From Gary... Finding the way "home"

Many thanks to brother Walter Vogt, for allowing me to use his picture!!!

When we consider the word "Home", what comes to our mind?  Perhaps, to some, it is just a place to eat and sleep or to watch television.  To others the emphasis may be on the people who reside there besides you.  It may be a retreat from the bustle of everyday life or a place to relax.  I think we know the answer for this little dog- contentment!!!  How about you?  In thinking about this as applied to myself, I turned to the pages of Scripture, specifically, to the Gospel of John...

John, Chapter 14

1  “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.   2  In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.   3  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.   4  Where I go, you know, and you know the way.” 

  5  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 

  6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. 

It took me decades to understand "home".  Growing up, it was a place I hated; somewhere to be abused, ridiculed and experience the darker side of life.  Then, I married and was determined that our house would be a genuine HOME!!!  Again, it took a long time to overcome most of the baggage from my youth, but with God's help, my family always knew I loved them.  It is just Linda and myself now (and the poodles) but HOME is someplace special.  It is a place where love is (even when we have an argument); somewhere that God is acknowledged and loved.  For you see, HIS impact changes things. He gives life and light to a very dark dismal world.  He has given me love and standards to go by AND the hope of something better - HOME, IN HEAVEN!!!  All made possible through Jesus, who, on a daily basis, speaks to my heart through the Bible and shows me the way to heavenly realms. Through JESUS, my darkness has turned to the light of hope and that is something to curl up by the fire and contemplate.  Humm, I wonder if there are woodstoves in heaven???

From Jim McGuiggan.... MARSHMALLOWS AND CAMP-FIRES

MARSHMALLOWS AND CAMP-FIRES

The English journalist and writer, G.K. Chesterton died in 1936 but not before he left the world a great store of literature and joy-filled advice. He admired Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and Stoic. He thought Aurelius was virtuous, sincere, generous and open-minded. He even admired his writings but he said there was something about the scholar-emperor that was lacking. And what was that? “He does not command me to perform the impossible,” said Chesterton.

He was nothing like Jesus in this regard. Even his writings had that same, “Now, let’s makes sure we don’t go to an extreme” tone. No one was stretched. No one was told. “Oh, stop that! That’s beneath you. Follow me and I’ll give you something to match what you were made for.” Chesterton compared the Stoic emperor’s words with Christ and said,

      The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

      Yes: he was soliloquizing, not making something.

      Do not the words of Jesus ring

      Like nails knocked into a board

      In his Father’s workshop?

My suspicion is that most vibrant young people would say that the Christ they hear about from churches in general and preachers in particular doesn’t command them to do the impossible or believe the incredible. And that’s a real shame because the real Christ, the Christ we haven’t domesticated, does just that! Young people don’t need to put up with this and they shouldn’t do it. They shouldn’t let the bland churches and bored preachers leave them bloodless! They ought to go straight to the words of Christ himself and feel their blood stir. There’s nothing anemic about Jesus Christ and if in coming to Christ we find our thinking is tamer, our dreams are more reasonable, our convictions are more moderate then we’ve come to the wrong Christ!

The real Jesus Christ is a tearer-down of worlds and a builder of a new creation. He neither wimps nor whines and goes striding down the centuries looking for people who will risk putting their minds and hearts and bodies and energies in his hands.

God help us, by the time some churches and preachers and books are done with us we can’t even dream outrageous dreams in the name of Christ. There’s no sense in us that we’re at war with a world-spirit that is anti-God, anti-Christ and anti-life! If we aren’t dead when they’re done with us we’re at least sound asleep and all the happy songs and new worship formats in creation won’t keep vibrant young people from a ho-hum existence unless by chance the youthful Christ gatecrashes our worship-party.

If that happens some girl or boy just might stand up and ask, "Is that it? We're all to avoid drugs, booze and sex before marriage, attend church and be nice kids? Is that to be the sum total of our lives? Is this the only preaching we're to hear around here? Hmmm. You wonder why so many of us are leaving the church and heading for other places?"

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Greatest Of These Is Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

                 "THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS"

                 The Greatest Of These Is Love (13:13)

INTRODUCTION

1. In his discourse on spiritual gifts, Paul praised the value of
   love...
   a. Introducing it as "a more excellent way" - 1Co 12:31
   b. Emphasizing its necessity along with any ability or service we
      might have - 1Co 13:1-3
   c. Explaining its abiding superiority over spiritual gifts - 1Co 13:8

2. He even praised its value over faith and hope...
   a. Abiding virtues in of themselves - 1Co 13:13a
   b. Yet love is "the greatest of these" virtues - 1Co 13:13b

[Why is love so highly valued by Paul?  And if it is such a great
virtue, how should we manifest in our lives?  These questions I wish to
address in this study, first by summarizing...]

I. THE GREATNESS OF LOVE

   A. LOVE MOTIVATED GOD TO SAVE US...
      1. Out of love for the world, God gave His Son - Jn 3:16-17; 1Jn 4:9-10
      2. The magnitude of God's love is seen when we consider that it
         was expressed while we were yet sinners - Ro 5:6-8

   B. LOVE MOTIVATED CHRIST TO DIE FOR US...
      1. The Father's love toward the Son motivated the Son to love us
         - Jn 15:9
      2. Such love then motivated Christ to die for us - Jn 15:13; Ep 5:2

   C. LOVE MOTIVATES US TO LIVE FOR CHRIST...
      1. The love of Christ compelled Paul to live for Him - 2Co 5:
         14-15
      2. Paul's life of faith was thus influenced by Christ's love for
         him - Ga 2:20

   D. LOVE MOTIVATES US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER...
      1. The love of Christ should inspire us to love one another - Jn 13:34
      2. The love of God should likewise move us to love one another
         - 1Jn 4:11

[Love can and should be a very powerful, motivating force in our lives.
We have seen how it prompted God and Christ to express their love for
us.  The greatness of love can also be seen in how we should express it
in our lives...]

II. THE EXPRESSION OF LOVE

   A. TOWARD GOD AND CHRIST...
      1. By keeping the commandments of God and Christ - Jn 14:15,21,
         23-24; 15:10,14
      2. By loving our brethren in Christ - Jn 15:12; 1Jn 4:20-21
      -- Great is God's love toward us; shall we not love God with great
         zeal in return?

   B. TOWARD OUR BRETHREN...
      1. By helping them when they are in physical need - 1Jn 3:16-18
         a. Providing as we have ability and opportunity
         b. Loving them in deed and in truth
      2. By helping them when they are in spiritual need - 1Pe 4:8; Ja
         5:19-20
         a. Bringing them back to the Lord
         b. Loving them with a truly fervent love
      3. By setting the example in loving God and keeping His
         commandments - 1Jn 5:2
         a. If we truly love one another, we will encourage them by
            providing a good example
         b. Only then can we really know that we love the children of
            God
      -- Does our example express a proper measure of love toward our
         brethren?

   C. TOWARD OUR ENEMIES...
      1. Remember that God loved us while we were still "enemies" - Ro 5:6-10
         a. While we were "ungodly"
         b. While we were "sinners"
      2. As children of God, we are to be like our Heavenly Father - Mt 5:44-48
         a. Loving our enemies
         b. Blessing those who curse us
         c. Doing good to those who hate us
         d. Praying for those who spitefully use us and persecute us
      3. Just as Jesus and Stephen did toward their persecutors - 

         Lk 23:34; Ac 7:60
      -- Loving the unlovable and ungrateful is the highest expression
         of love!

CONCLUSION

1. The apostle Paul had experienced the greatness of God's love...
   a. In his own conversion, for which he was thankful - 1Ti 1:12-16
   b. In enduring persecution, which gave him great hope - Ro 8:35-39

2. We too have experienced the greatness of God's love...
   a. In our own conversion...are we thankful?
   b. In our daily living...presuming that we are walking in love!

Love is indeed the greatest of virtues.  When properly understood and
manifested in our lives, it serves as the basis for our faith and hope!

   "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of
   these is love." - 1Co 13:13

Have your responded to the love of God by obeying the gospel of Christ?
Are you walking in love, as Christ has loved us and given Himself for us
(Ep 5:2)...?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

 

From Gary... Not just for babies...

Baby Talk

It has been many decades since my own children did the "baby talk" routine, but I don't remember any exchange like this!!!  The thing is... they seem to really understand one another.  I don't, but based on their leg motions, I am guessing that it has something to do with walking.  I realize that I will never REALLY KNOW what they are saying, but at least I am trying- and that is the important part, isn't it???  Face it, people hear what they want to hear, when the want to hear and how they want to hear it.  Here is an exchange that illustrates this point...

John, Chapter 8

 23  He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.   24  I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am  he, you will die in your sins.” 

  25  They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” 

Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.   26  I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.” 

  27  They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father.  28 Jesus therefore said to them,“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.   29  He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 

  30  As he spoke these things, many believed in him.  31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.   32  You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  

  33  They answered him, “We are Abraham’s seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’ ?” 

  34  Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.   35  A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.   36  If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.   37  I know that you are Abraham’s seed, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.   38  I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.” 

  39  They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” 

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.   40  But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.   41  You do the works of your father.” 

They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.” 

  42  Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.   43  Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.   44  You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.   45  But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me. 

Some people can't hear because they don't want to hear.  And often this is because their heart is darkened by sin.  Sin blinds, it deafens, it replaces reason with irrationality and stubbornness.  If even babies who really want to talk can understand one another, why can't the adults???  Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from these small ones, and that lesson is innocence. May God give us all an open heart and the ability to really understand HIS Word!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... Limburger cheese

Limburger cheese

A soured or angry or cynical heart has a hard time seeing properly and it has an equally hard time bridling its speech. In its ugly way it takes hold of all the truths that support its agenda and ignores everything that would lower the temperature.

Did a sinner trespass against me? Here! Here are forty passages that deal with transgression and every one of them thrusts the wrongdoer down to a hot hell. It doesn't matter that the bulk of the texts are not parallel to the situation I'm facing. This isn't the time to be fair much less merciful so if the verses look like they're useful to my cause I'll pour them out.

The sour heart's unwilling, because it's unable, to see things in the best light. My sour or cynical heart's unwilling, because it's unable, even to grant that there might be another way of looking at the situation. Two people can look at the same thing and interpret it differently. Paul Scherer reminds us that when Ecclesiastes sees the sun rising and setting, the teacher takes it as proof of the moral indifference of life. When Jesus sees it he says it proves his Father's faithful generosity in making the continuously rising sun to shine on the wicked and the good. Qoheleth would say, "See, it doesn't matter if you're evil or good the sun shines on you both." Jesus would say, "See, the sun shines on the evil and the good. Isn't my Father generous!"

The two kids smeared a little Limburger cheese on the moustache of their sleeping grandad. In a moment or two he wakened, sniffed and then complained of an awful smell in the room. He went to the kitchen, the living room complaining as he went of the smell in each room. "The whole whole house smells bad," he muttered as he stumbled outside. Outside he took a deep breath and concluded in amazement, "The whole world stinks!"

Maybe, after all, Dickens was right. It wasn't Christmas that needed changed. It was Scrooge!

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The More Excellent Way Of Love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)

                 "THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS"

                The More Excellent Way Of Love (13:1-13)

INTRODUCTION

1. In 1st Corinthians 12-14 Paul discusses spiritual gifts...
   1. In chapter twelve he describes the gifts
   2. In chapter thirteen he reveals how long they will last
   3. In chapter fourteen he provides guidelines for their use in the
      assembly

2. In the course of his discussion, he proposes "a more excellent
   way"...
   a. While encouraging them to desire the better gifts - cf. 1Co 12:31
   b. The more excellent way is the way of love - cf. 1Co 13:1-13

[In chapter 13 we find "The More Excellent Way Of Love" carefully and
beautifully defined for us.  Paul's discourse on love is divided into
three parts, the first being...]

I. THE NECESSITY OF LOVE

   A. DESCRIBED BY PAUL...
      1. Necessary in the exercise of spiritual gifts - 1Co 13:1-2
      2. Necessary in the exercise of great sacrifice - 1Co 13:3
      -- Without love, such things are of no value!

   B. APPLIED BY US TODAY...
      1. Without love, any ability we have is of little value (such as
         teaching, preaching, etc.)
      2. Without love, any knowledge we obtain will only hurt us - cf.
         1Co 8:1
      3. Without love, any service rendered is not pleasing to God - cf.
         Re 2:1-5
      -- Love is truly a necessary virtue!

[But what exactly what is love?  That leads us to the second part of
Paul's discussion of "The More Excellent Way Of Love", in which he
describes...]

II. THE QUALITIES OF LOVE

   A. LOVE'S POSITIVE QUALITIES...
      1. Suffers longs - endures slights and wrongs patiently and long,
         like God Himself (Ps 103:8) - B. W. Johnson
      2. Is kind - obliging, willing to help or assist - Complete
         WordStudy Dictionary

   B. LOVE'S NEGATIVE QUALITIES...
      1. Does not envy - is not jealous of what others have or have
         become - Pulpit Commentary
      2. Does not parade itself - does not brag or boast of one's
         abilities or possessions - Barnes
      3. Is not puffed up - swelled with pride and elated with a vain
         conceit of himself - Gill
      4. Does not behave rudely - to behave in an ugly, indecent,
         unseemly or unbecoming manner (cf. 1Pe 3:8, "be courteous")
         - The Complete WordStudy Dictionary
      5. Does not seek its own - does not seek its own happiness to the
         injury of others (cf. 1Co 10:24,33) - Barnes
      6. Is not provoked - does not fly into a rage, but keeps the
         temper under control - B.W. Johnson
      7. Thinks no evil - puts the best possible construction on the
         motives and the conduct of others; not malicious, censorious,
         disposed to find fault, or to impute improper motives to others
         - Barnes
      8. Does not rejoice in iniquity - Does not rejoice over the
         "vices" of other people; does not take delight when they are
         guilty of crime, or when, in any manner, they fall into sin. It
         does not find pleasure in hearing others accused of sin, and in
         having it proved that they committed it. - ibid.

   C. LOVE'S POSITIVE QUALITIES (CONT.)...
      1. Rejoices in the truth - lit., "with the truth"; truth is
         personified as is love, and when love sees truth manifested in
         the lives of others, love greatly rejoices along with it, cf.
         2Jn 4; 3Jn 3-4
      2. Bears all things - lit., "covers, protects"; but as used by
         Paul elsewhere, it can also mean to endure, suffer (cf. 1Co 9:
         12; 1Th 3:1,5); thus in regards to the sins or failings of
         others, there is willingness to bear with them patiently
         - Barnes
      3. Believes all things - in regard to the conduct of others, there
         is a disposition to put the best construction on it; to believe
         that they may be actuated by good motives, and that they intend
         no injury; and that there is a willingness to suppose, as far
         as can be, that what is done is done consistently with
         friendship, good feeling, and virtue. Love produces this,
         because it rejoices in the happiness and virtue of others, and
         will not believe the contrary except on irrefragable evidence.
         - ibid.
      4. Hopes all things - that all will turn out well. This must also
         refer to the conduct of others; and it means, that however dark
         may be appearances; how much so ever there may be to produce
         the fear that others are actuated by improper motives or are
         bad people, yet that there is a "hope" that matters may be
         explained and made clear; that the difficulties may be made to
         vanish; and that the conduct of others may be made to "appear"
         to be fair and pure. Love will "hold on to this hope" until all
         possibility of such a result has vanished and it is compelled
         to believe that the conduct is not susceptible of a fair
         explanation. This hope will extend to "all things" - to words
         and actions, and plans; to public and to private contact; to
         what is said and done in our own presence, and to what is said
         and done in our absence. Love will do this, because it delights
         in the virtue and happiness of others, and will not credit
         anything to the contrary unless compelled to do so. - ibid.
      5. Endures all things - bears up under, sustains, and does not
         complain. Bears up under all persecutions at the hand of man;
         all efforts to injure the person, property, or reputation...
         The connection requires us to understand it principally of our
         treatment at the hands of our fellowmen. - ibid.

[The final quality of love introduces us to the third and last section
of "The More Excellent Way Of Love"...]

III. THE PERMANENCY OF LOVE

   A. LOVE NEVER FAILS...
      1. Love never fails - to fall away, to fail; to be without effect,
         to cease to be in existence.
         a. While other endowments of the Holy Spirit must soon cease
            and be valueless, love would abide, and would always exist.
         b. The "argument" is, that we ought to seek that which is of
            enduring value; and that, therefore, love should be
            preferred to those endowments of the Spirit on which so high
            a value had been set by the Corinthians. - Barnes
      2. Spiritual gifts (e.g., prophecies, tongues, and knowledge) will
         fail, cease, vanish away - 1Co 13:8-12
         a. Such gifts were to reveal and confirm the Word - cf. Mk 16:
            19-20; He 2:3-4
         b. Once the Word was completely revealed and confirmed, the
            need for such gifts ceased - cf. 2Ti 3:16-17; 2Pe 1:3;
            Jude 3

   B. LOVE ABIDES...
      1. Along with faith and hope - 1Co 13:13a
         a. Spiritual gifts like prophecies, tongues, and knowledge
            would cease
         b. Yet the virtues of faith, hope and love would "abide" (Grk.,
            meno - remain, dwell, continue, tarry, endure)
         c. Implying a period of time between the cessation of spiritual
            gifts and the fulfillment of faith and hope
      2. Greater than faith and hope - 1Co 13:13b
         a. We now walk by faith, not by sight - 2Co 5:7
         b. We now hope for what is unseen - Ro 8:24-25
         c. When Christ comes, the need for faith and hope will be no
            more!
            1) We will then walk by sight, not faith!
            2) We will see that for which we eagerly await, and no
               longer need hope!
         d. Yet throughout eternity, in the presence of Christ, "love
            never fails!"

CONCLUSION

1. Love is truly "a more excellent way" (1Co 12:31), what Paul
   describes elsewhere as...
   a. The fulfillment of the Law - Ro 13:8
   b. The bond of perfection - Col 3:14

2. When properly defined and understood, love is also "the way of
   Christ"...
   a. For in Paul's description of love, we see a picture of the
      character of Christ
   b. As disciples of Christ, we are to walk in the way of love as well
      - cf. Ep 5:1-2

3. How does our conduct measure up to Paul's description of love...?
   a. In our dealings with others, whether they be friends or foes?
   b. Remember, without love, our labor means nothing!

Are we committed to walking in "The More Excellent Way Of Love"...?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

 

From Gary... Testimony from a thumb...

Deography

I spent some time and on the net yesterday, looking for pictures and I came across the "Deography" website. The author takes a lot of pictures from Australia and the above pictures of his family are touching.  When my wife was pregnant, we had no idea what the babies were going to be.  We found out when they came out.  I wish we could have known with an ultrasound, as it would have made the whole thing much more enjoyable, but the technology was just not there at that time.  I noticed the ultrasound showed that the baby was sucking its thumb- something that I am sure it did after birth.  And the wonder of it all struck me- and with it, this verse...

Ecclesiastes, Chapter 11

 5 As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all.

Humm, if the child in the womb and the child outside the womb do the same thing, then aren't they the same creature.  To my mind, using labels to change reality is arrogance in the extreme.  A baby is a baby is a baby. You can't make it something else just by calling it by a different name.  Human beings don't know everything (even though some think they do) and some day those whose arrogance have caused the death of the unborn will have to answer for it!!!  I specifically like this passage from the book of Jeremiah:

Jeremiah, Chapter 1

 1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:  2 to whom Yahweh’s word came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.  3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.  4 Now Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,  5 “Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. Before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I don’t know how to speak; for I am a child.” 

  7  But Yahweh said to me, “Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for to whoever I shall send you, you shall go, and whatever I shall command you, you shall speak.  8 Don’t be afraid because of them; for I am with you to deliver you,” says Yahweh.  9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand, and touched my mouth; and Yahweh said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.  10 Behold, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” 

Both passages show that God is at work in the process of the creation of human life and to interfere with what God has ordained (put in order) is to argue with God.  I don't feel brave enough to do that, do you???  If God had a plan for Jeremiah, isn't it possible that God has a plan for you as well?  And if that is true, then how about that one who appears both in the ultrasound and in its mother's arms?  It is a FACT that everyone who supports abortion was once allowed to come to term and live their lives.  Preventing others from having the same God-given blessing is MURDER!!!  BELIEVE IT, BECAUSE ITS TRUE!!!!