FoTS - Gentleness

This fruit of the Spirit is a little different than the rest. Words like 'quiet' and 'empathy'

come to mind. We can picture someone struggling with something and a friend approaching with gentle, quiet words of caring compassion and encouragement.

In Matthew 11 there are a few verses at the end of the chapter that speak to this. They are from Jesus.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Gentleness is like a butterfly on a flower, treading gently, searching for sweetness, then moving on when it finds none. Gentleness can also be found in the hands of a child as it holds that same butterfly. It is the knowledge that what we are holding is fragile, precious.

Despite what we present on the outside, inside we are all fragile. We have bruises and scars on our hearts. That's what Jesus is getting at in his words above. HE is gentle. He will give us rest.

Questions:

1. Have you ever held an injured bird in your hand? What emotions did you feel?
2. When you pray, are you gentle with your requests before God? Or are they more like a grocery list?
3. Rebuking someone can be done in several ways. Are you gentle when you correct others?
4. When "the roads are slippery" do you give it the gas? Or accelerate slowly?
5. When someone confronts you, do you prefer that they yell? Or do would you prefer a calm conversation?

May God guide us through our interactions with others. May we always be gentle with the friends and family that He has given us. And may our actions reflect the gentleness of Jesus, holding a child on His knee. This world needs what we have in our hearts. Let us give gently, this gift that we have received. Amen.

Blue Moon

Our limited knowledge of the universe was on full display this past week as NASA announced the discovery of "a new moon" orbiting around the planet Uranus. It's always been there. We've just never known about it until now. The James Webb Telescope is credited for making the discovery.

Here's an idea. Why don't we take that telescope, turn it around, and point it at ourselves. Who knows what we might discover!!

Maybe it's just the way I think, but when I read this "news" story about this "new moon," my first thought was about the amazing power of God. He created ALL things.

"And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, ¹⁵and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶And God made the two great lights - the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night - and the stars." - Genesis 1:14-16

Here's something else that we cannot see or feel or touch. God. Yet, He is surely there, whether we acknowledge His presence or not.

I lived 53 years of my life thinking that I knew God. I needed a "James Webb telescope" in MY life! And God provided just what I needed. Now I KNOW He exists. How do I KNOW it? He changed my heart with the truth of His Word through the Holy Spirit.

Who else can change the human heart but the one who made it in the first place?

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." - Ezekiel 36:26

What new things has God revealed to YOU lately? Are they newsworthy? If God has changed your life, spread the news! Who knows, there may be an knowing creation of His, waiting to be discovered. Waiting for a new heart.

Listen to the song while thinking about Jesus.

Blue Moon - The Marcels

New Moon Story - NASA.gov

FoTS - Faithfulness

Here's a true saying: As faithful as a dog is to his master, so a Christian should be to God.

Faithfulness has an eternal quality to it. A devotion. It is something that accompanies love. And there is a certain amount of sacrifice in there as well. Today's Fruit of the Spirit is #7 of 9 on our Fruit of The Spirit journey.

The first example of faithfulness that pops into my head in the Bible is that of Job. He did a lot of whining and complaining throughout the book but, even though trial after excruciating trial, he never gave up on God.

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." - Job 1:1

In a single day, Satan took away his camels, donkeys, and sheep, killed all his servants, and killed all of his children as well. Yet, this is how Job reacted:

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹ and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

    and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

    may the name of the Lord be praised."

²² In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” - Job 1:20-22

Wow! Now that's faithfulness!

Another biblical example of faithfulness is Ruth. She stuck by Naomi when the going got tough. Even after Naomi told her to go back home.

"And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God." - Ruth 1:15-16

Questions:

1. Who, in your life, exhibits Ruth's faithfulness?
2. What does faithfulness require from us?
3. Jesus praised the "good and faithful servant." Are you worthy of such praise?
4. What could you do today as an example of faithfulness?
5. What does being faithful to God look like in today's world?

Past Tense

News hits harder when you're not expecting it. That's why hearing about my friend's death has left me feeling pretty empty.

Sandy, a former coworker of mine, was not a believer, but seemed to be interested. I visited her and her husband several times after I retired. I spoke to them both about the love of Jesus. However, there is a big difference between 'interest' and 'surrender.'

My friend told me that she had done too many bad things in her life to ever have hope of being forgiven. Oh, my dear Sandy. You did not know the grace and mercy that awaited you! And that's the problem. People don't KNOW about the life-giving power of Jesus. And why not?

We are not doing enough preaching and people are not doing enough believing. We need to be praying more than we do because we can't MAKE people believe. Only God and His Holy Spirit can do that.

My friend Sandy is gone now and I can't change that. But I CAN change my effort to speak to others about Jesus. I can increase the frequency and intensity of my prayers. And who knows, maybe Sandy finally did place her faith in Jesus before she died. I cling to that hope and seek comfort in the One who wishes that NO ONE should perish.

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9

But there IS a time limit. Our own mortality.

Did you notice that my words about Sandy were written in the past tense? Was, seemed, visited, spoke, etc. If my friend is a child of God (present tense) I wouldn't be mourning. I would be celebrating.

Jesus spoke about this.

"Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. ³⁸Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” - Luke 20:37-38

"Is," not 'was."

May my boldness increase, Lord. May my words speak the truth in love to those who need to hear. May the world come to know your life-changing power, and may your love rain down on those who thirst. Only in the shelter of your wings can they find peace and eternal life in your presence. Lord, we thank you and praise you for this gift you have given us. May we use it for your glory and not ours. For you Lord are the life giver and sustainer. Have mercy on my friend's soul, Lord. It is in your precious name I pray. Amen.

Ancient of Days - CityAlight

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?

The Sword of The Lord

Trying to be faithful to the Holy Spirit's leading can be a difficult task, especially when no words are being spoken. We sometimes think we see "signs," but are they from God, or from someplace else?

(Sign #1)

In the spring of this year, on a Sunday morning, I saw three boys hanging out together in our church's vestibule. They were just talking by themselves. So, I approached them.

"Are you guys going to VBS this summer?" I asked. Suddenly they all got quiet, almost standing at attention. Oh no! An adult!! (Actually, I was their Vacation Bible School teacher the previous year).

"Uh, no. We graduated out. We're too old."

(Sign #2)

Then, on my way to worship a few weeks ago, a thought popped into my head. It concerned those three boys I just mentioned. I spoke to our pastor about it. He liked the idea.

Someone once told me, if you get an idea suddenly, proceed with it. If it is from the Holy Spirit it will succeed. If not, it will fail. Perhaps it was from this guy . . . Gamaliel.

"But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. ³⁵Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. If it is from God, you will not be able to stop them; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” - Acts 5:34-35, 38-39

(Sign #3)

I asked two of these boys to help me with some work I was doing at the area high school. When I went to pick up one of the boys he HAD to show me the sword he had just purchased.

"It's Strider's!"

(Lord of the Rings)

As we worked that day, I asked one final question.

(Sign #4)

"Do you miss VBS?"

"No," was the answer.

I began connecting the dots. Of course they didn't miss VBS. They're not kids anymore. They're young men!

And there it is: For the past few weeks I have been creating a young men's Bible study, tentatively called The Fellowship of The Sword. 

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:17

I'm kind of excited. Stay tuned!

God blesses us all of the time. We are the ones who miss many of His blessings, or mistakenly think they come from somewhere else.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

"God blesses those who obey him; happy the man who puts his trust in the Lord." - Proverbs 16:20

"Psalm 34:8

FoTS - Kindness

"Be kind to your web footed friends,

For that duck may be somebody's mother

She lives in a hole in a swamp

Where the weather is always damp

You may think that this is the end:

Well, it is!" (sung to Stars & Stripes Forever)

That's an old Boy Scout song from my youth. I'm not sure WHY it came to mind just now but there it is.

'Kindness' is a fruit of the Spirit and stop #5 on our Fruit of The Spirit tour. It's nearest friends are compassion and love, yet, although those feelings are usually reserved for those closest to us, we can also be kind to complete strangers.

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:12

Recently, my wife and I drove to Michigan for a family reunion. During our stay there we visited my uncle and aunt, who are in their 90's.

It's been over a year now since my aunt's cancer diagnosis. She's actually doing pretty good considering her decision not to seek treatment. A year later she is still up and talking with us. Especially my wife.

You see, my wife went out of her way to exhibit kindness this past year by sending my aunt monthly cards with hand-written notes. My aunt appreciated those very much and told my wife that, repeatedly.

It was such a joy watching those two ladies talking with one another!

Questions:

1. How will you exhibit kindness today? This week?
2. Show kindness to a total stranger this week. What was their reaction?
3. Is someone you know struggling with something right now? How could you demonstrate kindness to them?
4. One act of kindness could changed someone's life. Who will you go out of your way to be kind to this week?
5. Open a door for someone this week and greet them with a smile. What was their reaction?

Subliminal

It's hard to see perhaps, due to my poor photography skills, but the above picture is a hand-drawn cross on one of my disc golf putters. Inside the cross are the words to Psalm 23.

As part of the class I teach for the local Parks & Rec Department, we play "Best Shot" on some of the holes at the local course. I use this disc to mark what the kids think is the best shot. And everyone throws from its position. Everyone sees it.

I don't preach the Gospel or tell the kids about Jesus. But I do let my actions, and this disc, do my talking for me.

During the last class one of the dad's picked up my disc and looked at it. And I began to pray a quick prayer.

"What's this say?" he asked.

"It's Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want."

My "conversation starter disc" was working. Soon the dad was telling me about his faith and a program he supports called Project Bible Runners. They give out donated Bibles to anyone in need, anywhere in the world. Sometimes countries don't allow people to import their bibles. That's why they are called 'runners,' because they literally run them in.

Anyway I thought that was cool. Check them out at the link below.

My new friend had a daughter in the class. I taught her to throw a "roller." Soon she was out-rolling the older, stronger boys. You should have seen the smile on her face. 😁

Perhaps she will be the first Bible "roller," spreading to gospel of Jesus . . . and also the gospel of disc golf.

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Matthew 24:14

Come, Lord Jesus!

Project Bible Runners

FoTS - Patience

"Why is this car in front of me going so slow? Don't they know I'm late for work?"

"What? My flight is delayed? This is no way to start a vacation!"

Sound familiar? "Patience is a virtue," they say. It is also a Fruit of The Spirit, and stop #4 in our Fruit of the Spirit Bible study.

It is SO easy to be impatient in today's fast-paced world. Our schedules can get pretty full these days and one delay can throw the whole thing off. What to do? What to do?

Is our lack of patience a sign that we don't have the Holy Spirit in us? It could be. Perhaps it might be time to examine ourselves, and our schedules.

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" - 2 Corinthians 13:5

Our patience can be tested when we cram too many things into our day. Can we fully enjoy a conversation with a friend if we are constantly checking our watch because we have somewhere else to go?

Patience has a companion called priorities. They often travel together. As an example, a family might be at a weekend soccer match, but games are running behind. Evening plans need to be changed. Games get postponed until Sunday morning. Now what? Skip worship?

Patiently waiting on The Lord must be a priority in our lives. If we are not patient, do you think that God will try to TEACH us to be patient? Mhmm.

"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." - 2 Peter 3:8

Uh-oh. I don't have time to wait THAT long!

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." - Romans 8:25

Questions:

1. When was the last time you were impatient? Was it worth it? Describe. 
2. When you are impatient, what other emotions come along for the ride?
3. What do you do while you are waiting for God to answer your prayer?
4. Why is God so patient with us, even in our impatience?
5. How can I exhibit patience while others don't?

A 2AM Prayer

It's 2AM. Again. Why can't I sleep Lord? Is there something I have left undone? Is there something that You want me to do?

Why do I find myself wide awake when I should be sleeping, resting? It's like I have left something unfinished. Like a door unlocked or a faucet left running, there is unrest within me.

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?" - Psalm 43:5

My hope is in You, Lord. There is no one else who can do the things You do. You have power over ALL things. So, why am I awake? Why is my mind not sleeping when that is my desire?

I search in my heart, trying to discover the answer. Is there someone who needs a friend? A prayer? Is there someone I have not loved that you have given me?

So much is happening in this world right now. Such evil and strife. Violence, wars and rumors of wars, hunger, pestilence, earthquakes, floods. What is next, Lord?

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." - Matthew 24:6

It's 3AM now. Will writing these words for You give me rest? I hope so. That is my prayer.

"Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." - Psalm 43:5

Time to put down the phone. Time to trust. Close the eyes. Rest.

And then this verse came calling.

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:17

And I awoke, and it was morning . . .

FoTS - Peace

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

Paul wrote that to the church in Philippi. Why was he writing to them about God's peace? It was Paul's first church in Europe. Dear to his heart for sure. The city had been taken over by the Roman Empire - notorious for crucifying and burning Christians. They probably ALL could have used a little peace in their lives back then.

How about you? How's your life going? A little stressful at times perhaps? King David wrote about what HE thought peace looked like - still waters.

"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul." - Psalm 23:1-3

It's interesting when we remember that David's descendant, Jesus, would day calm an entire sea.

What does peace look like in today's world? Safety perhaps. Strong doors on our homes with sturdy locks and hinges. It might also come in the form a steady job with an equally steady income. Knowing that there will be food on the table and clothing to wear can bring peace. But that's not the kind of peace that Paul was referring to.

Paul spoke of a peace that could not be understood. A peace that "surpasses all understanding." God's peace.

And how do we attain God's peace? By knowing Him. By "abiding in Him." Knowing that our eternity is sure brings tremendous peace. We might not fully understand it, but we fully receive it.

"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." - Mark 4:39 

Questions:

1. What are the things that give you peace in your daily routine?
2. Can you recall a time when you felt great peace? What were you doing?
3. In a perfect world, what would a peaceful day look like to you?
4. How can you obtain peace when your world is spinning out of control?
5. It seems that the world is never at peace. Why not?

What I Deserve

This story begins with a Linkin Park song, then proceeds through various images of relationships with friends, and ultimately ends up at the feet of Jesus. Are you ready for today's journey? Better buckle up.

First, the song. Give it a listen, at least until you hear the title for this story.

The New Divide - Linkin Park

It's rather obvious that the singer has suffered a broken relationship or two in his life. Especially in the second verse....

There was nothing in sight

But memories left abandoned

There was nowhere to hide

The ashes fell like snow

And the ground caved in

Between where we were standing

And your voice was all I heard

That I get what I deserve

We've all had broken relationships in our lives. Some were our fault, some were the other person's fault. And some, well, they never had a chance to begin with. The same can be said for our relationship with The Church.

Maybe we've been burned in a relationship with a church, so we left. Or perhaps it was because the church changed and we could no longer keep our relationship going, even though we might have wanted to.

There should be no discord within the church. We ARE instructed to 'love one another.' However, the earthly church is comprised of sin-filled humans. Our sin is also why our relationship with God has failed. We simply can't help ourselves.

Jesus told us of "the new divide" we will be experiencing if we don't know Jesus, and He doesn't know us.

"Between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." - Luke 16:26

Ever since Adam and Eve sinned we've been on the outs with God. Destined for the bad side of that great divide. We will never be allowed to cross it. Ever. Our only hope is Jesus. He is "the bridge" we must choose to walk BEFORE we die.

Remember, "we get what we deserve."

"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions." - Ephesians 2:3-5

Praise be to God The Father, and God the Son, by whom and through whom we are saved!

"It is by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:5