Have you heard the joke about Roy of Arizona?

“While enjoying an early-morning breakfast in a northern Arizona cafe’, four elderly ranchers were discussing everything from cattle, horses, and weather to how things used to be in the ‘good old days.’

“Eventually the conversation moved on to their spouses. One gentleman turned to the fellow on his right and asked, “Roy, aren’t you and your bride celebrating your 50^th wedding anniversary soon?’

“’Yup, we sure are,’ Roy replied.

“’Well, are you going to do anything special to celebrate?’ another man asked.

“The old man pondered this for a moment, then replied, ‘For our 25^th anniversary, I took Bea to Tucson. I was thinking for our 50^th I’d go back down there and get her!’”

The World’s Best Bathroom book, (Honor Books c2005) p.114

Roy of Arizona was at a crossroads in this joke. Everybody seems to be at a crossroads. There are various doors that we could go through but anxiety fills our hearts as we deliberate as to which door we should open. In Rev. 3:8 Jesus says “I put before you an open door.” We know we’re safe if Jesus is the One telling us which door to choose. Jesus also refers to the door of our heart where He is knocking for admittance.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Rev. 3:20

When Christ Waits

by Annie Johnson Flint

What a wonderful thing is this

That man may choose as he will

To open the door and let Christ in,

Or make Him wait at the still!

The sovereign Lord of the universe,

Courteous, stands and knocks;

He will not batter the shut door down,

Nor break the bolts and locks.

For man has the power of choice,

He can lift the latch if he will;

There is no knob on the outer side,

And the Lord Christ waits at the sill.

He patiently knocks and patiently waits

For man to open the door;

Beware the day when His patience ends,

And the pierced Hand knocks no more!

It is a remarkable thing to me that Almighty God will stand at our heart’s door and seek entrance. Why would He want to have fellowship with us? David asked the question pondering what is man that God would be mindful of us or the Son of man that he would visit us. My heart is stirred as I contemplate such a remarkable event and understand that God allows us to make the choice!

My Choice

by Bill McChesney (Congo Martyr)

I want my breakfast served at eight

With ham and eggs upon the plate.

A well-broiled steak I’ll eat at “one”

And dine again when day is done.

I want an ultra modern home,

And in each room a telephone;

Soft carpets, too, upon the floors,

And pretty drapes to grace the doors.

A cozy place of lovely things,

Like easy chairs with inner-springs.

And then, I’ll get a small TV –

Of course, “I’m careful what I see.”

I want my wardrobe, too, to be

Of neatest, finest quality.

With latest style in suit and vest.

Why shouldn’t Christians have the best?

But then the Master I can hear,

In no uncertain voice, so clear,

“I bid you come and follow me,

The lowly Man of Galilee.”

“Birds of the air have made their nest,

And foxes in their holes find rest;

But I can offer you no bed;

No place have I to lay my head.”

In shame I hung my head and cried,

How could I spurn the Crucified?

Could I forget the way He went,

The sleepless nights in prayer He spent?

For forty days without a bite,

Alone He fasted day and night.

Despised, rejected – on He went,

And did no stop till veil He rent.

A man of sorrows and of grief,

No earthly friend to bring relief –

“Smitten of God,” the prophet said –

Mocked, and bruised, His blood ran red.

If He be God and died for me,

No sacrifice too great can be

For me, a mortal man, to make;

I’ll do it all for Jesus sake.

Yes, I will tread the path He trod,

No other way will please my God;

So, henceforth, this my choice shall be

My choice for all eternity.

Uncle Ben’s (Harvest House c1976) p. 100

We all like choices. I love to choose what color we should paint a room or what food I want to serve our guests. Everyone would probably enjoy choosing the game they were going to play. God gave us the ability to choose. He asks us to choose Him.

TRUST in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment,

TRUST in your friends, but they will die and leave you.

TRUST in your money, and you may have it taken from you.

TRUST in your reputation and some slanderous tongue may blast it.

BUT – TRUST in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are never to be confounded in time nor in Eternity!

“Come”

by Horatius Bonar

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

“Come unto me and rest;

Lay down, thou weary one, lay down

Thy head upon My breast.”

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary, and worn, and sad;

I found in Him a resting-place,

And He has made me glad.

In Minnesota during this very frigid year, being warm is very much the focus on most people’s minds. Even some schools and some evening services have closed due to the extreme cold! Most of us, however, do not mind too much because it is a good time to curl up in the evening with hot tea, cider or coffee and a good book. Warm sweaters on top of turtlenecks are a given.

A couple of weeks ago when it was 30 to 40 below, depending on which thermometer you looked at, my husband (almost 68) and I (65) decided to go to town for an old fashioned date! We had a wonderful time! I felt a little awkward in my husband’s snowmobile bibs but very warm. We had an absolute blast and we were warm.

God also has some things to say on the subject of warmth. He, however, is not referring to the outside temperature. He is referring to our attitudes toward Himself and others. Have you ever had cold feelings toward someone? You simply do not like them! Everything they say makes you uncomfortable or angry. You would rather leave the room than share it with this person. God would have us feel differently.

Sometimes I have realized that the coldness I might feel is caused by an angry reaction and so I pray to God, asking Him to change my feelings. I lay the anger at the foot of the cross. Then I ask Him to bless that person. By the time I am done He has generally been able to change my negative attitude. But this does not cover the coldness we might feel toward someone who has obviously done some very bad things. Perhaps they have even hurt someone we love. I believe it is at this time that we need to pray for God to protect us from bitterness and ask Him to bring peace to the person. That God will bring that person to an understanding of His immense love and that He will be changed by God into a person who will please Him. Then we need to ask God to give us His Love and forgiveness.

Forgive and Forget

-Author Unknown

Oh, forgive and forget! For this life is too fleeting

To waste it in brooding o’er wrongs we have met;

It is better, far better, to smother our anger,

To teach the proud heart to forgive and forget.

Then forgive and forget! If the friends you love fondly,

Prove themselves false and unworthy of trust,

Deal with them kindly, for they are but mortals,

Erring like us, for we are but dust.

Deal with them tenderly, pity their weakness.

We know every heart hath its evil and good;

One Father in heaven we have, hence we are brothers:

Then let us forgive and forget as we should.

- Inspiring Poems compiled by C.B. Eavey (Zondervan, c.1970) p.115

You have heard the expression, “If you want to get rid of an enemy, make him your friend!” God says, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Prov. 18:24.

Strangers Are Friends We Haven’t Met

by Helen Steiner Rice

God knows no strangers, He loves us all,

The poor, the rich,

The great, the small…

He is a friend who is always there

To share our troubles

And lessen our care…

No one is a stranger in God’s sight,

For God is Love

And in His Light

May we, too, try in our small way

To make new friends

From day to day…

So pass no stranger with an unseeing eye,

For God may be sending

A new friend by.

George Eliot died as a martyr. He lived his life with the love of Christ in his heart toward others. I love his poem which was the prayer of his life. It would be wonderful if we would emulate it.

“To Make This Life Worthwhile”

by George Eliot

May every soul that touches mine,

Be it the slightest contact,

Get there from some good,

Some little grace; one kindly thought.

One aspiration yet unfelt,

One bit of courage.

For the darking sky,

One gleam of faith…

In the book of Revelation, Jesus describes one of the seven churches.

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Rev. 3:15-16

Jesus pointed out that this church had a lot of money and were very prosperous but did not know that they were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked..” Money and goods did not make them happy. They did not have peace. There was no joy — no happiness. He grieved over their indifference toward the things of God. They only cared about themselves. God calls that being lukewarm.

Just as the cold weather outside describes certain physical dangers, so coldness inside our hearts toward others and God must be avoided. If we cast our eyes on Jesus, focusing on Him, we can burn with God’s fire! The result is the joy of the Lord. Jesus came to bring us abundant joy.

Speaking of cold, however, this is Minnesota so we may as well enjoy it!

It’s winter in the Midwest
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At twenty-five below.

Oh, how I love the Midwest
When the snow’s up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I’ll hang around
I could never leave the Midwest
‘Cause I’m frozen to the ground!

E-mail

Stay Warm!

Many of us believe in God and have heard that He loves us but have a very nebulous idea of just who He is. Some believe He is a stern Judge just waiting for us to misstep so He can pound on our heads. Others believe He is a ‘Big Daddy in the Sky’ to grant their every whim. Some choose not to believe in God at all. Then there are those of us who believe what the Bible teaches; that He is The One and Only God, the Creator, Master Builder, Savior and Lord of all who choose to believe in His Son, Jesus.

Even those of us who know Him might still have trouble imagining just Who He is. We are so like the familiar story of the little girl who was drawing a picture. Her mother asked, “Honey, who are you drawing?” The little girl promptly responded, “God.” Her mother said, “But, my dear, no one knows what He looks like!” She immediately said, “They will pretty soon.”

I received the following child’s image of God from an e-mail: “My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, ‘Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?’ I mentally polished my halo while I asked, ‘No, how are we alike?’ ‘You’re both old,’ he replied.”

Let’s take a minute and think about just Who He is? I love to ponder what God is like. When I was a child, my siblings and our parents talked a great deal about just what God was like. Jesus was the topic of many dinner meals as well as other times. We did not fear death because we would go to Heaven where we would begin to live. I love studying the names of God since they reveal to us different aspects of His personality.

God is big enough to have a personal conversation with millions of people on earth at the same time, giving each one personal, loving attention, without missing a beat at holding the universe together and loving and caring for everyone in heaven. That’s really big!

There are many clues in the Bible that help us understand. Jesus, first of all, is God. Jesus, once He rose from the dead and had His glorified body, ate food and shared beverages with His disciples before His Ascension. Jesus walked through walls and traveled at the speed of thought and yet walked casually with two disciples on their way to a local city in Israel. Jesus cried over the city of Jerusalem. Can you see Him holding the children, loving them and making them laugh? He had compassion on the sick and healed them. He had compassion on the hungry and fed them.

We were created in God’s image and that means that He had a tremendous sense of humor. It says in Psalm 2 that God sits in the heaven and laughs at the efforts mankind has in trying to defeat Him. Yet, He loves mankind enough to become man so He could take our place and give us life! How big is that?

He Knows
by E. Margaret Clarkson

He knows it all – the winding path,
Thy sky o’ercast and grey,
The steepness of the mountainside,
The roughness of the way.

He knows it all – the haunting fear,
The doubtings that distress,
The wond’rings and perplexities,
And all the strain and stress.

He knows it all – each troubled thought,
Each anxious wave of care,
And every burden, every grief,
Or cross that thou dost bear.

He knows it all – thy weight of woe,
Thine often tear-dimmed eye,
The stabbing pain, the slow, dull ache,
And sorrow’s broken cry.

He knows it all – but His to choose,
And thine to take His choice!
He knows it all! He planned it so!
Then trust Him, and Rejoice!

Many times my father joyfully expressed to me the thought that God is so big, we will spend eternity getting to know our awesome, magnificent, loving God. When we realize that we can trust Him, we will find joy in our lives.
“And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy the soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” Isaiah 58:10-11

Your Christ and Mine
Cyclopedia of Bible Illustrations

To the artist He is the One Altogether Lovely,
To the architect He is the Chief Cornerstone.
To the baker He is the Living Bread.
To the banker He is the Hidden Treasure.
To the builder He is the Sure Foundation.
To the doctor He is the Great Physician.
To the educator He is the Great Teacher.
To the farmer He is the Sower and Lord of Harvest.
To the florist He is the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon.
To the geologist He is the Rock of Ages.
To the judge He is the Righteous Judge.
To the lawyer He is the Counselor, the Lawgiver, the Advocate.
To the newspaperman He is the Good Tidings of great Joy.
To the philanthropist He is the Unspeakable Gift.
To the philosopher He is the Wisdom of God.
To the preacher He is the Word of God.
To the lonely He is the Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
To the servant He is the Good Master.
To the toiler He is the Giver of Rest.

I like what J. Danson Smith once wrote:

He will not fail, nor mock, nor disappoint thee;
His consolations change not with the years;
With oil of joy He surely will anoint thee,
And wipe away thy tears.

Don’t you think a God as big as this would be one worth knowing?

“…be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Hebrews 13:5-6

Back in the 80’s I had to go to Rehabilitation for an injury I had received at work. During this time, not only was I praying for the Lord to speak to me through these classes but my immediate family, parents and many others were praying for me as well. One thing I learned during that time was that I had always been a stuffer of my emotions. I refused to admit that I had negative emotions. If I felt anger, I knew the Bible taught we were not to be angry so I decided to choose the Bible’s methods. Therefore, I concluded that I was not angry. That was not victory – that was self denial.

What I learned through this incredible experience was to admit my feelings to myself and then take them to God. I didn’t go punch someone out because they made me angry. I didn’t vent my frustrations to all around me, gossiping about the person who had maligned me! Instead I admitted I had a problem. I took that problem in honesty to the Throne room of Almighty God and laid them at the foot of the cross. I said:

“Jesus, I am really hurt by what she said. I would like to scratch her eyes out. But I know that is not the way you want me to feel. You want me to forgive her. I am too angry and hurt to do that, Lord, so I ask you to forgive me for my anger and replace it with your Love. I lay this at the foot of your cross and ask you to help my emotions. Please replace them with your Love. I ask that you bless her spiritually, bless her physically, bless her emotionally, bless her financially – bless her in every possibly way you can. You said to bless those who curse you – to bless and curse not. Thank you for your unbelievable Love! In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

The result was a total change in my feelings. I was able to release them without hurting others to the One Person who can change lives – Jesus!

Jesus Is!

Author Unknown

He is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and
The Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be…
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!

The world can’t understand him,
The armies can’t defeat Him,
The schools can’t explain Him, and
The leaders can’t ignore Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him,
The Pharisees couldn’t confuse Him,
The people couldn’t hold Him,
Nero couldn’t crush Him,
Hitler couldn’t silence Him,
The New Age can’t replace Him, and
Donahue can’t explain Him away!

He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.

His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and
His mind is on me.

He is my Redeemer,
He is my Savior,
He is my guide,
He is my peace,
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and
He rules my life!

I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and
His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
The power of the powerful,
The ancient of days, the ruler of rulers,
The leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and
The sovereign Lord of all that was and is and is to come.

And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.
His goal is a relationship with ME!

He will never leave me,
Never forsake me,
Never mislead me,
Never forget me,
Never overlook me, and
Never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!

He is everything for everybody, everywhere,
Every time, and every way.

He is God, He is faithful.
I am His, and He is mine!

My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you’re wondering why I feel so secure, understand this…
He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side, and
That means all is well with my soul.

Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!

ONE OF THE BEST STORIES I’VE EVER HEARD!

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s and then putting a big ‘F’ at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, ‘Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners… he is a joy to be around..’

His second grade teacher wrote, ‘Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.’

His third grade teacher wrote, ‘His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren’t taken.’

Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, ‘Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.’

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.

Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children’s laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, ‘Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.’

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic.

Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy.
As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.

By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her ‘teacher’s pets..’

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he’d stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honours. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favourite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favourite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer…. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, ‘Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.’

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, ‘Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.’

(For you that don’t know, Teddy Stoddard is the Doctor at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

-Internet Story

We are looking at an uncertain and possibly frightening future. Although we cannot control the price of gas, we can control our mouth. We can resolve to be kind. King David expressed it this way:

“I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.” Psalms 17:3b.

Happy New Year