August 23, 2015-Leaving a Legacy

Table Talk for 8/23/2015

With Spencer moving out Thursday and going to college and Sydnee and Sami busy building thier lives and careers, I have been given a moment to reflect on this stage of my life and Bev's and my marriage. 

What I've concluded, besides it being quieter and cheaper around the house, is that this is simply one more step in life's journey that is to be welcomed and not mourned. I have begun to see that my children are carrying with them a memory of life with me, while they build their own lives. This is part of my legacy.

God gives each of us opportunity to build our legacy. Even a child born without life or living only a short time leaves a legacy. The family I asked prayers for awhile back who lost their child shortly after he was born have taken that experience as a life-changing event that will always be with all of them. That baby left a legacy.

As I was going through the cemetary the other day, I looked at the variety of different memorials left for people who had passed. Some were large and ornate, others simple and small. For the very old memorials, no one recalls the person or has a face in their mind as to what they looked like. 

Even the very large, ornate memorials mark graves of souls who are strangers to most or all of us. We relate to these markers by a familiar name or the fact that they too had a connection to where we now stand.

This is really not a legacy since by definition, a legacy is anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor. We have been given a headstone with a name or face we cannot recall but nothing from them directly that would merit a legacy.

How many of us have memories of those buried behind this church, who have names on items donated to the church, or those mentioned in the record book in the back? The legacy of this church remains but we have largely forgotten many of the individuals who have left it to us. Memories of people fade away as the people who knew them do.

Only one person has a true legacy that will endure forever, and that is Jesus Christ. Even though He was born to two parents who were relatively unknown and unimportant and He Himself lived a relatively unknown life until the end. His influence is greater than any king, any wealthy person, any giver or taker who has ever lived. His legacy is the hope of mankind. And we can develop a personal relationship with Him through acceptance and prayer.

I realize that any legacy I am able to leave will be short-lived and probably limited to a relatively small group of people. Who knows, I may be forgotten shortly after I am gone! But I also realize that by building my faith over a lifetime I can become part of Jesus' legacy, and more importantly I can help others do the same.

Our souls are only here on Earth for a short time. In this time we are to interact with others in a way that impacts their lives in some memorable way. That will be our legacy. Will it be a material legacy where "things" become our focus and what we try to pass on? Or will it be a "faith legacy" where a relationship with God is what we focus on and by doing so lead others to the same saving Grace that we found.

As written by Paul to the Colossians:

"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ." (‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23-24‬ NLT)

And a quote from Billy Graham sums it up pretty well; "The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith."

As we partake of these elements of communion let us remember the legacy of hope that Jesus left us by recognizing the sanctity of His body as written in Mark 14:22; "As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.” May we bow our heads in a word of prayer for the loaf?

June 28, 2015-Live by Faith, Hope, and Love

Table Talk for 6/28/2015

I have had experiences, like I am sure many of you have had, especially over the past month or so that have tested my ability as a child of God to have faith. 1st John offers much to help us understand today's world and our struggles in it, this is 1st John 5:4;

“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.”
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I have spoken before about handing things over to God and relieving myself of worry through faith. And, this is something I have gotten better at but at times it is still a challenge to overcome the pressures of this world and do it every time! This is the same challenge we all face as mortal beings up until our last breath.

It seems as though every day we are challenged in our faith and in what we believe, worrying about worldly things or feeling as though we are pushed towards judging others. It is especially in these times that we should turn to the Word as our guide and then to prayer as our answer.

Several things have seemed insurmountable to me and my family lately, like Spencer's unexpected complications when he was to be released from the hospital last week. When we face something that seems like a roadblock and something likely to bring us down, bring it to God in prayer and let Him help us, just as Jesus said we should do in Mark 10:27;

“Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
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This past week has revealed changes in the world around us that make us examine our belief in what we feel is right and wrong. We need to remember our role and our place in this world. There is scripture which tells us that Jesus is the only one who can judge us, as in John 8:7;

“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!””
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And in Matthew 7:1;

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”
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Sin is a reality we all face and based on scriptures and early church teaching, all sins are not the same. There are The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, which have been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct Christians concerning mankind's tendency to sin and these sins are: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.

And scriptures that tell us that certain sins can keep us from God, such as those mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21;

"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God."

And those things that God hates in Proverbs 6:16-19;

"There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family."

So what should we do? These deadly sins are things we see all around us and they are obviously are wrong in God's eyes, but all sin is bad. One answer is found, again in 1st John, this is chapter 5 verse 16;

“If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it.”
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The objective and the power of prayer is often overlooked but I believe the most simple answer to worldly issues that we are uncertain about is to remember the words in 1 Corinthians 13:13;

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
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In the bible, Love always wins, and faith and hope can help us move mountains!

Mark‬ ‭14:22‬ ‭NLT
“As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.”

As we bow our heads in a prayer for the loaf let us remember the connection that Jesus made to His disciples between the bread and His body. The body which was broken for all of our sins.

May 3, 2015-Purpose vs. Reason

"What is your purpose?"
That question can be difficult to answer if we look past the surface.
Our purpose is sometimes clearly defined, for example: as mother or father, sister or brother. Sometimes it is far more obscure, what is your purpose for being here right now? Is this an easy question for you to answer?

But if I were to ask, "What is your reason?"
This is something we have far less difficulty answering. We give reasons all of the time, sometimes legitimately but others are given as excuses. What is your reason for being right here, right now? How many of us can answer this question much easier than the first?

Several weeks ago I heard the statement;
"There needs to be a reason for there to be a purpose."
I wrote it down then and began to think about what it says. What really comes first, reason or purpose? Or are they the same thing?

To avoid some confusion, I want to first say that I believe these two things are not the same. Purpose does not equal reason. "The reason for life" is not the same as "The purpose of life." Purpose is underlying and independent, reason is fickle and subjective.
Grammatically, Purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists while Reason is a cause, explanation or justification for an action or event.

This struck me as interesting and caused me apply it to Christian belief. If the original statement were true, that "There needs to be a reason for there to be a purpose" our faith would simply be the reason we believe in and have a purpose for Jesus as our savior. In fact, the purpose for Christian faith is knowing that Jesus is our savior and that is what leads to the reasons we accept or deny him in our lives. The sentence is backwards! It should read; "There needs to be a purpose for there to be a reason." If we live this way our reasons for doing things becomes much more clear and consistent, we are living for our purpose of honoring our Savior.

Purpose and reason are both common themes in the Bible, here are just a few examples of scriptures with "purpose."

Discussion of purpose is a prominant throughout the Book of Ecclesiastes, for example ‭(Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬ NLT): "And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him."

Purpose is mentioned in Proverbs (19‬:‭21‬ NLT) "You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail."

And as Jesus taught about the Laws of Moses from the Book of Matthew (5‬:‭17-18‬ NLT): “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved."

Do we always keep our faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as our purpose? Or do we give reasons for what we do? For me, sometimes worldy problems and human weakness cause me to find reasons for straying from my purpose. I found the following motivational quote that I am hopeful can help me in times when I revert to reason instead of following purpose.

"Think in terms of your purpose. Connect your awareness to whatever drives you, and it will drive you far indeed. Purpose will find a way around the most stubborn obstacles. Purpose will bring the most meaningful and valuable possibilities into reality. Follow the purpose that is truly you. And effectiveness, enthusiasm, achievement, joy and fulfillment will all flow into your life."
(Ralph Marston-The Daily Motivator)

So, let me ask the first question again, "What is your purpose?"

As we partake of the elements of communion, let us meditate on purpose. Jesus was conveying His purpose at the last supper when he was describing the bread as His body, which would soon be broken. "As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭26‬ NLT) At the time, the disciples were confused at this and the final fulfillment of Jesus' purpose on Earth which was to soon follow. Let us remember the purpose for God sending His only son to Earth to live as a man and die on the cross for all of our sins. May this serve as the purpose for our faith and guide us in all we do.

May we bow our heads in a word for the loaf?

March 22, 2015-What is Family?

Last weekend I was in Chicago for a conference and I was away from my family. The fortunate thing was that I was kept busy most of the three days I was away because I missed Bev and the kids pretty much all the rest of the time. If you've never been there, Chicago has a lot to offer for someone out of town. What I found though was that the little bit of sightseeing I did do, dinners and a trip to The Field Museum, I was wishing one or more of my family members was there to share it with me.

Family is important to me and most other people. My Dad's current status and the one year anniversary of my Mom's passing next month, along with several other things recently have brought the importance of family to the forefront of my thought.

What is a family?
-When it is traced back, there is no known beginning of our exact linneage other than what is taught in the Old Testament. Even science offers no precise answers!
-When extended family is considered there is no foreseable end. Family has, for the most part, always been and will always be.

Family then, for most of us in our time here on Earth, has its foundation somewhere in our tree as a husband and a wife joined in marriage to become one flesh as described in Genesis 2:24, (This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. (‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬ NLT))

But defining family is not that simple, today we see families of many different types and children as beloved members of families that are not biologically theirs. Jesus offered us some insight to this question throughout the New Testament. But in Matthew 12:46-50 He defines our "heavenly family."

(As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.” Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” (‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭46-50‬ NLT))

Our heavenly bond as a family of believers is again described and confirmed in John 1:12-13, (But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. (‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭12-13‬ NLT))

This is the family that we came from and the family that we will return to. This is the family that has always existed and always will exist. This is the family that describes our relationship as a "church family" and the many other close relationships we build in this life. Everyone then is a potential family member.

Did this make my time in Chicago a more pleasurable "Family Time?" No, but it does make me feel better to know that my heavenly Father is always present and that I am always near my heavenly family when I share time with other believers.

As we break bread and share this Holy Communion, let us remember Jesus' words as he spoke to his Disciples in the upper room. They did not understand the meaning of Jesus' words, as many of us do not fully understand God's message to us today. (As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭26‬ NLT))

For anyone who is not familiar with our ceremony, we will partake of the bread as it is passed then hold the cup for a prayer.

May we bow our heads for a prayer for the loaf?

January 25, 2015-Do You Feel Unconquerable?

Do you feel unconquerable today?

Right now the members of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are both preparing themselves to be just that next week. In athletics the goal is to be unconquerable, and apparently for New England even if that means bending the rules!

But I doubt that many of us often feel unconquerable, today or any day.

I have discovered many conquerable aspects to my life, especially the past few weeks, and as I grow older the list grows.

Derrick Coleman of the Seahawks has had to be more unconquerable than most of his peers since he has had to also overcome deafness since the age of three. He is the first deaf offensive player in the NFL at a specialty position. Coleman is a Christian and has spoken about his faith, saying, "I always say that God blessed me this morning and I can do what I do." But even Mr. Coleman has been conquered this year and was placed on the injured reserved list in October. So unfortunately he won't get to play in the big game this year.

We all have little things that enter our minds and our lives that usually make us feel exactly the opposite. But, Is this how we should feel?

Does God want us to feel unconquerable?

I believe He does. He wants us to accept Jesus as our savior and through him conquer even death.

By ourselves we are usually defeated and any victories we may have come to an end, at death if not before.

Scriptures remind us of the power that God gives us, from the conquering of enemies in the Old Testament to what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

And as Paul wrote:
From Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

And from Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, do you feel unconquerable today? I say you are if you have accepted Jesus into your life!

Let us remember the power given to us by Jesus when he went to the cross for our sins when we partake of this loaf. Jesus told his disciples in the upper room on the night before his death of the events that would soon unfold. And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

November 30, 2014-Burdens

I got to spend some time with my Dad yesterday when we sprung him from the nursing home for awhile.

The process of getting him into and out of the car and house as well as the general experience made him comment that he was not going to come out for a family Christmas gathering.

It made me realize that at 94 years of age the burdens he has now are very different now than at any other time of his long life.

Physical challenges were rarely difficult for him but now he had trouble even lifting his legs and body into a car. I began to think about the fact that we all carry with us different life burdens and we often hide them very well from others.

I woke up with this poem in my head:

A Giving Season

Remember the burdens that others bear,
Know that they are not always easily seen.
What to us may seem small or temporary,
To them may be far too tortuous to share.
A simple offer of peace and comfort provision,
Could be the only blessings they are asking for.

For some...life graces seem few and bare,
Their stocks left empty through unknown chance.
In their case a gracious gift may provide the hope,
Which was faithfully brought to the Father in prayer.
Our blessings come through the process of giving,
Receiving in turn a reaction of love to warm our inner core.

Daily personal affliction for which fellow souls must care,
Might be an unseen wound that seems to never heal.
We may serve as an unexpected deliverer of relief,
To help heal pain another is quietly unwilling to share.
It is certain we do not see some trials that others carry,
Since they are hidden by broken bodies or more.

Giving seasons always carry the heavenly burden to share,
Our own blessings conferred to witness to His sacrifice.
God is seen by looking upon our fellow man with needs,
His graciousness wrapped in an opportunity right there.
All we need to do is be willing to look with a giving heart,
Allowing Him to turn us toward others to even the score.

Burdens come in all shapes and sizes but we all have them. God does not intend on us carrying them alone and He reminds of this many times in His word. Represented by the following verse from Galatians 6:2 in Pauls letter to the churches of Galatia,

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. (‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬ NLT)

So as we welcome in the Christmas season over the next three weeks, let us remember the burden of our sins carried for us by Jesus Christ. Let us remember the real meaning of Christmas and what giving truly means.

October 12, 2014-Worldly vs. Heavenly

Today I would like for you to reference one of Bev and my favorite hymns. Turn in your hymnal to #204 please. The chorus of this song summarizes my message beautifully.

We are all making our way through this world searching for truth and praying that God will lead us through our worldly trials. Every day we deal with worldly things.

Have you ever realized that you were receiving a mixed message?
Something you were unsure of because there were two different messages?
Often we get one message from the world and another from God. I am reminded of this as I read through the bible.

There are so many discrepencies between the world and the scripture, and as you read through them it becomes very clear that God's kingdom is not of this world. What He is and what he wants us to become is very different from what we coninuously see and hear from the world around us.

These are just a few of the examples I have found, but there are so many more!

The world tells us to "suck-it-up, be tough and endure."
While scripture encourages us to turn to God for help.
"As for me, I look to the LORD for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me." (‭Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬ NLT)

The world tells us "He who dies with the most toys, wins."
Scripture repeatedly tells us that our worldly possessions will not follow us to heaven but in fact, may make it more difficult to get there.
From Mark 10:21-25 As Jesus was speaking to the rich man.
Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

I have tried to break myself of the word "worry" but the world is full of worry.
The bible tells us repeatedly not to worry, one good verse that reminds us of this is Phillipians 4:6 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

Have you ever heard someone say, "I am not looking forward to today." or "It is an awful day."
God reminds us with scripture in Psalms 118:24 "This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."

As Jesus was having His last supper with the disciples in the upper room, he spoke to them of His body and His blood. They did not understand because they too were wrapped up in the worldy things of life. As we partake of these emblems let us remember the sacrifice made for us so that we may escape the bonds of this world and enter into the kingdom of heaven.

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭23-26‬ NLT)

May we bow our heads in a word for the loaf?