prayer

Elohim,
I KNOW You can create something out of nothing, please create something out of any nothing areas - the impossible situations in my life.

El Elyon,
I KNOW You are in control, sovereign, and I give You my circumstances today.

Adonai,
I KNOW You are my Lord and Master, I choose to follow You instead of the ways of the world.

El Shaddai,
I KNOW You are God Almighty, and I trust that You are sufficient for my deepest needs today.

Jehovah Jireh,
I KNOW You are my provider, and will supply everything I need today.

El Roi,
I KNOW You are the God who sees me, and that I am never alone, and nothing in my life goes unnoticed, for You know it all and see it all.

Yahweh,
I KNOW You are the one and only, self-existent, eternal, covenant-keeping God and that You will always love me.

Jehovah Rapha,
I KNOW You are my healer and I come to You now with every area of my life that needs healing today.

Jehovah Nissi,
I KNOW You are my banner, and the victory in every situation that threatens me today.

Jehovah Mekoddishkem,
I KNOW You are my sanctifier, making me holy, doing for me what I can never do for myself.

Jehovah Shalom,
I KNOW You are my peace, and bring calm in every storm I face in life.

Jehovah Sabaoth,
I KNOW You are the LORD of Hosts, and bring deliverance as You defeat my enemies.

Yahweh Ro'i,
I KNOW You are my shepherd, and intimately care for me even if no one else does.

Abba, Father,
I KNOW You are my Father and that I can run to You and rest in the security of your everlasting arms.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.

science

                         Science vs. God

  "Let me explain the problem science has with Jesus Christ." The atheist professor of

  philosophy paused before his class and then asked one of his new students to stand.

  "You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

  "Yes sir," the student answered.

  "So you believe in God?"

  "Absolutely."

  "Is God good?"

  "Sure! God's good."

  "Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?" !

  "Yes."

  "Are you good or evil?"

  "The Bible says I'm evil".

  The professor grinned knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considered for a moment.

  "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You

  can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

  "Yes sir, I would."

  "So you're good...!"

  "I wouldn't say that."

  "But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would

  if we could. But God doesn't."

  The student did not answer, so the professor continued. "He doesn't, does he? My brother

  was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is

  this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

  The student remained silent.

  "No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He took a sip of water from a glass on his

  desk to give the student time to relax.

  "Let's start again, young fella, Is God good?"

  "Er...yes," the student says.

  "Is Satan good?"

  The student didn't hesitate on this! one. " No."

  "Then where does Satan come from?"

  The student answered: "From...God..."

  "That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

  "Yes."

  "So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God

  created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who

  we are, then God is evil."

  Without allowing the student to answer, the professor continued: "Is there sickness?

  Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

  The student answered: "Yes."

  "So who created them?"

  The student did not answer again, so the professor repeated his question. "Who created

  them? There was still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer broke away to pace in front of the

  classroom. The class was mesmerized.

  "Tell me," he continued onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

  The student's voice was confident: "Yes, professor, I do."

  The old man stoped pacing. "Science says you have five senses that you use to identify

  and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

  "No sir. I've never seen Him"

  "Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

  "No, sir, I have not."

  "Have you ever actually felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelled your Jesus? Have you

  ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

  "No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

  "Yet you still believe in him?"

  "Yes."

  "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your

  God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

  "Nothing," the student replied. "I only have my faith."

  "Yes, faith," the professor repeated. "And that is the problem science has with God.

  There is no evidence, only faith."

  The student stood quietly for a moment, before asking a question of his own. "Professor,

  is there such thing as heat?"

  "Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

  "And is there such a thing as cold?"

  "Yes, son, there's cold too."

  "No sir, there isn't."

  The professor turned to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly became

  very quiet. The student began to explain.

  "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white

  heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to

  458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is

  no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees.

  Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is

  what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total

  absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat.

  We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold

  is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

  There was silence across the room. A pen dropped somewhere in the classroom and sunded like

  a hammer.

  "What about darkness, professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?"

  "Yes," the professor replied without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

  "You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can

  have low light, normal light, bright light,  flashing light, but if you have no light

  constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to

  define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness

  darker, wouldn't you?"  The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This

  will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

  "Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your

  conclusion must also be flawed."

  The professor's face could not hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?"

  "You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is

  life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God

  as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.

  It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either

  one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot

  exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

  "Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

  "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do"

  "Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

  The professor began to shake his head, still smiling, as he realized where the argument was

  going. A very good semester, indeed.

  "Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that

  this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now

  not a scientist, but a preacher?"

  The class was in uproar. The student remained silent until the commotion had subsided.

  "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an

  example of what I mean."

  The student looked around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the

  professor's brain?" The class broke out into laughter.

  "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's

  brain, touched or smelled the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So,

  according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science

  says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir. So if science says you have no

  brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

  Now the room was silent. The professor just stared at the student, his face unreadable.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the old man answered. "I guess you'll have to

  take them on faith."

  "Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student

  continued. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

  Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in

  the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence

  everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

  To this the student replied, "Evil! does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto

  itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that

  man has created to describe the absence of God.

  God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's

  love present in his heart. It's like the cold that results when there is no heat or the

  darkness that comes when there is no light."

  The professor sat down.

-michael a. corley

bumps

Although I understand their purpose, I am not a fan of speed bumps. A speed bump is to slow traffic or reduce through-traffic. You typically find speed bumps on streets or in shopping center parking lots. They work. Hit a speed bump moving at too high rate of speed and you get bumped. I understand the purpose and appreciate the effectiveness of speed bumps, but I do not like them.

The reason I do not like speed bumps is because they slow me down when I don't want to be slowed down. The street is a shortcut to where I am headed. If I cut through I will make better time. Until they installed speed bumps. The restaurant I am going to is at the far end of the shopping center. I am ready to eat lunch. Because of the speed bumps, I must slow down. I am in a hurry. I do not want to slow down. Speed bumps get on my nerves.

Life is filled with speed bumps. Life's speed bumps, like regular speed bumps, appear in places and at times that are inconvenient and particularly unappreciated.

You are moving through life unimpeded and with great ease. Dreams seem to become reality with more consistency than you ever dreamed possible. Then, you hit a speed bump. What was to be a routine trip to the doctor to get a prescription filled for what you assumed was a simple seasonal cough. You hit the bump when you heard the doctor say, "I am a little concerned about what I am hearing. I would like to run a few tests to rule out some things."

You have worked hard your entire career to reach a point when you can retire and you and your wife can travel, visit the grandkids, and go places you have always dreamed about going. You are moving smoothly in that direction when the president of the company invites you to walk with him to his office. "The slumping economy has hurt us all. Our company, though surviving, is having to make some adjustments." You walk slowly back toward your office in shock. The dreams get put on hold.

The person who has experienced loss knows about speed bumps. You have had some really difficult days and nights. You wondered if you would ever feel like breathing again. Gradually life returned. You were feeling better. When asked, you would respond, "I'm doing better. I'm doing much better. I think I'm through the worst part." Then, bam! It hits. A song, a smell, a movie, a place, or a passing thought jostles your whole being. "Wow! I didn't see that coming.

Your family has gone through some tough times, but you have worked through them with the help of good friends and your church family. You can feel the blessing of healing with each passing day. You thank God everyday for what He has done to save your family from destruction. Then, in the middle of the night, you get a call from the police.

Speed bumps. You find the in the streets and the parking lots, and you find them in your life. How do you handle them? 

Like bumps in the road, you have choices. You can look for another route. Usually there is no other route. You can speed over the bumps hoping that will soften the blow. It does not. So, what do you do with life's speed bumps?

Consider how Paul approached his speed bump.

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ?s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Recognize what is happening.

Remember that the bump in your path is more than like the work of Satan and not the Father. Paul's thorn was given to 'torment' him. The same is true for that speed bump. Satan has put it there because he knows it irritates you, frightens you, discourages you, frustrates you, and has the potential of keeping you from your goal. Do not assume the worst about God. He is not out to get you. He wants to help you. He is on your side. The speed bump can help you slow down and check your options, adjust your direction, and realign your focus.

Rely on God's power.

Paul admits that he would have preferred to go a different route. He asked for a different plan. When he realized there was no option, he accepted and drew on God's power when he was weak to sustain him. He even came to "delight is weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and I difficulties." When you hit one of life's speed bumps rely on God's power to carry you over it.

As you travel through your day, pay attention. When you come to a speed bump, do not be surprised. Take it slow and move on. When you are weak, then you are strong.

 -tom noorvel

difference

The following story comes from John Shay, Sr.:

     A group of dinner guests were sitting around a table discussing life.  A CEO decided to explain the problem with education.  He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"  He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

     To stress his point, he said to another guest, "You're a teacher, Susan.  Be honest. What do you make?"

     Susan, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness, replied, "You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.  I make a C+ student feel like the winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor.  I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence.

     "You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder. I make them criticize.  I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math and perfect their final drafts in English. I make them understand that, if you have the brains and follow your heart, and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you must pay no attention because they just didn't learn."

     Susan paused and then continued. "You want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do you make?"

     It was James who wrote, "Brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers." (James 3:1, GOD'S WORD).  He points out that teachers will be judged more severely.  He could just as easily have said that teachers have a greater responsibility, a greater challenge, a greater opportunity to affect the lives of people in a negative way.  It is impossible to teach without using words, and with greater use of words comes a greater danger that the words will do harm.

     But thanks be to God that there are those who face that challenge and assume that responsibility and make a diligent effort to use their words as an opportunity to affect the lives of people in a positive way.  Those of you who are teachers -- who can begin to measure the tremendous effect that you are having in the lives of the children (and adults) in your classrooms?  You may not see the results of your efforts for years.  In fact, you may never get to see the results.  But you do make a difference.

     Those of you who are schoolteachers are teaching not only the basics of education, but you are teaching values and character.  Those of you who are Bible class teachers are filling the minds and hearts of our children with stories of faith that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.  Those of you who are preachers are strengthening the family of God and bringing salvation to the lost.

     So, my hat is off to all of you who are teachers because I know exactly what you make.  You make a difference!

     "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach." (Romans 12:6-7)

-alan smith

.....dart

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.

On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's friend drew a picture of someone who had stolen her boyfriend.  Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr.. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words... "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Matthew 25:40.

No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.

stay

Stay warm, stay safe, and stay close to Jesus.  That's the way I ended an email to a friend who lives in an area experiencing and ice storm...

Stay Warm

That is advice for a winter day. Stay warm. If you can, stay inside, by a fire, and with someone you love. For those who have lost their heat, have not home, have not heat, or must work outside in this weather, I am sorry that circumstances require you to work outside in the cold. For those who are serving others by working outside, I am thankful for your faithfulness in doing what you do. For the rest of us who can, stay warm.

Stay warm on the inside as well. Don't just avoid the cold temperatures, but avoid the cold heart, the cold attitude, and the cold spirit. Staying warm is a choice we will have to make. It is not natural. It will not come easy. It may never be noticed or appreciated. But, choose to stay warm.

Matthew 14:13-14, "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick."

The world has a tendency to want to squeeze us into its mode of skepticism, negativism, cynicism, and suspicion (Romans 12:1-2). Don't let it happen to you. Stay warm.

Stay Safe

Stay safe if you must get out in the weather. Icy roads are treacherous and dangerous. A common warning when winter storms come is, "If at all possible, stay at home." Sometimes it is better not to make it to a church service (yes, I did say that), stay home from work, and miss the ball game, than risk your life, or the life of someone else by trying to navigate slick roads. When the weather is bad, it is good advice to stay safe.

Stay safe, though, is not always the best thing to do. Sometimes people of faith are asked to take a risk, to do the ill-advised, to step out in faith, or to take the road less traveled. When you do you may be criticized, you may be ridiculed, and you may be called foolish, childish, or even crazy. Do it. Step out. Don't play it safe. (See Hebrews 11)

Matthew 14:27-29, But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."  "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."   "Come," he said.

His friends may have said, "Peter, stay safe here in the boat with us." If he had, he could have never said, "I walked on water!"

Stay Close To Jesus

Stay close to Jesus. This is always good advice. This always the best route to take. This is always the right choice. Warm weather or cold icy conditions: Stay close to Jesus. On your job or in your home: Stay close to Jesus. Working hard or on vacation: Stay close to Jesus. Through the good times and through the bad: Stay close to Jesus. In sickness or in health: Stay close to Jesus. Through times of wealth and times of poverty: Stay close to Jesus.

Matthew 14:29b-31, "Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him."

Wherever you are today, whatever you are doing, whoever you are with: Stay warm, stay safe, and stay close to Jesus.

remembering

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! (Luke 12:22-24).

My theory is that most people spend most of their time sweating over things that won't really matter when all is said and done.

You've probably heard the story about the up-and-coming entrepreneur who was opening the door of his sleek new Jaguar when a truck roared by, hit it, and ripped it off its hinges. The police arrived at the scene quickly and found the man jumping up and down in the street. He was shrieking to anyone who would listen about the horrible damage done to his precious automobile.

"You wheeler-dealers are all so materialistic!" began the investigating officer, shaking his head in bewilderment. "You make me sick."

"What's your problem?" the driver snapped.

"You're so worried about your precious Jaguar," said the cop, "that you appear not to have noticed that your left arm was ripped off!"

"Oh, no!" bellowed the guy as he looked down at the grisly stump where his arm had been a few minutes before. "What happened to my Rolex?"

When one of us gets where my young friend was when he was told that he likely had less than six months to live, he will focus intensely on the things that really matter in life. There will be far less concern about the newest electronic gadget, a bigger house, liposuction, a luxury car, or some other inconsequential indulgence. In fact, I doubt that a one of those items will come to mind at all.

When your time on Planet Earth is about to end and you are reflecting on how your once-around trip through life has worked out, you'll think about and reach for the people who are most important to you. And you will think about what happens after you have taken your last breath. These are the really important things — as opposed to burning yourself out at the office, neglecting your family and friends, and pushing spiritual concerns to the fringe of your life.

Being responsible and working hard are good things. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of honest labor. Yet the Bible cautions us to remember that we came into the world without a company, portfolio, or fortune — and will leave it the same way. So the smart thing is to major in what will matter at the end and not to fritter away your life with what cannot go into eternity.

Judged by that standard, how does your plan for the week look now?

What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 NLT).
  

perfect

A man walks into the street and manages to get a taxi just going by. He gets into the taxi, and the cabby says, "Perfect timing. You're just like Frank."

Passenger: "Who?"

Cabby: "Frank Feldman. He's a guy who did everything right - all the time.  Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happened like that to Frank Feldman every single time."

Passenger: "There are always a few clouds over everybody."

Cabby: "Not Frank Feldman. He was a terrific athlete. He could have won the Grand-Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star and you should have heard him play the piano.   He was an amazing guy."

Passenger: "Sounds like he was something really special."

Cabby: "There's more.......He had a memory like a computer. Could remember everybody's birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with. He could fix anything. Not like me. I change a fuse, and the whole street blacks out. But Frank Feldman, he could do everything right."

Passenger. "Wow, some guy then."

Cabby: "He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic jams, not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Frank, he never made a mistake."

Passenger. "Mmm, there's not many like him around."

Cabby: "And he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good and never answer her back even if she was in the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too - he was the perfect man! He never made a mistake. No one could ever measure up to Frank Feldman."

Passenger: "An amazing fellow. How did you meet him?"

Cabby: "Well, I never actually met Frank."

Passenger: "Then how do you know so much about him?"

Cabby: "I married his widow."

     It's hard to live in the shadow of someone great.  That's true not only in marriage, but in other areas as well.  Those of you who are younger children may have constantly been compared to your older siblings ("Why can't you bring home good grades like your brother?!").  You may have this problem in the workplace if you have replaced someone who was a particularly good worker ("Bob didn't seem to have any trouble meeting his sales quota.  Why do you?")

     As Christians, we face a similar difficulty in that our goal is to follow after the example of Jesus Christ.  The problem with our attempt to do that is that Jesus had no sin, and any comparison we make is going to fall far short!

     "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in his steps:  'Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.' " (I Peter 2:21-22)

     There is a big difference, though, between Jesus and others whom we may seek to emulate.  Christ not only set the standard for us, but he seeks to strengthen us as we resolve to follow his example.  "For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted." (Hebrews 2:18).  "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all..." (I Thess. 3:12).

    Thanks be to God for not leaving us to feel helpless at our inability to "measure up", but rather strengthens us as we grow closer and closer to that perfect example.
-alan smith

change

 Is your life predictable? Do you do the same thing, day after day? Do you feel as though this year will be just as dull and monotonous as last year? There is a wonderful passage that shows us a practical example of how one man changed his life. It outlines for you the ABC's of how to change your life.

Mark 10:46-52
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. [47] When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" [48] Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" [49] Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." [50] Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. [51] "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." [52] "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

From this passage, we can discover the ABC's to help us change our lives...


A- Assume Responsibility For Your Own Life!
(v. 47) When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

We live in a generation that tries to blame someone else for its problems.  Teenagers blame their parents,   Parents blame their children,   Workers blame their co-workers or their boss. Things happen that you can't control - but you can control your response. Let me repeat that. Things happen that you can't control - but you can control your response. I hear people say all the time... "He makes me so mad" or "She makes me so mad." Nobody can make you mad. You're the only person who can make you mad. People can do things that upset you, things you don't like, things that hurt you. But you decide how you're going to respond. Look back at the scripture. See what did Bartimaeus did and did not do.
  1. He didn't blame someone else. He didn't think that God or anyone else owed him something.
  2. He did go to Jesus. He humbled himself and sought help and deliverance.


B - Believe You Can Change!
(v. 51) "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

He believed he wouldn't walk away the same. He believed that he'd be DIFFERENT.  So often people pray...
   "God, if you'll just change my employer,
   if you'll just change my husband or my wife
   if you'll just change my children or my Friend,
   if you'll just change my boss, or co-worker, or relative
God never promises that he will change your situation. God does promise that he will change YOU. He’ll change your attitude... your perspective... your outlook... Then you can change your attitude toward your situation.


C - Clarify What It Is You Really Need
Notice the question in verse 51 - "What do you want me to do for you?"

Specific prayers get specific answers. How often do we pray, "God bless the missionaries overseas." Jesus already knew what the man needed. Jesus just wanted the man to say it.   How often do we play communication games with each other? A wife will tell me, "He doesn’t meet my needs." "Well, does he know what you need?" "Sure, he loves me, he ought to know." " Maybe he ought to know, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he really knows. You have to tell him what your needs are."

Another example: "I’m so mad at him." "Well, does he know why you’re mad at him." "Of course, he does. He knows what he did!" "How does he know? Did you tell him?" "I don’t have to tell him. He knows."   We do the same thing with God. We assume that since God knows everything, we don’t have to tell him. But that’s just exactly the opposite of the way God operates. He wants us to tell him what we need. Exactly what we need. Jesus will meet your needs when you tell him what your needs are. But sometimes He doesn’t meet your needs because you never tell Him what you really want and how you really feel.

Notice his cry - "Have mercy on me." He was beggar. Yet, notice, he didn’t cry out for food, or clothing, or money or housing. He was given sight that day. He was healed that day - because he realized that his most basic need was for mercy and grace. He needed what only Jesus was offering - and because of that, he was healed.
D - Decide to Stop Worrying
1. First, Stop Worrying About What Other People Will Say
(v. 48) Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more.

What were they telling him? Shut up! Nobody wants to hear what you have to say!  This isn’t the right place.. This isn’t the right time...  Nobody’s ever done it that way before...   You can’t do that - just be quiet  We have to quit worrying about what other people think. In this particular situation, everyone else was wrong. Everyone else told him he shouldn’t do it that way. He didn’t care what the protocol was. He didn’t care if all the people agreed that you just don’t approach Jesus that way. He knew he needed help and he wasn’t going to be denied.

Have you prayed for something and God hasn’t answered you yet?
   Keep on calling out to God.
Do you have a need and God hasn’t met it yet?
   Keep on calling out to God.
Are you hurting and don’t have an answer?
   Keep on calling out to God.
Are people telling you to give up?
   Are people telling you to quit?
Are people telling you that God doesn’t care?
Are you worried about what other people think or what other people will say?
Are you concerned about how it might look?
Are you worried that other people will think you crazy or you’re a fanatic?
   Stop worrying.
   Don’t quit.
   Don’t give up
JUST CRY OUT EVEN LOUDER

One of the greatest attributes a Christian can have is persistence and perseverance. Jesus tells a parable about the neighbor who comes at midnight and is rewarded for his persistence. Someone once said, God doesn't answer shallow prayers, he answers desperate prayer.

2. Second, Stop Waiting for the Ideal Circumstances
(v. 46) As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging.

Bartimaeus almost missed his chance. Jesus was on his way out of town.  He was on his final journey to Jerusalem.  This is the last time Jesus would come to Jericho. If he had missed Jesus this time, he never would have been healed.

We have to quit waiting for just the right time. We have to quit waiting for the right opportunity to come along. It may not happen. We have to do something NOW!


E - Exercise Your Faith
(v. 50) Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

Sometimes, we have to do something different. We can’t do the same old thing. If we’re really going to change, If we want life to be different, we have to do something bold and dramatic.  Bartimaeus did something unique and unusual for that day and time. It was not normal for a man to cast aside his garment. It was not the usual protocol for a man to leave his garment. Sometimes we have to do something totally out of the norm. Totally different. Hebrews 12:1 says, let us lay aside every weight, every sin that so easily entangles us."

Notice those words, lay aside every weight and every sin. We know the sins. But what are the weights? Whatever is keeping you from keeping Jesus first in your life. Whatever is keeping you from running to Jesus. Whatever is holding you back from surrendering your life to the LORDSHIP of Jesus so he can do a miracle in your life.


F - Follow Jesus
(52) "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

He was a beggar, he was blind, he had been healed. It would have been so easy to go into town and tell everybody what had happened - to show his friends and relatives, to let the whole town know that he had been healed - but that's not what the scripture says. It simply says, "He followed Jesus!"

 This year can be totally different from last year if you'll...
   A - Assume responsibility for your own life
   B - Believe you can change
   C - Clarify what it is you really need.
   D - Decide to stop worrying
        1. Stop worrying what other people will say
        2. Stop waiting for the ideal circumstances
   E - Exercise Your Faith
   F - Follow Jesus!

Have a good day

Keep to Jesus

sinners

  Some years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article by Dr. Paul Ruskin on the "Stages of Aging." In the article, Dr. Ruskin described a case study he had presented to his students when teaching a class in medical school. He described the case study patient under his care like this:

     "The patient neither speaks nor comprehends the spoken word. Sometimes she babbles incoherently for hours on end.  She is disoriented about person, place, and time. She does, however, respond to her name… I have worked with her for the past six months, but she still shows complete disregard for her physical appearance and makes no effort to assist her own care. She must be fed, bathed, and clothed by others.

     "Because she has no teeth, her food must be pureed. Her shirt is usually soiled from almost incessant drooling.  She does not walk. Her sleep pattern is erratic. Often she wakes in the middle of the night and her screaming awakens others. Most of the time she is friendly and happy, but several times a day she gets quite agitated without apparent cause. Then she wails until someone comes to comfort her."

     After presenting the class with this challenging case, Dr. Ruskin then asked his students if any of them would like to volunteer to take care of this person.  No one volunteered. Then Dr. Ruskin said, "I'm surprised that none of you offered to help, because actually she is my favorite patient. I get immense pleasure from taking care of her and I am learning so much from her. She has taught me a depth of gratitude I never knew before. She has taught me the spirit of unwavering trust. And she has taught me the power of unconditional love." Then Dr. Ruskin said, "Let me show you her picture." He pulled out the picture and passed it around. It was the photo of his six-month-old baby daughter.

     I'm not sure exactly what the doctor's point was intended to be when he presented that lecture, but it reminds me that those of us who are parents do things for our children that we would never dream of doing for anyone else.  Allow me to clarify that thought just a bit:  We do things for those we love that we would not be willing to do for anyone else.

     It's true, isn't it?  We make sacrifices for those we love, but we are unwilling to make the same sacrifices for those we don't know well (or that we don't know at all).  We gladly give of our time, money and energy to assist those we are close to.  But when Jesus told us to do good to those who are our enemies, it goes against our natural instinct.

     What seems so obvious to us is used by Paul to demonstrate the amazing love of Jesus Christ.

     "Look at it this way: At the right time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for ungodly people.  Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person.  Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God's love for us." (Romans 5:6-8, God's Word)

     To have the love we are willing to express toward our children and those we hold dear, and be willing to show that same sacrificial love toward toward who oppose us -- enough that we are willing to die -- is love beyond anything we have ever experienced (or can even imagine).  But such is the love that God has for each and every one of us.  May that love motivate you to respond to the one who has given up so much just for you.

envelope

 It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas -- oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light  helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball, and lacrosse.

That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.

For each Christmas, I followed the tradition -- one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.

John 13:34-35  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

bigger

      A number of years ago, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks did a popular series of comedy sketches called the "2000-Year-Old Man" which developed into several hilarious albums. The premise has Carl Reiner interviewing Mel Brooks playing the old man and inquiring concerning life way back when. At one point, Reiner asks the old man, "Did you always believe in God?"

     Brooks replies, "No. We had a guy in our village named Phil, and for a time we worshiped him."

     Reiner wonders, "You worshiped a guy named Phil? Why?"

     "Because he was big, and mean, and he could break you in two with his bare hands!"

     The interviewer asks, "Did you have prayers?"

     Brooks answers, "Yes, would you like to hear one? -- 'O Phil, please don't be mean, and hurt us, or break us in two with your bare hands.' "

     Reiner: "So when did you start worshiping God?"

     And then this wonderful answer: "Well, one day a big thunderstorm came up, and a lightning bolt hit Phil.  We gathered around and saw that he was dead.  Then we said to one another, "There's somethin' bigger than Phil!"

     There are a variety of things which we look to as our gods -- material things, immorality, climbing the corporate ladder, entertainment.  Oh, we may not call them our gods.  But those are the things we build our lives around.  That's where the majority of our time, money and thoughts go.  They serve as the center of our lives.

     But, there are times in our lives when we are reminded that "There must be something bigger!"  Like Solomon shares in the book of Ecclesiastes, we discover that nothing we fill our lives with can truly satisfy us and eventually we come to the realization that all of it will someday be gone.  What then?  There must be something bigger than success at work.  There must be something bigger than collecting "things."

     Whether they realized it or not at the time, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks made such an insightful observation.  It is only when we see that there is something bigger than us and bigger than all the things around us that we tend to elevate that we will truly begin to worship God.

     "Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant....I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods." (Psalm 135:1-3,5)

     Whatever you may be worshiping in your life, there's something bigger!  Praise the LORD!

-allan smith