Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

He is not here; He has risen, just as He said... Matthew 28:6a (NIV)

“He Loves Her More Then You Do”

Read Psalm 139: 13-18

My heart ached. My soul felt like it was melting. Tears ran down my face in streams that I could not catch. Our daughter told us that a lump was found in her breast. We prayed for a miracle. When the biopsy was completed the doctor said the cells were not uniformed. I could read the lines in the doctor’s face. I could see the pain in our daughter’s eyes. The biopsy test result will confirm our fears. We prayed for a miracle.

Our fears and information about our daughter was sent out on the prayer chain. We must wait until the biopsy test is read to hear our dreaded news. Our prayer partners prayed for a miracle. I prayed, “Lord I need a sign now to be strong for our daughter.” Over the email came a very simple statement from a pray partner. ” I am praying for Dinah May and you must remember someone loves her more then you do!” How can anyone love our daughter more then I do? I am her mother. My heart rejoices, my soul is leaping, my tears are joyful. Yes that is right, God does love her more then I do. He is her heavenly Father, as he is my heavenly Father. He knitted her together in my womb. He will supply her every needs because he is her Father and he loves her more then I do. I received two miracles, while praying for one. Our daughter’s test was read to be negative and a prayer partner gave me a simple statement that will live in me forever, “He loves her more then you do.” Thank you Prayer Partners for your prayers and thank you Theresa Davis for your email.

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank you for loving our children more then we do. Thank you for miracles that happen in my life everyday. Thank you for prayer partners that lift my children and me up in daily prayers. Thank you for caring people who may send me simple statements either through email or by conversation that gives me the surge of strength that I need to survive. Amen

Dianna Chandler

We Are All God’s

Read: Galatians 3:26-29

 

“You are all sons (children) of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26

What assurance it is to know that because of what Jesus did for us, for me, that I belong to God. And that all who have faith do.

In the mid-eighties through faith I accepted to be a mission team leader to Mexico. We were to begin work on a ‘Home for the Aging.’ The Methodist Women of the area had invited us here to do this project.

The first day on the job it was decided that some from my team and some from the Methodist Women would read the day’s devotion from the “Upper Room,”  they in Spanish, us in English.

I was so touched and moved. The day’s reading was about a group in California who for twenty-five years had hoped to build a retirement home and now God had made it possible by faith. Those women had hoped and prayed for a home here in Mexico City for twenty-five years and now it was happening because we are all God’s children. We are one through faith in Jesus Christ.

That day I was deeply moved to see how God, through our faith, can use me to fulfill someone else’s dream. We are all one in Him.

In His service,

Gary A. Ziegler

“My Salt of Speech Must Be Tasty”

Read: Colossians 4: 6

Bob and I have opened our home as a bed and breakfast since 2000. Two of the most important things we have learned to make our small business successful is to provide a comfortable bed for our guest and to have “tasty” foods served for breakfast. As I prepare a hearty breakfast each morning it is very important that I add the right amount of salt to the breakfast foods. To much salt in the sausage gravy and you cannot eat it. Too little salt and the sausage gravy is bland. To much salt in the biscuits makes the dough tough. Too little salt in the biscuits and the biscuits will not rise to be soft and fluffy.

When I have a conversation with others about our Savior or a conversation about worldly news my dialog must be seasoned with the right amount of salt. It is always important to be gracious and courteous when talking with others. If I want to be respected as a Christian then my speech must be “seasoned with salt” and what I say should be “tasty” and encourage further dialogue.

Prayer:

Dear Lord as I try to walk in your footsteps may my words always be “tasty”. May my words be seasoned with just the right amount of salt. The salt that you provide 24 hours a day just by asking in our daily prayers. Thank you sweet Jesus for listening and answering my prayers. Amen

Dianna Chandler

“A Matter of Perspective”

Scripture: I Timothy 6:6-8

Some of my cows got out last week and decided to go visit a neighbor. It had snowed and was packed into the cattle guard allowing them to walk across and go venturing out. This was one of the rare times when no one was around in the middle of the day. Normally they would have been rounded up quickly, but this time they had a couple of hours to get into trouble.

When I returned, I immediately saw that about 10 were out and I took off to get them. Fortunately, the ground was not muddy and I knew that they would do little damage. But then I noticed that the neighbor’s front door was open. Not a surprise. It doesn’t latch well and I have run down there many times in the middle of the day when he was gone and shut it for him. As I was racing down on the 4 wheeler, I kept thinking “surely the cows only pushed the door open, they certainly didn’t go in”.

However, as I peered in the door, I realized that at least cow had indeed ventured inside. Unfortunately, she just didn’t venture inside. She had to leave evidence of her visit. To make matters worse, the evidence couldn’t be deposited on the hardwood or tile, it had to be left on the carpet, then stepped in and tracked through the house on the way out.

Needless to say, my temperature went from normal to past boiling in milliseconds. I don’t remember what I said, but I’m sure that it didn’t glorify God. That’s when I had one of those God moments. He very clearly said “Gary, get over it. There are 3 billion people on this planet who would gladly trade places with you “. Then I thought about the countless people who don’t have enough food or adequate clothing and shelter. Those living in war zones, those who would encounter death, severe illness, marital problems and family issues etc. And here I was complaining about my “big” problem of having to clean up some organic matter.

I was then reminded of a line from a favorite poem: “Lord forgive me when I whine, I have so much the world is mine.” I cleaned up the mess and the neighbor was very understanding. After my jolt of perspective, I was laughing about it. When considering the “BIG” picture, my “big” problem was rather inconsequential.

Maybe the “BIG” question is to you the reader: “What would your reaction be if a neighbor’s cow made a deposit in your house?”

Prayer: “Lord forgive me when I whine, I have so much the world is mine.” Anonymous

Gary Monroe

I Am the Horse

Read: Psalms 26: 2-3

As a child I had a stubborn horse by the name of Ginger. Ginger provided many hours of traveling the ole west, in our back yard, as my brothers, sister and I played the parts of Annie Oakley, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. We did have one major problem. Ginger had a mind of her own. Once in the saddle the only way we could get Ginger to move was to tie a carrot on the end of a stick and dangle the stick a few feet in front of her nose. Poor ole Ginger would walk for hours trying to catch that carrot while we rode on her back fighting the outlaws of the west.

I am now a lot like Ginger the horse. Stubborn, mind of my own, and the weights of life on my back but my carrot is God’s love and truth. Found in Psalms 26, verse 3 . . .  “For your love is ever before me and I walk continually in your truth.” Yes, I am the horse and God provides the stick with the carrot. I will follow the carrot of God’s love and truth as it stays in front of me.

Prayer: O Lord, thank you for pleasant memories of my childhood. Thank you for constantly holding your arm in front of me with love and truth in the palm of your hand as I follow you. Amen

Dianna Chandler

Do You Share What You Believe?

Read: John 12:20-33

 

^20.  Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.  ^21.  They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”  ^22.  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.  ^23.  Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

 

I recall a teaching on this passage that speculated about why Jesus completely ignored the request of the Greeks to see Him.  The teacher suggested it was because the Greeks loved knowledge. Perhaps their interest was more curiosity than a matter of true faith.  I had an aunt that loved to talk about religion. She would always comment on the beliefs of various religions. This group believed it was wrong to do such-and-such.  This group believed that true believers must do such-and-such.  I loved my aunt.  She was interesting. She was eccentric and reminded me a good deal of the character “Auntie Mame”.  She helped me with my studies and taught me how to spell restaurant.  But as I think back to my childhood, I am sad that she never told me what she believed. As an adult, I realize it is much easier to talk about religion than to talk about faith.  I hope and pray that my words and actions let those who know me see clearly that I believe that Christ died for my sins, that Christ rose, and that Christ will come again.

 

Dave Wolf

 

Do You Want to See Jesus?

Read: John 12:20-33   

 

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies…”  If we want to produce fruit for Christ, if we want to be faithful to our calling we have to die to self.  If you are like me this has been a process.  When God called me to the ministry I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. But, God kept pursuing me and over time I started to say, “Okay God I will go and I will do whatever it is you want me to do.”  But I wasn’t doing what I needed to do to get into the ministry.  I had to die to self again!  That wasn’t easy for me; I die a little bit today, and tomorrow maybe not.  It was a long time after I first heard the call to ministry that I finally understood what it would take for me to truly die to self, a lasting death.  I found the answer from the Greeks who came to see Jesus in our passage of scripture from John.  They probably had seen Jesus from afar, maybe in the market, or teaching in the temple.  But, now they wanted a close personal encounter with Jesus.  Romans 12:2 from The Message says, “Fix your attention on God.  You’ll be changed from the inside out.”  Our own desire must be to seek Jesus, to search out and find Him in all of our lives, to be ever close to Him.  I can’t tell you that I have achieved this in all areas of my life, but, like the Greeks, I want to see Jesus!    What about you, do you want to see Jesus? 

 

Bob Talbott

 

 

“Spiritual ADD: Prescription—Holy Spirit”

SCRIPTURE FOCUS:  John 12:  20-33

 

John 12:20-33 (New International Version)

 

20  Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

 

23  Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25  The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26  Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

 

 27  “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28  Father, glorify your name!”

 

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29  The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

 

30  Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31  Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32  But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” 33  He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

 

 

 

Is your spiritual life and relationship with Jesus suffering from the effects of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)?  As you can see by the chart, I am in desperate need of help.  Perhaps, you can relate.

 

SYMPTOM	SELF-OBSERVATION
Failure to pay close attention to detail	A person will ask me about scripture or I will want to reference scripture to share and I reply with something like this, “I know that the Bible says something about this, but I am not sure.  It is something like this…” Details, details….
Not listening when spoken to	I seem to question when God is speaking to me.  “God, are you really talking to me?”,  “I am not sure that I hear you”,  “How do I know that is you, not me, talking?”
Not following through with directions	There are many teachings/directions in the Bible that I know I need to follow in a dedicated manner.  For example, I struggle with a couple of commandments.  The commandment about not coveting—not wanting what others have—that is a hard one!  I want to go on a great vacation, carry a Louis Vuitton purse.  And the one about false witness, I am sure it means not to gossip and say negative things about others….oops.
Difficulty organizing and prioritizing tasks	Yes, Tracy, you need to read your BIBLE daily and pray daily—first thing!
Easily distracted by extraneous activities	I am sure I have said this at least once.  “Church tonight?  But I wanted to _______________.”

 

So how does John 12: 20-33 relate to my Spiritual ADD?  Well, after reading it many, many times, I began to realize that Jesus was beginning to question whether to follow his Father’s directions (vs. 27).  However, he listened to the voice from heaven (vs. 29).  He gave his life upon that cross to sow the seeds of our salvation.  Jesus stayed focused.  He did not become distracted. What a role model!  More importantly, WHAT LOVE!  This passage gives me comfort in the realization that God knows our life will be difficult and that there will be suffering, but if we stay focused on His words/directions during our time here on Earth, then we will have our reward in heaven (vs. 25).  The cure for my Spiritual ADD is simple:  Focus on God’s word and welcome the Holy Spirit into my life daily.  I invite you to put your worldly distractions aside and begin to focus daily on God’s word. What love!

 

 

Tracy Matthews

 

Thanks, Grandma

Read John 12:20-33

 

“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”?

 No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.            John 12:27

 

Knowing that a loved one is not expected to be with you for much longer is troublesome to our hearts. The nursing home called the immediate family to come and see my grandmother, as they determined by her deteriorating health, she wouldn’t be alive much longer. My grandmother was frail and weak as she was slipping in and out of morphine induced slumber. Her Pastor happened by as he lived two hours away and met with the family gathered around her bed side. When my grandmother awoke for a short time, the family was able to hold her hand, and touch her face as they told her that they loved her. Pastor Calvin held my grandmothers hand as he prayed with the family. As the Pastor finished the prayer, my grandmother murmured softly the words “Praise the Lord,” “Praise the Lord.” Those were my grandmothers’ last words, and she slipped out of this world a short time later.

 

This experience left a lasting impression on Pastor Calvin, as well as, me. He shared at the funeral about how my grandmother powerfully witnessed to him and the family during her final moments. To leave this world praising God, can there be any better way to depart from this life?  For the very reason of glorifying God was my grandmother, Pastor Calvin, and my family not spared from this hour. What a testimony and legacy my grandmother left for us; made possible by walking through the valley of the shadow of death, with God in the midst, to welcome my grandmother, and provide comfort and healing for the family in our time of sorrow.

 

PRAYER

 

O God, thank you for your promise that you’ll never leave us or forsake us, especially during the trial of death, as we struggle to understand the words of Jesus “Thy will be done.”

 

 

-Ralph Groves (Port Republic UMC)