“Are You A Prude? I Am”

Proverbs 8:1-7 "Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud: To you, O men I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. You, who are simple, gain prudence. You, who are foolish, gain understanding. Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness."

Isn’t it funny how prude it sounds to even mention prudence? It is kind of a sad commentary that we have such a knee-jerk revulsion for the word and for the picture that it conjures up inside of us. Of all the discussion and devotional concepts, ideas and interested topics we have covered so far, and frankly all those to come, this topic is the most obviously contrary to current trends. I’m sure we almost all will agree that we live in a world which promotes the following beliefs to every one of us, all the time.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Have you been wrestling with God lately ?? Are you tired of the constant battle going on in your life ?? My friend it is time to Surrender……………

Noble Things

2 Peter 1:16-17 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love and with Him I am well pleased."

This verse always reminds me of how properly important it is for us to understand that who we are in Christ is not a casual thing. It is the very, most noble of all callings and we would do well to return some of the majesty to the relationship with our King. I miss some of the noble things, some so simple, that people used to do. Appropriateness is dying for lack of perpetuation. Without becoming boorishly high-minded I think it is possible that we desperately need to return to some of the formality that was just plain respectful.

“Do You Really Understand?”

1 John 5:20a "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding."

One of the most common problems in churches today seems to be misunderstanding. We, too often, aren’t on the same page, or even worse, in the same book. Sometimes we even seem to be on different planets. A lot of our communication problems come from not listening carefully. We all are very busy doing several things at once or are distracted. When we don’t focus, or truly pay attention to each other, there can be a real lack of understanding. The same is true with God. When we don’t listen to Him, or when we are distracted with life, it’s easy not to pay attention to what He is revealing to our hearts and minds.

The Love of Money

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. ECCLESIASTES 5:10

The love of money is a danger that we face more than we realize. If we stop only comparing ourselves to the super-rich and consider the fact that we in America, no matter how much cash on hand we may have at the moment, are all still among the wealthiest 8% of the world's population and consume a far greater percentage of the world's resources than anyone else on the planet. We all think we'd love to have oodles of money, but after you read the following sobering account from history you might reconsider. I hope you find this as compelling as I did and perhaps as convicting too. We are such poor stewards and really need from time to time to think about our dreams and fantasies might actually turn into nightmares or worse. Hope the message sinks in for all of us.

I Like The Boy Scouts

Proverbs 21:21 "He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life, prosperity, and honor."

When I think of loyalty, automatically, my first thought is about Boy Scouts. The first word associated with scouts is “loyal”. I have always admired Boy Scouts, and though I have never been one, I have participated in several Eagle Scout Ceremonies as a Pastor. So often today, we see disloyalty and divided loyalties. Disloyalty is obviously sinful, but divided loyalties are sometimes difficult to see, especially if you are the one divided.

Do Not Worry

Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

There are so many things these days that can give us cause to worry. Anxiety medication is being prescribed at unprecedented levels. We have conflicts going on around the world, political upheaval is rampant, our economy is in disarray, many people have lost their jobs or are in danger of being layed off, and the list could go on and on. With this in mind, I received a very timely e-mail from my manager yesterday. She frequently sends out a "quote of the day" or some other encouraging or motivational excerpt. I want to share it with you today, and I hope that it will help you resist the temptation to worry about all of these things that are beyond our control anyway. Blessings on your day as you TRUST in the LORD!

Excerpted from Attitude Is Everything by Vicki Hitzges

Rule #1 Wait to Worry

“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength.” ~Charles Spurgeon

I used to worry. A lot. The more I fretted, the more proficient I became at it. Anxiety begets anxiety. I even worried that I worried too much! Ulcers might develop. My health could fail. My finances could be depleted to pay the hospital bills. To get some perspective, I visited a well known Dallas businessman, Fred Smith. Fred mentored such luminaries as motivational whiz Zig Ziglar, business guru Ken Blanchard and leadership expert John Maxwell. Fred listened as I poured out my concerns and then said, “Vicki, you need to learn to wait to worry.”

As the words sank in, I asked Fred if he ever spent time fretting. To my surprise, he confessed that in years gone by he had been a top-notch worrier! As a young man, Fred landed a high-paying executive job. Yet he’d only earned a high school degree. He was afraid someone with a college degree would come along and snag his job. Each night after work, he sat with a cup of coffee worrying about losing his position because he thought no other job could compare to the one he had. As he fretted, he started to realize that he wasn’t anxious based on fact, he was anxious based on his imagination. He was borrowing trouble.

He thought to himself, “Fred, are you a better, more valuable employee if you stay up late worrying? Do you do your best work if you’re tired and tense?” “I decided that I would wait to worry!” he explained. “I decided that I’d wait until I actually had a reason to worry – something that was happening, not just something that might happen – before I worried. As it turns out, I never lost that job. My boss was very happy with my performance.”

“When I’m tempted to get alarmed,” he confided, “I tell myself, ‘Fred, you’ve got to wait to worry! Until you know differently, don’t worry.’ And I don’t. Waiting to worry helps me develop the habit of not worrying and that helps me not be tempted to worry.”

Are you worried? Take Fred’s advice: Wait!

Discernment?

Philippians 1:9-11 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God."

Our topic for today is Discernment - a big word that doesn’t get used very often these days, but should still be vitally important to us. Discerning has a lot to do with deciding - given two or more options and then making the right choice. The Bible, God's Word, is the source of all truth and wisdom, so it provides each of us the insight and understanding to discern correctly. One of my favorite verses in His Word is this one today where Paul prays amazingly compelling words over the church in Philippi.

You can know a lot of things, but unless you can make right decisions... that knowledge is not very helpful. My mom once said to me, “You may be brilliant, but sometimes you don’t have sense enough to come in out of the rain” (which was her way of letting me know I was all wet). On the other hand, my dad would say, “I think you should think long and hard about what you are about to do.” (before you make the wrong decision). Sometimes, as a teenager, I would think long and hard, while I was standing in the rain! (That is why it helps to have both perspectives.) Not too bright for a brilliant guy to be all wet and still make the wrong decision... which, by the way, I am still capable of doing.

Sometimes we can’t see the forest because of the trees. Why is the obvious not so obvious sometimes? Because of our sin nature, we can often snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Why? Because we don't think! We don’t consider! We don’t discern! Either we act on sheer emotion, or we do nothing at all and let things happen to us. Often we run ahead or just don't go at all instead of taking the time to discern what we should really do. Both of these tendencies are wrong.

Somewhere between doing whatever and being stuck, and being impulsive is the process of discerning. Our carelessness, foolishness, indifference, and indecisiveness cause us and others many problems. Discernment is a three-step process (God’s Word is a good place to start):
1. Take time
2. Take stock
3. Take action

If you first take time, you will, at least, have a chance to discern. If you then take stock, you will, at least, have an accurate perspective of what you are deciding about, and finally, if you take action, you will, most likely, do what you've taken the time and stock to consider. Let’s all think more about our words and actions. Take time and take stock and then take action.

Discernment is a process – start it; go through the steps and finish it. Then, you will have done what you could and should do...and finally, I have discerned that it is time to end this devotional.

In Him, Pastor Fred

Do You Trust God?

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”

Our nation's motto is "In God We Trust" and to this day, those words are inscribed on our paper money and coins. I hope we never lose that reminder of the only truth about trust, and that is to trust God and God alone.

One of my favorite stories is about the man who was hiking alone along the paths that overlook the beautiful coastline below Big Sur, California. Somehow, while admiring creation in its splendor, he managed to lose his footing and fall, but somehow, much to his surprise, ended up hanging from a bush more than a hundred feet from the top and the bottom of the cliff. Imagine suspended too far to climb back up and too far to drop. Regaining his wits, he began to call out for help. He yelled at the top of his lungs for someone, anyone to help him. No one was on the path at the time or could hear his pleas for assistance, so he turned to the only one he trusted at times like these...God. “God, please help me! I'm about to die!” Knowing he could not hold on much longer, he surrendered to whatever God's will might be thinking that he may, very well, be meeting God face to face very soon. Just as he was about to lose his grip, he heard the voice of God speak clearly to him as never before. “I'm here, right below you on a safe ledge just a few feet below. Just let go and trust me. I'll catch you if you fall any farther.” The man gathered his remaining strength, reestablished his grip and tried with futility to see below him. Where he was hanging in the bush and the thickness of the shrubs, he had no view at all of anything but the rocks below and the sheer cliff wall above. He somehow mustered more strength and asked honestly, "Is there anyone else up there?"

Sometimes we want to trust God and even use the language of trust, but when push comes to shove, we often trust on our terms without exercising any faith. Scripture is replete with teaching about trust and always addresses trust in God with the responsibility firmly resting on the believer to "put" his/her trust in God. The "proof is in the pudding" as they say, but sometimes, I guess, the "pudding" gets a little sticky. We must choose to trust, and that often does not come easily. Oh, how many times I have struggled and fought and complicated my life because I was unwilling to really put my life or situation in the Lord's hands. Sure, I trust Him, but how about some audio or visual aids or a sign or something? I tend to hang on too long to what I think I know and too tight to my perspective. I try to control God helping me or answering me by asking for details. I should just surrender, and then I wouldn't have to look back and wonder why, once again, I made life so hard. He always shows himself to be merciful and full of grace, able to handle all of my troubles. Eventually I thank Him realizing that I didn't need to go through the anguish, if I only would have "completely" trusted Him from the beginning.

If you were that man who fell, what would you have done? Choose an answer from the list or give one of your own.

I'd just let go!
I'd wait for help!
I'd figure out another way!
I'd give up!
I'd probably still be hanging there!

Do you really trust God? Remember, every time you see a penny, or when someone says, ‘a penny for your thoughts’. "In God We Trust."

Trusting Him,
Pastor Fred

The Whole Truth

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Picture listening in on a conversation happening between a father and his daughter... Erica insisted, "...that in a true court of law, if the facts were known(and if she could explain the whole story),the real truth would come out." Her father decided to convene court immediately and called to order, Morris Family Court. Erica was summoned to the witness stand to be sworn in. Erica noted, "This is not a real court, Daddy!" (not knowing exactly what her dad was up to this time, undoubtedly to make a point, but what point?.) "Let's go ahead; you'll see..." her father said. "I'm innocent!" She exclaimed, playing along. "Order in the court!" her father said, and asked her to put her hand on the Bible. Erica recognized the Bible. It was the one her grandma gave her six years ago on her eighth birthday. A "Precious Moments" Bible that was coming out of its cover from several years of devotions and Sunday school, Day Camp and pretty much everywhere she went – even to school a few times. She hadn't looked at it in a year or two because she was using the Teen Devotional Bible her Youth Pastor gave her at Summer Camp two years ago, when she accepted Christ as her Savior. Suddenly she was jolted back into the courtroom with her dad's voice repeating "Erica, do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The words went straight through her heart, and she, for some reason thought them out, phrase by phrase. "Erica...", [That's me, Erica Christine Morris, a child of God, born again at Jr. High Summer Camp 2009], "solemnly swear..." [as serious as I can be, deep, deep in my heart, with Jesus standing right there,before God and everybody, including grandma] "to tell the truth..." [to confess, reveal, speak it] "the whole Truth..." [everything, not holding anything back to protect myself, or make anything up on the spur of the moment – let it all out] "nothing but the truth..." [What, no exaggerations, no minimizing, no twisting words, leaving parts out that aren't known, no making it seem like no big deal?] "so help you God." [so help me, God….. I don't want to be in this court. I don't want to explain anything to anybody right now... Can I plead the fifth? Don't I have the right to remain silent or something?] A long pause and she was jolted again by the sound of her father saying her name, "Erica?" "Yes, Daddy?" she said. "Put your hand on the Bible." he gently requested. "Dad, I'm sorry for my part in what happened today; I shouldn't have been where I was, doing what I did or saying what I said", she confessed. "Thank you, honey. Charges dropped – record cleared – no sentence – court adjourned!" he sternly stated in his deepest voice. They laughed, but Erica realized right then and there that there was only one source of truth, and that was God and His Word. Regardless of all the facts, all the opinions, all the explanations, all the data, sound bytes, experts, reliable sources, videotape at 11, and any and all other spins on any of life's experiences, there is but one truth. Jesus said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life – no man comes to the Father but by me." His truth is perfect and absolute. We live in a world of too much information and too little truth. Picture yourself like Erica, before God. Be thankful today for His mercy and His grace. Don't worry so much about your rights or about due Process, or all the technicalities of our alleged innocence. Instead, consider His glory, His justice, and His absolute Truth. Our God is the only true God, and He is Sovereign. Aren’t we glad that He is the only true Judge too.

Appreciating the mercy and grace of our loving Heavenly Father,
Pastor Fred

Share God’s Love on Valentine’s Day!

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” I John 4:7

Ahhh, February 14th… it’s Valentine’s Day once again and the red roses are pouring out the doors of the florists, the Hallmark cards are flying off the shelves, heart shaped boxes of stale chocolates are purchased, and restaurants are booked weeks in advance so that people can find ways to express their love on this one day of the year. For those with romance in their life it is beautiful; for those who are single.. it can be painful, jokingly referred to as S.A D. (Single Awareness Day). It seems foolish in many ways to put so much emphasis on one single day to show love when in reality we should love one another every day of the year and not just wait until February 14th. It is nice to think and hear about love instead of all the doom and gloom on the media channels… but why DO we focus on this one day? The history of the holiday is shrouded in mystery mixed with historical events about several different men named Valentine from Rome to Africa who were martyred within the 2nd to 4th century during periods of civil and religious persecution. The most familiar story was about a priest in the Catholic Church who ministered during a difficult time in history. Some stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured. Another tells us that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men so they could serve in his military without distraction. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, chose to ignore Claudius’s decree and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Before the sentence was carried out, Valentine sent the first "valentine" greeting thus giving birth to our tradition of sending “valentines”. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter on a heart shaped piece of paper, which he signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a heroic AND romantic figure.

As much as we can admire the courage of this man on this annual event, we must always consider that GOD is the Author and Finisher of Love, and as His children, we must always remember to share His love to others. God showed the world the most amazing example of LOVE when He gave His only Son to die on the cross to take away our sins. John 3:16 is repeated so often that we sometimes speed through these familiar words and miss the intent of God’s Heart, so on this Valentine’s Day, let us realize that GOD sent us a Valentine when He sent Jesus to earth. God loves you so much, and wants to show you His love 365 days of the year, not with chocolates and cards but with His gift of eternal life so that we can be with him forever in His loving Arms. In the Bible, “love” is mentioned 697 times, so get the message… GOD LOVES YOU! Open your hearts and receive His love in a fresh way today, then find ways to share that love with those that God places in your life journey.

A friend of mine recently sent this to me and it really blessed me, so I’ll pass it along today for our closing thought.

Here is a NEW way to look at John 3:16 and remember that it was written as GOD’s Valentine to the world, and to you and me!

Jesus said:

"For God so loVed the world
That He gAve
His onLy
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believes In Him
Shall Not perish,
But have Everlasting life."

Have a blessed Valentines’ Day, my beloved brothers and sisters,
Shalom, sister Lahoma

Have you seen Him?

2 Peter 1:16-18 “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain”

(so, eye and ear witnesses!)

This scripture is so incredible to me – I cannot even imagine how impactful it must have been to have BEEN THERE, SEEN THIS, AND HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD! If they were having trouble with belief, this should certainly have taken care of it. And yet, we have all been blind to the Truth at one time or another, and had to have the Light shine down to illuminate our spots of darkness. Consider this excerpt from Max Lucado:

Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian service, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating Him who we see. To see His Majesty and to imitate Him, that is the sum of Christianity.

For fifty-one years Bob Edens was blind. He couldn’t see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness. And then, a skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation and, for the first time, Bob had sight. He found it overwhelming. “I never would have dreamed that yellow is so … yellow,” he exclaimed. “I don’t have the words. I am amazed by yellow. But red is my favorite color. I just can’t believe red.

But Bob Edens isn’t the only one who has spent a lifetime near something without seeing it. Few are the people who don’t suffer from some form of blindness. Amazing, isn’t it? We can live next to something for a lifetime, but unless we take time to focus on it, it doesn’t become a part of our life. Unless we somehow have our blindness lifted, our world is but a black cave. One can live near a garden and fail to focus on the splendor of the flower. A man can spend a lifetime with a woman and never pause to look into her soul. And a person can be as good as he can, and still never see the Author of life.

Being honest or moral or even religious doesn’t necessarily mean we will see Him. No. We may see what others see in Him. Or we may hear what some say He said. But until we see Him for ourselves, until our own sight is given, we may think we see Him, having in reality seen only a hazy form in the gray semidarkness. Have you seen Him?

Have you caught a glimpse of His Majesty? A word is placed in a receptive crevice of your heart that causes you, ever so briefly, to see His face. You hear a verse read in a tone you’d never heard, or explained in a way you’d never thought and one more piece of the puzzle falls into place. Someone touches your painful spirit as only one sent from Him could do and there He is. Jesus. The man.

The God. The one who claimed to be older than time and greater than death.

Gone is the pomp of religion; dissipated is the fog of theology. Momentarily lifted is the opaque curtain of controversy and opinion. Erased are our own blinding errors and egotism. And there He stands. Jesus. Have you seen him?

Those who first did were never the same. “My Lord and my God!” cried Thomas. “I have seen the Lord,” exclaimed Mary Magdalene. “We have seen His glory,” declared John. “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked?” marveled 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus. But Peter said it best. “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

His Majesty. The emperor of Judah. All the splendor of heaven revealed in a human body. For a period ever so brief, the doors to the throne room were open and God came near. His Majesty was seen. Heaven touched the earth and, thus, earth can know heaven.

Has it been a while since you have seen Him? If your prayers seem stale, it probably has. If your faith seems to be trembling, perhaps your vision of Him has blurred. If you can’t find power to face your problems, perhaps it is time to face Him.

One warning. Something happens to a person who has witnessed His Majesty. He becomes addicted. One glimpse of the King and you are consumed by a desire to see more of him and say more about him. Pew-warming is no longer an option. Sensation-seeking is needless. Once you have seen his face you will forever long to see it again.

Max’s prayer -- is that the Divine Surgeon will use it as a delicate surgical tool to restore sight. That blurriness will be focused and darkness dispersed. And, that we will whisper the secret of the universe, “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

I believe that, at Grace Harbor, we too get glimpses of Him, through the saints that attend this sweet church. For me, especially in Pastor Fred, Dawn, Natalie, and the Council, who are such prayer warriors, and have led such exemplary lives – for Him. Let us all strive to be eyewitnesses of His Glory, through the vessels that He has chosen to help us all navigate toward the Light.

Humbly, obediently, and hopefully in the Light,
Ray Beeman

God Bless You

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Philippians 2:14-16

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:1-5

"God bless you!"

Do you realize that someone doesn’t have to sneeze for you to say this… but when people DO say this, do you think they say this phrase out of habit, or do they actually mean to pronounce a blessing to those it is said to? Sadly, these days I think people say it automatically (if they even say it anymore) and don’t pause to consider that they are offering a blessing to those they say it to. Do you think its important to bless others in the wonderful name of the Lord? I DO! As children of God, we are part of the covenant of Abraham. It is God's desire to have a relationship with us and bless us. But, an important condition to the blessing promised to Abraham was that he would not only be blessed, but that he also would be a blessing until all the families of the earth are blessed. Genesis 12:1-2 says: "Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you: And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; so that you will be a blessing." Wow, stop and consider that for a moment…. God doesn’t bless your life so you can just sit back and hoard it all to yourself and be happy and content…. God blesses us so that we in turn can be a blessing to OTHERS! Whatever that may be for each of us, we need to be about the Father’s business, and that is to pass along His blessings! I love the verses for our devotion today from brother Paul to the churches in Colossae and Philippi. He was reminding the brethren to do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus, without grumbling or questioning, and to allow our lights to SHINE in the world. One of the ways you can accomplish this is to bless others. Think about this for a moment: Are you a BLESSING to others, or a BURDEN? Do you help carry the difficult loads of others, or do you add to theirs with all the issues you have in your life? Do you demand attention so you can complain about all the trials you are facing, or do you in turn give attention to the needs of others and leave your burdens in God’s hands… I encourage you to learn to be a blessing and to practice the art of caring one another’s burdens so that no one has to walk their life road alone or to the point of exhaustion.

Once you see and appreciate all the blessings in your life, your gratitude for your own blessings will naturally inspire you to want to be a blessing to others. Being a blessing to others means that we find and make meaning in enriching the lives of others and putting the needs of others before our own. So, how can I start being a blessing to others today? Perhaps you could stop by someone’s house with a home cooked meal, or invite new people from your church over for dinner after morning worship, offer to provide transportation to someone who has difficulty in driving, send a handwritten card, or flowers to someone. Perhaps you could visit someone in the hospital. Laying in a hospital bed can be extremely discouraging, and having someone stop by to just say hi really blesses the person who may otherwise be alone for long periods of time. Ask if there’s anything they need done back at their home or for their family. Offer to pray with the person before you leave.

Open the door for someone particularly if they have their hands full. This is no longer done nowadays but its such a simple gesture of support and others will be blessed by your action.

Simply SMILE when you see people throughout your day. Don’t walk around with a sour expression on your face, look for ways to shine for Jesus and share the joy of the Lord with others. Smiling is contagious, and people usually will return a smile if they sense it is genuine. Remember to say “Thank you” whenever you can show appreciation for the efforts of others whether large or small. Bless those who curse you, find ways to love them in the name of Jesus.

Volunteer at your church or child’s school. I am sure that if you called the church office, there are many things that you could do to help others in ministry and bless them in the process. Buy food for street children or homeless people on the corners. We see them everyday. We can make today a different day by sharing with them our blessings.

There are many ways to bless others; it should come naturally to you just as the air you breathe in and out. Let the humility of Jesus lead you, and count others more significant than yourself, looking to the interests of others and have the mind of Christ in and through it all. This is how Jesus is glorified in your service; this is how He is able to reach His own hands out to the world… through YOU!

Find a way to BLESS someone today!
Shalom, sister Lahoma

Trash Talking

James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

We live in a culture that is extremely tolerant of what I call, “put down” humor. Everywhere you turn, we seem to be teasing, mocking, bashing, and trashing everybody, and everything. I sometimes think the constant “tongue-in-cheek gotchas” result from two motivations. One is escapism - any way to avoid the realities of our own troubles in the world in which we live. The other is a streak of meanness that all of us are capable of utilizing when we for some reason just need to lash out or vent our tendency to sin. My mom always said this, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” If we followed Mom’s advice today, the silence would be deafening wouldn’t it? So, what can we do?

Well, my Christian friends, we are going to have to raise the standard. This may not be easy. Sometimes the only defense we feel as older believers is to use our more experienced offense. Experience is a good teacher, so don’t be afraid to use it, but don’t abuse it either. Younger believers, what can you do? Try cutting back on the never ending impersonations of everything you hear in the media. (Since when did obnoxious or inappropriate become cute?) Aren’t you bored and offended with the non-stop low-brow fabricated laugh tracks that television sitcoms have become? Radio isn’t much better. Sports are all about “trash-talk” on and off the field. It seems everybody wants to be a nasty comedian, a mean clown, and real life is not really that much of a joke. Certainly hell is no laughing matter, nor evil. Life is serious business, and we can find joy in that – believe it or not!

Maybe that little mean streak tempts us more than we’d like to admit. Maybe the world is just very strange, and we are trying to respond to the weirdness of it all. Somewhere, however, a compromise needs to be sought. How about this – everyone who is too loose, tighten up, O.K.? Everyone who is too tight, lighten up, O.K.?...With that said, let’s all allow the Word of God to be our guide. The Bible is filled with excellent illustrations about serious business and the dangers of what our tongues can do. With a little effort, and prayer, all of us can be a lot less mean-spirited and a lot more kind-hearted.

Maybe the current trend is an example of just how much we need to take a hard look at ourselves. Once we do, between the laughing and the crying, think about what you say, especially before you say it. Try promoting random acts of verbal kindness, and planned ones too! A dose of serious medicine wouldn’t kill any of us right now, and if you are an old sourpuss you’ve probably had enough of your own medicine already. Remember this formula: It takes about ten kind comments to offset a putdown. Many of us are way out of balance. Keep score on yourself. I know I’m going to. Try saying ten kind things before you say a mean one. If you can’t yet do that.., let me start again... We live in a culture... just stop making excuses for being mean and unkind and watch your mouth. Lord make my words sweet for tomorrow, I may have to eat them.

Join me in saying something nice or...
Pastor Fred

Real People with Real Names

3 John 13-14 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

I just love the closing words of so many Books of the Bible. They are so revealing. Often in the counseling practice I try to understand what were the last words between people. These are John's last words of his three short epistles. He is so personal and so warm and real. I can almost feel his hospitality and graciousness. Of course he wants to see friends in person. Also remember that letters were only carried by other visitors at the time; so no emails, texts, tweets, USPS, FedEx or even carrier pigeons. Letters were a big deal, all handwritten and all very carefully written. These words are a glimpse into the personal relationships of New Testament people. Wish I could have been there to sense this kind of faith, love and genuine fervor for the Lord.

Today is different, but nonetheless an in-person encounter is always sweeter than a letter, if there is a lot of time and distance involved. The great thing about a note is that it can be read over and over. Both have their importance. I want to share a handful of experiences from our recent cruise to show the value of face to face and letters. Though we have been back from the Caribbean for weeks now, there is not a day that goes by that I do not think more than once daily of all the people we met, and their names. We would tell the people around our dinner table.... Thereza and Real, Alberdien and Hubert and Roy and Lennie that we would speak of them when we got home and tell our friends at our church about them.

Roy took a trip to Antarctica and had an up close and personal encounter with an Emperor Penguin. Lennie was born in Bolivia and is very shy. Real was moved to tears by our gift of the contraption that the sommelier (wine waiter) wears that we got at the Wine Tasting Event. Thereza loved to pronounce 'american' words with her Quebecer accent, especially the word "mustard" which she pronounced.... Moo 'STARD. We of course had Coo 'STARD for dessert. Alberdien from Nederlands asked us to pray on Christmas Eve and New Year's Day that God would bless us and be real to us. Hubert got word that one of his homes in Spain had been burglarized again and shared how hurtful that was one evening. These are people you will never meet, but they are friends. They are believers, not contagious Christians, but they were totally enraptured by our outward and winsome faith and witness. We pray for them all the time. Alberdien emailed us pictures of her dogs, homes and boats. All of these couples have opened their homes to us if our travels if ever come their way.

Our waiters from Indonesia, Ulul and Nurmawan (whom we referred to as 'Numberone' because we could not pronounce his name easily) gave us all hugs and kisses as we left and were so respectful of our faith and practice. Real people with real names. Like the servers at John's Place where we eat often. Like the man at the dry cleaners. Like the guy who cleans our carpets when they need it. Real people with real names. Some of them I don't know their names, others I do. But, they are the friends from home and around the world that God puts in our path and that we try to be a witness to in a meaningful way. John cared about friends by name and so should we. God is directing a great play that we are characters in each scene of life. His goal is to get us all to the last page of knowing the director forever. He is the author and finisher of our faith. Play your part like it counts. Redeem each moment. Make an eternal difference. Act like your purpose is to fulfill His role assignment for you.

Thank all of you again for making it possible for us to take that cruise and have all those divine appointments. WE believe that we were blessed to be a blessing. Take this challenge.... be blessed to be a blessing today. I am.

In Him,
Pastor Fred

Woe to the World

Matthew 18:7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

We live in a broken, sinful world. I'm not talking about nature or the creation that God made, I'm talking about all the things that man has made and done. Granted some of them are beautiful, wonderful and reflect God's glory, but others are just part of what the enemy uses to tempt us and distract us. Jesus understands us and the world that we live in and here in Matthew 18:7 He speaks again of the world and it's systems and evils in defense of us. The Lord knows it is difficult to be in this world and to not be part of it. We so easily get sucked into every new thing and what is current and popularized. Our lives are full of unimportant things and all kinds of temptations that consume us daily.

We could honestly sing a duet with the Lord that would say "You and me against the world, sometimes it feels like you and me against the world". Overwhelming at times, even a little depressing. Yet we are to live in this world without being too much a part of it. We should be just passing through and not make the things of this world the focus of our time, resources and energy. As we read the rest of this verse we see that Jesus then turns His attention to something even worse than the effects of living in a fallen world. Those who promote sin.

Woe not only to the world but personal woe to whoever tempts God's children away from Him, His ways and His purposes. Let me for the sake of illustration be more specific. Drug dealers and "friends" who share drugs. Those who tempt others to drink more than they should. Those who support criminal behavior or tolerate it without speaking against it. Those who take others with them when they cut school. Those who violate curfews with minors. Those who spread, distribute or tempt others with pornography. Those who lie, cheat, steal and put other people in jeopardy by doing that. Those who seduce others into fornication and adultery. Those who spread gossip and then involve people in their cruelty... etc, etc. The world is a hard place to live for God and someday this world will be destroyed, but woe to those who make it even harder to be a Christian or tempt believers especially into wrong choices and bad behavior. Jesus speaks against those specifically by saying woe to those who are used by the enemy for ungodly purposes.

Might I add, shame on you if you are a Sunday Christian and living like hell the rest of the week, and sharing your weakness and sin with those around you. None of us are perfect and life is tough as a believer and as a person who is trying to walk with the Lord. Can you imagine how hard that is when another Christian puts stumbling blocks and temptations in your way. If you are a curse instead of a blessing, shame on you. We should be a blessing to our fellow Christians and not a curse. We should be a blessing to unbelievers too, but especially brothers and sisters. Can you imagine coming to church and having your hopes up to meet some folks who are trying to do right, only to find out that there are many who are part of the problem and not part of the solution.

We all fall short and we all have room for improvement in this area, but if you are part of this problem, please stop. Please turn to the Lord and get help and turn your life around for Him. Don't justify sin, don't pretend to be something you are not. Know that you are loved and that His grace is sufficient for you. Repent! I pray that there will be a move of the Holy Spirit in our midst that will encourage us all to spiritual maturity and non-hypocritical living. Pass this on please and let's all make a unified, concerted effort to keep promoting holiness and resisting unholiness.

Reflectively His, Pastor Fred

Our Time is In His Hands

“My times are in Thy Hand.” Psalm 31:15

“With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting for ANYONE to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” II Peter 3:8-9

Time is tickin’ away.. tick tick tickin’ away.

In our day when many people meet themselves coming and going, most people feel pushed for time. There are days when I wish time would stand still so I could get all the things done on my “To Do” List. Other times, it feels like time is moving at a snail’s pace and I can’t wait to get to the end of the day/week/month so I can do something I am looking forward to. We fill our conversations with phrases which convey the rush of our modern times. Along with the statements just mentioned, we speak of the peak or rush hour of the day, or we tell family members to get a move on because we don’t have all day. We regularly use words like urgent, priority, or pressing. How did those pioneers ever survive way back when they relied on telegraph, newspapers and delivering messages in person… today, not only do we have the cell phone, fax, email, and the Internet, but we have priority mail, even next-day AND same day delivery so we can send an important document or package thousands of miles away (usually accompanied with a hefty price tag to accommodate our rush).

With all our modern conveniences and technological advances we should have more leisure time than any period in history, but the opposite is really the case. For most people it’s run, run, run, go, go, go, and so much so most people seem to be out of breath. How ironic. If you pause and think about it, we are stuck in time here on earth. You have heard the phrase “Time marches on” and it is so true; everything is measured in time and if we are not careful, we will get ourselves under that unyielding task master called a “clock” and sacrifice our peace and joy and rest to try and keep up with the rat races of modern life. Keep in mind that there is one thing we all have in common and that is the same amount of time each day. God has allotted twenty-four hours to each one of us. It is not uncommon to hear comments like, “There just isn’t enough time in a day to do everything I need to do.” “I just don’t know where the time goes.” “I’ll try to find time, but I’m hard pressed for time at the present.” If we don’t stop and listen to ourselves, we will work ourselves right into the ground… and trust me, I’ve definitely been there many times myself!

The writer of Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is “time” for everything under the sun and a season for every activity under heaven, so why do we cram so much “stuff” into such limited time? We need to remember that God is OUTSIDE of time, and operates with an eternal perspective. Our verse in II Peter tells us that days and years are all the same to God, and when He may not be moving at a pace that we think He should, we need to remember that God is not slow, He has not forgotten, and He is not taking His good ole sweet time… He is SO patient with us, His Timing is PERFECT and we should rest in that amazing and freeing truth. He works all things together for good, and His heart is to continue to reach for those who are lost and perishing. There is nothing more important to God than His desire that NONE perish but ALL come to repentance and accept His free gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.

We need to slow down and understand that time is a resource and we should not waste the time God has given us, but we should also not trample it under our busy schedules and deadlines. Each morning, before your feet hit the ground running, simply open your heart to the Lord and thank Him for another day. Ask Him what HE wants to do with the 24 hour period you are entering into, and ask Him to direct you through your minutes of the day. The time God gives to us is to be given back to Him, so remember to focus on God’s timing and not yours…. You will experience much more peace and contentment when you set your “watch” to His!

Final thought: Don’t be so busy that you miss the little things in life that God places along your path. Take time to stop and smell the flowers! Close your eyes and listen to the wind. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that at the end of the day, you have done all you could do, then let it go! The psalmist wrote that “our times are in HIS Hand”, but please note: The times are ours, but the hand is His. All times are in the hand of the Timeless One, with whom a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day.

Shalom, sister Lahoma

Plank Eye

Matthew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

I love it when Jesus is asking the questions! This passage is about not judging, good topic. But, a tricky one. Depends on which side of the question you are on. Those of us who are often asked why we are so harsh or judgmental do need to mind our own business, so to speak, if we are being harsh, hypocritical or unwilling to share our concern from the perspective of our own failures. From the other side of the equation we can tend to be hyper defensive about our sin because we don't want to face it and demand tolerance from everyone in spite of our own flagrant choices in defiance of what we know is right, and know is wrong. Both are problematic.

The key is to put Jesus in the formula. Make every conversation about Him if you are over- zealously confronting sin or trying to justify moral failure. Jesus is the key on either side of the equation. My guess is that if He were the focus there would be both more compassion and more accountability. Do any of us think for a moment that Jesus would support being judgmental, harsh or self-righteous? Conversely, I don't think the Lord would endorse so much unaccountability, wantonness and sinful behavior either. The answer is not 'live and let live'. The answer is not 'The Crusades' either.

The answer must be speaking the truth in love, transparency and accountability, no matter who you are or what you are doing. Last week we sang a song that used the term "plank-eye" to effectively communicate the humble recognition of our own culpability. We should know ourselves as Jesus knows us first, then see others as He sees them.... Then help as The Spirit leads. In that order and for the right reason. As Grace Harbor collectively matures in Him, may we do so with grace, mercy and love.

With His Love and mine,
Pastor Fred

Exalt God at ALL Times

Psalm 21:13 Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.

We certainly should Praise the Lord when we experience victory in our lives. We should thank Him and exalt Him and glorify His name for His strength. Every time, all the time, and anytime we see the hand of God, we should burst into song, poetry, dance, rap or whatever format that best describes the amazing-ness of His Sovereign Majesty. We could virtually, never endingly be glorifying God because of how wonderful, perfect, holy, loving, gracious, merciful, and righteous He is and always will be. But we don’t. Hey life gets busy, we work, and go to school, and clean the house, and take care of children. We play and shop, and take care of most of our duties and responsibilities. We drive, sleep, eat, watch T.V., daydream, and chit chat. We worry, stress, waste time, complain, and cause trouble. We help, serve, attend, listen, endure, and wait. Life is very full of emotions and activities and needs and issues and all kinds of stuff.

Two suggestions for all of us.

One, even when time is being consumed by the ridiculous, and the sublime, the trivial and the profound... whatever is going on while the clock is spinning... take a deep breath while it is happening and CONSIDER GOD. Then thank Him. If you can’t consider Him during whatever it is, maybe that is a sign to stop or slow down a little.

Here is the second idea. David struggled like all of us with his feelings. He was hurt, forlorn, victimized, and lonely. He dealt with people problems, His own weaknesses and deep, dark thoughts. He reveled in success and whined in agonizing defeat. But if you keep score between his complaining and praising, he praised God so much more. How is your score? Do you do the “happy dance” or the “whiny dance” more often? It is so easy to get caught up in our trouble. We can be moody for days and in a good mood for minutes. Honestly, I think we are negative sometime to detract from how basically ungrateful we are.

Exalt the mighty Lord today, Praise Him for His greatness and as my dad used to say... ”Quit your bellyachin’!” At least improve your positive/negative score so that you don’t affect everybody else’s score so much.

Before I start whining about whiners again, Praise the Lord and sing and dance, His praises never end. The other stuff will fade away anyway.

Pastor Fred

P.S. I especially praise Him for that fact today. Amen!

What is God's Will?

Today's Devotion comes to us from Council Member, John:

Many of us stress and worry about what it is that God wants from us. We ponder what His will or purpose is for our lives.

We find ourselves praying that He will reveal it to us in some comprehensive and detailed revelation or "Aha Moment" that will set the exact steps or paths we are to follow to a specific life purpose or goal.

However, that is rarely how God works. More often, He tells us first just to be obedient in very simple ways and to trust, by faith, that He will, day by day, direct and advise our lives for his purposes. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

So what are some of the simple things He clearly "wills" for us to do? (1) To love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength; (2) To love our neighbors (others) as much as we love ourselves [and that can prove difficult if we haven't yet figured out how to love ourselves]; (3) To treat others the way we would like to be treated; (4) To be humble and care for others who are in need; (5) To do justice (i.e., be fair), love mercy and to walk humbly with out God; (6) To "seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all other things will be granted unto you; and (7) To show our love for Him by our obedience to His Word and how we actually treat each other.

So, let's stop asking God to somehow lay out for us His "Grand Plan" for our lives, and instead, simply "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding; In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He WILL make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6)

I believe if we will just focus on "actually doing" these very basic but critical things He has asked us to do, in faith, in the circumstances He presents us with each day, He will direct our path and thereby guide us to do, and to be exactly what He has planned for our lives.