Let's Choose to love now!

Today I heard that a colleague's father died. It made me stop and think. It made me reflect that we have only so much time and how important it is that we spend that time showing love to the people who matter the most. To paraphrase the old song, "Give me my roses before I'm gone" - don't wait until it's too late. Let's choose to love now! Christmas is the season of love. It is God's declaration that He loves us, He is with us and He is for us. What better time to reflect on the past year and to renew our love relationships - with God and with each other. Take a look at the Robert Hayden poem below. It is one of my favorites. I hope it will remind you of some of the people who were there for you in life and that you will stop and take the time to say I love you soon.

Those Winter Sundays

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

To Live is to Risk

The author of the poem below is unknown, but I believe the sentiment is profound. I rediscovered it today as I was cleaning my office. It reminded me that to live is to risk ...

To Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out to others is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure

But risks must be taken,
because the greatest hazard in life is to do nothing.
The person who risks nothing,
does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their certitudes, they are a slave,
they forfeited their freedom.
Only the person who risks can be free

Psalms 37:23-24 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand." Perhaps you are standing at the edge of some great risk. Let me encourage you with your decision. A wise man once shared the verses above with me when I had a tough decision to make and I've never forgotten it.

He reminded me that when you risk to follow God, you will never be utterly cast down. You may not understand it all this side of heaven, but you may rest assured that you absolutely cannot fail when you are relying on God. Some of you may have taken a risk and it seems like it didn't quite work out. Be of good cheer! The Lord is upholding you with His hand! To risk nothing is to deny God's loving-kindness and power. To step out boldly in faith validates you as a child of God and makes Him real in your life.

To Live is to risk.

Now stop and quietly think about that.

Photo taken from www.trailsidememories.com

Satan loves for churches to compete against each other ...

But God loves for churches to complete each other. That's the message laid out in a YouTube video clip I just watched by Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.tv a dynamic and fast-growing church. You may cut and paste the url address: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RpZEe4w4fY&feature=channel) if you have the patience to click over to YouTube and watch it, but it's worth the watch. You can probably also access it easily by typing "Satan loves for churches to compete against each other" in the YouTube search box. You can also subscribe to the LifeChurch.tv channel and search for it there.

The bottom line is that the need to reach people with the transformational message of the Gospel is greater than any one church can accomplish in isolation. Churches need each other desperately to advance the mission more effectively and to show the world the reality of our profession (what comes out of our mouths).

Our church is going through a study called "Your Church Experiencing God Together" by Henry and Mel Blackaby. Last week we learned that God has no orphans. When someone comes to faith in Christ, that person is birthed into a spiritual family, a living body and the kingdom (of God). The local church is a spiritual family, but it is also a part of the worldwide (indeed universal) Kingdom of God!

Friends, if we are true believers in Christ, then we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus Himself said that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Mark 3:24. God calls us into a love relationship with Himself and with each other; that is the essence of our faith. This week let's focus on how we can move past our divisions and silly competitions. Let's focus on how we can show love and aid to all brothers and sisters in Christ; wherever they may happen to go to church. Jesus said that's how the world will know that the Father sent Him. See John 17:20-26.

This applies even if you feel you've been wronged by a Christian brother or sister. See Matthew 5:23-24. Even then, God's desire is that His children would be reconciled. I know that this is never easy, and it takes patience, courage and prayer. But how can we be a witness to a watching world if we can't along?

Please stop and quietly think about that.

Blessings; Pastor Wayne

The Main Thing

Hey friends: Let's meditate on the Scripture and the vignette below and remember to keep the Main Thing the Main Thing. God bless you.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all of the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42.

I once had a co-worker whose name was Art. Art was a great guy, but he suffered from what I called the “drifts.” In other words, my friend could never quite get to or stay on the point. Given any task or even a simple question, Art would take the long way around, explaining and clarifying details that, frankly, didn't matter. I would sit and wait for Art to get to the “main thing,” but he could never quite pull it off. Art had earned a Masters in majoring on the minors.

Many of us are like Art. We spend our entire lives working up a sweat over minor things, not necessarily bad things, but not the best things. This also translates to the Christian life. Although we know that the Lord Jesus is the “Main Thing,” our human tendency is to drift. “Prone to wander,” the old hymn says.

We can even allow our ministry for the Lord to get in the way of our time with the Lord. That is never our intention at the start. We just begin to drift one day and pretty soon the Lord is in the other room while we are too busy “ministering” to hear Him!

Are you over-busy friend? Do you find that you're too rushed to spend time alone with the Lord? Are you in the kitchen all by yourself? Only One Thing is really needed – your intimate connection with Him. Everything else flows from that. Why don’t you cease from your busy work and join Him in the other room where He's been waiting for you.

Learning To Love Like Jesus Loves

Hey friends; This week we are embarking on Week Two of our 40 Day love journey. This week we're learning to love how Jesus loves. I admit that's extremely challenging; especially loving the unlovely or the hard to love. In Luke 8:26-39, the Bible tells a story of such a person - someone who was forgotten and written off by society. Jesus looked at this man differently and showed him real love. One encounter with Jesus changed his life forever and will change yours too if you will respond to His love. The poem below is a reflection on those verses. Meditate on it and let it motivate you to love like Jesus loves.


Legion
Luke 8:26-39

I

His name was Legion, a man possessed
By wicked demons from the depths of hell
Wounded and torn by Satan’s cruel plan
Bowing down to the Son of Man
“Legion,” he cried, “For we are many
Would any man dare to befriend me?”

“Would any man look beyond my pain,
My grief and torment, my utter shame?
Would any man hold back his blame?
Does anyone even know my name?”
“Legion,” he cried, “I am entombed
In sin and suffering, forever doomed.”

“Surely no man can cleanse my wounds
Come quickly death, relieve me soon
Relieve my sin-sick soul from strife
Relieve the burdens of this life.”
“Legion,” he cried, “This is my fate
“Son of God, you have come too late.”

“Too late to set this captive free
Too late to save a wretch like me
Too late to heal that I might see
Too late to give me liberty.”
“Legion,” he cried, “Do you not see
No one could love a thing like me.”

II

His name is Jesus, the God-man sent
From the Father and among us He dwelt
The Word made flesh, love incarnate
Touched by our hurts, His heart was rent
“Come out!” He cried, “Though you are many
No foul demon can withstand me.”

“My love is greater than any infirmity
Be healed my son, you are now set free!
Go tell the world, preach your deliverance freely
And in all you do, glorify the One who sent me.”
“A new name!” He cried, “You have been given
The angels now rejoice in heaven.”

“For one lost sheep has now come home
At peace at last, forgiven, made whole
Torn no more, no more to roam
The Son of Man has healed your soul.”
“My son!” He cried, “Your salvation has come
Abide in me and let my love run

From the top of your head down to your feet
Come and taste fellowship so sweet
For he who was lost is now found
The captive is no longer bound.”
“I love you!” He cried, to the broken and bruised
And He is still crying out, “Child, I love you too.”


Now stop and quietly think about that.



Copyright 2003 by A. W. Gill
All Rights Reserved

Photo: Copyright Yass,
www.trekearth.com

Oh How He Loves You and Me!

When my daughter was a toddler, we had a favorite game we used to play. I would say something like, “Do you know how much I love you sweetheart?” She would reply, “No, how much dad?” “I love you thisssssssssssssssssssss much,” I would say, holding the note for as long as I could. We would then collapse together in the couch or whatever was near by for some smooches and tickles. My daughter would laugh hysterically; feeling assured that her dad loved her down to his last breath. For my daughter, that was never enough. “How much do you really love me, dad?” she would beam, waiting for whatever I could come up with to top my last demonstration. Finally, I would say, “I love you infinity, darling” and that would end the questions. You just could not top infinity.

And although I believed that statement with all of my heart and I am sure that my love for my daughter could not be measured, I am also sure that my love absolutely pales in comparison to the Father’s love for her. This is sometimes a difficult truth to grasp, but it is a truth worth knowing and coming to terms with. God’s love for us is so great that even as we reject Him and tell Him no thanks, He loves us, forgives us and bids us to come.

Do you have this assurance friend? Do you have absolute confidence in the love of God for you? Consider this thought for a moment. We all have things in our lives or in the past that we are not proud of. Could you imagine confessing all of those faults to the people who you are most familiar with, like family members, coworkers and colleagues? Grizzly thought. Think of the judgment, the feigned shock and the hungry bites for the “juicy” gossip!

Yet God already knows all of these things, but He doesn’t count them against you. No false judgment, no visible gasp and no condemnation. Just our Lord saying, “Hey friend, do you know how much I love you?” “No, Lord, how much?” “Infinity, beloved, infinity.”


Take a look at Luke 7:1-10 and meditate upon the poem below. I pray that it will lift your faith as you consider His great love for you. I am looking forward to taking the 40 Day love journey with all of you! God bless.


How Much More
Luke 7:1-10

If a man can love his servant
How much more the Son of Man
If a man would seek to save him
Would not Jesus take your hand?

If a man can care so deeply
That he would move mountains for a slave
Would not He who loves completely
Care about your every prayer?

If a man would seek the Master
To lead Him to his servant’s bed
Is not He the One who numbered
Every hair upon your head?

If a man would give his son a fish
And would not give a stone
Would the Lord not give you mercy
When you approach His Throne?

If a man could love a friend so dear
Regardless, rich or poor
How much more He loves you my friend
How much more, how much more!


Copyright A. W. Gill 2003
All Rights Reserved

40 Days of Love?

Dear friends: This weekend, we are kicking off a spiritual growth campaign in our church called "40 Days of Love." We believe this will be a great time of learning and growing together, but if you think about it, why just 40 days? God calls us to a lifetime and a lifestyle of love. In fact, one of the Scriptures that we promised to memorize and operate by for the days and weeks ahead is the New Living Bible translation of I Corinthians 16:14. That Scripture says, "Everything you do must be done with love."

Everything? That's right, everything! How about when the waiter messes up your order at the restaurant? How do you approach that? You guessed it - with love! And how about when your children blow it or don't live up to your expectations? Or how about the really difficult people in your life; how are you supposed to treat them? The Bible says with love, friends. "Everything you do must be done with love."

I admit this is really challenging. But Jesus asks all of us this question, "If you only love those who love you, what credit is that to you?" Luke 6:32. You see, it's easy to love those who love us and who treat us well. True love is much deeper than that. True love is a choice and a commitment; it is also an action and not just an emotion. Loving God and loving others is a skill that can be practiced and improved upon. It only requires a willing heart and a small step of faith.

So for the next 40 Days, we will take a love journey together. But let's not stop there. Let us commit ourselves to loving a little more and a little better each and every God-given day. Take a moment to read and meditate on the poem below.

Easy Love

I much prefer easy love
The kind that takes no stretch at all
My wife and children
Friends and family
Safe and sound behind my wall.

There are no risks with easy love
So cozy are its velvet ways
You love the ones
Who love you most
And praise the ones who give you praise.

Publicans love easy love
Doctors, chiefs and lawyers too
Rarely queasy
When it’s easy
My friend, how about you?

Are you a friend of easy love?
Do you scorn your enemies?
Revenge is sweeter
When you feed her
Though costly are her fees.

The Lord rejected easy love
Far too precious you and me
While we were scoffers
He died for us
True love displayed upon a tree.



Copyright A. W. Gill - 2004
All rights reserved

"Bigger Barns"

And He told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there will I store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? “This is how it will be for anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”Luke 12:16-21(NIV).

You’ve heard the story about the man who climbed the ladder of success only to discover that he had leaned his ladder against the wrong wall. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Sometimes it takes years to find out that without God, it is indeed lonely at the top. There is only so much space on a ladder. This was never God’s intent. From the very beginning, God created mankind to dwell with Him; to share in a divine fellowship unlike that of any other created being. Man was made to worship God and to find his identity and purpose in Him.

Sadly, some of us have reckoned ourselves smarter than God. We've sought to live life on our terms, to worship what or whom we please. In our search to find true meaning in life, we often foolishly look beyond our Creator (The Person who holds the key to our ultimate joy and the only One worthy of our worship) to find meaning in relationships with people, status symbols, human accomplishments and the size of our barns. When those barns overflow with all of the stuff that we have accumulated, we build bigger barns. And on and on the cycle goes. The world calls this person a success. The Bible calls this person a fool.

Tell me, Beloved, what’s inside your barn? What have you been storing up with the life God gave to you? Is your barn filled with God’s merchandise or are you mostly rich toward yourself? Wouldn’t it be sad to arrive at the end of your days, only to realize that you had missed your life’s true purpose?

The good news is that if you are alive today, then you can make a change. You can stop right where you are and make a U-Turn toward God. Perhaps it is time for a garage sale; time for you to empty your barns of this world’s goods, and exchange it for some true riches that pay eternal dividends. Stop and think about that today.

God is Able!

Dear Friends: Remember this. God is able. Whatever our difficulties or struggles; He is able. Throughout the Scriptures mankind is pictured as frail; easily moved, frequently discouraged and prone to wander. But our God is all-sufficient, steadfast and Almighty. The poem below is based upon Matthew Chapter 3 and verse 9.

The verse states, "And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” That's right! God can still make something out of nothing. God made man from clay and He can raise up children from stone. He has no limitations.

Please meditate on these words today and let it be an encouragement to you. God bless. P. Wayne

GOD IS ABLE

For I say unto you
God is able
Water, clay
Flesh and bone
Breath of life
From His nostrils
Raising children
Up from stone.

Again I say
God is able
Love and power
Seated above
Many nations
Enter freely
No limit
Has His love.

Do not forget
God is able
Full of mercy
Wholly just
Divine refuge
A strong tower
Strength and hope for
All who trust.



Copyright 2004 by A. W. Gill
All Rights reserved

Be Like The Bird That Sings!

Dear Friends: One of my favorite poems is a very short, but profound verse by the French writer, Victor Hugo. It says, "Be like the bird that, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings.”

Read that again, slowly. Let the meaning seep in before you move on. Have you ever taken a moment to observe a bird dancing in a garden? I've noticed the very thing that Hugo describes above: A little bird flutters and then settles in on a weak branch or a palm frond. Just when the bird thinks it's safe, the branch gives way! Does the bird panic? Maybe, for a second - but then just as quickly, she sings - knowing that she has wings - a God-given means of escape.

From time to time, you and I will pause mid-flight, on boughs too slight, and it will feel as if the entire branch of our lives is giving way beneath us. Friend, that is the time that we must learn to sing, knowing that God has given us wings! The Bible says that "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty...He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge" (Psalms 91:1,4).

There is absolutely no height from which you can fall that the Almighty God will not rescue you. He is the God who carries His people on eagle's wings (Exodus 19:4). So the next time you step out on a branch and you feel it start to give way - be like the bird and sing! Knowing that God will carry you on His wings.

Enjoy your life - Jesus did!

Hey friends; the last time we were together I commented on Luke 5; verses 1-11. I made the point that God wants you and me to live an abundant and fulfilling life. I believe that a big part of this is learning to enjoy the journey.

If you listen to some religious people, you would get the impression that God expects His children to be miserable or to withdraw from the world. None of this is true. If we follow the actual example of Jesus, we would learn that life is a precious gift to be enjoyed and shared with others.

In Luke 5; verses 29-39, Jesus is invited to a party by Matthew the tax collector, someone who would not have been very popular with most people. He also invited a bunch of other tax collectors and so called "sinners." Jesus attended and was eating and drinking with the crowd when the religious people showed up and start criticizing Him. What was their accusation? They seemed to feel that Jesus was enjoying Himself too much and hanging out with all the wrong people. They felt that He should be fasting and acting religious. Finally, they were offended because Jesus broke with tradition (that is, rabbis weren't supposed to hang out with sinners).

What was Jesus' response? To the accusation that He was enjoying Himself too much, Jesus responded that there is a time for everything - a time to laugh and a time to weep; a time to fast to give God devotion and a time to enjoy the company of friends. To the accusation that He was hanging with the wrong crowd, Jesus responded that it's the sick who need a physician, not the healthy. In other words, how will we ever influence "sinners" for God if we act like we're somehow better than them- that they are somehow not worthy of our company? So called sinners need good Christian friends the most.

As for breaking with tradition; Jesus told them in a clever way to wake up and open their minds. In Him, God was doing a new thing and they needed to see the possibilities. God was pouring out new wine and new wine requires new wineskins - old wineskins (old ideas, traditions and ways of doing things) would no longer suffice. He was calling everyone to a new and higher standard - to love God first and then your neighbor as yourself; to enjoy God, the people He made and the precious life He gave you to the fullest. So let me encourage you today friend - whatever your religious background - give God your time, attention and worship, but also learn how to enjoy your life. Jesus did!

Welcome To An Encouraging Word

Dear friends: Welcome to An Encouraging Word. If there's anything that's needed today, it's a word of encouragement. I was just writing in my other blog (Minority Business Blog) that our society seems to be overrun with negativity and pessimism. If you are not careful, that environment will creep in and leave you feeling down and out.

Sadness is a part of life but God never intended that we live defeated lives. Time and again, Jesus expressed that His followers should live abundant lives filled with meaning and purpose. In order to do that though, we will be required to step out in faith. It is my hope that in the weeks ahead, this blog will become your faith-lifter, a source of hope and encouragement. Take a few minutes out of your day today and read the Book of Luke, Chapter 5, verses 1-11.

In that passage, notice a few things. At the beginning of the scene Jesus is on the shore and His disciples are washing their nets, having returned from a long night of fruitless fishing. Jesus tells the disciples to do three things that He will also tell you and me if we are listening. He told them first to draw away from the shore a little. When they had obeyed that request, He told them to launch into deep water. Finally, He told them to lower their nets for a catch.

The disciples complain that they had been out all night and caught nothing, but here's the key: out of reverence, they obeyed and launched into the deep. What was the result? A tremendous haul - so much so that it almost sank two boats. That's God's abundance friend. I don't know where you are today, but allow me to encourage you to do as the disciples did. Whatever dream is in your heart, whatever you believe is God's calling on your life, it is time to go for it! it's time to launch into deep water and lower your nets. Do not be afraid. God is with you.