Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? Romans 9:21

Clay must be pliable. The only way it can discover what is to become of it is if it yields to the touch of the potter. That lump on the potter’s wheel might become a beautiful vase to be set in a prominent place. Or it might become a pot to hold garbage. The clay has no idea what is in the mind of the potter and no business telling the potter what he can form.

We are those lumps of clay. We don’t know what God has destined for us, or how He plans to use us. We don’t know what we are to become. The only way we can discover it is by surrendering ourselves to Him. Clay can only yield.

The Potter’s hands are powerful—powerful enough to mold and shape a life. The wheel spins at a frightening speed. As the whirling begins, questions arise: What is God doing? Why do I feel so out of control? What is to become of me? But if you can silence those questions and trust those hands, if you can accept the pressure and ignore the fear, if you can remind yourself of the goodness of the Potter and the purity of His heart, then faith will replace anxiety. Fear will flee. Peace will surround you will replace anxiety. Fear will flee. You might even find yourself enjoying the ride.

Father, as we are whirling on the wheel, confused about what You might be doing, help us to yield ourselves to Your touch. May we not resist, and thus become marred in Your hands. Form us into vessels that will bring You glory and honor. Dan Shock

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Percentage of self-identified Christians falls 12 points

I am addressing this theme today in light of a story from the Pew Research Center that is dominating headlines: “About Three-in-Ten US Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated.” The subhead adds: “Self-identified Christians make up 63 percent of the US population in 2021, down from 75 percent a decade ago.”

The study also reports that fewer than half of US adults (45 percent) say they pray on a daily basis, down from 58 percent in 2007 and 55 percent in 2014. Roughly one-third of US adults (32 percent) now say they seldom or never pray, up from 18 percent in 2007.

This despite Harvard University research documenting that regular worship attendance corresponds to a 47 percent lower risk of divorce, 33 percent lower risk of mortality, and 29 percent lower risk of depression. Gallup is reporting that Americans’ mental health declined 9 percent from 2019 to 2020, with only one exception: those who attend religious services weekly, whose mental health improved 4 percent in that time. Another study showed that highly religious individuals and evangelicals in America suffered less distress last year than other groups.

Why would the tolerance of unbiblical morality and the intolerance of biblical morality be skyrocketing when the latter has such positive, proven outcomes? Why would more people than ever claim no religious affiliation when such affiliation brings such significant benefits?

The answer is both simple and profound: Our secular society has exchanged Christ for Christianity. It has traded a personal, transformational, very real experience with the very real Jesus for a religion about him.

The Bible calls us to “know” Jesus (John 17:3); the Greek word means to know personally through experience. Paul testified, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8), a personal encounter that changed his life and changed history as a result (cf. Acts 9:1–31).

However, rather than knowing Christ in a concrete but deeply intimate way, many think the Christian faith is about rules and regulations, clergy and church buildings, doctrines and traditions. Such a religion was always destined to falter, because Christianity without the living Christ is a car without fuel, a laptop computer without batteries, an airplane without wings. As a house built on sand, it will always fall in the storm (Matthew 7:24–27).

Here’s my point today: If you and I want our culture to value biblical morality, we must demonstrate personally the liberating power of biblical morality through a transforming, daily encounter with the person of Jesus. If we want more people to identify as Christians, we must exhibit the real and living Christ in us. If we want more Americans to pray, we must show them what happens when we connect personally and powerfully with Christ in prayer. Jim Denison

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Some people are born on third base and think they hit a triple. Bob Sprinkle

Don’t say no when God says go. Ken Whitten

If we can completely believe some of God’s promises, why do we have difficulty believing all of God’s promises? Dan Shock

It is easier to be remembered for what you do wrong than for what you do right. Julius Caesar in Shakespeare

Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. STEPHEN KING

If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday… Isaiah 58:10 Dwight Short

Loyalty is missing in America. Brandon Hughes

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. CICERO

From the series, “Restoring the Joy”

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

–Psalm 37:4

A little levity to start your day…

A retired man volunteered to entertain the patients in the hospital. He took along his portable keyboard, told some jokes, and sang some funny songs. When he finished he said, in farewell, “I hope you get better.”

One elderly gentleman replied, “I hope you get better, too.

***

Let’s introduce today’s study with a TRUE illustration from the world of professional golf. A number of years ago an amazing thing happened at a golf tournament. No – someone didn’t shoot 18 holes in one. No – someone didn’t break the tournament record by a zillion shots.

BUT 2 players were penalized 2 shots each for…playing too slowly! Can you imagine?

But, do we charge God with the same violation? “God, you are going too slow in my life.”

I WANT…I NEED…NOW!!!

We who profess to love the Lord Jesus as Savior are most fortunate to have as a guide for our lives the amazing chapter of Psalm 37.

Remember our theme verse? The joy of our salvation restored!

Our theme verse for this series is Psalm 51:12:

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

Restoring the JOY!

When we first came to know the Lord Jesus as Savior everything became new. BUT then the world has a way to squeeze us into its mold.

The psalmist says:

FRET NOT – don’t fume over circumstances or people. Rather, look to the Lord not on the trial.

TRUST – have a security, a confidence, which can only have its foundation in the Lord.

Today’s 2 Dimensional focus is DELIGHT and DESIRE.

Let’s look at TWO KEY THOUGHTS:

First, “GOD IS WORKING ON A GREAT SCALE, AND WILL NOT BE HURRIED BY US.”

The point is this: We need to have a vision, a focus, on the big picture of God’s plan for eternity. Today. This morning. Now. God is making eternal plans in each of your hearts! In my heart! How we willingly respond to His plans will be a big step toward restoring and maintaining our joy in Christ.

Second, “IF WE DELIGHT IN WHAT HE DELIGHTS IN, THEN HIS DESIRES WILL BECOME OUR DESIRES!”

“DELIGHT”: “a delicate, fragile emotion; to bend an entire will towards an object or person”

“DESIRE”: “secret petitions, requests, known only to yourself “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.”and God!”

It was said of the great architect of the Reformation, Martin Luther, that he could ask God for anything he wanted, and it was granted.

WHY? Because he understood the 2 key thoughts.

#1: “GOD IS WORKING ON A GREAT SCALE, AND WILL NOT BE HURRIED BY US.”

#2: “IF WE DELIGHT IN WHAT HE DELIGHTS IN, THEN HIS DESIRES WILL BECOME OUR DESIRES!”

The RESULT will be that our joy will be full.

The REALITY will be that our lives will be lived in His presence on earth so that Heaven will simply be a continuation of what we enjoy now! But if we don’t enjoy Him now, how can we enjoy Him face to face?

In order to DELIGHT in what God DELIGHTS in, we must first discover what God DELIGHTS in!

* YOUR WILL: “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8

* YOUR TESTIMONIES: “Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.” Psalm 119:24

* YOUR DEALINGS: “…those who deal truthfully are His delight.” Prov. 12:22b

* YOUR OBEDIENCE: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?” 1 Sam. 15:22a

* YOUR LOVINGKINDNESS: “But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.” Jer. 9:24

* YOUR WORSHIP: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord…”

—Isaiah 58:13-14a

* YOUR COMMUNION: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,But the prayer of the upright is His delight.” Prov. 15:8

God’s will, His testimonies, and His day can be our DELIGHT

because He is our DELIGHT.

We enjoy Him as if He is all we have!

Is He your DELIGHT?

Is He your DESIRE?

Is He your DELICACY?

Week Seven, 2022

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

Walking through Christ Church Cemetery, near Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island, I came across the grave of James Gould. The headstone marked his name, the dates of his birth and death and the following description: For twenty-seven years, the keeper of St. Simon’s light.

A little later research told me that he served as the lighthouse keeper from 1810 to 1837 and did much to make the offshore waters safe. Only God knows how many lives he saved as he kept countless ships safe at sea and off the rocks of the barrier islands.

Being a lighthouse keeper in those days was no easy task. There was no electricity and a lantern and fuel had to be carried up winding stairs to the top of the seventy-foot imposing tower at the tip of Cooper’s Point.

The light had to be on and continually burning from before sunset until after sunrise. The lantern had but a small flame and was not like the imposing beam we associate with lighthouses. That is done with a crystal prism which magnifies the light and as the keeper continually spun it around the lantern flame and created a rotating beacon that could be seen from miles at sea, as it protected the maritime traffic.

As I stood before Gould’s grave and contemplated the contribution he made to ships and people for so long. Just a common uneducated lighthouse keeper, but the annals of heaven will reveal the importance of those he saved.

Then I thought there is a spiritual parallel here. We are the ships at sea who, without warning would crash on the rocks. The rocks are the sinful places that would take our lives if we were not steered away. The beacon is the light of Jesus, flashing us continually away from danger.

But wait, there is more. We are called to be in that lighthouse with the prism as we expand the flickering light of Christ to magnify it into a beacon of hope and warning to all who traverse the seas of life, as it steers people away from danger and becomes a beacon of hope in the lives Jesus came to save.

Is Jesus the beacon of hope in your life and are you helping to magnify it for all to see in a lost world and guide them to an eternal home in heaven? You might be a lighthouse in someone else’s storm.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

TWBOA. It’s an anachronism for The Work Beyond Our Abilities. We are not able to do any of the tasks of life because they are beyond our abilities, but we can, step by step as we focus on Philippians 4:13…… I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

— o —

American philosopher William James once noted that men habitually exert less than their maximum power. The speedometer on my car says it can go over 100 mph, but I’ve never driven anywhere close to going that fast. I’m perfectly happy driving at (far) less than the engine’s maximum power. Kenny Chumbly

— o —

The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. Tim Keller

— o —

A recent listing of the twenty-five most influential people in human history includes Napoleon at #24, Julius Caesar at #21, George Washington at #16, Abraham Lincoln at #15, Plato at #10, Aristotle at #5, Albert Einstein at #2, and in first place, Jesus Christ.

Here’s what makes him different from all the others: we can know him personally. Jim Denison

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

It’s hard to move forward when you are tied to the past. Ken Whitten

You are either a part of the systems the is corrupting the world and dragging it under, or you are a part of the system that will float over it when it falls. Dan Shock

Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

When your faith in someone exceeds your fear in something, fear loses its grip. Andy Stanley

When you judge others, you do not define them; you define yourself. EARL NIGHTINGALE

You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was. ABRAHAM LINCOLN

The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more. JONAS SALK

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet. ANNE FRANK

Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and see. Mark Twain

The best way to predict the future is to study the past. Robert Kiyosaki

###

From the series, “Restoring the Joy”

By Semi-Retired Pastor Jeremy Stopford

“Trust in the Lord, and do good;Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness…”

-Psalm 37:3

A five-year-old boy had never spoken a word, ever. One afternoon, as he sat eating his lunch he turned to his mother and said, “Soup’s cold.”

She was astonished, and said, “Honey, I’ve waited so long to hear you speak. But all these years you never said a thing. Why haven’t you spoken before?”

The boy looked at her and replied, “Up until now, everything’s been okay.”

Some reminders for y’all from last week:

The world wants you to be torn down to its level. The world wants you to look at the circumstances of life and realize that faith is just a myth, a fairy tale, a nice story to tell kids during a bad storm.

The Bible says the early church turned their world upside down for Christ – the same world which is trying to tear us down. What do we need?

The joy of our salvation restored!

Our theme verse for this series is Psalm 51:12:

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

To assist us in this, we are going to become familiar with Psalm 37, particularly the first eleven verses, and use these as starting blocks in that restoration process.

We began last week with the negatives:

“Fret not” “Envy not” “Cease from anger” …

That our hearts would LEARN to be fixed NOT on people or circumstances. People are human and can hurt. Circumstances can frustrate and tear down.

WHEN we consider their end – they are brief and temporary AND many are without God and without hope – we come to realize our initial need. LOOK UP! Not on people nor on circumstances, but on THE LORD! John the Baptist shouted, “BEHOLD the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world”.

Today we have the first of David’s POSITIVES: “TRUST”.

I am reminded of the story of when I was growing up. Without my knowing it, Dad was teaching me trust. He would either hit me golf balls or baseballs, and I would try to catch them in my baseball mitt. Well, needless to say, I was just a punk kid.

I remember Dad’s hit of the golf ball. I remember the ball going OFF the top of my mitt. Hit me in the forehead. OUCH!!!

So the question remains: did I still trust Dad even though the results of life were not what I hoped for? OF COURSE! Not only did I learn to trust him – I grew over the next years in my trust and maturity. And Dad did not have to change – he was always kind. I could always TRUST him!!!

I had to develop my skill to respond to his actions – AND I had to learn to catch the ball! The Father/son relationship – the Heavenly Father/son relationship, that is – forms the basis for our word today: TRUST.

Perhaps you had a good father/child relation. Perhaps you didn’t.

But when you come to know the Lord Jesus as Savior, one of the FIRST lessons He gives is that He can be…TRUSTED.

First is A WORD OF UNDERSTANDING.

By definition, “trust” means “to confide; to place hope and confidence in any one; to be confident; to be secure without fear; a firm and certain confidence; to lean on, rely on.”

Wow! Do you HAVE it? Can you RESPOND to it?

By action, we can see TRUST in these ways:

* DO GOOD: that which pleases Him!

* DWELL: abide on His faithfulness!

* BE FED: find your refreshing in Him!

ISN’T IT AMAZING WHAT A 15 MINUTE POWER NAP CAN DO? The point is, our refreshing is in Christ because of our confidence in Him.

Jesus said in John 15:5:  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Second is A WORD OF ILLUSTRATION.

One of the major moments in the history of the early church took place in Acts 16. In fact, the incident of this chapter was one of the causes for the creation of the church at Philippi! I would encourage you to read the entire chapter. And as you do, think through the chapter through the eyes of two people: the Apostle Paul and the Philippian jailer.

What was the chapter like for Paul? He was put in jail because he was faithfully preaching the gospel with his brother-in-Christ, Silas. At midnight, what did they do? They sang songs of praise! Pretty soon an angel created an earthquake, all the prisoners are free, but Paul makes sure that none escape.

What about the jailer? He probably heard the singing at midnight. First time experience for him, no doubt! WHO sings while in jail? He had never heard that before! And then the earthquake. All the prisoners flee. But Paul assures him that they were all secure. This was all too much for the jailer who then reaches to the depths of his heart by questioning, “what must I do to be saved?”

Of course, the answer is found in verse 31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your household.” And they all were – and became part of the foundation of the local church in Philippi. A God thing – something only God can do.

And all that began on TRUST! Paul and Silas TRUSTED the Lord, even in the midst of adverse circumstances, The jailer observed their TRUST in action, and he – along with his family – wanted to know the Source of their TRUST. And soon he and his family found that TRUST for themselves!

Let me encourage you to read the word “TRUST” for yourselves in the book of Psalms. In the 150 chapters of Psalms, the word TRUST appears a few times. Well, 186 times to be exact! Must be the Lord likes to use that word. In fact, must be the Lord wants to encourage His children that TRUST is a most important word to Him!

As we close, we need to have A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

Let’s examine ourselves this week in light of the word “TRUST”.

* Are you in a RUSH?

* Are you OVERWHELMED?

* Are you OVERCOME or an OVERCOMER?

Return to your roots of confidence, reliance, leaning…upon the One Who never fails.

TAKE TIME TO TRUST !!!

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power and from such, people turn away. — Timothy 3:1-5

Have you noticed the world decay around us? It’s hard to miss. What would you expect in a culture that has been rejecting biblical truth and morality for decades?

▪ 79 percent of Americans say “people can believe whatever they want, as long as those beliefs don’t affect society.” Only 35 percent believe moral truth is objective and absolute.

▪ 69 percent say any kind of sexual expression between two consenting adults is acceptable.

▪ In 2004, 60 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage. Fifteen years later, 61 percent support it.

▪ The fastest-growing religious demographic in America is those who have no religious affiliation.

God cannot lead those who will not follow or give what we will not receive. Nor can a holy Father bless that which harms his children. Storm clouds are brewing and in fact the rain has already begun to fall. We are a culture in crisis, reckless driving is rising, the number of altercations on airplanes is exploding, the murder rate in cities is surging, drug overdoses are increasing, Americans are drinking more, and nurses say patients are becoming more abusive.

Teachers are facing a rising tide of disruptive student behavior; drug deaths have risen continuously for twenty years but shot up especially during the pandemic. The FBI states that hate crimes have surged to the highest level in twelve years. Meanwhile, giving to charity is steadily declining both to religious and secular causes.

Brooks sees “a long-term loss of solidarity, a long-term rise in estrangement and hostility” and adds, “This is what it feels like to live in a society that is dissolving from the bottom up as much as from the top down.”

What’s causing the high rates of depression, suicide, and loneliness that dogged Americans even before the pandemic and that are the sad flip side of all the hostility and recklessness we see daily in our world.

What is the answer? Evangelist Bob Pittman has an easy answer. We as a culture, even Christians are thinking and focusing on the wrong things. He suggests that we, especially Christians stop thinking about the fallen world and focus on four things.

▪ Hang out with the right people and encourage each other. That includes both your body and your mind.

▪ Remember that you are a citizen of another world. This world hates us because of the cross because it is a reminder that this world is lost. The world worships whatever satisfies its appetite. Remember that we become citizens of this world by being born and a citizen of heaven by being born again. We need to remember that no matter how bad this world gets, we are just passing through.

▪ Remember that Jesus is coming soon and that’s a fact.

▪ Remember that when Jesus comes there are going to be changes, bug changes. The choice is ours to go to heaven or not is our decision and one we need to make now.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Phil 4:8)

Change your thinking and you can change your world.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Chippie the parakeet was simply minding his own business and singing his song one day when his owner decided to clean out his cage with the vacuum cleaner. The phone rang and the lady went to answer it and that was when things began to go horribly wrong for little Chippie.

Without the guidance of the woman, the business end of the vacuum cleaner sucked up the bird and sent him to the dust bag. Realizing what had happened the woman tore open the vacuum and ripped apart the bag to find Chippie, fearing the worst. However, Chippie was not dead but merely stunned and covered with dust.

The woman decided that he needed to be revived and ran to the bathroom sink. She turned the water on and stuck Chippie under the flow. Now Chippie is cold and wet from the sudden bath. So the owner decides to dry the bird off but not with a towel. She gets out her hairdryer and blows the bird off. Chippie goes from being sucked up, to being nearly drowned to being blown over.

The owner was asked by a friend a few weeks later about how Chippie was doing, she replied: “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore, he just sits and stares.

Have you ever felt like Chippie? Ken Weliever – The Preacher Man

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Look not for burdens, rather look for blessings. Ken Whitten

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” MOTHER TERESA

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” WILL ROGERS

Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right. MARTIN LUTHER KING

I wonder how many people I’ve looked at all my life and never seen. JOHN STEINBECK

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Robert Byrne

From the series, “Restoring the Joy”

“Do not fret because of evildoers,nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,and wither as the green herb.”

—Psalm 37:1-2

A kindly country parson who had just married a young couple had a parting word for the groom: “Son – God bless you! You are now at the end of all your troubles.”

A year later the groom returned. “What a year I’ve gone through! And you’re the man who told me I was at the end of all my troubles.”

“So I did son,” the parson smiled. “I just didn’t tell you which end.”

The world wants you to be torn down to its level. The world wants you to look at the circumstances of life and realize that faith is just a myth, a fairy tale, a nice story to tell kids during a bad storm.

The Bible says the early church turned their world upside down for Christ – the same world which is trying to tear us down. What do we need?

The joy of our salvation restored!

Our theme verse for this series is Psalm 51:12:

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

To assist us in this, we are going to become familiar with Psalm 37, particularly the first eleven verses, and use these as starting blocks in that restoration process.

Please note verse 25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread”. This psalm was apparently written in David’s “old age” – and the scriptures tell us he died at the age of seventy (2 Sam. 5:4). Yet throughout those years he saw the Lord’s faithfulness. With this psalm the modern day sojourner gets the privilege of looking into the heart of one who sojourned with the Lord even into his “old age” – whatever age that might be for the one who is walking with Jesus today!

First, Psalm 37 is loaded with commands to the emotions. The emotions are fragile. In order for them to be controlled, they need to be tamed. That reminds me of one of our first dogs, a tan-colored cocker spaniel named “Buttons”. Buttons was a wonderful dog, would do anything you asked, would follow you everywhere…until…there was lightning! Initially, he would try to run through, around, or under her wire fence in order to escape the “ravages” – in her mind – of the storm. Such a process could have been hazardous to her. As she matured, she learned to hide under the porch until someone brought her indoors. She knew what was acceptable and beneficial.

The Psalmist first instruction is “do not fret” (verse 1). What does it mean to “fret”? The Hebrew language tells us that “fret” means “to be warm; literally, to get into a heat; to fume”. How does one begin to “fret”:

* Because of evildoers (verse 1)

* Because of him who prospers because of sin (verse 7)

* Because of your own self (verse 8)

He also mentions fretting in connection with the command to “cease from anger…forsake wrath…do not fret” (verse 8). To “cease” means “to be slack, hang down”. It’s as if it is put on a string and dangles, rather than being close to one’s heart, life, and tongue. Verse 8 also says to “forsake wrath”. This means “to leave in a destitute condition,” best illustrated by the picture of dropping it off a cliff – never to be picked up!

His second instruction is “nor be envious” (verse 1). To “envy” means “to be burned, glowing, fiery red – to be inflamed.” Applied to the mind it means to be “burning with a rage”. In verse 1one’s rage/envy is against workers of iniquity.

These emotions – fretting and envy – can control the sojourner. Why? They take our minds off the Lord and put them on people and circumstances.

It is safe to direct the emotions of “fretting and envy” – NOT on people and circumstances – but on the Lord! Remember the old standby Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

The FIRST step to restoring the joy is to note the commands to the emotions.

The SECOND step to restoring the joy is the consideration of “the end”.

Ever take a journey – a long trip? We often travel to Florida, a one way trip of well over 1000 miles. You know, the trip down does not seem so long. There is the excitement of places to go and of special people to see. There comes a time when we must turn around and head home. Then? Then the journey home seems LONG!

The psalmist in verse 2 tells us about the fruit of the wicked. They may seem victorious against all we are trying to accomplish. But the psalmist encourages us by giving us THEIR destination: “they shall soon be cut down” (verse 2). To “cut” means “to prune; to uproot; to destroy”. The wicked – they and those that cause the circumstances which rob us of our joy and of our faith – have an end! They will be “cut”.

Think on THEIR goal, which is repeatedly emphasized in this psalm:

* pruned like the grass (verse 7)

* uprooted (verse 9 and verse 22)

* they are cut off while the saints are not forsaken (verse 28)

* their destruction will be evident by those who wait on the Lord (verse 34)

* their future is destruction (verse 38)

For the Christian, consider the end! Don’t allow sin and circumstances to take your focus off of the One Who is really important!

The THIRD step to restoring the joy is the call to LOOK UP, not LOOK DOWN!

Digest these amazing verses:

“No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

(in the last days) “…men’s hearts failing them for her, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” (Luke 21:26)

“Looking for that blessed hope” (Titus 2:13)

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 21)

As we close, listen to the challenge of John 1:36:

“And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

In order to restore the joy, there are two things which must take place. The first? Look to the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Have you come to the cross? Have YOU trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Only He is worthy of your trust. He said, “Come to Me all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Learn of Me…” (Matthew 11:28-29a)

And the second? Once YOU have trusted Jesus as Savior, POINT OTHERSto the Lamb of God! That’s the challenge of John 1:36. Look at Jesus, and invite all who God has purposely put in your pathway, “BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD”!

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

We can all look back at the significant days and events in our lives. Maybe the day we got engaged or married or the day we graduated from high school and the list goes on. There are a number of significant days or events in my life, but one stands out whenever I think about it.

When I owned an airplane, I used to take it up at night just to shoot touch and goes at out of the ways airports and keep my skills proficient. One dark night I was doing that. My radio was tuned to the Unicom frequency used by smaller non-controlled airports. Suddenly, I heard a plaintive cry from a man saying he was lost, and his gauge had been on empty.

I called approach control and told them the situation. They gave me a discreet frequency and told me to tell the pilot to tune in and hold his mike key down for thirty seconds and go back to Unicom. They got his position and told me he was about five miles away. I asked them to vector me to the plane and they did. I flew up to him, blinked my landing lights and asked him if he could see me. He said yes. I could see the beacon of the nearest airport and I told him to follow me. I led him to the runway so he could land. His engine quit on final approach, and he had enough altitude to glide in for a dead-stick landing. His life was saved from a crash.

That night, as I pillowed my head, I relived the flight over and over and realized I had saved someone’s life. But then I thought that saving a physical life is great, but for the unsaved, it just extends the time until they go to Hell. Much more important than saving a physical life is saving an eternal one.

God sent His only Son to save the world, present and all future, from sin to those who believe in Him. Some day in the future, we will all land on the runway of eternity, as the flight of life on earth is over. Where will your landing runway be, heaven or hell, and will you lead others where you have given your life to go?

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.

What distracts you?

— o —

In the “old tolerance,” various religions were free to believe that their beliefs were uniquely true and to share them with others. In the “new tolerance,” no beliefs are more valid than others, and sharing them is imposing our views on others. Voltaire exemplified the “old tolerance” with his famous maxim: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” I would add that the “new tolerance” illogically counters: “I consider what you say to be intolerant, so I will not tolerate your saying it.” Jim Denison

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

God will continue to remove the imperfections within us until He can look at us and see His reflection. Dan Shock

A river reaches places its source will never know. God rarely allows a person to see how great a blessing he is to others. Oswald Chambers

Search others for their virtues, thy self for thy vices. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Carl Sandberg was right: A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on. Carl Sandberg

Character is built alone with God. Brandon Hughes

Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show. Joshua Becker

Develop your convictions before you have a moment of crisis. Ken Whitten

True Loyalty is ultimately about a relationship. It’s easier to build a relationship with someone than it is with something. Lisa Bradner

If we surrender each day to Christ as our Lord, our days will become our lives and our lives will write our legacy.

We could die today, but our legacy will outlive us. Remembering each fact helps us prepare for the other.

###

“As you did it to one of the least of these…”

-Matthew 25:40b

“Today’s Special” is from former Youth Minister Mike Atkinson, now of “Mikey’s Funnies” fame:

A young boy came to Sunday school late. His teacher knew that he was usually very prompt and asked him if anything was wrong.

The boy replied that he was going to go fishing, but his dad told him that he needed to go to church.

The teacher was very impressed and asked the boy if his dad had explained to him why it was more important to go to church than to go fishing, to which the boy replied,

“Yes, Dad said he didn’t have enough worms for both of us.”

Well, this might work in most states, but not here in New York State. Fishing season legally doesn’t begin until April 1. No fooling! And I imagine it is illegal to fish without a license, right? Who knew?

Have you ever been reading along in your Bible and suddenly you say, “Wow! I didn’t know THAT was in the Bible?” At the start of one year as I began my Bible reading schedule, I came across a verse and thought to myself, “wouldn’t it be neat if this year I make a running record of verses that we use in daily life?”. Well, of course, I can’t find that Bible. But I DO remember a few of those verses. Here goes:

“But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23)

“My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.” (Job 19:20)

“Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

And finally,

“Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us…” Ps. 124:3

Isn’t that amazing? I challenge y’all the next time you hear someone – preferably someone who has indicated they have no use for the Lord – say one of these statements (or ones like these), I indeed challenge you to say this:

“WOW! I didn’t realize you knew so much Bible!”

OK – that in itself may be interesting, even closely funny. But what if, what IF, someone took a whole PASSAGE of scripture and applied it to their group? You’ve never seen that happen? Well, let’s expand our insight. What if, what IF, a group – why even a well known “religious” group which is seeking your hard earned donations – used a passage of scripture to support its fund? You’ve seen many, right? But what if, what IF, a group takes a passage of scripture and uses it to show this is how JESUS works and therefore you should give to His work?

Curious?

Let me first begin with a disclaimer! I am in no way negating the GREAT work that many groups do, groups that use the following passage as their theme. But it IS possible that no one in that group ever sought the foundation of this passage.

Let’s look at a most overused passage. I encourage you to read for yourselves Matthew 25:31-46. In particular, let’s look at verses 34-36, often used by groups seeking our funds:

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’”

Of course, the “righteous” will question the King’s amazing assessment of them. They wisely ask, in verses 37-39:

“‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’”

These are good questions! These are soul searching questions which perhaps each of us should ask ourselves? One offshoot of this passage is that each one of us should search our souls as to the motive, the true motive, of all that we do “in Jesus’ Name”. Do we truly do it for Jesus’ sake, and not care who sees or who gets the glory? Good questions!

Then the Savior answers, as our message title shows in verse 40:

“‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

So far so good.

But is it possible, is it POSSIBLE, that the purpose of this passage is NOT Jesus’ desire that all humanity consider how they treat each other? Is it possible, is it POSSIBLE, that the disciple Matthew is recording tender words that the Lord Jesus wants a certain group in particular to observe?

In order to answer these questions – and more – we have to ask ourselves oh Bible scholars, “What is the key word(s) in this phrase?”. And the answer is…”My brethren” in verse 40, “as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren”.

Hello! WHO are Jesus’ “brethren”? You bet, the Jewish nation. Jesus was Jewish! Remember John 1:12, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him…”. And yet, just before the millennial kingdom (which is more explicitly taught about in the book of Revelation), the King of kings shares that, “you did it to one of the least of My brethren.”

The prophets of the Old Testament frequently talk about the contrast between Israel and those who were not Jewish. In fact, the difference is astounding! In Old Testament times, the non-Jewish nations were in opposition to Israel. Listen to a couple of verses which may help our understanding of Matthew 25:

“I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 20:38

“Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.” Joel 3:11-12

This is just a sampling. The prophets of old knew that one day there would be a crossroads! There would be a crossroads of nations that sought blessing upon the nation of Israel. But there would also be many nations that would seek nothing better than to destroy Israel, the brethren of our Savior.

Matthew 25 is where that crossroads comes together! Our Savior is asking those of us who are alive today a simple question: “what do you think of My brethren? Do you show Me your love, your passion, through your love for them?”

“I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”

Just remember the next time you hear a well meaning group use this passage to stir up passion for their cause.

That doesn’t mean that one should NOT support them. But it does mean that you can honestly say, “I didn’t know THAT is in the Bible!” And then ask, “is that what it really means?”

And I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt. 16:18

Recently driving on a back-woods road in South Carolina, I spotted a church and a sign in front. I just had to stop and take a picture.

“CHURCH CLOSED, Stay Safe”

“Stay safe?” Maybe it should have said “Stay Connected.” After all, what really is a church? It is a lot more than a building.

I recalled how one night a number of years ago I was speaking in a small town in north Florida, as they were celebrating the opening of their new church building. It seems that the former one had burned to the ground and they had to re-build. I asked. “When did your church burn down?” Quickly, he answered, “Oh the church never burned down, it was just the building.”

The church consists of God’s people. It is the assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. The physical buildings facilitate the fellowship, worship, and ministry of God’s people, but it is not the church. … It is based on the Greek word of ecclesia, which is referring to the gathering or assembly.

The early Christian church was persecuted. Christians did not congregate in large physical buildings, but met in secret in the homes of other Christians. The early Quakers, as a matter of principle, refused to call the buildings where they met “churches,” since the biblical word church referred to people, not a building. The Quakers instead called a building designed for Christian worship a “steeple house.”

We all learned about closed churches during the pandemic isolation. Our church building was locked, but our church never missed a beat. How about yours?

Acts 2:42 could be considered a purpose statement for the church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” According to this verse, the purposes/activities of the church should be 1) teaching biblical doctrine, 2) providing a place of fellowship for believers, 3) observing the Lord’s supper, and 4) praying……. And you don’t need a building to do that.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

In Dr. David Jeremiah’s book, Forward, subtitled, Discovering God’s Presence and Purpose in Your Tomorrow, he offers 10 steps to help us move forward spiritually, and in life.

The ten words are explained in detail in each chapter.

1. Dream: Seize Your Tomorrow Today

2. Pray: Consult with Your Creator

3. Choose: Diminish Your Distractions

4. Focus: Make Your One Thing the Main Thing

5. Risk: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

6. Pursue: Chase Your Dream

7. Believe: Get Your Mind Right

8. Invest: Outlive Your Life

9. Finish: You’re Not Done Until You’re Done

10. Celebrate: Turn Your Forward into Forever

— o —

My mind is like my Internet browser – 19 tabs are open, three are frozen and I have no idea where the music is coming from !!!!!! This is me: Beverley. Anonymous

— o —

Christianity is not about our commitment to an ideal, dedication to a religion, or devotion to a philosophy. It’s about loyalty to a person: The Lord Jesus Christ.

— o —

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration. The Minimalist

— o —

In America, faith-based groups contribute more than $316 billion in savings to the US economy every year. In addition, congregations, religious institutions, and faith-based businesses contribute roughly $1.2 trillion of socio-economic value to the country, which is the equivalent of the world’s fifteenth largest national economy.

I bring these statistics up, however, not as an opportunity to congratulate ourselves for a job well done but rather to show just a small taste of the potential we have to bless our country and our community by serving others in the name of Jesus. Jim Denison

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. WILLIE NELSON

It can feel lonely to stand for Biblical morality in our radically secular culture. Jim Denison

When what should be first place in our lives gets misplaced, before long it will be replaced. Ken Whitten

If you want to be more like Jesus, try giving help in both time and treasure without telling anyone about it. Jesus has answered your silent prayers for a long time and does not seek to take any credit for it…see the power that brings when you do the same. Dwight Short

“Blessed is the man who listens to me,“BLESSED IS THE MAN…WHO”

Watching daily at my gates,

Waiting at the posts of my doors.”

—Proverbs 8:34

“Today’s Special” is from former Youth Minister Mike Atkinson, now of “Mikey’s Funnies” fame:

“A dentist was about to leave his office with his golf bag on his shoulder, when the phone rang.

“Doctor,” the caller said, “I have a terrible toothache. Can I stop by your office in a few minutes?”

“Sorry,” replied the dentist, “but I have a previous appointment to fill eighteen cavities this afternoon.”

For those of us here in WAY upstate New York who have endured this week’s snow storm followed by wind storm followed by descending temperatures – all in less than 4 days – playing golf is just the cure. Can’t wait!

Until then, the above verse is found in Proverbs Chapter 8. This chapter is an unique one, and without reading the first couple of verses of the chapter, verse 34 makes no sense. I was in a Bible study shortly after I was saved. I remember now even 50 years later the many disfigurations, as it were, that the teacher was doing with this passage. But the introductory verses set the tone of the passage.

“Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?

She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet.” Verses 1,2

I love this kind of language! We learn much from these verses, teachings that will help us tremendously in both our understanding and application of verse 34.

First, the topic of this chapter is the wisdom of God! She is presented very personally, as someone to whom we should listen. Notice the “her” and the “She” of these two verses. The author (perhaps Solomon, who wrote most of Proverbs) has personalized “wisdom” as a feminine persona. And did you notice the location of “Wisdom”? She is on the top of a high hill, besides the way where the paths meet!

Where is she? Why, she is at a CROSSROADS! She is at the point where every man, woman, boy and girl who is living or who has ever lived has stopped. She is at the place where a choice of direction must be made!

We’ve all been there – perhaps many years ago when most of us were making a career choice. Or perhaps recently when many of us have to make decisions concerning living quarters.

Or like us, when I retired from the pastorate. We sought the Lord’s leading for at least two special things: first, a place to worship; and second, a place to live. We were amazed how the Lord provided both! The first is in a small town much like the places I served as pastor for over 30 years, and it is not that far from where we live. And the second? In the providence, amazement, and perhaps even humor of the Lord – we live in the SAME apartment in which we lived when I retired after 20 years from my first pastorate, an apartment from which we had moved 10 years earlier to move to our second pastorate! Funny – in the room which was to become once more my den, there were the EXACT screw holes in the wall for the brackets for my book shelves. Isn’t God good!

And look with me at verses 22 and 23:

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.

I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.”

What is the author saying? That wisdom not only is more than likely found at the crossroads of life; SHE was at the foundation of the world! She was there since EVERLASTING! From the BEGINNING! Before there was an EARTH!

What does that mean for us? It means that even before the beginning of time, before the creation of the world, wisdom was there to meet the greatest need that each of God’s human beings hunger for. AND WHAT CAN THAT BE?

Turn with me to Ecclesiastes 3:11, in the NKJV please:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”

What does that mean, “He has put eternity in their hearts”?

I am dependent upon Bible scholars way more smart than I! This is the fruit of their scholarship: God has placed within each of our hearts an hunger…an hunger for substance, for truth. Why, an hunger for God Himself! The entire book of Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s tale of seeking satisfaction in STUFF. And he finds at the end of each of his searches the same thing: emptiness {“vanity and vexation of spirit” – literally, a “blowing in the wind”). And then Chapter 12 comes, when he proclaims the end of his search is but the new beginning of his life:

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them:”

The writer is nearing death. He describes what it is like to die in that emptiness, a reality facing all of us…UNLESS we obey Solomon’s final warning:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

So…what does that have to do with Proverbs 8:34? That verse is a kind of testimony to the hunger of our heart. Our heart is searching for substance, for truth, in reality yes, in the big picture it is searching for God Himself. The amazing thing is that at that same crossroads, GOD IS THERE, TOO! For He is hungry for us, for our fellowship, for our communion, and for fresh glory being brought to Him from our trust in His work at Calvary through the Son!

And then? Verse 34 tells me how to live! I am blessed – happy, NOT by circumstances but by the Lord Himself!

And then I do what?

I “listen to me”. I listen to the one who is at the crossroads of my heart. I listen to the one who wants to create substance in my life. I listen to the one who has prepared a way for me to live, to really LIVE, for God and for the glory of His Son! I listen to His Word and allow it to make changes – the changes of God through His Spirit – in my heart and life. I listen to the operation of that “still small voice”, like Elijah of old heard, to direct me to the path that He wants for this day, this hour.

I “listen to me”.

Then I “Watch[ing] daily at my gates”.

I am “watching” – the idea of being alert, having my gaze fixed upon. And I am having my gaze fixed upon DAILY. What does that mean? It means that this is a JOURNEY! It is not simply a “once for all time” experience! It is a sojourn, a walking with God, a being alert to the operation of the Spirit in my life. And how often am I watching? Why, DAILY! This sojourn has to be a continuous watch, a continuous fixing upon, a continuous routine in my joy of the Lord! And did you notice the where? “

AT MY GATES”. The “gates” was the place where in Old Testament times at least 3 main things happened. First, as in Job of old, the elders of the land would meet there to listen and to dispense their wisdom. Second, it was the place where decisions for the day were made. And finally, as in Ruth with her Boaz, it was the place where transactions for life were made. The gates were a very important – if not THE most important – place where city life occurred. It was at the gates of wisdom where this sojourner’s heart was to be watching DAILY.

Finally, while I am LISTEN-ing to wisdom, while I am WATCH-ing daily at her gates, I am to be “WAIT[-ing] at the posts of her [“my”] doors”. Now this is where this stewardship gets to be fun! The key to this is to discern where “my doors” are! For it is there that I am to be waiting at the posts! What does this mean?

“My doors” is an intimate term for one’s HOME! While I am listening, while I am watching daily, I am to be waiting at wisdom’s doors! I am to be as close to wisdom as I can be! I am to be listening, watching, and waiting at her home, at the very posts that hold up the front door of her house! And where for the Christian will that be? Why, that is two-fold, of course, It will be IN the written Word of God where I find wisdom. Daily! AND second, it will be BY the operation of the Holy Spirit whereby I apply wisdom to my life.

Ok, let’s wrap this up! Tell me then, IF I am obedient to this passage, what will happen? What’s in it for me?

What happens when I

* LISTEN to wisdom…

* WATCH daily at her gates…, and

* WAIT at the posts of her doors?

Tell me again what the verse says?

BLESSED IS THE MAN!

Tell me again…is that what your heart is hungry for…SUBSTANCE?

And when you find her, you will be…BLESSED!