What Child Is This?

For unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given : and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor ,The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 KJV

In the hurry and scurry of the holiday season we sometimes tend to forget why we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I am in a unique situation. I have no reason to dash about as others do. That gives me the opportunity to observe what others are doing.

What I observe tends to make me feel sad. I think Jesus would be distressed at the way we celebrate His birth. People do wonderful things such as give to food banks, the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, and other organizations which help people in need.

My observation is that most people need peace and sanity at Christmas. I think we honor Christ most when we stay within our budgets and exhibit balanced behavior. Can you imagine what Jesus would have thought about people’s behavior in getting the Michael Jordon basketball shoes for their kids. This, my friends, is not Christmas.

Christmas lives with us all year long. It is a mind set in which we honor the Christ-child all year long by behaving as he would have us behave. He is our model…not just on Christmas but throughout the years. Christmas is a commitment to Jesus for life. He was born to bring us salvation. Accepting Him means we are committed to Him our entire lives.

That is who the child is. The person who was born that we might live. If we honor Him only at Christmas, what does that say about us?

I wish you all a Merry Christmas all year long.

Bible breath: Bowing low/Jesus is Lord.

Carol

What Child Is This

1. What child is this who, laid to rest,
on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
Refrain:
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the babe, the son of Mary.

2. Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.
(Refrain)

3. So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
come, peasant, king, to own him;
the King of kings salvation brings,
let loving hearts enthrone him.
(Refrain)

Text: William C. Dix, 1837-1898
Music: 16th cent. English melody
Tune: GREENSLEEVES, Meter: 87.87 with Refrain

What Is Advent?

What do you think of when you hear the word, Advent? If my memory serves me correctly, I don’t remember learning much about Advent when I was growing up and going to Sunday School and church. My brother doesn’t remember much about it either. I would guess that we are not alone.

It seems to me, and I might be very wrong about this, that Advent was not emphasized in church in the past. At least that is my experience…and my grandfather was a Methodist pastor. However, in recent years Advent has been celebrated as an important season in the church…a joyous season, an expectant season, a prayerful season.

If you are wondering what Advent is all about, listen to this short video (two minutes) and enjoy!

The link to the Advent Calendar which is mentioned in the video is below.

Advent Calendar 2011

Have a wonderful Advent season. I pray that this season will be full of blessings, joy, and hopeful expectations for the New Year…and a renewed appreciation of Advent and its place in our lives and the life of the church.

Breath Prayer: Expecting God/Breathe His name

THANK YOU LORD!

If you have written much on a computer, whether on a chat room, Facebook, or other social media, you have discovered that WRITING ALL IN CAPS IS THE SAME AS SHOUTING. When was the last time you shouted in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord as loudly as you have laughed at a joke, yelled at your children, or raised your voice so you are heard above any kind of din whether at home, church, shopping…anyplace?

On Thanksgiving many people will be gathering with friends and family to celebrate the bounties we have…even the least of us…and hopefully, we will thank God for our blessings.

Following the meal…and the nap, of course…many people will settle down to watch the Green Bay Packers play the Detroit Lions. If it is later in the afternoon, they will be watching the Miami Dolphins at the Dallas Cowboys. My guess is that if there are two or more people watching, there will be considerable shouting, urging, groaning, and cheering…and it will be loud. It will also be done with enthusiasm and with a great sense of joy and camaraderie. We give ourselves permission to shout, cheer, jump up and down at these events. Maybe that is one reason we enjoy them so much. We let loose with how we feel in a “safe” place where nobody will criticize us for our behavior.

When was the last time you spoke to God in such a fashion? Have you ever spoken to him with the kind of enthusiasm we witness and experience at ballgames, other sports, theater performances. I know I have shouted BRAVO any number of times and yelled like crazy at ball games, but to shout THANK YOU LORD never happened until I came home from church last Sunday. I said, “THANK YOU LORD!” in an empty apartment…except for God and me. I felt stupid…and delighted all at the same time…and I smiled from ear to ear.

We have ample Biblical reference to expressing Thanksgiving. Think of David. He praised the Lord with dancing, singing, trumpets, harps, lutes, castanets, cymbals, tambourines. His wife, Michal, didn’t appreciate his demonstration of thanksgiving one little bit.
2 Samuel 6.

I hope the day will come when we can express our delight, praise, and thanks to God in the same way we express our enthusiasm in other circumstances. Yes, I was taught to be quiet in church, but I like hearing our pastor’s booming voice say, “THANK YOU LORD!” In fact, I love hearing him thank God with such vigor and exuberance and sincerity. THANK YOU, PASTOR KURT!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU LORD for one and all.

Thankful is as Thankful Does

A few months ago I preached a sermon regarding stupid is as stupid does, referencing Forrest Gump, that great theologian of the late twentieth century. As we enter the holy days, one goal I have is to not get a “case of the stupids.” That case of the stupids can take the form of eating or drinking too much. It can take the form of buying or spending too much. It can take the form of many excesses given reign at this season.

One thing a good case of the stupids does not encompass, though, is being overly thankful. Oh, Lord, let us be guilty of a gluttony of thanksgiving. What would occur in our worlds if we were overly thankful? If we had thankfulitis?

When we thank God, we bless God. The Psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me bless God’s holy name.” Psalm 103:1 KJV What happens when we thank God is that we create a space within us for God to work. We make a way for God’s best to be made known in us and through us to others. The kingdom of God grows and overflows like leaven in a loaf… like a mustard seed….

Lord, let us be found thankful and, so, bless you.

Let Peace Begin with Me.

I am grateful to all the men and women who throughout the life of this country have fought for our freedoms and continue to do so. I thank you and your families who are without you while you are gone. You sacrifice more than any other people for this country. I hope everyone is able to come home soon. God bless you.

If there are any people who can appreciate peace, it must be front line soldiers who know that war truly is hell. We and “the enemy” shoot one another, shoot ourselves in “friendly fire,” and shoot and kill civilians who are considered “collateral” damage. If I were one of the civilians who was shot, I would not like being considered collateral to anything.

Why do we not choose peace instead? If the people around the globe chose peace, there would be peace. If we shared with more equality the bounties of this earth, we would be more likely to be able to establish peace on earth. What we have instead are the “haves” and the “have nots.” Until this is resolved, peace is not possible. Can you imagine the good that could be done if the money we spend on fighting could be used for alleviating the health of the world…all kinds of health; economic, physical, spiritual, emotional. I cannot imagine what a just world we would live in. There would be problems and conflicts, of course, but the resolution of the problems would be peaceful.

In the United States we base our actions both individually and communally on what is best for us…not what is good for all of us. We are living in a globally community. We are arrogant in using so many resources which we do not need and depriving people world-wide of the same resources. I love this country, but we are a greedy group. Acquisition is the name of the game. We give money to other countries, but there are always strings attached.

To me it would be a wondrous occasion if we were all one world economically instead of first, second, third, and fourth world countries. Maybe peace would have a chance.

Let peace begin with me. You are welcome to join me in giving peace a try. We might be surprised at the results.

Carol

A Very Good King

When I think of kings in the Hebrew Bible, I think of Saul, David, Solomon, and Jehoshaphat. I only think of Jehoshaphat because of the expression “Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat” which is probably known by a certain age group.

Recently, however, I discovered a king who was described in this manner: “There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.” (2 Kings 18:5 NIV) In view of David’s and Solomon’s reputations that is quite a statement. I hope by now some of you are wondering who this king is.

He is King Hezekiah. Recently, I have become more aware of the kings of Judah and Israel. It seems when we think of the various kings, we think of good kings or bad kings if we think about these kings at all. But Hezekiah was at the top of the list of the kings of Judah as far as the writer of 2 Kings was concerned.

Hezekiah was a good king because he obeyed God. He was a praying king, an asking king. Hezekiah was a man of great faith. His father had done away with the worship of God and allowed people to worship whatever gods and idols they wanted to worship. We see this conflict frequently in the Hebrew Bible…gods vs God. I don’t know if you have wondered why that is, but I have. I would think, “Why don’t they just believe in God? They know what will happen if they disobey.”

I have begun to understand, however, that it wasn’t that easy. We are talking about a time when people lived in tribes. Each tribe had gods and idols for rain, fertility, animals, etc. They had been worshiping gods for many years. It is not easy for people to change. Anybody who has tried to lose weight knows the difficulty of changing h/her lifestyle. It is extremely difficult to do. When the people of Judah and Israel were asked to worship one God, it was a major lifestyle change for them, and it was difficult. Not only was it a change in lifestyle, it was a change in the way they viewed life completely. Can you imagine yourself in their shoes? Would you believe what your parents taught you, or would you learn about this “new” idea of God? They took two steps forward and one step backward just as we do today when trying to change.

Hezekiah, however, had faith in GOD. He tore down all of the idols and wanted people to believe in and pray to the one true God. He centralized worship somewhat by insisting that people celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. He was a king for 29 years. Was he successful? According to scripture, it seems that Hezekiah was successful in reintroducing one God to Judah.

By the way, Hezekiah also saved the people of Jerusalem from the Assyrians. Check out Hezekiah’s tunnel.

I have barely begun to explore the good king Hezekiah. By the way, he had some excellent prophets prophesying at the time. They were Isaiah and Micah. If you want to read more about Hezekiah, check out the following:

2 Kings 16:20; 17; 18
2 Chronicles 28:27-33:3
Isaiah 36:1-39:8
Jeremiah 26:18-19

Bible breath: Obey the Lord/Join in praise

Carol

Reading the Bible – Part II

I don’t know about anybody else, but when I considered reading the entire Bible, I felt overwhelmed and intimidate by the very thought of beginning.

And that, of course, is the problem…just to begin. It is that difficult first step we must take if we are to do anything…not only to read the Bible.

People tend to want to read the Bible in a year. They begin, it seems as if it is just “too much,” and they stop. I started many times before I read the entire Bible.

There are, however, many ways to go about this endeavor, and I would like to share the one I have used for the last four or five years. Instead of reading the Bible in a year, I follow a program which covers the Bible in three years…and with help.

Pastor Nick Connolly of Kearny, NJ has written an excellent book to follow. It is titled The Bible Through the Seasons. He divides the readings like this:

Monday – Prophets
Tuesday – Old Testament
Wednesday – Psalms
Thursday – New Testament
Friday – Gospel
Saturday – Torah (the first five books)
Sunday – Gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary.

The Revised Common Lectionary is used by many churches of all denominations world-wide so that people around the globe are reading the sames scriptures on Sunday if the lectionary is used in your church.

In addition to the book, Nick has a website,The Bible Through the Seasons, which gives the daily reading as well as the Firestarters which he writes for each reading…something to get our brains going. And they do.

I hope that some of you take a look at this approach to reading the Bible.

God bless you. Reading the Bible is a true joy.

Bible Breath: Breath the Word/Speak the Word

Carol

1st UMC Wabash Blog #1 by Pastor Kurt Freeman

October 12, 2011
Today we have been moved into Wabash for one month. We have served here for seven weeks, but it was on September 12 that we moved from our house in Camby to Wabash.

It has been an interesting month; however, one thing I saw today sorta captured my initial view of Wabash and crystallized it in a moment of beauty and wonder.

As I headed north on SR 13/15 toward church I was waiting at the stoplight at Canal St. There was a woman in a minivan facing me who had her right turn signal on. For those of you who know Wabash, Canal St is one way and that woman was about to be going the not One-Way which it is. The woman in the car behind her was flashing her lights and waving and then finally risked herself by getting out of her car and telling the first vehicle of the danger she was about to get into.

The banner on the front of “The Paper”, a political ad by an unnamed mayoral candidate, noted that Washington could learn a lot from Wabash. I am picturing some of our national leaders getting out of their cars to let someone know they are at risk. I am sure there are some who would, but for the most part, it seems a bit of a stretch.

In the long run, though, it is the Wabash’s that transform the world more than the Washington’s. That small act of kindness, or the woman who helped my wife at the laundromat when our well decided water was not a housing necessity, or the people who welcomed our youth minister into their homes, or the thousands of other Wabashian acts that rehumanized people and gave us all faces rather than the Washingtonian ethos of interest groups and partisan politics.

Jesus gave us all faces once upon a time when God enobled humanity by becoming one of us… when God re-imagined us and restored to us the image of God…. Because of this life in Christ, we all have faces again and are enabled to do the great work of God restoring the faces of those around us to the image of God in the–, the hope of glory, the evidence of beauty.

Where have you seen that restoration at work? Where have the echoes of God’s great work been alive in your life? Tell your story below….

Shalom,
Rev. Kurt Freeman
Senior Pastor, 1st United Methodist Church
110 N Cass St.
Wabash, IN 46992
Email: pastor.wabfirstumc@cinergymetro.net

One Way to Study the Bible

I have found this to be a good beginning for Bible study.

Thanks to: Pastoral Care Department, K-Love Radio Network and Air1 Radio Network for the use of this information.

How to Study the Bible

The Psalmist declared, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.”(Psalms 119:105 NLT) His word lights the way, giving direction for each step (“for my feet”) and giving wisdom for long-range plans (“for my path”). Let God’s word guide, correct, instruct, lead, teach, and confirm, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.”
(2 Tim 3:16-17 NLT)

Practical:

* Start with prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding of the truths you’re reading and for a greater hunger for God’s word. See Psalms 5:3

* Make a commitment to regularly spend time in God’s word. God commanded Joshua to “meditate on it day and night”. See Joshua 1:8

* Have a plan, a systematic approach to your study. It’s a lifetime endeavor so approach it with purpose. Our random, “God give me something today” approach while flipping open the Bible is not the best consistent plan. See Psalms 119:15

* Make it a priority by scheduling it into your day. The “if I have time today” approach doesn’t seem to work. Something always seems to squeeze it out.
See Psalms 90:12

* Have a notebook close at hand to write insights gleaned from your study.
See Proverbs 2:3

* Meditate on a text, read and reread. Meditate on it throughout the day, memorize key verses. See Psalms 119:48

* Conclude in prayer. Ask the question, “How will I be different today because of what I have just read?” Then ask God help you to live it out. See Ephesians 4:16

Principles:

These are some principles of interpretation to keep in mind as we are admonished, “Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 NLT

* Start with your favorite translation of the bible when studying and not a paraphrase.

NOTE: A “translation” attempts to communicate word-for-word from the original language. A “paraphrase” takes the meaning of a verse or passage of scripture and attempts to express the meaning in the “plain language” of today.

* Let scripture interpret scripture: Consider all of God’s word in regards to any topic. Refrain from isolating one verse and building a doctrine or position.

* Context is important – interpret a passage in the light of its context. Context is the portions of scripture surrounding the passage being studied, both before and after it.

* Language can be tricky. Interpret according the correct meaning of the words.
Some words change their meaning over a period of time. Use a bible dictionary to understand the original meaning and the grammar of a sentence.

* What’s the intention? Ask yourself “Why did the author write the text?” Knowing the purpose of the writing can help in interpreting texts.

* Interpret the scripture in the light of the historical, geographical and cultural background as far as can be known. There are many reference books that will help you in this process.

* With the help of reference books search out the literary form of a passage. Is it a narrative, poetry, teaching, prophecy, etc?

* While studying look for repeated words and phrases. These can have great significance in a passage.

Personal:

There are many tools and techniques available at your local Christian bookstores to aid and enhance personal Bible study. One such tool is called “journaling” and consists of systematic daily bible reading, along with writing a journal following the acronym S.O.A.P.

S for Scripture

Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Highlight, underline or place a mark in the margin of your bible next to the scriptures that stand out. When you are done, reread the verses you marked, look for one that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.

O for Observation

What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words in your journal.

A for Application

Personalize what you have read by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P for Prayer

This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Then, write it down.

Resources:

Many of these resources can be bought at your local Christian Book store or even checked out at your local library.

* A bible dictionary will define the meaning of a word in the original language.
* A concordance will help you locate other passages that contain the same word.
* Commentaries illustrate how other men of God have interpreted a specific text.
* Other bible translations or paraphrases: reading text stated in a different way may allow for a greater understanding of the passage.
* There are many online resources to enhance your study and provide tools to dig deeper into God’s word and enrich your study. Here is one to get you started:

http://www.biblegateway.com

May God’s blessing be upon you as you endeavor to be a faithful follower of Jesus, living out the command, “Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.”(Joshua 1:8b NLT) And may the promised blessing be yours; “…be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NLT

Bible Breath: WORD is Light/Guide our path

Reading the Bible

I was reading the Bible this morning and discovered that my mind was not on the reading at all…not in the slightest. It was a million miles away thinking about music.

I know I am not the only person to whom this has happened, but it seems to me that it happens too frequently.

We make appointments for everything in our lives: the doctor, dentist, committee meetings, soccer, hair cuts, etc. We take these appointments and our commitments to attend them seriously. We need to make our daily appointment with God our highest priority and commitment. Can anything be more important than God? Why are we able to “put Him off” so easily? Let’s face it. If I have time to get my hair cut, I certainly can find time to read God’s Word and worship Him on week days as well as on Sunday.

Despite my age, 70, I am just beginning to learn to read the Bible and to understand it somewhat. I frequently make the error of thinking that reading the Bible is sufficient, but it is not at all. I find that even when I am paying attention, I tend not to understand what I am reading. I give too much emphasis to the words and not to the meaning or context of the words. I lack understanding.

I have learned this: the Bible cannot be understood without understanding the context in which it was written. In my opinion context is absolutely essential. If we do not understand the culture, history, social values, mores, of the various periods in the Bible, we can hardly expect ourselves to be knowledgeable about the meaning of the text.

What, then, is a person to do? I don’t know what other people do, but this some of what I have done. Now, I understand that this information can be acquired on a computer, but since I am a book lover, I submit the following books as a beginning:

1. The New Interpreter’s Study Bible. It has a wealth of information.

2. All the People in the Bible by Richard R. Losch

3. The Bible Reader’s Companion by Lawrence O. Richards

It seems to me that reading and understanding the Bible are just beginnings. We need to learn to pray the Bible so that it permeates our entire beings as well as enrich and enliven our relationship with God so He can work through our lives. Remember, we must invite God. He does not invite Himself into our lives.

Bible Breath: God in us/God through us

Who Is to Blame?

I have given the sequence of events surrounding the crucifixion considerable thought. It seems that somebody or something must be “blamed” for the series of events which unfolded. That is the way we think. We need to place the blame. We would be more comfortable if we knew…perhaps.

First, however, we need to look at the outcome of the events. We are saved because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was placed in the tomb, and was resurrected.

Second, if the events did not transpire in the way they did, would we have received the salvation which we have?

Jesus, as a man, had exactly the same kinds of choices that we have. He could have said, “No, I am not going to go through this. Mankind does not deserve this kind of sacrifice from me.” He would have been right, and who would have suggested that He had to go through such an abomination for you and for me. I would not suggest that of anybody and certainly not Jesus.

Another question is whether the members of the Sanhedrin were “bad guys.” I don’t think so. They were troubled by Jesus and His followers just as we are by someone who is “different” and who has ideas that are foreign to us. The Sanhedrin, headed by Caiaphas, was doing what organizations normally do…maintain the status quo. We do it all the time much to our detriment frequently, but the status quo is comfortable and non-threatening. New ideas and people can be and frequently are threatening to many of us. We feel so vulnerable we do not even want to consider something different. We sometimes go to extremes in order to rid ourselves of an idea or a person who is different. We all tend to do this to a greater or lesser extent…despite ourselves. We are not perfect.

The Romans were there to maintain order. They were the conquerors. In general they tended to leave Jews alone and taxed them unless the Romans perceived that the Jews were creating a ruckus or posed some kind of threat to Rome. The Romans also were doing their jobs even if we don’t like the the role they had. They conquered people, ruled them, taxed them, and punished them. Their means of carrying out a death sentence was crucifixion. It was their “way.”

Jesus and the apostles and disciples were all Jews as were most of their followers. People ask, “Why did the Jews yell, `Crucify Him; crucify Him?’ ” I will answer that question with yet another question. What made perfectly decent German citizens go along with what Hitler was doing…or Jim Jones, David Koresh? Any group of people can be turned into a mob if the right set of circumstances exist.

In the 1960′s I was in Chicago. I watched from the second floor of a building as perfectly normal people who were listening to a speech became upset when a couple of young guys dressed in Nazi uniforms walked down the street. It was as if a switch was turned on, and everybody tore after them…and each other. One man was thrown through the large plate glass window of a store. The mob turned over a police car and torched it. The two guys who were walking down the street had to be rescued by the police whom they hated with a passion. It happens very quickly and is extremely violent…and frightening.

I have no doubt that the somebody provided some kind of stimulus to evoke the responses of the people in Jerusalem. We do not know if the people who said, “Crucify Him!” were the same people who said, “Hosanna!” earlier in the week. I would not be at all surprised if some of them were the same people.

Where does that leave us? My belief as well as my faith tell me that the person who had control of the situation was Jesus/God. Events had to unfold in the way they did, or in a similar way…for Jesus to die for our sins so that we could have eternal salvation. It was THE PLAN…but what a painful plan it was for Jesus who said, “Yes!” on our behalf. Thank you, Jesus, for Your love.

Praise be to God!

Carol

April 1, 2010

Maundy Thursday

Testing, Testing

Reading Job

Do you think that God tests us by making us ill or making other calamities strike us? We tend to hear that point of view, and it is certainly what Job’s friends thought. Job certainly must have been terrible, or God would not be punishing him. That was their point of view.

Was God punishing Job? No, he wasn’t. God was proving to the Advocate that a good and righteous man would not forsake God no matter what manner of evil befell him.

In our own times, we see dreadful things happen to people. I do not for a minute think that the God I love does such things. It doesn’t even make any sense at all to me. He already knows the outcome of whatever happens.

I do not believe that God tests us. I don’t think He goes around deciding to cause one person grief and allow another an “easy” grade. There are a few people around who seem to live “charmed” lives, but I have discovered in my almost 69 years that there is no such thing as a charmed life. No matter who the person is, s/he has had h/her difficulties of one kind or another.

What is of value is how we react to those events. The tragedy is not that a person falls. The tragedy is if the person does not get up…again and again.

We need to learn from whatever confronts us in life; but I feel certain that God did not make it happen to us…just to test us. We show Him what we are made of in the way we live day in and day out…not just when something out of the ordinary occurs.

Bible Breath:

Getting up/seeing God’s smile

Carol

A New Year – 2010

Do you remember how worried people were when we hit the year 2000? People were concerned that computers would crash…that the world would be sent into a turmoil, culturally, financially, spiritually. Others thought that the end of the world was upon us; and, of course, there are many people who believe that the world will end in 2012 which is just two years away. As for me, I know that the year 2012 is the year I need to get my driver’s license renewed, and it is the year my debit card must be renewed.

However, as we walk into this New Year, it does feel fresh, doesn’t it? We feel that we have been given another chance in some way.

One thing I know for certain. It is the perfect time for those people who have been saying they would like to read the Bible in a Year to begin…right now, this very day.

For years I said I wanted to read the entire Bible, but I didn’t. Several years ago, I was given a program for reading the Bible in a year for Christmas. I decided to use it. My feeling was that I would have great difficulty with my discipline in order to read the Bible daily. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed my daily excursions into the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs.

It has proved to be a time of great joy in my day. I invite you to give yourself the same present I have given to myself…God’s Word every day. Once you really begin, you will not stop. You will discover that each time you read the Bible you will learn something new…about God, about the Bible, and about yourself.

It is a wonderful journey. In this year, 2010, give yourself this gift of Bible reading. You will be rewarded beyond belief.

Carol

Bible breath:

Beginning / the Word of God

Letter from Jesus

A Letter from Jesus About Christmas

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you’ve forgotten that I wasn’t actually born during this time of the year. It was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival, although I do appreciate being remembered anytime. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children and grandchildren of your own. I don’t care what you call the day.

If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. .Now, having said that…let Me go on… If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen, and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that, there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees; you can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish…I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one about the vine, look up John 15:1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth, here is my wish list; choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know because they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home, not just during Christmas time, but all through the year. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing “George” complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year…then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past… …and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of “nit-picking” about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” ,that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day, they’d close and let their employees spend the day at church and at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary — especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts giving them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me. They will even make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions and words that you are one of mine. Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest.

Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love…and remember… …I LOVE YOU!

JESUS

Author Unknown

Anger and Blessing

 

Anger and Blessing

 

I worked in an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Chicago. A new nurse joined the staff. She was tall (6′), gangly, and looked like someone we now associate with the 60′s. However, it was the 70′s. People thought that Roxy looked like someone straight from Haight-Ashbury. And she cast off the aura of the same.

 

Roxy was a terrific lady. And was a more conservative person than I was or am. But she didn’t look like it at all. A person had to be around her for some time and talk about the basics in order to realize that this is a very solid, decent human being.

 

At the same time,we had a supervisor who was a very good looking, bright, intelligent woman.  I liked her and thought she did a good job as our supervisor. Then one day she called me into her office. She took it upon herself to advise me that I would do better than to have Roxy for a friend…that being around her would ruin my reputation. But this lady did not know Roxy. But I did. She was making her judgment on how she felt about how Roxy looked.

 

I was furious. I don’t think I have ever been so angry in all my life. I spent night and day dreaming up what horrendously dreadful things I could do to “get back” at the supervisor. I was very inventive too, I might add. But this went on day after day. I wondered what right she had to tell me who my friends should be. And since she was rarely around Roxy, how did she know about her anyway. I had righteous anger if there ever was righteous anger. And I thought I had a right to it too. And I was a wrathful person.

 

Now, you may ask, “What did you do about it?” Actually, I didn’t do anything about it. I realized I was harming myself and nobody else. And I like people too much to “do” something to her. The one thing I told her was that my friends are my business just as her friends are hers.

 

I don’t know how God felt in his anger at Israel, but I understand why He decided to bring them blessings. I was not able to go that far all those years ago (35), but it has always been a wonderful example in my life of how to behave when a person has managed to engage my wrath. Since that time nothing has made me so angry as that did. I had no idea I could feel so angry.  It is a powerful feeling…and since then I have tried to use it for good instead of trying to convince a person of my position. I will stand on my own two feet but not in anger. That will benefit nobody and just makes the situation worse. Yes, I become angry from time to time. But it is important in our lives to be selective over that about which we become angry. I have found that if I am quite angry, there is usually something important going on in my life that I am ignoring. 

I try to take the anger and try to turn it into a blessing for myself or another person. Yes, it can be done. Anger is the spiritually drained person’s way of handling problems. We do not see it as a red flag in our lives. We just know that we are right. And we may be. But anger will not fix anything at all. But it will make most situations worse and make us feel miserable as well.

 

It is obvious that I have not forgotten this incident in my life. It has been too good of a teacher to forget what happened. I learned tremendously from it…one of which was just how angry I could feel. I was totally surprised. Prior to this incident, I had turned most anger inward, and it expressed itself in depression. 

 

Lord, help us to forgive as You forgive. Help us be a blessing to everyone whether we become angry with them or not.

 

Carol

Anger and Blessing

 

I worked in an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Chicago. A new nurse joined the staff. She was tall (6′), gangly, and looked like someone we now associate with the 60′s. However, it was the 70′s. People thought that Roxy looked like someone straight from Haight-Ashbury. And she cast off the aura of the same.

 

Roxy was a terrific lady. And was a more conservative person than I was or am. But she didn’t look like it at all. A person had to be around her for some time and talk about the basics in order to realize that this is a very solid, decent human being.

 

At the same time,we had a supervisor who was a very good looking, bright, intelligent woman.  I liked her and thought she did a good job as our supervisor. Then one day she called me into her office. She took it upon herself to advise me that I would do better than to have Roxy for a friend…that being around her would ruin my reputation. But this lady did not know Roxy. But I did. She was making her judgment on how she felt about how Roxy looked.

 

I was furious. I don’t think I have ever been so angry in all my life. I spent night and day dreaming up what horrendously dreadful things I could do to “get back” at the supervisor. I was very inventive too, I might add. But this went on day after day. I wondered what right she had to tell me who my friends should be. And since she was rarely around Roxy, how did she know about her anyway. I had righteous anger if there ever was righteous anger. And I thought I had a right to it too. And I was a wrathful person.

 

Now, you may ask, “What did you do about it?” Actually, I didn’t do anything about it. I realized I was harming myself and nobody else. And I like people too much to “do” something to her. The one thing I told her was that my friends are my business just as her friends are hers.

 

I don’t know how God felt in his anger at Israel, but I understand why He decided to bring them blessings. I was not able to go that far all those years ago (35), but it has always been a wonderful example in my life of how to behave when a person has managed to engage my wrath. Since that time nothing has made me so angry as that did. I had no idea I could feel so angry.  It is a powerful feeling…and since then I have tried to use it for good instead of trying to convince a person of my position. I will stand on my own two feet but not in anger. That will benefit nobody and just makes the situation worse. Yes, I become angry from time to time. But it is important in our lives to be selective over that about which we become angry. I have found that if I am quite angry, there is usually something important going on in my life that I am ignoring. 

I try to take the anger and try to turn it into a blessing for myself or another person. Yes, it can be done. Anger is the spiritually drained person’s way of handling problems. We do not see it as a red flag in our lives. We just know that we are right. And we may be. But anger will not fix anything at all. But it will make most situations worse and make us feel miserable as well.

 

It is obvious that I have not forgotten this incident in my life. It has been too good of a teacher to forget what happened. I learned tremendously from it…one of which was just how angry I could feel. I was totally surprised. Prior to this incident, I had turned most anger inward, and it expressed itself in depression. 

 

Lord, help us to forgive as You forgive. Help us be a blessing to everyone whether we become angry with them or not.

 

Carol

Our Silence Denies Him.

Mark 14:27-31, 50 NLT

“All of you will desert me,” Jesus told them [the disciples]. “For the Scriptures say,

     ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

“But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” 

Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” “Peter,” Jesus replied, “the truth is this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

“No!” Peter insisted. “Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you! And all the others vowed the same…Meanwhile, all the disciples deserted him and ran away.

 

When we first met Peter, I doubt that any one of us would have believed that this blustery, self-confident fisherman would deny Jesus. Not Peter! He was the person that Jesus was depending upon to build the church. But Peter denied Christ as Jesus said that he would. Peter cried. (Mark 14:72) If Peter had never felt humility, shame or guilt before, he certainly experienced them when he denied Jesus.

I sometimes read passages like this  and wonder how I would have behaved. Am stronger than Peter? Do I love Jesus and God more than Peter did? Certainly I would have been there when He wanted and needed me to be there for Him.  Would I have denied Jesus?

It seems to me that we “run away” frequently. We say we are Christians. As Christians we are expected to follow the great commandments:  Love God with all your heart, soul, and might and love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19-20 to “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” NLT

In other words we need to speak up for Jesus whenever we can…not just in church or in Bible Study or when other “church people” are the people to whom we are speaking.

No! We are to speak to the world about Jesus. When we do not, our silence denies Jesus just as loudly as Peter’s denials. We need to feel ashamed, gulty, humbled, and cry as Peter did.

How can we say we are Christians and not speak Jesus’ name in public? I am guilty as well. Recently, however, I have discovered almost by accident that it is not so difficult to talk about Jesus to other people as I thought it was. We just need to do so. It is easier than you may think. People are hungry for Jesus…but they may not know it. If we wait for that “perfect time,” to teach, witness, affirm we may be denying Jesus the rest of our lives. Jesus is our  Savior. We must tell people about Him. If we do not, the forces of evil will win.

I do not want to face Jesus and have Him ask me, “Carol, why did you deny Me?

Carol

Bible Breath:

Jesus, make me your witness.

Praying and Writing

As I continue writing on our blog, I am reminded how much alike writing and praying are in this context. When a person prays, he/she expects that God will answer. Now, of course, we want God to answer the way we want Him to answer. We also want Him to answer sooner…not later. We want Him to answer in our time when we think it would be most beneficial. God answers in His own time when He knows we will benefit, if we are listening. In addition, we want God’s answer and our answer to be the same. Sometimes, God’s answer is something entirely different from what we want. We know that, but we still want to have our own way.

Writing is sometimes similar…at least it is for me. When I write on a forum or blog, it is with the expectation of some kind of response. That is true for most of what I write unless it is my personal writing. I do not think that most of us write a letter to another person without the expectation that the person will respond. He/she may not respond, but that is the expectation.

That makes me take another look at why I am writing on here. Yes, it is with the expectation of response…from someone. Otherwise, why is there a blog in the first place. It is for discussion. Therefore, I need to establish another reason to write if I am not getting a response. Actually, one of the reasons “should” be that I write to the glory of God. Right now, I feel that I am writing for the Glory of God part of the time. I think God is probably getting a good laugh at what I am writing right now. God might even telling me to stop whining!

I also write because I enjoy writing. It is a wonderful means of conveying thoughts and ideas…but they are written in the wind if nobody reads them. It has become harder and harder to write when there is no response. I am, in effect, writing for myself. I would say I am writing for God, but He already knows these things. Maybe this is truly one of those time when “it is the thought that counts.”

I remember when people told me that I needed to have some interactive elements on our website. Now, we have Read the Bible in a Year with the accompanying blog. I could not think of anything which was more interactive and valuable than that. Much to my disappointment I am the only person who is using this feature of our website. If others of you are reading this, I invite you to join me on this journey through the Bible. It is a rewarding experience.

I am told, “These things take time.” Perhaps I am impatient. I am in the second year of reading the Bible in a year on our website. I am waiting…just as we wait for God to answer our prayers…and I have trouble waiting patiently; but I know I must continue for it is God’s work to reach out as far as we can. On a computer we have the opportunity of reaching out to the entire world. Can anything be more breathtaking than that?  

Yes, it would be even more breathtaking if people came to Christ because of our computer ability to reach out to them with the Word of God!!

Bless one and all,

Carol

Considering Breath Prayers

“Every Scripture is God-breathed…”   2 Timothy 3:16 

A pastor I met on the internet introduced me to the idea of Breath Prayers. We are told to “pray constantly” which I have difficulty doing, but I think in some context it can be done…at least by those who practice praying…yes, practice. Maybe praying comes naturally to some of you, but it does not come naturally to me.

A breath prayer is a prayer of about seven words which are breathed. Pastor Connelly has suggested that we write down our prayers and pray them every three hours. Here is a page he has written about breath prayers:

http://biblethroughseasons.com/Bible%20Breaths.html

Therefore, I am going to share my breath prayers with you from time to time so you can see how I do them.  There are many, many other ways.

I take my prayers from the Bible reading for the day. Today the reading was Psalm 37.

Breath Prayers:

     Trust in the Lord and do good.    verse 3

     Delight yourself in the Lord.    v. 4

     Commit your way to the Lord.    v. 5

     Wait patiently for the Lord.    v. 7

     The meek will enjoy great peace.    v. 11

Another benefit of breathing the prayers is that it helps me to keep the scripture in mind throughout the day.

Below is a more knowledgeable discussion of breath prayers and the different ways they can be used.

http://www.saint-augustine.org/_nov07/ef1107e.htm

God bless one and all,

Carol

Noble Tasks

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”1

Is the above statement true for you? It certainly is for me. All my life I have wanted to do something that really was important for people…that mattered to them, made their lives better in some way, enriched their lives…and not just a couple of people either. I wanted to “save the world.”

As I became a bit older, I decided that I would “save the United States” in some way…and then the state of Indiana. For some reason I was not able to accomplish these things.

Then I became a group home manager for six men with retardation and some physical problems as well. For these six men, I could make a difference. I could see that they attended church. I could teach them how to behave in public so that they were not ridiculed. I could bring our family Christmas Eve tradition to the group home. Did anyone understand? I don’t know, but one of the men asked if we were going to do it the next Christmas. I said that we were; he said, “Good.”

Then came a time when I was unable to work at the group home any more. What then does a person do? After realizing how much I allowed my work to define me, I had to turn another direction. It took a long time. And I was unable to go to church; I also did not think to read the Bible much. I read, listened to music, and learned to paint…not well, but I learned.

These tasks I had to do as if they were “great and noble,” or my life would not have made any sense to me at all. I am not quite certain that I ever attained “great and noble,” but I was trying at least.

Years went by. Health problems became worse, better, and worse again…just as they do with everyone. But I had a church visitor…not from my church. I was visited by a man who was and still is a Jehovah’s Witness. He would come with his little girls. That man knew that I was a Methodist and would always be a Methodist…but he came four or five times a year.

When I moved, he found me and continued to visit. I watched his kids grow up, and I met his grandson. This man taught me about discipleship. He had a noble task and did it no matter how many doors were slammed in his face. He was doing God’s work, and there was no doubt about it. His was a “noble task” indeed.

Eventually, I got a computer…and decided to do our church website with no knowledge at all of what I was doing. I began reading the Bible, went back to church when they installed an elevator, and I am now here writing about doing small tasks nobly. We must. We are God’s children. We can serve Him well by doing our “small tasks as if they were great and noble.”

Carol

1 Helen Keller

Happy New Year

I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year:  ”Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way.”

M. Louise Haskins

I was unable to write at the beginning of  ”our” New Year so I great everyone at the beginning of the Chinese New Year…so Happy New Year to one and all. It is the Year of the Ox. However, for you and me the most important thing about the year is that it is God’s year.

I am hoping that once again this year some of you will join my in reading the Bible in a year…and commenting upon what you read, think, and feel as well. And it would be an addition if we could discuss how various scripture affects our lives today.

Last year I tried to write every day, but that was a bit much for me. This year I will write at least once a week. What I write may or may not pertain to the scripture for the day. Today is a good example. 

If some of you are behind, that is okay. You can begin with today’s readings, or you can read two or three daily scripture until you catch up. Reading the Bible is not a race. It is a joy. All you need is the desire and just a tiny bit of discipline. If you are like I am, you will find that you just can’t wait for the next day’s reading. I thought I would have a terrible time with self-discipline when I first decided to read the Bible in a year. I had said I was going to do so for a long time. Finally, I did it…and I continue…not because I am some kind of odd person, although I may be, but because I truly enjoy doing so. Every time I read a scripture I find something new. You may have heard people say that, but for me, it is true.

Therefore, I once again invite you on this sacred jouney…one we can take together. By the way in the Bible reading for today, Moses had just seen the burning bush and had spoken to God.

Blessings to one and all,

Carol