trust

                               David Langerfeld

  A new school Principal was checking over his school on the first day. Passing the
  stockroom, he was startled to see the door wide open and teachers bustling in and
  out, carrying off books and supplies in preparation for the arrival of students
  the next day. The school where he had been a Principal the previous year had used
  a check-out system only slightly less elaborate than that at Fort Knox.

  Cautiously, he asked the school's long time Custodian, "Do you think it's wise to
  keep the stockroom unlocked and to let the teachers take things without
  requisitions?"

  The Custodian looked at him gravely and said, "We trust them with the children,
  don't we?"

  Trust. A simple and short word, but one that implies so much. If I trust someone
  in one area, but not in another, have I really trusted them? Can trust be area
  specific? I know confidence can be, but trust implies the whole package.

  How do you trust God? Do you, as many people do, trust Him for your salvation,
  but you don't trust Him to take care of your daily needs? Do you trust Him to
  forgive you of your sins, but not to help you in personal areas that you lift
  to Him in prayer? In other words, do you trust the Lord for the big things,
  but doubt Him (distrust) for the relatively little things?

  We need to make a decision right now! Do you trust God for EVERYTHING or do you
  pick and choose where you trust Him? How does God want you to trust Him? I'm so
  glad that God forgave me of ALL my sins, not just the ones He thought about,
  rationalized, and made a decision based on my life experience or my worthiness.

  God can be trusted in ALL things; we need to show Him that we trust Him in ALL
  areas by giving Him our WHOLE life, not just certain areas.

  "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.
  In ALL your ways acknowledge him, and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
-david langerfeld

hands

  The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

  George Muller Massena, one of Napoleon's generals, suddenly appeared with 18,000 soldiers before an

  Austrian town which had no means of defending itself. The town council met, certain that capitulation

  was the only answer. The old dean of the church reminded the council that it was Easter, and begged

  them to hold services as usual and to leave the trouble in God's hands. They followed his advice. The

  dean went to the church and rang the bells to announce the service. The French soldiers heard the

  church bells ring and concluded that the Austrian army had come to rescue the town. They broke camp,

  and before the bells had ceased ringing, vanished.

  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

  present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will

  guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians. 4:6-7

garbage

  Last Saturday, I arrived at church to find a massive mound of garbage on our parking lot,

  surrounded by trucks from Waste Management and a couple of fire engines.  Our custodian

  explained that the driver had discovered a fire smoldering in back of his truck and had

  dumped the contents and called the fire department.  The fire was out and the workers

  were reloading the soggy, smelly mess.

  A fellow could do a lot worse than bring his garbage to church.  I mean, where else are

  people better equipped to receive it and deal with it?

  She sat in church with the accumulation of years of trash collected and compacted in her

  soul.  Early in life, she had been the victim, but quickly enough she became the victimizer.

  She looked attractive, at least on the surface, as makeup and clothes worked their magic.

  Look closer and you could see a hardness to her eyes and mouth.  The scars and guilt she

  carried would prevent anyone from getting close to her today. If you had asked, I would

  have said she would not be hearing anything we had to say.  There was too much junk in

  her system, blocking the way.  But I had not reckoned on the gospel.

  She sat there listening as the pastor read from John 8, the story of an adulterous woman

  thrown at the feet of Jesus, a woman accused and condemned by pious hypocrites.  She

  heard as the Lord said, "Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone."

   She understood why the crowd drifted away, the oldest first, those with the longest

  laundry list of wrongs and crimes.  Her attention was caught when the Lord stood to

  His feet and said, "Woman, where are they?  Does no one condemn you?" "No one, Lord,"

  the woman said. Jesus said, "Then, neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."

  That's what broke her.  She sat there in church with the tears flowing, her stone heart

  shattered by the love of a Savior who came not to condemn but to save.  All we had done

  was read the story in the Bible.

  That day, this woman for whom Jesus died on Calvary left her burdens---the garbage of a

  lifetime---at the foot of the cross and walked out of church clean and free.  Did I say

  walked?  She floated out of church that day.  She could not have told anyone how the

  Lord did it; she did not know the old songs about the cleansing power of the blood of

  the Lamb.  She only knew that when she stepped forward at the invitation and prayed with

  the pastor, a dam of resistance built over a lifetime was breached and the Spirit of God

  rushed in and washed away the flotsam and debris.  She was free and whole and clean and

  new.

  But there has to be a garbage processor.  Otherwise, people will bring their trash to

 church and dump it on the preacher or on each other or they will carry it around with

  them and contaminate everything they touch.  A lot of churches have great internal

  problems because the members have not dealt with their garbage.  They bring it into

  the house of God and guard it like a treasure and do not have a clue that they are

  stinking up the place, poisoning the temple, and sickening anyone who comes near them.

  I got out of my car at the mall and started inside.  Along the way, I passed an auto-

  mobile filled with garbage.  Inside was an accumulation of tissue boxes, paper bags,

  hamburger wrappings, crumpled candy packages, soda cans, you name it---all the way to

  the top.   The driver had hollowed out an area, a cockpit if you will, around the

  driver's seat, but there was no more space in that car.  I stood there transfixed,

  wondering how in the world the owner had allowed this to happen.

  Now, the lady who owned that car could have done something about the clutter any day

  she pleased.  But she had grown accustomed to her garbage.  She wore it like a soprano

  wears a robe.

  Many of us recall a garbage scow from New York City that journeyed up and down the

  east coast a few years ago while the owners tried to find a processor willing to

  receive it and deal with it.  What to do with garbage is a major problem of our time.

  But we know.  We know what to do with the real trash and junk of life.  Bring it to

  the Lord Jesus Christ.  Somehow or other, the blood He shed on the cross outside

  Jerusalem has power to cleanse us.  Somehow, He removes the clutter and destroys the

  garbage and sets us free.

  Over a century ago, Robert Lowery penned a song which became the anthem for our

  grandparents' generation:  "What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of

  Jesus.  What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus?"

  "Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden," Jesus said, "and I will give

  you rest."  "The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin."  "If anyone is in Christ,

  he is a new creation.  Old things are passed away; behold, all things are new."

  "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  That's why the gospel is

  such good news.

  (Scriptures cited in the final paragraph:  Matthew 11:28; I John 1:7; II Corinthians

  5:17; and John 8:36.)

-joe mckeeever

intimidation

 Just over 80 years ago, as Notre Dame was preparing to play USC in college football, Fighting

  Irish coach Knute Rockne was aware that his opponent had a far better team, so he devised a

  plan to intimidate the Trojan players. Rockne scoured the city of South Bend and hand-picked

  100 of the largest men he could find - each at least six-foot-five and three hundred pounds.

  He put them in Fighting Irish uniforms and at game time marched them onto the field ahead of

  the real team. (Obviously, this was before the days of limited rosters and eligibility

  restrictions.)

  As USC watched these giants line up on the sidelines, they forgot about their talent and their

  undefeated record, and they began mentally preparing themselves for a beating. Though none of

  the specially recruited men played during the game, their presence on the sidelines was enough

  to knock Southern Cal's game off balance. Knute Rockne's trick had worked; he had intimidated

  the Trojan players into giving up before the game even started, and Notre Dame won.

  Our 'opponent' tries a similar trick. He tries to intimidate us by appearing larger than life -

  but we must remember that he, too, has been sidelined.  John said... "Greater is he that is

  in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4)

  Don't let your problems intimidate you. No matter how big the enemy may seem to be, remember

  that you have God's power on your side. And He is greater.

-steve may 

famine

Like most of the Old Testament prophets, Amos was chosen by God to deliver a message of repentance and judgement; "Seek the Lord and live, or He will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire" (Amos 5:6). God was calling His people to return, but they had wandered far from His presence and showed no interest in a life of worship. The economy of their day was thriving and the people had few needs which went unfulfilled; they were content and saw little need for God.

Through Amos, God sent a strong warning. Although He promises to answer all who respond to His call, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2:32), and He promises to be VERY patient, "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9), God also warns that the opportunity to hear His Word may not always be available.

Amos 8:11-12 says, "'The days are coming,' declares the Sovereign Lord, 'when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.'"

When we hear the Word of God, the door is open and we are in the middle of a God-directed opportunity. At that moment we have theopportunity to respond to the truth and draw closer to our Heavenly Father. But when we reject His Word, we begin to close the door and harden our heart - the opportunity begins to fade.

We have been blessed to live during this time in history. Yes, we face the unrelenting pressures of an over-indulgent, self-consumed society; but we have also been blessed with a wonderful abundance of the Word of God. In most parts of the world we have the freedom to worship with other believers and full access to truth-filled teaching. In fact, God's Word has become so readily available that many of us take it for granted.

In the midst of our overflowing blessings, we are becoming complacent and no longer treasure His precious gift. But what would happen if His Word was taken away? What would the world be like if no one was allowed to speak or hear the Word of God? What if we searched for His Word and it could not be found?

Our Heavenly Father loves us dearly. He "wants ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4); and He wants those who believe to be "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Our Father continues to call us to know Him with a greater and more intimate love. Let's make the most of this awesome opportunity by receiving the Word of God, in all its forms, with a hungry anticipation, and then by obediently responding to His call. Let's shake off ALL forms of complacency and rejoice that we do not yet live during a famine of hearing.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

-steve troxel

running

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," (Hebrews 12:1)

On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man in history to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. Within 2 months, John Landy eclipsed the record by 1.4 seconds.

On August 7, 1954, the two met together for an historic race. As they moved into the last lap, Landy held the lead. It looked as if he would win, but as he neared the finish he was haunted by the question, “Where is Bannister?”. As he turned to look, Bannister took the lead.

Landy later told a Time magazine reporter, “If I hadn’t looked back, I would have won!”

One of the most descriptive pictures of the Christian life in the Bible is of an athlete competing in a race.

Discipline is the key to winning.  "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

In Hebrews, we are encouraged to lay aside anything that might hinder our spiritual advancement and to stay focused on Christ. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

And in Philippians the apostle Paul said, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead," (Philippians 3:12-13)

You can't make spiritual progress by looking back.

-henry g. bosch

everlasting

"Long ago the LORD said to Israel: 'I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.'" (Jeremiah 31:3)

As I ponder the unfailing love of God, I am comforted and pleased to know that God loves His children so intensely. However, I can't help but wonder... Does our own returned love matches His? Sure we say we love Him, but would we be willing to suffer and die for His Son, Jesus Christ, the way He did for us so that we may have eternal life?

Thankfully, God does not require us to be killed in order to show our love for Him. However, He does require we offer our life to Him by way of how we chose to live.

The life we live, and all we do and say, is a living and breathing testament of our faith, and reveals bluntly if we are going to not just talk the talk, but also walk the walk. Certainly, there may be times we stumble and fall, but God loves us so deeply that He is willing and able to forgive when there is genuine repentance. This, my dear friends, is how we can also show God our most sincere love; are we willing to give up sin for Him, even when sin may feel pleasurable?

When all is said and done, sin may seem "not that bad," but its reality is that it is destructive, not only to our relationship with God, but to our very bones, and the lives of our family members, and anyone else who is affected by our transgressions.

God is a loving God, and just as He draws us near to Him, likewise, we must cleave to Him in our strength, and in our weakness. Never should we let go, for never would He let you go.

-melanie schurr

brokenness

Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit".  (Matthew 5:3)

Contrary to what we would expect, brokenness is the pathway to blessing!   There are no alternative routes; there are no short-cuts.  The very thing we dread and are tempted to resist, is actually the means to God's greatest blessings in our lives.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." (Psalm 51:17)

-nancy l i wolgemuth

grateful

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son. She grieved over their loss. Troubles had multiplied. Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location.

Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit. What's worse, Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life, but took her child's?"

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk.

"I... I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want the beautiful, but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the'Thanksgiving Special'? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong." Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer, "Hi, Barbara... let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed, thorny roses - except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped. There were no flowers.

"Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again.", she said, as she gently tapped her chest.

Sandra stammered, "Uh, that lady just left with, uh... she left with no flowers!"

"That's right," said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do, today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father to cancer; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year, I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra. "I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I NEVER questioned Him why those GOOD things happened to me. But when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, "WHY? WHY Me?" It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about the thought that her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted the balding, rotund man.  "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement... twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?"

"No... I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem. The Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny, here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us." As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too... fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember that it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read:

My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the thorns.

-author unknown 

eagles

Eagles are the most long-lived bird in the world. By the time they reach 40 years old, their claws will start to age, losing their effectiveness andmaking it hard for them to catch preys. The lifespan of an eagle is up to 70 years old. But in order to live this long, it must make thetoughest decision at 40.

At 40 its beak is too long and curvy that it reaches its chest. Its wings, full of long, thickened feathers, are too heavy for easy flying. Theeagle is left with 2 choices - do nothing and await its death or go through a painful period of transformation and renewal. For 150 days, it first trains itself to fly beyond the high mountains, build and live in its nest and cease all flying activities. It then begins to knock its beak against granite rocks till the beak is completely removed. When a new beak is grown, the eagle will use it to remove all its old claws and await quietly for new ones to be fully grown.

When the new claws are fully grown, the eagle will use them to remove all its feathers, one by one. Five months later, when its new feathers are fully grown, it will soar in the sky again with renewed strength and is able to live for the next 30 years.

In life, sometimes, we have to learn to make difficult decisions so as to make room for changes. Changes bring about renewal. And the only way for us to soar again is to let go of old ways, old habits and old lives. For as long as we are prepared to put aside our old baggage - past glory or shame, past success or failure - be willing to become zero, with an empty cup mentality, we will be able to discover our potential and head towards a renewed perspective in any aspect of our lives.

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

...right...

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:6-8).

At just the right time, when we were struggling with temptation the right person came to be with us. They did not know we were on the verge of giving in to the temptation. They just came to be with us. Because they came at just the right time we were able to stand firm and not fall.

At just the right time, when we were feeling lonely the right person showed up at our door. There did not know we were lonely. They simply came for a visit because they wanted to be with us. Because they came at just the right time we were able to get through another night.

At just the right time, when life appeared to be over the right person reminded us of all the reasons we have to live. We were ready to quit. We had no energy or desire to stay in the race. Because they came at just the right time we saw another sunrise and look forward to thenext.

At just the right time, when we were struggling with our marriage the right couple invited us over to dinner. We were talking divorce. We saw no reason to keep up appearances any longer. They did not know how hopeless we felt, but because they connected with us at just the right time we continue to celebrate anniversaries.

At just the right time, when we were at our lowest as parents the right people sat next to us in church and visited with us when the assembly time ended. We were filled with despair. Guilt was destroying us. They did not know how heart-broken we were but because they were friendly at just the right time we did not give up.

At just the right time, when we were searching for a church home the right person came by for a visit. They listened to our story. They understood our situation. They helped us find a place. They did no know how homesick we were but because they took the time we now have a church family.

At just the right time, when we were most desperate the right person called to offer assistance. They hardly knew us, but heard that times were hard. They said they remembered what it was like and wanted to help. Because they demonstrated that they cared at just the right time we were able to survive the crisis.

At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for us. God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still a sinners, Christ died for us.

At just the right time, God uses people to represent Him in the lives of those who need Him. Be aware that today you may be His instrument for someone He needs to help. It will likely be at just the right time.

-tom norvell

rising

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy." (Proverbs 13:12)

"We don't like their sound.  Groups of guitars are on their way out."   This is what Decca Recording Company said in 1962 when they turned down a recording contract with a new singing group called "The Beatles". 

"That kid can't play baseball. He can't pull the ball."  This is what the manager of the Brave's Triple A team said  about Hank Aaron in 1952. Aaron went on to hit 755 home runs, breaking all previous records.

Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist who discovered gravity,  did so poorly in school that he was called “unpromising” by his teacher.

Albert Einstein, when he was 10 years old, was told by the headmaster of his school, (translated from German), "You will never amount to very much."  

Thomas Edison was told in grade school that he was too stupid to learn anything

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he  “lacked imagination and had no original ideas.” 

Winston Churchill failed the 6th grade because he could not pass the standardized tests. 

Babe Ruth - the greatest baseball player of all times - struck out 1,300 times - a major league record

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. 

Remember - no matter what the critics say, in God's economy, everybody has a purpose, everyone has a talent, everyone has a spiritual gift and everybody has something of value to offer. Never give up until you know what your purpose is; allow God to develop and sharpen your talents and your spiritaul gifts in your life.  Dedicate your talents and abilites to God.  Take courage. Nothing you ever do for God will ever be in vain. Remember, too, that one of the greatest ways we can serve God is simply by helping others - and every one of us can do that every day.

Also, as long as what you are doing is in harmony with God's will, then dream big dreams, because God will use your talents and spiritual gifts in His Kingdom work.  Know your God-given dreams and keep hope alive, no matter what the setbacks  - and never, ever, ever give up.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to know my God-given life purpose and dream. Help me to be faithful to your calling and keep hope alive so that I will never give up and in due course will receive the reward that comes from serving you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."