The Two B's

The Two B’s

June 26, Bucksport, ME Family Bible Church AM Service

            The message at the Family Bible Church in Bucksport, ME was very interesting.

A.     The pastor began his message with the first B- Brexit. It has been in the news the past few weeks.  Points to think about:

1-- It is the fact that the British people have voted to leave the European Union. He mentioned that he usually doesn’t talk politics in the pulpit, but he definitely does when it coincides with biblical prophecies. 

2—Be on the lookout for Article 50, with is the legal process a country takes to leave the European Union. It would be the action Britian would take to finalize their plans to leave the Union if they do it. This could take up to two years. Already there is a petition with two million signatures to have a re-vote because many don’t want to leave the Union.

3—Correlated to Scriptures:  Daniel was given the gift to interpret dreams, and this he did for Nebuchadnezzar

            Daniel 2:32 says, “the head of the statue was made of pure gold; its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.  While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.  Then the iron, the clay,  the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.”

God showed Daniel types of governments/political systems there would be until when Jesus returns. 

      Interpretation:  2:36  Gold- Babyon    silver- Meads/Persians   Bronze-  Greece and iron-  Rome    All of these have been fulfilled through verse 40.

4- In Daniel 7/8 and in Revelation 16 it refers to the ten-nation power structure. That structure is believed to be the European Union. Many thought when it hit ten countries, Jesus would come back and begin His rule. That did not happen. The European Union now has 28 countries. With England pulling out, if it does, it could set the stage for others to pull out too and set the stage for Jesus’ return. We must keep an eye on England because it has a great spiritual heritage.

B.      Believers                                          Old vs. New   Romans 7:18-25

In these verses Paul refers to the sinful nature and being a slave to God’s law.

Some things to think about:

1-    If you are a believer you have two natures.

There are some questions to answer about these two natures.

	Old	New
What is it?	Opposed to God	Longs for and lives the things of God
Where does it come from?	Inherited at birth Psalm 51:5	Received at salvation
What’s it seek to do?	Control through the suppression of the new nature	Allow the Holy Spirit to crucify the old Is a process Victory is possible !!

I believe this is what Paul is referring to in Ephesians 4:20ff

Vs. 22	Put off old self	Be made new  (vs. 23)
Vs 23		Put on new self
		Created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
Vs 25	Put off falsehood	Speak truthfully
Vs 26		In anger do not sin
Vs27		Don’t give devil a foothold
29	Unwholesome talk	Build up others
30-32	Bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, every form of malice	Kind, compassionate, forgiving

This is our journey to maturity and being like Christ.

God has worked on so many areas of my life as I have turned them over to the Holy Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit can work it like a muscle being exercised- giving me

opportunities to crucify the old habits and grow the new ones to be more like HIM!

Guard Your Seeds and Soil

Guard Your Seeds and Soil

June 23 Ride to Ellsworth on back roads

Matthew 13 …’A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had not root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear…. In verse 18 he begins to explain the parable: 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. 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. 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.’

            The roads we took from Orland, Me to Ellsworth were all two-lane highway back roads.  Many of the fields along these roads were full of large rocks. Norm and I discussed how hard it would be to farm the fields that had those huge rocks.   We all know that it takes good soil, good seed, lots of water and an attentive gardener to make a farm work and expect a good crop. It’s interesting to note that having good soil doesn’t’ just happen. The farmer must rid the soil of all the rocks and the weeds. Then he must till the soil under and many times has to add fertilizer so the soil has the ingredients a particular crop might need. Once he gets the soil ready, he then adds the seed and that is the beginning. He has to make sure the birds don’t come along and snatch up the seeds before they can take root. Afterwards he must keep the seed watered and the weeds and thorns cleared out so the seeds can grow.  Then he will produce a good crop.

            What did I see? The weeds, the thorns and the birds snatching the seeds are the distractions of the world we face all the time. They come along when God has planted a seed or revealed a truth to us and they try to snuff out or grab up the truth that was planted to keep us from bearing fruit. What do you do with what God sends your way as “seeds” of truth or knowledge? How do you protect them as your grow spiritually?

            Tips to guard your “seeds” and “soil”:

            1—Stay in the Word.

            2—Pray daily. Keep the communication lines open with the Lord.

            3—Stay connected with fellow Christians--attend church and get involved in small groups

Two Opposing Views

Two  Opposing Views

June 24 Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME

            Acadia National Park is a beautiful place. It is full of gorgeous scenic mountain-views looking over the Atlantic Ocean. There is a 20-mile loop road that takes you all through the park. There are several scenic overlooks where you can stop and see different view of the ocean. On this trip we were looking at some of the same sights we had seen from our Boat tour on Wednesday. We saw the lighthouses, the sandy beach, thunder hole and Cadillac Mountain. Many of them didn’t look anything from the overlook like they did from the boat. One especially didn’t- that was the Thunder Hole. You experience the thunder of the sea against the rocky shores of Maine. On calm days you may wonder what all the fuss is about! But wait until the waves kick up a few notches. They say the best time to go see it about two hours before high tide. It is a small inlet, naturally carved out of rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of the inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of distant thunder. Water may spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar! Hence the name: Thunder Hole. There was a walkway leading down to where the waves crashed into the cavern so you could see and experience what happens there. It was pretty amazing. Not the same as the view from the boat.

            As we were riding along the park loop road and seeing things from such a different perspective, I began to think of the Christian world view vs a secular worldview.  The Word says in Romans 12:2 “and do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  That is working towards living from a Christian World view. What is a world view? It reminds me of looking through a “grid” to make decision about how to live your life.  Webster’s defines worldview as a particular philosophy of life or conception of life.

  The chart below will give you an idea about the difference between Christian view and the secular view in thinking and how you view life:

Christian view	Secular view
Reduce your sense of self  Lk. 9:24-26 Decrease our sense of self-importance and measure ourselves against Jesus Phil. 2:2-4	Improve your sense of self
True knowledge is from God I Cor. 3:18 We can share knowledge and experience with others. God sees the big picture and has a plan for us. True wisdom comes from God and is written in His Word, the Bible.	Knowledge is from human thought
Getting ahead is losing self Mt. 6:19-21 I John 2:15-17 True success is accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior Goal is finding humility and grace	Getting ahead is money and power Based on the premise that the more earthly success we achieve, we gain as individuals. Success is defined by fame, riches, and power.
Narrow is the way to heaven Mt. 7:14-15 The only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ as our Lord.	Wide is the way of tolerance Within each person’s power to get themselves to heaven through good behavior
Serve others first Mt. 21:16 True success in serving others as Jesus served. His example of humility in Phil 2:5-11 is our example for putting others first.	Serve self first Having others serve you is a measure of privilege of power, wealth and success.
Jesus makes you good I Jn. 1:9 Jesus died on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven. If we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, we shed our sinful self and become a renewed being.	Good deeds make you good

Little is Much

Little is Much

June 22, Bar Harbor, ME

            Today, we were scheduled for a cruise of Bar Harbor to see five lighthouses and hear about the rich history of Mount Desert Island and the city. On the way there we discussed where we were going to park because free parking is at a premium. They have parking along the streets and a large parking lot at the harbor. But, there is a catch- you can only park for 2 hours along the streets for free and for 3 hours in the harbor parking lot for free. After that, they fine you $ 15.00.  We had parked in the three hour lot yesterday and were there the right amount of time. Today, we were kind of concerned because we would be gone longer than the three hours. When we got down there, there was a parking spot right in front of the place where we had to board the boat. There were no signs that said a limited amount of time was free so in we went. We did decide that if there was a fine, we would just be happy for the parking place and pay the fine.

            When we got off the bike, I told Norm. little things mean a lot. Even in parking spots. We don’t often think of them as meaning much, but we had a pastor’s wife one time that told us she prayed for a parking every time she went to the store. Hmmmm, she said that two-thirds of the time she got a spot up close.   When we came back from the cruise there was no ticket on the bike. Thank you, Lord!

            There are two applications I want to mention:

1-       Positive: You are worth a lot to the Lord. He gave His ONE and ONLY Son for you.

Mt. 10:29-31 says, “are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care? And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Rise up and be counted! You are worth more than rubies and gold.

2-      Negative: Even a little bit of sin in our lives can have severe consequences. Sometimes, we try to whitewash our sins by saying.. well, I only did this..it’s not that big of a deal, or so and so did this…or it doesn’t say specifically in the Bible I can’t do this or that…sin is sin

I was reminded of this story heard long ago:

Two teenagers asked their father if they could go to the theater to watch a movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on the internet, he denied their request.

“Aw dad, why not””  they complained. “It’s rated PG-13, and we’re both older than thirteen!”

Dad replied: “because that movie contains nudity and portrays immorality, which is something God hates, as being normal and acceptable behavior.”

“But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That’s what our friends who’ve seen it have told us. The movie is two hours long and those scenes are just a few minutes of the total film!  It’s based on a true story, and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice. Even the Christian movie review websites say that!”

“My answer is no, and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one of the good videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and watch that film. End of discussion.”

The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their father preparing something in the kitchen. They soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other, “Dad must be feeling guilty, and how he’s going to try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies.  Maye we can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go the movie after all.”

The story goes on and the father brings out the brownies? The brownies looked mouth-watering. The dad tells the teens he has a mystery ingredient in them. They don’t have to worry because it came from their back yard and he only put a little bit in the brownies.

The boys wanted to know the mystery ingredient.  The dad insist the portion is small and won’t make any difference in the taste.

It’s organic the dad tells them. And, he finally says it’s organic…dog poop.

They drop the brownies and the dad begins to make the analogy—the amount of poop was very small compared to the other ingredients—and they have the same consistency.. go ahead and eat them.

The teens say NO!!!

That is the reason I won’t allow you to go watch that movie. You won’t tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should I tolerate a little immorality in your movies?  We pray that God will not lead us into temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves with something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead us into temptation long after we first see it?

 What are you watching on TV and the movies?

What are you reading?

Does it have a little bit of “doo”?

Have you noticed a change in your thought patterns after reading that book or watching that movie?

Pray and ask the Lord to reveal anything you might be reading or watching that has a little bit of “doo” in that would cause you fall into temptation later on down the road? He is faithful… He will show you.

Using or Losing?

Using or Losing?

June 21, Bar Harbor, ME

I Corinthians 12 ….1-31

            Bar Harbor, ME is a beautiful place to visit! There are lots of tourist shops, restaurants serving lobster in any way you can imagine and the Atlantic Ocean.  The tourist shops and restaurants are somewhat like those in Charleston- geared to the specialty of the area. Charleston serves its seafood and the shirts all say Charleston, SC. Here in Bar Harbor, they serve the lobster and their shirts have Bar Harbor, ME on them.

            One big difference I have seen here is in the beaches. Charleston’s beaches have the beautiful white sand that’s hot to the feet this time of year. Bar Harbor has large rocks and a gravelly area that’s tough on the feet too. The Charleston area has its harbor cruises that take you out to see the beautiful homes along Battery Park. Here in Bar Harbor they have cruises that take you out to see the gorgeous lighthouses they are famous for and Mount Desert Island. Both areas are beautiful in displaying the grandeur of our Lord in how He created this world to be so different yet all a part of the same Earth!

            God did that with us too. He created to be different personalities, with different likes and dislikes. He gave us different talents as stated in Corinthians 12 and in Romans. All of these talents are to be used for His glory to further His kingdom. No one talent is more important than another.  I Corinthians 12:11 says, “ all these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”  He goes on to say that all the many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. We are NOT made up of one part but of many. In verse 26 He says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.”  We are not to be jealous of others who have one gift and we don’t have gift. We must responsibly use the gift God has given us. When we do we will be at our most contented state in our spiritual lives.

            What are you gifts and talents? How are you using them to the glory of God?

            Pray and ask the Lord to reveal your gifts to you. Or, go to Pastor Aaron at the church and ask to go through the Place Class, or ask me and I can give you a Spiritual Gifts inventory that will guide in your quest to find where you belong in the body.

Green,Green, Green

Green, Green, and more Green

June 20, VT, NH, ME

Ephesians 2: 1, “you were living in your sins and lawless ways”…verse 5- “He gave us new life because of what Christ has done”    8-10 God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. We are God’s creation. He created us to do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, new things have come.”

            Mountains and trees, mountains and trees, mountains and trees! We have seen many beautiful mountain ranges and trees throughout New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

            Adirondack- Northern New York. Protected area spanning millions of acre of mountain peaks, sparkling lakes and wild spaced. It has seven distinct regions that come together to create one epic vacation destination. Trees include sugar maple, American beech, and yellow birch.  All of them are rich in color during the spring and summer seasons.

            Green- Vermont. It runs from south to north and extends approximately 250 miles from the border of Massachusetts to that with Quebec. The trees here are called the Hemlock-Northern Hardwoods- the sugar maple, the yellow birch and the Beech. Sugar Maple is probably the most common.

            White Mountains- New Hampshire.  They cover about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine. They are part of the Appalachian Mountains and the most rugged mountains in New England. The lush green leaves begin to fade in late August, signaling that trees have made enough chlorophyll, which gave them their rich green color.

            Appalachian Mountains-Maine and all down the east coast

            Everywhere you look you see green, green, and more green. Riding through New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and into Maine, we have seen the rich green colors of all the mountain ranges. It is amazing how deep the colors can be and how thick the forests are. Each state has its own type of trees that cover the mountain ranges. It is hard to say which of them has the prettiest site to behold.

            What makes those trees so green? A green pigment, called chlorophyll. It is necessary for the plants to make food for themselves using light energy and carbon dioxide.

            As we were riding and looking at all the green, a thought came to mind. Green signifies new life and growth. For the trees, it is a way for them to stay alive by being able to produce the food they need. 

For Christians, it means we are becoming more and more like Christ. Our journey begins at salvation and we become a new creature. Our slate has been wiped clean and we are a baby once again. Remember when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and told him he had to be born again? Nicodemus couldn’t understand what Jesus meant.  We must be born of the Spirit. After we are born again, we begin our life in Christ. I believe we go through stages just as we do after we are  physically born.

Baby stage—we need to fed milk by everyone around us. We are usually very needy during time.

Toddler- we are beginning to eat some regular food, but still need strong guidance. We will make messes for others to clean up for us. Most begin to try eating on their own, but still need help.

Child- we are somewhat past the messy diaper stage, but there will be times when we make messes and will need help cleaning them up. We should be eating more of a variety of food and be able to feed ourselves.

            Teenager- We think we know everything there is to know. We find ourselves not wanting anyone to tell us what to do or give instructions.

            Adult- hopefully we reach the mature stage. Not meaning we don’t keep learning, but we are more open to the encouragement and instruction of others and willing to hear it. Our growth in Christ never stops. It is an ongoing process until we meet Him in heaven.

            Think about your own spiritual life.  Which stage are you in ? Pray and ask the Lord to reveal where you and what you need to do.

Prodigal Son/Daughter

“Prodigal Son/daughter”

June 19, Burlington, VT North Alliance Church

Luke 15:11-32 The Parable of the Prodigal Son

            The story of the Prodigal Son appears in Luke 15:11-32. Jesus shares it with his disciples, the Pharisees and others. In the story, a father has two sons.   Here’s the gist:

1-younger son asks the father to divide the inheritance

2-younger son decides to leave

3-younger son takes his inheritance and squanders it all away

4- ends up working with pigs like a servants

5-decides to return home

6- father greets the son

7-son asks forgiveness and confesses his sin against the father and heaven

8-the father gives a big party for the return of his son

9-older son doesn’t like the reception the younger son receives

10-father says, “MY son,”  “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

            Some things to think:

a-      Have you been the younger son? Eager to do what you want to do? Be your own boss instead of following what the Lord is telling you to do?

b-      Have you been the older son? Jealous of others and their spiritual successes?

c-      Have you been the father?  Prayed for a son or daughter out in the world and they finally came home?

We call all relate to some part of the story. The gist is this: the Father is waiting in Heaven for us to return if we are the younger son. The Father in heaven is waiting for us to confess our jealousy and ask forgiveness. He will be willing to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God, in heaven, is the Father. He is waiting for us!

Out With the Old and In With the New

June 18, Burlington, VT Shelburne Museum

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.

I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

            Shelburne Museum was a very interesting museum. It was a museum of art, design, and Americana located in Shelburne, VT. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 38 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds. These include houses, barns, a meeting house, a one-room schoolhouse, a lighthouse, a jail, an old-time railroad engine, a general store, a covered bridge and the 220-foot steamboat Ticonderoga. It is located on 45 acres near Lake Champlain.

            The Museum was to create an educational project, varied and alive and are exhibited in a village-like setting of historic New England. It also has 400 lilacs, a circular formal garden, herb and heirloom vegetable gardens and perennial gardens. What an amazing place!

            My first impression of the Museum and the word galleries did not sit well. In my thinking, I thought there would be only paintings and art. I wondered how we could go through that many buildings of “art”. Boy, was I fooled!! It was not like that at all! Some of the buildings did contain “art” but the art was not necessarily paintings or sculpture.

            The schoolhouse contained a classroom set up in the 1800’s fashion. With rows of desks and a teacher podium up front. The jail was a real jail like they used back then. The barns contained all kinds of forms of transportation used during the 1800’s. What a sight to see! I stood there trying to imagine riding in a stagecoach dressed in a long dress and a hat in 100 degree weather for even 10 miles, not even counting the trek west from the east. I honestly don’t know how they did it!

            There was one whole building that had carousel figurines and circus figurines in it. They were from the past Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. In addition, there were beautiful gardens everywhere you walked with all kinds of flowers and vegetables. And. the railroad engine had the passenger car attached, fully equipped with the dining room, and the sleeping quarters of the rich and the poor!

            Over time, men and women have invented newer and better ways of doing the jobs from the 1800s—from diesel powered cars to tractors to schools with hundreds of students. All of the new took time to come about. Inventions usually come with folks are looking for a better and more efficient way to do things. I am glad we have those new things today!

            Christ did that for the Christian. He came “not to abolish the law and the prophets” of the Old Testament. He came to fulfill them. Sometimes, folks will say to me, that’s from the Old Testament, like we don’t have to read or study the Old Testament. That’s bad theology! The Old Testament is the New concealed and the New is the Old revealed. Christ is in every book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. God had a plan. He provided ways for the bridge to be crossed from Adam and Eve’s fall. Rules and more rules didn’t work. There was only plan remaining! Sending His ONE and ONLY Son to die on the cross.  The perfect plan!

            How do you view the Old Testament? Do you go there for rich insight into what was going on with our forefathers? I certainly did at the Museum. It gave me lots of food for thought as I walked through and perused the “old” way of doing things versus the new. It gave me a new appreciation for how God has worked throughout the years, looking out for us in ways we could never imagine.

            God knew the rules wouldn’t work. He was not taken by surprise! He had a plan and HE executed that plan. We are the products of that plan. What are we doing with it? How are we treating it?

            Make sure you read those Old Testament stories and look for Christ in them .They are not just for the kids! They have deep meanings applicable as much today as when they took place. Only God could do that!

           

What's That You Say?

What’s That You Say?

June 17, Burlington, VT

            What an experience! Camping in Burlington, ,VT. The campground we chose only had about 120 sites. However, they were very narrow. I am so glad we had our bunkhouse. On one side of was a popup camper and on the other side a mini-van camper.  We were in close quarters. Good thing our bunkhouse was towards the front of our site or we would have been sleeping with the neighbors!

            Most of the folks camping in the campground were French Canadian. We tried to help the couples next to us put up a kitchen canopy and only of the ladies spoke really good English.  WE tried to find out the name of the canopy so Norm could see a picture, but to no avail. It was hard trying to communicate with the lady who owned it because she did not speak very much English at all. Her friend would have to interpret everything I said. It was difficult at best!  And, sometimes frustrating!  Finally, the lady who owned the canopy threw up her hands and told her friend she was going to throw the canopy away.

            We Christians have a tendency to speak “Christianese” when we are trying to witness to our lost friends. We use words like “washed in the blood”, “covered with the blood”, salvation, baptism, or resurrection.  I know we scare folks off sometimes with all the Christian jargon we use, thinking everyone knows what we are talking about. The poor folks we are witnessing to  probably wish they had an interpreter so they could understand what we are saying. Maybe that’s why we don’t communicate our gospel message too well.

            The gospel is really easy… as ABC! A is for admit… admit that you have done wrong against God and not followed His Word. B is for believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and can wipe your slate clean of all the sins you have ever committed and C for confess. Confess those sins to the Father in heaven and He will forgive you of those and come into your life. That’s it in a nutshell.

There is more time after a person experiences the saving grace of the Father to explain and disciple them in the Faith. Then, you can begin with them like you do a child, one small step at a time. The Holy Spirit will guide them, and you can be there to help them understand what the Christian life is all about. It’s called a journey for a reason! It’s not a one-day event and it’s over. It’s a one-day event and it’s the beginning.

Find a way to communicate the gospel with others… ABC, the Roman Road using Romans, the Four Spiritual Laws or allow God to give you your testimony and you share how you got saved. That works well because it happened to you. Make a determination today you will share the gospel with someone in the near future. Ask the Lord to lead you to them and to give you the words you need. He is faithful!

            

Sometimes Seen as Weird!

Sometimes seen as Weird!

June 17, Burlington, VT

1 Peter 2:9  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. 

I John 4:4-5  But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them.

            Vermont people are weird! That’s what the waiter in Olive Garden told us as we were eating supper Friday night. I had asked him if there was a Walmart nearby. He told us there is only one Walmart in all of Vermont and the town fought not to have it. The Vermont people don’t want big name corporations and stores in their towns. They want the locals to have the stores and provide the goods for them. Wow! We laughed and told him our towns in South Carolina sometimes have two or three Walmarts. And, now they even have the Neighborhood Walmarts. A smaller version of the Supercenters.

            Christians are sometimes labeled as weird! If we are to be holy as it states in I Peter, then we probably will be “weird”. It has been said that Christ was either a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. We know which He was--- the Lord. What do we expect folks to think of then?

When I first heard the message of the gospel all I could think about was that it better be fun! I loved to have fun and if being a Christian wasn’t fun, then I didn’t want anything to do with it. That was crazy thinking as I look back now. After 34 years as a Christian, I am weird.

            I think totally different from many folks in all areas of my life. I can see how God has set me apart in all the ways I handle life and its issues. He has taught me along the journey in how to handle money.  Matthew 6:19-20 gives us clear directions in what to do with our money when it says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasurers in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” All the money is His- 100% of it. He allows us to manage it for him, expects us to tithe 10% and give offerings, and be responsible with the rest. It is more important to spend time investing in people, who are eternal than money which is temporal.   (think about that)  How do you invest in people?  There are eternal rewards for that.

 In making decisions I am to go to Him and get guidance and wisdom. Proverbs 3:6 says, ‘in all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight.’  He is objective and is omniscient and knows what is best for us. We are subjective and want what we want. Sometimes it’s not the best. His ways promise the best for our lives. In all decisions concerning jobs, Norm and I would ask the Lord what He wanted us to do. There have been some hard decisions to make that the Lord has been clear about. When we have followed it has worked out the best!

Two examples: 

1-    I applied for a job in the school district and did not get it. The next week, the assistant principal asked me to do that same job at the school level. If I had gotten the district job, I would have had to work summers and late evenings and would have had to miss many of my CMA activities. With the school job I was on teacher time at school and only worked 190 days with the teachers. It was way better for us at the time for me to have the School based Math Coach job. Thank you Lord.

2-    When the shipyard was going to close, Norm and I began to pray about what the Lord would have us do. To make a long story short, He told us to stay put in Summerville. That meant Norm would not have a job. The Lord’s way is best. Just trust and obey…. When it was all said and done Norm got a job in Summerville.  There are many details to this story I could share but not enough space. God is faithful!!!

In this case, it is fine with me if folks think I am weird?

I pray the Lord gets all the glory!!

How are you set apart from the world?

How do you view your money and time?

How do you make decisions?

First or Last?

First or Last?

June 16 Schenectady and Cooperstown, New York

Matthew 19:30  But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Luke 9:46-48  An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and made him stand beside him. Then he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is to the greatest.’

Matthew 20:24-28 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

       Thursday, June 16, I had the opportunity of a life-time!  I got to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is located in Cooperstown, NY. There were three floors of all of baseball’s greatest players since the inception of baseball. As we entered the first floor there was a huge picture of Babe Ruth. I took a selfie of me and Babe. That’s right. No kidding. It had all kinds of information about Babe Ruth and his history in Baseball. Another part of the first floor had the “Hall of Fame” plaques for each of the baseball players who have been inducted since it began. It was amazing! It shone in gold and sparkled everywhere with a crystal clear dome ceiling that the outside light could shine through. Mickey Mantle has always been my favorite player so I looked for his plaque right away. And, of course, Hank Aaron, another one of my all-time favorites.

      The second floor had the highlights of many of baseball’s greatest players. At the beginning they had the uniform, a bat, a glove and other paraphanelia highlighted for each team in the National and American League. They had videos about how baseball started. With statistics about their game and an autobiography of their life. Many of baseball’s greats were there—Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and many others.

       Statistics, statistics, statistics was the third floor.….a section on women in baseball, the most home runs, the most no-hitters, the most….. whatever you can think of it was there.  All the MOST of every category!

       All throughout the museum there were large screen TVs replaying baseball’s greatest moments. Amazing catches, home runs hit at just the right time, unbelievable catches made, and plays no one ever thought would happen!

        In Matthew 20, Jesus said,  ..”whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave…”  That doesn’t sound like anything I saw in the Baseball Hall of Fame. All of those players were in there for something the “world” thought was great and amazing! Jesus’ standards for greatness are vastly different from the “world’s standards” of greatness. The world says go bigger and better. Be the best, at all costs! Spend more, buy bigger houses and newer cars. Move up the corporate ladder, no matter the cost! Jesus says ‘ do more for others, be a slave to others’- that makes you great! 

            Take a short inventory—who’s BEST list do you want to be a part of? The Lamb’s book of life will be opened one day. The Lord’s best will be named- those who had repented of their sins and asked Jesus to be their Savior! That’s the list I want to be on when the end of life comes.