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Matthew 5:13-16             In the kingdom, the Lord has made it possible for anybody to serve.  With the exception of official leadership positions and worship assembly responsibilities, the door is wide open for all members of Christ’s body to participate and thrive in His work.  When Jesus said that His people are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world,” He established no special requirements nor made any restrictions.  If you have the right heart and have prepared yourself, you can bring glory to Jesus through your service to other people.               Anybody can ... send a card.             Anybody can ... offer a word of encouragement.             Anybody can ... welcome a visitor to the assembly.             Anybody can ... make a phone call.             Anybody can ... tell someone what you believe and why.             Anybody can ... smile and say “Hello!”             Anybody can ... invite someone to the assembly.             Anybody can ... provide a meal.             Anybody can ... give a Bible to someone.             Anybody can ... pray for someone.             Anybody can ... pray with someone.             Anybody can ... explain the gospel.             Anybody can ... give something for mission work.             Anybody can ... give something for the needy.             Anybody can ... give a DVD to someone.             Anybody can ... tell someone about the church website.             Anybody can ... tell someone about the church live stream.             Anybody can ... be a good listener.             Anybody can ... share a Bible truth with someone.             Anybody can ... tell someone “Thank you” for a job well done.             Anybody can ... give praise to God before the world.             Anybody can ... offer to help out.             Anybody can ... be ready for every good work.             Anybody can ...                                                             ><>  Jeff

1 Corinthians 3:16-17             Churches can die.  In fact, many are dying these days.  Various “stages” of church growth and decline have been documented by those who study such things.  A church is not like a person who is given so many years to live.  A church can continue to live and thrive as long as it has the Spirit of Christ, but the Spirit can be lost from a congregation, and it will begin to fade and eventually die off.  What will kill a church?   The New Testament letters include many warnings about what might cause a church to wither and die.  Here are a few.             The loss of love for God will kill a church.  This was the problem with the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:4).  Their Lord was no longer their passion.  Churches can develop a passion for things other than Jesus - a passion for success; a passion for getting everything perfect; a passion for looking good in the community.  There are others.  Whenever anything other than love for God is the driving force of a church, it will begin to die.             Tradition can kill a church.  Every church has traditions - yes, they do.  Traditions are not necessarily wrong, but when holding to traditions becomes more important to a church than making the necessary changes to more effectively accomplish the will of God, a church will start to die.             Pride will kill a church.  When a church begins to believe that whatever it has accomplished has been done by its own hard work, skillful planning and resourcefulness, that church will begin to wither.             Poor leadership will kill a church.  When the elders, deacons, and minister have no vision for growth and are not leading, shepherding, teaching, and serving as the Lord directs, then that church will start to perish.             Overt sin which is not scripturally dealt with will kill a church.             Apathy in the members will kill a church.             Fear of failure will kill a church.             What will cause a church to thrive and prosper?  Love Christ.  Teach the Word.  Obey the Word.  Each member does their part.  Proclaim the gospel.  Pray a lot.  Trust God.                                                                         ><>  Jeff

Luke 6:40 The story is told about a young boy in the time of the blitz in London during World War II.  The lad, a street urchin, had been wandering the lanes and alleys of the city for several days trying to find food and water just to survive.  One morning he came upon a bakery which had miraculously survived the bombings and was still in operation.  The aroma of the fresh baked bread was magnetic, overpowering, and he pressed his face against the bakery window dreaming about the various pastries on display there. While he was so entranced, a soldier entered the shop and began to make some purchases.  In time, two or three of the pastries disappeared from the window. Upon leaving the shop, the soldier saw the boy leaning against the window and immediately stopped.  The boy, sensing the soldier’s presence, turned and looked at him and then at the sack in his hand.  Not a word was said.  All was quiet on the street. The soldier looked down at the sack in his hand and then at the boy again.  Taking a step toward the lad, he handed it toward him.  The boy’s eyes lit up at first, but then a questioning look appeared on his face.  The soldier continued to hold out the sack. Finally, the boy grabbed the bag and eagerly opened it.  He stared with delight at the pastries inside and then looked up at the soldier.  “Mister,” he asked, “Are you Jesus?” Were you ever mistaken for Jesus?  Probably not.  Have some of the things you’ve done in life reflected those done by your Master?  I hope so.  What did He do?  He fed the hungry, encouraged the outcast, chose the lowly, healed the sick, comforted the grieving, gave hope to the hopeless, told the good news of a heavenly kingdom and life eternal, befriended the sinner, rebuked the self-righteous, prayed tor others, went about doing good... Jesus teaches us that when a disciple is fully trained he will be like his teacher, doing the things which his teacher did. Are you fully trained?  Am I?  Hmmm? ><>  Jeff

Isaiah 41:10-13 There he was just sitting at the very top of the sliding board.  This little guy was probably three or four years old.  He was looking down toward the bottom of the slide, and you could tell that he was contemplating the whole situation - Should he let go and try the experience of the slide or not?  No doubt he was having some anxiety, even fear, because he sat there for some time. Most people experience fear or anxiety at doing something new.  Maybe you can remember back to being like this lad at the top of a sliding board for the first time.  Were you a little scared?  Did you ever have to get up in front of a class and give a report?  What about public speaking?  A lot of guys are afraid to ask that certain girl on a date.  Those who were in the military experienced many situations in which fear had to be conquered to accomplish a mission. Someone has said that courage is not living without fear, but courage is being able to overcome the fear. When it comes to our serving the Lord and standing up for what’s right, there are certain things which often cause us anxiety. Some brothers hesitate to participate in the assembly whether in leading prayer, reading scripture, even singing.  Making a phone call or visit to a wayward member is not easy.  Some of us are afraid to take on the responsibility for even some part of a work or project for fear of failing.  Speaking up in a crowd can be intimidating. Our Creator understands fear, for He created us with the capacity for fear and experienced it Himself in the person of Jesus. Scripture is filled with words of encouragement from our Lord about overcoming our fears and how He will be with us in helping us do just that.  Jesus often taught about handling fear and encouraged His disciples about not being afraid. So, when you’re sitting at the top of your sliding board, hold to the Lord and remember His words: “Do not fear, for I am with you.  Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.” By the way, our little fellow finally did let go and zip down the slide.  I hope he had a blast. ><>  Jeff

John 14:6, 17:17 Jesus taught that the word of God is truth.  He even said that He was the truth!  By definition, truth excludes all other competing thoughts as erroneous.  However for today’s post-modern, post-Christian, progressive man or woman, “truth” is relative for virtually everything including ethics, religion and morality.  To honor this untenable concept, our present day world is mired in a bog of culturally correct speak so as not to offend anyone.  If the Bible were written to reflect such relativity in “truth,” how would it read? “You shall have no other gods before Me.  Now if you have grown up with gods other than Me, and they are near and dear to you, well, it’s okay to hang onto them.  Just be sure that they don’t take too much of your time and money.” “Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.  If  you believe in someone else, however, that will suffice since all faiths lead to heaven (or wherever you believe you go when you die.)  Of course, dying in sins is only for those who believe in such a thing as sin because some of you find the idea upsetting.  So just try to be good (whatever that is for you ) and everything will turn out all right.” “Love one another.  Admittedly, this is difficult to do with certain people, especially those who have hurt you or are very different from you.  So if you don’t feel like loving those folks, don’t worry about it.  After all, love means different things to different people.  Just be sure to follow the meaning that’s in your heart.” “Abstain from sexual immorality.  This is decidedly a great challenge because of the proliferation of sexually explicit material across all media.  Additionally, defining sexual immorality is a thorny issue (in fact, some of you don’t believe there is such a thing).  So the whole thrust of this is to do what you feel good about doing sexually, and be sure to practice “safe sex” whatever that is.” Are you kidding me?!  No wonder the world is in such a mess.  “Buy truth, and do not sell it...” - Proverbs 23:23 ><>  Jeff

Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18 “Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be just like you.”  How many times in the history of families has such a statement been made by a child to his/her parent?  Innumerable.  And if not openly expressed, it has been thought and taken to heart.  Being a worthy goal, it brings honor to the parent, but is also a sobering realization that Mom or Dad must provide a noble example for their child. As Christians, we, too, are trying to be like Someone else - Christ Jesus.  In fact, the Spirit of God is working to change us into His image (see our texts).  This is a great honor that God wants us to be like His Son.  It is a goal toward which we should be moving and part of our daily prayer should be: “Lord, I want to be more like you.” I want to be more compassionate like Jesus when He saw the crowds like sheep without a shepherd, and He fed them and healed them all. I want to be stronger in times of temptation like Jesus when He faced down the devil in the wilderness causing him to leave. I want to be more diligent in the service to my God like Jesus when He told His parents that He must be about His Father’s business. I want to be more courageous in doing what’s right like Jesus when He overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the temple. I want to be a better teacher like Jesus when He taught Nicodemus that night about the new birth and heavenly things. I want to have more wisdom like Jesus when He confounded the accusers of the woman taken in adultery and caused them to leave her and walk away. I want to be more devoted to my Lord like Jesus was devoted to His heavenly Father and only did what He asked Him to do. I want to be bolder with the word of God like Jesus who proclaimed the good news and spoke the truth to all those around Him whether they believed in Him or not. I want to have more love for my friends and fellow man like Jesus who gave His life for the salvation of all people. I want to be...  I have a long way to go.  What about you? ><>  Jeff

Ecclesiastes 12:11 Here’s another selection from the sayings and quotes I’ve collected over the years.  Read, consider and be blessed! > Nothing changes if nothing changes. > Jesus didn’t come into the world to make bad people good.  He came to make dead people live. – Ravi Zacharias > It is better to burn out than to rust out. – Christmas Evans > The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.  –  Theodore Roosevelt > A humble prayer: “Dear God, I have a problem.  It’s me.” > The world sees what you do.  God sees why you do it. > Be known as faithful.  If you say, “Let’s do lunch,” do lunch.                                                – Andree Seau > Baseball is like church.  Many attend, few understand. – Leo Durocher > Be courageous.  Don’t be afraid to do ... what you are afraid to do. > Life is short.  If you can’t laugh at yourself, call me, and I will. > “What are you seeking?”  – Jesus ><>  Jeff

1 Corinthians 14:33, 40 In the assemblies of the church at Corinth, there was a lot of confusion brought on by a lack of love and the desire for some to have a prominent place in the proceedings.  Paul instructs them in how the assembly should be conducted: “all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.”  The theological principle behind this is that “God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” This principle of God’s orderliness is everywhere.  The rotation of the earth gives us day and night, prevailing winds and ocean currents.  This rising and setting of the sun gives man the measure for his work and rest.  The revolution of the earth around the sun provides seasons, one after the other, year after year.  We could multiply examples, but the structured rhythms and orderliness of the universe all reflect the character and ways of God Himself. In His dealing with Israel, God established order.  In Numbers we read how the tribes camped in designated places around the tabernacle and the order in which they traveled..  The different families of the Levites were each assigned their own duties relative to the tabernacle.  Tribal inheritances in Canaan were apportioned by lot based upon tribal population and laid out with distinct boundaries. When Jesus fed the 5000, He had them sit in companies of 50 and 100.  Titus (1:5) was left in Crete to “set in order what remains.” With good order in creation and throughout the Bible based upon the person of God Himself, why would Christians think it would be acceptable to God or to any advantage to live a life of disorder and confusion?  Yet, so many do just that. Households run daily in disarray.  Children tell the parents what to do.  Homes and apartments are sloppy, unkempt and inhospitable.   Finances are disorganized: no budgets, no control, no accountability.  Husbands and wives don’t communicate and work at cross purposes.  No regular prayer or Bible reading.  It’s chaos and confusion.  So much time, energy and resources being wasted. If your life is a disorderly mess, work to get it in order.  You and all your family will notice a blessed difference! ><>  Jeff

Matthew 16:24-26 Jesus teaches in several places about the cost of discipleship and the true value of one’s life or soul.  Most of us remember His words: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?...”  Sometimes we read “the whole world” and might have a difficult time relating to the enormity of such a concept.  Few of us deal in “whole world” aspirations.  Perhaps if we downsize the thought and bring it closer home it will make a more heart-felt impact. What good is it ... if a man works hard all his life, owns his own home and has a comfortable retirement and loses his soul? What good is it ... if a man puts all of his children through college, and they have good jobs and own their own home and are happy in their marriages, and they lose their souls? What good is it ... if a woman earns a PhD and reaches into the top echelon of her field of study and becomes the department head at a prestigious university, and she loses her soul? What good is it ... if a man prospers enough to buy the best bass boat on the market, is able to go fishing three or four times a week, catches a state record large-mouth bass and loses his soul? What good is it ... if a woman obtains a job with a major non-profit organization, is able to accomplish unprecedented fund-raising and help many people in poverty, and loses her soul? What good is it ... if a man owns his own business which employs many people, and he is able to generate multi-million dollar income and have all the perks of being one of the “big wheels” in the business world and loses his soul? What good is it ... if a couple is happy in their marriage, raise good kids, do some volunteer work in their community and are known for being “the nicest couple” and lose their souls? What good is it ... if a person is able to have whatever they want, do whatever they want, go wherever they want, and lose their soul? What good is it ... ? ><>  Jeff

Mark 8:34-38 What is your biggest problem?  Such a question will, no doubt, elicit a host of responses.  You might say, “I’ve got all kinds of problems!”  But when you read that, what came to your mind? Perhaps you thought money.  If you only had a little more income to take care of those couple of large bills, then things would be a lot better.  You could breathe easier and have a clearer mind for serving in the kingdom. Perhaps you thought health.  You have a chronic condition, maybe very serious.  If this were only cleared up or alleviated to some extent, you’d feel better and feel more like doing things for the Lord. Perhaps you thought of your marriage.  You know it isn’t what the Lord wants it to be.  You and your spouse are often at odds and have grown to be somewhat distant.  If your relationship were just improved, then it would be a real load off of your shoulders. Perhaps you thought of any number of other things: your current employment situation, your addiction (which you are hiding from everyone), family troubles with children, older age related infirmities, questions about retirement, your no-growth discipleship ... the list is varied and near endless. Each of these situations is troublesome and needs to be handled in a prudent way according to the teachings of our Lord.  But none of them are ever your biggest problem.  Your biggest problem - is you! Jesus said that if a person wanted to become His disciple he must “deny himself.”  This means that I am the main thing which keeps getting between me and my following Jesus.  You see, I am the one who makes decisions for me; I am the one who deals with my temptations; I am the one who handles my problems; I am the one who decides what I do with my time; I am the one who rationalizes and makes excuses; I am the one who chooses how to respond to others and to God.  And, of course, I don’t always do it right. So how do I handle my biggest problem?  What did Jesus say?  “Deny yourself and take up your cross.”   Listen to Him and do things His way.  It’s a tough assignment, but it can be done - with His help. ><>  Jeff

Proverbs 18:13; James 1:19 “Rhonda, you look really down.  What’s the matter?” “Mandy, I’ve got to tell you, it’s bad.  We don’t know what we’re going to do!” “So, what’s going on?” “Justin lost his job” “You’re kidding!” “No, I’m not.  He went in to work yesterday, and they told him that his services were no longer needed.  I’m just sick.  Had a migraine last night.  We have the mortgage, car payments; Jill’s in college; we’re still paying on those medical bills, and I’m...” “Now don’t you worry.  Everything’s going to be fine.  Why I remember back about twenty years ago when Kyle lost his job.  They let him go when the economy went south.  We had a big mortgage, two car payments, two kids in college, and we made it.  We scrimped a lot.  Ate mac ’n cheese, hot dogs - you know.  Kyle took two part time jobs, and I went to work at a pizza place.  We didn’t see each other much in those days.  There were times when we didn’t think we were going to make it, but we did.  Why, I remember one time when we had to sell off some things in order to make the mortgage payment.  It was really touch ‘n go for that one year.  I’ll never forget the time...” As we reflect on this conversation between Rhonda and Mandy, and maybe crack a smile or two, let’s ask some questions.  Do you think Mandy helped Rhonda?  In the end, about whom was this conversation?  Was Mandy a good listener? As detached listeners, we can see that in this case one person hijacked the other’s misfortune to talk about herself.  Most likely Mandy meant well, but in the end, she wasn’t really much help.  She did not give Rhonda the chance to really open up, talk, and release some of that frustration and fear that was surely inside of her.  Mandy was not a good listener.  James says we “must be quick to hear.” Listening is not easy.  Let’s ask God to help us be better listeners, not only to Him but to one another. ><>  Jeff

Ephesians 5:20 Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire, If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, because it means you’ve made a difference. It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings. – via mikeysFunnies.com Paul writes: “always giving thanks for all things...”  This is often perplexing and not easy, but it can yield rich fruits.  Reach deep into your heart and soul, and be thankful. ><>  Jeff