The Bible Says …

Charlie Grier on his 100th birthday

“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”  Deut. 5:16

I love Father’s Day!  It has not been difficult for me to honor my father during my lifetime because Dad was a wonderful father.  Treasured memories of my dad are times when he would get down on his hands and knees and crawl around with us on his back playing ‘horsey.’  Or times when he would listen to us ‘learn’ to play our instruments with joy on his face.  He also always had time to listen to me.  Even when he worked 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet plus build a church on the side, he would take time to hold me on his lap and listen to my problems.  Here’s a poem I wrote about him while he was still with us.

Papa

By Marvine Scott

When I was a small tot on my Papa’s knee
I soared with delight and with childish glee.
When Papa got down with us kids on the floor
We climbed on his back and we hollered for more.

If we needed help with our school books at night,
He’d teach us until we got it just right.
Whatever our need, whether clothes or bad weather
We’d gather to pray and we’d trust God together.

Now Papa lives here with my husband and me.
With God on His Throne we’re a glad family.
We see him take much time in prayer every day.
He studies; he writes yet takes time for play.

What can I say about my dearest Dad?
He’s everything that this daughter would have.
Is he perfect? Oh dear, I say “No-sir-ee!”
But I love him and I know he truly loves me.

Dad taught us how to pray and trust God.  He was a humble unpretentious man.  We watched him live what he preached.  We gathered together as a family and prayed for our needs as well as the needs of others.  We shared whatever we had with those in need.  Mother was very economical and could stretch things like crazy but Dad’s faith was an inspiration to behold to the very end.  I have seen many miracles because of Dad’s faith!

Another precious thing about Dad was the awesome discussions he, John and I would have on the Bible.  Later they included Ted but initially it was just John and Dad and me.  He took an entire summer and taught us the book of Daniel by getting up early and spending one hour 5am to 6am each day.  This was the only time he could find to teach us.  It was the most fun summer of my childhood.

It didn’t stop when I got married and had children.  Just as he prayed for us while we were in mom’s womb, so he prayed for our children and grandchildren as they had precious children.  He was a friend to the day he died and I will truly enjoy spending time with him one day in heaven.

God loves us. I mean – God REALLY loves us!  One of the reasons God created fathers was to show us things about His own nature.  Look at this verse:

“Just as a father has compassion on his children, Adonai (God) has compassion on those who fear him.”  Psalms 103:13 cjb

God shows us that in the same way a father will have compassion on his children so God has compassion on us.  How powerful that is!  The Bible even says in Proverbs 3:12 that God will correct those he loves just like a father does who delights in his son.

God tells us in the Bible that we can call Him ‘abba’ or ‘daddy’ in English.  Almighty God, who created all things and who holds everything together (the Bible tells us), says we can call him daddy.  Why?  Because He loves us like a father loves the child he delights in.  God says we are the apple of His eye (Psalms 17:8).  We are His delight (Prov. 8:30; Prov. 11:20; Prov. 15:8).

Here’s a poem my father wrote about his dad.  Notice the love and pride Dad had for his father and his firstborn son?  He loved all his children but wrote this when John, his eldest son, was born.

DAD

By Charlie Grier

When I was a tiny tot

Someone fondled me a lot;

Used to hold me on his knee –

Enter in my childish glee

And by story, or by song,

Entertain me all day long—

He’s my Dad!

Sometimes he would counsel me

‘Bout the man he hoped I’d be.

Now I’m grown and gone my way

Father hasn’t much to say,

Still the question comes to me,

Am I all he hoped I’d be?

He’s my Dad!

Now a little “fuzzy head”

Occupies a trundle bed –

Laughs and coos—I do declare

Couldn’t do without him there!

Never knew before such joy

Could come from so small a boy—

I’m his Dad!

Sometimes I become quite grave –

Will he always have to slave

Like his Dad from dire need,

Or will he in life succeed?

Most of all, will heaven and earth

Be made richer by his birth?

I’m his Dad!

Listen, somewhere there’s a man

Who has tried, as best he can,

For his daughter, or his boy

Who was once his fondest joy.

If he’s still alive today

Make him happy in some way –

He’s your Dad!

Maybe in this world of strife

He has missed some things in life.

Don’t be proud if you have had

Privileges denied to Dad.

You owe much to him today –

Try to show it in some way –

He’s your Dad!

-Charlie Grier, Homespun Poems, c.1973, P. 1-2

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, … Even in old age they will be vigorous, still full of sap, still bearing fruit, proclaiming that ADONAI is upright, my Rock, in whom there is no wrong.” Psalms 92:12-15 CJB

 

            I loved this article I received recently in an E-mail.  I was amused to be able to determine that I am definitely ‘older than dirt.’      

I’M OLDER THAN DIRT

Author Unknown

 

            “Someone asked the other day, ‘What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?’

            “’We didn’t have fast food when I was growing up,’ I informed him.  ‘All the food was slow.’

            ”’C’mon, seriously.  Where did you eat?’

            “’It was a place called ‘at home,’ I explained!  ‘Mum cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn’t like what she put on my plate I was I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.’

            “By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn’t tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table.

            “Here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it:

            “Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore Levis, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card.

            “My parents never drove me to school.  I had a bicycle that weighted probably 50 pounds and only had one speed, (slow).

            “We didn’t have a television in our house until I was 19.  It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at midnight, after playing the national anthem and a poem about God.  It came back on the air at about 6:00 a.m. and there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people.

            “I never had a telephone in my room.  The only phone was on a party line.  Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn’t know weren’t already using the line.

            “Pizzas were not delivered to our home . . . but milk was.

            “All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers – my brother delivered a newspaper, six days a week.  He had to get up at 6 AM every morning.

            “Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut.  At least, they did in the movies.  There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or most anything offensive.

            “If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren.  Just don’t blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

            “Growing up isn’t what it used to be, is it?

MEMORIES:

            “My dad is cleaning out my grandmother’s house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle.  In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it.  I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea.  She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something.  I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to ‘sprinkle’ clothes with because we didn’t have steam irons.  Man, I am old.

 

HOW MANY DO YOU REMEMBER?

·         Head lights dimmer switches on the floor

·         Ignition switches on the dashboard

·         Pant leg clips for bicycles without chain guards

·         Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner

·         Using hand signals for cars without turn signals

 

OLDER THAN DIRT QUIZ:

Count all the ones that you remember – not the ones you were told about.

 

1.      Candy cigarettes

2.      Coffee shops with tableside juke boxes

3.      Home milk delivery in glass bottles

4.      Party lines on the telephone

5.      Newsreels before the movie

6.      TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning (there were only 3 channels [if you were fortunate]}

7.      Peashooters

8.      Howdy Doody

9.      45 RPM records

10.  Hi-Fi’s

11.  Metal ice trays with lever

12.  Blue flashbulb

13.  Cork popguns

14.  Studebakers

15.  Wash tub wringers

 

·         If you remember 0-3              =          You’re still young

·         If you remembered 3-6          =          You are getting older

·         If you remembered 7-10        =          Don’t tell your age.

·         If you remembered 11-15      =          You’re older than dirt!

“I may be older than dirt but those memories are some of the best parts of my life.”

ENDQUOTE

 

            My mother used to tell me to enjoy every age – both my age and the age of my children.  One thing I like about being 66 is that I do not have to work outside of the house.  I can take the time to pray, read, study, write and still have time to enjoy the flowers.  I can spend time with my husband, our children, grandchildren and friends.  There are places to go and things to do.  In fact I am very busy and I enjoy it!

            I truly enjoy my age and check myself when an occasional longing to again have some of the energy and abilities of youth.  I am determined to enjoy life and with my hand in my Savior’s – I do.  Life is short.  Someone said:  “Live each day as if it were your last – it could be!”

LIFE

Man’s life means:

Tender teens

Teachable twenties

Tireless thirties

Fiery forties

Forceful fifties

Serious sixties

Sacred seventies

Aching eighties

Shortening breath

Death

The sod

GOD!

Uncle Ben’s Quotebook (Baker c.1976) P. 220

           

 

 

            “A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.  She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.  She was tired of fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

            “Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.  Soon the pots came to a boil.  In the first she placed carrots.  In the second she placed eggs and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.  She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

            “In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.  She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.  She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.  Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.  Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘Tell me what you see.’

            “’Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.

            “Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.  She did and noted that they were soft.  The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.  After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

            “Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.  The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother?’

            “Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.  Each reacted differently.  The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting.  However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.  The egg had been fragile.  Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened.  The ground coffee beans were unique, however.  After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

            “’Which are you?’  She asked her daughter.  ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?  Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?’”

-Email, abbreviated

 

            We are each born with a special God-given personality.  I find it fascinating that it seems to take us an entire lifetime to learn to yield that nature to Him.  God uses circumstances in our lives to help us learn.  Just as the carrot, egg or coffee bean each reacted differently, we, too, can either become hard — we can wilt and lose our strength: or we can become a useful tool in the Master’s hands.  We want to be the coffee bean and let God use us to change things around us.

            It has taken 66 years for the Lord to help me begin to learn that I do not need to express audibly every thought that enters my head!  My nature is impulsive and outgoing.  I loved performing before an audience!  But God is helping me to learn that I need to wait on Him and say only what He wants me to say when He wants it said.  He’s still working on me!

            Moses, as a young man, was an impulsive hot-head.  “Moses?” you exclaim!  “But he was the meekest man to ever live!”  That is true, but he was not born that way.  He went out as a young man to deliver his people from Egyptian slavery.  He killed an Egyptian guard one day and during a confrontation with a fellow Israelite the next, they yelled:  “Are you going to kill us the way you did that Egyptian yesterday?”

            Moses was scared and ran for his life. During the next 40 years in the wilderness, God prepared him for the task He created him to do.  When God was ready to have him deliver His people, Moses no longer had the confidence that he could do anything.  God had to give him a pep talk and we know the story!

            What I find fascinating is that all of us have been given personalities that God wanted us to have and He then spends years teaching us how to yield it to His control.  God planned certain tasks for us to achieve.  Think about it.  If we, by nature, are a task-oriented person who has trouble even seeing people but can only see the task, God will take us through whatever it takes for us to learn to love people.

            The servant heart longs to be appreciated and will look for that appreciation in those he serves.  However, God will work with that precious servant heart until he learns to seek the appreciation of his Lord.

            If we have a quiet, retiring nature, preferring to work in a corner undisturbed, God may work with us until we are willing to communicate His message to others.  In may be like the man who felt pressed by God to pass out tracts but was unable to actually give a tract to anyone.  So he went deep into the woods and hung his tract on a tree and prayed that God would bring the right person to find the tract.

            Later a man went and sat under that tree, pulled out his gun and was going to shoot himself when he discovered the tract and read it.  He gave his heart to Jesus and became an evangelist.  The man who had hung the tract went to hear this evangelist one evening and, to his delight discovered that God had used the tract he hung to win this man to the Lord.  Only the Lord knows how many more were saved through his ministry. 

            God doesn’t ask that our personalities change, He asks that we yield them to Him and His control so He can use us for His glory and honor.  We are a work in progress.

 

                I think as we celebrate Memorial Day by remembering those who have gone before, it would be good to go back even to the First Prayer that was prayed in Congress in 1774.  This powerful prayer points graphically to the absolute fact that our nation was founded as a Christian nation. 

First Prayer in Congress
Rev. Jacob Duche
September 7, 1774

                “O – Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these our American States, who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee, to Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give; take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved bands in the day of battle!

            “Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.  Amen”

- http://www.historicprints.com

 

            During this special day, we also want to take a moment and remember all those precious men and women who have fought and died in the line of duty so we as Americans can enjoy peace.           Many have left homes, wives, husbands, and children to bravely fight in foreign lands under terrible conditions.  We praise God for every soldier who has come home safely and for every wounded soldier who has returned alive to his family.  We also pause and pray for the families of those who did not return. 

            My father had, in his book of poems, a poem written by his nephew from Dora Lake Minnesota in World War 2.

A Lonely Sailor’s Prayer

By Vance Barlett SA

 

Dear God in Heaven, this I pray,

That you are watching through this day;

That you will make this voyage short

And God guide us safely into port.

 

Let no harm befall this one –

Or any other Mother’s son.

Still the waters of the seas

And take us to our families.

 

Direct the loyal soldier’s stride

To his worried sweetheart’s side.

Let him care for his small throne

In the castle he calls home.

 

Let my brothers safely stand

In a free untroubled land.

Let them wander without heed

To boundry, color, race, or creed.

 

Lord, please still this fruitless war

And give us cause worth living for.

With this, I’m sure, we will again

Live a happy life. Amen.

-By Vance Bartlett SA  “F” Division, U.S.S. Worchester CL-144, c/o P.O.N.Y., N.Y.

 

            I like this farewell poem.

DEAR LOVED ONES

By Carolyn Pfaff Greene

 

When I spoke of going home tomorrow

I know what you thought I meant;

I could not tell you then, I knew

My life on earth was spent.

 

I could not bear to say good-bye

And thus my secret tell;

To do so would have hurt too much,

I loved you all too well.

 

I wanted to ask your forgiveness

For all I have failed to do,

And to tell you I’ll be waiting …

…In Heaven for all of you.

 

I’m going Home in the morning.

And because God answered my prayer,

I shall not fear the journey

Though the valley that takes me there.

 

The shadow of death is dispelled by the Light

That shines upon the way;

Though now night shadows lengthen

And close upon the day.

 

I follow the Light of the Lantern,

My Shepherd carries ahead;

I’m going Home in the morning.

Let no one say “She is dead.”

 

            One of my most precious memories of Dad was the night he departed this world.  His love for His Lord was spectacular and his departure peaceful.  He left on his favorite night of the week – our Community Prayer Meeting.  We had preachers and members from different churches gather together in our kitchen for a time of praise and prayer every Tuesday night.

             That night people had already begun commuting to our home for the meeting.  We could not cancel the meeting since some had a 45 minute drive to get here.  So people came in, went into the bedroom to say ‘good-bye’ to Charlie and went back into the kitchen where we sang praises to God. 

            There were tears because we all were going to miss this remarkable man but there was intermingled with the tears, a peace and joy because we knew where he went.  We knew he had entered into vistas of loveliness beyond our wildest imaginations.  We knew his Savior, his wife, his mother, many friends and family would all be there to greet him and welcome him home.  I could hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Welcome home.”

            On this day of remembering let us keep our focus on Jesus.

 

 

 

“then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Ch. 7:14

            Over a hundred years ago, Daniel Webster, one of America’s greatest statesmen, uttered this solemn warning:  “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering: but if we and our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how suddenly a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”

-The Bible Friend March 2010 p.1

           

            Hundreds and probably thousands of Americans fasted and prayed on May 6^th of this year even though our President cancelled the National Day of Prayer.  There is immense power in united prayer.  What a privilege to be a part of such a team effort.  

BECAUSE SOMEONE PRAYED

By Bob Bartell

 

Because someone prayed . . . a life was spared . . .

Someone prayed . . . another cared.

 

Because someone prayed . . . love prevailed . . .

Someone prayed . . . and evil failed.

 

Because someone prayed . . . God intervened . . .

Someone was saved . . . a soul redeemed.

-ibid p5

 

“Praying ALWAYS …” Ephesians 6:18

“CONTINUE in prayer …” Col. 4:2

“Pray WITHOUT CEASING.”  1 Thess. 5:17

“…Continuing STEADFASTLY in prayer.”  Rom. 12:12

 

            These verses tell us that God intends us to pray — always – continuously — without ceasing and steadfastly! 

“But,” you exclaim:  “I am busy.  I work 8 – 10 – 12 hours a day.  Then I have to drive to and from work.  I have my wife (or husband), my children and chores to do when I get home.  How can I have time to pray?  It is one thing for someone who is retired – sure they can pray all they want!  But I have a busy life and I simply do not have time.” 

 

            I have not always been retired and so I know what it is like to have a busy schedule.  I found many places where I was able to pray.  The trip to and from work was often one resource.  A lunch break or coffee break can be a good one if you take it alone.  I do not know who penned the following poem but that person discovered the solution to our dilemma.

“I do not always bend the knee to pray;

I often pray in crowded city street

In some hard crisis of a busy day –

Prayer is my sure and comforting retreat.

Here at my office desk I ask His aid,

No matter where I am I crave His care;

In moments when my soul is sore afraid

It comforts most to know He’s everywhere.”

-Uncle Ben’s Quotebook (Baker Book House c 1976) p.245

There are many kinds of prayer.       

·         Short emergency SOS (You’re up against a problem you do not know how to solve.  He fixes it for you or shows you how.)

 

·         Worship and praise (perhaps accompanying a praise CD while driving or some private time before anyone gets up)

 

·         Intercession (This can take place while you’re walking from place to place or while you are waiting for someone as well as during set-apart prayer time.  Intercession is presenting requests to God for our nation or people we know who are in trouble or need prayer)

 

·         Repentance (God makes you aware of your sin.  Here you take it to Him and receive His cleansing.  We need to go to Him for daily cleansing even if we are not aware of anything we may have done wrong.  Jesus cleansed the disciples feet because their feet got dirty while walking around in sandals.  We need to be cleansed from the very exposure to evil by television or magazines on the rack.)

 

·         Listening  (Pick up the Bible and read it.  Ask God to speak to you.  Listen.  When you pray, pause for moments to let God fill you with His peace and joy.)

 

·         Guidance  (Ask God what He wants you to do about everything!  You’ll be surprised how much it will help.)

            This is not complete but it is a beginning.  God loves us and He loves to have us spend time with Him.  He wants to answer our prayers and communicate with us.  It is a wonderful privilege we have!  I love how Lois Anne Williams expresses this in the following poem.

I sat and gazed in silence

At the azure sky overhead.

In the glory of that moment,

A simple prayer was said.

I thanked God for all the grandeur,

For His beauty everywhere,

I praised the Great Creator

As I sat in silent prayer.

I found an inspiration

And a peace within my soul.

I took the time to worship

And I felt myself made whole.

-ibid 245

            I think we could all benefit from praying from our heart St. Francis of Assisi’s famous prayer.

LORD, make me a channel of Thy peace

That where there is hatred, I may bring love,

That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness.

That where there is discord, I may bring harmony,

That where there is error, I may bring truth,

That where there is doubt, I may bring faith,

That where there is despair, I may bring hope,

That where there are shadows, I may bring light,

That where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

 

Lord, grant that I may seek rather

To comfort – than to be comforted;

To understand – than to be understood;

To love – than to be loved;

For it is by giving that one receives;

It is by self-forgetting that one finds;

It is by forgiving that one is forgiven;

It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

-Ibid 253

            My brother, John, and I had a lot of fun as children.  He, mother and I sang together often in harmony for various meetings.  We also sang just for fun on Sunday afternoons.  That is one of the reasons Sunday was my favorite day of the week.  Dad would fix lots and lots of popcorn – we could have all we wanted – and we would sing around the piano.  Also when available, we would have crisp delicious apples to eat with the popcorn.  Dad always did dinner dishes on Sundays to give Mom a break.  She didn’t have to cook for the evening meal since we had popcorn.  It was great fun.

            John, however, was actually the one who taught me to sing in harmony and to learn how to listen to him while we harmonized so we would stay in pitch.  I believe he actually had a gift of ‘perfect pitch’ but I’m afraid I did not.  He would help me hear how I was singing ‘sharp’ and how to bring that pitch into harmony with him.

            One game we played which I found to be great fun was to sing in two different keys.  We had to each sing the melody accurately but at the same time we would each be in a different key.  Wow was that hard!  I was taught to listen to him so we could be in harmony.  Then, I had to sing accurately something without singing what he was singing.  The result was great fun and amusement for us but terrible disharmony to anyone listening!  I think my mother earned some extra rewards in heaven for those times she allowed us to sing at the top of our lungs each on a different key!

            According to the ‘on line’ dictionary, harmony means: “friendly agreement; pleasing combination of sounds”.

            Let’s look at a couple of Scriptures containing the word, ‘harmony’ and see what God thinks about the subject:

“…Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony.”  Psalms 133:1

 

“Be in harmony with one another…”  Romans 12:16 BBE

 

“Now may the God who gives comfort and strength in waiting make you of the same mind with one another in harmony with Christ Jesus:”  Romans 15:5  BBE

 

            Harmony between brothers of Christ is good and pleasant.  Mother often told me two people can be in harmony without agreeing on everything.  We can allow someone else to be different and yet have unity of the Spirit.  Our aching heart cries, “How can we have harmony when we are so different?”  

CLOSE UP

By Charlie Grier

 

I followed my Lord at a distant pace,

Dashing along in a mad “rat-race” –

People, doctrines, schemes, and plans

Obscured the One with the nail-scarred hands!

I tried to press through the tangled maze –

I longed, once more on His face to gaze –

But my blinded eyes could no longer see

His arms of love outstretched to me!

 

Through the long, hard years of toil and care

I had not forgotten the place of prayer.

My Bible and I walked side by side –

God’s TRUTH was always my joy and pride.

On Sundays I ever was in my place –

A satisfied look upon my face,

But as I sat in that comfy pew

No sense of the nearness of God I knew!

 

Kind Pastor Brown, his hair now gray,

Had served for years in his own quaint way.

A well meaning man he could well be –

But not the type who appealed to me!

Maybe a man with more dash and power –

A younger man – ‘a man of the hour’

Could make the Gospel live again

And bring new life to the hearts of men.

 

Of course, the church was dead as could be –

Deacon Smith, and sister Lee –

And almost anyone I could name

For years and years have been the same!

Revival was needed – and needed bad!

I’d prayed and prayed, but my heart was sad –

There was not much hope that folks like these

Would ever bow their stubborn knees!

 

I wondered why God seemed so far away

When I tried SO hard from day to day —

I fasted and prayed, but to no avail –

I called on the sick, and even the jail –

But heaven was brass, my heart was cold,

The Lord was not near, as in days of old –

Even my wife seemed different now,

Had God abdicated His throne, somehow?

 

And then, His eyes were turned upon me,

His lovely face I could clearly see –

And seeing HIM I saw MY life

Blighted by censorship and strife!

My choicest endeavors I scanned with pain

Viewed in the light of the Lamb, once slain,

And I cried, “A sinful man am I –

Have pity on me, O Lord, Most High!

 

“O Savior God, I’m so mean and vile –

Pretentious I’ve been, yet all the while

I’ve permitted the things of self and pride

To obscure the face of the Crucified!

You died for me on that cruel Tree –

Now kill ME, Lord – yes, crucify ME!

May all my life, each day, each passing hour

Be a sweet, new breath of thy Spirit’s power!

 

Then a small voice said, “Dear child, so weak,

I am filling you now, as my face you seek.

Remember ever, that self is sin!

Keep your eyes on Me, and not on men!

I do not hide – you have hidden from Me –

Just as close as YOU choose, I will ever be.

If you live for time – TIME will fill your cup;

If you live for ME, I’ll be found CLOSE-UP!”

 

            Just as John and I had to stand close together and listen to one another as we sang in order to be in harmony, so we have to stay close to our Savior and listen to the Holy Spirit in order to stay in harmony with our fellow believers. 

            As we celebrate Mother’s Day, I enjoy thinking about the first command God gave us that contains a promise (Eph. 6:2).  God says that when we honor our father and mother, He promises us long life (Exodus 20:16; Deu. 5:16).     

            What does it mean to ‘honor your mother?’  One thing I think it means is to ‘listen’ to what she says with an open heart.  We have a problem sometimes listening to our mother because she is ‘older.’  “She cannot really understand us,” we think because she is so much older than us.  She just doesn’t ‘get it.’ 

THE IMAGES OF MOTHER

Author Unknown

4 YEARS OF AGE          -           My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE          -           My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE        -           My Mother doesn’t know everything!

14 YEARS OF AGE        -           My Mother?  She wouldn’t have a clue.

16 YEARS OF AGE        -           Mother?  She’s so five minutes ago.

18 YEARS OF AGE        -           That old woman?  She’s way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE        -           Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE        -           Before we decide, let’s get Mom’s opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE        -           Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE        -           Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

           

E-mail

 

            Remember when you are tempted to think that Mom cannot understand; that God wants you to listen to your mother and respect her.  Because of dad’s example, I always respected my mother but I thought my dad was the only one who actually knew anything.  Mom could cook, clean and take care of us.  She could listen to our problems, comfort us and understand our problems but when I wanted to know something, I went to dad.

            Years later, I discovered one day that my mother had gained a lot of wisdom while I was growing up.  I began to seek her out and glean from her the pearls of wisdom contained in her precious heart.  I regretted waiting so long to learn.  My children have asked me to start writing some of her gems down so I could write the stories surrounding them.  I plan on beginning soon.

            Some people were not as fortunate as I have been and did not have the privilege of having a godly, loving, precious mother.  We have a dear friend whose mother was the opposite of mine.  His mother spent so much time in prison when he was a child that he became the head of a gang in St. Paul because his mother had spent the most time in prison.  It is amazing to me that he became such a hard-working, honest citizen who loves the Lord with all his heart.  However, when we first knew him, his mother was arrested for teaching her 12-year old daughter how to rustle cattle.  Later, after she was released from prison, she was again arrested but not charged with a crime.  They were holding her illegally while trying to get evidence together.  He went to them and quietly told them that he understood his mother very well and she was probably guilty of a crime.  However, he told them that they were to charge her or release her because she was his mother and he would make sure everything was done properly.

            I was impressed because he ‘honored his mother’ even though she was not a nice lady.  She had never treated him lovingly but he respected her position in his life.  Most of us do not share his experience.  If we do, the bible says that God will be the loving parent we missed out on.  He will gather us in His arms and love us. 

            Dad had a deep love and respect for his tiny 4’11” mother.  She raised her six children almost single-handed and every single one grew up to love and respect her.  Charlie honored his mother all the days of his life and he preached on his 100^th birthday!

 

MOTHER LOVE

By Charlie Grier

 

God’s dear Book is full of pictures,

Every page with them is lined.

Every word He has inspired

To reveal some truth sublime.

Every saint, apostle, prophet

Has his own important place –

Each is but a little mirror

That reflects the Master’s face.

 

But of all the types and symbols

There is one that stands above –

Seems to me, excels all others –

It is simply mother-love.

No one else was quite so tender –

No one else was quite so kind –

No one quite so sympathetic

As was you, dear Mother mine.

 

Yours a life of pain and suffering –

Yours a life of toil and strife,

Yet, you thought not of your own self

As for us you spent your life.

You, it was who shared our sorrows –

You, who always understood –

You, who felt our disappointments –

Cheered us on when e’er you could.

 

You, who wept about our failures,

Yet, your love remained the same.

You, who prayed that God would save us

From a life of sin and shame.

You, who trusted, never faltering,

Thru the storms of deep despair

Knowing God someday would answer –

Hear, O Lord, our Mother’s prayer!

 

God is portrayed, very dimly,

In each life that bears His name –

May we read as “living letters”

And not put our Lord to shame! (2 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 6:6)

Earth has not produced an artist –

None, save Christ, is there above

Can excel this wondrous picture –

God revealed thru “Mother-love!”

 

            Let’s honor our mothers this Mother’s Day and by doing so we honor God!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

           

 

“Stop dwelling on past events and brooding over times gone by;” Isa 43:18 

            There are a lot of Scriptures that talk about remembering the past.  But here God says to stop dwelling on the past.  Let’s take a few moments to look at what we are to remember and what we are to forget!  What does God want us to dwell on?

            Let’s begin by thinking about what type of things God says to remember? 

·         Remember the times God rescued you.   Exo. 12:14, 13:3

·         Remember the ways God led you.  Deut. 8:2

·         Remember God’s promises.  Josh 1:13; Luke 10:19; Eph. 6:8

·         Remember God’s wonders he has done.  Psalms 105:5; Jer. 31:34

·         Remember that God will always be with you.  Matthew 28:20

·         Remember people who refused to believe God and the consequences.  Luke 17:32

·         Remember God doesn’t have favorites.  Eph 6:9

·         Remember your inheritance.  Col. 3:24

·         Remember the godly who are suffering.  Heb. 13:3

·         Remember our godly leaders.  Heb. 13:7

 

            There are many other verses where God specifically says ‘remember.’  However, if you notice these verses all have a common thread…God!  We are to dwell on Him – what He’s done, what He’s promises etc.  He doesn’t want us to dwell on things that take our eyes off Him!

            Many people have shared with me their difficulties in dealing with their past.  They have such a hard time believing that God would really love them.  How could He truly forgive and forget all the horrid things they had done in their life?  They are tormented and tortured by these thoughts and they dwell continually upon them.

            God promises to blot out our sins and not remember them (Isaiah 43:25; Heb. 8:12; Heb. 10:17).  God says He places our sins in the sea of His forgetfulness, never to be held against us.  I can imagine Him putting a sign up on the seashore that reads, “No fishing.”  He doesn’t want us dwelling upon our sin.  When we ask Him to forgive us our sins, He does a wonderful job.  He totally cleanses us (1 John 1:9) and never remembers it again.  What a God!

            But it is one thing to be forgiven but it is another thing to stop thinking about what we did.  Sometimes it helps to verbalize to our Lord our acceptance of His forgiveness.  Sometimes we need to write out such Scriptures as 1 John 1:9 on a card and put it in our pocket.  Or Scriptures on His love such as Isaiah 43:4 

“Because I regard you as valued and honored, and because I love you…”  or

“Adonai your God is right there with you, as a mighty savior.  He will rejoice over you and be glad, he will be silent in his love, he will shout over you with joy” Zep. 3:17 cjb. 

           

            I also find praise and thanksgiving to be a good way to refocus my mind.  If negative thoughts are pressing upon my mind and depressing my spirit, I find that choosing to praise God is to appreciate the delightful joy of victory!  God calls it the Sacrifice of Praise.  He wants us to thank and praise Him when we don’t feel like it.  He then changes our feelings as we praise Him.  By the time we’ve finished our time of thanksgiving, we discover peace and wonderful joy has flooded our souls.  The following poem I wrote during a time of stress where Jesus was teaching me these truths.

Thank God

By Marvine Scott

 

Thank God in the morning when the day has just begun.

Thank Him for the many wondrous things that He has done.

Thank Him at the noontide for morning help and victory.

Thank Him in the evening for your blessed family.

Thank Him for all those blessed moments in between.

Thanking Him will keep your life quiet and serene.

 

Thank Him for His many gracious answers to your prayers.

Thank Him for the joy He gives and glorious love He shares.

Thank Him for Salvation, marvelous and fully free.

Thank Him that He died for dirty, sinful you and me.

Thank Him for the trials and hardships on the way –

Thank Him, for without them we might never learn to pray!

-Homespun Poems by Charlie Grier 1973 p.43

 

            I will share another poem with you that I wrote as a young wife and mother.  I trust it will bless you as well.

AN ACROSTIC PRAYER

By Marvine Scott

A-lmighty God, I praise and worship Thee.

B-lessed is Thy Name, for all eternity.

C-leanse me, I pray, of known and unknown sin.

D-escend O Lovely Spirit: I pray you enter in.

E-ffect, O God, in me your precious, perfect will.

F-ather God, ‘tis only You that makes life sweet and real.

G-ive me understanding that I may learn Your way.

H-elp me with peace and joy to meet each coming day.

I – praise Thee, Holy God, The High and Lofty One.

J-ehovah (the Lord) is peace – Jehovah Shalom.

K-ing of kings, my Lord most High.

L-ord that healeth – hears every cry.

M-ake me more aware of Thy presence I plead.

N-ow and forever live, rule, reign in me.

O-mniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent One.

P-recious Spirit, Prince of Peace; in Thee true life’s begun.

Q-uicken me to understand Thy Law, Thy Word, my Sword.

R-ender to me compassion, my God, my Strength, my Lord.

S-ervant to sin, I no longer would be.

T-hank you O Lord, for setting me free!

U-ntil you return, life with you is complete

V-ictory is mine, total, glorious, sweet!

W-onderful, greater, pure love I’ll never find.

X-eno (a stranger) you were for mankind.

Y-ielding to Thee, I’ll trust and not fret.

Z-ion is mind, since with Thee I have met!

 -ibid p42

 

            Let’s dwell on our Savior rather than our past and discover His fantastic joy.

           

 

 

 

“Remember the wonders he has done, his signs and his spoken judgments.”  1Ch. 16:12

            I have always found some of the cute things written for seniors especially amusing.  Here are some memories for the ‘older’ crowd but …

Hey Wasn’t That Us?

A little house with three bedrooms and one car on the street.

A mower that you had to push to make the grass look neat.

 

In the kitchen on the wall we only had one phone,

And no need for recording things, someone was always home.

 

We only had a living room where we would congregate,

Unless it was at mealtime in the kitchen where we ate.

 

We had no need for family rooms or extra rooms to dine,

When meeting as a family those two rooms would work out fine.

 

We only had one TV set, and channels maybe two,

But always there was one of them with something worth the view.

 

For snacks we had potato chips that tasted like a chip,

And if you wanted flavor there was Lipton’s onion dip.

 

Store-bought snacks were rare because my mother liked to cook,

And nothing can compare to snacks in Betty Crocker’s Book.

 

Weekends were for family trips or staying home to play,

We did all things together – even go to church to pray.

 

When we did our weekend trips depending on the weather,

No one stayed at home because we liked to be together.

 

Sometimes we would separate to do things on our own,

But we knew where the others were without our own cell phone.

 

Then there were the movie with your favorite movie star,

And nothing can compare to watching movies in your car.

 

Then there were the picnics at the peak of summer season,

Pack a lunch and find some trees and never need a reason.

 

Get a baseball game together with all the friends you know,

Have real actions playing ball – and no game video.

 

Remember when the doctor used to be the family friend,

And didn’t need insurance or a lawyer to defend?

 

The way that he took care of you or what he had to do,

Because he took an oath and strived to do the best for you.

 

Remember going to the store and shopping casually,

And when you went to pay for it you used your own money?

 

Nothing that you had to swipe or punch in some amount,

Remember when the cashier person had to really count?

 

The milkman used to go from door to door,

And it was just a few cents more than going to the store.

 

There was a time when mailed letters came right to your door,

Without a lot of junk mail ads sent out by every store.

 

The mailman knew each house by name and knew where it was sent;

There were not loads of mail addressed to “present occupant.”

 

There was a time when just one glance was all that it would take,

And you would know the kind of car, the model and the make.

 

They didn’t look like turtles trying to squeeze out every mile;

They were streamlined, white walls, fins, and really had some style.

 

One time the music that you played whenever you would jive,

Was from a vinyl, big-holed record called a forty-five.

 

The record player had a post to keep them all in line,

And then the records would drop down and play one at a time.

 

Oh sure, we had our problems then, just like we do today,

And always we were striving, trying for a better way.

 

Oh, the simple life we lived still seems like so much fun,

How can you explain a game, just kick the can and run?

 

And why would boys put baseball cards between bicycle spokes,

And for a nickel red machines had little bottled Cokes?

 

This life seemed so much easier and slower in some ways,

I love the new technology but I sure miss those days.

 

So time moves on and so do we, and nothing stays the same,

But I sure love to reminisce and walk down memory lane.

-E-mail from Hazel

 

            Some of these cute memories cause us to smile and sometimes laugh with nostalgia.  I can imagine that God often looks at us and wishes we would remember what He has done for us.  I have sincerely regretted not keeping a notebook of the miracles I have personally witnessed in my life on this earth.  What a record of awesome memories that would have been.  I can remember some and have been encouraged to start writing them down.  Perhaps I’ll start soon.

            At any rate God did write down things for us to remember.  Sadness must well within Him as so often His Book simply is left neglected to draw dust on the shelf.  I used to love the way our daughter would get so excited at a sunrise or sunset.  She would run to me and say, “Mommie, look!  Jesus is painting pictures in the sky again for us!”   

            God said He was deliberately putting a rainbow in the sky after every rain to remind us that never again would He destroy the earth with a flood! 

            Look at the beauty He created.  How meticulous is each detail of His incredible handiwork!  Over the internet a few months ago, I received some pictures showing the breathtaking wonder of space.  Then they went the other way and showed the spectacular phenomenon going the other direction into the microscopic elements.  I have never seen anything so sensational, exquisite and unbelievable. 

            There is something very relaxing and calming about remembering the lovely, pleasing and truly magnificent aspects of our Marvelous Lord and Savior, God and King. 

“…I remember you on my bed and meditate on you in the night watches.”  Psalm 63:6

“I will meditate on your work and think about what you have done.”  Psalm 77:12

 

“…my eyes will be watching you.” Psalms 32:18

THE SPARROW AT STARBUCKS.

The song that silenced the cappuccino machine

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51^st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it’s enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it’s the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I’m told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig – I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the ‘40s to the ‘90s with a few original tunes thrown in.

During our emotional rendition of the classic, ‘If You Don’t Know Me by Now,’ I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. ‘I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?’ she asked.

“No,” I replied, “We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?” To my delight, she accepted my invitation.

“You choose,” I said. “What are you in the mood to sing?”

“Well….do you know any hymns?”

Hymns? This woman didn’t know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. “Name one.”

“Oh, I don’t know. There are so many good ones. You pick one.”

“Okay,” I replied. “How about ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow?’”

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, “Yeah. Let’s do that one.”

She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing…”Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?”

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

I sing because I’m happy;

I sing because I’m free.

For His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me.

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, “Oh, y’all go back to your coffee! I didn’t come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin’ to drink, just like you!”

But the ovation continued. I embraced my new friend. “You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!”

“Well, it’s funny that you picked that particular hymn,” she said.

“Why is that?”

“Well…” she hesitated again, “that was my daughter’s favorite song.”

“Really!” I exclaimed.

“Yes,” she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual. “She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week.”

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. “Are you going to be okay?”

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. “I’m gonna be okay. I’ve just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything’s gonna be just fine.” She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it. God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it’s no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting Him and singing His songs, everything’s gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can’t use YOU, just remember…

· Noah was a drunk

· Abraham was too old

· Isaac was a daydreamer

· Jacob was a liar

· Leah was ugly

· Joseph was abused

· Moses had a stuttering problem

· Gideon was afraid

· Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer

· Rahab was a prostitute

· Jeremiah and Timothy were too young

· David had an affair and was a murderer

· Elijah was suicidal

· Isaiah preached naked

· Jonah ran from God

· Naomi was a widow

· Job went bankrupt

· John the Baptist ate bugs

· Peter denied Christ

· The Disciples fell asleep while praying

· Martha worried about everything

· The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once

· Zaccheus was too small

· Paul was too religious

· Timothy had an ulcer

· AND Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren’t the message, you are just the messenger.

-E-mail March 2010

God does not ask about our ability

Or our inability,

But about our availability.

-Uncle Ben’s Quotebook (Baker’s c1967) p97