Hal-lelujah!

ANOTHER QUARTET

2012-01-31T06:49:00.000-05:00

Psalm 37:4 (LB)
Be delighted with the Lord. Then He will give you all your heart's desires.

When I was a kid, Camp Meeting was a huge part of my life! It was, without a doubt, the best ten days of the year! But out of those ten days there were always one or two that stood out for me. Those were the days that the Roberts Wesleyan College Male Quartet would visit our camp to promote the college.

These guys were so 'grown-up' to me. I followed them around and was captivated with them! Listening to their amazing harmonies fascinated me! All their music was memorized. They didn't need accompaniment. And to top it off, girls everywhere went crazy over them! :-)

I knew that, when I grew up, I wanted to go to Roberts Wesleyan College, and I wanted to be in the Roberts Wesleyan College Male Quartet! It was my heart's desire!

I worked hard on my singing throughout high school. I was sent to District Chorus three years. I sang solos and duets in the New Brighton High School Choral Concerts. To some extent, I became known - at least partly - for my love for singing.

Finally, in 1969, I graduated and was accepted at Roberts Wesleyan College. That same year the college hired Professor Robert Shewan to oversee the music department. One of his first actions was to eliminate the Male Quartet from representing the college during the summers!

That's right! My lifelong dream had been demolished! When I arrived at RWC and heard this news, I was crushed!

After my four years at RWC, Debbie and I were married and we moved to Wilmore, Kentucky so that I could attend Asbury Theological Seminary. We became regular attenders at the Wilmore Free Methodist Church, where Clyde VanValin was our pastor.

After being there for several months, Pastor Clyde approached me about singing in a quartet. I couldn't believe he'd opened this door for me! I was shocked and absolutely excited! So, two or three times, I had the privilege of singing in a male quartet with Clyde Van Valin (later a bishop of the church), Bill Brunk (Director of Development at the seminary), and Harry Miller (a Wilmore insurance man - we both grew up in the New Brighton FMC).

Psalm 37:4 (LB)
Be delighted with the Lord. Then He will give you all your heart's desires.

THE QUARTET

2012-01-30T06:03:00.002-05:00

I grew up in a singing church. There were a lot of musically talented people. I learned to sing in the church. For the first eleven years, I sang soprano. Then for a couple of years I sang alto. This transition was easy, we had several strong alto singers in the church - I simply sat in front of them and matched my voice to theirs. Thanks Betty Paugh, Jean Miller, and a few others.

Then I learned the tenor part by listening to Chuck Payton and Morrison Baker. I sang tenor for a few months - I've been a bass ever since!

As our skills grew, we were occasionally allowed to sing in the contatas for Christmas and Easter. That was quite a thrill!

Then, Martha Smeltzer, our youth leader, recognized some of our individual ability and worked with us on solos. Jeanne Crow was most frequently used. Linda Funkhouser sang a few times, too. Then she asked me. I was terrified to sing my first solo, but it went pretty well.

The next logical step was to put together a trio of girls and a mixed quartet. The trio was always great! The quartet seemed to be a blessing too! It included Jeanne Crow, Ann Smith, Paul Funkhouser, and me.

One Sunday night we were scheduled to sing. We practiced and learned our song. But something went dreadfully wrong as we began to sing. It tickled my funny-bone, which quickly ignited Paul's giggle-spot too. Essentially, Jeanne and Ann sang a duet that night while Paul and I giggled, laughed, and choked our way through the song - trying to regain our composure!

Although we only lived three miles from the church, it was a LONG, QUIET ride home that night! Upon arriving home, my Dad laid down the law: I was never to sing in the quartet again. I don't believe I ever did...

CARL GEISSINGER

2012-01-29T05:33:00.002-05:00

Carl Geissinger was a new convert. He wanted to teach. The Sunday School Superintendent at the New Brighton Free Methodist Church, Joe Douglas, had been instrumental in Carl's conversion. He gave Carl a room about five feet wide and twenty feet deep that was under one of the church's stairways. Then he told Carl, "If you can find some boys, you can teach them in that room."

It didn't take Carl long. I was one of the boys.

The room was wide enough for three folding chairs across. The middle chair could only be put in place as the room filled up from the back. Any fire marshall would have shut the class down in a heartbeat!

Carl was an enthusiastic teacher. He was high on passion, though low on accuracy! But he had a way of making Bible stories interesting for young boys. Carl's class was FUN - he made us feel special! Every Sunday, the room filled up! And if a boy missed, Carl showed up at their door - if he knew where they lived.

I remember a Sunday when a boy returned after missing several Sundays. Carl got all over his case for missing those classes. The boy explained, "Mr. Carl, I couldn't come, I had holes in my shoes!" Carl looked at the boy - incredulous! Then he threw one leg up over the other knee and said, "That's no reason not to come to Sunday School, look at my shoe!" Carl's shoe had two big holes through which we could all see his bare foot!

The case was closed with lots of laughter!

Within a few years Carl felt the Call of God on his life. He entered the ministry and planted a Free Methodist church in Holly Hills, West Virginia. It was a thriving church that saw many new converts and sent several persuasive individuals into the ministry!

Remember, God values availability over ability!

DR. CHADWICK

2012-01-28T07:43:00.002-05:00

I was delivered into this world by Dr. Chadwick. My parents must have respected him, since they gave me my middle name, Eugene, in his honor! I don't know how the relationship formed, but my Dad did odd jobs for Dr. Chadwick and his wife.

They lived in a beautiful colonial-style home across the street from the Beaver County Country Club. They owned the equivalent of four lots in this exclusive residential area. Every spring, my Dad would assemble their outdoor awning; then every fall take it down and pack it away.

I think my brother, Ira, worked for the Chadwick's. At the age of eleven, my Dad took me up to the doctor's house and trained me on how to work. Together, we mulched flower beds. My father taught me to work on my knees. If you're sitting down, Mrs. Chadwick might look out and think you're not working. He also taught me to work steady instead of working in hard spurts and then resting for awhile: "When Mrs. Chadwick looks out the window, you want her to always see you working!"

He taught me how to start and service the mowers. He showed me how to trim the trees and shrubs. I learned how to put a sharp edge around their many flower beds. And then, he turned the job over to me for the rest of the summer. The Chadwick's paid me a dollar and hour! I thought I was rich!

On Saturdays, I would ride my bike from my home on Brighton Heights, down through Oak Hill, across the 10th Street Bridge, under the 5th Street Bridge, up what we called "Story Book Hill", past the Country Club and to the Chadwick's. On the way home, after working all-day, I would change my path to pass Waite's Restaurant where I would splurge on a hot-fudge Sundae! It seemed to taste better because I bought it with my hard-earned money! Sitting in Waite's made me feel big!

Mrs. Chadwick (and her daughter, Joan) would always invite me in for lunch on Saturdays. They would have a table set for me in their kitchen. They used china settings with multiple pieces of silverware. I was nervous about eating properly. Mrs. Chadwick and Joan would stand and watch me eat. The food was always different from what I ate at home, but I enjoyed it.

I continued working for the Chadwick's until I left home for college at age 17. I am grateful to them - and especially to my Dad - for the opportunity to establish a strong work ethic as a young boy!

SURPRISE!

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

It was January 27, 1962.

My Mom asked what I wanted for dinner that night - since it was my 10th birthday. I believe I asked for hamburgers and french fries.

When my Dad got home from work, he wanted to go to Sahle's Chevrolet in Beaver Falls to look at cars. He invited me to go along. It was a rare treat to get to do something alone with my Dad, so I jumped at the chance. Besides, it was very exciting to think that we might be getting a new car!

Upon arriving home, Dad asked me to put the garage door up - so he could put the car away. When I lifted the door, the lights came on and about fifteen of my school-friends screamed "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" It was the only birthday party I had - until last night.

I had come home early and snuggled in for a full evening of reading and relaxing. Deb had been up and out early; I hadn't seen her all day. She said that there was something going on early at school. Then, after tutoring, she and Laurie had some things to do for Troy's wedding. She told me that Laurie's Connection Group was having a little dinner for Dennis and Lori Massey's anniversary - and that I should come over around 6:15 PM to get something to eat.

A little after six, I headed over to the fellowship hall. It occurred to me that this must be a bigger event than I thought, because there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. As I walked into the sanctuary, the Worship Team was there for practice. Something seemed different in the way they all looked at me. They all looked like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary!

Then, I headed for the fellowship hall. I thought it was strange that there was a 'Happy Birthday' sign on the wall. I think I surprised everyone by being a few minutes early. Everyone stopped talking and just looked at me. Then, as though on a signal, they all hollered "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!'

Deb had prepared a meal. We all ate and visited. I opened gifts and lots of cards and received the greetings of so many friends!

Maybe it's turning 60? Maybe it's something else? But I can't seem to get my mind off Heaven this morning.

John 5:24 (the VOICE)
[Jesus speaking] I tell you the truth: eternal life belongs to those who hear My voice and believe in the One who sent Me. These people have no reson to fear judgment because they have already left death and entered life.

Someday, we'll walk through a door and fall into the arms of Jesus! We'll be held by the One who paid the price for our salvation. As He holds us and whispers His love, we'll see a line of people waiting to welcome us: family, friends, teachers, pastors, and saints! And at that moment we will have just begun to experience what the Bible describes as "the joy of the Lord". That joy and peace will go on as we continue to serve Him for an endless eternity...

THE INVISIBLE LOST

2012-01-26T07:06:00.001-05:00

I read John 4, this morning. It includes the wonderful story of Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman.

Jesus and His disciples have been ministering in Judea, but the Pharisees are creating trouble for Him. So, Jesus decides to go to His home area (Galilee - 60 miles to the north) for awhile - to let things cool down.

Jesus travels due north, straight through Samaria. His disciples are probably not happy about this.

Weary from travel and hungry, they stop at a village named Sychar. Jesus sits at Jacob's well (outside of town) while His friends go into town to buy food.

A lone woman arrives shortly after to draw water. She purposely came alone because of the abuse she suffered from the other women in town because of her lifestyle.

Jesus exhibits amazing kindness to this woman and her life is completely redirected! She witnesses to the townspeople and many of them are saved as well!

All-in-all, it's one of the truly great stories in our New Testament!

But there's an unspoken message.

When the disciples headed into town to buy food, they surely passed this lone woman on her way to the well. They probably didn't even notice her.

They were likely talking.
Men didn't speak to women in public in that culture.
She was a Samaritan (half-breed).
They were focused on their own desire for food.
They did not yet realize what their mission was.

A woman with deep, spiritual needs was all but invisible to them! They simply didn't see her!

How many hurting people do I pass every day who need what I can offer? How many times am I busy talking? Or, I'm so focused on the mission I'm on that I don't have eyes to see? Or, I neglect people because they're different from me? Or, I'm so caught up in my needs that I don't consider the needs of others? Or, I just don't view myself as capable of (or responsible for) ministering to them?

Lord,
Awaken me to the desperate needs of people around me. Don't let me just pass them by! Break my heart over their broken hearts. Grow my compassion for lost and hurting people! I am Your representative. Provoke me by Your Holy Spirit! Don't let me be callous and unconcerned! Convict me until I wake up to my responsibilities and privileges.
Amen.

II Corinthians 5:20 (LB)
We are Christ's ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ Himself were here pleading with you, receive the love He offers you - be reconciled to God.

I WORRY ABOUT U.S.

2012-01-25T05:56:00.000-05:00

In his book, Too Small To Ignore, Wes Stafford - President and CEO of Compassion, International - observes, (p.94)

"Read the histories of civilizations. You can tell a society is nearing its ultimate collapse when it is consumed with comfort, pleasure, and entertainment, when it no longer feels it needs anything from God, the Creator. For the Greeks, Romans, Incas, Aztecs, and soon perhaps Western civilization, the path has been the same."

What if he's right?

From the same page:

"In our society, when a guy who flips a basketball through a ten-foot hoop can make as much money in three hours as a schoolteacher, who is shaping the lives of the next generation, does in a year, something is horribly wrong with our values."

Two young men had an interesting discussion before my membership class began on Sunday. They go to different high schools in our area and spoke of international students studying at their schools. These international students make fun of the curriculum here. In comparing it to studies in their home nations, they describe our curriculum as being ridiculously easy!

Hmmm...

Stafford observes that we damage our children by not allowing them to make a meaningful contribution to family life. He explains that in African culture, even the youngest children are expected to gather kindling for the fires. Older children protect the fields from marauding monkeys and other animals that could quickly wipe out the anticipated crop.

He hints that by "protecting" our children from "work", we bring them to young adulthood completely ill-equiped to survive!

There are clear signals that ours is indeed a civilization in rapid decline.

Many place confidence in our government to rescue us from this decline - "This next election will solve all our problems!" Yet, unbridled government spending and a lack of courage and cooperation to make essential cuts leaves us with a nagging, national sense of peril.

Where is the hope? How do we change our course?

Stafford points us in right directions! We were not given wealth, freedom, knowledge, and influence for our own benefit. We are postioned to make a massive difference in our world! We are missing God's intended role for us!

In Sunday School, (as a child) I was taught that you attain JOY by putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last!

JOY

2012-01-24T05:49:00.000-05:00

I had a couple of hours last evening to continue my reading of Dr. Wes Stafford's book, Too Small To Ignore. I stopped when I read the following:

The poor comprehend that joy is not dictated by the circumstances of life. Joy is a decision, a very brave one, about how you are going to respond to life. We in the West tend to be joyful when things go our way and good things are happening in our lives. For the poor [who make up nearly two out of every three people on earth], such good fortune and good things almost never come. Yet laughter and smiles abound. (p.165)

I have lived my entire life (sixty years this week) with the supposition that I have been blessed to have been born and raised in the United States of America. However, in the last year or so, I've begun to think the opposite. If life is so good in America, why so much depression, divorce, and addiction? Why do we consume the majority of prescription drugs issued throughout the world? ("Americans consumed three-quarters of the ten top-selling prescription drugs in the world." [Health Tracking Trends: "Retail Prescription Drug Spending in the National Health Accounts" by Cynthia Smith])

The assumed joy of materialism and consumerism seems to be eluding us. How many people do you know who are truly joyful?

"In 1950, the average American single-family home was 983 square feet. By 1970, that figure had grown to 1,500 square feet. By 2004, it had ballooned to 2,329 square feet." (p.92) And, of course, we're so much happier now - as a result! The home Debbie and I live in would probably house five families in Asia.

Is Stafford right? Are the poor more content? Are they happier? He speaks of playing soccor in the little African village of his childhood. No field, no shoes, no rules, no teams. Just an inflated chicken intestine being kicked around the village by kids (and adults occasionally)! When he was exposed to soccor at a boarding school, he was disappointed with the formalities of rules, limits, skills, penalties, teams, and the concept of winning! In his village, soccor was played simply for fun!

I'm thinking that there might be some real value in being exposed to the extreme poverty in this world. I'm thinking that there might be some real value in being exposed to the true joy in this world. I'm thinking that we've been sold a lie - and most of us have bought into it unquestioningly...

What do you think?

CHIPPY

2012-01-23T06:35:00.000-05:00

When I was a young boy, I had a pet hamster named Chippy. Chippy was nocturnal. I eventually learned to sleep to the never-ending squeek of his running wheel.

We were alike in one respect: I always picked the almonds out of my Mom's bowl of mixed nuts; Chippy always picked the sunflower seeds out of his tray of food!

Occasionally, I would put corn curls in his cage and watch him stuff them into his side-cheek-pouches. By the time he got one in each side, he nearly doubled in size!

Chippy loved to travel with me. He went to church a few times and nearly always accompanied me at Family Camp. He rode in my shirt pocket. It was fun to watch people's responses when they would see my shirt start to move. Then, when Chippy peeked out of my pocket, their eyes would nearly bug out!

Chippy helped me get through many LONG evening services at Tri-State Camp. I would sit on one end of the old, board 'pews' and Bobby Edinfield would sit at the other. We would each have a supply of sunflower seeds. Chippy would scoot back-and-forth across the bench shelling and eating. When he was done, we'd simply sweep the seed-shells off into the straw on the dirt floor! :-)

Chippy broke out one day and was MIA for over a week. I found him again though, with my Mom's help. Her warning scream brought me running when Chippy shot out across the kitchen floor!

DADS AND AFFECTION

2012-01-22T07:16:00.002-05:00

When I was a kid, we went to church a lot! Every Sunday morning featured Sunday School and Morning Worship. Then there was an evangelistic service every Sunday night. Christian Youth Crusaders was on Tuesday night, and Prayer Meeting was on Wednesday. Then, twice a year we would have a week-long revival with meetings every night.

My folks were strong supporters of the church; so, I was in church a good bit of my life.

I had wonderful parents! My Mom was the primary parent; I always had the sense that she held things together. My Dad was more quiet and far less affectionate. I knew my Dad loved me because my Mom constantly told me that he did!

I rarely had physical contact with my Dad. He had been raised by an alcoholic Dad, so I think he had some deficits when it came to expressions of affection. However, there were two times when we connected physically.

Every night, when my Mom would prepare me for bed, she would send me to kiss my father 'Good-Night'. He would drop his newspaper and I would crawl up on his lap and kiss his cheek. It tickled my lips because of his whiskers.

We also touched with some frequency in church. Occasionally, I would sit between my parents. This allowed me to raid my Dad's suit pocket for candy. I would find prizes like root beer barrels, or those pink 'Pepto-Bismol' candies!

Other times, I would lay with my head on my Mom's lap and play with my Dad's hand - which was draped around her shoulder. I would stick my little fingers in between his thick, rough fingers. Suddenly, they would close like a vice and I was caught. Gradually, he would release me and the game would start all over again!

When I became a Dad, I rarely had the opportunity to sit with my family in church; I was always on the platform. I loved Family Camp, because it gave me the privilege of sitting with my family! Even today, I rarely get to sit with Debbie in church. That's one of the down-sides of being a pastor!

I'd like to encourage dads who still have children at home, and husbands who get to sit with your wives in church. Use this time to show affection for your loved ones. Put your arm around your wife and squeeze her. Hold your children on your lap. Let them hear you pray and sing. I remember that when I would whisper an 'Amen', my kids would often mimic my words. That's a good thing! Make it happen!

My Dad: Leonard Wilson Haire! :-)

MY BEST FURRY FRIEND

2012-01-21T07:11:00.002-05:00

I raised hamsters when I was a young teenager. Did you know that you can train hamsters?

At the time, my folks had just bought new carpeting for our living room. My mother was VERY fussy about keeping it in mint condition.

When I watched television, I usually laid on the floor with a stack of couch pillows. Once the new carpet arrived, I had to lay on a sheet - to protect the carpet for my greasy potato chip stains!

I often played with my hamster while watching TV. I would let him craw all over me. When he would bolt for freedom, I would grab him and set him back on my stomach.

One day it hit me: Can I train him to stay on this sheet? That began a continually repetitive process of picking him up and putting him back on the sheet. Over and over and over again!

But, eventually, he got it! The light went on in his little brain. I wore him down. After months of training, I could actually get up and go to the kitchen for some more poatato chips. When I returned, the beady-eyed little guy would be standing right at the edge of the sheet - awaiting my return!

Now it's time for you to get involved. What was the name of my hamster? Answer by commenting below or on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/halhaire?ref=tn_tnmn
The first person to get the right answer will win a bag of Double-Stuffed Oreo cookies - shipped anywhere upon provision of a deliverable address! :-)

Let's get guessing! And remember, I'm a VERY CREATIVE guy! I'll post the winner and answer when determined...

HOME LEADERSHIP III

2012-01-20T07:42:00.000-05:00

A cheat-sheet for husbands who want to lead their home well:

Lead spiritually:

§ Lead your family to worship. Get up and go, even if your wife doesn’t!

§ Buy a devotional guide for couples and read it with your wife several times each week. When you add children, buy a devotional guide for young families and continue this practice.

§ Be courageous! Pray with your wife (and children – individually) no less than once-a-week! Add prayer at bed-time and meals!

§ Develop a life of prayer! Find a place and a time that works for you and use the following model:

a. Confess areas of sin and failure.

b. Thank God for His help.

c. Pray for your family and challenges they may be facing.

d. Pray about larger needs

The best thing that can happen is for your kids or wife to ‘catch’ you

praying!

Lead relationally:

§ Eat one meal together every day! Continue this when children come. No television during meals. Use this time to interview your wife (and children) about their day, their problems, their plans.

§ Date your wife every week! Ask her out ahead of time – build anticipation! Plan the evening. Exercise variety – reveal your creativity. Occasionally plan something special that requires dressing up. Especially celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Although it is challenging, it is essential to continue this after children are born!

§ Discover your wife’s ‘love language’ and speak her language!!!! [See Gary Smalley’s book, The Five Love Languages.]

§ Touch your wife (and children) deliberately and affectionately every day: hugs, kisses, hand-holding, pats, etc. It is essential that these touches be separated from touches that lead to intimacy!

Lead practically:

§ Maintain personal integrity:

ü be a man of your word

ü be honest

ü be disciplined

ü be faithful

ü be courageous

ü be gentle but strong

ü be compassionate

§ Protect your family!

§ Provide (along with your wife) for your family. If your wife works outside the home, share household responsibilities!

§ Plan family fun times! Go bowling, sledding, hiking, boating, etc. My wife and I planned scavenger hunts for our children. I left clues for Travis to follow. She drew picture-clues for Troy and Tracie to follow! At the end they found a simple piece of candy. They LOVED these evenings. We also played ‘Hide-n-Seek’. We also practiced ‘Fire Drills’. We played board and card games together. We always watched “The Cosby Show” together! The key is to have fun together!

Take care of yourself!

§ Exercise regularly – stay in shape!

§ Develop a plan to deal with times of discouragement!

a. Have a friend you can trust.

b. Read books and be a life-long learner.

c. Give yourself time to be with other men (outside of work).

d. Have a hobby, distinct from things you do with your family.

§ Learn to talk through stresses and disagreements. There is scientific evidence indicating that talking changes the chemical make-up of our brains! Therefore the old adage, “Talking doesn’t change anything” IS NOT TRUE! Like the marines, learn to run toward problems, not away from them!

I know, I know – it’s a long list! But it’s a big role – being a husband (and a father)! Sorry to tell you, this list can be added to! Just start somewhere! Begin the process. Earn your wife’s respect and admiration! Be a model for your children. Make sure they know you and love you! Be the most important man in their life! Show your boys how to be men; show your girls how to relate to men! This is your God-given role! Love your wife right into Heaven!

HOME LEADERSHIP II

2012-01-19T06:43:00.002-05:00

One of my seminary professors, Dr. Donald Joy, taught on the co-regency of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 1, God made them and charged them with shared responsibility! (vs. 26-28 - NASB)

Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Clearly Adam and Eve were equals in responsibility. However, the act of sinning brought some changes. [Read the curses in Genesis 3:13-19] One of the changes was directed toward the woman: (v.16 - God speaking) "...your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

In Ephesians 5:22-31, this subject is revisited by the Apostle Paul. Here, in a setting of mutual submission, Paul makes the following comments: (NASB)

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (v.22)
...the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church... (v.23)
...as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. (v.24)
...the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. (v.33)

Co-regency continues. Both still have the same charge to subdue and multiply; they are to live in an atmosphere of mutual submission.

Yet, something has changed. All subsequent 'Adams' appear to have an increased role of responsibility.

What does headship imply?

Domination? No!

Paul (inspired by the Holy Spirit) makes it clear that headship implies love! A self-sacrificing love. A love that puts her welfare above his own. It is a love that (according to I Corinthians 13:4-8):

is patient
is kind
is not jealous
does not brag
is not arrogant
does not act unbecomingly
does not seek its own
is not provoked
does not take into account a wrong suffered
does not rejoice in unrighteousness
rejoices with the truth
bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things
never fails

Hmmm...if today's 'Adams' took this seriously, I think the divorce rate among Christians would drop to zero!

[More tomorrow]

HOME LEADERSHIP I

2012-01-18T08:17:00.000-05:00

A friend loaned me the book The Resolution for Men, which springs from the movie COURAGEOUS. The book is well-written with excellent guidance for men.

On page 74, I found what I believe to be the most important paragraph in the book:

God has put something into men that longs to be courageous. And when a man uses that courage to lead his wife well, she tends to bloom. She respects him more and experiences a greater sense of security. She'll want to follow his lead, and she will feel safe in doing so. But when a wife lives with a leadership void, she will feel constantly pulled into the position of filling it. As she leads her husband, not only does her respect for him weaken, he tends to cower and become even more passive over time. She can be brilliant and strong, but both of them will feel resentment toward each other and less secure together. Nobody wins. Everybody loses.

I see more and more men giving their God-designed leadership to their wives. It's the path of least resistance. It's the easy thing to do. They think it will lead to peace if they always go her way. It's open-season on men in this culture! Emasculating men is the new sport of humor. What men don't realize is that by abdicating, your wife is gradually, but consistently, losing respect for you!

Dr. Willard Harley's book, His Needs, Her Needs: Building An Affair-Proof Marriage, informs us that admiration is one of a man's top needs. If failing to lead causes disrespect, then a man stands to lose something that is VERY IMPORTANT to him!

We live in a world that is increasingly recognizing the strength and capability of women. I applaude that. However, husband/wife roles were designed by God. Adam was created first; Eve was created to be his help-mate.

If we disregard the importance of those roles, we will suffer consequences. It truly is a prime time for men to exercise courage and step into the leadership role God designed for them!

[More tomorrow]

GOD, HOW COULD YOU LET ALL THIS BAD STUFF HAPPEN TO ME?

2012-01-17T07:47:00.001-05:00

Remember the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis?

He was Jacob's eleventh son - his favorite. Jacob even gave him a colorful coat as a sign of his affection. Joseph's half brothers hated him.

Joseph was immature. God was giving him very revealing dreams. Joseph, unwisely, shared them with his family. The dreams indicated that Joseph would rule over his family.

His brothers sold him to slave traders. He was taken to Egypt. One of Pharaoh's servants purchased him. Joseph served with excellence and honored God. His owner prospered because of Joseph's presence!

Falsely accused of rape, Joseph was put in prison. While there, the chief jailer recognized Joseph's ability and put him in charge of the whole prison.

Interesting circumstances finally brought Joseph before the Pharaoh to interpret his dreams. Pharaoh discerned Joseph's wisdom and made him second-in-command throughout all Egypt! The whole nation benefited from Joseph's wisdom and discipline!

APPLICATION
It didn't matter where Joseph was, people were blessed! He was determined to be a blessing in every circumstance of life! He didn't waste time blaming God for bad things that had happened to him! He simply honored God wherever he was! And wherever he was, the people around him prospered and were blessed!

Are you wasting time being angry with God because things haven't gone the way you expected or wanted them to? If so, you might want to consider a change of attitude. Maybe God has you right where He wants you! Maybe God expects you to shine where you are!

Amazingly, Joseph didn't hold a grudge against his brothers for selling him into slavery: (Genesis 50:20 LB)

As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil, for He brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people.

And remember, God didn't love Joseph any more than He loves you!

A COUPLE THAT WENT!

2012-01-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

I received the following report from a friend who read "Taking the Wheels Off the Wagons". I thought it would encourage you!

Who do I know went out with God's Word, grace, and love ?

My sister Nancy, and her husband Doran Hostetler. They both graduated from Ashland University in 1959. They felt led by the Lord to go to Riverside Christian School in Lost Creek, Kentucky to teach for a year - being home missionaries - then planning to go overseas.

They taught students that lived so far back in "the hollows" that some had to stay in dormitories, going home for holidays. On weekends Nancy & Doran went back the "hollows" to teach the Word of God. This meant driving part way, crossing the creek on a "swinging bridge" - or if no bridge you walked on a log to get to the other side. They walked through pastures and eventually came to what looked like a "chicken croop". In this structure were maybe twenty to twenty-five people sitting on mattresses waiting for them. There weren't any coffee and donuts, just dear souls waiting to hear about God.

Nancy & Doran's 'one year' stretched to Doran being at Riverside until the Lord took him home in January, 2000. He was the Principal and Administrator of Riverside at that time. Nancy is still at Riverside teaching four English classes a day, and too many other responsibilites to mention. Three years ago we surprised my sister with a party celebrating being a missionary for fifty years.

Through the years Doran, Nancy, and their three children came through losing their home to a fire; then a flood that brought six feet of water into their home. They were honored by Ashland University one year.

That's the "short version" of their story. They have radically impacted my life as well as hundreds of others.

Carol Massey

If you'd like to visit the Riverside web-page, click here: http://riversidechristian.org

TAKING THE WHEELS OFF THE WAGONS

2012-01-16T07:19:00.003-05:00

Genesis 11:31-12:4 (NASB)

Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there...

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him.

Years ago, I heard a message on this passage by one of our bishops. He suggested that God had originally called Abram's father, Terah, to go to Canaan; but he got as far as Haran and took the wheels off the wagon and settled in. As a result, God had to call Abram to leave his father and continue the journey!

To a certain extent, hasn't that happened again?

Jesus' command was to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you..."

But who goes? Once again, we've taken the wheels off the wagon and settled in. Who do you know who has obeyed this primary command of our Lord? Who cares about the millions who have not yet heard the name of Christ?

We are more like Terah than Abram!

I believe God is calling a new generation of Abrams to go! They will be radical in their willingness to sacrifice and obey! They will be spiritual giants in a culture of complacency! God will call them, equip them, bless them, encourage them, give them much fruit and a great reward!

Oh Lord, I want to be among that number, when the saints go marching in!

WATCH ANYTHING YOU WANT?

2012-01-15T07:28:00.001-05:00

I had this discussion with my kids a hundred times when they were growing up.

The argument is: "I can watch vampire shows, R-rated movies, violent programs; they really don't influence me! They're just entertainment!"

The reality is:

You watch these shows.
Your brain is engaged.
Your body reacts: fear, tension, anxiety, laughter, arousal...
Your memory stores the information.

The facts are: This year's Super Bowl Game sold 30-second commercials for $3.5 million. Each sponsor will spend another $3 million to produce the commercial. The 70 spots were all sold by Thanksgiving!

That means McDonald's is willing to spend at least $6.5 million for the opportunity to have a chance to influence you for just 30 seconds!

Duh.

MEN ONLY

2012-01-14T09:54:00.003-05:00

I attended a men's breakfast this morning at 7:00 AM. Some young men from our church call one about once-a-month at a local grille. Usually about twenty guys show up.

There's no program or speaker. We just meet, greet, and eat. One of the young guys will usually offer a prayer over the meal. Very low structure.

An all-male environment is an interesting thing. As guys come in, they are greeted loudly by all the other men. There's a lot a hand-shaking. No one gets left out!

The talk around the tables gets loud. It's about anything and everything: sports, work, hobbies, family, and day-to-day stuff.

We order from the menu. Some eat oatmeal while others eat pancakes. Everybody pays their own way. A few guys pick up the tab for their friends.

This morning there were a couple sets of brothers there. Several dads brought their sons; two of the younger dads actually brought their young sons. A man brought his son-in-law. There were a couple sets of best friends there.

When we finish eating, we head off into our day. Some would say that nothing of value took place. I would disagree!

Men being with men is vital! A band of brothers is a powerful thing! Something formative happens when men get together.

When I was about ten years old, my dad took me with him to a Saturday morning men's prayer time at our church. I was the only boy there with about twenty men. We went to the altar to pray. After awhile, I felt empowered. I prayed out. The Holy Spirit fell on me and I wept and spoke loudly as His power swept over me.

When the praying was over, many of the men patted me on the shoulder or bumped me in an affirming way. I felt like I was one of them! It was a proud moment.

One of the best writers for men that I know is John Eldridge. In his book, The Way of the Wild Heart, he states:

A boy has a lot to learn in his journey to become a man, and he becomes a man only through the active intervention of his father and the fellowship of men. It cannot happen any other way. To become a man - and to know that he has become a man - a boy must have a guide, a father who will show him how to fix a bike and cast a fishing rod and call a girl and land the job and all the many things a boy will encounter in his journey to become a man.

This we must understand: masculinity is bestowed. A boy learns who he is and what he's made of from a man (or a company of men). This can't be learned in any other place. It can't be learned from other boys, and it can't be learned from the world of women. (pp.4-5)

Every boy longs for a father who will teach him and show him the way! An all-male environment can be life-changing for a boy!

TOUGH GUY

2012-01-13T07:15:00.000-05:00

My Dad worked for Townsend Company for forty-eight years. Most of those years were in the Fallston Plant across the Beaver River from New Brighton. However, he spent a few years at the Elwood City Plant and one year at the Butler Plant.

He had a remarkable attendance record. He ran nail-making machines for over thrity years. When I was in high school, the plant changed over to making rivets. Dad had to go back to school; I helped him learn to work with decimals. Then, his last ten or twelve years he worked in the tool crib.

He lied about his age to get the job. The first week on the job, some of the men cornered him in the men's room to initiate him. They intended to paint certain private parts red!

Dad was the first to leave the room. He left with no paint on him!

ADAM AND EVE

2012-01-12T06:45:00.001-05:00

They knew something that none of the rest of us have known - a guilt free life!

We can only imagine what that must have been like. No sin. No remorse. No shame. No regrets.

A clear conscience is a valuable thing!

We don't hear it much these days, but when I was growing up in the church people gave testimonies describing what it was like for them to give their life to Christ.

Over and over you heard things like:

"I feel so clean!"
"It's like a burden has been lifted!"
"I feel light as a feather!"
"I'm free!"

In Pilgrim's Progress, at the point of salvation Pilgrim's napsack is released from his shoulders and rolls away from him.

I believe this is the closest we can come to experiencing what Adam and Eve knew.

Unfortunately for us, living in a sinful world causes us to accumulate more sin and guilt and shame.

We must train ourselves to come regularly to God for forgiveness. The prayer He taught His disciples was a model for daily prayer that included the words: (Luke 11:3-4 - NASB)

Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

If we are disciplined in staying close to God, we can enjoy the benefits of living with a clear conscience.

You ask, "Is this possible?"

In Acts 23:1, the Apostle Paul says,

Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.

So I would say, "Yes, it is possible!"

God didn't love Paul any more than He loves you!

My Dad used to spend most of his evenings in his bedroom. He had a nice radio and comfortable chair there and would spend the time listening to WBVP and reading the newspaper. I would occasionally slip in to talk with him. I often caught him on his knees at his bedside. I never heard what he was saying, but I think he was clearing the slate before he went to bed! Not a bad idea!

7F

2012-01-11T08:48:00.001-05:00

It was a big deal going from a rural school with only three grades, to the New Brighton Junior High School! The relatively new Junior High School was a huge, multi-level building. You no longer spent the whole day in one classroom; instead, you moved from classroom to classroom. It was intimidating!

On day one, we were all assigned to home-rooms and given a class designation. I was placed in Mrs. Littell's home-room along with about thirty other students. We were to be known for that year as the students of 7F.

Someone somewhere had taken all the incoming students and began placing them in groups: 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E, and 7F. By the time they got to 7F, there weren't any decisions to make; the remaining names on the list were simply the students of 7F.

I pretty quickly noticed that most of our class was made up of students who might have been considered "undesirables". It seems that the philosophy of the day was that it would be easier to handle these young people if you lumped them all into one group!

I know what you're thinking! How did I end up in this group? Obviously, I don't know the answer to that question. There were several of us in the class who didn't seem to fit the motif of the selection process.

It was a rough year. At first, I was bullied by several of the guys. Because I was one of the 'smart' ones, I was forced to share my homework with some of the 'tough guys' in the class. There were attempts made to get me to help them cheat their way through tests. I had my $.35 lunch money stolen too many times to remember. Did I mention, it was a rough year!

But I survived.

And the next year I was placed in 8B.

PS - I made many new friends in eighth grade. However, I maintained a unique friendship with the "undesirables" from 7F. Often, throughout the remainder of my high school days, my new friends would make odd comments about my friendship with some of the 'hoods' of our class. All I could do was to say, "We got acquainted in 7F."

OLDER BROTHERS

2012-01-10T05:53:00.000-05:00

In reading Luke 15, I did some creative meditating on the familiar story of "The Prodigal Son."

One common way to make scripture applicable is to place yourself in the story. I quickly identified myself in the role of the older brother. I never wandered off into deep rebellion and defiance. I was an obedient son. I have stayed in the church throughout my whole life. I even went to Sunday School and worship when I was at college!

So, what is the mindset of the older brother?

Words like jealous, angry, bitter, vindictive, uncaring, brooding, and moody come to mind.

From the VOICE NEW TESTAMENT: (vs.28-31)

The older brother got really angry and refused to come inside, so his father came out and pleaded with him to join the celebration. But he argued back, "Listen, all these years I've worked hard for you. I've never disobeyed one of your orders. How many times have you even given me a little goat to roast for a party with my friends? Not once! This is not fair! So this son of yours comes, this wasteful delinquent who has spent your hard-earned wealth on loose women, and what do you do? You butcher the fattest calf from our herd!"

The father replied, "My son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours. Isn't it right to join in the celebration and be happy? This is your brother we're talking about. He was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found again!"

You get to finish the story. We're not told how it ends. Did the older brother join the celebration? Or did he stay outside and fume?

APPLICATION
As mature believers we have to be very careful not to become older brothers!

We must not allow ourselves to think that sinners should get what they have coming to them. If God dealt with us that way, He'd send us straight to Hell!
We must not allow ourselves to get to the place where we think our service for God has earned us a "goat to roast". Our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We can never earn what God has given us!
We must not envy sinners! The older brother hadn't even spoken with his younger sibling. How did he know what kind of life he'd been living? It sounds like he was jealous of the things he thought his brother was out there doing. We must deal with any longings for sin that reside in us.
All the while, the older brother had been dutifully working the farm for his father. When our faith becomes a duty instead of a service, we're heading down the wrong path!
We must not hide our anger. It seems that the older brother and his father had failed to cultivate an open and honest relationship. The older brother seems inordinately angry that his father had never thrown a party for him. Anger may be the favorite sin of old brothers. But it's a self-righteous, self-justified anger. There are a lot of mature believers out there who are holding grudges against God!

As we mature in our faith, God wants to do a deeper work in our lives. His goal is to make us increasingly like Himself!

THE DOWNSIDE OF CHURCH

2012-01-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

I've heard a statement made that after about seven years of association with the church, a person will be completely isolated from lost people.

The church unintentionally creates a new, exclusive community of believers. Some carry this to such an extreme that they are uncomfortable when genuinely lost people enter their sanctuary.

Notice our language. Even the word sanctuary implies a safe place away from the world and its evil impact.

How can believers be salt and light if they have effectively cut themselves off from knowing and associating with lost people?

In reading the VOICE NEW TESTAMENT this morning, I was impacted by Luke 15:1,

Jesus became increasingly popular among notorious sinners - tax collectors and other social outcasts.

CELEBRATION IN THE BACK PEW

2012-01-07T19:45:00.001-05:00

It was Sunday night church. I was probably fifteen years old. There were about five guys in the back pew and another six or seven girls in the pew in front of us.

We were no different than other youth - passing notes, whispering, and making fun of the names of hymns.

Then came prayer time. We always knelt to pray. Several people would lead out in prayer. It usually was about fifteen minutes long; unbearable for us!

Then Wilbert started praying. We loved it when Wilbert prayed. He was very animated and loud! Two of the kids in our pews belonged to him. He repeatedly used the term "O Lord", when he prayed.

All of us excitedly kept count of how many times he said it. It was the best part of Sunday night for us!

This night, he hit thirty and was still going strong. Then forty! We could hardly believe it - he'd only gotten this high a few times before. Would this be the night Wilbert would pray his way to fifty?

Forty-five, but we could tell he was winding down. Forty-six. Forty-seven. Forty-eight. The excitement and anticipation in the last two pews was higher than it had ever been before! We literally trembled with excitement!

Forty-nine! We could hardly believe it! Then as Wilbert closed his prayer, he stuck one more "O Lord" in - and every young person in the last two pews shouted and laughed with excitement and joy!

As we rose from prayer, all eyes were on the youth in the last two pews. I suppose everyone else, like me, got a stern talking to on the way home that night. But it didn't really matter! The high we'd experienced would never be reached again!

It was a prayer that truly blessed the youth group! Plus, it's one of the few Sunday night services that I actually remember!

WISE DECISIONS

2012-01-07T11:24:00.001-05:00

A young man wanted success more than anything. He was given the opportunity to interview a very successful businessman.

"Sir, how can I be successful as you have been?"

The older man leaned back in his chair and responded, "I can answer that question in two words: right decisions."

The young man looked bewildered. He responded, "But sir, how can I know how to make right decisions?"

The businessman said: "I can answer that question in two words: wrong decisions!"

In Genesis 13, Abram and his nephew, Lot, have been traveling and sharing resources; but quarrels began to occur between their men.

Abram, being wise, suggested that they part company to preserve their unity. He offered Lot first choice of the land. Lot looked east and saw the fertile valleys of the Jordan River. Then he looked west and saw the mountainous regions of Canaan

The decision was easy. He chose the east. The scriptures offer an editorial remark following Lot's decision: "The people of Sodom were evil - flagrant sinners against God."

Time passed.

In the next chapter, a war broke out and Lot (with family and possessions) was captured by a neighboring king. Abram formed an alliance to rescue Lot.

More time passed.

God sent angels to destroy Sodom (where Lot lived) and Gomorrah. Abram bargained with God for the salvation of Sodom. God, in His grace, rescued Lot and his daughters from Sodom before it was consumed with fire.

Back to Lot's initial decision.

Was a quick decision the best route? Was it wise to choose the easy path? the fertile plains? the well-watered areas? "How'd that work out for you, Lot?"

Hardship is not always to be avoided. Sometimes effort is rewarded with muscle, experience, and associations. All of which were a blessing to Abram!

To make wise decisions we must factor in more than ease. Wise decisions may incur risk. Perhaps even hardship.

Things that might help:

take time to think.
take time to pray.
talk with trusted advisors.
search the Bible for wisdom.
make a list of pros and cons.
consider the possible ramifications of your decisions.

GREEN MIST

2012-01-06T07:40:00.002-05:00

Debbie and I recently watched "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" from The Chronicles of Narnia.

In this story, Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace join Prince Caspian in an adventure to save a distant part of Narnia from an evil force that is tormenting the people.

This evil is represented as a green mist that rolls in and plays on people's minds. It steals people away from their loved ones and terrorizes those who remain.

The main characters must bring together seven magic swords to defeat this force. However, the last sword is in the stronghold of the green mist. To retreive it, the whole crew of the Dawn Treader must face the perils of the green mist and the personal fears and crises that it will stir up.

When Lucy is faced with the green mist, she doubts her own qualities and envies the beauty of her sister, Susan. Aslan - who represents Jesus - has to scold her for denying her own beauty and gifts.

When Edmund is overcome with the green mist, he deals with jealousy of his older brother, Peter, and also of Prince Caspian. He is overrun with thoughts of always having to play second-fiddle.

When Prince Caspian deals with the green mist, he deals with a fear of disappointing his father - the former king of Narnia. He doubts his ability to rule well and with justice.

Eustace suffers most from the effects of the green mist. It gains a stronghold in his life because of greed and anger. Aslan is the only One who can free Eustace from the control of the green mist.

The green mist plays on personal - but real - fears and feelings!

C. S. Lewis has marvelously captured the way that Satan works in our world!

Satan works on very real fears and feelings in our lives. He plays on our areas of greatest vulnerability.

When Satan has come against me, I have felt a paralyzing effect. I feel overwhelmed - just as Lucy, Edmund, and Prince Caspian did. I find it difficult to think good thoughts; it's as though I am being consumed with the wrong thoughts.

In the movie, Aslan is the deliverer! But, in addition, the characters also play a vital role in protecting one another from the forces of evil. At one point, Lucy simply interrupts one of Edmund's episodes of obsession by simply calling his name and drawing him out of his trance!

The movie instills hope. It points us to Christ as our Deliverer. It also reminds us that we can play a vital role in one another's lives!

The weekend is coming - why not watch it?

SIN IN THE CHURCH

2012-01-05T11:32:00.000-05:00

I think I know why many people avoid church.

Too often, church has become a place for people who pretend that life is merry and good. Meanwhile, their lives are actually miserable, lonely, falling apart, chaotic, addicted, desperate, confused, etc., etc.

Now, I confess that I don't know and experience the church everywhere. However, what I've seen has lost the concept of confession.

It's interesting that we don't want people to know our weaknesses. This is a prideful culture! At all costs, we want people to think things are going great - even when they're tumbling apart.

It's akin to our daily greetings: "How are you?" "Oh, I'm fine, thanks."

"No! If you really want to know, I'm hurting deeply and need a true friend!"

But that doesn't happen.

When did we begin to feel that we must 'have it all together' so that people will think well of us?

Sometimes, in the church I lead, I feel like I'm the only one who struggles! I think people take some kind of vicarious satisfaction out of my public sharing. But I rarely hear someone else admit to weakness, pain, or struggle.

Several years ago one of the men in our church sent me a letter including his confession. He spoke of indulgence in alcohol, ignoring God's Word and other personal issues. He welcomed me to share the letter with our congregation. When I did, there was hardly a dry eye in the sanctuary!

My study of great revivals indicates that almost every major revival began with a confession of personal sin. Hmmm...

Of all the authors I've read, Brennan Manning speaks most powerfully to this issue. If you're unfamiliar with him, he's a former Catholic priest and recovering alcoholic. Here's a sample:

Any church that will not accept that it consists of sinful men and women, and exists for them, implicitly rejects the gospel of grace. As Hans Kung says: “It deserves neither God’s mercy nor men’s trust." The church must constantly be aware that its faith is weak, its knowledge dim, its profession of faith halting, that there is not a single sin or failing which it has not in one way or another been guilty of. And though it is true that the church must always dissociate itself from sin, it can never have any excuse for keeping any sinners at a distance. If the church remains self-righteously aloof from failures, irreligious and immoral people, it cannot enter justified into God’s kingdom. But if it is constantly aware of its guilt and sin, it can live in joyous awareness of forgiveness.
…There is a myth flourishing in the church today that has caused incalculable harm – once converted, fully converted. In other words, once I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, an irreversible, sinless future beckons. Discipleship will be an untarnished success story; life will be an unbroken upward spiral toward holiness. Tell that to poor Peter who, after three times professing his love for Jesus on the beach and after receiving the fullness of the Spirit at Pentecost, was still jealous of Paul’s apostolic success (Galatians 2:11-21). [The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning, pp.30-31]

KING JAMES

2012-01-05T06:36:00.001-05:00

I'm reading my Mom's old King James Version of the Bible this year. That may seem like a strange thing to do (to some of you), but I was raised on this version.

Her copy includes "The Epistle Dedicatory", which was a letter written by the original translators to King James upon the completion of their project. It begins:

TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, JAMES, by the grace of God, KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, etc. The Translators of the Bible wish Grace, Mercy, and Peace, through JESUS CHRIST our Lord.

As the dedication continues, they refer to the king with the following terms:

most dread Sovereign
Your Majesty
Your Highness

Their closing blessing:

The Lord of heaven and earth bless Your Majesty with many and happy days, that, as his heavenly hand hath enriched Your Highness with many singular and extraordinary graces, so you may be the wonder of the world in this latter age for happiness and true felicity, to the honour (sic) of that great God, and the good of the Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour.

The whole dedication is quite impressive as the translators commend the king for initiating this effort. They seem to recognize the impact that this English translation is going to have on the world.

And indeed, the King James Version (or Authorized Version) carried significant authority well into the ninteenth century.

What impacted me most, however, in reading this Dedication was the respect for the king and his desire to propagate the Gospel.

We've come a long way since then.

I recently read of a controversy in Congress. A bill has been presented to add President Roosevelt's prayer to the World War II Memorial. Many are against the bill because it tends to "establish religion".

My prayer:
God, help us this year to elect a president with faith in You and courage to lead this great country in prayer!

WE SHOULD'VE TAKEN MY CAR!

2012-01-04T07:57:00.000-05:00

It was my nephew's wedding day. Everything went smoothly and beautifully. The whole Haire clan had come home for the event.

After the wedding and reception, we all gathered at my sister's house to continue the celebration.

A call came from my nephew. He and his new wife were in a hotel near the Pittsburgh Airport so they could fly out to their honeymoon destination the next morning. He had forgotten their passports.

My sister was in a panic. It was already late at night.

My brother-in-law, Dick, and I volunteered to drive the passports to Pittsburgh and leave them at the front desk for Bobby.

My sister, Jeannette, insisted that we take Bobby's car. I drove.

As we sat at a red-light near the airport, several cars started beeping their horns at us and giving us the 'thumb's up' sign. We were perplexed by their actions...

...Until we realized that we were driving a car with a 'JUST MARRIED' sign on it.

THE TALK

2012-01-03T07:46:00.000-05:00

Everyone grows up thinking their Mom is the best cook in the world! I was no different.

My Dad was a man of few words and rare affection. After I became engaged, he and I were alone one day; he started out: "Son, now that you and Debbie are engaged..."

I thought to myself: "This is Dad's 'Marriage Talk'". I was anxious to receive his advice. I respected him and knew I needed all the help I could get.

His next words (after an awkward pause): "...don't ever compare Debbie's cooking to your Mom's!"

I made a mental note: "OK, that must be really important since he said it first." Then I waited for whatever was next...

Nothing else came. That was it! "Don't ever compare Debbie's cooking to your Mom's!"

I thought: "Wow! That must be important!"

We were married.

I noticed immediately that Debbie's cooking was VERY different from my Mom's. I said nothing.

However, after eating Debbie's cooking for a year, I decided to venture into the dangerous ground of disobedience.

First, I told her the story of my Dad's 'talk'. Then, I told her that after eating her cooking for a year, I realized that my Mom cooked nearly everything well-done!

She smiled. We laughed.

Last night, I had 'The Talk' with Troy. I covered a little more than my Dad did... :-)

BOOK REVIEW: LOST DECEMBER by Richard Paul Evans

2012-01-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

Richard Paul Evans is a master story-teller! I've read five of his novels in the last three months and have thoroughly enjoyed each one! This from a guy who typically reads (maybe) one novel a year!

Lost December is a modern-day retelling of the story of the Prodigal Son. But don't let that dissuade you from reading it! Other than the fact that Evans includes the biblical story on the pages preceding his story, you will not find yourself thinking about the Bible story.

However, of course, if you're familiar with Jesus' story, you also know the plotline of the novel. I delighted in the way Evans made the story relevant. The characters - as always - were believable and real. I read the book in one afternoon/evening. I giggled and wept as I read it.

His strength is in the development of relationships - especially romantic ones. Evans crafts his stories with unexpected twists and reconnections that delight and surprise the reader.

I won't wait long to read another of his novels. So far, he's written eighteen - all of which were on the New York Times bestseller list. Each of the books I have read were borrowed from the New Middletown library. :-) Which proves: you don't have to own something to enjoy it!

THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT

2012-01-02T08:20:00.000-05:00

"I have learned that if you have something to eat, a roof overhead and clean water, you should be most grateful - you number among the world's most blessed." [Luke Crisp's Diary, Lost December, by Richard Paul Evans, p. 197]

I visited Marie in the hospital yesterday. She attends Free Methodist Community Church - where I serve as pastor. She is in her eighties and is known in our congregation as 'Mom-Marie', because for decades she cared for our littlest members in the nursery. She is universally loved and respected - along with her husband, Jim.

In typical fashion, she greeted me with her beautiful smile and a big hug. Marie frequently enfolds me, then clasping my hand in hers looks me in the eye and tells me how much she loves and appreciates me. I know she means it.

We sat and talked. She spoke with gratitude for all that God has given her in life. She talked about growing up on the farm. "We didn't have anything. But we weren't poor." Then she told me of a puzzle that she had as a child. With a twinkle in her eyes she told me of putting that puzzle together over and over and over again. One puzzle.

She reflected that her parents rarely went to the store. They grew everything they needed. She seemed partly present and partly somewhere else as she remembered helping her mom can eighty jars of peaches to see the family through the winter and spring.

It occurred to me as we spoke that Marie was content! She has so much more than she ever dreamed possible. She wants for nothing except salvation and peace for some of her family. Marie is one of the most wonderful people I know; she reminds me of my own mother.

In a culture that is deeply invested in the belief that material things can satisfy, it is rare to find someone who truly understands Philippians 4:11 (NASB).

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

2012

2012-01-01T08:59:00.000-05:00

What's a new year hold?

I expect 2012 to be an interesting year.

My son Troy (and his fiance, Missy) are to be married on February 25th. That's HUGE! Much of our focus for the next two months will be on making that a joyous day of genuine celebration!

Then, my focus will shift to getting ready to hike the Appalachian Trail - a nearly 2200-mile backpacking experience. It should take five to six months! I expect it to be the adventure of a lifetime.

But what else will happen that I don't have an inkling about?

James 4:13-16 (the VOICE)
Listen carefully, those of you who make your plans and say, "We are travelling to this city in the next few days. We'll stay there for one year while our business explodes and revenue is up." The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes another. It would be best to say, "If it is the Lord's will and we live long enough, we hope to do this project or pursue that dream." But your current speech indicates an arrogance that does not acknowledge the One who controls the universe, and this kind of big talking is the epitome of evil.

Lord,

I've made a few plans, but I know that my plans are as though written in the sand on a beach.

I also know that You are already in my future! You know with certainty what is coming and how it will affect me.

Help me not to be a fool - it comes so easily to me!

Rather, help me to walk through this year - and every year - with my hand tightly and securely in Yours!

This I pray in the name of the One who made the world, left Heaven to come to earth, laid down His life as payment for my sin, and paved the way for me to get to Heaven - in JESUS' NAME.

Amen.

WHAT'S YOUR PLAN FOR STAYING CLOSE TO GOD IN 2012?

2011-12-31T09:04:00.000-05:00

Foreign thought?

Experience tells me that if I don't have a plan, things don't happen.

Did Jesus have a plan for staying close to God?

It would appear that He did:

He seems to observe a pattern of getting alone with God early in the morning.
We see Him in worship every Sabbath.
He develops meaningful relationships that include accountability.
He slips in-and-out of prayer comfortably.
He has an obvious familiarity with scripture.
He focuses His life around ministry to others.

What about you?

Have you noticed that intimacy with God doesn't happen naturally?

You have to be intentional about developing a relationship with God! It would only take you a few moments to jot down some plans for the new year.

Would you like to:

read the New Testament in 2012?
start every day with a few moments of quiet prayer?
be more generous in 2012? even start tithing?
start or join a Bible Study Group? or Prayer Group?
be more faithful to worship with your church family?
read through the Psalms or Proverbs in 2012?

If you plan, it might happen. If you don't plan, it won't happen!

Do you want to be closer to God, or not?

A DISTURBING SCRIPTURE

2011-12-31T08:13:00.000-05:00

Luke 6:35-36 (The VOICE)

[Jesus speaking] If you want to be extraordinary - love your enemies! Do good without restraint! Lend with abandon! Don't expect anything in return! Then you'll receive the truly great reward - you will be children of the Most High - for God is kind to the ungrateful and those who are wicked. So imitate God and be truly compassionate, the way your Father is."

Jesus, did You really mean this? It seems to me that You set the bar really high! To do these things goes against my grain. There is something in me that instinctively hates my enemies. I tend to naturally be stingy. And when I do something nice, I expect a return of some kind on my investment.

You’re saying that if I counter these natural impulses and deliberately do what You say, I’ll eventually get a great reward? Is that really true? You expect me to make massive sacrifices while I’m here on earth in hopes that someday – after I die – I’ll be greatly rewarded?

Isn’t that a long-shot? I don’t see many people taking You up on that deal. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure I know anyone who’s deliberately living that way. So why should I?

If everyone I see and know is hoarding and luxuriating, why shouldn’t I? If we’re all wrong, at least I won’t be alone in any judgment that falls on me.

What if I don’t want to be extraordinary? Then can I hate my enemies, do less good, and hoard? If I choose ordinary, does that mean I’ll still make Heaven but just won’t get a great reward? Or, will I lose Heaven too?

Why do You have to expect so much of us, Lord? Can’t You just let us enjoy our lives here? Why do You demand that we be so other-conscious? Am I my brother’s keeper?

A GOOD WAY TO END A YEAR

2011-12-30T07:41:00.000-05:00

Clear the slate! Clean up your life! Re-establish your priorities! Don't live your life being blown by the winds of culture, others, circumstances, or tradition! Live your life with purpose!

Traditions often become traditions because a value is present that contributes to the common good.

The Communion Ritual that has passed down from Catholicism, through Anglicanism, through Methodism, and is still available to the Church - even though most congregations ignore it - contains a prayer that we could all benefit from:

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all men, we confess that we have sinned, and we are deeply grieved as we remember the wickedness of our past lives. We have sinned against You, Your holiness, and Your love, and we deserve only Your indignation and anger.

We sincerely repent, and we are genuinely sorry for all wrongdoing and every failure to do the things we should. Our hearts are grieved, and we acknowledge that we are hopeless without Your grace.

Have mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father, for the sake of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for us.

Forgive us.

Cleanse us.

Give us strength to serve and please You in newness of life and to honor and praise Your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Praying this wonderful prayer with an open heart and with sincerity will clean your heart!

II Corinthians 13:5 (LB)
Check up on yourselves. Are you really Christians? Do you pass the test? Do you feel Christ's presence and power more and more within you? Or are you just pretending to be Christians when actually you aren't at all?

Our culture and our enemy robs you daily by making you think that you don't have time for the spiritual disciplines that can make you strong and keep you grounded. It's Satan's lie! You are the master of your fate!

Find some time. Make some time to reflect on this devotional. It's a good way to end a year!

EGG NOG

2011-12-28T07:47:00.000-05:00

My Mom was a staunch believer in abstaining from drinking alcohol! She was a member of the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperence Union) and a registered member of the Prohibitionist Political Party.

The reasoning I was taught - from an early age - was that if one drink can even possibly lead to alcoholism, then why run that risk?

My Dad worked part-time as the custodian (handy-man) for a local children's home throughout my childhood. He would work eight hours in the mill and then a couple of hours at the children's home. He was loved and appreciated there.

Every Christmas, Mrs. Hasselback - the director of the home - held an elaborate party for the board and primary financial supporters. Our family was always included in this event.

My Mom and I would sit quietly out-of-the-way, while my Dad moved about the crowd comfortably conversing with people.

One year, the party featured egg nog, something that my father loved and didn't very often get. As he refilled his cup and worked around the room, he seemed to grow louder and a bit more outgoing than usual.

My Mom told me to get a cup of egg nog and bring it to her. She smelled it and sent me to my father with the message: "Don't drink anymore egg nog!"

I think my Dad slept really well that night!

WALKIE TALKIE'S

2011-12-27T08:12:00.000-05:00

I was probably about 10 or 12 years old. We played army a lot in our neighborhood. Doing so would take up whole summer days! The nearby woods provided the perfect place to build forts and then attack one another.

About that time, walkie-talkies became very popular. I knew that having walkie-talkies would give our side a huge advantage in fighting our wars. So, I asked for a set for Christmas. I knew they were expensive and wasn't sure that I'd receive them.

In the course of opening presents, I eventually unwrapped a box and saw that it was a set of walkie talkies! With excitement, I opened the box and found...

...one walkie-talkie!

Think about it. What good is one walkie-talkie? Who are you going to talk to?

After a moment of feigned joy and obvious disappointment, my Dad made a suggestion: "Why don't you put the antennae up, turn it on, and start talking into it? Maybe if you listen carefully, you'll find another one."

Hope rising, I did as he suggested. I began walking through the house talking into my solo walkie-talkie! Through the kitchen and bedrooms. Nothing in the bathroom. Into the garage. Nowhere else to go except the basement. Finally, in the far corner of the cellar, I started to hear my own voice. Buried in my Mom's old 'ringer washer', I finally found walkie-talkie #2.

It was a happy Christmas - thanks to the fun my Dad always added with his unique twist on finding presents!

POOR SHEPHERDS

2011-12-26T07:32:00.000-05:00

"Why do you say 'Poor Shepherds'?"

"Because they had a low-paying job?"

"No."

"Because they were the lowest rung of Judean society?"

"No."

"Because they were despised by most people?"

"No."

"Because they weren't permitted to testify in court?" [The word of a shepherd was considered unreliable; they were thought of as chronic liars.]

"No."

"Because they were often without family?"

"No."

"Because some of them were fugitives?"

"No."

"Then why do you refer to them as poor?"

"Because no one would believe them! They had seen the most incredible sight ever witnessed by human eyes! The veil of Heaven had been lifted for them. They had seen thousands of angels glorifying God! Their dreams would replay this scene for the rest of their lives; but when they spoke of it, no one would believe them!"

"Poor shepherds!"

SAINT NICHOLAS

2011-12-25T08:33:00.002-05:00

Saint Nicholas was a bishop in Myra, Asia Minor, somewhere around 325 A.D.

Many legends have arisen around this man. He is especially remembered as a person who knew, above all else, how to give. He apparently was a gift-giver who expected nothing in return!

There is a story of three sacks of gold which were thrown during the night into the window of a poor man. His daughters lived without hope of suitors, and a dread that they would be forced into prostitution because they had no dowry.

Another story tells of Saint Nicholas begging grain from passing merchant ships to feed his starving people during a famine. The bishop promised the sailors that at the final weighing in on their return home, not an ounce would be missing.

He was a special friend to children. He baked bread with sugar and spices for them. These first gingerbread men were made in his own image including the mitered cap of a bishop.

He was eventually made the patron saint of Russia - where czars and nobles were named after him. In Greece, hs is also a patron saint; Nicholas is still one of the most popular names given to boys there!

But much of these traditions changed when Madison Avenue created an American transformation:

The bishop's cape was changed to a snowsuit.
The bishop's miter-hat became a fool's cap.
The Spirit is replaced by being tipsy on spirits.
He comes not from Heaven but from the North Pole.
He's surrounded by elves rather than being accompanied by angels.
He's become a symbol of greed rather than of generosity.

But some families still preserve the original meanings.

A table is secretly set - a child's handwriting reads: "This table was set by Saint Nicholas!"

Cookies are baked and left on the table with a note: "These cookies were left by Saint Nicholas!"

Beds are made and a note is found: "This bed was made by Saint Nicholas!"

A car is washed and cleaned - and a note remains: "This car was cleaned by Saint Nicholas!"

And in the true spirit of scripture - "the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing" - kindnesses are exchanged without credit being assigned! And the true meaning of Christmas - a gift given without expectation of a return - is restored!

We need a new wave of Christmas gift tags that have a TO but no FROM.

MYRRH

2011-12-24T07:26:00.001-05:00

It was no coincidence that the magi brought myrrh to Jesus!

Myrrh in this instance represented Jesus' eventual, sacrificial death!

It was a strange gift - somewhat like giving a family a funeral array of flowers at the birth of a baby.

Myrrh was an aromatic substance taken from balsam trees in southern Arabia. It was rich brown or reddish-yellow in appearance.

It had many uses:

It was used as a perfume and beauty treatment (Esther 2:12). There are many references to myrrh's romantic uses: Proverbs 7:17; Song of Solomon 1:13; 4:14; 5:5,13.
It was used in the anointing oil for holy purposes (Exodus 30:23f).
It was ingested as a pain killer (Mark 15:23).
It was an embalming spice (John 19:39).

Ona Jane Meens wrote a lengthy poem titled "The Twelfth Christmas", in which she described a conversation between Mary and Jesus on His twelfth birthday. She includes Mary describing the gifts of the Magi:

These gifts were the lovely caskets,
the gold, frankincense and myrrh.
We have guarded them well for thee.
Now, my lad, please do not stir;
I would have you close to my heart,
there is pain as well as joy;
and I must tell the story
though it brings us grief, my boy.

Frankincense for worship given,
power symbolized in gold -
would that we could forget the third,
think only of what I've told.
For the sad message of the mryyh
since then has clouded my life;
I know, fulfilling your mission,
death enters into the strife.

But always we must remember
You are God's begotten Son,
- a gift is mystery given -
that His Kingdom might here come.
It's a strange story, Mother,
but I feel that it is true.
God has sent me into the world
that I, His great work may do.

I must do my Father's bidding,
today I am twelve years old;
and He will make it plain to me,
so His plan I can unfold.
I will give the world His message,
that all men may understand
that I have come from the Father
to reveal His love for man.

And to lead into paths of peace
all who would walk by His side,
learning the way of the Master
and seeking His hand to guide.
I can feel my Father's presence -
I know His love and power.
So I accept my Father's plan -
trust Him in my darkest hour...

John 19:38-40 (NASB)
Joseph of Arimathea,...asked Pilate for the body of Jesus...So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus,...also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the usual burial custom of the Jews.

FRANKINCENSE

2011-12-23T08:51:00.000-05:00

It was no coincidence that the magi brought frankincense to Jesus.

Incense symbolized prayer!

Frankincense was a fragrant incense used by the Jews in their worship of God. It came from a very small tree that grew on the limestone rocks in southern Arabia. They learned to slice the bark of the tree and collect tear-like drops which were white in appearance. Once dried, this would be pulverized and mixed with other fragrances to make incense for use in their worship (Exodus 30:34-38). This fragrance was holy and they were forbidden from copying it for personal use!

Fragrances played a much larger role in the worship of the Jews than it does for most modern believers. Some of this was probably necessary because of the slaughtering of animals.

Frankincense was unique in that it had to be burned to give its fragrance. It was also beneficial because when it was added to other incenses, it increased their odor and prolonged their effect. The visual and aromatic impact on worshippers must have been significant. It was a way of helping the people visualize their prayers and worship ascending to God!

Ephesians 5:1
In a word, as God's dear children, try to be like Him, and live in love as Christ loved you, and gave Himself up on your behalf as an offering and sacrifice whose fragrance is pleasing to God.

NOTE:
Frankincense was not included in a sin offering. This adds meaning to the giving of this gift to Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God!

GOLD

2011-12-22T06:04:00.001-05:00

I have one item made of gold. It's a pocket watch that belonged to my father. I don't remember when I received it or how it was given to me. However, I have always prized it. It has a secret compartment on the back that is suitable for a picture. I purchased a gold chain to use in clipping it to my belt loop.

I haven't worn it in years. I keep it hidden away in a tie box.

It reminds me of a few lines from O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi,

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's...Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

I value my pocket watch because it was my Dad's. I loved and respected him. When I handle it, I know that he once wore it and handled it. It connects me to him!

Gold is still a great gift today! It's value is consistent. It's beauty is always appreciated.

Gold was an appropriate gift for a king! Jesus was a King!

It is likely that this gift of gold funded Joseph and Mary's trip to Egypt and back. It was God's way of providing for their needs!

God still provides for the needs of His children!

Why not wear something gold today to remind you of how precious Jesus is to you? If you see me today, ask for a glimpse of my pocket watch! :-)

ONE OF MY FAVORITE DAYS

2011-12-21T06:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, I live in northern Ohio. From November through March, we don't see a lot of Mr. Sun. We watch the daylight time grow shorter and shorter; then when Daylight Savings Time ends, it feels like we lose another hour of light (although most of us know that it just shifts back to the mornings).

But, then, December 21st arrives! WOO HOO! The shortest period of daylight in the year! From here on, baby, the daylight will grow! By the end of January it will actually be noticeable!

Then comes the Daytona 500, then the first robin, then the crocus, then the spring peepers...you get my drift.

So, for those of you who suffer through the long days of winter - take hope! The daylight time starts growing!

MARY'S OBEDIENCE

2011-12-20T07:21:00.000-05:00

This young, Jewish girl complies so quickly and easily and willingly to such a radical imposition!

God wants to make her pregnant while she is engaged to be married to Joseph!
She will have to explain to her parents that she has not been intimate with Joseph. She will have to try to convince them that an angel really appeared to her and that God - through His Holy Spirit - made her pregnant. They are going to be grandparents to the Son of God!

She will have to endure the scorn of family, neighbors, and friends. Make no mistake about it, the harsh treatment of others can be unbearable!

How did she so willingly submit to this plan? The Bible records no protest - as with Moses, or Jeremiah, or Jonah! She simply asks, "But I have never been with a man. How can this be possible?"

After receiving the angel's explanation, she simply responds (NASB): Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word."

But in that response is the explanation we pursue!

Mary considers herself a "bondslave of the Lord". She is not the owner of her life - God is! God owns her!

Rick Warren points out that it is impossible to say, "No, Lord!" If Jesus is your Lord, then you must submit to Him! The only appropriate response to your Lord is, "Yes, Lord!"

Could this be why so many struggle with God's will today? In an age that stresses the importance of self-determination, it's counter-cultural to talk about submitting!

Is Jesus your Lord?

Do you regularly submit to His will?

When you understand - as Mary did - that you are His bondslave, you will also quickly, easily, and willingly submit to Him! Even joyfully do so!

I Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB)
...do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

LEARNING FROM THE GRINCH

2011-12-19T08:06:00.000-05:00

It's December 19th, the beginning of crunch week! People will flood the stores in a near-panic to find gifts for friends and loved ones. Others will prowl, looking for 'mark-downs' on decorations, cards, and wrapping paper. It gets serious this week! This is not a time for the naive to be in the stores - leave your kids at home!

The Grinch: "That's what it's all about, isn't it? That's what it's always been about. Gifts, gifts...gifts gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts. You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me. In your garbage. You see what I'm saying? In your garbage. I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found at the dump. And the avarice...[Shouts]...the avarice never ends! 'I want golf clubs.' 'I want diamonds.' 'I want a pony so I can ride it twice, get bored and sell it to make some glue.' Look, I don't wanna make waves, but this whole Christmas season is...[Shouts]...stupid, stupid, stupid!

As parents in today's materialistic, American environment, how do you maintain balance? How do you keep from over-spending? How do you prevent greed in your children?

Debbie and I went through foster-parenting classes in Maryland. There were about twelve couples in the class. We met weekly for several months. One evening, we began to get acquainted with an African-American couple; we had picked up that they might be Christians.

Imagine our surprise to discover that she was from my home town, New Brighton, Pennsylvania! I had graduated with her sister. We had fun reminiscing. We became quite close to them during the duration of the classes.

In one conversation, we talked about the upcoming Christmas season. We noticed a glance between the two of them - and asked about it. They giggled, then went on to tell us how they countered the effects of Christmas greed.

They taught their children from the beginning that Christmas wasn't about gifts, but about Jesus. Since Jesus was given three gifts at His birth (gold, frankincense, and myrrh), they would also receive three gifts. Every year, their children knew that there would be three carefully selected gifts under the tree for each of them!

Hey folks! There are ways to combat materialism.

We started with the Grinnch - let's finish there, too.

The Grinch: "How could this be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

Be creative! Find a way to make Christmas be about more than the gifts!

CHRISTMAS TURN-OFF

2011-12-17T08:18:00.001-05:00

Upon returning from retreat, Deb and I had dinner at Bob Evans last night and then did a walk-through at the mall.

The parking lot was jammed! I literally parked facing the outer curb of the massive parking lot!

I hadn't been there in awhile, so I was shocked at what I saw. In the major department stores tables were stacked high with techie gifts and other attractive gimmick items. There's an obvious anticipation of selling huge volumes of these things.

Main passageways were lined with eye-catching items. Sale signs were everywhere; I think it's so nice of them to have all these 'sales' right when we're all buying things for Christmas - don't you?

I watched people's faces. I didn't see many joyful ones. Most people looked angry or dazed.

I had to wait awhile at the counter in the Yankee Candle Store as the clerk wrapped my gifts. Several customers were cared for during my wait. The clerks were so courteous and friendly. I found that the customers were repeatedly rude. They treated the clerks disrespectfully. I was surprised by that!

I would like to report that a number of people wished me a Merry Christmas - including one man who held the door for us as we left the mall! That was encouraging to me!

Although I enjoyed my time with Debbie, I felt my joy slipping away. I actually left in a quiet mood. I felt - - - - embarrassment.

It's a delusion to think that anything material will bring any measure of long-term joy. But we seem to have missed that lesson somewhere.

For those of you who consistently follow this blog: This is what happens if you read books by David Platt and Francis Chan. I told you - DON'T READ THEIR BOOKS!

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX

2011-12-16T07:59:00.000-05:00

I just read reports from a Gallup poll indicating that premarital sex and abortion rates are higher among young, unmarried Christians than the rest of the population.

I'm going to spare you my shock and dismay about that.

However, I also learned something new. Scientific researchers into the hormone oxytocin are discovering that this hormone functions as a bonding agent, and is released in the brain during intimate moments - and in especially high levels during sexual intercourse. Both men and women release oxytocin.

The article states: "In the right context, this chemical is going to help create a strong bond between two people, to cause them to want each other more than anyone else. If you're married, that's definitely a good thing! But this chemical doesn't distinguish if the sex is within marriage or a one-night-stand, so if you're having sex outside of marriage, you're still forming that bond."

"Studies have shown if you have multiple physical relationships that then break up, you damage your ability to form a long-term commitment. You train your brain to only do short term. People who are having sex outside of marriage, but still want to have a solid, successful marriage someday, are making it that much harder for themselves."

It seems obvious that this helps to explain the high divorce rate in our culture.

Again, I'm going to refrain from moralizing here.  The research is in. The facts are indisputable.

It seems that God knew what He was talking about when He prohibited His children from having sexual relations outside of marriage!    Imagine that...it was for our own good!

[Information from "almost everyone's doing it",  RELEVANT, Sept/Oct, 2011, p.67]

A STIMULATING CONVERSATION

2011-12-15T13:03:00.002-05:00

I just talked for over an hour with Dan. He and his wife, Debbie, operate Mt. Zion Retreat Center (in Roaring Branch, PA). A few years ago they also started a church in the gym at Mt. Zion. He tells me that it's made up of couples under the age of 38 (he and Debbie are the oldest folks in the church).

For quite a few years they had foster children (in addition to raising their own three) - about 60 of them over the course of time.

To support his family, Dan drives truck for a large bakery in Williamsport, PA.

They moved out of their home this summer to have it renovated into a safe-house for women trying to escape lives of sexual slavery. They hope to have it fully licensed to open by late January.

They want to start a Bible College in the next few years (at Mt. Zion) to educate young, adult men and women for ministry. One donor has pledged five million dollars to the start-up of this project!

Now understand, Mt. Zion is a small retreat center. It had two houses to lodge small groups, but one of them burned to the ground a year ago. They also have a large, three floor retreat house with many small rooms and shared restrooms. It is in much need of repair and is expensive to heat in the winter. The retreat center is a ministry - but it is not lucrative!

They tap into volunteer labor as much as they can. They have few financial supporters. However, various board members and a few others are extremely generous with contributions. The Retreat Center is six years behind in paying Dan and Debbie. Their church pays him $100 a week.

Yet, his vision is unending and his passion exceeds that of most people I know. As a result of talking with him, I feel like my batteries have been recharged! My hope renewed. My vision expanded.

Dan and Debbie are entrepreneurs! They start things. It's their gift! They desperately need people to come alongside them to help make things work.

They bless me by providing a place to retreat three times a year. It's usually quiet here. No cell service. No television. Solitude. Minimal distractions and a fantastic view of the mountains. I typically stay Sunday night through Friday morning; they ask me for $125. I bring my own food and prepare it in a tiny, outdated microwave oven.

Dan and Debbie are Kingdom people! They thrive because they are connected to the living God! He provides for their needs. Nearly everything they do is focused on making His name known.

I am humbled. They make my world seem small. I just thought you should know about them - maybe you'll bump into them in Heaven someday. If you do, you can tell them that you heard about the great things they did for God!

If you want to know more, or bless them, or encourage them:
Dan and Debbie Colton
Mt. Zion Retreat Center
287 Zion Road
Roaring Branch, PA 17765

Their church is on Facebook: Mt. Zion New Life Center
Debbie has a blog at: http://www.debbiesoasis.blogspot.com/

A DARK CHRISTMAS SECRET

2011-12-15T08:01:00.001-05:00

Let me say it before I lose my nerve: Sometimes in the middle of all the Christmas activity and joy, I feel very depressed.

It's true. It even happened when I was young. I remember going into my bedroom as a little boy, laying on my bed in the dark and weeping.

I have no idea what this is about. Even as a counselor, I've never been able to discover the roots of this. It's not as bad in recent years. When it comes on me, I often get in the car and just go for a long ride; for some odd reason, it seems to help.

A friend recently gave her testimony at our church. In doing so she said, "If I had my choice between a physical problem or depression, I would choose the physical problem every time." Only people who have truly experienced depression will understand that comment.

I occasionally wake up in the morning and just feel down or sad. To the best of my knowledge, I can't figure any reason for this dip. It typically travels with me through the day.

I don't claim to have any cure-all solutions for depression. I know I have become better at managing my own depression. My dips don't lead to long, depressive cycles as much as they used to.

I have found that turning to God is my greatest source of help! Often I need to confess sin in my life. I am suffering a lashback effect of guilt, shame, and conviction. As I move in His direction, He seems to move in mine (James 4:8).

I believe we are primarily spiritual beings; then physical and emotional. When we get out-of-tilt spiritually, it migrates to our other areas. We feel poorly in our physical bodies. Our emotional life begins to tank. Consequently, our relationships suffer.

So, if you're dealing with any Christmas depression, my advice is to turn to the One whose birth we celebrate. He came to bring peace on earth - and you're on earth!

LUKEWARM CHURCHGOERS ARE NOT CHRISTIANS

2011-12-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

That got your attention!

This is Francis Chan's conclusion in his provocative book, Crazy Love.

He comes to this conclusion based on Revelation 3:15-18, where Jesus declares that because the people in the church at Laodicea are "lukewarm", He will "spit" them out of His mouth!

[It's chapter five, if you want to re-read his convincing argument.]

He cites many other scriptures to validate his claim. He suggests (pp.94,95):

Following Christ isn't something that can be done halfheartedly or on the side. It is not a label we can display when it is useful. It must be central to everything we do and are.

...much of the American churchgoing population,...is slowly floating away from Christ. It isn't a conscious choice, but it is nonetheless happening because little in their lives propels them toward Christ.

The lives of many people who call themselves "Christians" in America lack manifestations of a vital and active faith.

Chan admits that genuinely and wholeheartedly following Christ is hard. "It's so hard, in fact, that Jesus said the road is narrow and few will actually find it...and fewer still among those who are rich" (p.98).

HAL'S THOUGHTS
I agree with Chan's deductions - and it breaks my heart!

I'm afraid there will be many who will someday say, "Lord, Lord, didn't I attend church regularly; and wear T-shirts with Christian logos; and put some money in the offering; and took Communion; and was baptized; and treated most people decently?"

Matthew 7:23 (NASB)
[Jesus speaking] "I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."

HAL'S CONFESSION
My life is changing! God has my attention! I spend the majority of my time investing in people who already claim to know Christ. I have not gone into the world to make disciples. I have opted for comfort and security; and in doing so, I have become callous and uncaring about a world of desperately lost and hurting people.

By writing this blog article, I'm not pointing the finger at you; I'm pointing it at me!

Watch my life, because I intend to do something about it! How about you?

THREE BOOKS TO AVOID

2011-12-13T07:57:00.001-05:00

There are three books I would suggest that you not read:

RADICAL, by David Platt
RADICAL TOGETHER, by David Platt
Crazy Love, by Francis Chan

These books will mess with your priorities and make you want to do radical things! Avoid them at all costs!

For instance,

Unleashing God’s people to accomplish God’s purpose in the world requires that we devote ourselves to relentless prayer in the church…you and I realize that it is impossible for us to accomplish His purpose in our own strength. So we express our dependence upon God in prayer, and He delights in showing His glory by giving us everything we need for the accomplishment of His purpose.
When you read the story of the early church in the book of Acts, you see people for whom prayer was fundamental, not supplemental. Three times Luke tells us that the church was devoted to prayer (1:14; 2:42; 6:4). They were utterly dependent on God’s power. Every major breakthrough for the church in the book of Acts came about as a direct result of prayer . (RADICAL TOGETHER, p.114)

See what I mean? What's wrong with a "supplemental" prayer life? C'mon, having a "supplemental" prayer life has to be better than not having a prayer life - right? Just leave me alone. I pray before meals. I pray when I'm in trouble. I pray in church. I even pray once-in-awhile just because I love God! What do these guys want me to do? live on my knees?

These guys make it sound like your whole life should be centered around pleasing God. Church is nice. Everyone should go from time-to-time. There are nice people there. They have free coffee and donuts. They entertain your kids. But goodness, aren't we supposed to do everything with moderation?

"Relentless prayer"? How am I supposed to make a living? This Platt guy is taking the Bible way too seriously! He makes it sound like God owns me or something.

Whatever you do - if you're reasonably comfortable and happy in your life - DON'T READ THESE BOOKS!

A BOOK REVIEW: HEAVEN IS FOR REAL

2011-12-12T14:13:00.032-05:00

I just finished the book, Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent.

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

I've been collecting scriptures that reference Heaven for many years and reflecting on their meaning.
Since doing a sermon series on Heaven in the fall of 2006, I have been very interested in the topic. The sermon series was listened to on-line and via a CD packet by hundreds of people.
Because of my interest in Heaven, a number of friends have asked my opinion of this book.

QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT WANT AN OPINION ON

Do you think Colton Burpo really visited Heaven?

Yes. It seems to me that he either actually visited Heaven or had an extremely vivid vision of Heaven. Why would we want to doubt this? Isn't God still pursuing lost people? Isn't God desiring to comfort the hurting? Why wouldn't God choose to use this vehicle - an almost 4-year-old - to inform, inspire, and challenge those who are willing to read his account?

Do Colton's reports support the scriptural evidence?

         Yes, they largely do. However, some things go beyond what we can learn from scripture; for instance:
                 - confirming Jesus' appearance
                 - the fact that there are no old people in Heaven
                 - that people in Heaven know what is happening on earth
                 - that we have wings and can fly when we get to Heaven
                 - that the angel Gabriel sits on the throne to God's left

Is it wise to read this book (or encourage others to read it)?

Absolutely! I find nothing here that would lead anyone to any dangerous conclusions. I found the book to be tremendously uplifting and encouraging. The fact that God chose an innocent messenger fits in with the way that I believe God works. Colton's reports are filtered through his pastor/father's experience, knowledge, and thoughts.

Do you have any fears about people reading this book?

Yes. I would fear that some might begin to mix the images that Colton has revealed with the truth of God's Word at an equal level! God's revealed Word is supreme. Colton's recollections are on a radically different level.

Even his father states (p.148):

"As a pastor, I've always been very conscious about what I share about heaven from the pulpit, and I still am. I teach what I find in scripture."

What did you like most about the book?

I particularly enjoyed the parts of the book where Colton described the colors in Heaven. Randy Alcorn, in his very helpful book Heaven, also suggested that Heaven may reveal colors such as ultra-violet rays, infrared, and others that we don't know of yet. The reference to the stones in the foundations of the city (pp.107-108) was fascinating to me!

I recommend the book! It will encourage you and whet your appetite for Heaven!

Elisabeth Elliot, the wife of martyred missionary Jim Elliot, wrote:

“Heaven is not here; it’s there. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to himself and his still invisible kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.” [quoted in REV. magazine, “Prayer Changes Things”, November/December, 2003, p. 84]

TAKE TIME TO PROCESS

2011-12-12T09:04:00.000-05:00

This was one of the points in yesterday's sermon. When life gets derailed or detoured - like Joseph's and Mary's - you can take time to process. [I borrowed this point from a recent sermon by my mentor, Breada Young]

There are some good synonyms for this process: reflect, ponder, meditate, and ruminate come to mind. But 21st century, American culture doesn't cultivate this response! We seem to have lost the value of having time to just think - there's too much to do!

Thankfully, previous eras did value time for pausing. That's why we have Psalm 119. Chances are, you haven't read it recently. Most people avoid it since it's the longest chapter in the Bible. But, oh, what you're missing!

This psalm was written by someone who absolutely loved God's Word! They had some time on their hands, so they luxuriously reflected on the value of God's Law.

In a way that we might spend a couple of hours watching television, or playing video games, or surfing the net, or Facebooking, this ancient lover-of-God put together a poem expressing his/her appreciation for God's counsel.

The author wrote twenty-two paragraphs about his/her love for God's promises starting each paragraph with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet [most of your Bibles will show this]! Essentially, it's an acronym!

But we don't have time for this kind of silliness today. We barely have time to read a few verses every day. Of course, maybe we would have time if it wasn't for television, video games, the internet, and Facebook. Ooops!

I guess we all make our choices.

Sad though, because most of us are sorely in need of some quiet time for reflection!

NOTE: If you started reading those twenty-two paragraphs today, you would finish on January 2nd. Not a bad plan for someone who's stressed out.

KIDS GIFTS

2011-12-11T08:13:00.000-05:00

Surely every parent has received them:

a fresh-picked dandelion
a finger-painting
a painted rock
a page from a coloring book
a cookie made from mud
a craft from Sunday School

When I was a student at Roberts Wesleyan College, I planned a great day of giving for the campus. Groups went caroling at the mall. Other groups went to area nursing homes. Another group went to the children's wing of Strong's Memorial Hospital in Rocherster, New York (this group gave huge candy canes to the kids).

Afterward, we met in Garlock Commons for a party. We shared about our adventures. One girl stood up and - with tears - told of how meaningful it was to entertain the children at the hospital. She told us that one little girl had attached to her. When they had to leave this little girl gave her a big, sticky hug (from the candy cane). At that point, she turned around and showed us two small, red handprints on the back of her white sweatshirt!

Children can teach us a lot about gift-giving that would ease our stress! They've captured the concepts of simplicity and sincerity!

[Finger-painting by Hal's granddaughter, Rylie Grace Kerstetter]

THE GIFT THAT KEPT ON GIVING

2011-12-10T07:56:00.000-05:00

There was a tradition of hiding gifts established by my Dad. I decided to keep it going.

Our son, Travis, was young - maybe 10. I had raised hamsters when I was young and thought he might enjoy it too. I went to Kresge's and bought one.

I set it up in my Dad's basement in one of my cages. Then gift-wrapped a box that would slip down over the cage.

I wrote clues and left them in place for Travis. On Christmas morning we followed him as he finally arrived in the basement in front of the package.

He lifted the box and exclaimed with joy: "It's hamsters!"

Standing behind, I noticed that he had made the word plural?

I had bought a pregnant hamster! Travis didn't get one hamster, he got thirteen!

A CHRISTMAS DEVOTION

2011-12-09T08:27:00.001-05:00

This vignette is recorded in Mark 12:41-43 (The Voice).

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, where people came to bring their offerings, and He watched as they came and went. Many rich people threw in large sums of money, but a poor widow came and put in only two small coins worth only a fraction of a cent.

JESUS (calling His disciples together): Truly this widow has given a greater gift than any other contribution.

I can just see the disciples scratching their heads. "Huh? She only dropped a couple of worthless coins in. How could her gift be greater than the larger gifts we witnessed?"

Have you ever seen a Dad or a Mom receive a gift from a young child?

When I was young, I wanted to buy my Mom something really special for Christmas! I went into an expensive gift shop in Beaver Falls. For some reason, my eyes fell on a horse's head. I thought it was beautiful! I just knew my Mom would love it!

[Now, notice, my Mom had no affinity for horses whatsoever!]

It was a difficult decision; but I paid the dear price of $10 and bought the horse's head. [No Godfather comments after this, please]. I wrapped it and couldn't wait for Christmas morning!

She opened it and loved it! After Christmas, she called me into the living room after school one day. She had decided to place it on the bottom level of one of her end tables. She explained that it made it look like the horse was in a stall! I was pleased that she had chosen a special place of honor for my gift.

I only realized much later that this was Mom's ingenius way of getting the horse's head almost completely out-of-sight! :-)

BOTTOM LINE
Folks, it's not really the gift. It's the love that motivates you to buy or make the gift!

Jesus honored the woman because He knew her heart! He knew she wanted to give! He knew her sacrifice! Her gift had meaning!

Keep that in mind as you prepare gifts for Christmas this year...

A MIRACLE OF COOPERATION

2011-12-09T07:22:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading chapter 3 of the Old Testament book of Nehemiah.

THE SETTING
Jerusalem has been destroyed and the people of the land carried off to Babylon for seventy years. Through God's intervention, they are finally allowed to return with permission to rebuild the city and the Temple. But progress is slow and discouraging. They are taunted by local thugs and rulers.

WHAT HAPPENS
God calls a layman, Nehemiah, to go to Jerusalem to help with the work. He is passionate and has leadership skill. Nehemiah prioritizes the work and determines that the wall of the city must be rebuilt first! He challenges the people to focus on that massive project.

THE RESULTS
The people respond to Nehemiah's leadership! Everyone starts working on the section of wall closest to their home or business. Brothers work together. Goldsmiths work. Perfumers work. The mayor works. The priests work. Families take on whole sections. Merchants work. Men from surrounding villages come in to assist with the work. Women work.

The wall is completely finished in fifty-two days! The gates are rebuilt in this time as well! Something that had been overwhelming - was accomplished in less than two months through good leadership and massive cooperation!

TAKE-AWAY
Can you imagine what would happen if the church could cooperate in its mission like that today?

What if it suddenly didn't matter if you were Presbyterian or Lutheran or Catholic or Free Methodist? What if all who claim to love Jesus began to work together to do His work?

What might be the result? What if we went to work repairing the walls of denominationalism? What if we began to function as though we were on the same team? What if we pooled resources?

Now that would be a miracle!

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION

2011-12-08T10:49:00.000-05:00

I recorded the movie "Christmas With A Capital C", Sunday and we watched it last night. We really enjoyed it.

Anyone who reads my blog knows that I am a pretty strong proponent of saying "Merry Christmas" and recognizing the true meaning of the season. It was like this movie was made for me. It changed my attitude and heart.

It was a wake-up call to me on how to best deal with my discontent. If, like me, your heart needs to be changed on this subject - try this movie. I think you'll enjoy it.

Come back and leave a comment. I keep trying to simplify that process!

BLIND BARTIMAEUS

2011-12-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

I just read chapter 10 in the Gospel of Mark. It ends with the story of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus.

Jesus has come to Jericho with His disciples. A crowd begins to follow Him. Bartimaeus had set up along the main road to beg from passersby.

He was strategically located as Jesus moved past him. As he listened, he realized that Jesus was close to him. He had heard of Jesus' healing ministry.

He began to cry out - loudly: "Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me and help me." But, by now, the size of the crowd had grown and his voice was just one of many excited voices.

Some of the local people who were familiar with Bartimaeus tried to shush him. They were embarrassed - even disgusted with him.

Bartimaeus would not be silenced. Urgently now, he cried out again, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!

Surprisingly, with the abundance of voices and much peripheral noise, Jesus stopped and seemed to be listening carefully. Then He told those near the front of the crowd to call the blind man forward.

[Some of the crowd spoke to Bartimaeus] Good news! Jesus has heard you. Listen - He calls for you. Get up and go to Him.

Bartimaeus cast aside his beggar's robe and stepped forward, feeling his way toward Jesus.

JESUS: What do you want from Me?

BARTIMAEUS: Teacher, I want to see.

JESUS: Your faith has made you whole. Go in peace.

In that moment, Bartimaeus could see again; and from that time on, he followed Jesus.

[All scripture quoted from The Voice]

I am very impressed with that last line: ...and from that time on, he followed Jesus.

That's gratitude!

"I am forever in Your debt! You did something so wonderful for me that the only way I can possibly even begin to repay You is to follow You for the rest of my life!"

You see, Jesus did something similar for me! He forgave my sin!

More than that! He keeps forgiving my sin!

Still more: He has given me the hope of everlasting life with Him in Heaven!

When you hear that Hal Haire has died don't be sad, BE GLAD!

Like Bart, out of gratitude, I will follow Him for the rest of my life on this earth so that I can live with Him IN HEAVEN for all eternity!

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!

2011-12-06T07:25:00.000-05:00

Back in the summer, I set a goal of losing twenty pounds by the end of the 2011. I started eating healthy in September and lost the twenty pounds in six weeks!

Recently, however, I've been slipping. It started with some dessert at Thanksgiving. Then, I bought some chocolate-covered pretzels - pretzels are healthy, right? Saturday I bought a bag of peanut butter cups - peanut butter is good for you, right?

Surpize! I've gained five pounds.

Switch gears.

Very few people simply walk away from God! Notice the language we've adopted that describes the cooling of our relationship with Him:

We back-slide!
We fall away.
We drift from Him.

INSIGHT:

This process of becoming distant from God always begins with COMPROMISE!

I make little decisions that affect my relationship in small ways.

When that little change doesn't make a huge difference, it seems to release me to make another small change; and then another; and then another.

Each compromise is gradually but persistently taking me further from God! It takes awhile for me to realize that I've "drifted". When I do realize it, it's difficult (nearly impossible) for me to track it back to that original decision of compromise (because it was so subtle).

Once I realize that I've drifted, I can do something about it! I can create change in a positive way. I can reinstate disciplines and cut away sinful practices. I can quit eating peanut butter cups!

DON'T GO INTO DEBT!

2011-12-05T07:50:00.001-05:00

Why do I say this to you? Because I've been there and done that, and I've suffered the pain of that process! I'd LOVE to help you avoid that pain.

Christmas, more than any other time of year, tempts us to spend money we don't have. We want to be generous. People are going to give us gifts and we want to reciprocate. We want people to think well of us. We don't want them to know that our finances are in horrible shape.

As a result, we short-circuit and start spending on credit. We block out thoughts about the consequences of our actions. We satisfy our immediate desires and refuse to allow ourselves to think of the impact this will have on us in January.

Not a good scenario...

If you're on-the-verge of this kind of behavior - STOP!!!!

Don't do it! Don't set yourself back financially. Don't set yourself up for misery and depression in the New Year! Exercise restraint!

Here are some alternative things you can do to keep your finances from getting worse:

Let people you usually exchange gifts with know that you're exercising restraint this year because you're trying to restore balance to your finances. If they really love you, they'll be impressed and understand.
Write letters instead of giving gifts! People love to read nice things about themselves! Write your friends a note telling them everything you appreciate about them. They'll read it over and over again!
Use your talents, be creative! Debbie and I had friends in Maryland named Forrest and Eileen Grauel. They called and asked if they could stop by. Upon their arrival, they set up a tape deck and started some music playing. Forrest sang us a lovely Christmas song; then they verbally expressed their gratitude and told us what they appreciated about us. Then they packed up and left! And we were so blessed!
Give away your treasure! We all have things of value that we keep clinging to. Give something valuable away! Include a note telling the person how much this has meant to you over the years. Write: "Instead of going out and spending money on something meaningless, I've decided to give you something that actually means a great deal to me."
Make something! Give the gift of home-made cookies! Or something knitted or crocheted. Carry in a meal! Put together a photo book of memories or a collage of pictures. Make a handcraft!
Use your skill to do something nice for someone. If you have mechanical skills, give them a coupon for a free brake job or a detailing job. Give them a coupon for a home-made meal at your house! Offer to repair something that you know is broken.

All of these gifts will be far more appreciated than something you would go out and spend a lot of money on!

The best gift you could give a lot of your family and friends is the gift of time and attention!

Just do yourself a favor and DON'T GO INTO DEBT!

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

2011-12-04T08:01:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Debbie and I were out shopping. This time of year, I always get hit with the same wave of discouragement while moving through the stores.

While walking through the Christmas section of a large discount store, I was checking the prices on Christmas lights. Aisle after aisle were loaded with Santas, reindeer, snowmen, snowflakes, etc., etc. I couldn't find any symbol that would remotely remind you of the One whose birthday we celebrate!

A few years ago you could occasionally find bells or stars, but they seem to have been put on the 'naughty' list now. I wasn't able to find a manger scene in this store! Debbie found one roll of wrapping paper that included the words: "Merry Christmas".

The One who is the cause of the celebration is being completely removed from the recognition of the day. The Holy Day has truly become a holiday.

We get cards from Christian friends that say, "Happy Holidays". We even rode by the house of Christian friends who had "Happy Holidays" in their front yard. More and more followers of Christ are exchanging greetings with the words: "Happy Holidays". Innocent people are buying the mantra of a secular culture!

Sorry! I don't like to use this vehicle for disparaging rants. Let's see if I can turn it around?

As for me and my house - we will forever celebrate CHRISTMAS! My decorations will point to the Savior of the world! Our cards will always convey a message about the One who offers us the hope of Heaven! We'll put up a Christmas tree and decorate it with:

candles and lights to symbolize the light of the world
shiny balls to symbolize the gift of gold given by the magi
tinsel to remind us to reflect His love to a needy world
candy canes - which we call candy J's...for JESUS!!
bells to remind us to ring out the Good News that a Savior is born!
stars because of the Star of Bethlehem
and maybe even a picture of Santa - kneeling at the Manger!!!

You get to make your own choices. Are you going to advance the secular message or the true message of joy and hope?

2,000 years ago, in the little town of Bethlehem, a baby was born. This baby was planted in a young Jewish girl named Mary, by the Holy Spirit! This God-child was the Son of God - the Maker of the universe. He came to give His life for you and every other person on earth. His sacrifice for sin opened the way for your salvation.

Proclaim it or ignore it. Make your choice!

ENGAGEMENT II

2011-12-03T11:19:00.000-05:00

[For continuity, read "ENGAGEMENT" first]

There has always been some joking in our family about Debbie's engagement ring. Our three T's have deliberated over which of them should get it someday. Awhile back one of them suggested that since my mom had given it to her youngest son, Debbie should do the same.

I don't know if that influenced her or not, but several months ago - without discussion - Debbie gave her engagement ring to Troy. He and Missy Noel have been dating since Family Camp, 2010. We both suspected that Troy was getting ready to 'pop' the question!

We had a family Thanksgiving/Christmas in Connecticut at Tracie's last week. After returning to Travis' in Annapolis to retrieve his car, Troy made a stealth trip to New Middletown. He arrived Monday afternoon shortly after Missy had left for a 12-hour shift at the hospital.

He had to disable her ability to track him on her iPhone. He had to deceive her about where he was on his long journey back to Savannah. At one point he told her, "I've been driving all day and I'm almost home." He also ignored calls and texts from her.

Then he went about setting up his surprise!

Missy's words:

I worked until 2:00 AM. Imagine my surprise when I drove down my street and saw Troy's car in my driveway! When I walked into my kitchen, he had Christmas music playing, a beautiful bouquet of flowers, rose petals scattered on the table, candles, and cheese fondue.

We enjoyed an assortment of bread, fruit, and vegetables; then Troy started to cook the chocolate fondue. I decided to take a picture to send to my sister (since she had weaved a web of lies to get me to rearrange my work schedule so that I would be home the following day with Troy).

While I was distracted and trying to take a picture with my phone, Troy got down on one knee and proposed! I was so excited!!! We ate chocolate fondue and then I called my sister!

And so, the ring that once belonged to Hazel Haire, and Debbie Haire, now graces the hand of Missy Noel!

IS GOD SOFT ON SIN?

2011-12-03T09:24:00.000-05:00

I read Psalm 99 this morning and came to the following verses:

Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called on His name; they called upon the LORD and He answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies and the statute that He gave them.

Oh LORD our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, and yet an avenger of their evil deeds. (vs.6-8 NASB)

Avenge is a strong word! It has connotation of retribution.

Eugene Peterson translates that last line (in The Message):

But You were never soft on their sins.

Consider:

Eve and Adam sinned and were removed from the Garden of Eden.
Cain killed his brother and God cursed him.
Moses sinned and was forbidden to enter the Promised Land.
Joseph's eleven brothers sold him into slavery; as a result they nearly died from starvation and had to humble themselves.
Esau despised his birthrite and lost his inheritance to his younger brother.
David sinned and reaped sexual immorality and rebellion among his children.
Peter denied knowing Jesus and had to answer for it face-to-face.
Paul had a pride problem that prevented him from being healed.

But, in spite of all this evidence, you probably won't suffer as a result of your sin. NOT!

God is not soft on sin! God is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! God cannot abide the presence of sin! God will not abide the presence of sin!

When we willfully sin, we banish the presence of God from our lives. And we will deal with the consequences of our sin.

Will God forgive us? Always! (Read I John 1:9)

Will God take away the consequences of our sin? NO.

And the consequences of our sins can be VERY PAINFUL!!!

ENGAGEMENT

2011-12-02T07:39:00.001-05:00

I went to college in 1969. Debbie and I had already been dating for a year. Having broken up, we got back together at college. After two years of school, she returned home to work and pay off debts. I finished my degree.

Somewhere along the way, I decided to ask her to be my wife. I didn't have any money saved - it was all going toward my education. After college, I planned to go to Kentucky to attend seminary for three years.

My mom stepped in and asked if I would like to use her diamond ring to engage Debbie. It was a beautiful, basket-weave setting. I loved it - it was so delicate and sparkly. Because of restrictions in the church at that time, this treasure had laid in my mother's drawer for forty years; it was like new.

My dad had bought it for her sometime before their marriage in 1934. I believe he bought it at a jewelry store auction in Beaver Falls, PA.

I quickly accepted her offer!

I purchased a silver, music-box, grand piano that had a small compartment in it. I placed the ring in the compartment. We went for an all-day trip to Conneaut Lake Park. It was September 3, 1972 (her birthday). After riding the rides all morning, we set up a picnic lunch. During lunch, I gave her a gift-wrapped box including the piano. When she lifted the lid and saw the ring, I asked her to marry me.

She said "Yes!"

DOES GOD - AT TIMES - CAUSE SICKNESS?

2011-12-01T05:57:00.000-05:00

In the last blog a scripture was referenced from Exodus 15:26 (NASB):

If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.

Notice the underlined section!

Earlier in Exodus, when Moses is arguing with God over his call to go back to Egypt, he uses the excuse that he is not a good speaker: (4:10) "I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." God responds: (4:11) "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" (NASB)

In John 9, Jesus...

...saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man had sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him...When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam"...So he went away and washed and came back seeing. (vs.1-2,6-7 - NASB)

God is sovereign! In one case God causes sickness as a punishment on the Egyptians for their cruelty to God's children. In other cases, God creates individuals with infirmities for reasons that may never be known to them. In still other cases, God creates individuals with handicaps so that they can glorify Him either by being healed or by persevering in spite of their limitations!

God can do what God wants to do. His ways are higher than our ways!

As followers of Christ, we need to learn to turn to Him in times of sickness for discernment.

Does this sickness have a purpose?
Could God be pruning or punishing me?
Does God want to receive glory from the way I handle this sickness?

Or,

Is this sickness a result of living in a fallen world?
Is it a result of an accident? [In Luke 13, Jesus refers to a tower that fell and killed 18 people. He makes it clear that they died as the result of an accident.]
Is this a sickness brought on as a result of consequences? [It's difficult to blame a torn ACL from skiing on God.]
Is this a sickness caused by Satan?

These issues can only be clarified through discerning prayer. Most of us rarely make the effort to ask these questions...

WOULD GOD SEND SOMEONE TO HELL?

2011-11-29T08:46:00.000-05:00

Psalm 95:7-11 refers to an incident in Exodus 15. The children of Israel had just crossed through the Sea of Reeds! They travelled into the widlerness, going for three days without finding a fresh water source.

They came to a place named Marah. There was a spring there, but the water was bitter. They complained.

God directed Moses to cut a tree and throw it into the water. The water became sweet! As they drank, God made a regulation: (Exodus 15:26 NASB)

If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.

Most of us know that the children of Israel repeated their complaining frequently after this incident! They had a reputation for being grumblers and rebellious against God! When God was ready to give them the Promised Land, they balked!

In response to their rebellion, God let them wander in the wilderness for forty years until that generation of adults all died. Then, God led their children into the Promised Land!

The Psalm-writer recounts this as he speaks to his own generation: [Psalm 95:7c-11 NASB]

Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as in the days of Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me, they tried Me, though they had seen My work.

For forty years I loathed that generation, and said they are a people who err in their heart, and they do not know My ways. Therefore, I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter into My rest.

THE POINT
God is full of grace and mercy. However, if we continue in our obstinance and rebellion, God will judge us! And He will condemn us.

Many people find it difficult to believe that a loving God would condemn someone to Hell. This passage reminds us that He will!

If we harden our hearts against God, we earn His anger. God expects to be able to direct our lives. God wants us to be soft in His hands. When we are, He will be our healer. When we aren't, He will keep calling us and working with us; but ultimately if we fail to respond, He will judge us justly!

IS YOUR CHURCH WILLING TO KICK YOU OUT?

2011-11-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

I read a book by Joshua Harris last night, Why Church Matters.

In chapter five, he lists the ten things that matter most in choosing a church.
Number nine is: "Is this a church that is willing to kick me out?" (pp.83-84)

When a person who claims to be a Christian lives in a way that blatantly contradicts all that it means to be a disciple of Christ, a faithful church's responsibility is to begin the process of removing that person from membership and to treat him or her like an unbeliever in the hope that he or she will repent and ultimately be restored (see I Corinthians 5; II Corinthians 2).

This practice is called church discipline and was instituted by Jesus (see Matthew 18).

Why should you be excited about the potential of being expelled from a church? I gain a wonderful sense of protection in knowing that if I committed a scandalous sin and showed no repentance, my church wouldn't put up with it. They would plead with me to change. They would patiently confront me with God's Word. And eventually, if I refused to change, they would lovingly kick me out.

Radical, huh?

As a pastor, I've repeatedly been involved in this kind of activity. It's always hard - never fun. You're always accused of being judgmental - even though the actions you've taken are out of love for the person.

The issue is: Does a church care - or not?

If a church (which is the people, remember, not a building or its leaders) genuinely cares, then the people will:

pray for the person who wanders from God's ways,
find ways to speak the truth in love to them (Ephesians 4:15),
use God's Word to teach, reprove, correct, and train in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16), and
not coddle, ignore, condone, or accept willfully sinful behavior!

Is your church willing to kick you out?

GOING TO THE PARK

2011-11-26T22:17:00.000-05:00

For the last few days I've been spending a lot of time with my grandchildren: Rylie (4) and Coltin (2 1/2).

In spite of being in Connecticut for Thanksgiving, the weather has been remarkably warm. So, every day, we've been able to walk to the park! It's their favorite thing to do!

We wait for the cars to go by and then race across the street. We have to hold hands until we get to the park because cars and trucks are dangerously close to the sidewalk! Rylie (with help) likes to walk on the guard rail along the way!

Once we get to the park, we can run and play. We climb all over the playground:

going down the slides
sliding down the fireman's pole
walking on the balance beam
climbing the steps, and
riding the glider.

Then we go to the river and throw stones and sticks in. We have to be very careful not to fall in!

We run and play in the field. We even play with other children who join us at the playground!

We met some wonderful people the other day. They followed us everywhere we went! We couldn't shake them! We waved - and they waved back. We jumped - and they jumped, too! We ran - and they ran with us! Shadow people are a lot of fun!

Then, after a long time, we walk back home - because we're thirsty!

It's a wonderful time for Rylie, Coltin, Grammy and Poppy!

Once home, we go into the backyard and jump on the bounce-a-line! Uncle Troy is especially a lot of fun on the bounce-a-line! But he has to have another adult there to keep the children safe (he gets carried away)!

Going to the park is such simple fun! It doesn't cost anything. It's pretty safe. It's nearby. Yet, wonderful memories are made there! Everyone should go the park occasionally! It's better than television or video games or even playing with PlayDough!

Try it the next time there's a nice day! You'll like it! Especially if you take your grandchilren with you!

GRATITUDE

2011-11-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

A lack of gratitude is a terrible thing. Good parents work with their children early to teach them to say "Thank-you." I'm always amused when you give a child a piece of candy and the mother says to the child, "What do you say?" After several promptings, the child says, "I'm sorry!"

A lack of gratitude leads to an attitude of entitlement. And if left long enough, it turns into bitterness and anger.

Gratitude is so important!

One Christmas, a parent decreed that she was no longer going to remind her children of their thank-you note duties. As a result, their grandmother never received acknowledgements for the generous checks she had given.

The next year things were different, however. "The children came over in person to thank me," the Grandma told a friend triumphantly.

"How wonderful!" the friend exclaimed. What do you think caused the change in behavior?"

"Oh, that's easy," the Grandmother replied. "This year I didn't sign the checks."

We all appreciate gratitude when it's expressed to us. Don't you imagine that God also appreciates a thankful heart?

I spoke with a friend this week and asked him if he was having a good day. He told me that every day he wakes up and can move his hands is a good day! Do you feel that way? Do you regularly give thanks to God for the blessings and protection that He's given you?

I send out thank-you notes. I want people to know how much I appreciate their contributions to what we do at Free Methodist Community Church. I am often thanked for these notes. To be honest, I receive a lot of thank-you notes too. They encourage me. I keep them and look over them from time-to-time.

Have you noticed that when people are truly grateful it makes you want to do even more for them?

Wouldn't it be great if you could develop a discipline of giving thanks to God?

My childhood, bedtime prayer:

Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. God bless Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Jeannette and Lib, Tommy and Bobby, Beverly and Ira and everybody in the world. Help Harold be a good boy. Amen.

My prayers are longer and more thorough now, and hopefully more meaningful.

How about yours? Does God know how grateful you are for all the blessings He's poured into your life? Do we really need a national holiday to remind us to give thanks to God? Don't you think He might like to hear it regularly?

The scripture says: Give thanks to the Lord for He is good - His love endures forever!

THE SECOND AND THIRD AMERICAN THANKSGIVINGS

2011-11-25T09:28:00.000-05:00

The Pilgrims didn't have an official Thanksgiving in 1622. Thanksgiving was not a ritual for them. It was not a date on a calendar to be observed. For whatever reasons, they simply did not officially give thanks in 1622.

However, in 1623, they experienced a terrible drought. The summer came and passed with no relief. Governor William Bradford's diary reports that no rain fell between the third week of May and late July. It was unbelievably hot! Everything nearly dried up and died. In response to this crisis they had a gathering to call on God's mercy. It was a day of fasting and prayer in which they humbled themselves before Almighty God.

Read Bradley's report: (made contemporary)

...all morning, and the greatest part of that day, it was clear weather and very hot - not a cloud or any sign of rain to be seen. Yet toward evening it began to become overcast. Shortly after that it began to rain. It rained with such sweet and gentle showers that they immediately rejoiced and blessed God. The rains came without wind or thunder; with no violence at all, and yet with great abundance so that the earth was thoroughly wet and soaked. It revived the decayed corn and other fruits. It was so wonderful to see, that it made even the Indians marvel. After this, the Lord sent them consistent, seasonable showers, with interchange of fair, warm weather, so through His blessing, they enjoyed a fruitful and liberal harvest. There was great comfort and rejoicing. So much so that they set apart another day of thanksgiving and rejoicing.

HAL'S NOTE:
It's interesting that they were thankful because there had been a hardship and because they had put their trust in God and because God had clearly answered their prayers and provided for their needs.

Notice, the previous year had been a normal year, and they did not have a Thanksgiving that year. But when hardship came, when drought came, when they were forced to depend on God, they became thankful!

Are you thankful to God even when times have been tough?

A Thanksgiving Poem for those who ate too much!

2011-11-24T14:47:00.000-05:00

Artwork by Rylie Grace Kerstetter
[Hal's granddaughter! :-)

FIRST AMERICAN THANKSGIVING

2011-11-24T09:40:00.001-05:00

At the turn of the 16th century there was a lot of unrest in England. A group of believers emerged who felt the need to leave the influence of the Church of England. This group, much later, became known as Pilgrims. In 1607, they fled to Holland because their lives were being threatened in England. From there - in 1620 - they boarded a ship called the Mayflower and set sail for the new lands across the ocean. Their primary objective was to find a place where they could live and worship in freedom and without persecution.

The Mayflower was an old boat that was about 100 feet long. It was quite crowded with 102 passengers (plus crew). We know the names of all these passengers! The journey was hard with many storms. At one point, a main beam broke and had to be repaired with a giant screw. After 66 days, they sighted Cape Cod and realized that they had missed Virginia where they had permission to settle. But with food and water supplies low, they could go no further.

Since they were on land that had not been chartered to them, they all signed the Mayflower Compact which basically stated that they would all stay together and cooperate for common survival. When they were able, they petitioned for a new charter for the land of Plymouth; this charter was granted in 1621.

In December of 1620, a group went ashore to explore. They found the land of Plymouth to be suitable for living. However, the winter was harsh and they were unprepared for it. Many became sick. By spring, half had died! The Mayflower returned to England, but all of its passengers stayed in the new land. In April, Samoset, a Native American who spoke English walked into the sttlement and said, "Welcome!"

The Wampnoag people had lived in this area for hundreds of years. They were acquainted with English explorers who had come to fish and hunt. One of their strongest leaders was Massasoit, who lived 40 miles southwest of the Pilgrims in Rhode Island. These tribes had suffered from new diseases that took the lives of many of their people! Because of this, Massasoit was interested in forming alliances wherever he could.

In the early fall of 1621, the 53 surviving Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in response to the harvest. The 53 included:

4 married women
5 teenage girls
9 teenage boys
13 young children
22 adult men

Another ship arrived after this celebration, bringing more people to be part of the settlement.

King Massasoit attended the Thanksgiving along with 90 of his men.

The menu for that first Thanksgiving included:

cod, bass, and other fish
wild ducks and geese
turkey
lobster
watercress
berries
dried fruit
boiled pumpkin
clams
plums, and
venison (Massasoit's men went out and killed 9 deer for the feast).

LESSON TO BE LEARNED
They thanked God even though they had experienced terrible hardship and great loss! 49 of their family and friends had died during that first hard winter! They had said a final good-bye to mothers, fathers, friends, and children! Yet, amazingly, when the Mayflower departed for England - no one left! Their shelters were makeshift. The Native Americans were friendly. The game was bountiful. The sea held food resources for them. The gound was capable of bearing fruit. But, most important, they had freedom! They could worship God and express themselves to Him without interference from outside authorities!

FROM HAL
Enjoy your Thanksgiving! Whether you've been blessed with much or with adversity, you can always find reasons to give thanks to God!

MATTHEW

2011-11-22T07:08:00.000-05:00

We have three Matt's in our congregation. If your name is Matthew, you have a pretty good idea where that name originated.

I have wondered why Jesus chose Matthew to be one of the Apostles? He seems to be a good bit unlike the others.

From what I can gather, tax collectors in first-century Judea were wealthy, crooked, and hated. Did Matthew get excluded by the other eleven? Was he treated with suspicion? Why wasn't he appointed the treasurer of the group - he certainly had the experience? Was it that they didn't trust him?

Did he - like Zacchaeus - made his wrongs right?

I'm sorry! I've asked lots of questions that I don't have answers for.

I do believe Jesus deliberately chose Matthew to be an apostle to show His power to transform even the most crooked and despised life! No one is beyond the grace of God! No one! There are no lost causes!

The beauty of the story is that when Jesus invited Matthew to be one of His followers, Matthew pretty quickly threw a party at his house and invited all his friends. Matthew was so impressed with Jesus, he wanted all his buddies to meet Him, too! Apparently, the evening went quite well.

Luke writes: (5:29)

...there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them.

He set a wonderful example of outreach for us! He used his wealth to promote his Savior!

How am I promoting Jesus among my friends and co-workers? How are you? Thrown any parties for Jesus lately?

DEPRESSION TACTIC

2011-11-21T08:22:00.000-05:00

Satan is a bully! He never hesitates to take advantage of circumstances. If a few things fail to go well, he will fan the flames and try to turn it into a full-blown depression!

Common triggers for depression are:

a low inevitably follows a high
disappointed expectations
relationship complications
long-term high stress
anniversay dates
holidays
grief
gloomy days
losses
anger

There are others, of course!

What can I do when one of these triggers threatens to undo me?

Please don't tell me to pray! Isn't there something practical that I can do that will help?

Chris Tiegreen gives an excellent recommendation in his book, Violent Prayer (pp.112-113):

...if you've never tried cranking up the volume on a rowdy song of praise, I strongly encourage it, espcially if you're prone to depression and discouragement. It's almost impossible to maintain a sense of defeat when the power and victory of God are being shouted all around you. Some of this is psychological, but I'm convinced there's more to it than that. You have eavesdroppers who hate the praises of the kingdom, and their harrassment tends to diminish when you make "room temperature" very uncomfortable for them by praising God. In addition, God honors the confessions of your mouth. If your mouth is shouting about His power and majesty, power and majesty will become more real. If, on the other hand, your mouth keeps taking about how difficult life is, difficulty will probably become more real. "It shall be done to you according to your faith." [Matthew 9:29]

Tiegreen illustrates from his own experience (p.112):

I remember driving in my car one afternoon, feeling completely frustrated, and the CD I was listening to had the song "Awesome God" on it. I decided to make a stand. I turned up the stereo so loud the vibrations probably dictated my heartbeats. I sang - no, shouted - the words in defiance. God was awesome, and the problem plaguing me wasn't. By sheer volume and brashness, I assured God, Satan, and my shamefully beaten-up heart that I had faith and I wasn't going to let it go. By the time the song was over, the cloud had lifted.

The key words in his report are "I decided..." Are you tired of being bullied? Ready to push back?

Get out those ear-buds or put that CD in the player - and let's start fighting!

TAKE CONTROL OF CHRISTMAS

2011-11-19T07:31:00.000-05:00

I enjoy the Christmas season. Years ago, I saw the stress-factor at Christmas time and decided that I would not add to it. It has been my policy through the years to not add lots of activity to people's schedules. Our leaders deliberately keep the church calendar light through December.

It saddens me to see the stress we bring on ourselves. Most give gifts out of a spirit of obligation or exchange. Many spend money they don't have. We crowd our schedules with concerts, parties, family get-togethers, and shopping trips. We even cut our Thanksgiving short so we can get the best bargains.

Our pursuit of the perfect Christmas often leaves us empty, exhausted, and embittered. But we repeat it annually like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. We too feel trapped in something we have no control over.

And sadly, one of the greatest opportunities for spiritual reflection and genuine family connectedness rushes by without gain.

There's still time to change all that this year - even though the Christmas hype has already begun (WalMart's already had several 'teaser' sales). But you'll have to be deliberate. You'll have to swim against the flow!

Suggestions:

Sit down and think about your giving. Who would you really like to give gifts to? What gifts are you obligated to give? Speak to these people and explain that you're changing your approach this year - and you wanted to give them a head's up! Afraid of their reaction? They'll probably admire you; and they'll probably be relieved! They're as stuck as you are!
Along with the important people in your life, plan your December calendar NOW! Write it down! How do you want to spend your time? Family nights? Christmas movie nights? A gift-wrapping Saturday morning? When other opportunities come up, you can legitimately say, "I'm sorry! We already have something scheduled for that night!"
Plan ahead for a spiritual observance of the birth of Christ! If you have children or grandchildren, they would LOVE to act out the Christmas story [video it for years of future enjoyment]! Put time on your calendar to read a good book. Richard Paul Evans has some great Christmas novels that would bless you: The Gift, and The Christmas List are two good ones to start with!

You can add to this list yourself; I've just tried to get you started. But if you delay, you'll soon be caught in the vortex of former Christmases. You're the only one who can change these patterns!

EXERCISE

2011-11-18T08:10:00.000-05:00

Every morning! I learned these from Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the aerobics specialist! He uses them himself. He recommends them to maintain your health as you grow older. I've been doing them for nearly ten years. I take Sundays off.

runner's stretches against a door-frame or wall
extended leg stretches - putting each leg as far forward (while standing) as you can and holding it for a 20-count (I do this beside the couch - for balance).
two sets of 50 push-ups (from the knee)
two sets of 100 crunches (knees bent)
while lying on the floor, draw each knee to your chest and hold for a 20-count (then, both together)
while sitting on floor cross-legged: reach each arm (in turn) straight up as far as you can then bring your hand down toward the center of your back and hold for a 20-count.
while sitting on the floor cross-legged: bring your feet together and gently press down on your knees to stretch your thighs
while sitting on the floor, extend your left leg while putting your right foot against your left knee; in this position stretch your arms out toward your left foot and hold for a 20-count. Then do each arm separately - holding for a 20-count (then reverse legs and repeat).
on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, I drop the push-ups and crunches and work with a 25-pound weight.

I have found this plan of Dr. Cooper's to be everything that he promised. I feel good. It only takes me twenty minutes. I am staying strong. I have maintained good mobility. It even helps to change my mood!

Then, of course, I follow it up with a bowl of oatmeal (I add three teaspoons of ground flaxseed, a handful of pumpkin seeds, and blueberries, blackberries, and/or raspberries)! Now, you're ready to start your day! :-)

I also try to walk a brisk three miles every day (this has been hit-or-miss in recent months).

I Timothy 4:7-8 (TM)
Exercise daily in God - no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.

TV GUIDE ROUTE

2011-11-17T07:13:00.000-05:00

When I was young, I had a TV Guide route. I delivered 50 Guides every week to neighbors, church friends, family, and folks all around New Brighton!

They cost $.15 at the time; I got to keep $.04 for delivering them.

Every Thursday, I would walk down Penn Avenue, down the hill to the second level to deliver a few near the High School, then down the steps to the first level to deliver to my Aunt Peg and a few of her neighbors.

Occasionally someone would give me a quarter and tell me to keep the change! I would usually stop at the Oak Hill Store and buy a candy bar for a dime!

I would take the money home and divide it up so I could pay the bill. That usually left about $2.00 for me!

My mom taught me to give a tithe to the Lord! I did so religiously! My Dad spoke to our church treasurer and she issued me my own set of church envelopes. Every Sunday, I proudly dropped my envelope in the offering - with two dimes in it!

Starting then has made it easy to tithe ever since! I have NEVER regretted it! I believe tithing is the cornerstone of living a peaceful, contented, and happy life!

Leave a comment with your own story...

THE RESOLUTION FOR MEN

2011-11-16T08:01:00.000-05:00

"Society is guiding boys to remain boys as long as possible – extending childhood into their thirties – while forcing girls to become women long before they are ready. Instead of growing up, getting married, and courageously raising up the next generation, millions of young men are staying single, remaining emotionally and directionally dependent on their mothers while becoming addicted to entertainment, pornography, and video games. They want the privileges and rewards of manhood but only the responsibilities and moral requirements of boys. So when they become fathers themselves, they don’t know what to do, and they feel extremely ill-equipped." [The Resolution For Men, p.15]

If the American culture is going to be awakened to renewed moral consistency and spiritual fervor, it will be because men wake up to their place of leadership in the home, church, and community!

Gracious God,
I commit myself to the training of godly men as You give me opportunity!
I will model a healthy marriage: respect and love for my wife!
I will model appropriate language, avoiding all vulgarities!
I will model a life of intimacy with You - for all to see!
I will invest sacrificially in the men You bring into my sphere of influence!
I will pray for the men I know - to hear from You and obey what they hear!
I will keep my life pure so that my integrity remains untarnished!
I will do all of this out of my love for You - and I will do so for the rest of my life!
This I commit myself to - in Jesus' Name!
Amen.

If you are willing to make a similar commitment, leave a comment with your name!

I LIED

2011-11-15T07:23:00.000-05:00

I was about five years old. It happened at the dinner table. I don't remember the details, but I lied. It may have been the first time.

My father told me to leave the table and go to the living room and sit on the couch. That had never happened before. I was frightened.

After dinner, my father and mother came in and stood across the coffee table from me. My Dad did the talking, my Mom did the crying. Looking up at them, they seemed like giants! My Dad pointed his finger at me as he spoke.

He said something like: "Son, now your mother and I will always wonder if you're telling us the truth! There'll always be some doubt, 'Is Harold lying again?'"

I could see that what I had done caused them tremendous pain! I loved them! I felt bad that they were so disappointed in me!

I decided in that moment to be a truth-teller!

The power of a parent - especially a father - is remarkable! Use this authority - with godly wisdom - to shape the lives (and futures) of your children!

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY!

2011-11-14T06:48:00.000-05:00

His disciples would wake up, but Jesus wasn't there. Where did He go? The earliest riser would go off hunting for Jesus. Again and again, they would find Him off somewhere praying - talking with His Father!

Somehow, eventually, they connected the dots:

He's remarkably calm because He prays so much!
He has uncany wisdom because He prays so much!
He is able to perform miracles because of this intimate connection He has with His Heavenly Father!
He is able to heal because He is one with His Heavenly Father!
He is joyful and positive because He's always off praying!
He's consistent and faith-filled because of His intimacy with His Father!

Once they realized this, they asked Him: "Lord, teach us to pray!" You see, they wanted:

peace.
wisdom.
to be able to do great works.
to bless people by healing them.
to be joyful and positive.
to be consistent and faith-filled!

Sort of makes you want to learn to pray, doesn't it?

Our granddaughter, Rylie, is learning to pray. Turn your volume up all-the-way and click below to hear her:

Lord, if an almost four-year-old can learn to pray - so can I. Please, teach me to pray!

BETTY PAUGH

2011-11-13T07:53:00.000-05:00

She was my first Sunday School teacher! I loved her and my times in her room. She was so animated! She told us Bible stories with energy and excitement! The flannel-graph board came to life every Sunday morning!

I owe her a debt of gratitude. She ignited a passion for God in my young heart. She initiated a love for the Bible that continues today. Her influence was enormous.

While I was in her class, she married. Her husband, Andy, was a big guy - kind of scary-looking to us. He sat by the door in her classroom and helped to maintain attention. She didn't need much help.

She's still serving today - at 92 years of age - in the same church, the New Brighton Free Methodist Church! She greets on Sunday mornings and passes bulletins.

Thank you, Betty! Your influence has held throughout 59 years of my life! I still love Jesus; and I still love His Word.

And when we both get to Heaven - I'll be hunting for your classroom!

FOUR GENERATIONS

2011-11-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

Generally speaking, a generation is twenty-five years. So, to have four generations living at the same time means that they span nearly one hundred years. It's a neat thing to happen in a family!

Dolores Elizabeth (Baumgard) Whippo was born in 1931.

Dolores' daughter, Deborah Lynn (Whippo) Haire, was born in 1950.

Deborah's daughter, Tracie Elizabeth (Haire) Kerstetter was born in 1981.

Tracie's daughter, Rylie Grace Kerstetter was born in 2007.

Imagine the differences between these four:

Dolores was sixteen in 1947.

Debbie was sixteen in 1966.

Tracie was sixteen in 1997.

Rylie will be sixteen in 2023.

Think of that in terms of wars:

Dolores grew up during the post-World War II period.

Debbie grew up in the midst of the Viet Nam War.

Tracie grew up with the Persian Gulf War.

Rylie will grow up with the War on Terrorism!

How about music?

Dolores grew up with teen star, Frank Sinatra.

Debbie saw the Beatles explosion!

Tracie witnessed country music becoming mainstream.

Who knows what music will characterize Rylie's life?

Yet, they're all one-family! A strand of family that connects the past to the future! Each unique! Yet sharing many things.

The blessing of the oldest extends to the youngest.

And someday, many years from now, Rylie will be the oldest - and her picture may be taken with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter.

And God smiles!

EARLIEST MEMORY

2011-11-11T07:35:00.000-05:00

I was three years old. My family lived on Mt. Washington, in Beaver Falls, PA. It was Veteran's Day and the city had planned a big parade!

[It would have been 1955. This post-war era had produced a great respect for our military.]

My Dad must have had the day off from work. He took me by the hand and we walked down to the upper end of Beaver Falls to view the parade. I remember that we walked through an old underpass. I would have been frightened if I'd been alone.

It was chilly; I had a little hat on. My Dad held me in his arms while we watched hundreds of men march by. Some were in uniforms. There were some bands and other groups, but it was predominantly military!

Every time the American flag went past, my Dad taught me to take off my hat and hold it over my heart! The flag went past us a lot that day! By the end of the parade, respect for our flag and our military was deeply imprinted on my young mind!

God,
Thank You for those who have served to protect and defend our nation!
Thank You for those who are presently serving; including Travis and Jon.
And thank You for my Dad!
Amen.

THE RACE

2011-11-10T08:43:00.000-05:00

Hebrews 12:1 (The Voice)
So since we stand surrounded by all those who have gone before, an enormous cloud of witnesses, let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us.

Troy (our 31 y/o son) ran a half-marathon last week! That's 13 miles; he ran it in 01:54:36. That's 13 consecutive miles at less than 9 minutes per mile!

I'm pretty sure that he didn't carry a cell phone, a pen knife, his wallet, a spare pair of shoes, or even a water bottle with him. I'm betting that he was slimmed down to the bare essentials - no extra weight!

When I leave to hike the Appalachian Trail, it'll be the same for me. I'll pack and repack until I'm confident that I only have what I need; no luxury items! I'll have 300 mountains to climb before I reach Mt. Katahdin; believe me, I only want to carry what I must have!

Our spiritual lives are similar. We are here for one primary purpose: to live for the praise of God's glory [Ephesians 1:6,12,14]! Yet, it's so easy to get distracted. It's easy to pick up extra stuff along the way.

The author of Hebrews reminds us to pare down. Hit the delete button. Remove the distractions! Restore our focus! Set your mind on Heaven! The promise of God's Word is that if you do this, you will be even happier than Troy was when he finished his race!

Happy running! See you at the end!

WHY I CHANGED MY NAME

2011-11-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

I was in the local pharmacy to buy a wedding card. As I perused the racks of possibilities, I started reading cards that looked interesting. One compared two men; one was muscular and handsome, the other was old, ugly, and flabby. The latter man's name was, of course, Harold.

Even Bill Cosby had a character from his early-life humor called Wierd Harold.

All through the years, I noticed that the name Harold was usually given to strange characters, or made the butt of jokes.

But, it was my given name. My father had named me after his best friend (from childhood days), Harold McNeese.

I waited.

In 1981, my mother went to Heaven. In 1992, my father went to Heaven. In 1997, we moved to Akron and became involved in the Cornerstone Free Methodist Church. Only two people there knew me.

It was the opportune time! I introduced myself as Hal (short for Hallelujah). :-)

I've never regretted this decision. My kids struggled with it for awhile, but they've all adapted - they usually call me Dad, anyway :-).

I never expected those who already knew me to call me anything but Harold. It's still my given name.

You can call me Hal. You can call me Harold. I even answer to Ira (my brother's name). You can call me Rabbit. Some used to call me Hairey Haire. Many call me Pastor. Just don't call me late for supper!

FIRST CAR - LAST RIDE

2011-11-08T07:44:00.000-05:00

It was the fall of 1971. I was a junior at Roberts Wesleyan College. Debbie was living at the farm again and working. Consequently, I made lots of trips home to see her (and my parents).

I worked till 2:30 AM at UPS, then picked up a friend who lived in Pittsburgh to give him a ride home for the weekend.

We arrived at my house quite early. He was going to call his family to come and get him. I had my hand on the back door, when I made a snap decision: I told him to get back in the car and I'd go ahead and drive him home.

Within an hour, I dropped him at his home and got on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to return to my house. The toll of work and driving all night caught up to me. I nodded off.

I awoke when I hit the guardrails on the right. Then careened across both lanes to hit the rails on the left. Then fishtailed violently to the right again where I finally came to a stop - 300 yards from the first hit.

I bounced back and forth in the front seat violently (pre-seatbelt era) and put my head through the windshield at the final stop.

With blood blinding me, I tried to get out of the car. Gentle hands pushed me back inside and told me that help had been called in by a trucker. This man comforted me and gave me something to hold against my shredded forehead.

[NOTE: I never met this Good Samaritan, but was able to send him a thank-you note much later.]

Ambulance. North Hills Hospital. 375 stitches in my forehead! The doctor on-call that morning - just happened to be a plastic surgeon! Hmmm...

I spent a couple weeks of convalescing before returning to school. My '63 Chevy went to its final resting place after that ride!

FIRST CAR - SOUND SYSTEM

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

As a senior in high school, I had an eclectic assortment of friends. One of them, named Larry Wean (We-an), had a head for technology. He mentioned an idea to me for my car; it involved lights that would dance to music.

I already had a really cool radio in the car with front and rear speakers. This radio came with a key that, when inserted, caused it to pop out. The radio then became portable (AM/FM), with an extendable antennae that could be used on the beach or wherever else you might be.

Larry went to work. He used three wedge speaker shells and put glazed glass across their fronts. Then he placed small, multi-colored bulbs behind the glazed glass. He wired these lights to the radio in such a way that they came on and off based on various pitches.

Two were placed on the back shelf and the third rested on the glove box door to be viewed from the front seat. It was an amazing thing to behold! It made my car totally unique! On dark nights the lights reflected throughout the car and created a surreal experience - especially with the help of the reverb I had added to the system.

Oh, you should have seen and heard this experience when the song "Crimson and Clover" came on! It was like an out-of-body experience!

SAD ENDING
When I left for college, my dad drove the car to church one Sunday night - just to run the car for a short time. Hoods broke into it, clipped wires and stole the whole system. I was left with just a memory - but a sweet one!

FIRST ACCIDENT

2011-11-05T07:53:00.000-04:00

There was an awkward, merging, stop-sign at the lower end of Beaver Falls. I was heading home from doing one of my yard jobs. I pulled up to the stop sign. Then, I pulled out a little further and stopped again.

The guy behind me rear-ended me. It felt like just a bumb. He backed up, pulled around me and disappeared. I got out to discover the back of my beautiful car was mangled.

I gave pursuit - with no success.

I drove the car home and parked it in our driveway; then waited for Dad to get home from work.

When he pulled in, he asked what had happened. I told him.

He sat down on the ground and looked at the back of the car. I sat down too.

Twenty minutes passed - without a word.

Finally, Mom called us to dinner. Dad headed toward the back door - me following. I asked him: "Dad, what are we going to do?"

Now he spoke! He spun around and said: "What are WE going to do? It's your car!"

After supper, I asked him if he would help me get the trunk open. He popped the lock out and showed me how to open it with a screw driver.

That was the end of the matter.

MY FIRST CAR

2011-11-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

I got my license a couple weeks after turning 16.

My Dad went out and bought a second car. It had belonged to my Uncle Ernie, who was meticulous in caring for his vehicles. Uncle Ernie had bought it new in 1963, and had driven it for almost five years. Dad bought it in 1968, right after Uncle Ernie traded it in for a new car.

[Dad didn't try to buy it direct from Uncle Ernie. He didn't want Uncle Ernie to feel bad if something went wrong with the car after we bought it. He simply asked Uncle Ernie to let him know when he traded it in. Dad then beat a path to Sahlie's and bought it outright!]

It was in immaculate condition! Uncle Ernie rarely left new Brighton, so the mileage was low! The car was pristine!

When I got my license, Dad handed me the keys and said: "Son, you can treat this as your car. But, any time your Mom needs it, she gets it."

I couldn't believe it! I was dumbfounded. My Mom rarely wanted the car. I gladly drove her around town for groceries and bill-paying! For all intents and purposes, it was my car!

I can't even begin to tell you what it felt like to drive around town in that car! It was amazing!

More stories about this car coming - check back tomorrow!

IN MEMORIUM

2011-11-03T07:54:00.000-04:00

His name was Bob, but I called him Lib. His last name was Liberty. He was my oldest sister's husband. He died three years ago on November 2.

My sister, Jeannette, is fifteen years older than me. I have no memory of her - without Lib! As far as my life is concerned, he was always there! They always lived nearby. I saw them frequently.

He came from good stock! His mother and father were hard-working, compassionate people! His brother had a reputation much like Lib's. His sisters are two of the sweetest ladies on earth. If you are a friend to the Liberties, they'll give you whatever they have and do anything for you!

He taught me to tie my shoes. He encouraged me in sports. He tried to get me to be a pitcher.

He was a practical joker - you had to be on guard when he was around!

There are so many side-splitting stories that will be told over and over when our family gets together.

Lib worked magic with kids! He had unbelievable patience with them. He would spin quarters; if you could stop it on its edge, you could keep it! He would drop a dollar between your fingers - if your reflexes were quick enough to catch it, you could keep it! He knew card tricks and magic tricks and could entertain children for hours.

When my kids came along, Uncle Lib was their favorite family member! They LOVED him!

His claim to fame: he went to high school with Joe Namath!

He loved to cook! He loved sports! He loved to hunt. He loved to go fishing. He was deeply committed to his sons, Tom and Bob. He was equally committed to his grandchildren: Brian, Nathan, and Ashley. Nephews and nieces all adored Uncle Lib.

He loved to get young people alone and then show a special interest in them. He was rich in good counsel. If he discovered that they had a dream, he would do what he could to facilitate that dream.

In his later years he developed a love for the Bible and for God.

I loved him! I miss him! He made a huge impression on my life!

AUNT LIZZIE

2011-11-02T07:55:00.000-04:00

She wasn't my aunt.

I was a newly married, first-year student at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. I was 21.

Debbie and I attended the Free Methodist Church in Wilmore where Clyde VanValin (later a bishop) was our pastor.

Pastor Clyde asked us - early on - if we'd provide transportation to and from church for Aunt Lizzie. She was an invalid, elderly, native woman who had been hit by a car as a young girl - but received no medical care. She lived in a small wheelchair the rest of her life with twisted and gnarled legs.

Aunt Lizzie loved the Lord, but was dependent on others to get to and from church. The congregation loved her and cared for her graciously.

She lived at the end of a road that went from macadam to gravel to grass with two tire ruts. Her house was more like a shanty - very small and very run down.

Because of the rough terrain in her front yard, I would literally pick her up and carry her to the car - then go back to get her wheelchair. When I did so, she would wrap her arms around my neck and whisper thanks. She couldn't have weighed a hundred pounds. She was the lightest burden I ever carried.

Her gratitude was as large as the sky. Her love for God inspired a whole congregation of highly educated college and seminary professors, future bishops, and know-it-all seminary students.

She taught a newly married, first-year seminary student some much-needed lessons in humility!

Thanks Aunt Lizzie. I know you're walking with Jesus today! Remember me? I'm one of your students. Thanks for the lessons!

A PRAYER TO START YOUR DAY

2011-11-01T07:43:00.000-04:00

Gracious God,

Help me to be surrendered to Your will as I walk through this day.

Help me to care more about Your agenda than mine.

Help me to make good decisions and to stay pure.

Help me to listen for Your voice and to be sensitive to even the gentle nudges of Your Holy Spirit.

Help me to keep intentional, scheduled, divine appointments with You throughout this day so that I can systematically hear Your voice and receive Your corrections.

Help me to be especially aware of Your purposes every time I am near others today so that I can fit in with Your plans for these people.

And finally, Lord, help me to worship You persistently as I move through this day. When I put my head on my pillow tonight may I sleep in peace knowing I have been Your humble and obedient servant this day!

In the name of Christ, my Savior and Helper!

Amen.

I LEARNED TO PLAY POOL IN PRISON

2011-10-31T08:27:00.000-04:00

Many years ago, I held a part-time job as a prison guard at a minimum security prison in Lexington, Kentucky.

I had the evening shift. The job entailed being available to the residents throughout the evening and then doing periodic 'head-counts'. I actually spent a lot of time in the recreation room with the residents talking, playing Dominoes, and playing pool. Some of the residents were amazing pool players!

One evening, I asked one of the residents if he would teach me to play pool better. We had established a pretty good relationship. He agreed to do so - as long as no one knew that he was teaching me. Under his tutelege, I became a considerably better player.

Fast-forward a few years. I was living in Jeannette, PA, and attending Pittsburgh Theological Seminary as a part-time, commuter student. Every day, I would eat my lunch in a commons area that had a pool table. I would eat and shoot a few tables during my lunch break.

One day a fellow came in and asked if I wanted to play a few games. We did. I won each game decisively! After three games, he casually asked where I learned to play pool so well. I told him I learned in prison.

He picked up his books and left - abruptly!

SUNDAY MORNINGS

2011-10-30T08:33:00.000-04:00

When I was growing up, Sundays were very different from the other days of the week!

Almost always, my mom had a fresh loaf of banana nut bread on the kitchen table. We could slice and eat as much of it as we liked.

Going to Sunday School, Morning Worship, and Sunday Evening Service were the priorities of the day!

I was discouraged from playing vigorously on Sundays. I was also discouraged from watching television. The focus of the day was God. We would occasionally play a game together.

The noon meal was the highlight of the day! Mom always had a full-course meal - usually roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, and home-made pie or cake.

She peeled her ptotatoes on Saturday evening to minimize working on the Lord's Day. We were accustomed to having company on Sundays for dinner; often their presence helped pass the afternoon. Still, there were left-overs that we looked forward to eating later in the week!

Special treats marked the day: my Dad almost always had red-skinned peanuts and green leaves for his afternoon snack.

After the evening service, it seemed acceptable to watch television. We would have popcorn or ice cream and watch Candid Camera together. Then, it was time for bed.

My parents did a wonderful job of helping me to learn the special nature of the Lord's Day! The pattern I've reviewed was an unbreakable one! The message was clear: PUT GOD FIRST IN EVERYTHING!!!

LEADERSHIP

2011-10-29T10:21:00.000-04:00

In Matthew 15, some Pharisees come after Jesus because His disciples don't ceremonially wash their hands before they eat!

Jesus calls them out because they have made men's traditions more important than obeying God!

The disciples are surprised at how abrupt Jesus is with the Pharisees.

Jesus responds by referring to them as "blind guides."

When leaders fail to lead righteously, Jesus gets angry! He has great compassion for all people and expects leaders to set an example in obedience to God! When leaders get distracted and cause people to focus on things other than God, Jesus confronts them boldly!

Leadership is a great privilege! According to James 3:1, "...teachers (leaders) will be held to a higher standard" (The Voice).

Lord,
I don't want Your rebuke. I want Your affirmation. Help me to lead with integrity, courage, boldness, and strength. Help those who lead with me at FMCC to lead similarly. You've given us influence, postion, and authority; help us to use these advantages justly, wisely, and effectively - for Jesus' sake!
Amen.

MATTHEW 14

2011-10-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

Herod is angry with John the Baptist because John had condemned Herod's marriage to his sister-in-law. He had John thrown into prison.

Herod's wife, Herodias, soon held a very special birthday dinner for Herod. Her daughter danced at the party and made Herod very happy; he promised her anything she asked for. After consulting with her mother, the girl asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter! Reluctantly, under pressure, Herod complied.

News of John's death was delivered to Jesus. He immediately withdrew to a private place to grieve and pray.

Crowds of persistent people followed Him with their sick and lame friends and family.

[The Voice, 14:14] Though Jesus wanted solitude, when He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, and healed the sick and the lame.

Immediately after this, the disciples wanted Jesus to disperse the crowd so they could go and find food. Jesus insisted on feeding them - there were 5,000 men there, not to mention all the women and children (v.21).

After everyone was satisfied, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on to the other side of the sea while He dismissed the crowd. Then after the crowd had gone, Jesus went up to a mountain alone (as He had intended from the start). As evening descended, He stood alone on the mountain, praying (vs.22-23).

Sometimes ministry's demands come before personal needs! Jesus suppressed His need to grieve because the crowd's needs were so great. Then, after meeting those needs, He withdrew and took care of His own needs!

Anyone in ministry has experienced this reality. Ministry entails long days at times. It involves pushing yourself beyond your limits and depending on God to give you strength to get through.

But then, there's always that mountain time! That's when you rest in God and He refills you with His peace and strength!

"It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase

So bravely run the race 'til we see Christ." [Esther Kerr Rusthoi]

BE AN ENCOURAGER

2011-10-27T07:48:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves to be affirmed! Many people need to be encouraged. We enjoy being well-thought-of. Even noticed.

Why not just decide right now that you will be the person today who notices others?

"Hey, I like that hat!"
"Bill, thanks for cleaning our church so well week after week!"
"Thanks for serving me so quickly!"
"You look really nice today!"
"Linda, you're the best assistant I've ever had!"
"Tracy, I love your comments on Facebook!"
"Debbie, you're the best thing that ever happened to me!"
"Thanks! That was the best lunch I've had in a long time!"
"You're always so pleasant, I look forward to seeing you!"
"You always have the nicest things to say."
"Sam, thanks for your deep commitment to our church's worship!"

Why not make it your goal today to say something nice to everyone you meet? Make it a game! Stir up your creativity. Be a blesser! Bless everyone you come into contact with today.

If you do this, come back here and leave a comment about how it went - or how it made you feel! Now get out there and have some fun! :-)