Daddy's Empty Chair

A man's daughter had asked the local minister

to come and pray with her father.
When the minister arrived,

he found the man lying in bed with his head

propped up on two pillows.


An empty chair sat beside his bed.
The minister assumed that the old fellow

had been informed of his visit.
"I guess you were expecting me, he said.

'No, who are you?" said the father.
The minister told him his name and then remarked,

"I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew

I was going to show up."


"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man.
"Would you mind closing the door?"
Puzzled, the minister shut the door.
"I have never told anyone this,

not even my daughter," said the man.
<>
"But all of my life I have never

known how to pray.

At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went
right over my head."


I abandoned any attempt at prayer,"

the old man continued, "

until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, "Johnny,
prayer
is just a simple matter

of having a conversation with Jesus.



Here is what I suggest.

"Sit down in a chair;

place an empty chair in front of you,
and in faith see Jesus on the chair.


It's not spooky because he promised,

'I will be with you always'.
"Then just speak to him in the same way

you're doing with me right now."


"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much

that I do it a couple of hours every day.

I'm careful though . If my daughter saw me talking

to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me
off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man
to continue on the journey.
Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil,

and returned to the church.


Two nights later the daughter called

to tell the minister that her daddy

had died that afternoon.
Did he die in peace?" he asked.


Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock,

he called me over to his bedside,

told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek.
When I got back from the store an hour later,

I found him .


But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just
before Daddy died,

he leaned over and rested his head on the chair
beside the bed. What do you make of that?"

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said,

"I wish we could all go like that."

Monkees Sermon

While surfing the internet I came across this from Redland Baptist Church. It is used here by permission of Pastor Mark Adams. It's an article with the Monkees used as a basis. No matter if you are a fan of the Monkees or not you should read this article.


This past Christmas one of my favorite gifts came from Lois Brown & Patti Graves. In going through Lois' house to get it ready to sell, they came across some old 33 1/3 record albums that had belonged to her son, and thought I would enjoy having them. The recordings were made by a pop/rock group from the late 60's known as THE MONKEES. I guess Lois & Patti heard I was a fan. And I am.....in fact, when I was in Junior High I was not just a fan of the MONKEES...I was a devoted fan of THE MONKEES. I scrimped and saveed so that I could purchase every one of their records as soon as it came out. I never missed an episode of their weekly TV show. I knew all of their songs by heart...still do! I even went so far as to pattern my life after those four guys.
Mike Nesmith, lead guitarist for the MONKEES, always wore a knit hat with a little ball on the top and so I decided to do the same...even in the summer. Mickie Dolenz-drummer for THE MONKEES always wore a wide belt with a big buckle and he wore the buckle on the side....not in the front...so I did too. THE MONKEES became the focus of my life. They traveled around in a converted Pontiac station wagon...candy-apple read with a white canvas top....called the MONKEEMOBILE. I remember approving of my parent's decision to purchase a new Pontiac station wagon that year because this provided me with one more way to relate to my heros. I didn't usually purchase magazines in those days but I remember buying several copies of 16 magazine because they were filled with pictures-candid shots -- of THE MONKEES and I cut them out and pinned them up on the walls of my room.
Soon my room was WALL-TO-WALL MONKEE pictures.
Well, one night at the height of my MONKEE madness, I had trouble sleeping. I just didn't feel right...there was a feeling of unease deep in my spirit....almost a fear. I tossed and turned for hours but could not find peace enough to sleep. I finally was driven to my knees in prayer and as I talked to God and listened to His still small voice I began to see my fascination with THE MONKEES in a different light.
I began to understand that this feeling of unease that I was experiencing was a message from God...a warning that I had allowed this singing group to become a real idol. I had given them too much of my devotion....I had built too much of my life around my love of these four guys and their music.
So after a prayer of repentance I got up and took all those pictures down...everyone of them....and threw them all away. I left hundreds of little pin holes in my wall....but the moment I finished this task my fear and unrest left and I slept like a baby.
Now,before you chalk this up to typical teenage behavior you should understand that all of us struggle with idols in our lives no matter what our age. Webster defines an idol as "ANY object of passionate devotion...ANY object of worship." He says that to idolize something is "to love or admire it to excess." And I have seen people of all ages love or admire things to excess...things just as silly as THE MONKEES. All of us struggle with idolatry in some form or other. And, in today's text Jesus warns us of something that can very easily become an idol for all of us if we let it. Take your Bibles and turn to Matthew 6:19-24 and let's read our Lord's warning together...
19 - Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 - But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 - The eye is a lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 - But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 - No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Now any THING can become an idol in our lives....we are sinful people who have the ability to make any THING an object of our passionate devotion. But in this text Jesus is warning us that there is ONE thing that is very easy for us to love to excess....perhaps in all of life it is the easiest thing for us to idolize. THE THING I AM REFERRING TO OF COURSE IS MONEY.
In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus went so far as to picture MONEY as an evil entity...a false god....opposed to the purposes of God. Jesus even gave money a Semitic name: Mammon. And this was a new thing...no one else in the culture of Jesus' day had given money a name like this -- as if it were a living thing. But Jesus did. And Jesus made this unique point because He of course saw everything in a unique way. He looked at everything with the eyes of God....and from His eternal perspective He saw things the rest of the world could not. Jesus saw that money was not just a neutral medium of exchange but was something that we very easily lift to idol status. And when we do this...when we love it to excess...Jesus knew that money could take on a power with a life of it's own.
Now before we go any further, let me make a very important point here....it is not the amount of money that is the problem. Idolizing MAMMON is not a practice limited to those who are wealthy....the poor can just as easily slip into this practice.
John Michael Talbot is the General Minister of The Hermitage, a community of monks, nuns, and families belonging to a religious order called The Brothers and Sisters of Charity. Everyone in the group is committed to living a simple life, and has relinquished all but the most necessary possessions. Talbot writes, "Taking a vow of poverty is not a cure for materialism.
Many people come to this community and go from being selfish with thousands of dollars to being selfish with a coffee mug." You see our problem with things is not how much we have...it is our attitude about what we have. As it says in I Timothy 6:10 money is not the problem it is the LOVE of money that puts us under the spell of Mammon.
When we love money to excess-no matter how much or little we have-it can take on a personality of its own....an evil force if we let it.
Now is this a little extreme? Isn't it ONLY money? Aren't these coins and bills just inanimate objects? Or, can they become an evil force....a false God...for us to worship? Are our wallets possessed? Let's take a few minutes here to consider this....is money as a god of sorts in our culture?
1. Well, when you think about it MONEY IS almost a SACRED thing to us.
When I say "sacred," I'm speaking of something that has the mysterious power to elicit our loyalty, to confer worth to us personally, something that we organize our lives around.
Well, is money "sacred" to us in that sense? I think we'd have to honestly say "Yes, it is." For...Money is a very personal, private thing in our society. If you doubt this then the next time you are invited to a party and the conversation lulls test this out by saying, "Let's all share how much money we made last year. In fact, why don't we pass around each other's check books so we can read the register and see how we spend our money!" If you were to do that you'd never be invited to that house again....this kind of statement would be considered the greatest kind of social mistake that you could make. For money is a very personal, private thing.
And, In our society, people do ascribe worth to other people based on the amount of money they have. How many times have you heard someone comment on a person who is known to be wealthy by asking, "I wonder how much he is WORTH?" Dr. Lee Salk, professor of psychology at the New York Hospital Cornell medical Center, says, "People jockey to find out what other people earn because, in our society, money is a symbol of strength, influence, and power."
Then, consider of how much of our lives are spent in one way or another in relationship to money...thinking about money....working to accumulate money...worrying about money. The most common source of marital difficulty is disagreements over money. And more than a few people here would have to confess that their favorite thing in life is spending money.
So I think we would be accurate in saying that there is a sacredness and spirituality to our attitudes about money.
2. And then, MONEY does deceive us in the same way that a false god would.
It promises something it does not deliver. Money assures us that it will make us happy...that it will bring us fulfillment. Money tends to lead us to believe that if we only had more of it, everything would be great....If only we had a bigger house or a nicer car or a better wardrobe things would be better for us. And of course we discover that this is not true....things don't make us happy...no matter how many things we have. As it says in Ecclesiastes 5:10, "Whoever loves money never has enough money...whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income."
This week I came across some statistics about money and people. Statistics say that the percentage of Americans who earn less than $15,000 a year and believe they have achieved the American dream is 5%. Now that is understandable....Fifteen thousand dollars a year is not really much....I think it is at or very near the poverty level.
So it is understandable that only 5% of those people would think they've achieved the American dream. What is interesting though is that -- of Americans who make over $50,000 a year, the percentage of those who believe that they have achieved the American dream is only 6%. A $35,000 difference in income and only one percentage point difference in the level of happiness! You see money deceives us....it promises happiness...it promises to make our dreams come true if we get more of it...and then it does not deliver. In fact usually the opposite of joy -- depression -- usually follows purchases. We buy something thinking it will make us happy and then it doesn't...we realize it wasn't worth it....so what do we do?
We go and buy something else thinking it will make us happy. We find ourselves on a treadmill of sorts...we're like alcoholics thinking one more drink will solve our problem. We experience what King Solomon did when he had everything money could buy. Listen to his words from
Ecclesiastes 2 : "I built great houses for myself and planted vineyards...I made gardens and parks and owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem.
I amassed silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces....I denied myself no THING that my eyes desired...
...yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done...everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
NO THING was gained under the sun."
So money is like a false God in that it deceives us.
3. And then another demonic quality that money can take on when we idolize it is that it leads us to invest in things that are not really important in life.
Jesus warned us of this when He said that the love of money causes us to tend to "store up for ourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." Dr. Ben Carson is the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. In his new book The Big Picture, he shares a personal experience in which he witnessed the love of money changing people's focus from the important to the unimportant. Dr. Carson grew up in near poverty and gathering the necessary funds to get a good education was a real struggle for him. He writes that his dorm room at Yale was the most comfortable living space he had ever had....it was affluent in comparison to the home he grew up in. But this was not true for many of his fellow classmates who came from very well-to-do homes. Dr. Carson had almost no spending cash but his room-mates had a seemingly limitless supply. They were constantly purchasing clothes and costly sound systems for their rooms or a taking girls out on very expensive dates.
Spending their endless stream of money took time from their studies and many of these guys flunked out as a result. On the other hand, Carson's poverty helped him focus on his studies. He had no money to distract him in this way. Carson's classmates could have become doctors....investing their lives in things of eternal significance but they allowed money to divert them from this purpose. You see, money can lead us to focus on temporary things instead of things of eternal value. It can cause us to get things mixed up in life. .
In an article for CHRISTIANITY TODAY, Gary Thomas writes, "Thinking about eternity helps us retrieve perspective. I'm reminded of this every year when I figure my taxes. During the year, I rejoice at the pay checks and the extra income and sometimes flinch when I write out the tithe and offering checks. I do my best to be a joyful giver, but I confess it is not always easy, especially when there are other perceived needs and wants. At the end of the year, however, all of that changes. As I'm figuring my tax liability, I wince at every source of income and rejoice with every tithe and offering check-More income means more tax, but every offering and tithe means less tax. Everything is turned, up-side down, or perhaps more appropriately, right-side up. I suspect Judgement Day will be like that."
And it will, in I Corinthians 3 Paul reminds us that when we stand before God at the end of time...
"...our work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work." But until we have that eternal perspective many of us idolize money and when we do we ascribe worth to the wrong things. This reminds me of the story of a very wealthy man who was nearing death. He had repeatedly heard the phrase, "You can't take it with you." but he vowed to anyway. He sold all his possessions and had all of his money converted into gold bars and put them in a big sack and left instructions that when he was buried that sack would be placed around his neck.
Well he died and arrived at the pearly gates with this sack of gold around his neck. Peter met him and told him he would have to leave that sack behind. But the man insisted and said, "No, I'm taking this in with me!" Peter said, "You cannot take this with you into heaven. If you won't leave it behind then I have no choice but to send you to hell." The man said, "Well, okay...I'll go to hell because I will not enter heaven without the contents of this sack." Peter said, "Well, okay....but before you head off to hell, could I look in the bag to see what is so important?"
The man allowed him to do this and when Peter looked in the bag he exclaimed, "You gave up Heaven for pavement?" That's the way Mammon works....it leads us to ascribe great value to things that are really worthless from an eternal perspective.
4. And then fourthly, when we love money it becomes like a false god in that it pushes us away from the One True God.
In this text Jesus sets money-MAMMON-in opposition to God. Remember, He said, "You cannot serve both God and Mammon." To try and do so would force us to hate one and love the other....their purposes are opposed to each other. Dietrich Bonhoefer said, "Our hearts have room only for one all-embracing devotion, and we can only cleave to one Lord."
So, Jesus is warning us here that MAMMON can become a lord in our lives....a force that disrupts our relationship with God and leads us away from accomplishing His purposes. I came across some other interesting stats about money recently. In American households with an income under $10,000 a year the average giving to charitable causes is 2.8%. Now, you would think that when the income goes up the percentage of giving to God's purposes....such as helping the poor and the needy...the percentage of giving to the church would rise. But it doesn't work that way because so many people let money ensnare them and push them away from God and doing things that would please Him. The stats show that in households with income between $50,000 and $75,000 a year the average giving is only 1.5%....half that of families living at the poverty level. You see, money can get a hold of us... MAMMON can change our focus in life....from doing God's will to doing what we want....from working to meet the financial needs of the kingdom of God to selfishly satisfying our own desires. We tend to think that we use money...that we own it...but if we are not carefule it is the other way around. Money owns and uses us.
So, back to our original question: Is Jesus being extreme when He gives money the name MAMMON and describes it as a false God? Well, no, I don't think He is....for as we have pointed out...money-MAMMON-has many characteristics of a false God. * To us it can become a sacred thing. And it does deceive us....promising one thing and delivering another. And, like a false God, it tempts us to focus on the temporary, unimportant things of life and not the eternal things. And indeed it can even put us in opposition to the purposes of God.
So Jesus was NOT being extreme. It is VERY easy for us to love money to excess...to worship it...to idolize it....and when we do Satan is more than ready to use it as a powerful evil force. Jesus was right to give money the name MAMMON....Money does have a destructive potential. In Jesus' time here on earth, He repeatedly dealt with money matters because MONEY MATTERS.
Did you know Jesus had more to say about money and stewardship than about any other subject: including HEAVEN, HELL, SALVATION, and THE SECOND COMING? In fact one out of every four verses in the New Testament has to do with POSSESSIONS. And in some of these texts Jesus pointedly describes money as an entity...a false god preventing an individual from coming to know and follow God. Remember when the rich young ruler asked Jesus how he could have eternal life and he received the startling reply, "Go and sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow Me." (Matthew 19:21 ) You see to this young man, material things HAD become a god....an all-consuming idol opposed to God and it had to be rejected totally. Remember Jesus' lunch with Zacchaeus? Jesus freed him of this possession by Mammon and he was so excited that he responded by exclaiming, "Half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have defrauded any one of anything I will restore it four fold" (Luke 19:8 ) And....remember after this statement in which Zacchaeus renounced money's claim on his life Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this house." or "Since you have ceased to worship the false god, Mammon, salvation has come to this house!" You see in these cases Jesus saw money as an idolatry these two men had to be converted FROM before they could be converted TO Him. And money -- mammon-can just as easily becomes a god in our lives.
Well, what are we do? How can we free ourselves from the destructive power of Mammon? How can we prevent it from staking claim to our lives? Well God gives us a very simple solution. He tells us that the way to defeat Mammon is by GIVING. Throughout scripture Christians are advised to avoid Mammon's clutches by GIVING instead of HOARDING. Romans 12:8 lists "GIVING" as one of the spiritual gifts bestowed on believers by the Holy Spirit. In I Timothy 3:3 Paul advises young Timothy that deacons should not be lovers of money inferring that they should give to meet the needs of others. In II Corinthians 8 we are told to emulate Christ by "excelling in the grace of giving."
You see, Mammon's law is to get and get and get and when we do the opposite...when we give and give and give to meet the needs of others we deal a fatal blow to Mammon. Where there is selfless giving, money-Mammon -- is impotent. Do you understand what a revolutionary thing takes place when we give our offerings on Sunday morning? We're not just doing this so that we can pay salaries or pay the mortgage or send money to missions. We are doing this to worship. The primary reason we pass these plates every Sunday is because to do so is an act of worship... In giving we exalt the One True God. When we put money in the offering plate we are at the same time saying "Yes" to God and "No" to Mammon. We profane that false god, MAMMON, and say "You have no power over us." Gordon Crosby once said, "To give away money is to win a victory over the dark powers that oppress us."
Well, since GIVING is so important we should have a thorough understanding of it....so let me suggest two basic guidelines for the kind of giving that defeats Mammon.... Well first of all we must remember that scripture teaches that God owns everything we have and we give re remind us of this.
So we should dedicate all of our income...every single one of our earthly possessions...to God because we realize that it is all His in the first place. In Job 41 God declares, "whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine." To Moses, God said, "All the earth is Mine." (Exodus 19:5-6 ). And Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." John Wesley once said, "When the Possessor of Heaven and Earth brought you into being and placed you in this world, He placed you here not as an owner but as a steward." You see God's ownership of everything changes the kind of question we ask in giving. Rather than, "How much of my money should I give to God?" we learn to ask, "How much of God's money should I keep for myself?" I had thought to title this sermon, "THE SERMON ON THE AMOUNT" because that is what Jesus is talking about here....the amount we should dedicate to God-not 10% but 100%.
True stewardship is realizing that all we have comes from God and the way we live every moment and spend every cent should reflect that belief. In his book, Master Your Money, Ron Blue said, "Stewardship is the use of God-given resources for the accomplishment of God-given goals."
You see, we are not owners...we are stewards. That's why we don't call this emphasis "givership" and instead call it "stewardship". To foil Mammon's control over our lives we must realize that all we have is God's.
Secondly we should make giving a lifestyle.
I heard about a little girl who experienced a major breakthrough in her life when she learned to tie her own shoes. But instead of excitement she was overcome with tears. Her father asked, "Why are you crying?" "I just learned to tie my shoes," she said. "Well that's great!" "I know," she wailed, "But I'm going to have to do it for the rest of my life." And you know many of us feel this way when it comes to stewardship. We learn that it is exciting to give....but then we realize we have to do it over and over and over again for the rest of our lives. Stewardship isn't an annual thing.....it is a lifestyle that God calls us to. I know we are focusing on stewardship today but the emphasis on stewardship is never over around here...every Sunday is Stewardship Sunday.
For Stewardship is nothing less that all we do with all we have for all of our lives.
Did you know that in Ghana the only way to ask the question, "What is your religion?" is to ask, "Whom do you serve?" Well, why don't we each ask ourselves that question this morning....Whom do I serve? For that is the question Jesus puts before us in this text. He wants us to understand that we must make a choice. We can serve God, or we can serve money. We cannot serve both. Jesus doesn't tell us it's unwise to serve both. He doesn't tell us it's difficult to serve both. He doesn't tell us it's spiritually immature to try to serve both. He tells us it's impossible to serve both.

We must make a choice. We come now to the close of our service and you know in a very real sense the offering is not what we do in the middle of the service each week. It is what we do now -- at the end of the service. We sing a closing hymn each week to give each of us an opportunity to offer our lives to God in some way.
Today that offering may involve your joining this church...or rededicating some aspect of your life to Christ. It may involve a commitment to begin tithing...or renouncing some THING's claim on your life. It may mean your deciding to become a Christian.....surrendering your life to God as you repent of your sin and embrace the forgiveness that Jesus offers. We invite you to share these decisions with us publicly now as we stand and sing. And remember, if you need to talk to someone after the service there will be deacons stationed just outside the doors ready and willing to talk.

John 8:1-11

1) But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2) Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3) The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4) they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5) Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" 6) This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7) And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." 8) And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 9) But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10) Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11) She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."

Why Did Jesus Fold The Napkin?

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.
Early Sunday morning,while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'
Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there , but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside.
He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.
Is that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.
The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished.
Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers and mouth with that napkin and toss it on to the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done.' But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, 'I'm not finished yet.'
The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

IF YOU BELEIVE HE IS COMING BACK - PASS IT ON, I DID!

What Will Be Your Legacy?

"I will not die, but I will live to tell what the Lord has done.

Psalm 118:17 NLT

"

Famous last words

"John Wycliffe lay dying in Lutterworth, England. The year was 1384, and most of his influential friends in church and state had deserted him. Many thought he had gone too far.

For one thing, Wycliffe had dared to translate the Bible into English. He also urged a separation of church and state in order to reform the church. He attacked the corruption and the abuses of power that he observed—particularly among the friars. But most of all he preached that the Bible should be made available in every language.

It sounded like heresy, and since Wycliffe was now at the point of death, some felt he should reconsider his statements. So four friars and four senators crowded into his bedroom. They spoke sternly to him, reminding him of all he had advocated. Now was the time to confess the error of his ways.

Wycliffe was surprisingly alert. He asked if he could be raised in his bed so he could speak more clearly. Then he summoned all his remaining strength to quote Psalm 118:17, or at least part of it: ""I will not die, but I will live, and will again declare the evil deed of the friars.""

Wycliffe died, but his message and work lived on: the English Bible available to the common people. People die, but what they have begun is not halted by death. The trail they have left behind them goes on ahead of them.

adapted from The One Year® Book of Psalms with devotionals by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen (Tyndale) entry for October 1"

Mark 12:1-12

1) And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 2) When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3) And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4) Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5) And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. 6) He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' 7) But those tenants said to one another, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8) And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9) What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. 10) Have you not read this scripture: `The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; 11) this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" 12) And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away.

John 6:60-71

60) Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61) But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62) Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63) It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64) But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." 66) After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67) Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 68) Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69) and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." 70) Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" 71) He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was to betray him.

Luke 21:5-19

5) And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said,6) "As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." 7) And they asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?" 8) And he said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and, `The time is at hand!' Do not go after them. 9) And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once." 10) Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11) there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12) But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13) This will be a time for you to bear testimony. 14) Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; 15) for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16) You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; 17) you will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18) But not a hair of your head will perish. 19) By your endurance you will gain your lives."

The Package

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college.
For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a
dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he
told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his
father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation,
his father called him into his private study. His father told him how
proud he was to have such a fine son,and told him how much he loved him.

He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.
Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and
found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.

Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all
your money, you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house,
leaving the Bible.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business.
He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was
very old and thought perhaps he should go to him.

He had not seen him since that graduation day.
Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling
him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son.
He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret
filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important
papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With
tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully
underlined a verse:

Matthew 7:11, "And if ye, being evil know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in
heaven, give to those who ask Him?"

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the
Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the
sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and
the words...

PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not
packaged as we expected?

I trust you enjoyed this. Pass it on to others. Do not spoil
what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what
you now have was once among the things you only hoped for...

IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKED THE WAY YOU WANT IT, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS
BETTER PACKED THAT WAY! ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS;

THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO ATTACHMENTS!

PLEASE SEND THIS TO AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE SO AS TO LET THIS GREAT
LESSON FLOW AROUND.

My advice:
Never pass up an opportunity to tell someone how you feel about
them.
And when it comes to good friends, or family: forgive, forgive,
forgive! It's never worth the pain to hold grudges, go years without
seeing someone or missing an opportunity to say I LOVE YOU! Life is so short and
you just may never get the chance to tell them again. And believe me, it's never worth the pain!

Matthew 8:18-27 and 9:1-7

Matthew 8:18-27, 9:1-7
18) Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19) And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20) And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." 21) Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 22) But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." 23) And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24) And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25) And they went and woke him, saying, "Save, Lord; we are perishing." 26) And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27) And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" 9:1) And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2) And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." 3) And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming" 4) But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5) For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? 6) But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-he then said to the paralytic-"Rise, take up your bed and go home." 7) And he rose and went home.

God Will Bless the Humble People

Content to stay at the back of the line
"God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
Matthew 5:3 NLT"
The poor in spirit "There is probably no living man through whom God has worked more mightily than Billy Graham. Dr. Graham has reached more people with the gospel of Jesus than perhaps any person in history. Yet those who know him best don't usually talk about his accomplishments or the number of people he's led to Christ. They talk of his unbelievable humility. Several years ago Dr. Graham was interviewed on PrimeTime Live. He was sitting somberly in a chair when the last question came his way: "What do you want people to say about you when you're gone?" His response took many by surprise. "I don't want people to say anything about me. I want them to talk about my Savior. The only thing I want to hear is Jesus saying, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.'" Then he bowed his head and said softly, "But I'm not sure I'm going to hear that." It was a rare but honest look into the true nature of Billy Graham's heart. In spite of all he's done for the work of the Kingdom, he still sees himself unworthy of God's commendation. The highest honor in heaven is reserved for those who least expect it. The first in line to receive his blessing will likely be the ones who were content to stay at the back of the line on earth. If you want to know the true strength and power of Billy Graham's life, look at his heart, not his crusade attendances. God doesn't save us because of who we are or what we've done, but because of our faith in accepting his gift of salvation.from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 51

THE BIRTH OF THE SONG "PRECIOUS LORD"

Back in 1932, I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie
and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago 's south side. One hot
August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis , where I was to be the featured
soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn't want to go.

Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child. But a lot
of people were expecting me in St. Louis. I kissed Nettie good-bye,
clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze,
chugged out of Chicago on Route 66.

However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, I
had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found
Nettie sleeping peace-fully. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly
telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb
Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with
my music.

The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to
sing again and again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with
a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow
sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED.

People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep
from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on
the other end was "Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead."

When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung
between grief and joy. Yet that same night, the baby died. I buried Nettie
and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart.

For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I
didn't want to serve Him anymore or write gospel songs. I just wanted to go
back to that jazz world I once knew so well. But then, as I hunched alone
in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon
I went to St. Louis. Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was
that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I
would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died.

From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was
lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially a friend, Professor
Fry, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening
he took me up to Malone's Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was
quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. I sat down
at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something
happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out
and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, once into my head they
just seemed to fall into place:

"Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand! I am tired, I am
weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night lead me on to the
light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home."

The Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I
learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from
God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring
power.

And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes
when He will take me and gently lead me home.

-Thomas Andrew Dorsey-(not the big bandleader)

A Reformer's Refuge

"A mighty fortress is our God.

A bulwark never failing.
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe—
His craft and pow'r are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not His equal.

A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Martin Luther (1483-1546)

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

Psalm 46:1-3 NLT

"

The great reformer

"After posting his ninety-five theses on the door of Wittenberg's Castle Church in October 1517, Martin Luther faced many years of trials and persecution. And during the years of the ensuing Protestant Reformation, Luther came to know better than most the gracious power of God's sheltering hand. He confidently stepped forward to defend the truth he found in God's Word, despite excommunication from the Roman church, continual threats to his life and freedom, and times of intense spiritual battle.

In the comforting words of Psalm 46, Luther found the inspiration for this hymn that would become the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation. Many who suffered for their faith during that time found solid comfort in Luther's words of faith and praise. "A mighty fortress is our God!"

from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown (Tyndale) entry for October 31 "

The Old Paths

I wish the old paths were before us instead of behind us... Amen!

THE OLD PATHS
I liked the old paths, when
Moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay;
Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook;
Dads would work;
Children would behave.

Husbands were loving;
Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry;
And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies;
Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.

People loved the truth,
And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal;
And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked;
Drugs were for illness;
And divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was honored;
America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house
To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called a Christian was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!


Preachers preached because they had a message;
And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible;
Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!

A new birth meant a new life;
Salvation meant a changed life;
Following Christ led to eternal life.

Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;
Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;
Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;
And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible;
Homes read the Bible;
And churches taught the Bible.

God was worshiped;
Christ was exalted;
And the Holy Spirit was respected..

Church was where you found Christians
on the Lord's day, rather than in the garden,
on the creek bank, on the golf course,
Or being entertained somewhere else.

I still like the old paths the best!



"The Old Paths" was written by a retired minister who lives
In Tennessee.

God is a refuge for the oppressed

God blesses in the midst of suffering

For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. He has not turned and walked away. He has listened to their cries for help.

Psalm 22:24 NLT

Those who suffer the same things from the same people for the same Person can scarcely not love each other.

C. S. Lewis

"

Suffering—the soil of spiritual growth

"The Bible does not promise that Christians won't suffer. In fact, the Scriptures give much evidence that we can expect to suffer, given the evil that is in the world around us and the sin that is in us.

What God does promise is that our suffering can become the catalyst for new growth. God promises to redeem our suffering into his glory.

What griefs are you currently suffering? Can you entrust them to God, confident that he will use them to bring new growth into your life?

The worst kind of suffering is that which we experience alone. When we suffer with another person who is sympathetic to our problem, the suffering is easier to bear. Throughout history, God has sympathized with suffering people. He hears our cries. How would your life and outlook be different if you become convinced that God never failed to respond to your pain?

from the TouchPoint Bible with commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 538, 479"

Extinguishing Protestantism in France

"I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.

Isaiah 45:7 NLT

"

"The Wars of Religion began in France in 1562 between the Roman Catholics and the French Protestants called Huguenots. Though he had to convert to Catholism to ascend to the throne, Henry IV did not forget his Huguenot roots, and in 1598 issued the Edict of Nantes, which gave the Huguenots freedom of religion, civil equality, and fair administration of justice…the first time freedom was granted to two religions to coexist in a nation.

Louis XIV shared none of his grandfather's empathy for the Huguenots, and on October 18, 1685, he revoked the Edit of Nantes. All Huguenot worship and education were forbidden, and all Huguenot churches were either destroyed or turned into Catholic churches.

Mounted soldiers were housed in the homes of Huguenots. The troops were given license to do anything they pleased, short of murder, leading to horrendous acts of torture and humiliation.

Of the 1.5 million Huguenots living in France in 1660, over the next decades 400,000 risked their lives by escaping across the guarded borders into countries across Europe. Many also fled to the American colonies.

At the height of the Reformation nearly half of the population of France was Huguenot. But as a result of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and the intense persecution that followed, today less than one percent of the French share the faith of the Huguenots, making France a mission field for the gospel.

adapted from The One Year® Book of Christian History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten (Tyndale) pp 584-5" Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Time

I knelt to pray but not for long,

I had too much to do.

I had to hurry and get to work

For bills would soon be due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,

And jumped up off my knees.

My Christian duty was now done

My soul could rest at ease.....

All day long I had no time

To spread a word of cheer

No time to speak of Christ to friends,

They'd laugh at me I'd fear.

No time, no time, too much to do,

That was my constant cry,

No time to give to souls in need

But at last the time, the time to die.

I went before the Lord,

I came, I stood with downcast eyes.

For in his hands God! held a book;

It was the book of life.

God looked into his book and said

"Your name I cannot find

I once was going to write it down...

But never found the time"