Rejoicing and mourning with others

Romans 12:15 (NIV)

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

True love will interest us in the sorrows and joys of one another, and teach us to make them our own.

On a flight from Atlanta to Chicago in July 2004, nine U.S. soldiers—home from Iraq on a two-week leave—were among the passengers. Before one of the soldiers boarded, a passenger traded his first class ticket for the soldier's coach ticket. As the plane was boarding, other passengers asked to trade their first class seats for the coach seats occupied by the remaining soldiers.

Devilla Evans, a flight attendant on the American Airlines flight, said "it was a privilege to be flying with those two groups of unselfish people: those who would put their lives on the line to protect their fellow citizens' freedom, and those who were not ashamed to say thank you." [headlines.agapepress.org (7-21-04); submitted by Greg Miller, Madison, Mississippi]

God designed us to have relationships with other people. In the story above the people rejoiced over the soldiers coming home after serving their duty. The passengers were willing to rejoice with the soldiers by giving up their first class seats. They also knew these soldiers were probably still mourning the loss of some of their friends. Making them just a little more comfortable was an ease to their mourning and the hardships they endured.

It is out of pure love that we can rejoice and mourn with others. Let us do our best to build lasting relationships that show others the love of Christ.

Sharing faith in Jesus

Acts 20:24 (NLT)

24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Here the apostle speaks humbly about himself. He considers his life only worthy of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the Good News of salvation offered to man through God’s grace and mercy just for accepting they are sinners in need of the redemption Jesus provided on the cross.

It’s not always easy to share your faith with other people. Sometimes you fear rejection. Sometime you fear the person might even get hostile. However, most of the time people are pleasant and will thank you or at least acknowledge your efforts.

I have a friend and he uses every opportunity to talk to someone about Jesus. If there was a hitchhiker walking down the road, he would stop and pick them up just to have their undivided attention as he drove and talked about the salvation of Jesus Christ.

One day he was riding down the highway and saw and old country store. He pulled in to get something to drink. As he walked inside he noticed he was the only white person inside. He doesn’t know if it was because he started to talk about Jesus, or he was just an unwelcome stranger, but he found himself being thrown out the screen door. He picked himself up, dusted off, and drove away.

A couple of weeks later he was passing through the same area and saw a man hitch hiking. As my friend usually did he picked up the man so he could talk about Jesus. However this conversation was different. The man stopped him and said, “Aren’t you that white guy that got thrown out of the country story a few weeks back.” My friend replied that he was. Then the man said, “Man you got some courage walking in there like that trying to tell people about Jesus. I want to know some more about Him because obviously He is someone very important to you.”

In the conversation my friend led the man to know Jesus, His mercy, grace and love; along with the salvation that comes from admitting to be a sinner and placing your faith in Jesus. This man became saved through the grace of Jesus and the determination of my friend to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

If you want to make your life worthwhile, learn to share your faith in Jesus with others. Help others to know Christ that they can also share their faith with others.

Build up others in The Lord

Romans 15:2 (NLT)

2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.

We all are faced with afflictions, but the weak are more subject to problems. Their weakness may come from a weakness in understanding God’s love and mercy. It may be a physical weakness where one is addicted to a substance they cannot overcome. Therefore those of us who are strong in Christ have the responsibility to do what is right and build up those who are weak. Christ did not seek to please Himself, but instead came to minister to the needs of others just as we should do too!

On December 2, 2012, a Spanish long-distance runner named Ivan Fernandez Anaya was competing in a cross-country race in the Spanish countryside. Anaya was running in second-place, well behind the race leader, the Kenyan runner and Olympic medalist Abel Mutai. As they entered the finishing stretch, Mutai, the certain winner of the race, suddenly stopped running. Apparently, he mistakenly thought he had already crossed the finish line.

A Spanish newspaper reported what happened next: "Fernández Anaya quickly caught up with him, but instead of exploiting Mutai's mistake to speed past and claim an unlikely victory, he stayed behind and, using gestures, guided the Kenyan to the line and let him cross first."

When asked what motivated this kind deed, Anaya said, "He was the rightful winner. He created a gap that I couldn't have closed if he hadn't made a mistake. As soon as I saw he was stopping, I knew I wasn't going to pass him."

Surprisingly, Anaya's coach, the famous Spanish runner Martin Fiz, was disappointed with Anaya's display of sportsmanship. Fiz said, "He has wasted an occasion. Winning always makes you more of an athlete. You have to go out to win."

But Anaya stood by his decision. He told reporters,

Even if they had told me that winning would have earned me a place in the Spanish team for the European championships, I wouldn't have done it either … because today, with the way things are in all circles, in soccer, in society, in politics, where it seems anything goes, a gesture of honesty goes down well. [Carlos Arribas, "Honesty of the long-distance runner," El Pais (In English), (12-19-12)]

There will always be those who don’t stop to think about the needs of others. There are leaders who would say we should win at any cost. However The Lord tells us “we should help others do what is right and build them up.”

Anaya could have faced a moment of victory by taking advantage of his competitor’s mistake, but he would have known the truth that his win would have been based on the fact he did not help a fellow runner.

As Christians we are running the race of life together. Let us never leave behind another, but instead encourage, motivate and show them the right paths of life.

Belief in God

Galatians 3:5-7 (NLT)

5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. 6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

The message the apostle conveyed here is about faith. Faith is belief with strong conviction; firm belief in something for which there may be no tangible proof; complete trust in or devotion to. Faith is the opposite of doubt. Abraham demonstrated his faith by believing God even when there was no proof of a future outcome.

[A Beautiful Mind tells the story of John Nash (Russell Crowe), who is a brilliant mathematician that struggles with mental instability. His marriage is a testimony of true love and commitment through years of trial, illness, and—finally—great success.

On the evening Nash proposes to his future wife, he shows up very late to the restaurant where he's supposed to meet her to celebrate her birthday. Painfully embarrassed about his mistake, he manages to win back her affection. Then he awkwardly straightens his tie and drops to one knee to propose.

As a true scientist, he is uncertain how to justify making such a great commitment with evidence that is so difficult to measure. The ensuing conversation convinces him that he's found true love:

Nash: Alicia, does our relationship warrant long term commitment? I need some kind of proof, some kind of verifiable empirical data.

 Alicia: [giggling at his awkwardness] Sorry, I'm just trying to get over my girlish notions of romance. Hmmm…proof…verifiable data…. Okay. How big is the universe?

 Nash: Infinite

 Alicia: How do you know?

 Nash: I know because all the data indicates it's infinite.

 Alicia: But it hasn't been proven yet.

 Nash: No

 Alicia: You haven't seen it.

 Nash: No

 Alicia: How do you know for sure?

 Nash: I don't. I just believe it.

 Alicia: It's the same with love, I guess.

[A Beautiful Mind (Universal, 2001), written by Akiva Goldsman, directed by Ron Howard; submitted by Bill White, Paramount, California]]

Nash knew the proof that existed about the size of the universe. The problem was it had never been proven, nor had anyone ever seen far out into the universe. Yet his belief was - there had to be an infinite universe.

1 John 3:1 says, “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.” Pray for those who don’t know God that they may learn of Him.

Beyond a sacrifice

Proverbs 21:3 (NIV)

3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

This is a reminder from King Solomon that The Lord enjoys when we do things that are right and just. These actions are pleasing to Him. Generally the sacrifice was offered after a transgression had occurred to amend for any sins committed. And while this showed repentance on behalf of the person, it would have been more acceptable to not have committed the transgression.

Max Lucado, in Outlive Your Life wrote: A few months ago I was sitting at the red light of a busy intersection when I noticed a man walking toward my car. He stepped off the curb, bypassed several vehicles, and started waving at me. He carried a cardboard sign under his arm, a jammed pack on his back. His jeans were baggy, his beard scraggly, and he was calling my name, "Max! Max! Remember me?"

I lowered my window. He smiled a toothless grin. [He said], "I still remember that burger you bought me." Then I remembered. Months, maybe a year earlier, at this very intersection, I had taken him to a corner hamburger stand where we enjoyed a meal together. He was California-bound on that day. "I'm passing through Texas again," he told me. The light changed, and cars began to honk. I pulled away, leaving him waving and shouting, "Thanks for the burger, Max."

I'd long since forgotten that meal. Not him. We never know what one meal will do …. When we provide food stamps, we stave off hunger. But when we invite the hungry to our tables, we address the deeper issues of value and self-worth.

As Max illustrated above it would have been simple to sacrifice a few dollars to someone who was hungry. However, Max had taken an extra step of taking the man to eat and sitting down with him for a conversation. It wasn’t the meal that made such a great impact upon the man, but that Max gave his time to share a meal with this man to show he cared about the man.

Even Jesus relayed this example to us when He said in Revelation 3:20, ““Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Jesus just doesn’t come to believers to give a handout; He comes to believers to have an intimate relationship with them.

Working together to build God's church

Romans 15:5-6 (NKJV)

5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In his course of exhortation the apostle now turns to prayer. He asks that God bestow patience and comfort to those who believe in Christ that they may live as Christ did towards one another and that their lives are as one mind in accordance that of God the Father and God the Son.

Mark DeYmaz, pastor of the Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, is passionate about building a multi-ethnic and economically diverse church. In his book Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church, DeYmaz stresses the church—especially the American church—ought to reflect the many colors and cultures that dot our landscape. The diversity this requires is not an easy task. Nonetheless, the church ought to be "a place in which people are comfortable being uncomfortable." Christians must realize "that they are a part of something much bigger than themselves."

God’s church was put in place to extend too many people. It doesn’t matter what race you are, it doesn’t matter the color of your skin, it doesn’t matter how wealthy or how poor you are. All that matters is that you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ who died on a cross for the sins of the world; and that on the 3^rd day Jesus rose to life victorious over sin and death.

As believers in Christ we are to work together as one, glorifying the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As brothers and sisters in Christ even when we have differences, we are to love one another with the grace and mercy that God would extend. Let us stand firm in our faith and build God’s church as it should be.

Wisdom to evoke the positive

James 3:17-18 (NLT)

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Wisdom is God’s gift to men. Of all the things King Solomon could ask for; he asked for wisdom and God gave wisdom to him as a gift. True wisdom from God is pure. It is peaceful, gentle, considerate, merciful and compassion. There is no favoritism found in God’s wisdom and the results are always sincere. A Peacemakers use God’s wisdom to instill peace in others. Peacemakers turn a hostile environment into a peaceful environment, which those who are Peacekeepers maintain peace in a hostile environment through whatever means necessary. The seeds planted by Peacekeepers reap a harvest of peaceful righteousness.

On an ordinary winter day in 1961, an MIT meteorologist named Edward Lorenz ran some routine experiments and found some unusual results. Lorenz discovered that seemingly tiny and insignificant changes in his data could produce huge differences in the final result. At first, Lorenz and other scientists in the field of chaos theory called this "the sensitive dependence on initial data." Fortunately, later on Lorenz used a simpler term—"the butterfly effect." In 1972, Lorenz presented a scientific paper entitled "Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly's Wings in Brazil Set off a Tornado in Texas?" According to Lorenz's theory, the butterfly's wing-flapping doesn't actually cause a tornado, but it can start a chain reaction leading to giant changes in world-wide weather patterns. In others words, even tiny, insignificant movements or actions can produce huge changes that affect millions of people.

The Bible often describes a similar "butterfly effect" for the spiritual life. According to Jesus, the spiritual butterfly effect occurs when we do small things—making a meal, visiting the sick, befriending the lonely, opening our home to a guest, praying with a friend—for "insignificant" people, which makes a huge difference in God's eyes. But according to Jesus, there's also a reverse butterfly effect: consistently failing to display small acts of kindness (i.e. living an unkind lifestyle) has a profound loss of opportunity in the spiritual realm. [Kenneth Chang, "Edward N. Lorenz, a Meteorologist and a Father of Chaos Theory, dies at 90," NewYorkTimes.com (4-17-08)]

Apply God’s wisdom to your actions for a simple right action may have a significant and profound positive effect on another, while a negative action may have a lasting detrimental effect. We want to pass along positive effects that others can pass along too.

I thought it seemed right?

Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)

25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Oh the opinions of man are great, but somewhere in the midst lay the truth. Man is quick to grab onto what seems right to him, although if he carefully examined his thoughts he would find flaws and errors. It is these flaws and errors in judgment that can lead to death; either a physical death or both a spiritual and physical death. For instance one may say, “There can be no god for look at the sin that abounds in the world.” They miss the point that man loosed sin upon man; and who is man to judge God for the problems caused by man’s own acts.

According to a 2006 LA Times article by Pete Y. Hong, An esteemed scientist known as "the father of gene therapy" was convicted Wednesday of sexually abusing a child 50 years his junior. A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found USC research director William French Anderson, 69, guilty of four counts of continuous sex abuse and lewd acts toward a child under 14. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 22 years.

Anderson, who had warned his victim that her accusations would prevent him from saving lives through medical cures and disillusion those who viewed him as "a model of the right way to live," was jailed immediately. Anderson, director of USC's Gene Therapy Laboratories, focused on stem cell research and correcting defective genes in fetuses.

His accuser, now a 19-year-old college student, is the daughter of Anderson's second in command at the lab. In addition to employing the girl's mother, Anderson had been a close family friend. The jury of 10 men and two women took a little more than a day to reach its verdict. Silver-haired and square-jawed, Anderson, dressed in a gray wool suit, looked straight ahead as the jury verdicts were read by the court clerk.

Outside the courtroom, Deputy Dist. Atty. Cathryn F. Brougham said the verdict showed the jury "did not allow his status, his high education and his professional reputation to stand in the way of the truth."

[His lawyer, Barry Tarlow, had argued that his client was a kindly mentor to the girl and was being smeared by her mother, whom he said wanted to assume Anderson's position at USC.Tarlow said that while Anderson was brilliant in the lab, he did not have great social skills, as evidenced by e-mails introduced at trial in which he wrote about pondering suicide if the girl's allegations were to become public. "Nothing about having a 176 IQ means you have good judgment," Tarlow said. As intelligent as William French Anderson was, his 176 I.Q. did not prove to show him the right way in life. [www.freerepublic.com, July 19, 2006, Linda Deutsch – ap]

We all need to remember the wise words given to us in Proverbs 16:25, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” We all are susceptible to flawed thinking because of sin in the world. Let us never forget we need to look to Christ Jesus for our answers and paths to take in life.

God knows and is in control

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NIV)

5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

There are many things in life we do not understand. We keep exploring, learning, teaching others and even find out at times our conclusions were all wrong. We cannot understand the simple things as the manner in which direction the wind will blow or the more difficult subject as to how a child develops in the womb. How then can we understand the wonderful and marvelous powers and wisdom of God?

Robinson Meyer writes in “What Happens in One Minute Around the World - A minute is a funny amount of time. It's long enough to notice, but it's too short to do much of anything with. There are only about five hundred thousand of them in a year. But when you add all of humanity together, a lot starts to happen in that lowly minute. Consider what happens before the second hand of a clock completes one rotation:

- 25 Americans will get a passport, according to the U.S. Department of State.

- 58 airplanes will take off around the world, according to the International Air Traffic Association.

- 116 people will get married, according to data from the United Nations.

- 144 people will move to a new home, according to Gallup.

- 11,319 packages will be delivered by UPS.

- 243,000 photos will be uploaded to Facebook.

- 5,441,400 pounds of garbage will be created, according to the World Bank.

- 7,150,000,000 human hearts (according to the United States Census Bureau) will beat …

- 500,000,000 times, according to the American Heart Association, as their bodies create

- 858,282,240,000,000,000 new red blood cells, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Yes, a lot can happen in a minute and most of us will never understand the implications of the things that take place in that minute. For instance how many accidents could have been avoid if just one thing different had taken place. How many marriages might have never been if two people had been at different places? How many packages might not have been delivered on time if an airport was closed due to back weather?

There are many things we don’t know and we don’t understand, but we can count on a God who does know and who does understand. Let us give praise to God for being in control and knowing the outcome of our lives. 

Precious in His sight

Psalm 139:13-14 (NKJV)

13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

God made us, and therefore no doubt he knows us; he saw us when we were in the forming, and can we be hidden from him now that we are formed?  ~Matthew Henry

R. C. Sproul shares the story of a college student he once taught who had cerebral palsy. You know what that looks like—spastic movements and garbled speech. But as is often the case, this student was very bright and capable. Sproul writes:

One day he came to me vexed with a problem and asked me to pray for him. In the course of the prayer, I said something routine, with words like, "Oh, God, please help this man as he wrestles with this problem." When I opened my eyes, the student was quietly weeping.

I asked him what was wrong and he stammered his reply, "You called me a man. No one has ever called me a man before."  [Lee Eclov, in the sermon "The Blessed Limp]

There are people who live with afflictions, pain, suffering and torment. They may never have been given a chance to see who they really are, although God knows them well. In the quiet moment of a prayer this teacher finds words from God that opened a door to a blessing for this young man. For in his life battle no one had called him a man, but God placed someone in his life that called him what he truly was.

Dear men and dear women we are children of God and He finds us very precious in His sight.

Avoid a lie

Proverbs 13:5 (NKJV)

5 A righteous man hates lying, But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.

The righteous believe in truth and justice. They abhor sin and with sin come lies that try to mask or cover the sins committed. The wicked will tell lies to cover their sin, but those moments are only short lived. Eventually the wicked must face their sin and their lies become unraveled.

When I was a teenager a bunch of friends were getting together for a party. Wanting to be a part of the cool crowd; a friend and I plotted how we might attend the party. He said his parents were going to be out of town for the night. So I lied to my mother and said I was staying at his house. My friend called his parents to say he was staying at my house. We figured our parents would never talk to one another. It was a perfect plan.

So the lie began and we went and spent the evening with others we knew. It was more of a gathering than a party, yet we still lied about where we would be. Everyone left early in the morning, so we did too. I went to drop off my friend at his house before going home. It’s then we realized his parent’s car was there; seems they came home early too. So we came up with another lie, “Just go in the house and pretend like you came home early because I had to work.” So I dropped him off and went home thinking he went on in the house.

Unknown to me my friend never went inside. He got in his car and left fearful his parents might suspect something. Well I went home thinking things were all nice and tidy. I had just gone to take a shower for work when I heard my mother say from the other room, “No, I haven’t seen him. No he didn’t spend the night here.”

The next thing I heard was a knock at the bathroom door and in a stern voice my mom said, “I want to see you when you get out here.” Needless to say my lies unraveled quickly.  My friend also finally went home and his parents were waiting on him. Both of us ended up on restriction which we deserved.

A person never prospers from a lie, but instead finds themselves faced with not only the shame of the sin they committed, but the shame of the lie. The lie also makes things worst because it breaks trust. How can someone believe the next time you are telling the truth when you have told a lie in the past. Maintain righteousness and do not lie so that you do not have to face the shame that will follow.

Cast your anxiety upon The Lord

Proverbs 12:25 (NIV)

25 Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Here is, 1. The cause and consequence of melancholy. It is heaviness in the heart; it is a load of care, and fear, and sorrow, upon the spirits, depressing them, and disabling them to exert themselves with any vigour on what is to be done or fortitude in what is to borne; it makes them stoop, prostrates and sinks them. Those that are thus oppressed can neither do the duty nor take the comfort of any relation, condition, or conversation. Those therefore that are inclined to it should watch and pray against it. 2. The cure of it: A good word from God, applied by faith, makes it glad; such a word is that (says one of the rabbin), Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee; the good word of God, particularly the gospel, is designed to make the hearts glad that are weary and heavy-laden. ~ Matthew Henry

Parked on the side of the road, waiting to catch speeding drivers, a state trooper sees a car puttering along at 22 mph. Thinking the driver is as dangerous as a speeder, the state trooper turns on his lights and pulls the car over.

As he approaches the vehicle, the officer notices there are five elderly ladies inside—two in the front seat and three in the back—wide-eyed and white as ghosts.

The driver, obviously confused, says, "Officer, I don't understand. I was going the exact speed limit. What seems to be the problem?"

The trooper, trying to contain a chuckle, explained to her that 22 was the route number—not the speed limit.

A bit embarrassed, the woman grins and thanks the officer for pointing out her error.

"Before you go," the officer says, "I have to ask: Is everyone in this car okay? These women seem awfully shaken."

"Oh," she answered, "they'll be all right, sir. We just got off of Route 127."

Can you imagine the thoughts of the women when the driver was going 127? I’m sure they were filled with fear and anxiety. Fortunately they hadn’t run across a highway like I-285 here in Atlanta.  But the kind word of an officer set them straight and gave them insight to the correct speed limit signs. I’m sure their anxiety was greatly reduced once they knew the proper speed.

The same holds true in our live. When we are anxious the anxiety can be reduced greatly by a kind word from a friend or hearing God as you read through his word. It’s the right words that take away our anxieties and cheer us up.  

No condemnation to those in Christ

Romans 8:1-2 (NJKV)

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

"There is no accusation against them,' for this there is; but the accusation is thrown out, and the indictment quashed. He does not say, "There is nothing in them that deserves condemnation,' for this there is, and they see it, and own it, and mourn over it, and condemn themselves for it; but it shall not be their ruin. He does not say, "There is no cross, no affliction to them or no displeasure in the affliction,' for this there may be; but no condemnation. They may be chastened of the Lord, but not condemned with the world.  ~ Matthew Henry

Rich Doebler of Cloquet, Minnesota wrote - I enjoy theme parks. It’s great fun to get away with family and friends taking in the shows and rides. But sometimes the very thing that appears to offer a great thrill becomes an awful trap that takes us on a wild ride. Rick Doebler of Cloquet, Minnesota, tells of his own experience.

“Some years ago, while our family was vacationing in northern Minnesota, we decided to visit a small county fair near the town of Babbitt. There weren’t many people there that morning. In fact, we were about the only ones visiting the carnival rides. So when I climbed into the Tilt-O-Wheel with my three kids, we hoped the operator would give us a decent ride – even though we were the only ones on it.

“Little did we know what we were getting involved in. The first few minutes were rather fun. We laughed and enjoyed the funny feeling inside our stomachs. But after a while, it got to be not so much fun. And after some more time – way past the length of an ordinary ride – I began to feel queasy.

“I wanted to get out, but I couldn’t. First, we were going too fast to escape. Second, the centrifugal force had me pressed firmly against the back of the car. I was immobilized. Every time we spun past the operator, I looked pleadingly at him. ‘Please! Read my eyes! I need to get off!’ But the operator kept the ride going. I guess he thought he’d let it run until more customers showed up.

“After another few minutes, the ride became miserable. The funny feeling inside my stomach had turned into a churning concoction that had a faint resemblance of my morning's breakfast. I had no control over my life. I was caught, going around in circles, held down by a merciless carnival ride operator.

“Only after what seemed like three or four hours did he finally relent and stop the ride. I’m sure I looked completely green by this time. I staggered off the platform and made it about 20 feet, where I bent over and lost my breakfast. Of course, my kids gathered around, cheering me on. They thought this was the best part of the ride.”

At first sin appears to be appealing, attractive, and fun; but then it can begin to have terrifying effects upon us. Thankfully Christ took away the condemnation of sin. We may still face the consequences as Rich did upon exiting the ride, but at least the ride was over and the torment he felt came to an end.

Faith in action

Colossians 4:5-6 (NLT)

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Christians live in the world with many people of different faiths and non-beliefs. Those who are believers in Christ should live in a manner that sets a good example for those who have not placed their faith in Christ. We are to take every opportunity to be gracious and respond to people in a positive manner that attracts them to the beauty of Christianity

The Christian scholar Larry Taunton launched a nationwide campaign to interview college students who belong to atheistic campus groups. After receiving a flood of enquiries, Larry and his team heard one consistent theme from these young unbelievers: they often expected but didn't find more spiritual depth from their Christian neighbors. Larry writes:

Some [of these young atheists] had gone to church hoping to find answers to [tough questions about faith]. Others hoped to find answers to questions of personal significance, purpose, and ethics. Serious-minded, they often concluded that church services were largely shallow, harmless, and ultimately irrelevant. As Ben, an engineering major at the University of Texas, so bluntly put it: "I really started to get bored with church."

In contrast, these young atheists expressed their respect for those ministers who took the Bible seriously. Larry writes,

Without fail, our former church-attending students expressed [positive] feelings for those Christians who unashamedly embraced biblical teaching. Michael, a political science major at Dartmouth, told us, "I really can't consider a Christian a good, moral person if he isn't trying to convert me …. Christianity is something that if you really believed it, it would change your life and you would want to change [the lives] of others. I haven't seen too much of that." [Larry Alex Taunton, "Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity," The Atlantic (6-6-13)]

If Christians cannot show a commitment and zeal for living the Christian life then where are others expected to see how Christians live? Let’s put out love for Christ to work and let others see our faith in action.

Always giving thanks for the good and the bad

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Within us there should always be a spiritual joy that is ready to overcome the sadness of the world. We can find that joy by praying for all circumstance we are faced with and by giving thanks for all events that take place in our life. For we never know when what may seem to be the worst event in life might be just what we need to see God’s will accomplished.

“To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for. Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God.”  ― Henri J.M. Nouwen

In my life there have been many failures. Like many others I have been trapped by regret wondering why I didn’t do something different when instead I could have been rejoicing over the lessons I learned. As I have looked back over the years I have seen where many of those failures have becoming teaching points for others that I can use to encourage and give hope. Let us always give praise for the good and even the bad in our lives that God will use it for the good of us and others.

In Genesis 50:19-21 Joseph spoke to his family and said, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?  But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

At just the right time.

Romans 5:6 (NIV)

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

The world was in a sad condition, unable to break away from the sin that held everyone. So at just the right time God brought salvation to the world through Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry wrote, God's time to help and save is when those that are to be saved are without strength, that his own power and grace may be the more magnified.

I learned to cook at an early age. My mom was single and she usually worked late hours. If my brother and I intended to eat we usually had to cook a meal ourselves. So early on in life I learned about cooking; not just popping a TV dinner in the oven, but real cooking. 

There were a couple of important lessons I learned. Ingredients had to be put together just right or the results might not turn out as predicted. Also, when food was baked in the over there was a proper temperature and amount of time the food had to cook. So if the mix of ingredients wasn’t right, and the environment or temperature was not right things didn’t turn out so well.

Life is a lot like cooking. You also need to plan on having the right things available to make life enjoyable. There needs to be a suitable environment that people can live in. We need to raise families without trying to rush or short-cut the things we need to do. So everything needs to be done in the right time. We don’t want to start too early or wait too late on certain events. There is a right time for everything.

God knew that when He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world. He waited for the right environment, the right mix of people, and the right time to reveal His plan of salvation to the world. God always had us on His mind, planning and waiting for the right day.

Need for prayer

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Here the apostle reminds us we are to take no thought of our earthy concerns for there is nothing to be anxious for. God hears our needs and responds to them. We find ourselves giving thanks and praise for what we have received and for those things yet to be received. God grants to us  a peace that comes through Jesus Christ that guards our hearts and minds.

In the movie Gravity, veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (played by George Clooney) is in charge of the Shuttle Explorer's STS-157 mission to repair the Hubble Telescope by the rookie specialist Dr. Ryan Stone (played by Sandra Bullock). Out of the blue, Houston control aborts the mission warning that a Russian missile hit a satellite, causing a chain reaction and now there is a storm of debris coming upon the pair of astronauts. Soon they lose communication with the Mission Control in Houston. As a result of the debris strike, both Stone and Kowalski must now make their way to the International Space Station.

(SPOILER ALERT: At some point Kowalski makes the decision to untether himself from Dr. Stone to prevent both of them from perishing.)

Isolated and coming to grips with her mortality, Dr. Stone has the following conversation/prayer with God:

I'm gonna die, aren't I God? I know we're all gonna die...we're all gonna die. But I'm gonna die today! Funny that you ought to know. But the thing is I'm still scared … I'm really scared. Nobody will mourn for me; no one will pray for my soul. Will you mourn for me? Will you pray for me? Or is it too late? I mean, I'd pray for myself but I've never prayed in my life. Nobody ever taught me how. Nobody ever taught me how.  [Gravity, DVD, Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, 2014; Warner Brothers; submitted by Van Morris, Mt. Washington, Kentucky]

Matthew 6:5-13  “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Don't be afraid to pray

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Our faith in Christ gives us the confidence to go to the Father in prayer and ask for things that are not contrary to the glory and majesty of God. For it is up to us to understand the Father’s will and seek those things that are in accordance with His will. In doing so we know God hears whatever we ask and we can be confident that God will respond.

Pastor Bill White from Paramount, California told this story. Sarah, a woman who attends our church, had never prayed aloud in her life. She grew up moderately connected to the church, but when a relational crisis hit with her fiancé, she realized she needed more. She began attending church for comfort. Little did she expect that Jesus would also make her uncomfortable.

Sarah was on call for her job as an ultrasound technician for a local emergency room. One Friday night, she was called into work at 2 a.m. The doctor told her he thought the lady in Exam Room 2 was crazy, but that, for legal reasons, they had to run some tests. Sarah entered the room to find a highly agitated woman in her forties who could barely sit still for the ultrasound. The woman was bouncing off the walls and complaining of intense discomfort. At one point she even lay down on the floor. As Sarah struggled to conduct the requisite test, the woman blurted, "Do you believe in Jesus Christ?"

"Well," Sarah responded hesitantly, "I do."

With hope in her eyes for the first time, the woman pleaded, "Would you pray for me? I just need to calm down."

Sarah was dismayed—these things never happened to her before she started following Jesus. But now she was stuck. She fumbled with the machine, looking for a way out. Trying to avoid the inevitable she mustered up enough strength to say, "Maybe you could pray—or at least get us started."

"No! It hurts too much. You do it!" the woman begged.

With no recourse—right there in the ER—Sarah stretched out her hand and laid it on the woman. She prayed, "God, please be with this woman in her time of need. Please give the doctors wisdom to know what is wrong with her and how to fix it; and, God, please put your hands on her and take away her pain." It was short and sweet, but it was just what the Great Physician ordered. The woman calmed down. And as she did, Sarah had a sudden inclination to recheck her gall bladder.

There, wedged in the neck of the woman's gall bladder, was a 4-millimeter stone. Sarah immediately told the doctor, who overcame his disbelief quickly enough to order emergency surgery.

Often God will use others to take us somewhere we have never been before, such as Sarah who was not comfortable praying openly for others. God allowed her to have delight in her prayer seeing the miracle of her request. Let us never forget to pray for the things God would have us pray for.