Contrast

We received a dusting of snow the day before Thanksgiving. Suddenly the woods around our house came alive with all kinds of wildlife. Deer especially. It's hunting season and the deer just seem to know "it's safer near the houses."

Of course the deer are ALWAYS walking through our yard. It's just easier to see them with the light background. It's the contrast that makes them stand out and become more visible.

Think about it. When a jeweler displays his diamonds, does he place them on a white cloth? No. He pours them out on a BLACK velvet background. Why? The contrast makes them seem to shine brighter.

That's the way it should be with you and me. So says Jesus anyway.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

My wife does this. She shops for deals at the local grocery store. When she finds a good deal she buys multiple items. It might be a frozen meal or some deodorant or toothpaste. Then she sneaks down to the food pantry or homeless shelter and drops them off. She shines brightly in our community.

The doe in our back yard was noticeable because everything around it was white. She had no idea we could see her, but were blessed by what we saw.

I think God likes watching us as we walk through the dark world we live in. WE can bless God simply by loving others. There should be quite a contrast between ourselves and "the world." So shine!

"Shine! Make 'em wonder what you got.

Make 'em wish that they were not on the outside lookin' bored.

Shine! Let it shine before all men.

Let 'em see good works and then let 'em glorify the Lord." - Newsboys

 

As The Deer - Robin Mark

Shine - Newsboys 

God's Timing

I was feeling pretty low after Charlie Kirk got shot. I loved that guy like a brother, which he was, and still is. A brother in Christ.

The Packers were playing on Thursday Night Football but I didn't feel like watching. How can anyone be cheering at a time like this? I just don't get it.

So, I got up out of my living room chair and went down to my basement office. Time to read God's Word. Only tonight it wasn't helping. 2nd Chronicles is a conglomeration of kings not doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. I've had enough of 'disobedient kings' on the news lately.

Feeling kind of numb, I was just sitting there, mourning for a light that had gone out, when my phone lit up. It was a message from a friend. Actually, it was a prayer that was sent to me. Ya know . . . that was exactly what I needed to hear, exactly when I needed to hear it.

Has that ever happened to you? Can you sense when someone close to you might need a friend? Do you reach out to others when you think that they could be hurting in some way?

Here's an even deeper question. Do you think that God, seeing our needs, prompts the Holy Spirit to deliver a messages of hope through an intermediary? I sure do.

God's Holy Spirit prompts us to do and say things for our good and for God's glory.

"Do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you will say." - Luke 12:11-12

It seems to me that you and I need to be wary of the thoughts the come into our minds. We think they come from our OWN brains, but really we are also subjected to what Satan whispers into our ears and what God leads us to believe. Just remember this:

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." - John 16:13

We really need to be that person who picks up the phone and calls someone because suddenly, for some unknown reason, a concerning thought pops into our head. Send a text, make a call, say 'Hi' to someone on the street. It might just be exactly what that person needed to hear.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

FoTS - Goodness

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23

Today we are talking about goodness. In a Biblical context, 'goodness' is a morality issue. It means to do what is morally right - doing what is right in God's eyes. Obedience to God's will for our lives is what it's all about.

Examples of goodness then can be found in the Ten Commandments. Starting with #5 we have "honor your father and mother." #6 - do not murder. #7 - do not commit adultery. #8 - do not steal. #9 - do not lie. #10 - do not covet.

But goodness goes beyond NOT doing bad things. It also means doing GOOD things. James tells us that "faith without works is dead" in James 2:26. Our good deeds are evidence that God's Holy Spirit lives in us.

Yesterday I went to the UPS store. After I had finished my business there, I left. On my way out the door I noticed someone approaching, arms full of boxes, so I held the door open for them. They said thank you.

After I got into my car I witnessed another person trying to get into the same store with an even bigger load of boxes, and I just sat there in my car. Why? Was it too inconvenient? No. Timing. This girl had clearly done this before and I would have gotten there too late.

But the point it this. I should have made the effort to do good. Maybe I will return to the UPS Store one day and spend some time opening doors for others. It would actually be a great opportunity to share the Gospel.

Questions:

1. When was the last time you did a good deed for someone?
2. The Boy Scouts have a saying "Do a good turn daily." Have you do that today?
3. What are you doing now that is against God's will?
4. In the drive-thru, pay for the person's order behind you in line. Pray for them as you drive off (that wasn't really a question).
5. When you're standing in the checkout line, let someone go ahead of you. How did they react?

Growing

It's garden planting time! Do you have YOUR garden planted yet? Will it grow?

There's lots of decisions to be made before we plant those seeds, like what shall we plant? Do we need fertilizer added to the soil? How often should we water? So many decisions to make!

Jesus talks about the sowing of seeds in Matthew 13. He speaks about how some seeds falls on different types of soil, the seed's root depth and how some will wither in the sun. Jesus isn't really talking about gardening but sharing the Gospel.

Jesus eventually explains this parable to His disciples. It's that explanation that has caused me to think a bit more deeply this morning. Here is the parable's explanation.

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” - Matthew 13:19-23

There are a few things to think about when considering this parable. One is the sower. The sower is God. Another thing to remember is that we are NOT the seeds! We are the soil. The seed is the Gospel. The seed is the same no matter who hears it. It all comes out of the same bag - The Bible.

We, the soil, are what's different. Some people are more willing to receive the Word of God than others. God can also change our ability to grow. He might add a life-changing experience to our lives or show is what an example of good spoil looks like.

Sadly, there are people in our lives who will never understand the Gospel. They WILL perish. That's just the way it is. Other people will hear the Gospel and pretend to be Christians. They too will wither and fade away.

Our job is NOT to save the lost and the perishing. Our job is to grow! The saving is God's job. God might use us to help save someone but the work is all His. He is the gardener.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Indispensable

The advise I always give people when they get a new job is, "Make yourself indispensable." Make it impossible for someone to want to let you go or fire you. So, are you? Are you that valuable?

A couple of friends of mine have lost their jobs recently. It's a sad thing to see because it was preventable. They did it to themselves.

They were taking extended breaks at lunch and to go smoke, they came in late and left early. In one case they were ignoring company orders in favor of doing things their way. Not good things to be doing when companies are looking to increase their profit margin and make themselves more competitive in the marketplace.

I'm glad our salvation isn't based on works or being "good enough". None of us would be able to hold a job! Thank God (literally) for Jesus. He is the one who made us indispensable in God's eyes. And just how did that happen? Jesus sacrificed Himself on our behalf. He paid the price for our screw-ups.

There is a saying that goes, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." It's true. Companies don't like weak links. Companies like to be strong, so they like to replace the weak links with stronger ones.

In the case of our sinful nature, even though you and I are "weak links," God has given us the ability to become strong links in His eyes simply by our placing our faith in Jesus. Then, when God looks at the "chain" He has created with those who have trusted in His Son, He sees strength in each link . . . because He is seeing His Son in them. Link after link after link is Jesus.

Being indispensable in our daily jobs is a good thing but it doesn't compare to being indispensable . . . in Christ.

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." - 1 Corinthians 12:27

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12

"It has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;" - Philippians 1:13

Do Something

It's easy to sit in our living rooms and vocalize our opinions about what we see on the news. It's another thing entirely to get up off our butts and actually do something about it.

The perfect example of this is when my wife and I go walking together. I'll see some trash on the side of the road and make some comment about the person who threw it there.

My wife, on the other hand, walks over and picks it up. She wants our neighborhood to look nice. After a while her hands get pretty full so I step in and offer to help. That's a perfect example of how one person's efforts can lead to others stepping up and helping.

I watch my Facebook news feed a lot. Yes, I'm 66 years old. I watch it for a reason though. So I can do something. As a former youth leader . . . No, once a youth leader, always a youth leader. The point is, I care about our youth and our struggling young adults.

Periodically one will call or text seeking advice. That's wonderful. But what I am looking for on Facebook are the ones whose cry is silent. The kid who has been abused, neglected and hurt. I am looking for the kid in the picture. Why? So I can do something.

Maybe I have been sensitized by the suicide deaths of two youth group kids. It doesn't matter. I want to do something and this is it.

"But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." - James 1:22

When we find ourselves complaining about something, here's something to consider. What if God created YOU to fix the very thing you were complaining about?

You don't like the trash on the side of the road? Pick it up! You don't like the number of suicides occurring in the world? Do something about it! Make yourself available. Love the unlovable. Reach a hand out to the wounded and hurting.

God didn't create us to go to work and earn our precious money and to comment on other people's lives. God created us to love and to worship Him. And what better way to worship God than by keeping His commandments - the highest of which is to love one another.

So, what are you going to do today?

Do Something - Matthew West

The Little Things

We all go through life, day after day after day. It can be pretty boring, like we're stuck in a rut. It's almost like we can switch off our brains and simply go through the motions. But them something happens. Something NOT expected, NOT ordinary. A wonderfully amazing gift of grace and love and . . . banana bread.

I am retiring this coming Friday and these last few weeks have been atypical for me. Like yesterday when I picked up my paycheck. I thought, "This is my second to LAST paycheck! Yikes!!" I have been talking with co-workers more. Treasuring every conversation as if it were the last because it just . . . might . . . be. :O

As I was making coffee at work this week a lady came up to me and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a zip lock bag and gave it to me saying, "Here. I baked some banana bread last night and this is for you. We're really going to miss you around here."

Awww. How special. How sweet. That made my day. The slightest little gesture can change someone's entire outlook on life. That got me thinking about MY life? Do I do random things like that to pour into someone else's life? I might do a few things but I don't do enough of them.

Wednesday was my wife's birthday. I bouht her a card. She likes getting cards. The only trouble was she was and hour and a half away, baby sitting our granddaughter. It would have been the first time we had ever been apart for our birthdays on 40 years of marriage. Would have been.

I drove an hour and 40 minutes after work and hand-delivered her card. It was a little thing but it made her day.

Is there someone in your life right now who could use a little cheering up? I'm guessing that there is. So what could you do for them today? Just something simple. Send an encouraging text, Call someone. Open a door for someone. Let someone go ahead of you in whatever line you are in.

 We have been given much by our amazing God. Let's keep it going by giving freely to those around us. In that way they will notice our love. It's a simple way to "let our light shine bright" :)

^"16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Lights Shine Bright - TobyMac

People Watching

When my wife and I were celebrating our anniversary a few years ago we went to Mackinac Island. There is a particular bed and breakfast we stay at each time we visit - The Bay View B&B. It has a large front porch where my wife and I like to sit, read a book and just watch the world go by.

Do you like to "people watch?" I do. It's interesting seeing all the faces God has made, their different characteristics and expressions. Some are happy, some are sad, some are in a hurry to get some place while others are simply out for a stroll. Faces can tell us a lot about who people want us to think they are.

Here's a picture of the B&B my wife and I like to stay at. See that big porch facing the street? Perfect for people watching.

Most people watchers have a favorite location to watch people. Do you? How about the mall? Work? Church? Or just even down a crowded street.

My wife and I sometime theorize what these people do in life. Even though we have no idea who they are or what they really do, we make up things. I guess that's basically judging them by appearances but isn't that what we humans tend to do anyway?

If someone watched ME walking down the street, I wonder what would they think about me? What tells someone WHO we are? What speaks to them without words? Is it the WAY we walk? A confident strut? A limp? Are we jogging? (Not me) Is it something in the clothes we wear? A tee shirt perhaps? Maybe some baggy pants riding low to show off our boxer shorts? (Again, not me) Or maybe it's a low-cut tight-fitting top that laves little to the imagination. There is one thing however that does not depend on clothing or style to tell others who we are. It is your face - the very image of God - and how you use it to greet others.

Many people avoid eye contact when you meet them on the street. This tells me they are not interested in any interaction at all. At least not at that moment. Some faces are happy, some are sad. Some just glance sideways at you while others offer a warm smile and a "Good morning!" Others hide behind sunglasses of have ears buds in to remove themselves from the possibility of interaction.

As we walk down the street today or through the air-conditioned food court at the mall, try this:

If someone make eye contact with you, ask them a question. Say, "Excuse me. I really like your smile. Where did you get that?" or, to the sagging pants guy, "Hi, I really like your underwear. Are those boxers or jammies?" Yes . . . I can be sarcastic at times.

The point is, people are always judging others by the way we look. They judge us my our facial expressions, our clothes, our demeanor and our actions. What are we telling them? What are we telling them about Jesus?

I have lots of Christian tee shirts. I like to wear them because, when others see them, they think about Jesus. It may only be for a moment but people think about Him.

But we should be more than just a bunch of tee shirts. Jesus tells us, He commands us, to . . . ^"16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Are we letting our light shine? Jesus told us to. And if we are not letting our light shine, we are ignoring a command from God! THAT won't end well for us.

So, let's let our light shine. The world can use all the light it can get.

Go Light Your World - Chris Rice

Seasons Seasonings

I was watching my son prepare the corn for our Christmas meal this year. He was helping my wife prepare things so she didn't have to do EVERYTHING like she usually does. He had placed some butter on the corn after he had extracted the dish from the microwave. Then he picked up some seasoning salt and began sprinkling it on the corn.

"Too much salt," I thought to myself. "That's really going to be more seasoning than I would like." I began to wonder how I could un-season the corn, if that were even possible. More butter perhaps?

My son is a good cook. We have eaten many meals that he has prepared, each one tasted good. He knew what he was doing. Even so, this time I thought he might be making things too salty.

Guess what. The corn tasted fine despite my concern.

We all have our opinions about how much seasoning should be put on our food. Here's a question for you. Do you salt your french fries before you even taste them? I do. Why? Maybe those fries are super-salty already and you are just adding to the seasoning, making them inedible. Yet I still feel that I need to add something to the mix. Why? Do I feel like I have to be in charge of the seasoning?

How much "salt" are we supposed to apply to the people we meet? Will too much salt (too much talk about Jesus) make people think that Christianity doesn't taste very good?

It is true that Jesus called us the salt of the earth alright. But then He said something else as well. Apparently we can lose our saltiness. And if we don't season the lives of those around us we are called "good-for-nothings."

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet." - Matthew 5:13

There are some people I can talk to about Jesus all day long. We love to talk about Him and His Word, The Bible. Conversations about God and His Holy Spirit never seem too burdensome. We just love talking about Jesus! But not everyone does. Not everyone believes. So are we still supposed to talk to them? Even those who have turned their back on Jesus? YES!

BUT we need to remember that while we are the ones who season, we are NOT the ones who provide the meal. We are not the ones who do the saving. There is nothing that WE ourselves can do to save anyone! God can get along just fine without us. We don't have to pray The Sinner's Prayer with everyone, nor should we. Such instructions from Jesus simply do not exist. But we DO need to love everyone. Think back a moment. What was it that Jesus said about the greatest commandment?

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:36-40

Instead of trying to figure out ways we can get to pray the sinners prayer with people, we need to think of ways we can show them the love of Christ. God's Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.

My brother-in-law prayed the sinners prayer with his mother before she died. Did that save her? No. I believe that what saved his mom was her realization that what my brother-in-law was saying was true. She came to realize that truth through the love he showed her in telling her about Jesus. I believe it was his actions, his loving acts that got her attention and made her believe, through the Holy Spirit, that what he was saying about Jesus was true. It was God's Holy Spirit working on her, not my brother-in-law. He did the seasoning.

"8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

We are the seasoning. God in His mercy and grace is the meal. Our job is to love others. And the best way to do that is to tell people about Jesus. We shouldn't apply too much seasoning . . . just enough. It is the meal that is the deal. We really just need to invite people to dinner.

"16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Salt and Light - John Piper