Who are you serving?

The Apostle Paul’s response to the Risen Jesus recorded in Philippians 3:10-11, He says;  “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Paul’s response to the resurrection of Jesus is a road map to our own resurrection. The map is to embrace the sufferings which comes through sacrificial love. Easter is a journey of hope and eternal blessing, the question for our journey is are we following the map? Are you fighting it or are you embracing the sacrificial love it takes to serve, bless, and give to others? Join me in offering sacrificial love… then, we will know Christ and the power of his resurrection.

So, who are you serving? You know I love ya, Don

Living in view of God's mercy pays off!

A few weeks ago, we hosted a High School Senior from Grace Academy at our house. Her senior project is about Down Syndrome and she requested an opportunity to watch a therapy session and then ask Karen and I a few questions. Her mom brought her to the house and it went very well. After it was over, her mom, who was in her mid forties, told us how she had been adopted out of Howard. She was a small girl of an alcoholic mother some thirty-forty years ago.  She said, “My brother and I would just wander the streets as very young children, because my birth mom was so messed up.  

But there was a woman in Howard, who had twin girls that were teenagers. The woman’s name was Carolyn and she would bring us to your church. She was a safe person and she would bring us to a safe place.” Then she said, “We are members of the Assembly of God church in State College, my husband is the president of the Pregnancy Resource Center ... and I am a Christian because of Carolyn.”  

 I wasn’t surprised, but I was amazed at how God works. This is more than thirty-five years later. A living act of worship by one of our own made an eternal impact in a person's life. I mentioned to Carolyn last week, and she laughed…and then she said, “we plant a seed.”

This existing in view of God’s mercy as a living sacrifice…it is our Spiritual Act of Worship. Thank you Carolyn and you know I love ya, Don

He loves you too much to let go!!!

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.

Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. An incredible tug-of-war between the two began. The alligator was much stronger than the father but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack. On his arms were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son.

The newspaper reporter interviewing the boy after the trauma asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, are because God has refused to let … you … go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

The Scripture teaches that God loves you...You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way but sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

The question then becomes, “are you sacrificing for your spouse?” If you love your spouse, you would be willing to sacrifice everything… the same it true of all our relationships: How much you are willing to sacrifice and love?

This is a good place to remind everyone…including me…that it takes two. Some relationships do not work because only one party is willing to love and sacrifice. The goal is to love to the point of discovery, when you get to know a person, you learn the other person and they in return get to know you. This takes years. I remember my parents getting to a place they would finish each others thoughts…not just sentences. Friends and relationships get to a place of knowing each other well enough that you think of the other person first… In the deeper relationships, you seek point where the other person’s thoughts and you are OK with them seeking yours. That means you must be willing to expose some of your emotions, your heart, your strengths, and your sacrifice.

Paul wrote Romans 5:6-8, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

You know I love ya, Don

Love calls for Sacrifice!

When we get all dressed up to attend a wedding, we put on our very best clothes and behavior because we are going to take part in a sacred act. A man and a woman are going to give their lives to each other for as long as they live, and we have the honor to stand with them and witness their solemn, sacred pledge to each other. They are going to make a covenant, a holy and irrevocable vow, to be one, to own all things in common, and to love and care for one another for the rest of their lives. It takes a sacrifice in all relationships . . . especially marriage.

Sacrifice… “A surrendering of some possession (action, feeling, or emotion) as an offering to God.” Sacrifice is the freely giving up of oneself for the benefit of the other.

Throughout the Scripture, the shedding of blood was required for a covenant to be in effect. The covenant is a contract or agreement between two or more parties.  Covenant is how God has chosen to communicate to us, to redeem us, and to guarantee us eternal life in Jesus. It involved the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross. In a marriage, the covenant was fulfilled when the husband and wife consummated their marriage and shed their uniqueness for the purpose of becoming one. The act of binding each other was and is a shedding of ones person so as to grow in the relationship as a unifying of the heart, body, soul, and mind. To a lessor degree…this is true of all good and lasting relationships. 

Before Karen and I head off to bed at night, we sneak into the children’s room to check on them and see them sleeping - little soft cheeks lying there on the pillow as peaceful as can be, I get a tremendous sense of love and thankfulness that God has given me these creatures. Sometimes I catch myself gently patting their heads or rubbing their cheeks and appreciating the soft touch of fresh skin. Do I love them? Yes. But five hours earlier, when those seemingly angelic creatures are running around, fighting, yelling, demanding - “I want milk, I need go potty,” and complaining, “why do we have to . . .” my love for them wanes. When this love calls on me to wipe bottoms and wash hair and put on clothes, my love is put to the test. Talk is cheap. Actions are difficult.

The fact of the matter is that love is not always fun or easy. It especially depends on what the object of your love is. It’s easy to love your recliner. All it does is sit there and give you a place to rest. You don’t have to talk to it. You rarely have to clean it. All you do is sit on it. It’s easy to love your television. It talks to you. It keeps you entertained. It becomes more difficult when you have to clean it, move it, and pay for it. Children are more difficult, because they are sinfully selfish. Pets are more difficult, because they don’t always listen. Bosses are not easy to love, because they can be rude and very demanding. Neighbors can be difficult to love - because they can be loud and obnoxious. 

Jesus said in John 15:13-14, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”

Do you stall coming home from work because you have a hard time loving your wife? Do you look for excuses as to why you can’t spend time with your kids, because it takes work to love them? Do you do your best to avoid phone calls from certain people because you have a hard time loving them?

Think About it...You know I love ya, Don

Happy Memorial Day!

1 John 3:16: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

Happy Memorial Day! You Know I love ya, Don

The Method....to LOVE PEOPLE!

A method is away of doing something: a way of carrying something out, especially according to a plan. His method is the piece to the puzzle God has been building from the beginning of time. Most people miss the incredible impact of what Jesus said in that synagogue in Nazareth.

After all, there were many texts that applied to Him as Messiah.

But he didn’t choose those texts, though they are prophecies that refer to Jesus.

Instead, Jesus turned to Isaiah 61:1. Why? What made Him choose that passage?

Jesus’ mission statement made it clear that people are His priority. 

Of all the texts He could have chosen, He chose a passage about sharing good news, proclaiming freedom, bringing healing, releasing prisoners, about compassionately meeting people’s needs. These are the methods of the Spirit of Christ!

You see, Jesus’ fellow Jews in His day knew they were called by God to be a light to the Gentiles. … But they really didn’t like Gentiles. They didn’t like Samaritans, They didn’t like Romans,  They didn’t like tax collectors,  They didn’t like women … or children …but Jesus did.

And the kingdom He introduced, the new way of life He made possible, the purpose and calling He intends for His followers, is a “new and living way,” one that has enough grace for everyone, which excludes no one and spreads Jubilee everywhere.

Now get this…it is important. The established church…you and I that have been in church for years…MISS THIS. Jesus’ mission was not about bylaws, constitutions, budgets, or meetings. The purpose of the church is to sharing good news, proclaiming freedom, bringing healing, releasing prisoners, about compassionately meeting people’s needs.

The people called out by God to be his people are not to trust in our own ways. Bylaws, Constitutions, and Meetings are not scripture created…but MAN CREATED! They are not bad, but these things are not our mission. We are so caught up in our agenda that it is ingrained in our DNA and we start to turn away from Jesus’ mission in order to obtain our agenda. We become critical of people that do not support our agenda or worship differently, and we turn our eyes away from Jesus, we turn away from his Methods.

You are to give as a member of the Body of Christ. You are to serve as a member of the body of Christ. You are to be concerned as a member of the Body of Christ. You are to read your bible, lead your family, and be an example as a member of the body of Christ.

The method­ of your mission, given to you by Jesus, is love. Your method is not argument or ridicule or politics or protest. Your Method is love.

 It is to spread healing and hope and joy and Jubilee everywhere you go.

So, accept the mission, adopt the method, and apply His Guiding Principles.

You know I love ya, Don

Elizabeth O'Conner - Proportionate Giving

Gordon Cosby urged his listeners to reclaim for "ourselves the energy with which we have endowed money." I have found that I have endowed money over the years with ability. "Do we have the money to move forward with a project or a special event?" is the question that usually proceeds the question of whether God would want us to advance the project. Karen and I have seen this in our marriage and family as well. We don't ask the question on purpose, but more as a natural response. In recent years, we have been trying to train our natural self to ask the question, "What would God have us do?" before we ask if we can afford it.

When we were first married, we would not have had the experience to trust God and the faith to follow through. I love the quote, "None of us has to be an accountant to know what 10 percent of a gross income is, but each of us has to be a person on his knees before God if we are to understand our commitment to proportionate giving." The adoption process and the thousands of dollars over the past two years, have taught us the value of giving proportionately and giving to God proportionately first. It is then we are granted the gift of giving beyond our means.

Jesus tells the story of a farmer that finds a pearl in the field. He sells everything so as to purchase the land and have the great treasure. We have sold everything in order to have the treasure of Kendyll and Nathan. We sold it all to buy the treasure. The rich life of being a follower of Jesus is that as we trust in him, he provides our needs and then we discover the gift of sacrificing the good for the opportunity to grasp the greater good.

You know I love ya, Don

What is Sacred?

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Is anything sacred anymore." Some have a very positive view of "sacred" as in that was a sacred moment or these are God's sacred words. Another view is negative, such as an issue might be a "sacred cow" or "They'll make jokes about anything. Nothing is sacred to those guys."

So what does sacred mean and what are some of the things God considers to be sacred ? "Sacred" defined (dictionary.reference.com) is:

–adjective

1.1. devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated.

2. 2. entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy.

3. 3. pertaining to or connected with religion (opposed to secular or profane): sacred music; sacred books.

4. 4. reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object: a morning hour sacred to study.

5. 5. regarded with reverence: the sacred memory of a dead hero.

6. secured against violation, infringement, etc., as by reverence or sense of right: sacred oaths; sacred rights; sacred memorial; sacred location.

7. immune from violence, interference, etc., as a person or office.

The word is used 126 times in the NIV translation of the bible. Many references show a dedication such as covenants, alters, clothing, locations, and moments. Jesus tells this interesting story in Matthew 23 about how the flesh twists sacred; ¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath'."


The Apostle Paul adds a new dynamic when he writes to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3, ¹⁶"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. ¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise."

So, sacred can be things, locations, and situations. Under the new covenant Christ-followers are also sacred. With these parameters, we can find the sacred in every day life. The cry of a baby, the smile of a senior, the moments in heartfelt communication, the place in which healing and comfort of the Holy Spirit does a mighty work in a life, and the kind act of a fellow Christian. The list is filled with endless possibilities. Personally, I am striving to grasp as many sacred moments and spaces in the Christmas season and prayerfully asking that my striving will become a habit that stays with me through my journey to heaven.

You are sacred to me...you know I love ya, Don

Being left out!

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:16 NRSV)

Have you ever been left out or has some one you respect not returned that respect? This week promises to be a spectacular week...Easter is coming, Easter Musical is going great, and God is a great God. Yet, tonight someone I respected made a decision that left me out of the game. It is not that big of a deal, but I got to thinking how we as Christians do that more than we should. I also thought of Hebrews 13..."we need to sacrifice for each other."

As a kid, we learned about sharing our toys. Maybe you were playing with your sister, or with your next-door neighbor, and your parents told you to share all your toys with the person you're playing with. Why did they want you to share? There are all kinds of reasons why our parents taught us to share. You share so that the other person can have fun. You share so that the other person won't feel left out and sad. Sharing with others is a way of showing them that we love them, and we want them to be happy.

Back in Jesus' day, Christians shared everything they had with one another. They shared all their food with one another, so that nobody would ever be hungry. They shared their money with one another, so that nobody would be poor. And I bet they shared their toys with one another, so that nobody would ever be left out. They shared with one another because they loved one another. In fact, sometimes the Christians would sell what they had so that they could raise money to help those who were poor around them. That's how much they loved one another. This is what being together in Christ is all about. We can show that kind of love to one another, too. Today, let's think of ways that we can share what we have with others, to show them that we love them, even when they may not reciprocate the feelings or actions.

"Dear God, may I be as generous as you have been generous to me. Amen."
You know I love ya - Don