-grandmother said, "No, honey, not exactly.  But I must say I've been young for a mighty long time."

     Old age is a strange thing.  Very few of us actually think of ourselves as being old.  As one 85-year-old man (Bernard Baruch) put it, "To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am."  And that's about right.  When I was a teenager, anyone who was 40 years old seemed ancient.  But when I reached the age of 40, I didn't feel like an old man.  But those people in their mid-50's sure were old.  Now as I have reached the age of 60 myself, those folks are looking younger and younger all the time!

     But, whether we want to or not, whether it's something we look forward to or something we dread, every single one of us is getting older.  There's no getting around that fact.  Every time the sun rises and every time the sun sets -- even every chime on the grandfather clock -- serves to constantly remind us that we're all growing older.  We're older today than we were yesterday and tomorrow, if the Lord sees fit to bless us, we will be older still.

     According to statistics, we live in a society that's rapidly growing older and older.  In this country, in 1900, the average life-span was only 47 years.  Right now, the life-span of an average American is 78.8 years of age.  And it is expected that within a few decades, as the "baby boomers" get older, the life expectancy for males will be 86 years and for females will be 92.

     David said in Psalm 90:10, "The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

     You would think that most people would be excited about the prospect of living longer, but sadly, that's not the case.  A lot of people are afraid of getting old.  Even David expressed this fear when he prayed to God, "Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails....Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare your strength to this generation, your power to everyone who is to come." (Psalm 71:9,18).

     I think Jonathan Swift was right when he said, "Every man desires to live long, but no man wants to be old."  There are a couple of reasons for that. 

One perspective on age was offered by an elderly man who said, "Now it takes me longer to rest than it does to get tired.  Often I have to sight against something to see if I'm moving....All my younger years I bemoaned the fact I was so short.  Now every morning when I waken and everything hurts, I can be grateful.  If I was tall, there would be so much more to hurt."

     But then as we heard it said so often, "Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative!"  So, what about it?  Is growing old a good thing or a bad thing?  Is it something to dread or something to look forward to?  Well, that all depends.

     At the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon begins to draw some conclusions from his observations about what's really important in this life.  He says, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, 'I have no pleasure in them'." (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

     Solomon says, "Follow God while you are young."  And that's important.  It's important that those of you who are young to make a conscious decision to commit yourselves to God, to surrender yourselves to his will, to faithfully obey God's instructions beginning right now while you're still young.

     But there's a part of us when we're young that wants to say, "What's the rush?  Why not wait until you've sown a few wild oats?  Why not wait thirty or forty years until you've had a lot of fun doing things your own way and then turn to God?  That way you get the best of both worlds."

     Solomon doesn't waste time answering that kind of reasoning.  He says to remember God "before the difficult days come".  When we're young, it's easy to think we'll be young forever.  Our bodies play tricks on us, trying to convince us that we'll always feel just as good as we do when we're young.  But, of all the pains that we have to deal with as we get older, the ones that hurt the most are the regrets of things we've done.  I've never known anyone who is old who said, "I should have disobeyed God more when I was young.  I missed out on a lot!"  I've known many older people, though, who have said, "If I had listened to God when I was young, it would have saved me a lot of heartache."

    "The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness."  (Proverbs 16:31)

George Burns once said, "Tennis is a game for young people.  Until age 25, you can play singles.  From there until age 35, you should play doubles.  I won't tell you my age, but when I played, there were 28 people on the court -- just on my side of the net."

     I've talked some about the fears we have related to getting older.  But, I want to close out this series by looking at the positive aspect of aging.  In Proverbs 20:29, Solomon wrote, "The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head."  The Bible has for us several examples of elderly people who refused to believe their usefulness was over just because they weren't young anymore,  who served God well despite their advancing years.

     One of the greatest examples is found in the book of Joshua.  Caleb was 85 years old.  He had served the Lord faithfully for his entire lifetime.  When he was 40, he, along with eleven other soldiers, sneaked into the land of Canaan to spy out the land that God had promised them.  What they saw was frightening and ten of the soldiers concluded there was no chance of victory.  Joshua and Caleb were the two faithful spies who stood firm in their conviction that God could give them Canaan despite the giants in the land.

     Then for the next 40 years, that unbelieving nation wandered in the wilderness until Caleb and Joshua were the only adults left.  Joshua led the Israelites in conquering the land of Canaan and Caleb had fought valiantly in securing the land.  But by the time we get to the 14th chapter of the book of Joshua, Caleb is an old man -- 85 years old.  You would think he was ready to sit out on that porch swing, but listen to him:

     "And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as he said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.  As yet I am as strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.  Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified.  It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said." (Joshua 14:10-12).

     At the age of 85, Caleb was still looking for ways to serve God; he asked for a mountain full of giants to conquer.  It was the most difficult spot in the whole land to be conquered.  He deliberately chose the hardest task.  Now if anyone in that nation had earned the right to retire and live the rest of his days in comfort, it was Caleb.  But, he wasn't ready for the shelf; he wanted a mountain.

     What was his secret?  There are several things that I think stand out.  He was a man who obviously had a positive attitude and faith in God.  It's easy to become negative as we get older, looking back on "the good old days".  But Caleb refused to be negative.  He had a positive faith in God.  God said, "Even to your old age, I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you." (Isaiah 46:4).  Caleb truly believed that, that God is in control at every stage of our lives.

     Here was a man who had a divine purpose.  He was in his eighties, but he believed that God had something important for him to do.  And he believed that with God's help he could do it.  He was a man who looked for ways to serve God despite his advancing age.  There are tasks that an older Christian can do that a younger Christian just simply isn't equipped to do.

     But, above all else, Caleb was obedient to the Lord.  It's difficult for a person to obey God in his old age if he doesn't establish a pattern of obedience in his earlier years.  But it can be done.  The important thing is to continue to give yourself to the Lord no matter what your age.

last

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, that is dying to self.

     When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take in all in patient, loving silence, that is dying to self.

     When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, or any annoyance; when you stand face-to-face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility -- and endure it as Jesus endured, that is dying to self.

     When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any raiment, any interruption by the will of God, that is dying to self.

     When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good works, or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown, that is dying to self.

     When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances, that is dying to self.

     When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart, that is dying to self.

     "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)
-author unknown

longer

An angry motorist went back to a garage where he had purchased an expensive battery for his car six months earlier. "Listen," the motorist grumbled to the owner of the garage, "when I bought that battery you said it would be the last battery my car would ever need. It died after only six months!"

"Sorry," apologized the garage owner. "I didn't think your car would last longer than that."

We live in a day and time when we expect everything to come with a lifetime warranty.  We don't want our battery to ever wear out.  We don't want our car to ever wear out.  And yes, it's even true that we don't want our bodies to wear out.  But each and every day we are reminded of what Peter said:

"All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.  The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever." (I Peter 1:24-25)

We live in a world composed of that which is temporary.  Nothing which is material will last forever.  All will eventually fade.  All will eventually pass away.  Only that which has its foundation in God and His Word will live on.

May you live your life so as to be grounded in that which will never be destroyed!

...rocks

These are reported to be actual comments left on U S Forest Service registration sheets and comment cards by campers and backpackers completing their trips:

"A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles.  Is there a way I can get reimbursed?  Please call."

"Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands."

"Trails need to be reconstructed.  Please avoid building trails that go uphill."

"Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs.  Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests."

"Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them."

"Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights."

"Need more signs to keep area pristine."

"The places where trails do not exist are not well marked."

"Too many rocks in the mountains."

Too many rocks in the mountains?  I suppose the sky is too blue, there are too many leaves on the trees and too much water in the ocean as well!  It's hard to imagine anyone complaining about God's creation.  I stand in awe every day of His handiwork, from the mountains to the deserts to the beaches and everything in between!

     "Praise the LORD!....Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!  Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens!  Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created....Fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word; mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl....Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven."  (Psalm 148:1a,3-5,7-10,13)

  Next chance you get, walk outside, take a look around, and offer your praise to God who created it all.

....above

Here are some tips on the subject of aviation:

*  Takeoffs are optional.  Landings are mandatory.

*  If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger.  If you pull the

   stick back they get smaller.  (unless you keep pulling the stick back

   -- then they get bigger again)

*  Flying is not dangerous; crashing is dangerous.

*  The propeller is just a big fan in the front of the plane to keep the

    pilot cool.  Want proof?  Make it stop; then watch the pilot break out

    into a sweat.

*  It's best to keep the pointed end going forward as much as possible.

*  Every one already knows the definition of a "good landing" is one from

   which you can walk away.  But very few know the definition of a "great

   landing."  It's one after which you can use the airplane another time.

*  A helicopter is a collection of rotating parts going round and round and

   reciprocating parts going up and down -- all of them trying to become

   random in motion.  Helicopters can't really fly -- they're just so ugly

   that the earth immediately repels them.

*  There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing:

    Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

*  Try to keep the number of your landings equal to the number of your

    takeoffs.

*  Gravity never loses!  The best you can hope for is a draw.

*  It's better to be down here wishing you were up there, than up there

   wishing you were down here.

     Several of these tips lend themselves to spiritual application, but the one that jumped out at me was that last one.  How much better it is to be on this earth with a mind set on "things above", than to be anywhere with a mind set on "things below"!

     "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)

     Because we are surrounded by a world which we can see, it is easy to keep our eyes focused solely on that world.  We will never grow as Christians, though, until we set our sights higher.  Wherever your mind has been this morning, may this serve as a gentle reminder to set it on "things above".

all

A 6-year-old girl once asked her father, "What do you have to do to become a doctor?"

Her father said, "You have to do extremely well in school, take a lot of math and science, get into an excellent college, make the highest grades possible, and then go to med school, and follow that with an internship. Then you can start your own practice. Honey, as smart as you are, you can be anything you want to be."

 The little girl thought about that and then asked, "What do you have to do to be queen?"

I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but I want to let you know that there's a verse in the Bible that you may have mis-interpreted for many years.  I know that I have.  You see, many of us have heard lessons which promote positive thinking.  We've been told, "If you can see it, you can achieve it."  So, if you're a golfer, visualize getting through the golf course at 4 under par.  If you need to lose weight, visualize what your life will be like when you're 60 pounds thinner.  If you want to climb the corporate ladder, visualize yourself with the position and the salary you desire.

And the verse we have often used to give us the strength to achieve these things is Philippians 4:13:  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  There are, no doubt, some Christian athletes headed to Beijing this week to compete in the Olympics who anticipate bringing home a gold medal because "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Now I don't dispute that there is great value in having a vision of where we want to be and what we want to accomplish.  And I don't dispute that God will bless us with strength in all endeavors that glorify Him.  But I believe it is wrong to teach that anyone can accomplish anything because God will give you the strength.  Not every athlete that quotes Philippians 4:13 this week will bring home a gold medal from Beijing.  And you can dream about being king or queen all you want to -- dreaming it won't make it happen.

The truth is that for many of us, young or old, life is not always going to turn out exactly like we thought it would.  And when people are made to think that if you believe something with all your heart, it will come to pass, then when it doesn't happen that way, they get discouraged, depressed, feel like failures, get angry, or they give up.  Christians may even begin to lose their faith in God.  "God, how could you let this happen to me?  This is not what I wanted!  You promised I could do all things!"

When you look at the context of Philippians 4:13, though, it contains a more powerful message than we ever imagined.  In the previous verse, Paul writes, "I know how to be abased and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." (Phil. 4:12).

What is it that Paul can do through Christ?  He can be content no matter what the situation -- whether he has plenty or he has nothing, whether he comes in first place with a gold medal or he comes in last place, whether he makes the team or he doesn't make the team.  Whatever the circumstance, whatever he may have or not have, Paul learned to be content, to be joyful.  Why?  Because "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"

May this verse serve as an encouragement to you, not to achieve great victories in life, but to find joy even in the midst of defeat.

-alan smith

mystery

 I heard recently about a man who filled his car with gas at a self-service gas station.  After he had paid and driven away, he realized that he had left the gas cap on top of his car.  He stopped and looked and, sure enough, it was lost.

     He thought for a second and realized that other people must have done the same thing, and that it was worth going back to look by the side of the road since even if he couldn't find his own gas cap, he might be able to find another one that fit.

     Sure enough, after only a short time of searching, he found a gas cap. He carefully wiped it off and slipped it into place with a satisfying click.

     He told his wife as he climbed back into the car, "I may have lost my gas cap, but I found another one that fits and it's even a better cap than the one I had - it locks..."

     Oops!  A locking gas cap is a great idea -- but only if you have the key that opens it!  Understanding the Bible is much the same way.  Remember when Jesus first began speaking in parables -- his apostles came to him for an explanation.  They wanted the "key", and Jesus gave it to them.  Jesus said, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God." (Mark 4:11).

     Sometimes the ministry of Jesus is referred to as a "mystery".  Paul wrote often about the "mystery of the gospel" (Eph. 6:19), the "mystery of Christ" (Col. 4:3), or simply "the mystery" (Eph. 3:9).  The word "mystery" means that it was something that was "hidden" for a while.  All through the Old Testament, God was preparing for Jesus Christ to come to this earth, but no one fully understood what that would mean.  The prophets foretold his coming, but they didn't fully understand (I Peter 1:10-12).  Even the angels didn't know what God had in mind.  But we do.  We understand the significance of the crucifixion and the resurrection.

     Give thanks to God for "the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.  To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26-27)

empty

You know you are suffering from "Empty Nest Syndrome" if.....

** You have thrown out the better part of the last several one-gallon jugs of milk, but still can't bring yourself to buy the one-quart cartons.

** You called the power company and asked them to check your meter, because the hot-water bill has been way too low.

** You suddenly realize that you no longer need to include video late fees as part of the monthly budget.

** You are shocked when you notice you can push the buttons on the car radio and KNOW what station you will get.

** The bottle of shampoo has been in the shower so long you are starting to think it might be a mystical experience - kind of a loaves-and-fishes thing.

** They've been gone three years and you still cook enough for your husband to have seconds and thirds. . .and fourths.

** You still walk through the living room in the crouched position with your picking-up hand brushing the floor, even though it encounters no dirty socks.

** You ask the garage to check why your car is costing so little to run.

** Your cupboards overflow with uneaten school lunch treats.

** You still hide your best make-up.

As parents, we spend 20 years or so preparing for the day when our babies take their wings and fly on their own. It's a scary time for both parents and children. Have we prepared them sufficiently? Are they strong enough to fly on their own?

When we experience those feelings, it helps to know that if they are Christians, then they have not completely "left the nest". Though our nest may be empty, they are safe in another nest.

"For the LORD's portion is His people....As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the LORD alone led [us]." (Deut. 32:9,11).

May you find comfort and security in the nest of our Lord.

!!! no

I heard a story recently about a young girl who wrote a letter to a missionary to let him know that her class had been praying for him. But evidently she’d been told not to request a response to her letter because the missionaries were very busy. So the missionary got a kick out of her letter. It said, “Dear Mr. Missionary, we are praying for you. But we are not expecting an answer.”

I can’t help but think that that little girl summarized the prayer lives of many Christians. Sometimes we pray without expecting an answer, even though God has assured us that He does indeed hear our prayers. David said, "I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications." (Psalm 116:1). But I think many of us struggle with the nagging question, "Is God really listening to me?" Yes, He heard David, He heard Elijah, and He heard the apostles. But does He hear me?

How do we really know that our prayers are answered? Sure, there are times when we see visible results. We may pray for someone who's sick and the next week they get well. But more often, our prayers don't produce flashing "neon" answers. We pray for help in financial problems, and we don't see things get any better. We pray for guidance in making right decisions, but the decisions don't get any easier. We pray for relationships with other people to improve, but they just seem to get worse. How do we as Christians account for that happening? How do we explain the fact that so many of our prayers seem to go "unanswered"?

The truth is, for a child of God there is no such thing as an unanswered prayer. Maybe you've heard it said before that God answers prayer in three ways. Sometimes the answer is "yes." Sometimes the answer is "no." And sometimes the answer is "wait a while." It's easy to accept an answer of "yes," but what about when God says, "no"?

Let me suggest three principles:

First of all, we need to trust God enough to realize that our all-loving, all-powerful Father loves us and has our best interest at heart. So when it seems that God says "no" to our prayers, we must trust Him enough to understand that there must be a good reason for it. It may be beyond our limited ability to understand, but we must simply trust God. 

Secondly, we must not forsake God. Disappointment is a dangerous, powerful thing. When we get the feeling that God isn't listening to us, that He has said "no" to some prayer, we have a tendency to feel disappointed in Him. And Satan whispers to us, "God said He loves you, but He's not here." And if we allow that disappointment to harbor in our hearts, it can drive a wedge between us and God. We must continue to be faithful to our responsibility before God.

And thirdly, we need to realize that the answer may not be "no," but only "wait a while." God always answers our prayers immediately, but sometimes there’s a delay in the giving of the answer and that can be a difficult thing for us to accept. The ability to wait for an answer is one of the marks of maturity. Be willing to let God answer in his own time, in his own way, and in his own power.  

Many people see God as a divine vending machine in which you deposit one prayer and out pops a blessing. But what happens when you put your money in the Coke machine and nothing comes out? You get angry, you kick the Coke machine. So it's not surprising that such a view of God and prayer leads to disappointment when God says no.

I believe that we need to foster an entirely different view of prayer from that one. Our God is the Great God of the Universe, the Creator of all things that exist other than Himself. For us to even venture to speak to Him is presumptuous. For us to ask Him to pay attention to our requests and then hope for Him to meet them requires bold expectation. In fact such would be arrogance if it were not for the simple fact that God tells us to do just that.

Looking from the proper perspective, we will not ask "What happens when God says no?" but rather "What happens when God says yes?" That the God of the heavens would listen to us and our needs is a great testimony to His great love for us. And it is that love that will lead Him to say no from time to time. At those times, we must trust Him knowing that he loves us and desires what is best for us. We must never forsake Him nor our duty toward Him. And we must realize that what we interpret to be an answer of "no" may just be God telling us to wait a while.  

"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." (I John 5:14)

tolerance

A building contractor was being paid by the week for a job that was likely to stretch over several months. He approached the owner of the property and held up the check he'd been given. "This is two hundred dollars less than we agreed on," he said. 

"I know," the owner said, "But last week I overpaid you two hundred dollars, and you never complained." 

The contractor said, "Well, I don't mind an occasional mistake. But when it gets to be a habit, I feel I have to call it to your attention."

Before chuckling too much, do you recall the last time a cashier charged you too little for an item? Were you as quick to point it out to him or her as you were when you were overcharged? Isn't it funny how we are willing at times to tolerate mistakes by others as long as we benefit rather than suffer?

That's why our standard of right and wrong must be determined by God's word and not by our own feelings. As impartial as we may try to be, we are too easily swayed by that little voice inside that says, "If it doesn't hurt me, then it must be OK."

"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

....all

Here is a dilemma for your consideration: You are driving along on a wild stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who is about to die.

2. An old friend who once saved your life.

3. The perfect man (or woman) you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?  

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again.

Think before you continue reading....................................

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer.

His answer was, "I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the old lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams."

Why didn't I think of that??? I was feeling pretty good about taking care of the needs of that old lady, and along comes someone who meets ALL of their needs!

It's very much the way I feel before God. I am a person who gets pleasure from trying to meet the needs of people around me. But, so often I fall short. That's why I'm so very thankful to have a God who can not only meet all my needs, but also the needs of everyone else I come in contact with.

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Phil 4:19-20)

consequences

Some dieting rules for cheaters:

1. If no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.

2. If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are canceled out by the diet soda.

3. When you eat with someone else, calories don't count if you don't eat more than they do.

4. Movie related foods (Milk Duds, buttered popcorn, Junior Mints, Snickers, Gummi Bears, etc.) are much lower in calories simply because they are a part of the entertainment experience and not part of one's personal fuel. 

5. Things licked off knives and spoons have no calories if you are in the process of preparing something. Examples are peanut butter on a knife when making a sandwich and ice cream on a spoon when making a sundae.

6. Cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breakage causes calorie leakage.

7. Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories, e.g., spinach and pistachio ice cream; mushrooms and white chocolate. 

Note: Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for any other food color.

8. Foods that are frozen have no calories because calories are units of heat. Examples are ice cream, frozen pies and popsicles.

9. If you eat the food off someone else's plate, it doesn't count.

10. If you eat standing up the calories all go to your feet and get walked off.

Wouldn't it be great if we could change all the rules about calories and their effect on our bodies?! Unfortunately, whatever we eat has consequences. In a similar manner, there are times we wish that we could change all the rules about sin and its effect on our spiritual lives. But, how we live has consequences, both in this life and eternally.

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:7-8)

Father, please help me to realize the effect that my choices have on the future. Though I am often tempted to do so, may I not be persuaded to pursue what is pleasurable for the moment at the risk of giving up something of far greater value in the future. In Jesus' name, amen. 

? fish

A game warden noticed how a particular fellow named Sam consistently caught more fish than anyone else, whereas the other guys would only catch three or four a day. Sam would come in off the lake with a boat full. Stringer after stringer was always packed with freshly caught trout. The warden, curious, asked Sam his secret. The successful fisherman invited the game warden to accompany him and observe. So the next morning the two met at the dock and took off in Sam's boat. When they got to the middle of the lake, Sam stopped the boat, and the warden sat back to see how it was done.

Sam's approach was simple. He took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and threw it in the air. The explosion rocked the lake with such a force that dead fish immediately began to surface. Sam took out a net and started scooping them up.

Well, you can imagine the reaction of the game warden. When he recovered from the shock of it all, he began yelling at Sam. "You can't do this! I'll put you in jail, buddy! You will be paying every fine there is in the book!" 

Sam, meanwhile, set his net down and took out another stick of dynamite. He lit it and tossed it in the lap of the game warden with these words, "Are you going to sit there all day complaining, or are you going to fish?"

Seems to me we have two similar options as Christians -- we can spend our time complaining or we can "fish." Jesus, of course, used the concept of fishing to describe the work of evangelism ("Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." -- Matthew 4:19). The method we use does not involve dynamite, but it does involve the word from which dynamite comes to us -- "dunamis," the Greek word for "power."

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." (Romans 1:16)

I've known some folks in the church who use the "dunamis" of the gospel to fish for souls, and I've known other folks content to do nothing but sit back and complain about what everybody else is or isn't doing. It's your choice -- Are you going to complain or are you going to fish?

tradition

It is said that, years ago in Russia, a czar came upon a lonely sentry standing at attention in a secluded corner of the palace garden. "What are you guarding?" asked the czar. "I don't know. The captain ordered me to this post," the sentry replied.

The czar called the captain. His answer: "Written regulations specify a guard was to be assigned to that area." The czar ordered a search to find out why. The archives finally yielded the reason. Years before, Catherine the Great had planted a rose bush in that corner. She ordered a sentry to protect it for that evening.

One hundred years later, sentries were still guarding the now barren spot.

Tradition. Much of what we do is done merely because it's what we've always done. It's what our parents and our grandparents did. It's what we've always done. And there's nothing wrong with tradition itself. You probably have some traditions in your family involving the Thanksgiving meal, the opening of presents on Christmas, and many areas of daily life.

Even in our congregations we all have traditions, things that we have done the same way for decades. There are two possible problems with traditions, though. First of all, it is possible to do something a certain way for so long that we put our tradition on a level with God's law (a problem the Pharisees had).

And the danger inherent in tradition is that, like the sentry, we may do things without thinking about WHY we do them. There may have been good reason at one time, but if we are unaware of the reason, we are left with a ritual of "going through the motions."

"'For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.' [Jesus] said to them, 'All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.'" (Mark 7:8-9)

worth

The story is told of a man who computed his taxes for 1998 and discovered that he owed $3407. He packaged up his payment and included this letter:

Dear IRS:

Enclosed is my 1998 Tax Return & payment. Please take note of the attached article from the USA Today newspaper. In the article, you will see that the Pentagon is paying $171.50 for hammers and NASA has paid $600.00 for a toilet seat.

Please find enclosed four toilet seats (value $2400) and six hammers (value $1029). This brings my total payment to $3429.00. Please note the overpayment of $22.00 and apply it to the "Presidential Election Fund," as noted on my return. Might I suggest you the send the above mentioned fund a "1.5 inch screw." (See attached article...HUD paid $22.00 for a 1.5 inch Phillips Head Screw.)

It has been a pleasure to pay my tax bill this year, and I look forward to paying it again next year. 

Sincerely,

A satisfied taxpayer

I don't recommend trying this at home without adult supervision! :-) Is a toilet seat worth $600? Not to me! (and I suspect not to the IRS either). Ultimately, though, what determines the "worth" of a toilet seat, or anything else, is how much someone is willing to pay for it.  

How much is a Beanie Baby worth? In terms of the material involved, only a few cents. But, if someone is willing to pay several hundred dollars for it, that's what it's worth!

Several years ago, someone calculated the "worth" of a human being by figuring out how much it would cost to buy the elements that compose our body and came up with an amount of several dollars. But our true worth is determined by how much someone was willing to pay for us.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) 

If you're questioning your "worth," consider that Jesus Christ regarded you as valuable enough to die on the cross for you. You're priceless!

relying

The following two news stories come from Reuters:

"A Ukraine businessman who bought a pager for each member of his staff as a New Year gift was so alarmed when all 50 of them went off at the same time that he drove his car into a lamp post. The unnamed businessman was returning from the pager shop when the accident happened," the Fakty daily newspaper reported. "With no more than 100 metres to go to the office, the 50 pagers on the back seat suddenly burst out screeching. The businessman's fright was such that he simply let go of the steering wheel and the car ploughed into a lamp post. After he had assessed the damage to the car, the businessman turned his attention to the message on the 50 pagers. It read: 'Congratulations on a successful purchase!' "

"Normally accidents like this shouldn't happen," reasoned a Caputh, Germany, police spokesman. "A motorist following driving instructions on the satellite navigation computer in his BMW drove down a ferry ramp into the Havel River without realizing the only way he could cross the river was to wait for the ferry. The 57-year-old driver was not injured. This sort of thing can happen when people rely too much on technology."

We do rely a lot on technology, don't we? From pagers and satellite navigation systems to cell phones and fax machines, we have become more and more dependent upon our world of technology. It is important, though, that we step back every now and then and remind ourselves, "We can survive without all these gadgets, but we cannot survive without God."

In Psalm 20, David expressed it this way:

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God." (Psalm 20:7)

Chariots and horses were certainly not wrong; no more so than modern gadgets. But it was necessary to reinforce the truth that our faith in not in such things, but in God Almighty. 

confidence

At the end of their first date, a young man takes his favorite girl home. Emboldened by the night, he decides to try for that important first kiss. With an air of confidence, he leans with his hand against the wall and, smiling, he says to her, "Darling, how about a goodnight kiss?"

Horrified, she replies, "Are you mad? My parents will see us!"

"Oh come on! Who's gonna see us at this hour?"

"No, please. Can you imagine if we get caught?"

"Oh come on, there's nobody around, they're all sleeping!"

"No way. It's just too risky!"

"Oh please, please, I like you so much!!"

"No, no, and no. I like you too, but I just can't!"

"Oh yes you can. Please?"

"NO, no. I just can't."

"Pleeeeease?..."

Out of the blue, the porch light goes on, and the girl's sister shows up in her pajamas, hair disheveled. In a sleepy voice the sister says: "Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss. Or I can do it. Or if need be, he'll come down himself and do it. But for crying out loud tell him to take his hand off the intercom button!"

Have you ever been horrified to learn that someone else overheard something you said in private? It's a terrible thing to experience. It's even more terrible when what you said in private was shared by another person. There is a feeling of betrayal, a feeling of distrust. That's why the Bible has much to say about the importance of keeping confidences.

"A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter." (Prov. 11:13)

"If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's confidence." (Prov. 25:9)

Why do we have such a strong desire to share secrets? Perhaps because it makes us feel important ("Look what I know that you don't!"). Sometimes it's because we feel we can lift ourselves us by making others look bad (and most secrets involves information that will do that). But, whatever the reason, allowing the tongue to slip off its leash can cause damage that may never be repaired in our lifetime.

May we always strive to be the kind of people that others can trust with all their hearts, for the ability to keep another's confidence is one of the greatest marks of integrity.