What Will You Do with Jesus?

It's hard to believe, but we're about to celebrate Easter. I think Christmas will be here again before we know it! I remember growing up and dying eggs and anticipating all the chocolate that awaited me in my Easter basket so very early on that Sunday morning. Like everything else in our society, Easter has become a multibillion dollar business. But is it just bunnies and candy, or something more?

According the New Testament, which we've seen is historically reliable, Jesus claimed to be God and He proved to be God through miracles, and especially through the resurrection. Peter says in his first sermon in Acts 2:33, 36, "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact …Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." Then Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:13-15, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead." It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Christianity hinges on the resurrection. No Easter equals no Christianity!

We can’t repeat the resurrection in a lab, or look through a telescope and observe it. It’s a matter of history. It’s an historical investigation. It should be no surprise that people deny the resurrection today. Some people even deny that the holocaust happened! So do we just take the resurrection on some type of "blind" faith or do we have good reason to believe the disciples were not deceived? We've seen that God exists, and therefore miracles are possible. And as I said earlier, we've seen that the New Testament is historically reliable. With that in mind, I believe we have very good reasons to believe in Jesus' resurrection. In fact, I think everyone should believe in Jesus' resurrection because of five historical F-A-C-T-S. Even most critical scholars will grant these historical facts as true.

Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:3-8, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." He wrote this in about AD 55, about 25 years or so after the crucifixion. Most of the above passage is probably a creed of the early church that was memorized and passed on to others. We can trace this creed back to about 3-8 years after the cross. Notice what Paul emphasizes. He says that Christ died, He was buried, He was risen, and then He appeared to more than 500 eyewitnesses. So lets briefly examine these F-A-C-T-S.

F - FATAL CROSS
Jesus died by crucifixion. It's hard to have a resurrection without first having a death. Time does not permit a detailed examination of crucifixion, but we can be certain that Jesus was indeed dead upon removal from the cross. He did not later somehow recover and leave the tomb as beaten and bloodied figure in order to deceive the disciples of his resurrection. Dr. William D. Edwards wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Clearly the weight of the historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to His side was inflicted…The assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appears to be at odds with modern medical knowledge.”

A - A BORROWED TOMB
Jesus was probably buried in a borrowed private tomb that was later found empty (agreed upon by 75% of scholars). The early church simply wouldn't have gotten off the ground without the empty tomb. The New Testament says that women were the first to discover the empty tomb. As you probably know, in those days, a woman's testimony was not considered trust worthy. Sorry ladies, don't shoot the messenger. If the disciples were making up this story, why would they include such an embarrassing detail? Matthew also reports that the Jewish leaders made up the story that the disciples stole the body. The disciples, of course, were scared and in hiding and had no means, motive, or opportunity to steal the body. Apparently the body was actually missing however. If not, the Jewish leaders could have simply paraded Jesus' dead body through the streets and ended Christianity before it even got started. Yet, here we are 2,000 years later.

C - CONVERSION OF THE DISCIPLES
As I said, the disciples were scared and in hiding after the crucifixion. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose by proclaiming the resurrection. Yet, something happened to turn these fearful disciples into a band of brothers that would "turn the world upside down." They believed they had seen, spoken with, ate with, and touched the risen Jesus. And they were willing to die for that belief. Tradition holds that all but one of the disciples died for proclaiming the resurrection. Who would willing die for a lie? While it's true that people die for what they believe in all the time, the case of the disciples is different. They didn't just die for what they believed in. They died for what they knew for a fact was either true of false because they were there and were eyewitnesses.

T - TRANSFORMATION OF JAMES
Jesus' half brother James did not believe in Him. Mark 3:21 says, "When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, 'He is out of his mind.'" John 7:5 says, "For even his own brothers did not believe in him." Yet, later James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem and, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, was killed for his faith in AD 62. Something major happened to James. According to Paul, he had seen the risen Jesus.

S - SAUL BACAME PAUL
As you know, Saul (Paul) was on a mission to kill the early church. Yet he goes from Saul, extreme persecutor to Paul, believer and apostle just a couple of years after the crucifixion. He wrote most of the New Testament and is our earliest source of resurrection. He says that Jesus appeared to more than 500 eyewitness. In other words, he's saying, "Hey, if you don't believe me, go check it out for yourselves." Lee Strobel says if all the listed eyewitness were allowed to give a 15 minute testimony about their Jesus encounter, it would take 129 straight hours to get through it. That's almost 5 1/2 days!

There are of course other theories out there that counter the resurrection and attempt to account for the data. However, they all fail in various respects. Again, given the fact that God exists and miracles are possible (not to mention the fulfilled prophecies that we haven't even mentioned), based on our 5 historical F-A-C-T-S, everyone should believe in Jesus' resurrection because that is the best explanation of the data.

This has tremendous implications on our lives. It means that Easter is no longer about bunnies and candy. It's about a man who claimed to be God, the second Person of the Trinity, and He proved to be God by raising Himself from the dead. That means that what He says is true, because God cannot lie. And He says He is the only way of salvation and He is calling each of us to be reconciled to Him!

I shared a short C.S. Lewis quote a couple of weeks ago. I'd like to share the whole quote to emphasize this point again. He wrote, "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

So the question is, what will you do with Jesus this Easter?

For His glory,
Adam Tucker

For Today We Fight

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” Mal. 4:1-2

This passage speaks of strong judgment and healing grace. Those who forsake Him or turn from His paths of righteousness will be met with a sudden and fierce torrent of judgment. The LORD will set them ablaze in an inescapable prison of His fury, at which time their knee will bow and their tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! But it will be too late. Yet to those who have feared His name and have fought the good fight, they will experience a healing grace like no other. They will be restored to the grandeur of God’s perfect ‘Life more abundant!’ Imagine no more cancer, no more tears, no more blood clots, and no more pain. In fact to those with arthritis they will be among those who are now skipping and joyfully dancing before the Lord! They will live in a state of perpetual OVERFLOW! This day is coming and one of these paths is the destiny of all human beings on earth. The question is, are you ready to meet your Maker? On which side of the coin will your eternity lay? Will it be on the side of strong judgment, or the side of healing grace?

For those who have chosen and have decided to fight the good fight, I would like to offer this poem of encouragement to you. All too often our resolve is weakened by the constant onslaught of the world, but remember this—you are not alone! God as our LORD and Savior leads us, and we as the church stand with you, and WE CANNOT BE BEATEN! So take the words of this poem and meditate on them.

For Today We Fight

The battle rages on and yet I fight.
Though I am tired, my goal is in sight.

I dare not quit for to stop is to die.
My blood mixes with the tears that I cry.

I have decided to fight for what is right.
I will stand true, through this savage night.

Our trumpet has sounded and our banner is raised.
We press on and fight on for all of our days.

It's time to grab your sword and shield,
It's time to charge the battlefield

We may not be here to see tomorrow's light.
So grab your sword for today we fight.

There is coming a day when the fight is finished and all God’s children will live in Glory. You are somebody and God delights in loving you! So draw hope from that, take up the sword of the Spirit, join the ranks of God’s army, and together let’s charge the battlefield and OVERFLOW the Gospel to all people! WE CANNOT BE BEATEN!

Smile Always,
jason

An Over-flow of Peace

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!”
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don't know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:1-18 NIV)


This was the day that the faithful had waited for since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden – and it is the day the faithful today look back to as the beginning of hope. This is the day that our Lord arose from the grave, proclaiming for all time that He had secured victory over death. He appeared to many people, to let them see that He was alive… that the grave did not hold Him captive… that the resurrection of the dead is a reality… first to Mary Magdalene, then to the disciples in the upper room, then to others. He wanted them – and us – to have peace. It’s not worldly peace, but spiritual peace… a peace that is unaffected by our circumstances… a peace that only the reality of His resurrection can give us… a peace that comes from knowing that Jesus is always with us… a peace that comes from knowing that Jesus – unlike all the other “gods” of the world – is ALIVE!!

Today, think about the wonder of that miracle two thousand years ago. Think about what Jesus' resurrection means to you and me. Think about how incredible it must have been to see Him in His resurrected state, so glorious, so perfectly the depiction of God's love. Think about how wonderful it will be on the day you actually behold Him yourself – face to face! No matter what else is going on in your life right now, think about this... He is with you. He is risen. He is alive!

Regular or Mulch

Back in November, during the Christmas sales, I bought a new riding lawnmower. As I approached the cashier, I asked him if it was a mulching mower. He said it was not but that I could make it one for an additional $45 dollars or so. I proceeded to checkout and the mower was delivered to my home the following week. Having plenty of leaves still to get up, I proceeded to mow the yard, over and over as the leaves were spit out the side of the lawnmower into an ever growing pile of chopped leaves and grass. When I finished, there was a significant raking to do-something I had hoped to avoid by buying the lawnmower. My daughter, who was helping me with the leaf cleanup, berated me for not spending the money to buy the mulch kit. Since she often ends up mowing the grass, I guess I should not have been too surprised when I was given a mulch kit for my birthday! After installing the mulch blade and cover, it was amazing to see how much neater the yard looked as the blade chopped up the leaves into tiny pieces-not to mention that raking was no longer required.

It struck me that it is easy for the church to be like the mulching blade. Everything is confined to the four walls of the church. What takes place in the church stays there. Ministry touches the lives of the members but does not go beyond the church boundary. God wants us to be more like the regular blade. He wants us to gather together for praise, worship, fellowship and sharing and then to scatter the OVERFLOW to those we come in contact with each week. It may not be as “neat” as we share with people who are not like minded. It may not be as “neat” as we encounter criticism or are laughed at. It may not be as “neat” as we are challenged in our faith. It may not be as “neat” as we minister to people who are different than us economically or racially. It may not be as “neat” as we encounter the “least of these”. Yet that is exactly what Jesus did. He could have spent all three years of His ministry mentoring his disciples and never exposing Himself to the lepers of this world. Yet Jesus was daily encountering the physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually challenged people of His day. Can we do anything less? God calls us from our “holy huddle” to draw a lost and dying world to Christ. So what will it be for you? Regular or mulch?

Desiring to have Jesus’ heart for the world,
Paul

An Overflow of Beliefs

Last week we saw briefly that Jesus is indeed God in human flesh. So if Jesus is God, then whatever He teaches is truth and can be trusted. Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of God and should be believed. But a lot of people out there don’t believe the Bible or they add to and take from what the Bible says, thus making their own version of “Christianity.” So what really makes a belief a Christian belief. There are four major essential Christian beliefs that serve as our compass to navigate through a world full of false and mistaken beliefs.

The first essential is the belief that Jesus is God. We’ve already discussed this. However, this belief also implies the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. That means there is one God, but He exists as three co-equal and co-eternal Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That’s hard for us to grasp, but it’s not a contradiction. It may go beyond our ability to reason, but it doesn’t go against reason. A simple, yet limited illustration, is an equilateral triangle. There’s one “thing” that is a triangle by nature, yet there are three distinct, yet equal, angles that exist in this triangle. Likewise, with God, there’s one “What” and three “Who’s.”

The second essential is the belief in salvation by grace alone through faith alone (Eph 2:8-9). This simply means that our sin demands justice and Jesus’ death and resurrection paid the demands of justice. We can accept His payment for us through faith, or active trust in Him. It’s nothing we deserve and it’s nothing we can earn through being “good enough.”

The third essential is the belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Some people believe He didn’t rise from the grave while others believe He was “recreated” in a spirit form. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15 that if Christ didn’t rise from the grave then our beliefs are futile and meaningless. The resurrection of Jesus is one of the most verifiable events of ancient history.

Finally, the Gospel message itself is our last essential belief. Gospel means “good news.” And the fact that Jesus came as the God-man, died in our place and is alive today offering all who believe in Him forgiveness, hope, and an eternal relationship with Him is the best news in the world.

For His glory,
Adam Tucker

Family

Eph 3:13 I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

(14)For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, (15)from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 1(6)that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, (17)so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (18)may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19)and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

(20)Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, (21)to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Over the past few days and weeks I have watched family life in action in many different scenarios...some were as a result of celebration and accomplishment, some as a result of discord and confusion, some of loss and pain, and one facing the unknown day after day. I have watched the strength of faith in the family life as prayer, tears and hugs became the oneness that held all together. I have heard the stories of family life of yesterdays...memories, laughter and yes more tears. I have heard and watched proud moments in family life, of photos taken and video's recorded.

I have also witnessed the discord, heart-ache, broken relationships and confusion of family life, where "me" takes the place of "we" and "they" are no longer part of "us". And yet there is a Father who holds all things in His Hand and gives His name to His family according to verse 15 above...who has purpose and meaning for each of His own. He is in the midst of every situation...He is Dad...He is The Father and He cares for His children....He wishes for us to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge that man can know or comprehend. He desires and provides for His family to be one...one in celebration (rejoice with those who rejoice), one in purpose, one in sorrow (weep with those that weep), one in spirit, one in Christ and one in the bond of peace. The Father desires that His Son, Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love in order that His love would Overflow through His family.

May each of us carry His family name with honor and may the Father's purpose be lived out in family life no matter the journey we find ourselves on for the moment. "know ye not, this body is not your own".

Learning,
Marty

I am un-common

During the time of the book of Acts, the church was undergoing huge changes. The Holy Spirit was being given by God to his children and people were receiving it and going out and turning the world upside down. As the story unfolded we found Peter had, had a vision in Acts chapter 10, after which he went to meet a Roman named Cornelius. Up to that point it was thought to be taboo for those who were not Jews to have anything to do with receiving the Holy Spirit. But as Peter talked to Cornelius he said,

“You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts 10:28 NKJV

Peter then told the Good News to these Gentiles (non-Jews) and they likewise received an OVERFLOW of the Holy Spirit.

So what is the purpose in telling this short history lesson from the book of Acts? Did you catch the crazy word Peter used? He said, “God has shown me that I should not call any man COMMON or unclean.” I don’t know about you but that makes me smile! I have gone most of my life with people looking at me as if I was odd, but then again that could be that I wore nothing but sweatpants until I was in the 6th grade and I still to this day have no clue what matches or what is in style, but this verse says it all. I am not common, I am odd! Anyone who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them is different than everyone else. I may live in the world but I am not like them, I am not common! God has chosen to OVERFLOW His Spirit into me and that makes me un-common. Praise God for un-common odd balls! Praise God for His loving Spirit that dwells in the lives of those who call on His name! Praise God for that OVERFLOW of His goodness and grace! Praise God!

Smile Always,
jason
Eph. 5:1

Blessed to be a Blessing!

“He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Galatians 3:14.

God meant for the blessing He gave to Abraham to be shared over and over again. He wanted the blessing of the Spirit of God to be shared by mankind as they placed their faith in Christ. On the other hand, a blessing ceases to be a blessing if it is kept or hoarded by one person or one group of people.

Some people believe they should be blessed without any regard for how they live their lives or what they do in life. But, blessings aren’t meant to be wasted and God blesses those He chooses who also happen to be people He knows will not keep or hoard the blessing. He blesses those who will share the blessing.

Some of the definitions of the word blessing from the Greek – To bless. To speak well of. To praise. To commend. To confer blessing upon, call down divine favor, pronounce a benediction.

When a person in the Bible is called “blessed” by God, the adjective makarios is used.

Makarios – Biblically, one is pronounced blessed when God is present and involved in his life. The hand of God is at work directing all his affairs for a divine purpose, and thus, in a sense such a person lives before the face of God. Blessedness is sharing in the life of God.

Paul was reminding the Galatians that they were once people who knew they were blessed by God, but their lives were beginning to indicate that they had forgotten it. They were so focused on the law, the list of rules, that God’s grace wasn’t evident in their daily lives.

When I was little, my mother would encourage me to play outside. She would call me in for lunch and then send me back outside. It was outside that I learned how to interact with friends. I learned to live within the limits she had given me. But, I also learned that I had responsibilities outside her presence. I had to take the trust and instruction she gave me and obey it outside. Most of the time, I was somewhere she couldn’t see from the window. I had friends all over the neighborhood and I’d ride my bicycle all over. (I lived on a dead-end street and things were much safer back then!) But, I knew that she had blessed me with that privilege.

God has called us to feast in His grace – at His table. He redeemed us. Bought us with the blood of Christ. Then he sent us into the world, trusting that we would follow His instruction and obey Him. He has sent us to a people who don’t know Him personally. Even those who have a relationship with Jesus are learning just how intimate He wants it to be.

Yes, we are redeemed to be a blessing. Your circumstances don’t determine whether or not you’re blessed. The Lord does. And He does so in His presence, face to face with Him – just before He sends us out to be a blessing to those around us.

With all the flowers and trees starting to bloom, it is a Heavenly reminder of spring and Easter. Look for those opportunities today to bless someone with a smile, a hug or a word of encouragement. You will receive the bigger blessing!

Blessings!
Tricia

Overflowing a Sweet Fragrance

My Dad recently told me a story of a time when he and my Mom had gone out of town and were spending an afternoon just looking in some local shops. He noticed a potpourri shop and decided to go into it. When he entered, he said the air was full of wonderful fragrances, as you can imagine. The aroma caused his sense of smell to go crazy. He spent quite a bit of time just walking around from one fragrance to another, delighting in the different aromas. As he was leaving the shop, he told the store clerk that she was very blessed to work in a shop where she could enjoy all the sweet smelling fragrances every day. She then replied, "I can't smell a thing ....."

Can you imagine? An individual spending the better part of each day of their life around such sweetness but having no effect on her because she had become insensitive to it.

This is such a strong reminder of how we become so used to the things or people around us that we take them for granted. Have we become insensitive to the sweet aroma of Christ in the lives of those that touch us or whether our lives are putting off the sweet fragrance of Christ to those that we touch?

This causes me to reflect on the many times I have had the holy privilege of attending funeral services of dear saints. They all share many attributes in common but there is one that stands out above all others and that is: They were imitators of Christ. They spent their days "walking in love" and their lives became a sweet fragrance to everyone around them. Their family and friends saw Jesus in the way they spoke, in the sacrifice of themselves by putting others first, in their Godly counsel, in their service to the Lord and in their prayers.

Ephesians 5:1-2 says, "Therefore be imitators of God, as well-beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God for you, so that it became a sweet fragrance."

I cannot say that I have lived out every moment of my life walking in love and being a sweet fragrance to those around me. I do, however, praise the Lord for His forgiveness and His power to change me, mold and shape me so that I can be that sweet fragrance of His love to the people He has given me to share this journey we call life. I, too, have the awesome privilege of being in the presence of friends every week that give off the sweet fragrance of Christ's love.

I pray that we will be encouraged today to conduct ourselves in a manner that imitates Christ. Let us not become insensitive to the sweet fragrance of Christ's love that is overflowing all around us through the lives of others. Let us be careful not to hinder our own lives from being a sweet fragrance to God because of sin.

"And may the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you." I Thessalonians 3:12 (Amplified Version)

Praying you all are blessed and encouraged,
Robin

Vibrant, Valued and Victorious!

Words matter. That seems fairly obvious because without them we would be unable to communicate. Sometimes that might not be so bad! “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” (Prov. 10:19 NIV) There is much wisdom in thinking before we speak. Communication is very important but it is also critical how we communicate.

Have you ever been enjoying your day with a wonderful attitude and outlook only to have it shattered by someone’s careless comment? Maybe there is truth to what has been said or maybe not. The result is a feeling of being deflated, devalued and defeated! A few words have just taken all the air out of your balloon and set you on a downward spiral. How do you recover?

Words do matter and the words that matter most are the Words of God. Nothing can deflate you faster than an unexpected critical word. At these moments I can almost literally feel the strength and life within me draining out as if I had a slow leak! Desperate to patch the leak and get pumped back up this doesn’t always happen quickly. Isaiah tells us that God “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isa. 40:28-31 NIV) You might not get pumped back up instantly but God will not leave you deflated. His promise is for the long haul, so don’t be discouraged in the moment. Wait upon God and experience His restoration (reinflation!).

When we are criticized we can often fall into the trap of feeling worthless. Everything we have done has been for nothing! The dozen things we did right have been erased by the one thing we did wrong! It is in this setting that Satan seeks to make you feel devalued, less than what God intends. How does God see you? “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matt. 6:26 NIV) How valuable are you to God? “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” (Ps. 8:4-6 NIV) I’d say that God sees you as priceless! See yourself though His eyes!

We all want to achieve and accomplish but a careless comment can bring us down into a mindset of defeat in an instant. Defeat leads to discouragement and it is not long until we just want to give up. Yet we need to focus upon the perspective of God when it comes to our journey. In the midst of their apparent defeat God’s people were reminded, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.” (Jer. 31:3-4 NIV) God has the last word and for His people it is victory!

When we receive critical comments we need to evaluate them for truth. If there are things that we need to change we should take action. If there are things we need to make right then we should seek restoration. If there are apologies to be made then we should humble ourselves and seek forgiveness. But if there is no truth in the attack then we should ignore it and trust the Word of God! “Therefore we make it our aim . . . to be well pleasing to Him.” (2 Cor. 5:9 NKJ)
Seeking to please Him!
Larry

Who is Jesus?

Over the last few weeks we’ve seen that truth about reality is knowable, it is true that God exists (which implies the possibility of miracles, since if there is a God who can act there can be acts of God), and the Bible is copied accurately and is historically trustworthy. That brings us to Jesus, perhaps the most controversial figure of all time. If the Bible is trustworthy, as we saw last week that it is, then we can trust what it says about Jesus. And the Bible says that Jesus claimed to be God, the second Person of the Trinity, in human flesh.

Jesus Himself believed He was God, and He said so many times. For example, In John 8:58 He said He was the “I am” of the Old Testament book of Exodus. This was the special name of God given to Moses at the burning bush. His audience understood His meaning and picked up stones to kill Him for making Himself out to be God. He also claimed for Himself names and titles that were used for God alone in the Old Testament (ex. Good Shepherd, Redeemer, Bride Groom). His disciples also used titles for Jesus that showed they believed He was God. In fact, when Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus he said, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus also forgave sins (which God alone could do), said His words had as much authority as God’s from the Old Testament, said to honor Him just as we honor the Father, and accepted worship from others on numerous occasions.

Jesus not only claimed to be God, but He proved to be God through fulfilled prophecies and miracles. If we briefly look to the Old Testament and the prophecies about Jesus, we see that the odds of just eight of the sixty or so prophecies about Jesus coming true by chance in any one man are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. Not only that, but Jesus also healed the sick, cast out demons, and raised the dead. He also lived a sinless life as attested to by His closest followers (1 Peter 1:19). Most importantly, Jesus was physically resurrected after being dead for three days. His resurrection is one of the most verifiable events of ancient history and the basis for orthodox Christian belief (1 Corinthians 15).

As Pastor Michael said this past Sunday, Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord of the universe. He can’t be a good moral teacher if His claims about Himself were not true. But if we follow the evidence where it leads, we see that Jesus is indeed God. He's not just a good moral teacher as many believe. He's not Michael the Archangel as Jehovah's Witnesses believe. He's not our spirit brother as Mormons believe. He's not just a great prophet as Muslims believe. And He's not our way-shower to enlightenment as many New Agers believe. As Col. 2:9 says, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form...." I'll close with the words of C.S. Lewis. Speaking of Jesus, he said, “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

For His glory,
Adam Tucker

What is really important?

What is really important? This is a question that we all must deal with everyday of our lives. If you asked five different people they might give you five different answers to what they hold as important. I have heard it said, “You can know what is important to you by looking at your bank statement.” We will spend money on things that are important. Others might say, “To find what is important just look at your schedule.” We spend time doing what is important to us. Again others might say, “Simply listen to what you talk about to find what you value.” We will talk about what is important to us. I guess you could say that we OVERFLOW with what is important to us.

So what is the truth? What is it that is really important? What is it that is worth chasing after? The truth of the matter is that God is the truth, He is what is important and He is what is worth chasing after. I would imagine that if I asked you if God was important to you then you would say yes just like any good little Christian would. That is because you have been taught that God is the correct answer. The sad reality is that if we were really honest, God is not that important to us. The idea of God is important to us. When we find ourselves at life’s end, the thought that we are not alone is very comforting but six months ago, we really did not even think about God. When we lose our job and the bills are due we find hope in the fact that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills but when the finances are good, there is little room in our lives for God. The idea of God is enticing and in many cases almost necessary for the trials of life. But the truth of God is not so enticing because the truth of God is total surrender. That means your children, your finances, your spouse, your health, and your secrets. We do not like the thought of total surrender because what if God cannot do as good a job with my family as I can. What if God makes me confess all of my little dark secrets and make things right? That would be unthinkable therefore we choose not to think about it. We simply say God is important to me and then we continue on with life trying to make ends meet.

You know what? We cannot make ends meet. God is all perfect and we are all sin and there is no way we can make those ends meet. We need a Savior, someone who loves us enough to bridge that gap. Whoever can stand in that gap would be someone who is greater than we are and someone deserving far more than we could repay. Jesus bridged that gap and now He desires the throne of our heart in return but to give Him that, we must surrender all. No one said it would be easy to let go but God loves you!

Look at your life. Does your bank statement OVERFLOW Jesus? Does your schedule OVERFLOW Jesus? Does your mouth OVERFLOW Jesus? Do you OVERFLOW Jesus? What is really important to you?

“For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.” Matt. 6:21

Smile Always,
jason

Too Much of a Good Thing?

You have probably heard the saying that “You can get too much of a good thing”. I recently experienced that. I ordered lunch from my favorite Japanese carryout and picked up two containers of mustard sauce to enhance the flavor. Rather than putting a little on at a time and sampling, I poured both containers over my Hibachi Chicken, filled my fork and took my first bite. I thought my sensory organs were going to explode. My senses were instantly cleaned out, my nose was burning and sweat poured off my head. I ended up eating about 3 grains of rice at a time with lots of tea to finish my lunch. The mustard was far hotter than I had anticipated. Next time, I will be more frugal with the mustard! While I enjoy a good hot mustard sauce, I had “too much of a good thing”.

When we look at what this world has to offer, there are very few, if any, things that we cannot get too much of. That even applies to chocolate, although Mike Barrett and my wife may fight me on that one. However, there is one thing that we cannot get too much of and that is in seeking to know more about Jesus. We never get “too much” because of the principle of “overflow”. The more time we spend studying God’s word and in communing with Him through meditation and prayer, the more He fills us to overflowing and uses the overflow to bless others. Unlike the bloated way we feel after a buffet dinner where we went through the line one too many times, we feel wonderful when we are so filled with God’s love that we overflow and bless others. God fills us with His presence and His love not so we will be stuffed but so we can share and reflect His grace to those with whom we come in contact. The hymn writer Eliza Hewitt recognized the connection between knowing God and overflow when she wrote: “More about Jesus would I know, More of His grace to others show”.

There is another wonderful benefit to overflowing with God’s love and compassion. When we are filled with God’s goodness and grace in our lives, we don’t have room for the destructive habits and desires which plague the unfilled life. You have probably heard the phrase GIGO-garbage in garbage out. If you fill your mind with garbage, your life will soon start to reflect some of those same characteristics. I prefer GIGO to stand for “God in, God out. When we fill our mind with things of God, the overflow is God’s love and grace in our relationships with others. Peter challenges us to “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2nd Pet. 3:18). “Too much of a good thing” is not an issue when it comes to things of God. Try this week to be filled to overflowing by Him.

Seeking more of a good thing,
Paul

Can We Trust the Bible?

We've spent the past several weeks examining the evidence for the existence of God. As we've seen, there is an overflow of evidence in support of the theistic God. That is, a God similar to the one described in the Bible. So far, based on our evidence, we can essentially dismiss any worldview that is not theistic. That's a huge step in the right direction because that narrows down our search for truth to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. These three are all theistic religions. In order to know which, if any, of these are true we need more information. Now we'll turn our attention to the Bible. In order to prove the trustworthiness, or historicity, of the Bible, we really only have to look at the New Testament (NT). The NT says Jesus is God, and Jesus called the Old Testament the Word of God. So if the NT is shown to be reliable, then it’s true that Jesus is God, and whatever Jesus, who is God, says can be known to be the truth.

We need to ask two key questions in our examination of this book. The first question is, do we have an accurate copy of what was originally written? There are several factors we look at to answer this question. First, we look at manuscript evidence. We don’t have the original writings of the Bible, so we have to look at the manuscript copies (handwritten copies) that exist. There are nearly 6,000 original language manuscripts (including whole books, partial books, and fragments) of the NT. That may not sound like much, book second place is Homer’s Illiad with over 600 copies, and it drops off dramatically after that. Throw in other language translations and some other manuscripts that are a few centuries younger, and there are over 24,000 NT manuscripts. Also, the time span between our earliest existing manuscript and the original writing of the NT is as little as around fifty years. Compare that to around a 500 year gap for the Illiad. Even if all these manuscripts were destroyed, we'd have all but 11 verses of the NT quoted in the writings of the early church fathers. We can be confident that our NT today is around 99% textually pure. The remaining uncertainty does not affect a single essential doctrine, and variations are simply spelling changes and other minor differences.

The second question to ask is, do we have an accurate copy of the truth or a lie? The NT was written by eyewitnesses, or those who interviewed eyewitnesses, who wrote within the lifetimes of those who could debunk what they were writing were it not true. The authors also included embarrassing details about themselves and hard teachings of Jesus. Remember that most of the disciples gave their lives for proclaiming this new religion called Christianity. Who would willingly and knowingly die for a lie that they themselves invented, if it were in fact a lie? Archeological discoveries and sources outside the NT also verify it as a reliable history book. No undisputed archeological finding has ever shown the NT to be wrong.

Yet, in the midst of all this historical detail, we find numerous miracles mentioned. Since we know now that God exists, then we can be sure that miracles are possible. And since we know that God is unlimited love, we can be sure that He would want to communicate to us. The historically reliable NT says Jesus claimed to be God, and that He proved to be God through many miracles, namely the resurrection. Therefore, we can be confident that what Jesus says is true, since God cannot lie, and Jesus said He desires a relationship with you and me. That means that Judaism must be false, as it is currently taught (since Christianity if fulfilled Judaism), and that Islam must be false as well. Truly Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life.

For His glory,
Adam Tucker

Overflowing in Family Life

1 Corinthians 12

The story goes like this: "my husband and I had been married about eight months when it came time to plant a garden. We purchased the seeds and all went well as each of us liked the same vegetables. We then began the process of preparing the soil and again everything went smoothly. We opened the first row, planted the seed, covered the row and we stood smiling with our accomplishment. When then began that second row and that is when it happened...I knew that our rows needed to be precisely 18 inches apart and so begin laying the row based upon that. My husband was in disbelief and suddenly stopped me. 'You are way to close' he said, 'the row must be 36 inches from the first row'. I responded 'my mother always planted 18" apart and 36" is wasting too much soil. How can I get him to see that I am "right" and do it my way? The debate began...'We cannot waste space it has to be 18", he quickly replied...'you must have 36" to have space in between to walk and keep the soil cultivated and weeds removed. So who was right? As we continued conversation we quickly realized I grew up with a small patch of garden and space was a premium, he grew up on a farm and a tractor was used to till to garden and wide rows were necessary for it's path. Could it be that both of us were right?"

The above story happens daily in our homes, differing manifestations but same issue. The problem is that many do not turn out as the above story ends. They took the time and energy to learn the purpose of each other's perspective. Many times we focus on "How do I convince my spouse that my way or opinion is the right way". We spend way too much energy on convincing our spouse that we are right instead of time needed undertanding our spouse's perspective and viewpoint. It is obvious that we are different and therefore have differing views. 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 both tell us that God has created those differnces so that we might best operate in completion as a body and that the body is to operate in unity/oneness.

The consequences of "being right" and "winning the discussion" are devasting to marriages as it shreads and tears down the oneness in marriages and families. When one spouse is "right" or "wins", that means the other spouse is "wrong" and "loses" and when one spouse "loses" then the marriage itself will always "lose". The marriage never becomes one or unified when the couple strives for an "either/or winner". Marriages win and become one when two differing individuals strive for oneness in the marriage over winning for theirself. There really is more than one way to do things and there are many views on particular issues but we are called to have one spirit, one heart and one mind.

Take the time today to read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. We are spending way too much time and energy discussing the appropiate spacing for planting beans that the beans are not getting planted. I'll take "oneness" over "rightness" anyday when it comes to personal perspective. More importantly oneness creates initimacy in the body, "rightness" creates division.

Finally, Peter writes....all of you live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble". What a high calling? Strive today for oneness in your marriage and with those around you. It brings Glory to God, unity in your home and peace to your soul.

Blessed,
Marty

You Feed Them

Matt. 14:13-21 John 6:1-14

It was like any other day-Jesus, the disciples and enough onlookers to overflow the walls of Jerusalem. Here they were listening to Jesus talk as He unveiled the wonders and mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Finally one of the disciples who probably heard his own stomach growling went to Jesus to question what the dinner plans were. Jesus’ response was slightly more than the disciple had anticipated. Jesus said, “You feed them.” The disciples knew they were being tested so I can just imagine them huddling up as if it were the last few seconds of the Super Bowl and it was fourth and goal, and the score tied. They return back to Jesus with no more than a Hail Mary, saying, “There is a little boy here who has five loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” Jesus smirks as he watches them search for answers. “Have everyone sit down,” He said. Then He takes the food that the little boy had and looking up to Heaven He blesses it. Finally, Jesus passes the food out to the disciples who then pass it out to the men and women. What a sight that must have been to watch those twelve men walk around, tripping on their bottom lip as their jaws hit the ground. You can just hear them mumbling to themselves trying to figure it all out, “Five loaves + two fish = 5,000 people…? Yet in my mind the best was still to come! When the disciples cleaned up the mess and bagged up all the leftovers, there was exactly twelve baskets leftover! Don’t you know Jesus walked empty handed off the mountain that day. He made sure each one of the disciples would carry the OVERFLOW of this little boy’s lunch box! One of the many lessons taught that day to the disciples was that even your meager lunch box contains enough to feed the world when you give it to the LORD. And what of the little boy? Do you think that he was happier about the fact that his lunch just fed 5,000 people or that he was eating lunch with Jesus? I do not know but I do know that whether you were the boy, the amazed disciples, or an onlooker with a full belly, you were grateful to have been showered by the OVERFLOW of Jesus.

Today, we are feeding 5,000 people just like Jesus did. Sure we have over a thousand bags of tasty treats, but even better is we have a Holy God who goes before us raining down an OVERFLOW of His goodness! I pray we all walk away with a basket of Jesus’ leftovers!

Smile Always,
jason

A Bag Full of Love

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10.

We have been collecting enough food to give out 1000 bags on Saturday. It has been amazing to watch as the hallways began to be filled with bags full of food, cookies and drinks. What an awesome way to show someone how much God loves them!

One time, I received a gift bag filled with some unusual items. It included a birthday candle, a page from a calendar, a list of words, a thread, and a picture of a baby. Each item represented something special.

The birthday candle symbolizes that God knew the day you were born. He ordained the circumstances and people who were involved in your birth. He knew what you would look like and who would welcome you. He knew how much you would weigh, what your cry would sound like, and whether you would be bald or have a head full of hair. (Psalm 139:16)

The page from the calendar symbolizes that each of your days was planned before you were even born. He knew how you would spend your days—what your hobbies and interests would be, what your job would be, and who you would share your days with. He knew the days you would spend honoring Him and the days you would wish you could do over. (Psalm 139:2-3)

The list of words symbolizes that God knows every word you say before you even say it. The nice words and not-so-nice words. The angry words and the words of encouragement. The times you should have held your tongue and the times you thought of the right words to say hours too late. He knows the times you have spoken up on His behalf, and He sees the times you were too shy and unsure to speak. (Psalm 139:4)

The thread represents the hairs on your head, which the Bible tells us are numbered. Straight hair or curly hair, red hair or gray hair, real or “Bottled” color. God knows every detail of you, His marvelous creation. He counts your freckles, knows the ridges on your fingernails, and sees the blemishes you try to hide. He truly loves you, warts and all. (Matthew 10:30)

Finally, the picture of a baby is to remind you that He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He knows you better than your parents, your spouse, your children or your friends. He knows the parts you don’t show anyone else. He sees the tears no one else sees. He hears the dreams and frustrations no one else hears. He knows you, inside and out. (Psalm 139:13)

The Bible assures us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. I once read that the word “wonderfully” in the Hebrew means “to distinguish, or to be set apart.” God created each one of us to be unique and distinct in some way. We each have a special destiny only we can fulfill. In a world of comparisons and keeping up with impossible standards, it is so easy to forget that our uniqueness is His gift to us.

Psalm 139:14 says “I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” God wants us to praise Him for the way that He made us. He wants us to celebrate the little details He thought of.

I love that the contents of this bag helps me to focus on God’s love for me – a love that exceeds my limited understanding, a love that goes far beyond skin deep.

God asks us to share this love with our neighbors, friends and co-workers. Whether it be a bag filled with the items like in the bag I received, or a bag of food, or a card, or a prayer, or a smile, God wants us to help others discover his overflowing love.

Blessed,
Tricia

The Overflowing of Jesus

You may have noticed by now that I think the meanings of words are important. They are the means by which we know how to correctly and accurately verbalize and gauge our behavior in this world around us.

Compassion is a very powerful word. It is "to have sorrow for the sufferings of others; sympathy." What does it mean to "sorrow" exactly? Well, my 1962 copy of Webster's dictionary describes it as "feeling mental pain or uneasiness; to grieve; lament."

Jesus was the epitome of compassion. "But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." Psalm 86:15 There are those moments in life when we have the opportunity to allow Jesus to overflow out of us in compassion to those around us.

I recently was asked to sing at the funeral of my Uncle J.C. on Friday, February 19. My relation to them is not the most common because my uncle is my Dad's brother and my aunt is my Mom's sister, so, his death affected both sides of my family.
I found myself surrounded by family members, some that I had not seen in quite some time, and I was literally overcome with emotion. Not just of seeing my uncle's immediate family grieve his loss but also coming face to face with other members of my family that are going through their own suffering. Two had lost their wives in death just within the past six months; another went through a very hurtful divorce and one continuing to deal with that cruel Parkinson's disease. I also felt joy just because I was surrounded by so many that are my flesh and blood whom I love dearly! I found myself overcome with the powerful emotions of compassion and love toward them all!

As I sang, I made myself look into their faces. In some I saw the deep sense of pain; in others I saw the sweet sense of comfort. The saddest thing I saw was emptiness in the faces of those who have never accepted the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. My heart was broken. I felt the Lord using this moment to overflow through me with compassion and love as only He can; to speak to each heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Lord will never let me forget that moment!

That moment in time was a reminder to me that I have the opportunity to display compassion and love to those around me each and every day and to allow Jesus to overflow out of me and make a difference in a life.

This is an awesome task and it is not one that we can do in and of ourselves. We are surrounded with families that are hurting here at home and all over the world. Let's not become desensitized! Allow Jesus to overflow!

Are you overflowing Jesus today?

Humbled by the Lord's Compassion and Love,
Robin

Chosen

“… I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa 41:9-10 NIV)

Do you remember being chosen for teams when you played games as a child? Perhaps you were one of the more talented athletes and were chosen early. Maybe you were one who was chosen in the middle of the pack. You might have been the one who was at the tail end of the process and was chosen last. Being chosen first tends to make someone feel special. Being chosen in the middle makes one feel grateful. Being chosen last makes one feel; well, it makes you feel like you’ve been chosen last!

What if it came down to only you and someone else to be chosen? What if the other person was chosen before you? What if the final team did not use their last choice and left you out? What if you were not chosen at all? How might that feel?

Childhood games are a good example of how much priority we place on the wrong things. We prize being chosen first or being picked before someone else. It makes us feel better to know that we are wanted before others. What we should express great gratitude for is not “when” we were chosen but “that” we were chosen.

King David said, “Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.” (Ps 65:4 NIV) If you have accepted God’s gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ and given your life to Him then you know what it is like to be chosen by God. It matters little whether you were chosen first or last but it matters greatly that you were chosen!

The question is; do you live like you have been chosen by God? Do you live in assurance or in doubt? God said, “I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” Take Him at His word! Do you live in confidence or in fear? God said, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” Stand boldly in His presence! Do you live in strength or in weakness? God said, “I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Live powerful in His grasp!

Remember that you are chosen and Who has chosen you! Jesus said, “My Father, who has given [you] to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch [you] out of my Father's hand.” (John 10:29 NIV)

Larry

Who Made God?

There are so many different beliefs about life and faith in our world today. These beliefs are known as worldviews. You’re reading this right now through the lens of your own worldview. The three broadest categories of worldviews today are: Theism (God made all), Pantheism (god is all and all is god), and Atheism (there is no god at all).

Over the last few weeks we've looked at the evidence that shows the God of theism, specifically the God of Christianity, is the only true God that exists. Based on solid philosophy we saw that God is pure existence and a necessary Being. Based on evidence from science, we saw that He is super-powerful and super-intelligent, and based on the moral law written on our consciences we saw that He is morally perfect. We ultimately saw that it is reasonable to believe that God exists, and we showed that all is not God and God is not all. He is as different from the world as a painter is from his painting. But if God does exist, and He made everything, then who made God?

That seems like a reasonable question as first blush. Even trained thinkers with PhD's from prestigious universities make this mistake. We do live in a world of cause and effect, but Christians do not claim that everything that exists has or needs a cause. Christians claim that everything that begins to exist has a cause. God is not self-caused, He is uncaused and eternal. There are only three options. Everything is either caused, self-caused, or uncaused. God cannot be caused because that leads to an infinite number of causes which is impossible. As we saw last week, there must be an initial “causer” in the very beginning. He can’t be self-caused because you have to exist in order to cause something. Something can’t preexist itself. Therefore, God must be uncaused. God is completely self-existent. He calls Himself the great “I AM” in Exodus 3:14. Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

God did not create the universe, or you, to fill any need He had in Himself. He is perfect in every way, lacking nothing. He created us in order to have a relationship with us. He did not begin, He will not end, and we should praise Him for it.

For His glory,
Adam Tucker

Overflowing in Family Life

“We Will Serve the Lord”
Joshua 24:14 “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

As Joshua aged and realized his days were ending he addressed the Hebrews a few final times. He confronts them with their choice of faithfulness to the Lord and tells them they must choose whom they will serve and worship. He then makes the statement; “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua understands the importance of family faith and seeks to lead in serving God almighty. Throughout scripture we are admonished to teach, train, equip, model and disciple others and the others include and should start with family and home. The foundation of that healthy and Godly home begins with a foundation of God centered purpose. Psalm 127 puts it this way “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builder’s labor in vain”.

A research study conducted over 20 years and included 14,000 families from all 50 states and 24 countries studied family strengths, family health and family happiness. From all the research, interviews, surveys and questionnaires a conclusion was reached that identified 6 Key Characteristics seen in what they termed “Fantastic Families”….families that appeared healthy, happy and strong in relationships and function. Strong families are not families without problems…they have learned to deal with those problems in positive, encouraging and supporting ways. They feel good about themselves as a family unit and have a sense of belonging with each other…a sense of we. So what are those 6 Qualities? (A book entitled “Fantastic Families” by Joe Beam & Nick Stinnett goes into much depth and detail concerning the below principles and the families’ survey)

1. Commitment - to the family, to marriage, to each individual, to priorities, to honesty, to the long haul and to family traditions.

2. Expresses Appreciation & Affection – to each person in the family. Where each knows and understands the value they bring to the home. Where each person gives and receives affirmation, expresses appreciation, realizes their potential through attention and feels loved through affection.

3. Share Positive Communication – there is a freedom/openness to express thoughts and emotions because all is done in a positive atmosphere. Eph 4:29 states it this way “let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those that hear.” Entire volumes are written on communication….take the time to study, develop and master positive communication that adheres to the principles of Eph 4:29

4. Time Together – time together, both quantity and quality develops family identity, it nurtures relationships and it makes memories. Families that play together, pray together, serve together, and “do nothing” together builds “togetherness”.

5. Nurture Spiritual Wellbeing – it was found that there were 6 blessings of those homes built on Spiritual Foundation. (1)Home had Purpose/Meaning, (2)Home had Principles/Guidelines for living, (3) There was a Positive Confident Outlook on life, (4)Support in trials of life, (5) True Freedom/Peace, (6) Access to Power of God. These families developed their spiritual well-being through corporate worship/study, through prayer and meditation on God’s Word, by talking about God’s Word and precepts in everyday life, by avoiding dissension/disagreement and by building a legacy of following God’s Word/purpose.

6. Strong Families Learn how to cope with Stress & Crisis – these families had learned 6 tactics for coping with stress & crisis: (1)Keep things in Perspective; (2) Let Go & Let God; (3) Focus on God not self; (4)Humor Yourself; (5)Take one step at a time; (6) Refresh & Restore – self.

Not surprising, they are all principles found laid out in God’s Word for how we are to relate to each other. Each of us desires to build a strong & healthy home upon the Solid Rock foundation of Jesus Christ. What principles above need some improvement to accomplish that purpose? May each of us be reminded of the importance of choosing to include God’s Word and God’s presence in our everyday life so that each of us will laboring toward strong and healthy homes.

Grateful Marty