The Chronicles of Biscuit - "School Needs"

(I found this picture on my phone that Biscuit had taken of himself to send his siblings.  I thought it fit the story!)
The Chronicles of Biscuit - Stories about our youngest son whose nickname is Biscuit.

Yesterday I drove to Oklahoma City really early in the morning for an appointment. I called our two younger boys to talk to them. I told Biscuit to have a good day. He responded by saying, "If they're gonna force us to go to school, the least they could do is make it comfortable by having padded and heated seats!" I told him I was going to post it on Facebook and that he would have to endure the consequences of teachers who saw it! Ha ha!  I also said that they were welcome to straighten them out on the real budget needs of the educational system in Oklahoma (which are many).

After that conversation I got to thinking about how the people written about in the Bible would have worshipped compared to how we do.  They would have sat on the floor or perhaps just stood.  Maybe they had some benches or seats, but they definitely wouldn't have been padded and heated as Biscuit suggested for the school!  And our worship is different, too.  Most places of worship have padded seating, comfortable climate controlled air systems, and even more.

Biscuit thinks the comfort level at school should be "upped" to enhance the "burden" of school he feels he has.  Comfort was added to worship to please our desires and preferences.  And it's nice.  It's much more comfortable to sit on a padded pew or seat than it is to sit on something hard...like a bench at a basketball game. But does it enhance our worship?  Not at all.

My favorite place to worship God is at camp - especially outside.  When outside it's on a hard bench or even a rock on the side of a mountain, but it's my favorite place.  Why?  Because it's surrounded by the nature that was created by the Heavenly Father that we are worshipping at the time.  It's not inside a building that has been designed by man with materials made by God.  It is strictly and completely made by him.  There's nothing better.

When Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, she asked about where was the best place to worship.  He answered, “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:21-24

It's really easy to get caught up in worship as being what's external.  The building, the surroundings, the large or small crowd...but what truly matters is our internal worship between us and God.  It's about our hearts and minds.  Sure we encourage each other through our worship together - that is part of it - but to worship in spirit and in truth makes it very personal.

We aren't "forced" to worship as Biscuit says he is "forced" to go to school (which at this time, I guess he is!), but God expects His children to worship Him.  And why wouldn't we?

A teacher made the comment on that post yesterday that if the school seats were too comfortable, the students might fall asleep and not be learning.  There's a spiritual application to that, as well.  If our comfort is more important to us than our worship, perhaps we will "fall asleep" as well and not be worshiping as we should.

Thanks for the conversation, Biscuit!  About the time I think he's outgrown these Biscuit stories, he says something funny!  That's okay. They make me laugh, but also make me think :).

Train Up A Child

Yesterday was a wonderful day!  Yes, it was the day the saints come together to worship the Lord, but yesterday was even a little more special for us because our morning worship was led by the young men of our congregation.  We're thankful that the elders and our preacher worked this out so that the young men could have this time to led and train to become the future leaders of the church.

Our oldest son preached. He has given several devotional talks and mini sermons for quite a few years - the first when he was 10 or so - but nothing ever this big or this long!  We kept asking him how long it would be and he would say, "I hope at least 15 minutes!"  You just never know exactly how long you're going to speak when you get to going! I know that from experience in ladies' day events. :)  (Oops! Had to work on that!)  But Z did a wonderful job delivering a message from God's Word, encouraging us to not have "Blurred Vision".  At moments like these, I realize he's grown. He doesn't even seem like an 18 year old, but more like a 20-something year old! It's awkward at times, being a parent to someone so mature, because he seems more mature than I am in some things.  (true confession)  He's a good example for all of us.

Our middle boys gave the devotional thoughts before the Lord's Supper.  He hadn't ever done anything like this before, so it was good for him. He came up with the analysis all on his own, using a real-life example of how we can get into the routine of partaking of the Lord's Supper without giving it the thought we should - about Jesus dying on the cross.  I loved how he gave it in all seriousness, but how I could still see his personality within his little talk.  It was a great learning opportunity for him. I'm glad he saw that he could do it - that he was capable of doing it.  I knew he could.  He knows it now, too!

And our youngest led the opening prayer and helped serve the Lord's Supper.  He told me before we left for Bible Class that his prayer might be too long because he had really thought about what he was going to say.  It wasn't too long and it was great to know and realize that he had thought about what he was going to say in advance.  I'm surprised this one hasn't offered to do a devotional, yet. When he was young he would preach whole sermons at home! :)

The boys who helped with the service did a great job, as well.  Our nephew led the singing.  Others helped serve the Lord's Supper.  Others prayed.  It's surely a blessing to have young men who are willing and able to serve. Others are in the process of learning.  It's a wonderful to give them opportunities to learn to lead.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

Proverbs 22:6

You Don't Belong Here

I once went to a community event and saw someone that I wanted to talk to. As I visited with the person, they were with a group of family members.  Although I hadn't interrupted anything, I couldn't help but feel like I was intruding.  I'm selfish with family time, myself, but this was more than that.  I also don't analyze situations or people to much, as in how they make ME feel, because I try not to think too much of ME in any situation like that. But, I just couldn't help getting the feeling, "You don't belong here."

Later, as I was visiting with someone else, I mentioned that odd feeling.  They, too, had gotten that feeling at times, from that same family.  It's probably unintentional.  Most things like that are, yet it still puts off an odd feeling vibe that makes me think.

Hmmm...."You don't belong here."

There's a wonderful song we sing.  I love the meaning and the lyrics.  It's by The Collingworth Family.

We’re part of the family

That’s been born again

Part of the family

Who’s love knows no end

For Jesus has saved us 

And made us His own

Now we’re part of the family

That’s on its way homeAnd sometimes we laugh together

Sometimes we cry

Sometimes we share together

Heartaches and sighs

Sometimes we dream together

Of how it will be

When we all get to heaven

God’s family

Using the scenario above....when I felt like I didn't belong...imagine a family visiting your worship services on a Sunday morning.  They come in and perhaps are greeted with a hello at the door, but no one else speaks to them. No one asks them to sit near them. The songs may be new and they may not recognize them.  They may not really know many people sitting in the pews.  People look at them and smile, figuring that someone else knows who they are...or they're related to them.  No one offers to take them to eat lunch. No one invites them back. No one asks anything about them.  They just kind of smile or nod and go on their way.

Now, what do you think will happen when this family gets to their car? What will they talk about on the way home?  Will they mention the unfriendly atmosphere? Will they have felt welcome? Will they feel like anyone cared?   Will they feel like I did:  You don't belong here?

Maybe in this scenario, the family wasn't yet "part of the family". Maybe they weren't Christians yet.  Would they want to be, after being in the service and not feeling a part?

You see, the way we act is important, but the way other perceive how we act may be even more important.  As we scurry around doing all we need to do as we live our lives, we must be aware of those around us. How are we appearing to them?  No, we can't make everyone happy.  We can't please them all, but let's make sure - for certain - that we aren't making anyone feel as if they don't belong.  If we do, in the spiritual sense, why would they ever want to belong?  That certainly wouldn't look like the church Jesus died for, would it?? No.  Not at all.  Jesus died for God family - where everyone is welcome.  Jesus says, "You belong here.  I will forgive any sins you have ever committed.  Come and follow me."

Welcome to the Family!

After the last grandchild on my husband's side of the family was born 11 years ago, we've added two more grandchildren to the number - making #18 and #19!!  T & J were adopted into the family by Joe's sister and our brother-in-law last Friday.

Although their three children are grown and two are married and have children, my brother and sister-in-law felt like they could make a difference in the lives of children. They moved to Tipton Home and became full-time houseparents to a group of little girls.  And what a difference they've made!

Two of these little girls were able to be adopted by them, so are now a part of our family forever! We're all so excited to have them in our lives!

These special necklaces were a gift from their new siblings.  A sweet keepsake of this special time!

We decided to get each of them a piggy bank....or an ice cream bank, and.....

....a cupcake bank.  And, to get a head start, we added a little cash to the banks.

Sunday we had lots of snow (for southwest Oklahoma, anyway), so our regular worship services were canceled.

We already had a family meal planned for that day at noon, so everyone just stayed around afterwards for a family worship time together, followed by presents for the girls, then play time in the snow.

What a great day of worship and celebrating! A cold, winter's day, made warmer by the gift of love!

The Chronicles of Biscuit: "Goin' Through the Motions"

Today I had to go to Oklahoma City, so didn't pick Biscuit up after school. On my way home, I called him. He was at the office with his dad.  It was an interesting conversation:

Me:  Hi, Biscuit! How was your day?

Biscuit:  Oh, good....you know....just goin' through the motions.

Me: Oh, really?  How do you just 'go through the motions' at school?

Biscuit: Well, you just go through the day, but you don't really know what's going on. You're just kind of 'there'.  

Well, that's interesting, isn't it???  Wonder if Biscuit just 'goes through the motions' often at school?  I'm guessing 'not' since we haven't gotten a call or text from the teachers or the PRINCIPAL!  Ha ha!!  (And Biscuit will be in BIG trouble if we DO get a call about it!!)

But Biscuit got me to thinking.....

How often do we just "go through the motions" as a Christian?  How many times do we worship Him, without really, really worshipping Him?  How many times do we sing praises to Him, yet not focus on the words? How many times do we partake of the Lord's Supper....a time of communion with Him, yet fail to focus on what He did for us.  Dying on a cross is pretty significant.  It was a huge gift that He willingly gave His life for ME and for YOU.

Maybe Biscuit's thoughts made me think just a little bit more about my worship.....and my praise.....and my communion with my Lord and Savior.  And just maybe it will make you think about yours, as well.

The Chronicles of Biscuit - A BIG "G"!

The Chronicles of Biscuit - Stories about our youngest son, Tyler, whose nickname is Biscuit.

A few days ago, Biscuit was doing his homework. He was working on vocabulary and the definition was "a building constructed for a god."  The answer/word was 'temple'.

Biscuit said, "Mom God (in the definition) should have a BIG G, not a little g."

I said, "Yes, but remember in the Bible how people worshipped statues and called them a god?  Some people still do."

Biscuit said, "Yes, but they shouldn't!  I'm making it a big G!"  And he did!

I'm so glad that Biscuit has the concept of only ONE GOD and that it should always be a BIG G!  Sadly, throughout the world, many people believe in some other type of "little 'g' god".  A "little 'g' god" that can do NOTHING!  No power.....no hope.....no salvation in eternity.

As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego proclaim when they wouldn't bow down before King Nebuchadnezzer's idol, "WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GOD!"

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

I pray that all of you will proclaim that very same thing every day of your life!

Last night we had a missionary talk to us during our midweek worship time.  He talked about growing up in Ethiopia.  His family was Islamic and even his grandfathers were high up in the Islamic faith.  But he met Christians when he was growing up and later realized he wanted to live how they lived - by showing God to others.  He left Islam and converted to Christianity!  He now travels around the U.S. and back to Ethiopia to show God to others!  He loves telling others about Jesus!

No one but God has the power to offer salvation to YOU and ME for living with him in eternity.  No one but GOD sent HIS SON to DIE for you on a cross...where He willingly suffered for our sins.  There is NO OTHER GOD!  I pray you believe that wonderful truth!

What if God was Praised Like Football?

This article came via email yesterday from Elm & Hudson church in Altus.  It makes a GREAT point and could also be used towards other sports, activities, hobbies, etc.  The article was written by Phil Robertson.  Not sure who he is, but I thank him for writing these thoughts. 

For me, I would have to put the Texas Rangers in place of football.....the Rangers and my own children's sporting activities, which includes some football.  It's really hard to not get caught up in something to the point where it takes over too much time, money, and importance in our life.  I'm thankful for this reminder that anything can become an idol when it is put above the Lord

Lori

********

A friend of mine recently made this comment, “Around here football is a religion!” At first, his words sounded like an innocent declaration of the passion and allegiance many of us have for our favorite teams. But after a little reflection, his words seemed to burn a hole in my conscience. Is football our religion?

God adamantly warned His people of the dangers of idolatry (Ex. 20:3-6). Their passion for false gods eventually led to their earthly captivity as well as separation from God (Ezek. 20:1-32). We may not have wooden figurines on the mantels of our homes, but that does not mean we may not have our idols.

So, how do we know when we may have crossed the line from sport to idolatry? Please consider the following “what if” scenarios:

 What if we gave as much money to evangelism and charity as we so to tickets, travel and team merchandise? Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:25).

 What if we could name the apostles, judges, and great heroes of faith like we can name our team’s starting lineup, reserves, and even recruits?” “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4)

 What if fathers taught their children about the Lord and His works as much as they do about de- fensive formations or strategies of an offensive? “Fathers bring your children up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4)

 What if we proudly displayed our love for the Lord as we do our team’s logos from our homes and cars? “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles and let all the peoples extol Him” (Rom. 15:11)

 What if we arrived early and participated in a worship service with the same dedication we have for crowded football stadiums with limited parking, little legroom and no protection from inclement weather?” “For I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1) (*Note from Lori:  Of course the church is the people, not the building, but we are commanded to come together and worship - to not forsake that meeting together. Interestingly, and sadly, we'll arrive an hour early to a game to get a good seat or even to find a reserved seat, but make it in to worship just in the nick of time.....to get the back row or our "favorite" pew.  Not sure that's how it should be!)

 What if we hated Satan and His schemes to conquer souls as much as we do a rival who is threat- ening to take a game from us? “Be sober because your adversary the devil walks about as a roar- ing lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

 What if the joy of winning souls and the pain of losing souls matched our passion for winning and losing a football game of which we are not even a participant? “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Lk. 15:10).

The only victory that truly counts has already been won. Jesus conquered death so that we may live in Him (Rom 5:8 and 6:3-7)

—Phil Robertson

LOL - Living Our Legacy - Part 6

LOL - Living Our Legacy (Part 6) 

(To see other posts in this series, click Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5)

Opening gifts is fun, isn't it?  So, let's open another gift for our Christian home. This gift truly is a gift. It's the gift of WORSHIP.

Worshiping God is a gift – especially here in America – because we have the freedom to worship, without fear of harm. But, worship doesn't have to be, and actually shouldn't be, limited to the walls of the a certain building or limited to one or two days a week. Worship should be part of our lives each and every day.

When you have children in your home, they see your example. They know if you are spending time in Bible study and in prayer. They see what fills up your time. But, when you take the time to worship God daily, through prayer, through study and meditation, and let them in on that worship, they are learning to worship God daily. They're not seeing just a “two or three times a week and I'm done” attitude about worshiping Our Heavenly Father. And, when they see you being a servant as we've already talked about, you're setting the example of Jesus before their eyes. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, co-workers – all of them can be examples of this and you can be that example to others.

Of course, it's important to worship with your church family. Jesus established the church for a reason and for a purpose. As Christians, we are each of us are a part of that purpose. And part of that purpose it to be workers in the kingdom. Another part of it is to encourage each other. So, don't neglect that part of worshipping together with your Christian family, but don't neglect God at home, either.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1

Live a legacy of daily worship.

W.O.R.S.H.I.P.

Tomorrow is a day of worship.  Of course we can worship God every day and should during our own times of study, prayer, and giving praise to God.  But just as the early first-century Christians came together on the first day of the week (Sunday) to worship God (Acts 20; 1 Corinthians 16), millions of Christians in the 21st century do so now, as well.

What is worship?  The Greek word for worship is proskyneō, which means " kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence" Jesus told the woman at the well, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24. 

How can we worship God in spirit and in truth?  Let's look at the word "Worship" and see some of the ways in which we can:

W - Walk with God
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

O - Obey His commandments
"If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15


R - Revere His name
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."  Exodus 20:7
 
This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed (meaning: Holy) be your name..." Matthew 6:9

S- Share His Son
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

H - Help others
"...serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13

I - Invest your time wisely
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

P - Pray
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Take the time to worship God today.  What could be more important than worshipping the One who has given us so much?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

True Worship - What's Right?

Sunday morning we had a family worship service in our hotel room in Oklahoma City. Why? Because three of our children were involved in a goat show that started at 9:00 a.m. that morning. I would rather there not be a goat show on Sunday, but twice a year there is - both of them in Oklahoma City. In March, I wrote about the spring livestock show and how we had worship in the goat stalls. You can read about that HERE.

I think worship times such as this, or the ones we sometimes have outside during church camp or at camp retreats (on the mountain!) are very special. Of course all worship is special because of WHO we are worshipping and WHY we are worshipping. But when worship is in a different-than-normal place, there is just something different about it. I think it's because, without intentionally meaning to do so, we sometimes make our worship in the "normal" church building a routine and a kind of "going-through-the-motions" type of thing. We get so used to the "order" in which things are done, we don't really think about "what" is being done, like we should.

Sunday morning my husband and three oldest children left the hotel before the youngest (Tyler) and I did. On the way to the fairgrounds Tyler and I were talking and he said, "Mom, I wish the goat show wasn't on Sunday." I said, "I do, too, Tyler. But it is neat to have our worship together like we did." Tyler said, "Well it wasn't right." I asked him what wasn't "right" about it. He said, "Well, we sang the songs after daddy preached and we had communion (the Lord's Supper)at the first." You see, at our church services there's always a certain pattern of songs, prayers, etc. and our worship this morning didn't fit that pattern, so Tyler thought it was wrong - because the order was different.

What a teachable moment! It's times like these that serve as an important time for us to teach Tyler and all of our children about true worship. True worship to God is not dependent on the order of how things are done, but rather it's what we do in our worship (sing, pray, give, hear the Word, communion (the Lord's Supper)) and how we worship (the Bible says to worship in spirit and in truth John 4:24) that are important.

Now, I wouldn't be for giving up meeting with my Christian family each Sunday (we meet together in the morning and evening and also on Wednesday nights). In fact, I believe the Bible teaches that to do so would be wrong. But, I do think it's important to realize that true worship - in spirit and in truth - is worship that is done with the intent to please God and not ourselves. It's not about what we think is right, but about what the Bible teaches is right. It's not about me and what I like, but about what is acceptable to God.

Thank you, God, for teachable moments where we can teach our children more about you. Please help us to worship you in spirit and in truth and not just go through the motions.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Spiritual Ingredient - Godliness

"For this very reason, add to your faith....godliness..."

From the scripture passage of 2 Peter 1:5-9

Today let's think about godliness as a spiritual "ingredient". What does "godliness" mean? Literally, it means these things: "to worship well", “to be reverent“, and "to be very devout". There are many good people in the world, but being "good" doesn't make one "godly". Being "moral" doesn't make one "godly".

So, how can we gain this ingredient of godliness?

A. Hebrews 12:28-29 says "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

This verse says and implies that we should:
#1 Be thankful for the gift of salvation God has given us through Jesus' blood shed for our sins.
"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:11-12

#2 Worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
It is seemingly easy to come together as Christians and worship God once a week or even a few times a week. It's much harder to think about living the Christian life daily as we should be doing. Answer this question: Is worship with the church "easy"? At first I would say, "Yes". But, a minister we once had asked our Bible class this question and by the end, we all had to say, "No." It's NOT easy to worship, whether together as a church family or even alone. Why? Because, as human beings, our minds wander. It's extremely hard to keep our mind totally focused on God because we get easily distracted by what is going on around us. It's often hard to have true godliness as God wants us to have.

#3 Fear God for who He is.
"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11

B. We read in Romans 12:1-2 (below) that our lives should be living sacrifices.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

So we also should:
#4. Live sacrificial lives.
If we have the spiritual ingredient of godliness, we will not be selfish. We will put God first, but the needs of others above our own, as well.
"Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain." Psalm 119:36

#5. Live holy lives.
God is holy. His name is also holy. Holy means “set apart”. For us to live holy lives, then, we too must be "set apart". Being set apart means not being like the world, but being different. We can be different by how we act, but also by how we dress, how we react, how we entertain ourselves, how we spend our money...virtually in everything we do.

#6. Renew our minds.
When we become a Christian, we are transformed. But, that transformation doesn't just stop at that moment, but continues - or should continue - throughout our entire life. During that time we are being transformed to be more and more like Jesus, our Savior.
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

Here are some questions for you and I to ask ourselves:
Are you increasing in godliness? 2 Peter 1:9 says it should be "increasing in measure".
If you are a Christian, are you thankful for God's gift of salvation?
Do you recognize the fact that Jesus gave His life for you to give you that salvation?
Are you living a holy life?
Is your life a living sacrifice?
Do you worship God acceptably - with reverence and awe - not just with your church family, but also in quite times of worship when you are alone?
Is worship with your church family concentrating on truly worshipping God or is it geared toward entertaining the audience?
Do you use God’s name in reverence and awe or flippantly as part of your speech?
Does it bother you to hear God’s name used as part of every day language or are you so used to it that you don’t even notice that it is being used in this way?

Soap Box Saturday

Note: Part 2 of "GO - It's a BIG Word!" is posted below or here.

For today's Soap Box Saturday, I want to talk about Easter. Tomorrow morning millions and millions of people will worship God and many of those will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Of course, that is WONDERFUL! It is GREAT! It is what SHOULD BE DONE! But, here's my "Soapbox": On Sunday, April 19, many of those same people who were so excited about the risen Savior on Easter Sunday, will have put Him out of their minds until Christmas. Many feel obligated to get all dressed up and "go to church" on special holidays, but I can't find any scripture in the Bible that tells us that is what God wants.

In fact, we see just the opposite is true in the following passage:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:19-25

It seems from this scripture that the early church had the same kind of problems the church does today. There was, is, and always will be, those who choose to not assemble or meet together with other brothers and sisters in Christ to worship Him.

But, consider this question: Is Jesus your mascot or your Master? Answer it truthfully. Is Jesus something you just use to fulfill a duty or an obligation or his He the Lord of your life? The definition of mascot is: A person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, especially one kept as the symbol of an organization, such as a sports team.

Jesus wants to be your Savior. But He wants to be recognized as being so every day...not just on special holidays.

Have a wonderful Easter Sunday!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Many of you may have gardens or grow flowers and plants and enjoy doing this as a hobby or maybe even for food. Some of you were raised in a family who farmed or maybe you are involved in farming now. We all know that growing food, plants, & flowers takes a lot of time. It takes work.

It would be so easy if flowers, fruits and vegetables just grew, never needed tending to, and took care of themselves, but they just don’t. Weeds just grow - they don’t need any work to grow, but they take time and effort to keep them from growing. It is the same in our lives. Good fruit will not just grow in our lives, either. And sin, like weeds, will come about in our lives if we don’t work to rid our lives of those sins. Throughout the Bible, fruit is referred to as what should be evident in the lives of Christians. The fruit is visible evidence as to what is growing within us. We should have good fruit within us because we are children of God.

This week's daily blog posts will look at our lives as a spiritual GARDEN and find out what it takes to make them grow. I like acrostics because it makes points that are easier to remember. I hope that you do, too!

G - GROW WITH GOD.
In our world we are bombarded with all kinds of things that we can learn and so many different ways to gain knowledge. We can buy CD’s, videos, and attend seminars and read books. We can go to college for years and years and obtain any type of degree we can imagine, but while that knowledge is good and may bring us success in life (worldly wealth and financial gain) it can not become what is most important in our lives. I want to grow with God - grow how God wants me to grow - that’s what is truly important in life. I hope you want to grow with God, too.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. I Corinthians 3:7

To "Grow with God", we must get close to God. If you want to get to know someone - another human being, you have to grow closer to them, don’t you? It’s impossible to get close to someone without spending time with them. Think about your spouse or friend. How did you become close? By getting to know one another. You talk to each other. You hang out with each other. You share with each other. You do things together.

When we do the same with God, it’s called prayer. The more we pray to God, the closer we will become to Him. The neat thing about prayer, though, is that God can’t wait to hear from us! Do you realize the fact that God cares about every single thing in your life? Do you think that God only cares about the big things? No! We must believe that God cares just as much about the famine in 3rd world countries as he does about the pain we may be having in your big toe. So talk to Him...about EVERYTHING!

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

"Getting with God" not only involves prayer, but also worshipping - worshipping Him alone in a quiet devotional time, but also with your congregation during worship services. Worship is not confined to a building or to a certain time or day. Coming together as a congregation on Sundays (and many on Wednesdays)is the congregation’s way of worshipping and obeying the commands of God, but we can and should worship God alone and on every other day, as well.

So, first of all, in our spiritual gardens, we must grow with God. Tomorrow we'll look at "A".

Have a blessed week!

Worshipping God - At a Stock Show

Last Sunday our family was at a goat show in Oklahoma City. It is the Oklahoma Youth Expo, which prides itself on being the Largest Junior Livestock Show in the United States. The goat show was held on Sunday and Monday and scheduled to begin on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m.

Now, I would prefer the event not be scheduled on a Sunday, myself, but unfortunately, it's out of my control. However, having events such as this reminds me of the story in the Bible when the Samaritan women encounters Jesus and He asks her for a drink of water. He offers her the "living water" that only He can give.

Jesus knows all about this woman's life - that she has had five husbands, that the man she now lives with is not her husband. She's not too comfortable with this man, Jesus, knowing all about her life, so she changes the subject! The woman asks Jesus about worship:

"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:20-24

So, while we were at the livestock show and unable to assemble with fellow Christians to worship as usual on Sunday morning, our family, along with several other friends and youth, gathered in one of the empty goat stalls and worshipped God together - in spirit and in truth.

I think it is an important lesson to remind ourselves, as well as to teach our children, that true worship is about God and not about entertainment or how we feel or the building we are in at the moment. The Greek word for worship is proskyneō and means to kiss the hand towards in token of reverence or to bow down. It is telling and showing God just how much we love Him and how much we appreciate all that He has done for us. He gave us His Only Son, Jesus!

Thank you, God, for special times such as this that you have given us to worship you in spirit and in truth. It is wonderful to realize we can worship You at any time - even at a goat show!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen