The Fourth Day of Advent, 2016

Wednesday, November 30, 2016
by Patience Nave

I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed – I, and not some foreign god among you.  Isaiah 43:11-12  

Sometimes I am amazed at how absolutely clear the Lord makes His thoughts known! There is not anything obscure about God’s words here in Isaiah! Even before Jesus was born, hundreds of years before, God clearly promised He would be the revealing, saving, proclaiming God – He and He alone! I wonder why my hearing is so dulled that I seem to be unable to hear once and for all what He has said and continues to say!

All around me today, there are people who encourage me to be more broad-minded! They want me to acknowledge other religions and to join some ecumenical throng that says we must each find our own way to God, and whatever that way, it’s legitimate. They want me to join others as they pray to whatever it is they believe in. They want me to acknowledge all gods as equal. If I do not go along with this popular trend, I am labeled narrow in my thinking.

God says, I, even I am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have to make up my mind – not just at Christmas, but all the time – whether I will hear God or hear the popular messages of this time.

Father, thank you for revealing yourself to me in your Son, Jesus the Christ! Thank you that I know that the message of Christmas is that you have come in Person – Emmanuel – God with us! Please, Father, as the secular message takes over the holidays, help me remember that you have provided the only Savior. Amen

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.

 

The Third Day of Advent, 2016

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

by Patience Nave

See, a king will reign in righteousness…. Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert….  Isaiah 32:1-2  

The Lord has to remind me – more often than I would like to admit – that He wants to “reign in righteousness” in my life! To be Lord, in control, allowed to do for others through me.

Yesterday a friend called to discuss something that was troubling her. I’d just read this verse. I felt so good as I realized He wanted me to let Him reign today so that she could have a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm! God wanted streams of living water to flow to her as she thirsted for the only water that can satisfy!

My friend is like so many others who are lonely or troubled or confused by the “stuff” of life. The world is filled with such bad news, such horrible events. In Darfur people suffer horrors and are dying from starvation! They search for crumbs of bread to stay alive. We have missed the Darfur horrors, but we are subjected to fear and starve for want of spiritual food! We search for morsels of truth and encouragement to keep from being overwhelmed by the horror of what we read and see on TV! We desperately search for the peace that can only come from Him who wants to reign in righteousness.

Father, thank you for this early Christmas present, this reminder that something wonderful called righteousness lives in me – all because you live on this earth 2000 years ago and died to make that possible! I need to be reminded every day! Reign, Lord, in me! My house is not perfect but live there, please, that others may find shelter and refuge while I enjoy your Holy Presence!

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.

 

The Second Day of Advent, 2016

Monday, November 28, 2016
by Patience Nave

I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.  Isaiah 42:6

About four hundred years before the birth of Jesus, God spoke these words to Isaiah. Amazing! This is the Scripture that Jesus used to respond to John the Baptist when John sent someone to Jesus to ask Him if He were really the Messiah. John must have wanted to shout for joy when he heard that! The Jews had waited for years and now He was here!

Two thousand years later, the words still thrill our hearts! God had a plan for light coming to even Gentiles! That’s us! That’s me! Fortunately, I can see physically, and I thank God for that. But all too often I am blind spiritually! I need Him to open my spiritual eyes so I won’t miss a thing that He is trying to show me. I am very slow to recognize spiritual blessings, so I’m glad to be reminded, as I prepare for Christmas, that Jesus came to open eyes that are blind – especially spiritually blind!

Father, sometimes I am like the blind person who has never had sight. He learns to live with blindness and never knows what he has been missing. I don’t want to be spiritually blind! I want to see the wonderful truths that you want to make clear but that I often miss. Open my eyes, Father, that I may really see.

And Then It Was Christmas! A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.

 

The First Sunday of Advent, 2016

The Prophecy Candle:
A symbol of hope and expectation.

by Patience Fort

How many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus Christ? Here are 44 of them – some say there are as many as 353.

Genesis 3:15, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:14, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18,

Genesis 17:19, Genesis 21:12, Numbers 24:17, Genesis 49:10,

II Samuel 7:12-13, Isaiah 9:7, Psalm 45:6-7, Daniel 2:44, Isaiah 7:14,

Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15, Isaiah 40:3-5, Psalm 69:8, Isaiah 53:3,

Deuteronomy 18:15, Malachi 4:5-6, Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 11:1,

Isaiah 9:1-2, Psalm 78:2-4, Isaiah 6:9-10, Isaiah 61:1-2, Psalm 110:4,
Psalm 2:6, Zechariah 9:9, Psalm 8:2, Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 11:12-13,
Psalm 35:11, Isaiah 53:7, Isaiah 50:6, Psalm 35:19, Psalm 69:4,
Isaiah 53:12, Psalm 69:21, Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10, Psalm 22:7-8,
Psalm 22:18, Exodus 12:46, Psalm 34:20, Psalm 22:1, Psalm 109:4,
Zechariah 12:10, Isaiah 53:9, Psalm 16:10, Psalm 49:15,

Psalm 24:7-10, Psalm 68:18, Psalm 110:1, Isaiah 53:5-12

Needless to say, the Hebrews were REALLY looking forward to the day when the Messiah would arrive!  Prophecies started back in the 3^rd chapter of Genesis looking forward to the King of Kings. He came in God’s perfect time and fulfilled all that God had foretold.

As we enter into the season of Advent today, we celebrate the Prophecy Candle on two counts. First, the prophecies represent the foretelling of Jesus’ life on the earth. Second, these and other prophecies look further into the future to His second coming. On both fronts, the candlelight cuts through the darkness of sin and death to bring hope and expectation for the future King.

LORD, thank you for having a plan from the very beginning for your wayward people. Thank you for the signs you gave which pointed to the sacrificial Lamb born on Christmas Day. Thank you that we have the expectation of heaven as a result of His coming. And thank you that He will come again to take us home in Your appointed time.

And then it was Christmas! A Journey toward Christmas

My mother was an avid writer. She wrote in her own personal journals. She wrote countless letters. She had her own blog. She wrote for the local newspaper in Homosassa, Florida. She wrote the Vacation Bible School literature for her church in Greensboro, NC. And she wrote several devotional guides for Advent and Lent. (I'm sure this list probably just scratches the surface!)

When I uncovered her Advent Devotional Guides about a month ago, I decided to "publish" the oldest one in my blog for the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. Many people who knew her will be able to hear her voice as they read these entries. And although I think it might be therapeutic for us to experience the perspective of this one whom we loved so dearly, she would insist that we focus on the subject at hand: the coming of the Savior.

And Then It Was Christmas! A Journey Toward Christmas was written in 2006. During this time Mother was the primary caregiver for my dear, sweet father who was declining in health and suffering from dementia. They lived in Homosassa, Florida with their cocker spaniel, Cisco. Theirs was a beautiful home -- quiet, homey, lovely. My family visited them regularly at Christmas and during spring break. It was a great place to go to escape the cold and to enjoy the sun room. Mother loved it there. I envision her sitting there with her Bible, her coffee, and her dog, looking out at the beautiful yard and contemplating Scripture. (She used to do that in my own sun room not too long ago so it's an easy picture for me to see.)

Today's post features the introduction to Mother's Christmas journal from 2006. With the exception of the Sunday entries about the Advent Candles, each day of my blog until Christmas will be Mother's words. I pray that this season of Advent -- of preparation -- will be rich and meaningful as we look with anticipation to the coming of the King of Kings!

An introduction to this Christmas journal

Every morning I get up very early -- somewhere between 5:30 ad 6:30 -- get myself a cup of coffee, my Bible, my journal, and a pen, and I settle down for about two hours of reading, thinking, praying, and writing. Only God, the dog, and I are up! It's so quiet, and I love this time!

In late September or early October, during this morning time, I began thinking about Christmas. I meandered through the Bible looking at verses in the Old Testament that promised the Messiah would come and in the New Testament that told of His arrival. Sometimes the verses were familiar; sometimes they were a little obscure, not the ones that we usually hear and associate with Christmas. I read and thought and wrote notes to myself about what I was reading. The result: a journal with a Christmas theme.

Then I had an idea. I wondered if others would benefit by my meanderings as they, too, prepare for Christmas. So I put my verses and thoughts together, not necessarily in the order that I had read them. I'd like to share my Christmas journal, to invite you to journey with me in my preparation for Christmas. It's written in the first person because I was writing what I thought -- just for me -- and changing the "I" to "we" was a monumental task. My thoughts are probably not very profound, but the Scripture surely is! I really enjoyed this spiritual journey. God had a plan for Jesus to come long, long before He got here -- a wonderful plan to redeem a people for Himself. How generous is His grace that we -- even I -- can enjoy being one of those redeemed! How incredibly patient God was, waiting until exactly the right time in history.

I hope this little gift will be an encouragement to you as we prepare for the celebration of the birthday of our Lord.

Have a joyful trip to the birthday!

Patience (Nave)

   

 

 

 

 

Black Friday

The next Black Friday that I go shopping will be my FIRST Black Friday to go shopping! I guess I'm weird. I was perfectly fine with beating off the crowd this morning at McDonald's, though, to get my oatmeal. (There were maybe six other people there besides us!) No siree. I've never had any desire to participate in the Black Friday madness!

Instead, Bill and I hosted our family Thanksgiving gathering at our house. Pictured here are all ten of us humans and five of our babies. 

 

Patience, Punkin, Lizzie, Zoey, Holly, Brennan, Dakota, Will, Cassie, Bill, Emily, Patrick, Maci, Klecenda, and Muffi

During dinner we reminisced about various things: this being the first Thanksgiving without Mamaw, having a healthy Will with us, and knowing Jesus as our personal savior. 

I am eternally grateful for Mamaw's love for the Lord -- how it spilled over to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and countless others -- and that her faith has become sight. I am grateful that, although Will was spiritually ready to meet his Maker, God saw fit to leave him here with us for a bit longer. And, most of all, I have such peace in knowing that my family is secure in the hands of our Almighty Father. 

To me the day after Thanksgiving is anything but black. 

“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭106:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Thank You

Thanksgiving Day 2016

My guess is that Thanksgiving Day brought you lots of food, football, family, friends -- and maybe a nap. At some point somebody probably posed the annual question -- "What are you thankful for?"

For many, finding a hundred things to be thankful for would be a piece of cake. Life just seems to be full to the brim with goodness. 

For others, it's a monumental task to come up with ANYthing that brings joy and thankfulness. 

Is thankfulness a matter of perspective? Is it a choice? No matter what our circumstances, should we be thankful for SOMEthing? I know an awful lot of people who have every right to be downtrodden and thankless. Personally I'm glad when they are not. 

I think about Job. Poor man. He had every right to curse God and die. He had nothing to live for. Even his wife was a bit of a pain. Yet he chose to keep his head up and to depend on the Lord. 

And what about David? His sins just about got the best of him. He had every reason to be thankless because of all the evil he had done. But God didn't give up on him. Some of the most beautiful passages of thanksgiving in the Bible were penned by David. 

As my Thanksgiving winds down, I can't help but think about the people in our community who don't have the ability to prepare their own celebration meal. I met three of them today. They were precious. And they were SO thankful to get such a wonderful meal on this special day. 

I am thankful for all the people who worked so hard to prepare food for the shut-ins of our community. 

I am thankful for all the businesses and individuals who donated food and supplies for this outreach. 

I am thankful for the hundreds of families who took the time to hand-deliver those meals. 

And I can only imagine the recipients singing the following chorus by Ray Boltz:

Thank you for giving to the Lord. 
I am a life that was changed. 
Thank you for giving to the Lord. 
I am so glad you gave.

God bless you all on this Thanksgiving Day. May you recognize your rich blessings. 

Thanksgiving Eve

We have a Thanksgiving Eve tradition at our house. We go to Aunt Linda's for chile. 

"But you don't have an Aunt Linda," you might say, and you would be right. She is not related to us in the least. She is my sister's sister-in-law or my brother-in-law's sister -- either way, she's unrelated to us. Nevertheless, she became Aunt Linda when the boys were little and that's all that matters. 

A few years ago, Aunt Linda opened her home to our family as if we were hers and some collection of Forts have gone to Lexington every year on Thanksgiving Eve ever since. We have three or four (or seven) different chiles or soups from which to choose and lots of other yummy goodies as well. We never come away hungry, that's for sure. 

This year we had probably 30 people there representing four generations. We had brothers, sisters, spouses, cousins, children, in-laws, grand and great grandparents, grand and great grandchildren, and friends. We were all one big happy conglomeration of humanity -- laughing, reminiscing, dreaming, and celebrating another year with each other. 

I think this is the way families are supposed to be -- all sorts of blood relatives and people with absolutely no relationship all rolled up into a big, happy fruit cake. 

Where else can we see this kind of organism? 

How bout the church?

Those of us who have given our lives to Christ can call ourselves brothers and sisters -- we have the same Father. But inevitably there are those who are not part of the spiritual family who are right there among us. It is up to us to be like an Aunt Linda to them so that they feel 100% welcome -- so they can celebrate without hesitation. 

Is your church like this? Are you an Aunt Linda? Are you searching for a church family to call home?

May God bless us all on this Thanksgiving. May we be generous in our love. May we celebrate this year very well. And may the Lord be glorified

Give thanks at least once a year.

Thank you.
For what?
I don’t know – for everything.
Everything?
Well…thank you for being you.
Thank you for loving me in spite of who I am.
Thank you for all the blessings you have given me.
Thank you for the sunrise – I know it will be here tomorrow like it always is because you’re predictable like that.
Thank you for thanking me.

Bill talked last Sunday about the 10 lepers that Jesus healed (see Luke 17:11-19). Only one came back to thank Him for meeting his desperate need. Were the other nine that ungrateful? Were they just so excited that they forgot their manners?

I don’t know about you, but I love it when someone thanks me for something. I like being recognized. It makes me feel good to know that someone noticed.

What about God? Don’t you think we should thank Him more than once a year for the many ways He has blessed us?  Don’t you think it makes Him feel good to know that we have noticed Him and what He has done?

Thursday is Thanksgiving. That’s a good day to give thanks to the Lord for – I don’t know – everything.

But don’t forget to thank your hostess after dinner for providing a good meal for you.

Don’t forget to thank your family and friends for getting together.

Don’t forget to thank the gas station attendant for being there when you forgot you needed to fill up. That’s right. Don’t pay at the pump – go inside and pay so that you can say, “Thank you.”

I challenge you to find ten people to say “thank you” to on Thursday.

But most of all, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1 

Coming soon: Advent Devotional Guide starts Sunday

Have you ever read an Advent devotional guide during the days leading up to Christmas? Well, here's your chance. 

 

My mother, Patience Nave, wrote several devotional guides for Advent and Lent in her latter years. I will be posting daily entries from her 2006 Advent Devotional Guide, written for her church in Homosassa, Florida,   on my blog from November 27-December 25. 

My prayer is that God will use these daily devotionals written 10 years ago to prepare your heart for the glory of Christmas. 

What do sheep need to eat?

Yesterday I noted that the spiritual infant should be encouraged to be:

• alone with God
• one-on-one with a mentor 
• one-with-some in a small group
• one-with-many in corporate worship

Did you notice the common food in these settings? The bread of life --Scripture. 

Does the new believer have a Bible they can understand? Do you need to help them find a different translation (perhaps the one the pastor uses from the pulpit) or a study Bible?

Do they need for you to show them how the Bible is organized? Do they understand, for example, the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament or how to find a verse referred to in church?

• Suggest that they start reading the gospel of John at their own pace.
• Introduce them to a quiet time. Did you know that there's a difference between a quiet time and a Bible study? A quiet time should happen every day and should take 10-20 minutes. It is based on a verse or two of Scripture. 
• Encourage them to begin regular Bible study. Bible study can happen once or twice a week or more and should be more in-depth, lasting 45-60 minutes.
• Every believer needs corporate worship where the Scripture tends to come alive. 
• Memorization of scripture is important for those times that we don't have the Bible at our fingertips but we needs its words. 
• Meditation on scripture is where we savor its flavor and goodness and contemplate its meaning. 

Now I'd imagine that if you were to walk up to a young infant and explain to them the basic food groups and take them to "Texas Roadhouse" for some meat and potatoes (and peanuts), you'd probably get a bit of a blank stare in return. So it is with the new believer. If you present them with the list of ways to devour the Scriptures listed above, they would likely be a bit overwhelmed. So take it easy. The Lord will guide you regarding the pace you should go. 

There are lots of other things that the new believer needs over time in order to grow and mature. But this is the basic foundation of it all -- Scripture. 

And don't forget to have your new believer journal about everything along this journey. Quiet times, Bible studies, sermons, and personal questions should all be put into their own words. It's really cool for them to flip back through the pages a year later, for instance, and see just how far they've come. 

Nurturing a new Christian is a joy and a God-ordained responsibility. 

Recall that Jesus commanded for us to go and make DISCIPLES of all nations. 

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Feeding His sheep and nurturing young believers is something all God's people should actively do. Are you involved in this? If not, why not? Pray about it. And contact your Education Minister, Youth Minister, or Pastor to find a hungry sheep. 

Four Ways to Nurture Spiritual Infants

How do you teach, encourage, and nurture new Christians? Very carefully. And very intentionally. 

As I stated yesterday, we can't expect new Christians to grow and mature on their own. So what do they need?

1. They need personal time with the Lord as they read Scripture, study, and pray on their own. 
2. They need to be fed one-on-one (like Paul mentored Timothy). 
3. They need nurturing that comes from being with some other believers (like in Sunday School, mission organizations, Bible study classes, etc).
4. They need the nourishment that comes from being with a lot of Christians through corporate worship and God-inspired sermons. 

Think about it. Isn't that what Jesus did when he was here? Didn't he encourage the apostles to have personal relationships with the Father? Didn't he teach them one-on-one? Didn't he teach in small groups (Jesus with the twelve)? And didn't he preach to the masses?

So if we want our new believers -- the spiritual infants in our churches -- to grow and mature, then we need to purposefully encourage these relationships. That will mean our getting involved. 

Are you up to the challenge?

Can you provide the personal attention that they need?

It is fun and very rewarding but sometimes a little challenging to know where to start. How 'bout I give you some specific ideas tomorrow about how you can help to direct a new believer in your church? Stay tuned.  

What About the Spiritual Babies?

Today Bill and I had the pleasure of visiting with some dear friends of ours in Bowling Green. Amanda just two weeks ago delivered two very healthy babies -- Caleb and Josie. Today we got to meet them, hold them, feed and burp them -- and then give them back for diaper changes!

 

I've thought today about Amanda and Trevor and about how wise God is to give twins to young people! I've thought about how wonderful it is to see these precious parents caring for their babies -- parents who 20 years ago when we left Bowling Green were mere children themselves. God prepared them well for today and the responsibility they now share. 

And, as my father did so often, I pulled a spiritual lesson from our encounter. 

What about the spiritual babies in our midst?

Are we content to witness to people and introduce them to Christ? That is very important. 

Or do we take the next step and nurture them to spiritual maturity?

Just like Amanda would not pat her babies on their backs and say, "OK, you two. Welcome to the world. Be happy and I'll see you next Sunday." We should not do the same for new believers in our churches. Amanda's babies can't feed themselves much less eat steak and potatoes. Why should we expect spiritual infants to feed themselves at first or to know even where to go to get appropriate nourishment. No. THEIR initial growth is totally up to US. 

So what do we do? You tell me. 

How do YOU teach, encourage, and mentor new Christians? 

Do Unto Others. . .

Yesterday I wrote about taking care of each other. Here are a few examples from the past couple of days. 

(1) Some friends of ours celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this week and had a big gathering last night in Bowling Green. We left Richmond after work at about 4:15 and drove down there. We had dinner and enjoyed some wonderful fellowship with quite a few of our old friends from our previous church. Then we got back in the car and drove home. (I use "we" very loosely because I slept most of the way home. I had to get up at 4:45 this morning.)

(2) Today after work Bill picked me up from the hospital and we drove to Hopkinsville for a funeral visitation. 

(3) Tonight we landed at my sister's house. She fed us well. We visited. And now we are going to get some much-needed sleep. It is so nice to be in their cozy, warm home and not driving back to Richmond. 

I mention these things because they really are everyday occurrences in our household. Bill and I go out of our way to minister to and love on our brothers and sisters. And our brothers and sisters minister to us. Sometimes when people feel like they can't keep their head above water, you and I show up to help them out. And when we have fallen flat on our faces, God uses someone to minister to our needs. 

We should be eager to minister to those around us no matter how inconvenient it is. Christ went out of his way to help so many. So should we. 

The Fallen Need Our Help

Yesterday I had a run-in with the street beside Memorial Coliseum. It’s funny how quickly the ground can come up to meet you when you least expect it!

I was walking back to Chandler Medical Center from Good Samaritan Hospital – it was a lovely day to skip the shuttle. But as I stepped off of the curb into the street, I looked off to the left to be sure no cars were coming and I failed to see the uneven pavement. I twisted my ankle and went splat onto all fours.

I don’t know where all these people came from but I looked up to see 5-6 students rushing to my aid. They were very concerned that I may have hurt myself. They helped me up, made sure I was okay, and then – just like that – they were gone.

Unlike my husband who seems to leave us all hanging in his sermons as he tells stories like this, before I move on to the spiritual lesson I learned, I’d like to just say that I am fine. I have a little spot on my foot that is swollen and tender and I’m a little achy all over. But that’s about it.

Now…

As I’ve thought about this graceful episode of mine, I’ve pondered the Body of Christ. Isn’t it pretty normal? You get a paper cut on your little finger and it messes up your day – and you’re reminded that if one part of the Body is hurt then it affects the other members. I definitely experienced that. I walked differently after the fall which made my back hurt. Sometimes the achiness from my foot radiated up my shin. My knees stung when I took a shower because just enough skin had gotten scuffed off to make them tender. Yep, my whole body felt the effects of my spill.

But what about the students? First of all, I was impressed that they left their busyness to come check on this old girl. That was really sweet. But once they saw that I could get up on my own and could walk, they seemingly just disappeared.

Do we do that? When someone falls flat on their face spiritually, do we go rushing in to make sure they’re okay and then just disappear as quickly as we came? What should our response be?

I’m reminded of the Good Samaritan – interesting since that’s the name of the hospital where I had been before this occurred. Not only did he go attend to the one who had fallen, he loaded him up and took him to a safe place where his needs could be addressed. And he paid the expenses to boot. (see Luke 10:25-37)

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”  Luke 10:34-35

Lord, Help us keep our eyes open for the fallen in our midst. Help us meet their immediate and long-term needs. Remind us take good care of each other since that is the right thing to do.

No one can ever take it away!

I saw something in our Sunday School lesson last week that I thought was pretty interesting. It has to do with our own personal experience with the Lord Jesus Christ. I think it is safe to say that my relationship with Him is unlike yours or Bill’s or anybody else’s. That only makes sense. Would it be reasonable for me to say to you that since you don’t have the same testimony that I have, then yours isn’t real? Well, of course not. Have you ever had someone say that to you, though – that your testimony isn’t real? It’s a little bone-jarring. But it shouldn’t be. Let’s look at II Peter to see why.

For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him! And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain.   II Peter 1:16-18

Why do you think Peter said these things to his readers? He had already written them a previous letter. Wouldn’t they have known him as an apostle? As an eye-witness? Hadn’t they heard the stories of His personal interactions with the Lord? So why would he feel compelled to remind them of this?

First of all the religions revolving around the Greek and Roman gods were based on what? Tradition? Stories? Fiction? Imagination? Peter wanted his readers to remember that Christianity is not based on some kind of myth. It is factual – and he was an eye-witness to those facts.

But – and here’s where I may be reading between the lines a tad – I wonder if some of the Christians had been challenged by people of other religions regarding the validity of their faith. Maybe they were questioning if their relationship with the Lord was real. Regardless, I think the Lord wanted Peter’s words (His words) to show US something important: NO ONE can take away your testimony! It is yours. It doesn’t involve anyone else. It is a personal experience between YOU and the Lord.

So if anyone ever tries to make you question your faith, remember that you are an eye-witness to the risen Lord. They may follow a religion based on myth but your encounters with the God of the universe are real. No one can take them away from you.

Lord, thank you that you speak to us so clearly through Scripture. Thank you for little morsels like this one today. Thank you for the confidence that it gives us to be reminded that, like Peter, we are eye-witnesses to your love and saving grace.

So I really can be useful?

According to II Peter 1:5-8, the "trick" to being useful or fruitful lies with some pretty remarkable character traits. I'm thinking that by myself I would have no way to achieve all -- or any -- of these qualities (faithfulness, goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love). But God, through His unending love, desires for us to have these characteristics and wants to give them to us if we seek them.

If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective [useful] and unproductive [fruitful] in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But [by the way] whoever does not have them...  is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.  II Peter 1:8-9 [emphasis mine] 

We would be useful to whom?
I think we will not only be useful to the Lord (which is, of course, our ultimate goal) but also to our friends, family, and co-workers. Think about it. If I am faithful at work, show goodness to my co-workers, exhibit self-control in my dealings with staff, management, and clients, am patient in my dealings with everybody, and express brotherly affection and love to everyone, then I’m going to be useful and fruitful in my job. I would agree, though, that my true goal in life is to be useful in God’s eyes above all others.

What does it mean to be fruitful or productive? Faithfulness, goodness, patience, godliness, self-control, and love have all been covered in this passage. Do they remind you of another verse in the New Testament? 

For the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
and self-control.
Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

It is by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we take on His characteristics in our lives. We must let him control us. We must take an active part in embracing this fruit.

So there you have it. The "formula" for being useful lies in II Peter 1:5-8.
If we have these things and they are increasing in our lives,
then we will be useful and fruitful.

Now that is cool.

If we have these qualities and they are increasing in our lives....

For this reason,

make every effort to supplement your faith  with goodness, 

goodness with knowledge, 

knowledge with self-control, 

self-control with endurance, 

endurance with godliness, 

godliness with brotherly affection, 

and brotherly affection with love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, 

they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful

in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

II Peter 1:5-8

OK, so yesterday we started with faith, we’ve added goodness, and now we have added knowledge. What is next? Self-control. I don’t know about you but I have a hard time with this. If someone crosses me or gets me riled up (like today on the robo-call), it is all I can do to keep my mouth shut. Now I don’t scream obscenities or profanities or anything like that. But I’m usually good for saying something particularly sarcastic that I end up regretting. I just have a hard time keeping my tongue in check.

I’m equally bad about certain compulsions in my life – like overeating. I know good and well, for instance, that I can’t eat one Lays potato chip (or ONE of ANYTHING) because I then want and will consume the whole bushel basketful. I have said many times that I am so grateful that I never tried cocaine or heroin because I’m positive that I would be instantly addicted and wouldn’t have any idea when to stop.

So where does self-control come from? Where can I get a good healthy dose of it? First of all, it comes from the Lord in the form of Christ-control. I’ve decided that I can’t control me – only the Lord can. So I must not only yield to Him but I must also put His precepts into practice. Remember the “make every effort” part of our scripture passage. I have to work at it through my knowledge of Him.

Have you ever prayed for patience? If so, what has God done for you? Most likely He has put you in a situation which has been very trying so that you will depend on Him for endurance and patience. So don’t pray for this if you don’t want it. God tends to deliver. Look at Bill. He prayed for patience about 35 years ago and God gave him me and my mother (both named, Patience). Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?!

After patience or endurance comes godliness. I guess if you exhibit all these characteristics – faith, goodness, self-control, endurance – it is reasonable to expect to be godly. But, again, these qualities come straight from the Lord, so it stands to reason that we would then become more like Him and therefore be godly.

And the natural result of being godlike in our thoughts and attitudes is to reach out to our fellow man with brotherly affection. It is God’s concern for man coming out through us. Although this might be a natural by-product, it, too, will require active behavior on our parts. It is not natural to have affection for the unlovely in our midst. But by yielding to God’s influence in our lives, we can genuinely express brotherly affection on His behalf.

Brotherly affection naturally yields godly love – sacrificial, unselfish love.

Here is the bottom line of our passage in II Peter which we will look at more closely tomorrow.

If we have all these things and they are increasing in our lives,
then we will be USEFUL and FRUITFUL.

I want to be useful.

A few days ago I started going down this path of usefulness, purpose or worthiness. I quoted Emerson and I still like what he said:

The purpose of life is not  to be happy.

It is to be useful, 

to be honorable, 

to be compassionate, 

to have it make some difference 

that you have lived and lived well. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

As good as I think these words are, there are some others in Scripture that help us to see how to be useful and fruitful. It is all based on the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith  with goodness,
goodness with knowledge,
knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance,
endurance with godliness,
godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,
they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful

in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Peter 1:5-8

So let’s look at this a little more closely.

Where does our faith come from? It partially comes from trust and experience, doesn’t it? If I go to turn on a light switch, I have faith that the light will come on. I don’t quite understand all I know about electric circuitry, but I know that it has happened a million times in the past – I’ve hit the switch and the light has come on.  My faith in God is not quite so simplistic but He has proven over and over again that He can be trusted.  So I do.

According to II Peter, I must “make every effort” to supplement my faith with goodness. Where is this goodness going to come from because I’m not naturally very good? It will come from the Holy Spirit. But did you catch the “making an effort” part? That means that goodness, and all the other things in this list, won’t come passively. They won’t just happen because we are Christians. We have to put forth the effort to add them to our lives. God through the Holy Spirit offers us these qualities or characteristics, but we have to actively put them into practice in our lives.

So if I started with faith and now have added goodness, then the next step is to add knowledge. What kind of knowledge is this talking about? I dare say it is not talking about carnal or worldly knowledge. No, I’m pretty sure it refers to spiritual knowledge. So where does this come from? Again, it is the result of our actively pursuing it and not expecting it to just appear from the Lord. Could God just zap us with this and other qualities? Yes. But it is far better that we make the effort and purposefully add them to our lives through our knowledge of Him. We can obtain spiritual knowledge through Bible study, scriptural research, prayer, worship services, and other avenues. God wants us to have it but it is totally up to us.

Ponder these things. Tomorrow we will look at the rest of this list.

I feel so insignificant.

According to yesterday’s look at Genesis, we’ve pretty well established that God made us and we are his pride and joy.

That in and of itself is huge.   Or at least is SHOULD be. 

But perhaps we need more convincing. Perhaps we still feel pretty insignificant in this vast expanse of earth and outer space.

Jeremiah 1:5 says,
   “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart.”
Did you catch that?
(1) He created us – just like in Genesis.
(2) He knew us – He established a relationship with us.
(3) He ordained us.

What more do we need to truly understand that He loves us and cherishes us? Is it because we don’t feel worthy of His love that we don’t believe what He says? Tell me this.

Who determines if we are worthy of God’s love or not?
Us?
Society?

Here comes the answer – via a few questions.  Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe that he died on the cross to save you from your sin? Do you believe that He rose from the dead? Have you asked Him to make his home in your heart? Have you promised to follow Him all the days of your life? Then guess what? According to God’s word, you ARE worthy.

Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:38)  
Whoever takes up their cross and follows me IS worthy of me. (logical conclusion of Mt 10:38)

So…

He created us.
He has a relationship with us because He lives inside our hearts.
He set us apart to do His work.
And He made us worthy of His love.

We are His pride and joy and we need to celebrate that!

We Are God's Creation

According to Scripture, God created the heavens and the earth, the seas and the dry land, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and all the living things on the earth. And God saw that it was good. (summary of Genesis 1:1-25)

But God wasn't quite finished yet. He created His crowning jewel -- mankind. We are the ones He created in His image -- not the puppies or the frogs or the horses.  Humans. And what was our purpose?

"So that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creature that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26

 Once this was complete, what did the Lord say about the world and about us?

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31

Not until He had made US was He satisfied with his art. I think that's pretty cool.

Have you ever stopped to really think about our world? It is incredible.
Not only is it breathtakingly beautiful, it is so complex that we have studied it for thousands of years and still can't quite figure it all out.  People explore it, photograph it, run experiments on it, and sometimes even worship it. But "it" in and of itself is simply the handiwork of the Master Designer.

And yet WE are his pride and joy.

How many of us would tell Rembrandt or Monet that their art is ugly, stupid, and flat out worthless? Even if their style is not our favorite, I doubt that we would disrespect them like that. So why do we talk to God that way?

Sometimes we get so caught up in the brokenness of the world (because we let the evil one influence us) that we can't see the beauty of it. Nor can we see the beauty of US. And in actuality we tell God that He made a mistake when He made us. The nerve!

Today we should remember that God thinks we're pretty special.
Who are we to think otherwise of the artist's creation?

Why Are We Here?

What is the meaning of life?

Why am I here?

Have you heard these comments?

I just want to blend in. 

I don't want to be singled out. 

I don't want to be different. 

Or

I want to be myself. 

I don't want to be like the others. 

I want to be famous. 

Or

I just want to help others. 

I just want to make a difference. 

I want to discover something important. 

So what is it that we really want out of life?

• happiness
• fame
• fortune
• family
• security for the afterlife 

You know, I really can't answer this question outside of Scripture, for it is because of God that I am who I am and that I have any value. Without Him I am nothing. Because of Him my life means everything. 

Does that mean that I am the product of a cookie cutter mold and that all believers are the same? Absolutely not. 

Does that mean that God knew exactly what he was doing when he made me with this personality and temperament? Absolutely. 

Tonight I leave you with a quote from Ralph Emerson. It's a good springboard to what I want to share tomorrow from II Peter. So stay tuned. 

The purpose of life is not to be happy.

It is to be useful, 

to be honorable, 

to be compassionate, 

to have it make some difference 

that you have lived and lived well. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just because I like MY nails painted....

Poor little Cassie. 

She needed her toenails trimmed in a major way. But, bless her heart, she's the kind of girl that would have been just fine with a trim and then a jaunt in the park. Not me.

She patiently waited as I trimmed a little and then a little more -- I'm always afraid I'll make them bleed. 

Then she endured my filing them with an emory board. You can't have sharp edges on your nails!

Then, the insult of all insults -- I painted them

PINK! 

When we were all finished, she exitedly went running around outside, glad to be free from the torture. 

But when she came back in, she curled up on my bed in a little ball -- feet all tucked under -- as if to say, "Don't you dare do anything else to my toes! You've embarrassed me enough for one night!"

 

How many times do we do things like this to our friends and family -- impose what we think is appealing onto them? 

I don't know, maybe you aren't guilty of such a thing. I know there are times when I think something should go a certain way or be done with a certain touch and I just assume everybody else feels the same way. Many times it isn't really a big deal -- everybody just goes along and it turns out fine. But sometimes, feelings get hurt -- people feel like you're about the bossiest human they know -- people wonder who put YOU in control, etc. 

As Thanksgiving approaches, I'm reminded of the first European settlers and the native Americans who helped them survive. It was imperative to show each other respect and to learn to share the land. 

I don't think it's any different today. We mustn't expect pink nail polish where plain ol' ordinary ones will do nicely. We must respect each other and learn from one another. And...

Be thankful for God's provision. 

The Treasures of Life

It's been over three months since my mother passed away. It seems like a hundred years ago. And it seems like yesterday. 

Sometimes I go into her room and I can still smell her there.

Every day I see her things in our home -- her great aunt's hutch, the picture of her and daddy in the alps, the books she was reading before she got so sick -- and I am reminded of her love for life and her devotion to her Lord. 

She was proud of her country. She would have wanted to stay up until the wee hours of the night on Election Day to see the outcomes of the different races. She appreciated the privilege and the responsibility to vote. 

Mother was a writer. I read a few entries in one of her journals last week -- she had such a way with words. So I was thrilled tonight when I came across some Advent devotional guides she had written in recent years. I had already found two or three of them. But now I have a total of seven! And four Lenten guides! 

What a treasure. 

She was a treasure. 

I miss her. But she is doing right now what she had so desperately longed to do for many, many years -- praising God with all her heart. I can't wait to do the same. 

Spiritual Seasons

Are there Spiritual seasons -- periods of growth and dormancy?

As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night." Genesis 8:22

Well, from a scientific point of view, the above statement is true. In order for the earth to function properly, it must revolve around the sun and it must rotate on its axis. Therefore during earth's life as we know it, there will always be seasons, polar opposites, daylight, and dark.

What is spiritual SPRING?
It is a time of awakening and new growth. Sometimes it is when we have first come to a saving knowledge of the Lord that we find ourselves in springtime. But spring doesn't only come once in our spiritual lifetime. Sometimes the best growth spiritually comes after a hard pruning or a time of dormancy. But spiritual growth requires sunshine (or sonshine) and rain (living water) and God supplies them both.

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.  Zechariah 10:1

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear.... Hosea 6:3 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! II Corinthians 5:17

SUMMER?
Summer is a time to sink the roots down deep into the spiritual soil -- to become well-grounded and strengthened.

The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field.  Ezekiel 31:4 

It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters. Ezekiel 31:7

The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form.... Jeremiah 11:16

AUTUMN?
This season is marked by the falling away of things from our lives -- hurts, habits, hangups, etc. When we listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to cut some things away, that can be painful and yet liberating. Autumn is also typically a time to separate the good from the bad -- the seed from the chaff.

The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. Psalm 67:6

The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Psalm 85:19

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  I John 1:9 

His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.  Luke 3:17 

WINTER?
Winter brings rest and peace. It may be a bit dark and cold, but it should remind us of our dependence upon God and that He is in control.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darknes has not overcome it.  John 1:5

...even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day for darkness is as light to you.  Psalm 139:12

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46:10 

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.  Psalm 37:5-6

Trust in the Lord foreer, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.  Isaiah 26:4 

Yes, because of our human nature, we find ourselves in various seasons spiritually as our lives progress. It is important to keep our focus on the Lord no matter which season we are in. We should look to the positive in our current season and look forward to what the Lord will bring in the next. And we should take comfort in knowing that He is in control.

Seasons of Life

 

I've done a little reading about the seasons of life. I've heard people comment about being in a particular season but I've never really looked into what those seasons might be.  

I've thought about these possible seasons:

• childhood and development
• young adulthood, the quest for career, the quest for a mate
• young family, friends getting married, friends having children
• older family, older generation (parents, aunts, uncles) dying, empty nest, grandchildren, declining health
• retirement, siblings dying, spouses dying

But this seems too chronological for me. 

Perhaps as we go through the different phases of physical maturity and natural decline we experience different things that require a response from us and these times become the seasons. 

Now I don't know anything about Adam Sicinski or IQMatrix, but here's an excerpt of what he says:

• Summer: A season for rewards, celebration and fulfillment.
• Autumn: A season for survival, mistakes and problems.
• Winter: A season for reflection, hibernation and planning.
• Spring: A season for learning, opportunity and dynamic thinking.

http://blog.iqmatrix.com/seasons-of-transformation

Interesting. 

So how long does one season last?

What determines how we move from one to the next?

Do they go in order like our natural seasons do?

Or can they skip around?

Do some people live in a "climate" that only produces one or two seasons?

Natural seasons progress pretty rhythmically whether we want them to or not. Do our personal seasons change on their own or do we have any control over them! 

Are there spiritual seasons?

If so, do they stand alone or are they intertwined with life's seasons?

According to King Solomon there is a season for:

• giving birth and dying
• planting and uprooting
• killing and healing
• tearing down and building up
• weeping and laughing
• mourning and dancing
• throwing stones and gathering stones
• embracing and refraining from embracing
• searching and counting as lost
• keeping and throwing away
• tearing and sewing
• being silent and speaking
• loving and hating
• war and peace‭‭ (from Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:2-8‬)

Think about it. 

Tomorrow we are going to look at some scripture regarding spiritual seasons. I think that will answer some of today's questions.

Seasons

I love the seasons in Kentucky because I love change. I don't think I would like to live in the seasonal extremes of Siberia or the Sahara desert. 

What do you like about the seasons? Is it the variety? Is it the beauty? 

For some people, it is the anticipation of what is to come.  For instance, in the heat of August it isn't uncommon to hear, "I can't wait for fall to get here." Or after a long stretch of freezing temps, you might hear, "I'm so ready for spring!"

Which season is your favorite?

Me? I've thought about this question before. I love the beautiful flowers of spring. I love going to the pool and the very long days of summer. I love the gorgeous trees and milder temps of fall. And I love winters that are full of back to back snows. 

 

But really and truly, I think my favorite season is the one I'm in. So fall it is. 

Happy Autumn, everyone. Let's celebrate. 

Henny Penny

Do you remember the story of Henny Penny or Chicken Licken? This was the one where an acorn falls on the chick's head and he automatically assumes, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" 

Can you name some of the other characters in the story?

• Cocky Locky
• Ducky Lucky
• Goosey Loosey
• Gander Lander
• Turkey Lurkey
• Foxy Loxy

Well, we have had our own little Henny Penny at our house for about the past 13 years or so. 

 

This isn't really him but it's a close double. 

Henny came to us when Lizzie was about five. Lori Reisig had rescued this little fellow from the parking lot outside of the JC Penney's. She said he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders or like he felt that disaster was eminent. Hence the name, Henny Penny. But Lori couldn't keep him so she gave him to our Lizzie for me to take care of (you know how that goes). 

Henny disappeared 6 days ago -- he was NOT a wanderer. He had been losing weight and had gotten very frail. But he seemed happy enough -- purring and talking to me often. Unfortunately, I think it's safe to say that Henny probably wandered off to find a place to die. 

I hate that. Every day I've gone out to check around for him, hopeful that he will come around the corner or meet me by the food bowls. It's not looking good. 

If this is true and Henny is gone, that means that we are down to three pets at our house -- one skidish little rescue dog, one fat indoor rescue cat, and one svelte outdoor hunter-cat (also a rescue). It's a little bit sad. I wonder if the remaining animals wonder where Henny is. Will my hunter miss having the warmth of his body in the cat bed at night this winter? 

Henny was a pretty good ol' boy. I'll miss him.