YOUR ANGEL

YOUR ANGEL

Last evening, I read the following inspirational piece by an unknown author and thought it might be beneficial to share it with you. 

Once upon a time, there was a child just about ready to be born.  So one day he asked God: “They tell me you are sending me to Earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there, being so small and helpless?”

God replied, “Among the many angels, I chose one for you.  She will be waiting for you and will take care of you.”

“But here in Heaven, I don’t do anything else but sing and smile, that’s enough for me to be happy.”

“Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day.  And you will feel your angel’s love and be happy.”

“How am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don’t know the language that men talk?”

“Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.”

“What am I going to do when I want to talk to you?”

“Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.”

“I’ve heard that on earth there are bad men.  Who will protect me?”

“Your angel will defend you, even if it means risking her life.”

“But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.”

“Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way for you to come back to me, even though I will always be there with you.”

At that very moment there was so much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could already be heard, and the child hurriedly asked her last question.

“Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel’s name.”

“Your angel’s name is of no importance, you will call your angel Mommy.”

Who can fathom the depth and impact of a Mother’s love?  It resonates powerfully, throughout eternity.  Mothers embody an endless variety of personality and character traits, but all of them touch our lives in a very profound way.  During our lifetime, we are literally surrounded by angels – both of heavenly and earthly origins.  What gifts they are from God!  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!

ENNUI

ENNUI

In the aftermath of especially peak life experiences, e.g. holidays, vacations, weddings, or even encounters with close personal friends, we sometimes find ourselves underwhelmed by a vague sense of ennui [pronounced ahn-WEE]. According to Dictionary.com, “ennui” is “a feeling of weariness and discontent resulting from satiety [sufficiency or enough] or a lack of interest.” Ennui is synonymous with boredom.

Here is an unusual question to reflect upon: ‘Should Christians ever become bored?’

At first glance, the answer to this question seems obvious since believers in Christ are entirely human, not divine. Why shouldn’t we experience that wide range of human conditions and emotions: happiness, sorrow, anger, fear, fulfillment, fatigue, boredom, and etcetera? 

However, there is another aspect to consider. Perhaps, the general feelings of discontent or boredom we sometimes have emerge from our inactivity in performing Kingdom assignments. Jesus declared, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4) Undoubtedly, all of us operate within limited time frames, in which we must fully embody our intended purpose and destiny. In a word, every calling has a shelf life. It may well be that you and I have been divinely designed to feel a sense of ennui [minimum fulfillment and maximum unrest] when we do not function within our “high calling” or when we fail to stretch ourselves toward God-given potential. (Philippians 3:14) 

There is so much Kingdom work to do…much more than we can imagine.

It is a satanic deception to remain idle until someone ‘tells you’ what specific work you should be doing as a dedicated ambassador of Christ. Indeed, there are obvious clues we can glean from the manner in which Our King will eventually judge us. Read the following scripture passage and carefully consider:

Matthew 25:34-40
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

So what are you waiting for? There are hundreds of seniors in convalescent homes who would delight in having a visit from little-old-you! Opportunities for Kingdom service abound: in prisons, juvenile detention centers, hospitals, hospices, community centers, social service agencies, our streets, our churches, etc.

The answer to the question posed earlier is an emphatic “NO.” Even though we are human and subject to human emotions, Christians should not feel ennui…at least not for very long. We can never afford to become self-absorbed since we have far too much service to execute for our King. Every believer is divinely commissioned to be a proactive and empowered witness. (Acts 1:8) Christ will return soon, so get busy. (II Corinthians 4:3) Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!

HAVE FAITH

HAVE FAITH

On a daily basis, the news media bombards us with horrific images of global, national and local tragedy.  Because of this, it is easy to develop a negative or cynical view of life.  We have witnessed far too many distressing and violent examples of man’s inhumanity to man.  These terrible incidents now take place in what we have always regarded as ‘safe’ places: schools, shopping malls, office buildings and even places of worship.  Indeed, these are powerful signs (Matthew 24 signs) of the end-time season in which we live.

My singular goal today is to encourage you to hold on tenaciously to your faith.  In spite of what you see, have faith in God.  God is still sovereign.  God is still on the throne. 

In the midst of life’s most puzzling and perplexing moments, it is best for us to reflect on the profound wisdom that Jesus shared with his disciples during troubling times: “And Jesus answering said unto them, Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22)

Regardless of your present situation, know that God has your back!  So be encouraged.  Be joyful.  Joy is the simple assurance that Christ is at the center of all your circumstances.

Pastor Shirley Caesar recorded an encouraging word-in-song that speaks directly to your situation:

You can make it…

You can make it…

This trial that you’re going through,

God’s gonna show you just what to do.

You can make it…

You can make it…

I don’t care what’s going wrong,

God won’t let it last too long…

You’re not in this thing alone…

You can make it!

Be encouraged.  Have faith in The Almighty and Sovereign God, because with His help and His strength, we certainly can and we definitely will…make it.  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!

JESUS STOPS BY

JESUS STOPS BY

Ruth looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp or postmark, only her name and address.  She read the letter one more time...

Dear Ruth,

I will be in your neighborhood Saturday evening, and I’ll stop by for a visit.

Love Always,

Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table.  “Why would the Lord want to visit me?  I’m nobody special.  I don’t have anything at all to offer.”

With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.  “Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to offer.  I’ll have to run to the store and buy something for dinner.”

She reached for her purse and counted its contents.  Seven dollars and forty cents was all she had.  ‘Well, at least I can get some bread and cold cuts,’ she thought, throwing on her coat and scurrying out the door.

When Ruth bought a loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey and a carton of milk, she was left with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday.  Nonetheless, she felt satisfied as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked carefully under her arm.

“Hey lady, can you help us?”  Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans that she hadn’t noticed two figures huddled in the hallway.  It was a man and a woman, both dressed in little more than rags.

“Look lady, I ain’t got no job and me and my wife been living on the street.  It’s cold and we’re awfully hungry, and well, if you could help us lady, we’d really appreciate it.”

Ruth looked at them both.  They were dirty and unkempt but she felt that they could some kind of work if they really wanted to.  “Sir, I’d like to help you, but I’m a poor woman myself.  All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread.  I have an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving it to Him.”

“O.K. lady, I understand.  Thanks anyway.”  The man put his arm around the wife’s shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.

As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.  She cried, “Wait!”  The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them.  “Look, you can take this food.  I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.”  She handed her grocery bag to the man.

“Thank you, lady!  Thank you very much!”  Shivering in the cold, the man’s wife chimed in, “Yes, thank you!”

“You know, I’ve got another coat at home.  Here, please take this one.”  Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders.  Smiling, she turned toward home – without her coat and with nothing at all to serve her special guest.  “Thank you, lady!  Thank you very much,” they called after her.

Ruth was chilled to the bone by the time she reached her front door, and really worried too.  The Lord was coming to visit and she didn’t have anything to offer Him.  She fumbled through her purse for the door key.  As she did so, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.  ‘That’s odd,’ she thought.  ‘The mailman doesn’t come twice in one day.’  She took the envelope inside and opened it.

Dear Ruth,

It was so good to see you again.  Thank you for the lovely meal and the warm coat.

Love Always,

Jesus

The winter night was bitter cold and Ruth had little to eat, but hardly noticed it.

Matthew 25:37-40

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.”

Sisters and brothers, more likely than not, you have something to share.  Give as unto the Lord, and you will be continually blessed!

WATCH YOUR MOUTH!

WATCH YOUR MOUTH!

I am aware that today’s devotional subject might sound a bit brash, perhaps even crude.  Nevertheless, so many fail to recognize the immense power and impact of spoken words.  The prolific author, Og Mandino, poses a pivotal question: “Why is it then that so many of us go out of our own way to offend others with criticism and offensive judgments that so often come back to haunt us?  Why do we allow our big mouths to dig ruts in our path so deep that our forward progress is finally nil?”  OUCH!

One of my favorite books, read early in life, is “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.  “Criticism is futile,” Carnegie contends, “because it puts a man on the defensive, and usually makes him strive to justify himself.  Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a man’s precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment.”  He adds an astute observation: “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic.  We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.  Criticism is a spark – a spark that is liable to cause an explosion in the powder magazine of pride.”  Hmm…something to deeply consider!

An ancient Greek scholar, Pythagoras, wrote “A wound from a tongue is worse than a wound from a sword, for the latter affects only the body, the former affects the spirit.”  I would put it more simply: “Watch your mouth!” 

The Apostle James, the brother of Jesus, had a special assignment to highlight the impact of believers’ speech.  His teachings on the subject are of vital importance; they are reprinted (in part) below.

James 3:2-10 (NIV)

² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.

⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.

¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

James’ doctrine-of-speech may be summarized as follows: “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (James 1:26, NIV)

Words have significant spiritual capability.  They can give or take life, to and from yourself, but also to and from others.  This makes logical sense in light of the nature of The One who “created all things.” (Ephesians 3:9 – Colossians 1:16 – Revelation 4:11).  The very essence of Christ, the way we may most accurately describe His power, dominion and authority is simply this: Jesus Christ is THE LIVING WORD.  It stands to reason that our words are of special significance and import to THE LIVING WORD…The Holy One who “upholds all things by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:3)  Think carefully about that.

We must always employ wisdom in every avenue of communication.  Why is this important?  Because our words are “salt.”  As such, they have sufficient capacity to season [influence] ourselves, our families, our friends, and even our enemies.  Therefore, the scriptures mandate that our “speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that [we] may know how [we] ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:6)

At the risk of sounding somewhat rude, I must repeat: “Watch your mouth!”  Sisters and brothers, as we activate the governing thermostat of the Holy Spirit, who constantly modifies our attitudes, our actions and our speech, we will be continually blessed!

LET'S BUILD A BRIDGE

LET’S BUILD A BRIDGE

How we love spending quality time with our grandchildren!  Their frequent visits are a sheer delight to Belinda and me.  A few days ago, after our Tea Party time, six-year-old Sydney asked me to draw a picture with her.  I agreed, but ended up doing much more observing than drawing.  Our conversation went something like this:

Me:         Sydney, what do you want to draw?

Sydney:  Islands!

Me:         Why?

Sydney:  I got a book from the library.  Lots and lots of pictures of islands!

[Seated at Grandma’s office desk, Sydney went to work, diligently creating her picture.  I was rather impressed and proud of her results].

Me:         That’s a gorgeous picture, Sydney!  Great job!

[She paused for a moment, inspecting her picture with a bright smile; her response surprised me].

Sydney:  But people can’t get off.  They’re stuck!

Me:         I see.  What can we do about that?  Hmm….maybe we can draw a boat next to your island.

Sydney:  No Pop-Pop…a bridge.  A bridge is better!

Me:         Why is that, Sydney?

Sydney:  We can get on and off when we want.  Let’s build a bridge!

Given Sydney’s tender age and the fact that she is a first grader, my granddaughter’s insight floored and fascinated me.  In fact, a bridge would be a far better solution for the people on her imaginary island.  Should a ferry be their only means of egress, they would always be limited to arbitrary timetables and conditions set by others.  On the other hand, a bridge would allow them total autonomy, the ability to come and go at will.  In Sydney’s simple words, “A bridge is better!”

Our playtime revealed an intriguing metaphor for life.  Symbolically speaking, many prefer constructing ‘ferries’ for personal relationships.  Why?  Relationship ferries grant us absolute control over the ‘how’ and ‘when’ of our interactions with others.  Bottom-line: Many of us have the unfortunate tendency to become ‘control freaks’ in the lives of others, demanding that everyone dance to ‘our tune’ – in a melody, cadence and orchestration of our choosing.  But ferries never work well in relationships; bridges are better.

Jesus Christ said “Blessed are the peace makers [the bridge builders], for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)  Try hard to avoid becoming an island; to the very best of your ability, stay connected.  But if you find yourself in such an isolated circumstance (due to your own actions or the choices of others), then simply build a bridge.  “A bridge is better!”  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?

Psalm 15: A Psalm of David [King James Version & New International Version]

¹ Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

¹ Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

² He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

² The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;

³ He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

³ whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;

⁴ In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

⁴ who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
    who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;

⁵ He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

⁵ who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.                                                                                         

    Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

Are you eligible to abide?  Consider carefully, sisters and brothers, and be continually blessed.