ALWAYS AT WORK

Ephesians chapters 1 & 3 talk about the "administration of God's grace." God was working with his eye on Christ's coming long before anyone knew exactly what he was doing. When the prophets talked about the "coming" age they knew it would come and be something grand but they had no idea about Jesus until he got here. Later, God via the Spirit would tell everyone what HE had been doing all this time...God was working - doing his thing...no matter what else was going on...
So we muddle along doing our thing, sometimes well sometimes badly but ALWAYS with a bit of wonder about what the Father is doing - we see bad economic times - we deal with some very difficult event which we have to endure - kids with whom we cannot connect - leaders we do not understand - elections we dread - health that goes south - and on and on it goes....
Well, life is like that - full of wonder - wonder when it is great and wondering how it can get better when it is bad...all the time God is doing his thing....when it is all said and done God is at work - it will all work out for those in Christ...just lean back and enjoy - keep at it - and know HE IS AT WORK...Foree

HARDEST THING

The hardest thing with God is the only thing he asks of us. What he asks is that we do not have a hard heart. If God controlled hearts then everyone would believe. God would simply soften everyone up and his wish would be fulfilled, "that all men be saved." But this is our task...
Feelings are hurt and someone apologizes...it is easier to hold a grudge we think..heart remains hard. Mispoken words...unkind thoughts shared...sins committed...lies told....immorality engaged....on and on it goes...they pile up after while dragging is down like a sack full of rocks....Pride, masculinity or femininity, peer pressure whatever keeps us from looking inside and acknowledging sin... that is without doubt the most difficult thing to do...and that is ALL God demands of us, to take a long look inside and see what we really think of him...
In Acts 2:37 the people were "cut to the heart" the rest follows naturally...keeping the heart soft...the hardest thing to do...Foree

God Watching...

Things I ponder...Have you ever thought what it is like for another person to look at you? Sometimes I watch Dana (not an unplesant thing by the way) and wonder what it is like seeing the world from inside her...The other day I drove by a man holding a sign "work for food" and wondered what he saw as I drove by....what about the billions of people around the world...people who voted for McCain or Obama....what about tatooed people...and women of the night with the men who frequent them....Donald Trump is somewhere doing something today...men and women right now in fear for their lives in Afganistan...some young girl just had an abortion...another gave birth to a first child or third or fifth...some happy person just becoming a grand parent...someone happy someone sad someone just right...rich, poor, healthy, sick, dead, alive, hungry full...God sees it all and the ONLY THING THAT IS SIGNIFICANT TO GOD IS WHERE WE ARE WITH HIM within...boil it all down and now we know...

God is Sooooo Good

So we take a look at our lives full of things, nice things, many things....for me I wonder what it will be like to retire...an event not even considered in most modern cultures. God has blessed us soooooo....
We need healing and we pray and health returns and God is soooooooo good....
Are wealth, health and abundance really blessings from God? If so, what about poverty....is God absent? In modern, affluent states it is easy to thank God for the "blessings." And if health returns what about those times people die..... Then there are the prayers at sporting events...a pointed finger UP when a TD is made...what about the guys who lose????
Should we rest our view of God on how much we have and if he says "yes" to our specific requests? God is God and full of blessings no matter what physical or financial state we happen to be in at the moment. "Blessedness" is about the heart and soul (Matt. 5:1-12). WE might do well not to let ourselves swell with thanksgiving over abundance and health as "blessings from such a good God" since those two states may not mean a thing relative to our walk with God. God's blessings have to do with Christ, the Holy Spirit and the soul of mankind.....

8 Blue Eyes

Four or five years ago it happened in a Suburban I was driving. I pulled into a MacDonalds on a whim. I thought the guys with me would like it. I hadn't pre-announced
the decision, I just did it. As I pulled in I looked in my rear view
mirror and what I saw were 8 blues eyes staring right back at me full
of hope, promise, excitement, surprise...4 grandsons all expecting more
driving, more sitting, more waiting and all of a sudden - MACDONALDS -
KIDS MEALS - PLAY GROUND - SPRITE - COKE - APPLE PIES - ICE CREAM-
FRENCH FRIES....they knew that with grandpa the emphasis (this moment)
would not be bad ingredients - too much sugar - bone killing
carbonation - fear of hyper activity - grease and quick death - BLUE
EYES said it all - "WE ARE EXPECTING THE BEST!" They got it...
Walk by faith - set eyes on Christ - expect the best - God is in charge!

HORSE Shoes

A black smith works on a horse shoe and has it red hot. He lays it on a metal shelf to cool. A man comes in looking at all of the black smith's creations. He checks them out, picks them up, looks them over and moves from one to another until he gets to the new horse shoe. He picks it up drops it real quickly and shoves his hand in his pocket. The black smith says "Hot isn't it?" The man replies "No, it just does not take me long to look at a horse shoe."
Two things: 1) We do not often take much time for introspection and personal inspection. Communion does not take us long to finish. We might look inside like we are holding a hot horse shoe. Words to songs are sung but not digested. Sermons are heard with the ears but not with the heart. Bible reading is to be done, but not taken personally. 2) If we do see something in ourselves or our actions we might not consider it too long. Looking inside is one thing taking a long look at that which we discover is another.
The man just could not admit he had burned himself. "Unless you repent you will perish."
Foree

Wouldn't It Be Nice

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone thought like me? Every opinion would be just like mine. There would be no doctrinal discussions because I would only have to give explanations. People would simply think the same way and that would be that.
As it is there are as many opinions or points of view as there are people. Pick any subject........deer hunting.....medicine.....wealth.....politics.... and with more than one person in the room perspectives are going to differ. Each individual wonders how in the world "they could think like that."
Then there is the fact that not many people think they are wrong. So everyone has a viewpoint but how many of them think their idea is erroneous? Usually, outside of being devil's advocate, we argue, discuss and debate because we think we are correct.
How in the world do you get people like that together? There is usually some agreement but there is always disagreement.
Jesus enters a world divided between Jew/Gentile/Samaritan and brings them together. The key - HIM - Paul writes "He HIMSELF is our piece" (Eph. 2:14). Not our thoughts about HIM or our interpretation of what HE taught or our ability to live up to HIS standards. IT is HE, HIMSELF. Foree

MOMENT

It only takes a moment to die...an extended period of difficulty may precede death but it just takes a second for life to end. It is kind of a disturbing thought. Three people whom I knew well and loved took that final step in the last five days. All of a sudden they were gone from this world. Two husbands and one wife said goodbye to partners who had been with them for a combined total of ONE HUNDRED FORTY TWO YEARS...a lot of things passed by in those years, marriage, children, grandchildren, great grand children, jobs, cities they lived in, friends, vacations, Christmas, birthdays days of joy and days of sadness, all leaving memories and marks on the soul. Then in a moment, in a few seconds, they are gone never to be heard or seen again in this life.
So finally what can be said? Only one person helps when the inevitable takes place and his name is Jesus. If we lose him here we will not have him when we are done here. It makes Paul's words even more probing..."Be very careful then how you live, not as unwise but as wise making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil..." Maybe we should take a moment and think about our moment to come...Foree

REALITY

There is something startling about death. In 11th grade I was walking on the sidewalk to start my day at Manzano High in Albuquerque. I was walking and talking with friends, books in arm, having a great time.....I walked right into a no parking pole...I fell down, books went flying, glasses fell off...everyone laughed...
We walk along in life, having the time of our life, or maybe just muddling through...like a surprise in the night without warning (sometimes) death of another comes our way. The thought is not morbid or cynical it is just reality. Then, death, for some moments or maybe even days, reminds us of our own temporary spot in this world. We think about mortality, the suddenness of it all and maybe even make some resolutions....then the moment is past.
When I walked into the pole I got up, straightened up and on I went. Same with death. It comes to someone we know or love and we are reminded...then a few days later we are back walking along not giving it another thought...our mistake. God sent Jesus so we would/could be ready. We just have to sure we know what reality really is...Only Jesus can keep us ready. Foree

OCtober 2 &3

At the A&M church office October 3rd was a normal day. All of the staff arrived and as is our practice from time to time we closed the office and went to have donuts and coffee for an hour. The time together was fun. The day turned out to be an enjoyable one. At the end of it we found ourselves in the Minster Assistant office laughing, telling stories and trying to eat 6 saltines in a minute (impossible - give it a try). The whole day had light moments mixed in with the usual church activities. Juanita Pixley, our receptionist, a lively and feisty lady of 64 years joined in the fun as we all did our work. The day ended as it had begun.
Friday morning, October 3rd Juanita was late to work - that NEVER happens. We joked some about her being old and maybe forgot...at 9:30 her husband called and said she was in the hospital. An hour later Juanita had left us to be with her Lord.
And that is how life ends. In a moment, after a normal day when all was well the last moments came. So we said goodbye to our coworker and friend, sister in Christ. Just how important is faith in Jesus? If we could ask Juanita...she would know. Foree

Inevitable Disagreement

That brothers and sisters will inevitably disagree is firmly attached to the humanity of mankind. As Paul sets out in Romans we are all sinners (3:23). We sin morally, that is we fail to always do everything correctly in light of God's perfection. We sin doctrinally, that is, try as we do the truth of God's revelation often escapes us. No one can say "I have never changed my mind" (except perhaps the hard hearted). Beyond that is the difficulty of obeying the "greatest command" and as Jesus said "praying for those who persecute us."
Discussions regarding "doctrinal" issues existed in the NT (Acts 15) and persist today. If it were not for "doctrinal" failings Paul would have had no reason to write any of his Epistles. Paul, Peter, John and James wrote in order to remedy difficulties brethren had with moral and doctrinal issues. We are no better than they.
The grace of God is here for all of honest heart no matter how far afield they may fly either morally or doctrinally. If the heart is good before God the grace of God is near. Foree