Galilean Nights

On Sunday, after one of the Services, Pastor Ron let me read a poem he had just recently written. I loved it, and badgered him to send it to me so I could post it on the blog. I was surprised when he sent me two attachments. Since I had already read his poem, I was immediately intrigued by the second attachment. Now, Pastor Ron is a very good writer, but I was blown away by what I read in that second attachment. Consider the implications of what you read in Pastor Ron Baesler’s…

GALILEAN NIGHTS

Hey, Judas, pass me that wineskin, will ya.

Here, catch!

Whoa… man, it’s almost empty.

You’re surprised. Didn’t you see the Zebedee boys when we were eating bread a couple of hours ago?

Yeah, now that you mention it, those sons of thunder were really roarin’! Where are they by the way?

Those two… can’t you hear ‘em? They’re conked out over by those bushes.

Wine’ll do that to you! How about the rest of the guys?

While you were up the hill praying, Peter convinced everybody to go into the town. Claimed he had a cousin who might be up for company.

Yeah, that’s Peter’s gift isn’t it? Knows somebody in every town; he’s just a party waiting to happen. Ah… to be young again!

What do you mean, “young again”? You’re not old.

Big difference between 25 and 30, you know. After 30, I became an official responsible adult. But hey, Judas, why didn’t you go with the gang?

Well, Jesus, I… well… you know… I thought somebody should stay and ah, well… protect you.

Hah, hah. I’ve got the sons of thunder right there in the bushes. Their snoring alone would send a whole legion stampeding in terror!

Ha, you’re right there. …But seriously, Jesus soldiers aren’t the problem. Its hoodlums; out here, people are barely feeding their children, the Romans crush them with taxes, so they’ve got nothing... and nothing to lose. Desperate robbers and thieves….that’s what these damn Romans have turned us into.

Sure, Judas, I suppose you’re right. Guess I should say thank you. But you know I didn’t invite you along to be my body guard.

I… OK… well, you know, Jesus, I’m not sure why you did invite me. I mean, I’m glad you did, sure, but I guess, well… I was hoping I could be more useful.

Useful… hmm… Interesting choice of words, Judas. Useful in what way?

I don’t know… I thought by now we’d have some plan, some strategy that we’d be moving forward on.

How do you know we’re not?

We’re not what?

How do you know we’re not moving forward on some plan?

How could we be? We haven’t set any timetables; we haven’t had any strategy meetings…unless I wasn’t invi--… I mean… OK, so maybe I wasn’t invited… Sorry if I…

Judas, hey… brother… Calm down. You should know by now I’m not a secret meeting kind a guy. With me, ‘What you see is what you get.’

Oh, Jesus, that’s a good one! What I see is a good Jew who dresses poor shabby chic like the rest of us, I see a guy who laughs with the little ones and cries with the lost ones. All of that see, all of that I get. But when you start talkin’ with that up country twang I swear even the birds stop to listen, then, when you start tellin’ your stories-- the Lord of heaven be my witness, power dances and crackles in the air. And don’t even get me started about yesterday and those loaves and fishes… ‘What you see is what you get?’ Yeah right, brother Jesus!

OK, OK, you made your point. But Judas, what if it’s all in the seeing.

Whaddya mean?

Remember yesterday afternoon when we were walking north out of Capernaum and we saw that fox?

Yeaaah…

Remember how it blended in with the rocks and grass? Remember how long it took some of us to see it?

I don’t think Matthew ever did see it.

Right… that fox was there for all of us to see. But none of us would have seen it if Nathanael hadn’t spied it. You know why he saw it?

No.

Because he spent years and years taking care of his dad’s sheep on the pastures south of Bethany. Haven’t you noticed? As we walk along he’s always scanning the hills, letting his eyes roam over rocks and poke into shadows. He’s trained himself to see what most of us would miss. Maybe I AM a “what you see is what you get kind of guy.” The problem is people haven’t trained their eyes to see what’s right in front of them.

Never thought of it that way before…. So you’re sayin’ there really is a plan and I just can’t see it?

Aw Judas, you and your plan. Why is that so important to you? Why can’t you just enjoy the journey? Wake up in the morning and see the swallows stitching the sky together, hear the ewes chewing out their lambs for lagging behind the flock, smell the bread a mother is baking for her family off in some village. Some mornings, Judas, I swear, I try to take in all of the bounty and beauty around me and my soul aches from trying to embrace it all. Can’t you just embrace it, just live it?

Oh, I do enjoy the journey…..I mean I’ve never done anything like this before. Every day… wide open, like an empty scroll and we fill it in as we choose. I mean such freedom, scary sometimes…but, Jesus, how can I not think about a plan… you’re the one who keeps saying “the Kingdom of God is coming.” To me that means changes, big changes… and changes don’t just happen, ‘poof’ like some wizard’s tricks. You need a plan. And as I see it, if God’s kingdom is coming then that means the Roman’s kingdom is going and that’s not going to be easy, so---

Judas, whoa, slow down. You are definitely my impatient brother. And you’re right I have been talking about the kingdom and sure that’s gonna mean changes. Will you see them? Will anyone see them? How do we train our eyes? Come here, sit down on this rock. Now look up and tell me what you see.

Dark sky and stars. Should I be seeing something else?

No, no. that’s what I see too. Stars. I wonder, how many of them are there?

Whoa, too many to count. Only God knows.

You think?

What?

You think God knows how many stars are in heaven?

Well, I… sure. God knows everything.

How do you know that?

I must have learned it in the yeshiva. But, hey, what kind of God would our God be if he didn’t know everything?

Ah Judas! Now that’s a sweet question, a juicy, luscious question. We could sink the teeth of our minds into that one and chew all night long. “What kind of God would our God be if he didn’t know everything?” Well, whaddya think? Maybe he’d be a God waiting for us to surprise him, a God waiting for us to make the next move, or a God waiting to see what we’ll do with the world he’s put into our hands. Ah, brother Judas. What a question. You have made my day. Thank you!

I… you’re welcome, I guess. I don’t know, to me it’s scary to think God gives us that much leeway, that much responsibility. I’m not sure I want it.

Yeah, but what if you already have it? What if that is God’s plan? What if you and I are the ones who will have to shape tomorrow… what if…? Ah Judas… tomorrow, tomorrow. I think before tomorrow comes I need to get some sleep.

Yeah it is late. I suppose Peter and the rest will be back before long, too.

Judas, if you wanna do guard duty, OK… you wanna sleep, that’s OK, too. Just remember, Judas, you are free, you have a choice! Goodnight.

Goodnight Jesus. I think I’ll stay up awhile. Maybe I’ll try to count the stars.

Thank you, Pastor Ron, for reminding me that, in Jesus, I have a choice. In Jesus, I am free!

If you want to pass something positive, uplifting, and perhaps a bit challenging along to your friends, send them a link to this blog page with Pastor Ron’s story. If you don’t know how to do that, ask a 14-year old to help you (and perhaps teach you). LOL!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Still Under Attack

Yes, I’m still under the random attacks (link to: Still), and no… I’m not really any better. Since January of 2010, my medical doctor has had so many tests performed on me that I’m beginning to feel like a mad scientist’s experiment gone awry. I’ve had enough blood drawn to satisfy the Twilight denizens, and the only abnormal thing they can point to is that my HDL is really low. So I now dutifully take enormous amounts of Niacin (vitamin B-3) in what seems to be an experimental attempt (“studies have shown promise”) to get my good cholesterol into the normal range. The marvelous side effect of taking Niacin in dosages exceeding 500 mg is something called Flushing; your skin alternately feels burning hot, or crawling with insects. Fun times!

“Will this fix my problem?” I ask.

“Oh, no… but we should fix your HDL,” replies the doctor “and let’s put you on a Pravastatin to make sure we control your bad cholesterol at the same time, because you are just a few points too high.”

Along the way, I’ve seen heart doctors and neurologists. They, in turn, have sent me for x-rays of my neck, echocardiograms of my heart, trans-esophageal echocardiograms for a better view of my heart (hospital procedure… sonar device crammed down your throat; NOT FUN), electrocardiograms of my brain (yes, I DO have one), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of my brain and spine, and a host of other poking and prodding of various other areas of my body.

All of the medical professionals deal with me in a similar concerned and caring manner, but like the neurologist (who is the only one to openly admit it)… they are shooting in the dark at my symptoms… since they have, as yet, to diagnose the problem.

“I’m starting you on 500 mg of Depakote (divalproex sodium) to see if that helps you.”

“Will that fix my problem?”

“It’s an anti-epilepsy drug; very effective.” she said.

“Do I have epilepsy?” I demanded.

“No, but your symptoms might respond to this type of treatment.”

I was trying to find something positive in this situation, so after viewing the MRI of my brain, I asked:

“See any tumors, cancer, or swelling of my brain?”

“Nope, it all looks fine. You have a normal brain.”

“Ha!” I replied, “Now my wife will have to stop calling me ‘Pea Brain’.”

I don’t think doctors appreciate humor much. After that crack, she took a second look at my scans, pronounced that I had a sinus infection that showed up on the MRI, and sent me back to my regular MD. He also looked at the MRI scans, agreed that I have a terrible sinus infection, and began to prescribe an antibiotic that would take care of the infection:

“We’ll need to knock down that infection with a strong antibiotic.”

“Is the sinus infection causing my problems… my attacks?”

“Oh, no,” chuckled the doctor, “but we should fix this before it gets any worse.”

“But my head feels fine. I breathe fine. I don’t even have a sniffle.”

“Some sinus infections are like that,” he said cheerily, “it’s lucky we had the MRI so we could see it. Now let’s see… are you allergic to anything.”

“Yes, I’m allergic to bullets”

“What?!?” he exclaimed, “How can you be allergic to bullets?”

“Every time I’m shot,” I snickered, “I have a really bad reaction!”

Showing not the least bit of appreciation of my humor, and thus validating my premise, he wrote me a prescription for AMOX TR-K CLV 875, and then seemed almost gleeful when he explained that this antibiotic kills all the bacteria in the gut, so I should be sure to take a daily probiotic to keep replacing the little critters. As an aside, he mentioned that I “might” experience some bloating, gas, or severe diarrhea. That turned out to be an understatement!

I could not take the probiotic fast enough. To be honest, it didn’t seem to do anything at all to relieve what was fast becoming a disaster of epic proportions. For days, I seemed to be tied to the toilet seat. If you’ve had a bad case of stomach flu, you have a slight inkling of what I went through. After a while, I just wanted to die!

“Surely, this is how the infirm, the diseased, and the aged might feel.” That was the thought that suddenly shot into my mind as my intestines kept trying to turn themselves inside out. At that same instant, I realized that all my faith had been on medicine, other medicines, and my own strength. I wish I could report that as soon as I turned my heart back toward Jesus that I was instantly made well; I wasn’t. But it was as if I could feel Jesus holding my hand, easing my pain, and reminding me that it would soon pass. Then a miracle occurred: my youngest daughter came by and forced me to take some Imodium tablets. Thirty minutes later, I was greatly relieved (no pun intended).

I was a victim of the cure being worse than the disease! I felt deathly ill for 5 whole days. When you can’t control your bowels, you are angry, irritable, embarrassed, and in pain (for more than one reason). Your only thoughts to God, when you are alone and in pain, are not all that productive… they are probably a lot like mine were. And physical pain is just the tip of the iceberg. The pain of the death of a loved one can be even greater! I bet you know somebody who is in pain right now.

I challenge you to remind them of the Good News of Jesus Christ. I challenge you to sit with them, hold their hand, and pray with them. I challenge you to be an earthly reminder that Jesus wants to walk beside them… to erase their sins, free them from bondage, and to ease their pain.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Perfect

And… wait for it… here is yet another video! If you are reading this on Facebook, on email, or on a smart phone, you should really make an effort to view it on Messiah’s site.

‘Perfect’ is a music video from a Canadian group called Simple Plan. This particular song isn’t what you might consider to be Christian worship music… by any stretch of the imagination. At first blush, it doesn’t seem to have much of a draw for “adults”, either. If you are the parent of a teenager, you might find that you have more in common with your angry, rebellious teen than you ever imagined… especially if you read on, and… if you watch the video a few times.

The song and the video do a great job of literally looking in the window of teenagers. They are struggling with changes in their lives. They are wondering about their place in the world; in the universe. They are talented, intelligent, and sensitive, but are often dismissed, or worse yet… invisible. They love intensely, are highly emotional, and feel rejected at the least provocation. What they want is to strive toward what they see as bright possibilities in their future, not be restrained by the impossibility thinking of people living in the past who think of them only as children.

Of course, adults see it differently. Adults see children that resist authority, that don’t have any idea how the real world works, that are idealistic and emotionally charged, and that don’t know how to make the best choices yet. As adults, don’t we have to protect them from the things we know will only end badly for them?

Actually, there isn’t much difference between teenagers and adults. Compare how adults percieve God… “He has all these rules that I just can’t ever live up to… I’m not perfect!” “Why do I have to be accountable for everything? I’m not perfect!” “Why shouldn’t I get angry? I’m not perfect!” As adults, we have just as many excuses for God, as teenagers have excuses for adults.

Yet, there is Good News. Though we are not perfect, we can find the perfection we need in Jesus. In Him, and through Him, and with Him, we are made right and acceptable to God the Father… we are made PERFECT!

Perhaps… just maybe… if you can get your [FILL IN THE BLANK] (teen, parent) to read this blog entry and watch the video… you might be able to open a dialog.

“Come now, and let us reason together”, saith the LORD: “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

Share this with somebody in your life, and let me know what happens.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Everything

I know, I know… I seem to be on a video kick. It’s just that I have found several inspiring videos that I really want to share. And yes, I am aware that all the people reading this on a Facebook feed cannot see the video. Yes, I know how inconvenient it is to have to go view it on Messiah’s site, but this Christian video has had over 14 million views, so it is probably worth your time.

Today’s video is from a youth gathering in 2006… Winterfest in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was a skit set to the song “Everything” by Lifehouse; a skit performed by youth for youth. After watching the skit, you will see how… when the Holy Spirit is moving in God’s people… a skit for youth can transcend age, gender, and situation to touch the hearts everybody.

What a powerful reminder of how strong, and how many, are the world’s influences and distractions. This is true for all of us, but especially so for our young people. These influences and distractions pull us away from God, yet even in that separation, God never stops pulling us toward Him. In God’s presence, all of those influences, distractions, and sins are defeated!

For me, it is so powerful to see Christ take the beating for all of the things that I (if I’m honest with myself) invited into my life. Every time I watch this video, I see something new. I’m moved by this video to want to seek an even closer relationship with God and a stronger walk with my Lord and Savior… Jesus Christ.

Tell me what YOU think.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

The Office

This is a parody of NBC’s hit series, The Office, using the real staff of The Branch Church in Dallas, Texas. If you haven’t seen the NBC series, you are probably really comfortable under that rock; seriously, if you haven’t seen it… watch a couple of episodes on YouTube. Many on the staff are obviously blessed with real acting talent, and the scripting and production values are first rate. It’s an awesome parody!

Besides having a whole lot of fun making it, what do you think The Branch Church is trying to accomplish with this video? Who do you think they might be targeting? What is the message?

Sometimes it helps to take a step back and contemplate how the unchurched see us. How do WE see ourselves? How do we see each other? I’m not going to try and tell you what to think about the video, all I ask… is that you think.

I’ll be on the campus and at worship on Sunday. Drop by and tell me what YOU think.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Do It Again, Lord

September 11th, 2001… a day etched in blood, and tears, and destruction on the hearts of most Americans. In the hours and days following that criminal and murderous attack, I was never prouder to be an American. I watched Americans who braved collapsing skyscrapers rush in to save people they didn’t know. I watched political, ethnic, and religious rivals put aside their differences to make the impossible… possible. Three days later, one of my favorite Christian authors, Max Lucado, wrote the following for America Prays, a national prayer vigil held Saturday, September 14, 2001.

Dear Lord,

We're still hoping we'll wake up. We're still hoping we'll open a sleepy eye and think, what a horrible dream.

But we won't, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream. Planes did gouge towers. Flames did consume our fortress. People did perish. It was no dream and, dear Father, we are sad.

There is a ballet dancer who will no longer dance and a doctor who will no longer heal. A church has lost her priest, a classroom is minus a teacher. Cora ran a food pantry. Paige was a counselor and Dana, dearest Father, Dana was only three years old. (Who held her in those final moments?)

We are sad, Father. For as the innocent are buried, our innocence is buried as well. We thought we were safe. Perhaps we should have known better. But we didn't.

And so we come to you. We don't ask you for help; we beg you for it. We don't request it; we implore it. We know what you can do. We've read the accounts. We've pondered the stories and now we plead, do it again, Lord. Do it again.

Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the same for us. Do it again, Lord.

Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children from the angel of death. We have children, too, Lord. Do it again.

And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

You changed Daniel from a captive into a king's counselor. You took Peter the fisherman and made him Peter an apostle. Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading armies. Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today, Lord. We need apostles. We need leaders. Do it again, dear Lord.

Most of all, do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw here on that Tuesday, you saw there on that Friday. Innocence slaughtered. Goodness murdered. Mothers weeping. Evil dancing. Just as the ash fell on our children, the darkness fell on your Son. Just as our towers were shattered, the very Tower of Eternity was pierced.

And by dusk, heaven's sweetest song was silent, buried behind a rock.

But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After three days in a dark hole, you rolled the rock and rumbled the earth and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it again, Lord. Grant us a September Easter.

We thank you, dear Father, for these hours of unity. Disaster has done what discussion could not. Doctrinal fences have fallen. Republicans are standing with Democrats. Skin colors have been covered by the ash of burning buildings. We thank you for these hours of unity.

And we thank you for these hours of prayer. The Enemy sought to bring us to our knees and succeeded. He had no idea, however, that we would kneel before you. And he has no idea what you can do.

Let your mercy be upon our President, Vice President, and their families. Grant to those who lead us wisdom beyond their years and experience. Have mercy upon the souls who have departed and the wounded who remain. Give us grace that we might forgive and faith that we might believe.

And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years you've used her to heal a hurting world.

Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

Through Christ,

Amen.

As written by Max Lucado for America Prays,
a national prayer vigil held Saturday, September 14, 2001.
Permission to copy not only granted but encouraged.
Also available on MaxLucado.com.

We may never forget, but as Max Lucado prayed, “Give us grace that we might forgive and faith that we might believe.”

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Better than a Hallelujah

I was listening to the radio the other day, and heard Amy Grant singing a song I’d never heard before. It touched my heart, so of course… I must share it. The YouTube video I use is one of the few that has permission by Amy Grant and EMI for publication, AND it has a great digital soundtrack provided by EMI.

As usual, the poet within me must also share the lyrics:

Better Than a Hallelujah
by Amy Grant

God loves a lullaby
In a mother’s tears in the dead of night…
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.
God loves a drunkard’s cry,
The soldier’s plea not to let him die…
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

We pour out our miseries,
God just hears a melody.
Beautiful the mess we are,
The honest cries, of breaking hearts…
Are better than a Hallelujah.

A woman holding on for life,
A dying man giving up the fight,
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.
Tears of shame for what’s been done;
The silence when the words won’t come…
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

We pour out our miseries,
God just hears a melody.
Beautiful the mess we are,
The honest cries, of breaking hearts…
Are better than a Hallelujah.

Better than a church bell ringing,
Better than a choir singing out,
Singing out…

We pour out our miseries,
God just hears a melody.
Beautiful the mess we are,
The honest cries, of breaking hearts…
Are better than a Hallelujah.

As is so common for me, this song touched a chord in me… right time, right place, and right song. Amy Grant has an official video that tells a poignant story of heartbreak, as she sings this song. Too bad EMI has blocked it from being embedded in blogs. If you want to see it, you’ll have to look it up on YouTube (look for the Official version).

Have you ever had a “better than a Hallelujah” moment in your life… a time of pain, heartbreak, suffering, or brokenness where you felt God’s presence most intensely? I imagine that the prayers of brokenness outweigh the Hallelujahs by better than a million to one.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Creation Calls

The Branch Church in Dallas, Texas created this video. They used the music of Brian Doerksen and footage from the “Planet Earth” DVD collection. It’s flat-out amazing. Turn up your sound, sit back, and let the endless diversity and wonder of God’s creation wash over you.


What really impresses me is the fact that all these natural wonders, amazing creatures, and all this stunning beauty represents just a tiny fraction of what is on our planet; a speck of a speck in an infinite universe of creation.

Why would a powerful and creative God want a relationship with me? “For God so loved the world...” can that possibly mean he loves me, too? How is that possible when I’m so small and creation is so infinite? Do I even matter at all? Who am I that God would love me?!?

Come worship, fellowship, and share with us on Sunday to find out. Come hear the Good News!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Bearing Witness

On Tuesday, August 3rd, I found myself in the most enviable position of being able to spend the day alone with my almost-3-year-old grandson. I had one use left on the 3-use Disney Park ticket I had received for Father’s Day, so I decided that he and I should go before my ticket expired and Jeffrey lost his get-in-free status on his birthday. Having never been to Disney’s California Adventure Park, that is where we found ourselves when their gates opened.

I had heard so many glowing reports about the “Soaring over California” attraction, so that was the first place we went to begin our fun-filled day of standing in line. We confidently strode right up to the end of a vast queue of humanity, certain that it was now only a matter of time before we would actually be soaring over California. I wasn’t even worried when a Disney line-troll asked to measure Jeffrey to verify that he met the silly height requirement of 40 inches… after all, we had worked all morning with the gravity boots, and the ever popular swinging-the-kid-around-by-his-ankles. Imagine my chagrin when we were ejected from the line because Jeffrey still only measured 37 ¾ inches! If you can’t trust gravity and centripetal force, what can you trust?!?

We ended up spending most of our time in the park in an area called A Bugs Land. If you have toddlers, this is a theme park made just for them! Oh, and don’t forget their bathing suit (or a change of clothes), as there are several places to play in the water. Kids really love playing in the water… especially with lots of other kids. Needless to say, Jeffrey had a great time getting wet, riding on rides sized just for him, and explaining everything to Pop-pop (I had a great time, too).

Throughout the Disney theme parks, there are plenty places where Disney characters hang out (with a professional Disney photographer, of course). Just wait in line for a bit and you can shake hands with Mickey, mug for the camera with Goofy, or dance with Tigger. The photographer takes your picture, you get a card with a code on it, and you can marvel at the amazing quality of professional photographs... later… at your leisure… online… and only… HOW MUCH?!? Hahaha… they don’t force you to buy anything, and the photographer is quite obliging… offering to take pictures with your camera or cell phone, too.

Anyway, Jeffrey spotted Pluto as we entered A Bugs Land, and began tugging me over to that line.

“Can we go see Pluto, Pop-pop?” he exclaimed.

I didn’t even realize he knew who Pluto was, but before you could say “you-old-softie”, we were in line to see Pluto. Remembering the meltdown with the Mall Santa at Christmas, I immediately started thinking that this was a bad idea. Still, Jeffrey kept tugging me forward every time the line moved up a bit, so I began studying Jeffrey for clues as to how he was going to react to a 6-foot dog. He was, in a word, inscrutable. He was intensely watching the people in line and Pluto. He watched 2 sisters squeal with delight when Pluto signed their autograph books. He strained to see 5 young men high-five Pluto, and eagerly pose for pictures with him. And he listened to the young couple in front of us telling everyone that Pluto was their absolute favorite Disney character.

When his time came, he RAN to Pluto, and buried himself in his arms! He was laughing and smiling, and more than happy to pose for a few pictures. I was amazed!

Later, I thought… if only people ran to Christ like that! None of the people in line that day were thinking about being a positive witness for Pluto, but they were. They were all excited about the prospect of spending just a few seconds with a fictional cartoon character. They all knew what they were in line for, and they knew to run to him when he stretched out his arms. There was no Disney line-monitor telling us what to do… neither were they aware that other people were watching to see who they were excited about… where they were going… and who they were going to see. But little eyes were watching.

What kind of witness are we bearing for Christ? Do we know what we are in line for? Are we excited about taking others along with us? If we are excited, do we openly share it with those around us? How often do WE go out of our way to run into the outstretched arms of Christ?!? We don’t often think about ourselves as actively bearing witness for Christ, but… the eyes of the world are watching us all the time.

“Can we go see Jesus?”

Are you lined up for Starbucks on Sunday morning, or the Lord’s Table?

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

The Word of the Lord

Little Clara is just 2 years old, yet her parents have already given her a gift that will comfort and uplift her for a lifetime. Clara has had the 23rd Psalm placed in her heart! Listen, as this sweet child of God recites a portion of God’s Word that has brought hope and comfort to all who hear it. Notice how this toddler pretends to read from the Bible… as, no doubt, her parents often do… emulating the grownups around her. Pay close attention as Clara, in her delightful Southern accent, emphasizes those words and phrases that might have special meaning to a small child. Which of God’s Words… recited by Clara… has touched your heart today?

I’m guessing that Clara’s parents made a far better choice teaching their child the 23rd Psalm… rather than have her learn the lyrics and dance moves of a Lady Gaga song! I wonder… are we being as wise with our time, and our choices?

Your brother in Christ,

Dave