posted on Oct 24, 2012

 

WellSo…..your father was interested in politics, I take it…………..,

So it’s official….I’ve turned into my father!

We have been called twice by the Democrats “get out the vote” crew….I happened to have answered both….the first was a woman who I pleaded with to not vote for Obama. I tried to discuss the issues but all she said was that she thought “Obama is wonderful.” (Quite a reason to vote for him) While still in the middle of my discourse she hung up.

Last night it was a gentleman who called. Unfortunately he had already voted. I brought up Benghazi, support of the Muslim Brotherhood, cancelling the long established prayer day and inviting Muslims to pray on the Capitol grounds, the list went on and on. Although he did try to tell me that Obama is a Christian, at which point he got me started on Reverend Jeremiah Wright, he knew nothing of the issues I brought up…. honestly, he knew nothing…even when I told him about the tragedy at Fort Hood in which our government refused to give those men who were killed a war time medal and instead the incident was called “work place stress” incident…even after the Muslim yelled out “Allah Akbar” before shooting. I also told him about our government taking out the word “Jihad” from all the training manuals. On one of the things I mentioned his reply was, “I think I did hear something about that.”

I really tried to stress the point of looking into these things on line, to listen to a combination of news from both liberal and conservative views. Those two knew nothing about the subjects I mentioned. What a tragedy. (Okay, I’m better now–got that off my chest) 🙂

When I thought about this later I was ashamed…what made me so bold for politics and I’m not that bold for Jesus Christ, who’s gift of eternal life and peace down here is so much more than politics it can’t even be compared. Love to have your prayers…..
“Pray for me, too, and ask God to give me the right words as I boldly tell others about the Lord and as I explain to them that his salvation is for the Gentiles too.” Eph. 6:19

posted on Nov. 3, 2012

Well, it’s official….I’ve turned into my father!

We have been called twice by the Democrats “get out the vote” crew….I happened to have answered both….the first was a woman who I pleaded with to not vote for Obama. I tried to discuss the issues but all she said was that she thought “Obama is wonderful.” (Quite a reason to vote for him) While still in the middle of my discourse she hung up.

Last night it was a gentleman who called. Unfortunately he had already voted. I brought up Benghazi, support of the Muslim Brotherhood, cancelling the long established prayer day and inviting Muslims to pray on the Capitol grounds, the list went on and on. Although he did try to tell me that Obama is a Christian, at which point he got me started on Reverend Jeremiah Wright, he knew nothing of the issues I brought up…. honestly, he knew nothing…even when I told him about the tragedy at Fort Hood in which our government refused to give those men who were killed a war time medal and instead the incident was called “work place stress” incident…even after the Muslim yelled out “Allah Akbar” before shooting. I also told him about our government taking out the word “Jihad” from all the training manuals. On one of the things I mentioned his reply was, “I think I did hear something about that.”

I really tried to stress the point of looking into these things on line, to listen to a combination of news from both liberal and conservative views. Those two knew nothing about the subjects I mentioned. What a tragedy. (Okay, I’m better now–got that off my chest) 🙂

When I thought about this later I was ashamed…what made me so bold for politics and I’m not that bold for Jesus Christ, who’s gift of eternal life and peace down here is so much more than politics it can’t even be compared. Love to have your prayers…..
“Pray for me, too, and ask God to give me the right words as I boldly tell others about the Lord and as I explain to them that his salvation is for the Gentiles too.” Eph. 6:19

 

posted Oct 7, 2012 

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:26-27

Most Christians would agree that there are actually three ways God answers prayer; Yes, No, and Wait. I think there is another variation to the Yes answer. I think sometimes God says, “Yes, but in My own way.” I am very familiar with this answer because I have a tendency to tell God just how He could go about answering my prayer.

When I was expecting our first baby we were in Bible College and, of course, what goes along with that is being completely broke. We couldn’t put a down payment on a free lunch. That’s broke. So, after praying for our need of baby clothes and equipment, I then proceeded to list the ways this could happen, just in case God needed some ideas. There was both our Church and our circle of other friends who could give us a shower. Oh, and don’t forget our church back in California, they could send us money and of course my husband’s bevy of co-workers who could give gifts also. Why our fellow students could give us a shower also.

So I waited. And waited. As my eighth month approached there was still now shower. Someone gave us a crib and someone else some second-hand tiny baby clothes. I had waited four years for this baby. I enjoyed going into my bedroom where the crib was and looking at the little baby clothes. I would hold them up and be so excited for this new little life. I then folded them neatly and put them in the crib. I must have done this almost every day.

Still there was no phone call or invitation to a baby shower. I waited and waited. Then, two weeks before my due date, and in the wee morning of Christmas day our beloved son, Scott, was born. When Scott and I came home my husband went out and bought diapers and t-shirts for our little guy. He even splurged and bought a little toy!

Still no baby shower. But, everyday it seemed, I either received a package in the mail or was handed a gift. Sometimes I received money in the mail. The gifts came from all over. I wound up with so many cute clothes and necessary items for the baby that I was just overwhelmed with God’s kindness and provision.

There have been other times when I have told God how he could answer my prayer so it took me a while to understand He was God and He would decide how to answer my prayer. Nowadays whenever I catch myself starting to tell God “how,” I remember these lessons from God, so I just sit back and relax and watch God work. It is a much better way.

Posted 6/17/2012

Recently a dear relative of mine posted offensive words on Facebook. Actually, it’s been posted several times by this relative and others. Now I love Facebook. I love seeing what is going on in my children’s lives and also my grandchildren’s lives. It is a great tool for knowing how to pray for those I love. Some are not Christians, so I make allowances for those who post dirty words, but some are Christians, and that bothers me a lot.

I try to tell myself there are Christians and there are CHRISTians. I tell myself to never expect Christian behavior from non-Christians and very seldom from Christians, but I am still perplexed. I ask myself over and over, “Why? Why would a Christian try to get as close to sin as possible? Why would he want to see how far grace goes? Why wouldn’t a Christian want to please God?

Inside of me is this driving force to try to get as close to God as I possibly can. My strength, my joy, my very life is in Him. I want to know Him. I want to be called a friend of God just like Abraham was. I want to be called a man (woman) after God’s own heart like David was. I read the Bible over and over again to see how I should behave and how I can please God. I guess that’s the big difference, I truly want to please God. I’m no great and famous Christian, I struggle with my sins just as much as the next guy, I sin just as frequently. I ask forgiveness just as much and maybe even more that the next Christian. I know it is only His Grace that makes any closeness possible. So why are there so many out there who say they are Christians yet are pushing the envelope constantly?

Perhaps, they have never seen these verses. Verses in His written word that tell us what to do. Christians are to want to please God.

Phil 4:18-20

At the moment I have all I need-more than I need! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me when Epaphroditus came. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that pleases God well. And it is he who will supply all your needs from his riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us. Now unto God our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen

James 4:13-17
Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, stay there a year, and open up a profitable business.” How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog-now you see it; soon it is gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.” Otherwise you will be bragging about your own plans, and such self-confidence never pleases God. Remember, too, that knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin.

1 John 2:1-2
My little children, I am telling you this so that you will stay away from sin. But if you sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. His name is Jesus Christ, the one who is all that is good and who pleases God completely. He is the one who took God’s wrath against our sins upon himself and brought us into fellowship with God; and he is the forgiveness for our sins, and not only ours but all the world’s.

1 Tim 2:2-6
Pray in this way for kings and all others who are in authority over us, or are in places of high responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he longs for all to be saved and to understand this truth: 5 That God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, himself man, is between them to bring them together, by giving his life for all mankind.
1 Tim 5:1-7
Never speak sharply to an older man, but plead with him respectfully just as though he were your own father. Talk to the younger men as you would to much-loved brothers. Treat the older women as mothers, and the girls as your sisters, thinking only pure thoughts about them. The church should take loving care of women whose husbands have died if they don’t have anyone else to help them. But if they have children or grandchildren, these are the ones who should take the responsibility, for kindness should begin at home, supporting needy parents. This is something that pleases God very much.

I need to keep these verses before me constantly. I need to stay as close to Jesus as I can possibly get! 1 John 3:1-3 makes me want to stand up and shout……
See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children-think of it-and we really are! But since most people don’t know God, naturally they don’t understand that we are his children. Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, right now, and we can’t even imagine what it is going to be like later on. But we do know this, that when he comes we will be like him, as a result of seeing him as he really is. And everyone who really believes this will try to stay pure because Christ is pure.
Just think of it! God has done all that for us, for me!
Dear, dear friends, keep on seeking ways to please Him always.

 

Posted July 2012Some writings just don’t need any more added to them. I have never forgotten this tract which I read only a few years after becoming a Christian…..still true today for so many of us.

OTHERS MAY: You CANNOT
-by G.D. Watson.

If God has called you to be really like Jesus He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious He may let others get credit for the work which you have done, and thus make YOUR REWARD TEN TIMES GREATER when JESUS COMES.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an Infinitely Sovereign Being, and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you up in Jealous Love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

Settle it forever, then that you are to DEAL DIRECTLY WITH the HOLY SPIRIT, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this PECULIAR, PERSONAL, PRIVATE, JEALOUS GUARDIANSHIP and MANAGEMENT OF the HOLY SPIRIT OVER YOUR LIFE, then you will have found the vestibule of Heaven.

-G.D.Watson (1845-1924).
SOURCE: Faith, Prayer, & Tract League,
Tract #76; Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

_________________
paulregent.blogspot.com

 

Posted on June 17, 2012

The following is a post our daughter, Kathy, made on facebook:

Fifty-one years ago today, my father married my mom. He was and is a man of his word: when he looked in her eyes and said “I do,” he made a lifetime commitment he has kept through thick & thin, good times & bad, for more than half a century now. They have had plenty of tough times, but plenty of good times too. And the love they have for each other still shines through, all these years later. They still look like newlyweds when they walk hand in hand.

My daddy taught me how to ride a bike and how to whistle and how to change the oil in my car. He taught me how to bait my own hook and carry my own backpack. He taught me how to look someone in the eye and tell the truth, no matter how unpalatable the truth might be in a given situation. He taught me to stand up straight and speak clearly. He taught me that good people keep their promises even when it’s hard. He got up every single morning and went to work when he had every excuse in the world to stay home and feel sorry for himself. He beat me at Scrabble and corrected my grammar and played goofy, pun-ridden word games with me almost every day of my childhood. He taught me what a Tom Swifty was. He taught me to love Jesus and pray for our neighbors and trust God to provide. He taught me that money doesn’t matter, but character does. He taught me that the heart is more important than outward circumstances.

He taught me what love is and he showed me what a man should be.

I love you, Daddy. Happy Father’s Day.

Also, he taught me how to play Rummy. He and my mom still play Rummy almost every day!

Posted by daughter, Bonnie:

Gee Kathy – you put into words everything we all feel about our Daddy – maybe you should take up a career in writing! 🙂 I love you, Daddy. Happy Father’s Day and Happy Anniversary to the couple who has been our inspiration and showed us what a real marriage is.

Posted on May 28, 2012

This may be news for some of you, but there are a lot of people who already know that my husband, Bob, suffers from chronic pain. He has for the last forty or so years. Recently our pastor asked Bob to help him with his dissertation paper on “Chronic Pain: When Medicines aren’t Enough” Our pastor is writing the paper for part of the requirements to obtain his doctor of Ministry degree. Bob helped with the editing, but then the pastor asked for more help. ….well, here, this is what he asked: “Also would you consider writing a personal section that I could include in my dissertation. Who you are? How long you have experienced long term chronic pain? What things are important for the long term suffer to know and expect? Key thoughts and things that have helped you endure with such grace? Anything your life journey has taught that help you cope? I know you have done extensive research and that this could be the most significant part of the paper. Thought I could then take you to lunch to discuss further. I’ve titled this section: The Daily Life and Emotions of The Chronic Pain Sufferer.” The following is what Bob wrote concerning his life of pain. (Yes, it made me very weepy….but I so love him for his honesty and transparency. I thought it would be interesting for all to read this. Perhaps you may know someone suffering from Chronic pain or you may be a sufferer yourself.)Hi Pastor, I whipped this out hurriedly, so who knows. I’m not certain I even know what you need. Please feel free to throw out sentences, sections, or the whole thing. Good luck (as they say in the world!) with your project!

Musings on Chronic Pain

Our HMO defines chronic pain as pain lasting six months or more. The problem with defining pain in timelines is that in the beginning it is not chronic, and one cannot be certain how long it will last, or for that matter, if it will last. The hope of everyone who works in or endures pain is always is that it will subside. My journey with pain has been a lengthy one, beginning with a severely ruptured disk between vertebrae 4-5 when I was only 31 years old. In 1969 back surgery was still pretty primitive, and a lot of nerve and muscle damage was done. (I jokingly tell people I think the surgeon used a meat cleaver for the incision!) The pain faded a little so I went on with a fairly normal life, mainly by sheer determination. A second surgery to fuse the same area was performed three years later, and instead of helping stabilize the spine and lessen pain, it exacerbated the problem. A subsequent series of tomograms (there were not yet CT scans-Computerized Tomograms). This procedure took six hours, and showed the fusion had developed a “false joint” and simply destroyed more muscle and nerve tissue. The pain cycle now became a permanent part of my life and has controlled much of my personality, and curtailed much of my physical activity. The doctors said I could now receive disability Social Security and never work again! What an offer to a young ambitious faith driven man who has a conscience! To date I have endured seven spine surgeries, including abdominal placement of a morphine pump. For forty three of my seventy four years, pain has been my constant companion in an unpredictable ebb and flow patter Living Life When the pain problem first appeared I had a wife and three children and had just graduated from college. We were already accepted by a mission board for service in the jungles of Borneo, Indonesia. This was to be a life commitment, but when the second surgery became necessary we had to abandon that work, leaving Borneo after less than three years. I was bewildered to put it mildly. We had been called by God and had a sincere desire to serve Him there. For four months I lay in pain, also suffering from malaria in that tropical climate. I had a lot of time to reflect on my then short life, and also what lay ahead. Keep in mind that at this point I didn’t know my pain was “chronic,” assuming a second surgery would fix things. I still had a growing family to support (child #4 was born a month after we returned), and there was no way to quit. I think it was then I decided that knowing that God is good; my plan would be to try my best with what I had, and not engage in self-pity. I have learned that in any situation—pain, relationships, ill treatment, – self-pity is an enemy to be avoided. Most people don’t really care since they are not affected, and nobody wants to hear a whiner. After we came back for the second surgery and severe pain persisted, I knew crippling pain would always be part of me. Like it or not, it would be there, and how I react to it is up to me. As a Christian, I realize it doesn’t sound very spiritual to confess than I have mainly coped with pain by gritting my teeth and doing my best with the body I have left. Of course I pray often, and sometimes complain to God, but nothing shocks Him. I wish I could say that after a prayer time I feel pain relief, but that is not the case. Depending on how long I pray, and my body position, it sometimes makes pain worse, not better. Strangely, praying too much about my pain sometimes focuses my thoughts not on God, but on “poor me,” also adding to the problem! Just as He said, our focus is to be on others and how we can help their situations. Emotional Focus Psychologists use the term “emotional focus” to show us how we tend to gravitate toward that upon which we focus our thoughts. An example would be a son who says, “I will never be like my father!” Often that is exactly what he becomes-just like his father. I try to avoid a lot of thinking and talking about my pain for that very reason. I have avoided joining support groups and such, since I see nothing to be gained by sitting around commiserating with other sufferers. Sitting is my most painful position for more than a few minutes. My church friends no longer stare when I sit for ten minutes, stand in the back for ten minutes, then walk or go to my car. Unfortunately, well-meaning friends constantly remind me of the awful pain. My identity has become “the guy with the bad back,” and that is often the first topic of conversation when I meet someone who knows my history. I want so badly to have good news to report to friends, but the aging process and accompanying arthritis only add to the pain problem. For me at least, my best defense against severe chronic pain is to drive on and don’t stop to dwell on it. Others might need to talk it out, but I don’t. I am advised to dwell on “whatever is pure, whatever is true, whatever is of good report—think on these things, and the peace of God that transcends human understanding will keep your hearts and minds—.” Unfortunately, serious pain always returns to interrupt that peace. One of the really unfortunate effects of severe pain is its ability to take control of one’s creativity. Physical limitations are not fun, but they can be handled in several ways. Many people have found creative methods of transportation, reaching for objects, driving, etc. The human spirit is truly indomitable, and physically challenged people have accomplished remarkable feats. Chronic pain is much more cruel because it robs you of your thinking processes, distorts your plans, and even at times makes your statements to others offensive when your intent was not so. Things like studying or calculating, or simply reading a novel or newspaper become difficult chores when pain is raging. Sometimes drugs to lessen the pain also muddle the brain, exacerbating the difficulty. In my situation I start an admirable activity such as Bible study or budget planning. With my usual resolve and drive, I tackle the chore, planning to disregard the knife stabs at L-2 vertebra or the ever present muscle spasms. A few minutes into my activity, pain whispers, “Hey, remember me? I ain’t going away, you know.” I plow on. Next, pain screams louder, “Hey, I’m talking to you!” Soon, I am not contemplating David tending his sheep as I might have years ago, but how severe my pain has become and where to find some respite. It is sad for a person who loves to study and think! Thank God for Drugs For several years I was able to “work through” the pain without help from drugs. I started a business, put all my kids through private schools and college for those who wanted to, and generally lived a normal life, even with often severe pain as my companion. Except for my dear wife and a few close friends, nobody knew what I endured sitting for hours in business meetings or board meetings for the non-profit ministry to which I belonged. A few hours restful sleep would refresh and rebuild, and dogged determination served me well. However, except for wine and cheese, nothing improves with age. Most aging folks discover those injuries that were “healed” years ago weren’t healed at all, but were just waiting for old age when they would reintroduce themselves in the form of osteoarthritis. Arthritis has now affected my entire spine as well as both knees and other joints. Most people suffer this awful disease where their bodies have had trauma, often many years earlier. Fortunately, some effective pain relieving drugs have been developed, albeit with varying side effects for some. For severe pain, good narcotic drugs have appeared and until recently, have been available for chronic pain sufferers. They have been called “painkillers,” a misnomer for most sufferers. They relieve enough severe pain so one can function better and keep one’s mind off the pain. They have been a real godsend –until recently. Until Recently Two forces have emerged which have made opioid (narcotic) drugs extremely difficult to obtain, even from sympathetic doctors and pain specialists. This is unfortunate for all concerned, and since I am prejudiced and involved, I might not have clear thinking on these two subjects. The first force has been around for quite some time, and has not been too damaging until recently. I am referring to the misinformation we see constantly in the print and electronic media about the “highly addictive” powers of morphine, oxycodone and others. I have followed the testing at major medical centers and have read many articles in the journals that show the opposite is true where real pain is involved. Personally, I have been on extreme doses of nearly all the so-called “painkillers,” and have found them to have awful side effects, but I have had no tendency toward addiction. But they do diminish pain, and one learns to depend on them for help. Most of my medical teams distinguish between dependency and addiction. Dependency is a reality, addiction is a myth. Because of the side effects (letdown and depression, edema, constipation) I wonder why anyone would want to take any more than necessary for pain relief. Except for possibly a few days at the beginning, I have never experienced euphoria or any “upper” feeling from narcotic drugs. When used for pain control as they are intended, they are marvelous. The pain and the drug tend to cancel one another. I have seen tests showing that less than .04 % of the population could become addicted to oxycontin, yet it always appears with “highly addictive” as preceding adjectives. This force, although a “bad rap,” has not been too damaging. The second and more damaging force making narcotics difficult to obtain, especially in Washington State where I live, is our government’s War on Drugs. A few greedy doctors and “pain clinics” in south Florida and elsewhere have found drug peddling quite profitable. Some clinics have been shut down, and woefully few doctors have been penalized. However, both federal and state governments always seem to move with knee jerk reactions to any crisis, real or perceived. We are losing the War on Drugs worldwide, and since authorities cannot stem the tide of drug crime or enforce drug laws already in place, they pass new legislation which is easy to enforce. I call these “laws on the victims of pain.” As I sit to write this, my pain medication has been reduced to my doctor’s “legal level” to prescribe, and I must write in 10 minute shifts or less, lying down for half hour shifts. My chronic pain is not at levels it has been in the past and I know by experience I can tolerate more than many in pain, but my heart aches for those who cannot get adequate relief due to politics in medicine. I am also sensitive to the quandary of doctors who cannot use tools of their trade without fearing reprisals. There, I’ve said my political piece and now perhaps the muscle spasms will subside! Our Missionary “Adventure” Many times in my prayers or my “self-talk” I asked God, “Why?” “Why me?” “Why now?” We had sold our 20 acre ranchette and headed to Bible College after less than a year after becoming believers. At age 30 I was at the top of my class in grades. We had spent over 20K on our equipment and travel expenses to get there we had around 45 churches, families, even kids mowing lawns to keep us there. I had worked diligently in language study and learning the culture of the Dyak tribes, and had even preached my first rudimentary sermon in their language in less than 3 months after our arrival. The people loved us and our fair-haired children. Jeri was the perfect young, pretty missionary wife. We were perfect and I thought God would surely recognize all these things. Oh yes, I also was in a lot of unrelenting pain and couldn’t sleep due to the heat! Had I left anything out? I asked Him over and over, expecting to hear something encouraging. What did I hear? Silence. Nothing. In fact to this day I have heard nothing from God. I have had to walk by faith! However I did get some answers from my self-talk. For instance, when I cried out, “Where are you God?” My alter ego told me He was in exactly the same place He was nearly 2,000 years ago when He watched His Son writhe in pain and cry out to His Father for help. He was silent then and He was silent now. I learned that my physical pain probably did not exceed the pain of thorns, nails, rejection, and desertion by God the Father, not to mention shouldering the sin burden of the whole world! I learned in that awful experience that I was now totally helpless and that if my family and I were to be cared for, it would not be I who did it. In short I learned to trust and obey, the only two requirements for man since Creation! In my travels and my reading, I find that my experiences with chronic pain are not uncommon. I often think my “normal” pain level must be greater than most, but in all honesty I doubt it. I do find that generally speaking, people of faith tend to handle life’s vicissitudes better, including savage pain. That seems to be true also about those with good marriages and other familial relationships. I also know I am a better counselor to others who suffer than I might have become without the experience. “Blessed be the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles (read pain!) so we can also comfort others—“2 Corinthians1:2. “Misery loves company” is not a Bible proverb, but perhaps should have been! One final thought. I can’t imagine how non faith people cope with pain’s unrelenting persistence. Here is another thought for your consideration. Attitude To help cope with pain I have another “help” which if nothing else, improves my overall perspective on the pain issue. It might ease pain too, and never hurts anything. I am referring to attitude. Attitude always makes a difference in every area of life, and sometimes a huge difference. I try to be thankful and grateful for all the good things in my life, and they are many if I am honest. If the “good” things and “bad” things were placed on a balance scale, what a lopsided scale I would see! We all know enough to look around and observe all the unfortunate people who are worse off than we are in order to gain and keep perspective, but I am not thinking of that strategy. I am thinking about an attitude of gratitude we should feel for our Creator. The phrase is not mine, but gratitude certainly is! When I have trouble sleeping because of pain, and the MP3 music through my headphones don’t solve the problem, I like to list for God (as if He doesn’t know!), and thank Him for, all the blessings in my life. As I write this we are in California, staying with our youngest daughter and her beautiful family of four. Little League season is in full swing. Need I elaborate? My mind goes from one subject to another as I start listing and thanking! A beautiful wife of 50 years, four children, all Believers. Most of the grandkids love the Lord, and I pray all twelve will before I die. We haven’t missed a meal yet in this lifetime, although skipping a few wouldn’t hurt us! Having traveled and lived in third world countries, I see how very wealthy we are. I could go on and on as I sit here looking out on the forests of redwood trees that were already growing when Christ was born! My point is when I really start listing all the good things and thanking God, I sometimes get so emotional and jubilant I can’t get to sleep! How’s that for problem solving? When “poor me” starts thinking about the things I can’t do, I try to recall all I can do! All those Bible verses I had to learn in Bible college come flooding back at just the right time they are needed, and the next blessing comes naturally. Meditating on God’s Word is a blessing to trump all the others! I need to stop thinking and listing now, because the list is indeed endless! If you use this, you will need to polish it up. It’s late and I just “scribbled” it! Fortuna Angels won again today. 15-1, and in 1st place! Our kids attend Fortuna Calvary Chapel, and we enjoy it too. Straight Bible stuff. This area is so isolated it is almost like being in a time warp—back to the 50’s and 60’s. Blessings, Bob Hi Bob I knew your portion would be a significant part of my paper. And you have not disappointed at all. It has the honesty and encouragement our long term chronic pain sufferers will be encouraged by. I also have included the section on Christian experience as I believe it is a representative of the reality and hope both believers and non-believers need to know. How can me ever thank you enough for all you have done. (Well maybe dinner out with both you and Jerri and Jeane as my guests of course). I will e-mail a copy of the next draft before I once again submit it as a second draft. Your participation with me in taking the time to provide this information has been a real encouragement to me as I almost felt like giving it all up. Will now forge ahead. You are a true Friend and support I couldn’t have come this close to finishing it without the help of both you and Jerri’s. Thanks again, G

 

 

Posted on April 15, 2012

If you haven’t been thrown in a well lately, then you’re having a pretty good day!

Acts 9:36-41
In the city of Joppa there was a woman named Dorcas (“Gazelle”), a believer who was always doing kind things for others, especially for the poor. About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial and laid her in an upstairs room. But when they learned that Peter was nearby at Lydda, they sent two men to beg him to return with them to Joppa. This he did; as soon as he arrived, they took him upstairs where Dorcas lay. The room was filled with weeping widows who were showing one another the coats and other garments Dorcas had made for them. But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Dorcas,” and she opened her eyes! And when she saw Peter, she sat up! He gave her his hand and helped her up and called in the believers and widows, presenting her to them.
As Christians we are to do good….and the scope of that is endless. One of my favorite ways to study and learn the Bible is doing a word or phrase study. “Doing good” or “do good” is mentioned 34 times in the NIV version of the Bible. It amazes me that there are so many different types of ministries and so many ways Christians can be “doing good.”
It is easy to think of any ministry in the church is done by those upfront….those preaching, singing, teaching, etc.
But these verses talk only about “doing good.”
So let’s read some of the verses I found that have “do good” in them.
Acts 26:19-21
“And so, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven! I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and through Judea, and also to the Gentiles that all must forsake their sins and turn to God-and prove their repentance by doing good deeds.

Galatians 6:9-10

And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up. That’s why whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers. Ephesians 2:4-10

But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead-only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved- and lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms-all because of what Christ Jesus did. And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for us through Jesus Christ.
Because of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Tell those who are rich not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone, but their pride and trust should be in the living God who always richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven-it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well.
Hebrews 13:7
“Remember your leaders who have taught you the Word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and try to trust the Lord as they do.”
Hebrews 13:15-16
With Jesus’ help we will continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of his name. Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to him
1 Peter 3:8-17
And now this word to all of you: You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t snap back at those who say unkind things about you. Instead, pray for God’s help for them, for we are to be kind to others, and God will bless us for it.
If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it! For the Lord is watching his children, listening to their prayers; but the Lord’s face is hard against those who do evil.
Usually no one will hurt you for wanting to do good. But even if they should, you are to be envied, for God will reward you for it. Quietly trust yourself to Christ your Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way.
Do what is right; then if men speak against you, calling you evil names, they will become ashamed of themselves for falsely accusing you when you have only done what is good. Remember, if God wants you to suffer, it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong!
1 Peter 4:19
So if you are suffering according to God’s will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.

Of course we have to make the distinction between “doing good” and “being good.” These verses in Romans 4 clarify it for us:
Romans 4:1-81
Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith? Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, then he would have something to boast about. But from God’s point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride. For the Scriptures tell us Abraham believed God, and that is why God canceled his sins and declared him “not guilty.”
But didn’t he earn his right to heaven by all the good things he did? No, for being saved is a gift; if a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn’t be free-but it is! It is given to those who do not work for it. For God declares sinners to be good in his sight if they have faith in Christ to save them from God’s wrath.
King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared “not guilty” by God. “Blessed and to be envied,” he said, “are those whose sins are forgiven and put out of sight. Yes, what joy there is for anyone whose sins are no longer counted against him by the Lord.”
There it is….”being good” is something God does for us when we accept Jesus as our Savior and He forgives our sins. “Doing good” is what we as Christians are able to do for God with help from Him. He wants to not only be my friend, He also wants to work together with me to do good to others, especially those in the family of God.
So really, these verses tell us that the only job God has given us down here is to do good. And we can rest in that for God has told us in
Matthew 11:28-29:
“Come to me and I will give you rest-all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke-for it fits perfectly-and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.” TLB
Dorcas could sew. She had enough money, probably, to buy material. If not, that was someone else’s “doing good,” buying material for her.
Most of us would put this down as a small ministry. But look what those widows were doing…they were crying and reminding one another of the “great” things Dorcas had done for the poor. God thought her ministry was important enough to not only have it recorded here for us, but to even raise her from the dead so she could continue her “small” ministry.
I don’t think any ministry is small in God’s sight. I think that the “doing good” ministries among us are as varied as people themselves and are as plentiful as the earth is of vegetation.
As Max Lucado says in his book, Cure for the Common Life, “God custom designed you for a one-of-a-kind assignment.” His book gives lots of insights and methods for finding your “sweet spot.”
Most of us have heard of the Dorcas Ministry this church has. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of churches who have used that name for the group of ladies who get together to “do good.”
Our Dorcas group here is very busy sewing. In 2011 they gave out: 56 large quilts, 52 lap robes, 28 baby quilts, 2 wall hangings, 6 pillow cases, 1 youth blanket, 2 scarfs, and 7 caps. And all that is done with around 12 ladies. Who get together once a week for most of the day and then many of them take work home to do. These numbers always impress me so I’m impressed…….
When I first looked up all these “doing good” verses I thought it would be fun to write an article, “101 Ministries.” But alas and alack I couldn’t find that many….so I thought all of you might help me get to that number by recognizing all the ministries we see around us every day.
1. Call on shut ins and those who are ill….take food stuffs, or just stop by to talk….but don’t stay too long.. 
Take food or just stop by talk, even a phone call would be good. I think I’ll embarrass Rose now….do you know what Rose does? She mails the church bulletin to shut-ins and those who miss the service for one reason or another…and she buys the stamps herself! Small ministry? I don’t think so. She is being kind and doing good.
2. Invite others to your home for dinner, lunch, dessert, breakfast, brunch…. share testimonies…. invite the unsaved also.
This one has a special place in my heart. This verse reminds of a time when a Christian friend went out of her way to “do good” to me. We were young, just finished Bible School, and on our way to the mission field. Bob worked in a factory and as often as possible we held meetings in churches to let others know our dream of serving on the mission field and give them an opportunity to support us. We were pretty broke, too. We were living in Cincinnati, Ohio. We had met some pretty wonderful Christians there, Ed and Betty Gudberlet, who had two children. One lovely daughter about the same age as our daughter Bonnie and they also had another baby who, although in an 8 year-old body her brain was still the same as an infant. Their baby girl was in her own room and all of them cared for her and loved her. I had told my new friend that my Mother was coming to visit and I didn’t think she was a Christian. So this wonderful busy mom and wife called me a few days later to invite both my mother and me to lunch at her home. What a nice thing….but then, there was something even nicer which I wasn’t expecting at all.
When my Mother and I arrived there were four or five other ladies there for lunch. It was a delightful lunch and visit…then, when we were mostly through eating the conversation turned to spiritual matters and each one of those ladies gave their own testimony of how they had become Christians and what God was doing in their lives at present.
I realized later that this whole lunch was planned to present the gospel to my mother. I was humbled and amazed that these women would take the time and energy to do this for me and for my mother. When we left my mother told me how much she had enjoyed that lunch. I was speechless and amazed at what those ladies had done for us. Yes, my mother’s faith grew in the years after that, something for which I will always be grateful to God. These ladies truly did “do good” for the “family of God.” Was there anywhere this ministry was praised and the ladies stood so others could give them applause? No, there reward was waiting for them where moth and rust can’t destroy (Matthew 6:20).
Of course, it is more common these days to go out to eat, but a ministry such as this one can easily be done anywhere.
The fellowship over a Sunday meal just doesn’t happen as much now as it used to happen. I’m sure a lot of you remember when Sunday after church was the time for company. Our kids and grandkids have been here a lot on Sundays, but usually not others. I think the times have changed for all of us and now it is the Sunday meal out with friends is a lot more common. Fellowship over a meal is just a fun relaxing way to encourage one another.
Shortly after Bob and I moved to San Jose we attended a new church. We attended a Sunday school class and were welcomed with open arms and hearts. We were even invited to a Sunday meal, and that was even after we explained there were three kids who followed us around. We had a lovely time and they had lots food already prepared. It was several months later that we learned that Sunday school class we had attended had an “invite the new people to lunch” practice. Each couple signed up and took turns to have a meal ready for the “visitors” who showed up for class. So anyone who showed up in class for the first time was invited to lunch. If there wasn’t a new couple to invite they would invite anyone else in church they wanted to get to know. What a great idea! ….A chance to get to know more about the church and for those members to find out more about the visitors.
Our Freedom Years ministry is now meeting after church once a month for a meal together, besides the monthly pot luck. Frankly, I don’t believe in pot or luck…it should be called “kettle chance.” 
A meal out with one or two is still a great way to help and encourage one another. Either way, home or out, many or one, it is still fun and a blessing to boot!
3. Help at the rescue mission…stuffing envelopes, cleaning, etc… Even help with services.
The Bible passage mentions that Dorcas helped the poor also. There are a lot of ministries for helping and “doing good.”
One of the most rewarding times happened while Bob was teaching a college/career class at our church. He took the whole group to the local rescue mission to lead singing and give testimonies. This made quite an impression on these young people and after a few times of this that group took over the ministry and made it their own. Once a month they went to the rescue mission to help and were blessed themselves!
One of the most rewarding ministries ever is to introduce people to a ministry and have them catch the vision.
If you would rather help in the back ground remember a lot of these organizations need godly people on the board to help guide the ministry. Bob served on the Board for Cityteam Ministries for over ten years when we lived in San Jose. It was a time of growth and expansion for that ministry and Bob loved being a part of it.
4. Teach a Bible study in a neighborhood or in a nursing home. Teach one on one or teach a kids Bible class (am, pm, Sat., Sun, once a month, etc.)
There are so many places one can “do good” by teaching. Sunday school, nursery through adult in you church is one place to start. Child Evangelism is always looking for more places to have Bible lessons. Released Time in public schools is a great place to help.
But there are so many more: such as in home Bible studies and one on one Bible studies and working place lunch hour Bible studies. There’s no excuse for not leading a Bible study somewhere if that is the ministry God has laid on your heart. Summer time out doors with young moms while the kids play, well, winter too because you could study indoors while kids play.
Some of you might not be aware that when this Bible study stops for the summer, not everyone stops for the summer. There is a group of ladies who still meet, in a fun place, for fellowship and to encourage one another.
Not a teacher? Afraid? Hey, the work’s been done for you in Stonecroft Bible studies (Stonecroft. Org). Anyone can order study materials from the headquarters in Kansas City Mo and anyone can “lead” the study. They call the teacher a “guide” because you don’t have to know the Bible yourself to teach, just read the materials and discuss the answers. And, as stated before, one on one studies are the answer for the shy or the reluctant. And besides all that….those Bible studies have a beginning and an end….anywhere from four weeks or up to twelve weeks!
You can always be a teacher’s helper, too. Open your home for a study and supply the coffee! Or, babysit so some moms can study. God is always faithful to show you a place you can serve if your heart is open.
5. Make baby blankets for the crisis pregnancy centers and church members.
You can join our Dorcas group but you can always work on your own, also. Crochet/knit baby blankets to give to the local Crises Pregnancy Clinics. I’ve done this a couple of times. I asked if blankets were something they needed and met with an enthusiastic, “Yes!” I crocheted a few while watching TV.
I have thought it is a nice gift to give young couples who attend our church, also. Maybe even make throws or blankets for couples getting married.
6. Participate in Street Evangelism or door to door evangelism.
Does this scare you…yep, it does me! Maybe it doesn’t scare all of us.
Last year I was in Arcata, California with my daughter, Susie, and a few of her friends. It was a Friday night in the main square and the city was celebrating “Art in the Park.” There was music and dancing and vendors and most of the stores were still open. There were a lot of make shift signs such as “Tax the Rich and Stop the War.”
But on one corner there was a lone man passing out small booklets of the gospel of John from the Bible. He didn’t have a crowd around him and most people were ignoring him. But there he was, just calmly passing out Bible booklets to anyone who would take them. I thought of the verse in Luke 6:27…… “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”
He certainly wasn’t popular passing out those booklets, but he was faithful “doing good” as he felt God wanted him to do. This is a good ministry and certainly not for the faint hearted. One of Susie’s friends took a booklet explaining she wanted to encourage him that what he was doing was a good thing. Another didn’t want to take a booklet so he would have plenty to give out. I simply said to him, “hey, great book! You’re doing a good job!” Actually I thought later that what I should have done was to give him money so he could buy more booklets.
Have you seen other believers doing good in a way that might cause them harm? Perhaps even be called out to defend his or her beliefs on a public platform?
These types of ministries take a lot of guts. My deepest admiration to those who serve in this way.
7. Call on visitors who show up at church or in your Bible study. How many of you know Leland from our church….and how many of you know what is his ministry? Actually, he has two. He not only greets people coming to church, but he calls on new visitors. He called on us when we first showed up here……we were very impressed. He is a truly nice man who knows how to “do good.”
Skip down to *10…..

10. Collect food for the poor. Did you know that there are some wonderfully dependable people right here at this church who distribute food to the poor once a month? Last month they provided enough food to feed 140 families, or 490 people. Small ministry? I don’t think so. Dorcas and her friends wouldn’t think so.

Skip to #19…………

19. Put reading material together for nursing homes and waiting rooms. If you subscribe to a Christian magazine you can get a lot of miles out of it by leaving it in waiting rooms and/or leaving it in a nursing home. You could always mail it to a shut in or give to your own family members.
I have a friend in Medford, Oregon, who told me about a ministry a lady in her church has. This lady picks a new book to read every year…she reads it and puts notes in it…..and then, at the end of the year, for Christmas….she gives the book to someone in her church…someone God has laid on her heart to receive her precious gift.

9. Provide meals to the bereaved and ill
10. Collect food for the poor.
11. Join a helps group at church (quilting, secret pals, etc.)
12. Meals for people going through crises…new baby, or death of a loved one, even just moving
13. Help with a prison ministry…visiting, or just mailing Christian literature to inmates
14. Occasional babysitting and/or elderly sitting
15. Supply Christian literature to rescue missions, pregnancy centers, church, waiting rooms, laundry centers, etc.
16. Put up literature on public bulletin boards advertising church ministries, local Bible studies, etc.
17. Work with Child Evangelism Ministries.
18. Write out John 3:16 on 3×5 cards decorate with stickers leave everywhere you go.
19. Put reading material together for nursing homes and waiting rooms. If you subscribe to a Christian magazine you can get a lot of miles out of it by leaving it in waiting rooms and taking to a nursing home. You could always mail it to a shut in or give to your own family members….Be sure to remove your name and address.
20. Find a list of names of military service personnel from your church, city or area and mail encouragement letters, cookies, Bibles, Christian books, and Christian booklets.
21. Samaritans Purse is a wonderful ministry. Start on filling your shoebox for Christmas now and maybe even do several. It a marvelous way to help the poor and the needy.
22. Send cards, Bibles, books, etc., to kids in college from our church or your own neighborhood. Send some to those in public office and to businesses when you
send in payments.
23. Send subscriptions of Christian books and magazines to people from church or
other places.
24. Prepare two or three Bible stories for children…..use them when babysitting or
25. Set up a web page with links to Christian ministries (use Bible verses)
26. Send encouraging notes and Bible verses by email to those in ministry.
27. Teach John 3:16 to every child you meet and reward them with a sucker.
28. Set up a prayer chain on line or by phone.
29. Have a Bible study at work, during lunch or after work.
30. Pray for those in the news.
31. Help in the church library.
32. Join Moms in Touch and pray for kids and teachers, or start your own group involving other moms from school, friends, and neighbors.
33. Start a craft group to make gifts for others…invite people from all walks of life and witness to them
34. Do you see a need for ministry…pray one starts up…or, maybe start it yourself.
35. Witness to the waitress when you dine out. Print up you testimony and leave it with the tip, or leave a salvation tract.
36-101….you add… 

Now really, I didn’t present all this so you could help me write an article…except that would be a nice side benefit. No, the reason I think it is important that we know some of these things is that people need encouragement, and we can give it to one another. I don’t think that we need a ceremony and awards given out….that would just be egos on display. We need to pray for each other and know how we can help one another….last week Pat talked about how she saw the body of Christ working together to serve her brother-in-law, Mark, and what a blessing that was to behold. I love watching the family of God working together and I think so does God.

Look at Acts 9:41 again….
“He (Peter) gave her his hand and helped her up and called in the believers and widows, presenting her to them.”….Peter gave Dorcas back to them…He “presented” her to them. She was God’s gift to them…His “present”…..not her work….she, herself. You are God’s present to others!
So, keep up the good work!!!! You are all working together with Him!
Ephesians 4:11-13 says….” It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
One last thought: “Doing good,” will help you to not to ever become bored also!
Hebrews 6:7-12
When a farmer’s land has had many showers upon it and good crops
come up, that land has experienced God’s blessing upon it. But if it keeps on having crops of thistles and thorns, the land is considered no good and is ready for condemnation and burning off. Dear friends, even though I am talking like this I really don’t believe that what I am saying applies to you. I am confident you are producing the good fruit that comes along with your salvation. For God is not unfair. How can he forget your hard work for him, or forget the way you used to show your love for him-and still do-by helping his children? And we are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, so that you will get your full reward.
Then, knowing what lies ahead for you, you won’t become bored with being a Christian nor become spiritually dull and indifferent, but you will be anxious to follow the example of those who receive all that God has promised them because of their strong faith and patience. TL
Verses for meditation:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 2 Peter 1:2-9 (from New International Version. Compare with The Living Bible)

 

Posted on   March 30, 2012

If you haven’t been thrown into a well lately then you’re having a pretty good day!

The following is a story about Jeremiah. Maybe you’ve read it before or maybe you heard it as a child in Sunday school. Or, if you’ve never heard it before, here it is. It is pretty straight forward and easy enough to read with the help of The Living Bible.

Jeremiah 37:11-38:13

When the Babylonian army set out from Jerusalem to engage Pharaoh’s army in battle, Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the land of Benjamin, to see the property he had bought.

But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him as a traitor, claiming he was defecting to the Babylonians. The guard making the arrest was Irijah (son of Shelemiah, grandson of Hananiah).

“That’s not true,” Jeremiah said. “I have no intention whatever of doing any such thing!”

But Irijah wouldn’t listen; he took Jeremiah before the city officials. They were incensed with Jeremiah and had him flogged and put into the dungeon under the house of Jonathan the scribe, which had been converted into a prison. Jeremiah was kept there for several days, but eventually King Zedekiah sent for him to come to the palace secretly. The king asked him if there was any recent message from the Lord. “Yes,” said Jeremiah, “there is! You shall be defeated by the king of Babylon!”

Then Jeremiah broached the subject of his imprisonment. “What have I ever done to deserve this?” he asked the king. “What crime have I committed? Tell me what I have done against you or your officials or the people? Where are those prophets now who told you that the king of Babylon would not come? Listen, O my lord the king: I beg you, don’t send me back to that dungeon, for I’ll die there.”

Then King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah not be returned to the dungeon but be placed in the palace prison instead, and that he be given a small loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was kept in the palace prison.

But when Shephatiah (son of Mattan) and Gedaliah (son of Pashhur) and Jucal (son of Shelemiah) and Pashhur (son of Malchiah) heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people- that everyone remaining in Jerusalem would die by sword, starvation, or disease, but anyone surrendering to the Babylonians would live, and that the city of Jerusalem would surely be captured by the king of Babylon- they went to the king and said: “Sir, this fellow must die. That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few soldiers we have left and of all the people too. This man is a traitor.”

So King Zedekiah agreed. “All right,” he said. “Do as you like-I can’t stop you.”

They took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. (It belonged to Malchiah, a member of the royal family.) There was no water in it, but there was a thick layer of mire at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.

When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important palace official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern, he rushed out to the Gate of Benjamin where the king was holding court.

“My lord the king,” he said, “these men has done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah into the cistern. He will die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone.”

Then the king commanded Ebed-melech to take thirty men with him and pull Jeremiah out before he died. So Ebed-melech took thirty men and went to a palace depot for discarded supplies where used clothing was kept. There he found some old rags and discarded garments which he took to the cistern and lowered to Jeremiah on a rope. Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, “Use these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.” Then, when Jeremiah was ready, they pulled him out and returned him to the palace prison, where he remained.

Now after reading that simple story let’s insert a section from Lamentations (which was also written by Jeremiah) in the middle of the story………….picking up at Jeremiah 38:6-

They took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. (It belonged to Malchiah, a member of the royal family.) There was no water in it, but there was a thick layer of mire at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.

My enemies, whom I have never harmed, chased me as though I were a bird. They threw me in a well and capped it with a rock. The water flowed above my head. I thought, this is the end! But I called upon your name, O Lord, from deep within the well, and you heard me! You listened to my pleading; you heard my weeping! Yes, you came at my despairing cry and told me not to fear. Lam 3:52-57

and back to Jeremiah 38:7:

When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important palace official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern, he rushed out to the Gate of Benjamin where the king was holding court. “My lord the king,” he said, “these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah into the cistern. He will die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone.”

I have a tendency to read a story like this and forget that the one writing (which was Jeremiah) could not, at that time, just skip ahead and see the ending. I read right on through and forget that there is an element of time. When he was thrown into the well he didn’t know he would get rescued. We don’t know the time span between when Ebed-melech discovered where Jeremiah was and/or the time it took him to find the King. All Jeremiah knew at that moment was that he could just die right then and there and it wouldn’t be a pleasant death (of course, what is?) He could only either look at the slime around him and the mud below (while he was sinking) or he could look up and plead his case to God.

Sometimes, that’s the only thing I can do in a situation. I see no great rescue or escape from my difficult circumstances. Looking up and pleading with God is the only thing I can do….things look pretty slimy all around me and I am sinking besides!

How wonderful that Jeremiah also records in Lamentations what our reaction should be:

Yet there is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day. My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him. It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:21-26

As I think about this, I am reminded of so many of God’s people who, at the minute they were sinking, could not see ahead to a “happy ever after” conclusion. Did Joseph know he would eventually get out of jail? Did Paul think he would be blind forever?

God’s answer to our depression, our anxiety, and our fear is always the same. Just exactly what Jeremiah wrote: My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him ………It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

POSTSCRIPT………………

It should be noted how very kind Ebed-Melech was to Jeremiah. Jeremiah was old and there was a famine in the land. So the fact that Ebed-Melech provided a cushion for the rope *(“Use these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes”), which might have hurt the old, frail man, is a beautiful story of true compassion.” A true lesson to me how I need to be kind and compassionate when helping another out of the mud, mire, and slime.

* ROPE: As used in the Old Testament the word for rope could be chebhel, (“that which binds” as in 2 Sam 17:13) or `abhoth, “that which is interpreted as woven” (as in Judges 15:13) In neither word is there any specified thickness or strength connoted, and chebhel is translated equally well by “line” (2 Sam 8:2) or “cord” (Joshua 2:15), and `abhoth by “cord” (Ps 118:27 ) Either word can be used as best suits the context.

(from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft)

 

 

Posted on February 14, 2012

“When I come, although I can’t do much to help your faith, for it is strong already, I want to be able to do something about your joy: I want to make you happy, not sad.” 2 Corinthians 1:24 TLB

I have been thinking about this verse and a lot of thoughts have tumbled out.  I think sometimes other Christians expect fellow Christians to always be happy and joyful all the time, no matter what.  They say (sometimes by not saying) if your faith is strong than you should be happy and joyful every moment too!

Of course, I am realizing that it is sometimes my own self who expects me to be jolly and happy at all times, but I do “feel” pressure from others to be happy no matter what. I feel others say that if I am not happy then there must be something wrong with my faith.

Oh, so so not true!

Was Job “happy.” I think not. Were those Corinthian believers “happy” about the position they were in after Paul drew their attention to it?  A lot of the people listed in Hebrews 11 were not very happy. But in every situation each person had a strong faith.

Here’s to all those who have great faith but are not “happy.” Here’s to all those who are honest with their feelings. Here’s to all those who speak truth to others. And here’s to all those who believe there is a better day coming.

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ mightily bless each one of you and give you peace. 2 Corinthians 1:2 TLB

 

Posted on January 4, 2012

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.  Ephesians 6:13-18

Talk about shaky legs!  They were really, literally, shaking the first time I prayed out loud in a prayer meeting.  Even my voice was shaking!  The pastor told me later he didn’t think I was going to make it.  I think he was worried he would have to pick me up off the floor.  But, with God’s help, I did finish the prayer.  Both sentences.  On my own and without fainting.

Why was it so traumatic for me?  I’m not sure.  Perhaps, because I was such a new Christian.  Perhaps, because I had never thought of prayer as a team sport.  Perhaps, because the first time I ever attended a prayer meeting, a few months prior, I wasn’t even a Christian, and therefore had not known what to expect.  So, the fact that I thought the people attending had to be crazy, and that there was no way I would ever, EVER, attend another one, might have had something to do with my anxiety when I did return.

My only reason I had for returning was the prayer I had prayed in solitude.  I had asked Jesus to come into my life.  I had been listening to a preacher tell me I needed to do that for six months.  That morning I read some little booklets which only repeated the preachers sermons.  I finally became convinced, that in order to get to Heaven some day, I would have to ask Jesus to take over my life.  Jesus made in very clear for He, Himself, had said (in John 14:6), “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man comes unto the Father except through me.”  So, looking out the window, I asked Him in to my life.  I didn’t shake or tremble.  I just went on with the morning.  Knowing, in my heart, that I had forever ended the question about where I would spend eternity.

There were other prayer meetings after those first two.  And, I did learn to pray out loud without shaking.  It can be done.  The more familiar I became with prayer, the easier it was, and, the more I did it without thinking.  It got to be second nature.

Then, one day, I started thinking.  My prayer life wasn’t really very fulfilling.  I had questions about why we pray when God knows all, anyway.  I had questions about how often and how much I should pray.  And, questions about what I should pray.  So, I started investigating.  I looked up every reference about prayer in the Bible I could find.  And, I even read several books about the subject.  My favorite was Herbert Lockyear’s book, All

the Prayers of the Bible.

I, also, started meditating on what I knew about prayer.  And that caused me to remember an incident from my childhood. I must have been around ten years old.  And, boy, did I want a bicycle!  It was the most important thing in the world to me.  After all, every one of my friends had a bicycle (well, almost every one of them).  I was convinced I not only wanted one, I NEEDED one.   It was so important to me that after I had pursued normal avenues, which consisted mostly of begging parents to no avail, I decided to take drastic measures.  I would pray and ask God for a bicycle.  I felt it was only fair to give God about a week to answer.   He had a whole week, and He didn’t come through.  No bicycle.  So, I decided to use the most radical action I could imagine.  I prayed, “God, I really need a bicycle and if you don’t get me one then I’m just not going to believe in you anymore!”  There, it was out, my big threat.  I was sure that I had startled God so much that any moment I would find a bicycle standing in the driveway.  I was wrong.  I didn’t get a bicycle.  Birthdays and Christmases came and went and I was left cycleless;  however, I was not left faithless.  I just had too much fear of the Almighty and His power to really stop believing in Him.        Remembering that incident  was like a light bulb going off in my head.   I suddenly realized that I was still doing the same thing.  Oh, not making threats, but, praying for bicycles.  For myself, and for others.  Was God as concerned about bicycles as I

was?  I had to think it all through.  I really needed some answers.

I became very interested in the prayers of Paul in the New Testament.  His requests revealed a whole different angle to prayer.  The time he spent asking God for spiritual needs and blessings far exceeded any time spent pleading for material gain or even physical needs.  He didn’t seem too concerned with “bicycles.”

In Philippians Paul wrote, “and this is my prayer:  that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God” (1:9-11).  And in Ephesians his prayer is “that God may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparable great power for us who believe” (1:17-19).

In Romans Paul asks God to fill the believers with all hope (15:13) and in Colossians to fill them with knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and understanding so  they might have great endurance and patience (1:9-12).

These just weren’t the type of prayers which I had been

praying.

So, I began praying these same prayers for myself.  I prayed them for my relatives, my friends, and those in ministry around me.  Those prayers helped me to see things from God’s perspective.  And, eventually, most of my attitudes and opinions were changed.

I discovered that God is always after the heart condition.  The material and physical is secondary.  I saw this principal reinforced as I read about the people in the Bible and how God dealt with each individual in a very unique and different way.

As I studied, as I prayed for understanding, God showed me how unimportant “bicycle prayers” are, and how very important prayer is to help strengthen others in the faith.

In my garage today is a very beautiful, expensive, bicycle.  The prayer of a ten year old was answered, but not until a very loving God had taken the time to correct my wrong ideas about belief and prayer.  A God who cared enough about me that He wouldn’t be intimidated with threats.  A God Who had the time and patience to work with me for a long time until I could grasp what He really wanted to do in lives committed to Him.  And that is a lot more important than “bicycles.”

Posted on Dec. 20th, 2011

For those of you who didn’t receive a printed version, I am posting our Christmas letter. Please note the update on the bottom..

THE THOUGHT PROCESS FOR A CHRISTMAS LETTER

 

By a Befuddled and Procrastinating Brain

 

·   It’s November 1, time to start thinking about a Christmas letter to my friends. Maybe tomorrow I’ll think about it.

 

·   I think it has been a boring year.  I better check my calendar, later.

 

·   Such a great time at Kathy’s for Thanksgiving.  Have to work on my Christmas letter… soon.

 

·   Wow, look at that.  Guess it hasn’t been a boring year after all.  In January Ben was married to Cassie and then Bob had his full replacement knee operation.  I wonder if I should add that he was, and still is, in a lot of pain?  He has an appointment for x-rays and a consultation next month.  I could ask for prayer. I’ll decide that later.

 

·   I did speak a bit and sell a few books, but not sure I should add that.  Could sound prideful.  Maybe I should ask for prayer for whether to keep on speaking.  Don’t know, I guess I’ll mull that one over for a while.

 

·   Oh, look!  I had forgotten about our 50^th wedding anniversary party at Bonnie’s!  We had such a great time with friends.  I have a wonderful picture from that day.  I have to remember to add that.  Maybe I should make a list.

 

·   Oh, and graduations!  P.J. Apple graduated from the fire academy and on December 10 Yvette will be graduating from The University of Northern Colorado.  I get to go to the ceremony for Yvette with Bonnie, Kathy, and Susie.  Sure looking forward to that.  I am sad Bob’s not going, but with all his health issues it’s just not a good idea.

 

·   There is that other matter which has put a shadow over our lives.  Whatever happens itwill change and has changed our lifestyle and our future.  I just don’t know how to word it.  Should I really say we loaned a Christian friend almost all the last of the money in our trust and now he doesn’t want to pay us back?  It’s not a secret, so I could use his name.  Maybe that would be mean, but on the other hand, we sure don’t want other people trusting him.  He just isn’t trustworthy.  Maybe I could say call us if someone wants details.  I’ll decide that later. ·      I’m not sure how to tell everyone about my stroke.  I want them to know.  I still am in shock about the whole thing.  I need to tell them how kind, gracious, and loving God is, and His children are too!  Drove that Saturday to a Stonecroft event all by myself, two hours of driving with no mishap.  God waited until I was with Bob and my friends to allow the stroke, and then all that happened was that my eyes went crazy.  After quick trip to St. John and a wrong diagnosis, we went to Kaiser in Portland and that’s where I stayed for a few days while every test imaginable was given to me.  I will never forget the feelings that washed over me after I was wheeled to a room at 4 a.m.  I just praised and thanked God over and over again for His watchful care over me.  God is good always!  Now how can I word that so it isn’t too wordy?  I’ll have to spend some time thinking about that.

 

·   Although we’ve had a couple of hard hits this year, I want my friends to know we still are, and always will be, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.  People let us down, but not Jesus.  I want to always be able to say with Paul, “ I have learned in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content” and with Job, “though He slay me, yet shall I trust Him.”

 

·   Yep, maybe next week I’ll put it all together.  Now where is that list of names?

 

THE RESULT:

 

MERRYCHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

MAY ALL OF GOD’S BLESSINGS BE EVIDENT TO YOU ALL YEAR AND MAY YOU BE CLOSER TO HIM NOW AND FOREVER!

 

LOVE, BOB AND JERI

As of December 15 Ben and Cassie have separated. My heart goes out to both of them as they go through this unpleasant time.. May God wrap His Arms of Love around them and hold them close!

Posted on Nov. 23, 2011

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of teaching my Bible study group.  I learned so much and enjoyed the study a lot!  Just wanted to share with you my notes.  The outline handed out to all is the normal print and my extra notes are in bold.  Hope you enjoy this!

THE ANVIL-GOD’S WORD

Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door,

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor

Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

“How many anvils have you had,” said I,

“To wear and batter all these hammers so?”

“Just one,” said he, and then, with twinkling eye,

“The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”

And so, thought I, the anvil of God’s Word,

For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;

Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed-the hammers gone.

UNKNOWN

 

Would someone please read I PETER 1:25 …………

 

God was and is determined that His word will not be destroyed! It will never be overthrown or obliterated, though many dark forces have tried in the past and others continue to this day. During the first three centuries of the existence of the New Testament Scriptures, countless efforts were made by the enemies of God to eradicate Christianity from the earth. But God will not permit it to happen. Only Divine intervention can explain why the most powerful and cruel civil, military and religious forces that the world could muster failed in their efforts, as did cultural and social pressures. Even opponents from within the church itself failed to corrupt the Scriptures which the Lord had given to His people.

 

Today we are looking into the Canon of the Bible…mostly the New Testament Canon.  Here are a few definitions for “canon” as it appears in the American Heritage Dictionary:

1. An ecclesiastical law or code of laws established by a church council;

2. A secular law, rule, or code of law;

3. A basis for judgment, standard, criterion;

4. The books of the Bible officially recognized by the Church;

I used an acronym which is from Hang Hanegraaff’s paper on the Bible.

He used  M..A…P…S…as a tool to guide us through this.

 

Manuscripts,

Archaeology,

Prophecy,

Statistics

 

 

Now let’s check out our outline……………

 

1. Manuscripts

A. Old Testament

The first recorded instance of God’s Word being written down, was when the Lord Himself wrote it down in the form of Ten Commandments on the stone tablets delivered to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai. Biblical scholars believe this occurred between 1,400 BC and 1,500 BC… almost 3,500 years ago. The language used was almost certainly an ancient form of Hebrew, the language of Old Covenant believers.1.

1. Deuteronomy 33:31:24-26

2. And Deuteronomy  32:44-47

 

The earliest scripture is generally considered to be the “Pentateuch”, the first five books of the Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy… though there is some scholarly evidence to indicate that the Old Testament Book of Job may actually be the oldest book in the Bible. The Old Testament scriptures were written in ancient Hebrew, a language substantially different than the Hebrew of today. These writings were passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years on scrolls made of animal skin, usually sheep, but sometimes deer or cow. When the entire Pentateuch is present on a scroll, it is called a “Torah”. An entire Torah Scroll, if completely unraveled, is over 150 feet long! As most sheep are only about two to three feet long, it took an entire flock of sheep to make just one Torah scroll. The Jewish scribes who painstakingly produced each scroll were perfectionists. If they made even the slightest mistake in copying, such as allowing two letters of a word to touch, they destroyed that entire panel which demonstrates the level of faithfulness to accuracy applied to the preservation of God’s Word throughout the first couple of thousand years of Biblical transmission.

Hebrew has one thing in common with English: they are both “picture languages”. Their words form a clear picture in your mind. The first man to ever print the scriptures in English, William Tyndale, once commented that Hebrew was ten times easier to translate into English than any other language. Tyndale would certainly be qualified to make such a statement, as he was so fluent in eight languages, that it was said you would have thought any one of them to be his native tongue.

 

2. We have more than 14,000 manuscripts and fragments of the Old Testament of three main types:

(a) Approximately 10,000 from the Cairo Geniza (storeroom) find of 1897, dating back as far as about AD. 800;

(b) About 190 from the Dead Sea Scrolls find of 1947-1955, the oldest dating back to 250-200 B.C.; and

(c) At least 4,314 assorted other copies. The short time between the original Old Testament manuscripts (completed around 400 B.C.) and the first extensive copies (about 250 B.C.) — coupled with the more than 14,000 copies that have been discovered — ensures the trustworthiness of the Old Testament text. The earliest quoted verses (Num. 6:24-26) date from 800-700 B.C.

3. The Dead Sea Scrolls prove the accuracy of the transmission of the Bible.

Juma was beginning to get nervous. Some of his goats were climbing too high up the cliffs. He decided to climb the face of the cliff himself to bring them back. Little did Juma realize as he began his climb on that January day in 1947 that those straying goats would eventually involve him in “the greatest archaeological discovery in the twentieth century.” Such thoughts were far from his mind when he saw two small openings to one of the thousands of caves that dot those barren cliffs overlooking the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. He threw a rock into one of the openings. The unexpected cracking sound surprised him; what else could be in those remote caves but treasure? He called to his cousins, Khalil and Muhammed, who climbed up and heard the exciting tale. But it was getting late, and the goats had to be gathered. Tomorrow they would return—perhaps their days of following goats would come to an end once the treasure was uncovered!

The youngest of the three, Muhammed, rose the next day before his two fellow “treasure-seekers” and made his way to the cave. The cave floor was covered with debris, including broken pottery. Along the wall stood a number of narrow jars, some with their bowl-shaped covers still in place. Frantically, Muhammed began to explore the inside of each jar, but no treasure of gold was to be found… only a few bundles wrapped in cloth and greenish with age. Returning to his cousins, he related the sad news—no treasure.

No treasure indeed! The scrolls those Bedouin (transients)  boys removed from that dark cave that day and the days following would come to be recognized as the greatest manuscript treasure ever found—the first seven manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls! Cave 4, alone, had approximately 15,000 fragments from some 574 manuscripts.

Such was the discovery of a group of manuscripts which were a thousand years older than the then-oldest-known Hebrew texts of the Bible (manuscripts, many of which were written more than 100 years before the birth of Jesus). These manuscripts would excite the archaeological world and provide a team of translators with a gigantic task that even to this day has not been completed.

                        a. these scrolls discovered at Qumran in 1947, we have Old Testament manuscripts that date about a thousand years earlier (150 B.C.) than the other Old Testament manuscripts then in our possession (which dated to A.D. 900).

B. they are essentially the same as the manuscripts we had with very few changes.

c. A full copy of the Book of Isaiah was discovered at Qumran

 [Even though the two copies of Isaiah discovered in Qumran Cave 1 near the Dead Sea in 1947 were a thousand years earlier than the oldest dated manuscript previously known (A.D. 980), they proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95 percent of the text. The 5 percent of variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling.]

4. By examining how Christ viewed the Old Testament, we see that He had full confidence that the Scriptures He used had been faithfully preserved through the centuries.

a. John 5:39

b. Luke 24:27

5. The Septuagint is the same today in Hebrew Bibles.

This is the OT translation from Hebrew into Greek, the language of the world in 250 BC.  Septuagint means 70, since 70 Hebrew scholars were involved.  The book order was unchanged and is the same today in Hebrew Bibles.  There is not and has never been a challenge to the Old Testament order of scripture.

Hebrew has one thing in common with English: they are both “picture languages”. Their words form a clear picture in your mind. As evidence of this; the first man to ever print the scriptures in English, William Tyndale, once commented that Hebrew was ten times easier to translate into English than any other language. Tyndale would certainly be qualified to make such a statement, as he was so fluent in eight languages, that it was said you would have thought any one of them to be his native tongue.

I have always been fascinated with the fact that the Bible came down to us in two languages, Hebrew and Greek.  What is so interesting about that is that they are both dead languages…although some in Israel may use that ancient language for all purposes it is dead.  The Greek spoken in Greece is not even recognizable as the Greek language used for the New Testament.  You see, a language in use is always changing…think about the words you used when you were young and some of the same words now which have a different meaning now than they did back then.  God, our incredible God, locked His Word in two dead languages so the meaning would always be clear.  Pretty awesome.

 Another interesting fact to consider is the love the ancients had for the then Bible…look up Psalm 119:97……the Bible the writer refers to is the old testament….mostly the Pentateuch….he loved the books of the law! Amazing!

B. New Testament

By the end of the First Century AD, the New Testament had been completed. It was preserved in Greek on Papyrus, a thin paper-like material made from crushed and flattened stalks of a reed-like plant. The word “Bible” comes from the same Greek root word as “papyrus”. The papyrus sheets were bound, or tied together in a configuration much more similar to modern books than to an elongated scroll.

These groupings of papyrus are the oldest copies of the New Testament known to exist today. One in the British Museum Library in London, and in the Vatican. They date back to approximately the 300’s AD.

    In 315 AD, Athenasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, identified the 27 Books which we recognize today as the canon of New Testament scripture. This was called the Church Council of Hippo.  There were many other church councils between the 4^th and 5^th centuries where Bible scholars got together to hash over doctrines……but the 27 books of the New Testament were never changed.

1. The New Testament versus Other Ancient Books

By comparing the manuscript support for the Bible with manuscript support for other ancient documents and books, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that no other ancient piece of literature can stand up to the Bible. Manuscript support for the Bible is unparalleled!

a. There are more [New Testament] manuscripts copied with greater accuracy and earlier dating than for any secular classic from antiquity.

Norman Geisler makes several key observations for our consideration, “No other book is even a close second to the Bible on either the number or early dating of the copies. The average secular work from antiquity survives on only a handful of manuscripts; the New Testament boasts thousands.
The average gap between the original composition and the earliest copy is over 1,000 years for other books.
The New Testament, however, has a fragment within one generation from its original composition, whole books within about 100 years from the time of the autograph [original manuscript], most of the New Testament in less than 200 years, and the entire New Testament within 250 years from the date of its completion.
The degree of accuracy of the copies is greater for the New Testament than for other books that can be compared. Most books do not survive with enough manuscripts that make comparison possible.

b. “The records for the New Testament are vastly more abundant, clearly more ancient, and considerably more accurate in their text.”

2. Support for the New Testament from the Church Fathers

a. In addition to the many thousands of New Testament manuscripts, there are over 86,000 quotations of the New Testament in the early church fathers. There are also New Testament quotations in thousands of early church worship books.

b. There are enough quotations from the early church fathers that even if we did not have a single copy of the Bible, scholars could still reconstruct all but 11 verses of the entire New Testament from material written within 150 to 200 years from the time of Christ
C. Preservation of the Bible through the persecutions

How do we know the 27 books we have are the ones God intended to be in the Bible?  There were actually hundreds of letters, writings, floating around, some of which were used by Christians in worship.  The church history from 63 AD to 313 AD is a convincing test!

1. Ten distinct persecutions of Christianity from 64 AD to 303 AD

a) All “scriptures” burned

b) All Christians killed, imprisoned, or sold as slaves

From Emperor Nero in 64 AD to Diocletian in 303 AD there were 10 distinct persecutions of the Christian faith.  During this period, each Roman emperor pronounced Christianity as illegal in the Empire. They imprisoned, executed, or sent to the mines as slave labor all who would not renounce their faith and return to the Roman gods.  All copies of “scripture,” religious writings were ordered to be brought out and burned in the village fires conducted by the Empire.  Thousands of scrolls, letters, and copies of texts were surrendered to the flames.  Who would hold back a writing from such a threat?

2. In 313 AD tolerance for Christianity and other non-Roman religions

At Council of Milan in 313 AD the Emperors Constantine and Licinius co-ruled the Empire. Constantine in the West, Licinius in East.. They met in Milan Italy and issued the Edict of Milan, pronouncing tolerance for Christianity and other non-Roman religions.

a) Church property returned

b) Confiscated private property returned

c) Christian documents were now legal to own and use

d) All prisoners and mine laborers were freed.

When churches reopened, a call went out for NT scriptures to use. The books and letters that were spared were predominantly what we use today. Under threat of death, people and clergy surrendered for the flames, only the phony books or pseudo writings. The 27 books we have in today’s English Bible are the ones God preserved through those terrible times. Today we have turned up copies of other “gospels”, but those used by the early Church are the ones in use today.

I need to add here a note about the pseudopigrapha writings: Written from 200 BC to 200 AD, these writings include the Apocrypha, and have never been accepted as Scripture by the Jews or the Christian Church at large. Some are really silly, some sound “biblical”. Some contain fanciful stories, such as the day the Apostle Paul led a lion to Christ in the Arena and baptized him!  In another, Jesus revived a dead bird, which flew away singing.

 The seven books plus additions to Daniel and Esther, which are called the Apocrypha books, are included in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles today. They are part of the Pseudopigraphaical books rejected by Jews and Protestants. Since these books cover the 400 “silent years” between the Old and New Testaments, there is value in the historical references. We would know little about the Macabean Wars (Struggle of the Jews to defend their faith apart from the Book of Macabees.  The John Wesley hymn, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” is based on a quote from Apocrypha.

 There is value in reading these books but should not be considered the “Word of God.”

D. Preservation of the New Testament through the dark ages

1. By 500 AD the Bible had been translated into over 500 languages

2. One century later it had been restricted to only one language, Latin

The only organized and recognized church at that time in history was the Catholic Church of Rome, and they refused to allow the scripture to be available in any language other than Latin. Those in possession of non-Latin scriptures would be executed! This was because only the priests were educated to understand Latin, and this gave the church ultimate power… a power to rule without question… a power to deceive… a power to extort money from the masses. Nobody could question their “Biblical” teachings, because few people other than priests could read Latin. The church capitalized on this forced-ignorance through the 1,000 year period from 400 AD to 1,400 AD knows as the “Dark and Middle Ages”.

Pope Leo the Tenth established a practice called the “selling of indulgences” as a way to extort money from the people. He offered forgiveness of sins for a fairly small amount of money. For a little bit more money, you would be allowed to indulge in a continuous lifestyle of sin, such as keeping a mistress. Also, through the invention of “Purgatory”, you could purchase the salvation of your loved-one’s souls. The church taught the ignorant masses, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the troubled soul from Purgatory springs!” Pope Leo the Tenth showed his true feelings when he said, “The fable of Christ has been quite profitable to us!”

Note from WWW.GREATSITE.COM…….  Let us state at this point, that it is not our intent to offend or “bash” Roman Catholics. It is unavoidable that every historical account has its “good guys” and its “bad guys”. Just as it is impossible to accurately tell the story of World War Two without offending the Germans and the Italians who were undeniably the enemies of world peace at that time… it is equally impossible to accurately tell the story of the English Bible without unintentionally offending those who continue to revere the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches.

Where was the true church of God during these Dark Ages? I had always wondered that….this web site is the only place I found this information so I cannot attest to its accuracy….but it sounds good. J

On the Scottish Island of Iona, in 563 AD, a man named Columba started a Bible College. For the next 700 years, this was the source of much of the non-Catholic, evangelical Bible teaching through those centuries of the Dark and Middle Ages. The students of this college were called “Culdees”, which means “certain stranger”. The Culdees were a secret society, and the remnant of the true Christian faith was kept alive by these men during the many centuries that led up to the Protestant Reformation.

In the late 1300’s, the secret society of Culdees chose John Wycliffe an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian, to lead the world out of the Dark Ages. Wycliffe has been called the “Morning Star of the Reformation”.

The Protestant Reformation was about one thing: getting the Word of God back into the hands of the masses in their own native language, so that the corrupt church would be exposed and the message of salvation in Christ alone, by scripture alone, through faith alone would be proclaimed again.

Having God’s Word available to the public in the language of the common man, English, would have meant disaster to the church. No longer would they control access to the scriptures. If people were able to read the Bible in their own tongue, the church’s income and power would crumble. They could not possibly continue to get away with selling indulgences (the forgiveness of sins) or selling the release of loved ones from a church-manufactured “Purgatory”. People would begin to challenge the church’s authority if the church were exposed as frauds and thieves. The contradictions between what God’s Word said, and what the priests taught, would open the public’s eyes and the truth would set them free from the grip of fear that the institutional church held. Salvation through faith, not works or donations, would be understood. The need for priests would vanish through the priesthood of all believers. The veneration of church-canonized Saints and Mary would be called into question. The availability of the scriptures in English was the biggest threat imaginable to the wicked church. Neither side would give up without a fight.

In the 1490’s another Oxford professor, and the personal physician to King Henry the 7th and 8th, Thomas Linacre, decided to learn Greek. After reading the Gospels in Greek, and comparing it to the Latin Vulgate, he wrote in his diary, “Either this (the original Greek) is not the Gospel… or we are not Christians.” The Latin had become so corrupt that it no longer even preserved the message of the Gospel… yet the Church still threatened to kill anyone who read the scripture in any language other than Latin… though Latin was not an original language of the scriptures.

The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced in the 1380’s AD by John Wycliffe.  Wycliffe was well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe.

One of Wycliffe’s followers, John Hus, actively promoted Wycliffe’s ideas: that people should be permitted to read the Bible in their own language, and they should oppose the tyranny of the Roman church that threatened anyone possessing a non-Latin Bible with execution. Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, with Wycliffe’s manuscript Bibles used as kindling for the fire. The last words of John Hus were that, “in 100 years, God will raise up a man whose calls for reform cannot be suppressed.” Almost exactly 100 years later, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses of Contention (a list of 95 issues of heretical theology and crimes of the Roman Catholic Church) into the church door at Wittenberg. The prophecy of Hus had come true!

Martin Luther went on to be the first person to translate and publish the Bible in the commonly-spoken dialect of the German people; a translation more appealing than previous German Biblical translations. 

 Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1450’s, and the first book to ever be printed was a Latin language Bible, printed in Mainz, Germany. Gutenberg’s Bibles were surprisingly beautiful, as each leaf Gutenberg printed was later colorfully hand-illuminated.  His invention of the movable-type printing press meant that Bibles and books could finally be effectively produced in large quantities in a short period of time. This was essential to the success of the Reformation.

Jumping ahead a few hundred years……

With the death of Queen Elizabeth I, Prince James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. The Protestant clergy approached the new King in 1604 and announced their desire for a new translation to replace the Bishop’s Bible first printed in 1568. They knew that the Geneva Version had won the hearts of the people because of its excellent scholarship, accuracy, and exhaustive commentary. However, they did not want the controversial marginal notes (proclaiming the Pope an Anti-Christ, etc.) Essentially, the leaders of the church desired a Bible for the people, with scriptural references only for word clarification or cross-references.

This “translation to end all translations” (for a while at least) was the result of the combined effort of about fifty scholars. They took into consideration: The Tyndale New Testament, The Coverdale Bible, The Matthews Bible, The Great Bible, The Geneva Bible, and even the Rheims New Testament. The great revision of the Bishop’s Bible had begun. From 1605 to 1606 the scholars engaged in private research. From 1607 to 1609 the work was assembled. In 1610 the work went to press and in1611 the first of the huge (16 inch tall) pulpit folios known today as “The 1611 King James Bible” came off the printing press. A typographical discrepancy in Ruth 3:15 rendered a pronoun “He” instead of “She” in that verse in some printings. This caused some of the 1611 First Editions to be known by collectors as “He” Bibles, and others as “She” Bibles. Starting just one year after the huge 1611 pulpit-size King James Bibles were printed and chained to every church pulpit in England; printing then began on the earliest normal-size printings of the King James Bible. These were produced so individuals could have their own personal copy of the Bible.

 

II. Archaeology

Returning to our MAPS acronym, we have established, the first principle, manuscript reliability. Let us consider our second principle, archaeological evidence. Over and over again, comprehensive field work (archaeology) and careful biblical interpretation affirms the reliability of the Bible. It is telling when a secular scholar must revise his biblical criticism in light of solid archaeological evidence.

For years critics dismissed the Book of Daniel, partly because there was no evidence that a king named Belshazzar ruled in Babylon during that time period. However, later archaeological research confirmed that the reigning monarch, Nabonidus, appointed Belshazzar as his co-regent whi1e he was away from Babylon.

One of the most well-known New Testament examples concerns the Books of Luke and Acts. A biblical skeptic, Sir William Ramsay, trained as an archaeologist and then set out to disprove the historical reliability of this portion of the New Testament. However, through his painstaking Mediterranean archaeological trips, he became converted as — one after another — of the historical statements of Luke were proved accurate. Archaeological evidence thus confirms the trustworthiness of the Bible.

 

 

III. Prophecy

The third principle of Bible reliability is Prophecy, or predictive ability. The Bible records predictions of events that could not be known or predicted by chance or common sense. Surprisingly, the predictive nature of many Bible passages was once a popular argument (by liberals) against the reliability of the Bible. Critics argued that the prophecies actually were written after the events and that editors had merely dressed up the Bible text to look like they contained predictions made before the events. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. The many predictions of Christ’s birth, life and death (see below) were indisputably rendered more than a century before they occurred as proven by the Dead Sea Scrolls of Isaiah and other prophetic books as well as by the Septuagint translation, all dating from earlier than 100 B.C.

Old Testament prophecies concerning the Phoenician city of Tyre were fulfilled in ancient times, including prophecies that the city would be opposed by many nations (Ezek. 26:3); its walls would be destroyed and towers broken down (26:4); and its stones, timbers, and debris would be thrown into the water (26:12). Similar prophecies were fulfilled concerning Sidon (Ezek. 28:23; Isa. 23; Jer. 27:3-6; 47:4) and Babylon (Jer. 50:13, 39; 51:26, 42-43, 58; Isa. 13:20-21).

Since Christ is the culminating theme of the Old Testament and the Living Word of the New Testament, it should not surprise us that prophecies regarding Him outnumber any others. Many of these prophecies would have been impossible for Jesus to deliberately conspire to fulfill — such as His descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen. 12:3; 17:19; Num. 24:21-24); His birth in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2); His crucifixion with criminals (Isa. 53:12); the piercing of His hands and feet at the crucifixion (Ps. 22:16); the soldiers’ gambling for His clothes (Ps. 22:18); the piercing of His side and the fact that His bones were not broken at His death (Zech. 12:10; Ps. 34:20); and His burial among the rich (Isa. 53:9). Jesus also predicted His own death and resurrection (John 2:19-22). Predictive Prophecy is a principle of Bible reliability that often reaches even the hard-boiled skeptic!

 

 

 

IV. Statistics

Our fourth MAPS principle works well with predictive prophecy, because it is Statistically preposterous that any or all of the Bible’s very specific, detailed prophecies could have been fulfilled through chance, good guessing, or deliberate deceit. When you look at some of the improbable prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, it seems incredible that skeptics — knowing the authenticity and historicity of the texts — could reject the statistical verdict: the Bible is the Word of God, and Jesus Christ is the Son of God, just as Scripture predicted many times and in many ways.

The Bible was written over a span of 1500 years by forty different human authors in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), on hundreds of subjects. And yet there is one consistent, non-contradictory theme that runs through it all: God’s redemption of humankind. Clearly, Statistical probability is a powerful indicator of the trustworthiness of Scripture.

The next time someone denies the reliability of Scripture, just remember the acronym MAPS, and you will be equipped to give an answer and a reason for the hope that lies within you (1 Pet. 3:15).Manuscripts, Archaeology, Prophecy, and Statistics not only chart a secure course on the turnpikes of skepticism but also demonstrate definitively that the Bible is indeed divine rather than human in origin.

See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.       

Deuteronomy 12:32

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Galatians 1:8-9

 

Sources:  Hank Hanegraaff, WWW.GREATSITE.COM, Ron Rhodes, http://www.bible.ca/ef/topical-how-the-writings-became-scripture.htm and Bob Jackson

 

Posted on Oct 11, 2011

CHRISTIAN BLESSINGS IN EPHESIANS (TLB)

We Christians have every blessing in Heaven because we belong to Christ:

1. God chose us to be His. Chapter 1 Vs.4
2. He made us holy in His eyes, without a single fault, because we are covered in His blood. Vs.4
3. He adopted us into His own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. Vs.5
4. He wanted us to be His! Vs. 5
5. He has poured out His kindness and favor upon us because belong to Him! Vs. 6
6. He took away all our sins through the blood of His Son! Vs. 7
7. He has showered us with His grace. Vs. 8
8. He understands us. Vs. 8
9. He knows what is best for us at all times. Vs. 8
10. He made a plan for us through His mercy. Vs. 9
11. He will someday gather us to be together with Him in Christ forever. Vs. 10
12. We are Christ’s gift to His father. Vs.11
13. He delights in us. Vs. 12
14. We have His presence within us. Vs. 14
15. He purchased us and guarantees to bring us to Himself. Vs. 14
16. He has called us to share in His future. Vs. 18
17. His incredible power is available to us. Vs. 19
18. He gave us back our lives which were doomed by our sins. Chapter 2 Vs. 4
19. We are saved through His undeserved favor. Vs.5
20. We sit with Jesus in the Heavenly realms. Vs. 6
21. He uses us as examples of His kindness. Vs. 7
22. God gave us the gift of being able to trust Him. Vs. 8
23. He made us what we are. Vs. 10
24. He has given us new lives in Him. Vs. 10
25. We belong to Christ Jesus. Vs. 13
26. We are brought very near to Him through the blood of Jesus. Vs. 13
27. We have peace with every nationality because of Him. Vs. 14
28. We who believe are all one family. Vs.14
29. Our anger with others has disappeared because we are reconciled through the cross. Vs. 16
30. We are all members of God’s very own family. Vs. 19
31. We are citizens of God’s country. Vs. 19
32. We belong in God’s household with each other. Vs. 19
33. We have a secure foundation to stand on. Vs. 20
34. We are a part of His beautiful, growing, temple. Vs. 21
35. We are joined together with Him and each other. Vs. 22.
36. We are part of this dwelling place of God. Vs. 22
37. God has revealed His plan with us.  Chapter 3 vs. 5
38. We can come fearlessly right into God’s presence anytime. Vs.12
39. He is able to do far more than we would even dare to ask or dream. Vs.20
40. We are all part of His body and His Spirit. Chapter 4Vs. 4
41. We have been called to a glorious future. Vs. 4
42. We have been given special abilities out of His rich storehouse of gifts. Vs. 7

Posted Oct. 11, 2011

Last week, at our women’s Bible class prayer time, I felt my prayer was shallow and purposeless….believing I needed a rejuvenation and a reminder of how God had taught me to pray a long time ago….I came up with all the ways to pray for others using the book of Colossians as my guide….35 ways!  Following the list is a chapter from my book which explains what God taught me years ago about prayer.

Praying for others (according to Colossians):

1.  May God our Father shower you with blessings and fill you with his great peace

2. Whenever I pray for you, I should always begin by giving thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for you.

3.  May you look forward to the joys of heaven

4. I ask God to help you understand what he wants you to do

5. ..and I ask God to make you wise about spiritual things

6… that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him,

7. …that you may always be doing good, kind things for others,

8. …and learn to know God better and better.

9. ….that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens

10. …for you to be always be full of the joy of the Lord,

11. …always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light.

12. …always fully believing the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting him

13…..that you will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love and will set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where Jesus sits beside God in the place of honor and power.

14….that you will have the rich experience of knowing Christ with real certainty and clear understanding. For God’s secret plan, now at last made known, is Christ himself.  In him lie hidden all the mighty, untapped treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

15. …just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with him

16.  Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him.

17. …go on growing in the Lord, and becoming strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught.

18.  May your life overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done.

19. .….Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.

20….that you may know our real life is in heaven with Christ and God. And when Christ who is our real life comes back again, you may be assured we will shine with him and share in all his glories.

21… that you may rejoice in your brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ who created this new life within you.

22.   Since you have been chosen by God who has given you this new kind of life, and because of his deep love and concern for you, may you practice tenderhearted mercy and kindness to others.

23….. Let love guide your life, for then the whole church will stay together in perfect harmony

24……Let the peace of heart that comes from Christ be always present in your hearts and lives

25….may you always be thankful

26…..and that you will always remember what Christ taught, and let his words enrich your life and make you wise; teaching them to each other

27. …you will sing out God’s words in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with thankful hearts.

28…..that whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus

29. …for you to always come with Jesus into the presence of God the Father to give Him your thanks.

30….that youwon’t be weary in prayer; keeping at it; watching  for God’s answers, and remembering to be thankful when they come.

31. …pray for Christians who are evangelizing, that God will give them many chances to preach the Good News of Christ.  Pray that they will be bold enough to tell it freely and fully and make it plain.

32…for you to make the most of your chances to tell others the Good News. You will be wise in all your contacts with them and your conversation will be gracious as well as sensible, for then you will have the right answer for everyone.

33.  May you be a comfort to other Christians…..

34. May you earnestly pray for others, asking God to make them strong and perfect and to help them know God’s will in everything they do.

35. May God’s blessings surround you always.

Following in one of the chapters in my book and explains how God changed my prayer life:

I didn’t want to walk anymore. My other ten year old friends all had bicycles, so why shouldn’t I. I proceeded to beg parents to no avail. So, I decided to go to the top. I would ask God for one. I gave him a week to answer my prayer, and when he didn’t produce, I decided to use the most radical action I could imagine. “God, I really need a bicycle and if you don’t get me one, then I’m just not going to believe in you anymore!” There, it was out, my big threat. I was sure that I had startled God so much that any moment I would find a bicycle standing in the driveway. I was wrong. I didn’t get a bicycle. Birthdays and Christmases came and went and I was left cycleless; however, I was not left faithless. I just had too much fear of the Almighty and his power to really stop believing in him.

Years later, around the age of 20, I discovered that God loved me. He had always loved me, empty threats or not. He loved me so much that he had sent his Son, Jesus, to die for my sins and to give me eternal life. I prayed a different prayer then. “God, please come into my life.” And he did.

Putting the bicycle incident far behind me, I went on to fully engulf myself in the Christian Life, including prayers. Although the spoken threats had left my supplications, the requests for “bicycles” still existed. “Bicycles” in the form of anything which would increase my health, wealth, and fun.

Knowing I should pray for others, I asked for all sorts of things for them, also.

Then one day I started checking out the prayers in the New Testament, especially Paul’s prayers. The time he spent asking God for spiritual needs and blessings far exceeded any time spent pleading for material gain or even physical needs. He didn’t seem too concerned with “bicycles.”

In Philippians Paul wrote, “and this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God” (1:9-11). And in Ephesians 1:17-19, Paul again asked for spiritual blessings for others. There were other verses, too.

`These just weren’t the type of prayers which I had been praying. So, I began praying these same prayers for myself. I prayed them for my relatives, my friends, and those in ministry around me. Those prayers helped me to see things from God’s perspective and changed some of my attitudes and opinions. I discovered that God is always after the heart condition. The material and physical is secondary.

In my garage today is a very beautiful, expensive, bicycle. The prayer of a ten year old was answered, but not until a very loving God had taken the time to correct my wrong ideas about belief and prayer. And that is a whole lot more important than “bicycles.”

posted Oct. 4, 2011—-

When I was first a Christian…my it’s been over 45 years ago…I started out my life with the free Bible the pastor gave me…King James Version, red letter edition …. I stayed in the King James for many years….then, I changed one day to the New International Version…and stayed there for a lot of years….nowadays I am getting so much out of three other versions…they kind of entertain me if I can use that term.  They are The Living Bible, The New Living Bible, and the Amplified Bible.  This section below really tickled my funny bone this morning… Because of Christ God won’t even chide me for past sins.. isn’t that a great word picture!  I love God…no matter what version..His love always shines through.

It was through what his Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to him-all things in heaven and on earth-for Christ’s death on the cross has made peace with God for all by his blood.  This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies and hated him and were separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends.  He has done this through the death on the cross of his own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before him with nothing left against you-nothing left that he could even chide you for;  the only condition is that you fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting him to save you. This is the wonderful news that came to each of you and is now spreading all over the world. And I, Paul, have the joy of telling it to others.  Colossians 1:20-23  TLB

 

Posted September 12, 3011

CONFESSIONS OF A PROCRASTINOLIC

 I can’t believe I did that! Or maybe I should say, I can’t believe I didn’t do that! You see, I have a small problem. Procrastination. Well, maybe it isn’t so small since I think I ruined what could have been a perfectly fine relationship and now seemed to be a pretty bad one. Or maybe it was just my schedule at that time or maybe because I wasn’t thinking about others or maybe….well, here, let me tell you what happened and you decide.

We had just moved into our fourth home in Washington State since Bob’s retirement. We had hooked up with a church and were settling into a new life. We were pretty happy except for one thing, my Mother was still in need of care from a nursing home. The best care we could find for her was in a nursing home over at the beach, where she had been before our last move. She loved it there best even though this time instead of ten minutes from her I would be about an hour from her. Not the best situation.

Bob had been asked to team teach a Sunday morning study with a couple of ladies from our new church. He agreed to do this even though we didn’t know the ladies, the church, or very many people at all. Maybe he should have waited.

I need to explain that my husband is a Bible scholar and has studied the Bible intently for many years. He knows Greek and some Hebrew and God has blessed him with a remarkable memory. Add to that the fact that he loves God and loves the Bible and you have a pretty good package, I think.

Bob didn’t agree with everything in the study book from this class and being an honest man he just told them all whenever  he couldn’t find Bible verses to support the teaching. His co-teachers were not happy with this as they believed the woman who had written this material was infallible.

So into this mixture throw me. I usually have a pretty busy thought life which sometimes makes it look like I am in la-la land. Oh, okay, I am just usually in la-la land whether I’m thinking or not. It was a good study and I enjoyed it a lot. I was just attending and had no responsibilities at all in this situation.

Now let’s add something new. We had friends who were starting a new roofing company in San Jose and asked Bob to come down and help them get it started. He agreed. So we drove down to San Jose in our motorhome, parked it near the new business, and settled in. Bob went back to work and I swam in the pool a lot and joined a Bible study at a near-by church.

But my mother’s care was utmost in my mind, so every two weeks I flew back to the Portland OR airport, picked up a shuttle, and arrived home in Longview. The next day I would drive over to the beach to see my mother and care for her anyway I could. Mostly I just enjoyed being with her. Then after a couple of day’s with her I would drive back to Longview, pick up mail and then take the shuttle to the airport and hop a plane for San Jose. Not the best schedule but I was used to being pulled between them and trying to care for both.

So on this particular day, having arrived in San Jose the day before, I was reading the mail. And there was a nice handwritten note from one of Bob’s co-teachers. She wanted to know if she had offended me in anyway because the last time we were all in church she thought I acted like something was bothering me.

Now I would like to say that I handled this in a mature Christian way, but I didn’t. My first thought was, “oh, for Pete’s sake!” and “what is this lady thinking?”  So I started racking my brain trying to remember when did I last see her?  After much thought the only thing I could remember was that the last time we were in church she had hugged me three different times. I remembered that because I am not much of a hugger.

I would like to insert a quote here which I have always thought was funny. “We would not worry so much about what people think of us if we realized how seldom they do.”

Okay, now if you are following this somewhat complicated story you can see how this would not be a good situation for a procrastinator. Sometimes I feel I am not really procrastinating; I am just a slow thinker and need to spend a few days thinking. Whatever the reason, it took me a week to think of what to say.

I found an e-mail address for this lady through the church directory and wrote, what I thought, was a very nice letter. I left out the fact that I had no idea what she was talking about. I have often wondered if it is offensive to someone who is trying to apologize, to let them know you are clueless about the “incident.” I decided that might be adding insult to injury so I only wrote that everything was fine. Then I pushed “send.”  Two minutes later it came back. I rechecked the e-mail address and sent it again. Returned again.

I decided I had an old directory so would, on my next trip to check on my mother, run into the church and get a new directory. Which I did. Several weeks had already gone by at this time.

When I arrived home to my motorhome in San Jose I looked for the new e-mail address in the new directory. No such luck, no e-mail address at all. Oh man. What should I do?

I do feel I have to explain that I am not really a “phone” person. I have to really think through what I am going to say in order to minimize any awkward silent times on the phone. So phoning her was not in my thinking at all.

So I decided I would just have to print out the letter and snail mail it. So a couple of days later when I decided to do this I discovered my e-mail draft had completely disappeared!  Oh, man, now what?

So this is where I made a very huge, big, gigantic “mistake.”  I decided to go for a swim and forget the whole thing.  So I did. Whenever the thought came up that this might not be a good idea I would squelch it by thinking maybe we would move back to San Jose anyway so what does it matter.

Moving ahead about six months finds us leaving San Jose and arriving home in Washington. The next week we would be going to church and I would be seeing this lovely, Christian lady who was convinced, by now, that I didn’t like her. Oh man.

I called her. I said something stupid like, “well, since I never answered your letter you probably realize that there was nothing bothering me and no problem whatsoever.”  Yep, it sounded as lame to me as it does to you. Oh course, she said it was the opposite and she thought for sure that there was something wrong. Oh man. I assured her nothing was wrong.

I thought it might help if I invited her out to lunch, so I did, my treat. I thought that would fix everything. I was wrong. We had a nice visit and talked about a lot of things except “the problem.”  I was again hung up on the fact that it would be offensive to her if I told her I had no idea what she was talking about. After all, whatever it was that happened she had thought it was important enough to write and mail a letter.

Several years have passed since that incident. We have moved three more times but always within the area so we have attended the same church. Neither one of us have ever been asked to teach or take over anyplace of leadership. Actually, since I believe God is ultimately in control of all situations, I just enjoyed the break from ministry. Humanly, I thought it was mostly because the church was large and had plenty of workers. I concentrated on caring for my mother, my husband, my kids, my grandkids, and my writing.

One day I noticed in the church bulletin that every Monday morning there was a prayer meeting for all who were interested. They prayed for the requests which had been made on Sunday and for those who were sick or who were having problems. I had a subtle thought enter my mind. I wondered if my lady friend had asked her friends to pray for us. Maybe even telling them we needed a lot of prayer because we just weren’t connected to God as we should be. Maybe that would explain why no one had ever asked us to do anything. Nah, that couldn’t be right.  One complaint couldn’t influence a whole church.

Fast forward several years. We still have never been asked to do anything. Bob even went to the pastor at one point to ask if there was any way he could help in the church’s ministry. He never heard from anyone.

As I said, spiritually we believe God is in control and works through situations to bring about His will to teach us to be more like Jesus (Romans 8:28 and 29) But, humanly…not sure what happened.

So, here’s the deal. If you sat there reading this long involved dissertation, you might be willing to answer my one big question. If someone asks if you are offended and you have no idea at all what they are talking about, do you ask them what they are talking about? Or not.

Oh, and one more thing. I am working on this procrastination thing. It could be that is just a long word for sin because when I do that I am probably offending others. I know it sure offends my husband. I keep telling him I just need to think it through before I get on the phone, or go see the person, or write a card. Perhaps that is just covering up for sin.

Anyway……answer the question… puuullllleeeeaseeeeee.

POSTED July 3, 2011

Psalm 25 – I love this Psalm…well, okay, I mostly love all the Psalms.  I think they are there to teach us how to handle depression.  First you tell God everything that is wrong.. sometimes a long list… and then you tell Him everything that is right with Him… so many of the Psalms begin with complaints and then end with praises to God.  I always try to remember this lesson.  Right now we are going through a terrible financial problem and it looks like a Christian brother is cheating us out of a lot of money..well, a lot for us, and all we really have to live on now that Bob is retired.  I am so glad God started teaching us to walk in faith so many years ago as new believers.  We must need a refresher course :)……..

To you, O Lord, I pray.  Don’t fail me, Lord, for I am trusting you.  Don’t let my enemies succeed. Don’t give them victory over me.  None of those who have faith in God will ever be disgraced for trusting him. But all who harm the innocent shall be defeated.

Show me the path where I should go, O Lord; point out the right road for me to walk. Lead me; teach me; for you are the God who gives me salvation. I have no hope except in you. Overlook my youthful sins, O Lord! Look at me instead through eyes of mercy and forgiveness, through eyes of everlasting love and kindness.

The Lord is good and glad to teach the proper path to all who go astray;  he will teach the ways that are right and best to those who humbly turn to him.  And when we obey him, every path he guides us on is fragrant with his loving-kindness and his truth.

 But Lord, my sins! How many they are. Oh, pardon them for the honor of your name. Where is the man who fears the Lord? God will teach him how to choose the best. He shall live within God’s circle of blessing, and his children shall inherit the earth.

 Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises.

 My eyes are ever looking to the Lord for help, for he alone can rescue me. Come, Lord, and show me your mercy, for I am helpless, overwhelmed, in deep distress;  my problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!  See my sorrows; feel my pain; forgive my sins. See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me!  Save me from them! Deliver my life from their power!

Oh, let it never be said that I trusted you in vain! Assign me Godliness and Integrity as my bodyguards, for I expect you to protect me  and to ransom Israel from all her troubles.    TLB

POSTED Jan 8 

A while back I commented on a friends FaceBook posting that I have a saying which I always try to have before me:” Never expect Christian behavior from non-Christians and very seldom from Christians.”  Not everyone finds my musings funny and this particular one was commented  on immediately by a Christian who wanted to remind everyone that there is a scriptural way to handle this type of problem.  She quoted, Matthew 18:15-17: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’    If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (from New International Version) And she quoted 1 Cor 6:1-66: “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!   5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother goes to law against another-and this in front of unbelievers! (from New International Version)

Of course, she is right.  That is the way to handle problems.  Truth is, it doesn’t always work the way it should.   Sometimes those who call themselves Christians simply will not listen and do the right thing.  Worse yet, they twist things around so it looks like they are the ones being wronged. So that leads me to my next point and I quote from Job 16:1-6 “Then Job replied: “I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?  I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you.  But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.  Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away. (from New International Version)