Friday, March 13, 2009

Living in the eternal present

Today’s Reading: John 20:28 (NIV)

28 Thomas said to [Jesus], “My Lord and my God!”

Good morning!

It is often hard to recognize the gift of the present. We need to learn to see it each day. For what we have right now in this moment, is more precious than we can possibly comprehend. Breathe in. Feel the air passing through your nostrils, filling your lungs with fresh, new life. Breathe out. Exhale the carbons and let go of the unnecessary. Every breath is God’s precious gift – a constant and vital reminder of His eternal presence living inside of you.

Sometimes we forget to breathe, and often, we forget we are breathing at all. Have you ever tried to count the number of times you take a breath each day? Unless the wind is knocked out of me, or I cannot catch my breath after exercising, I am often unaware of the life-giving air flowing in and out of my body. I need to stop and appreciate the gifts I’ve been given.

What is it like to live in the eternal present? For Thomas, this was the moment he had longed for. Seeing His Lord for the very first time as Savior of the world drew him immediately into the eternal present and into the presence of Christ. The fresh breath of fresh life filled Thomas with a new hope; he knew everything had changed at this moment as He knelt before the presence of His Lord. In wonder and awe, Thomas spoke these words, “My Lord and my God!”

Living in the eternal present is a gift from above. It is the moment we look toward, when all things come together and this life lunges toward perfection in Him. From the very first breath we take as we make our debut from the womb into the world, until we breathe our very last, taking a fresh breath of the eternal in the arms of Jesus, we are living in God’s eternal present. Don’t miss a minute of Him! Stop wasting your life, oblivious to the presence of the Lord and what He is doing. Emmanuel, God with us, is here, right now, breathing new life into your soul.

He is our eternal present – Jesus Christ, the breath of new life. My Lord and my God!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Holding Out for Hope


Today’s Reading: John 20:27 (NIV)

27 Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe!” 28 Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

Good morning!

It is easy to become doubtful in today’s world. People are losing their life’s savings on the stock market; homes are being foreclosed on by banks, and people are forced to live with relatives, in their automobiles, and out on the streets. The stress level in families today has surged beyond the breaking point. Tens of thousands of Americans are unemployed and the job market is so inundated with capable, qualified applicants that few are finding work. Employers are cutting staff just to find ways to stay afloat in the depressed marketplace. Many small business owners are closing their doors because consumers have no money with which to purchase their goods. Are you doubtful that a turnaround will happen anytime soon in the global market?

We hear the dismal reports of financial experts and economists from around the world. We listen intently and watch with baited breath as our new American President makes decisions on the changes he believes America needs to survive and thrive. Are you encouraged by the results of his first one hundred days in office? Doubt and fear can paralyze us IF we let it. Are you willing to take that risk?

I come from a long line of pessimists - not that I’m proud of it, but I might as well confess my human weakness for what it is. I’ve learned from the best on how to become cynical and doubtful; discouraged and even a little scared in today’s world. The greater question is whether I will choose to see and know the Truth beyond the circumstance of this moment. Do I hold a greater vision for what has been promised, despite what I see happening all around me? Will I hold out for hope even in this time of deep despair? Hope is a choice, and our hope is based upon the Truth. I believe we need a lot more Truth telling and a little less cover up in our world today.

Here’s the truth of the matter: Jesus Christ said that He had come to die and rise again, conquering human sin and death forever. He promised His disciples that He would be back. It didn’t look very hopeful that day as Jesus suffered on the cross. After He was buried, the disciples doubted that anything that had happened in the last three years had been real. No one thought that Jesus Christ would return like He said. Can you imagine the amazement that Thomas experienced when he personally touched Jesus’ nail-scarred hands? While his circumstances seemed bleak, when the Truth surfaced, He made all the difference.

Looking for a little hope today amid the things you see? Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ changes everything. His Word is Truth and His Word lasts forever. Stop trying to put your nest egg in the hands of the world’s economy. Place your life in the hands of Jesus and find out what it means to experience security and freedom even when you are surrounded by a sea of doubt. Jesus is only a prayer away, and if you will just cry out to Him, you will receive new life, the one change that our world desperately needs!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Monday, March 09, 2009

The locked door

Today’s Reading: John 20:26 (NIV)

26 A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

Good morning!

A locked door can be a very frustrating thing. Have you ever locked your car keys inside the car? Before the inception of keyless entry, I managed to lock my keys in the car a few times and, if I couldn’t reach Jeff, I’d have to pay $100 to have a locksmith meet me in the parking lot to help unlock that car door. The last time I locked my keys in the car, I was on the grocery store parking lot and I accidentally dropped my keys in the trunk just as I had finished loading groceries. I shut the trunk lid before I realized they had fallen out of my hand. My cell phone was locked in the front seat along with my wallet, and the keys were in the trunk. The store manager, feeling very sorry for me, allowed me to call my husband on his store phone. Jeff was not available, but he called our car dealership and the salesman who sold us the car came to the parking lot with a master key and unlocked my trunk for me. I am forever grateful to the people God has placed in my life who have helped to unlock my locked doors.

As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to finish college. The timing to go back to school just never seemed quite right – I married young, and before I knew it, God had blessed us with children. I thought I might try to go back to school after the children were in elementary school, but the after-school activities and weekend sporting events kept my dream locked behind a closed door. I finally made the decision to try and return to college when my children were in upper elementary and junior high school. My very first college class was a 3-hour English class taken at a local community college. The professor was so supportive and seemed to genuinely care about my desire to further my education. His encouragement helped me unlock the door to continued learning and moved me closer toward the completion of that college degree. I confess I was the longest living freshman alive! I would take one 3-hour class in the spring and one 3-hour class in the fall. I did this for almost eight years, while my children finished their educations, moved out, and eventually got married. I promised myself that when our son David finished his education, I would go back to school full-time. The same day David left community college and enlisted in the military, I applied for a student loan and made application to enroll full-time at Lindenwood University.

All of us struggle with locked doors in life: not just physical doors, like car doors, or the door to higher education, or the door to promotion at work. We struggle to unlock the doors that free us from wrong thoughts and decisions. We want to rid ourselves of the things that keep us from living life to its fullest, like addictions, compulsions, sickness, fatigue, and bad attitudes. Sometimes sin feels like it is a revolving door with no exit – one way in and no way out. This is exactly why Jesus arose! He holds the master key to freedom with a capital F. When we are free in Christ, we are free indeed – free from the things that have separated us from a perfect and holy Father. He unlocks the door between our sin and God’s salvation once and for all.

The disciples were surprised that day when Jesus walked right through the locked door stood next to them. Jesus holds the master key; He can unlock the locked doors of your life. Are you willing and ready to walk through? Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ; trust in Him today. The doors that you thought would never open will be unlocked through the power of His amazing grace and mercy.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Eyewitness account

Today’s Reading: John 20:24-25 (NIV)

24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

Good morning!

I really like Thomas. His statement gained him the nickname “Doubting Thomas.” I don’t really think Thomas was a doubter at heart. I think Thomas was a realist. He reminds me a little of Lee Strobel, a man who refused to settle for anything less than the Truth. Would you want to believe something that is less than true? I wouldn’t. If I’m going to believe it, I need to know in my heart that this is as real as it gets - not just some human interest story with a great ending. No, there has to be more to this story. Thomas knew it; Lee Strobel knows it, and I believe it too.

The other disciples didn’t want to believe Mary at first, when she came running back frantically from the tomb. They thought she was seriously grieving and very confused over finding the empty grave. When Jesus appeared to them later that evening in the upper room, it was almost too much to comprehend! To see their Lord again, risen and whole, alive and well, was more than they could have hoped for. Yes, Jesus told them so, but the reality of seeing it first hand must have been completely and totally awesome!

Don’t you wonder where Thomas was that night? I think Thomas was a man of great courage. Everyone else was held up in that room, fearful to go out into the city. But not Thomas – he was somewhere else, probably taking a walk and grieving alone. Maybe he was doing his own little fact-finding mission. Thomas wasn’t afraid to break away from the group, to check things out for himself. He needed time away to sort through the events of the last week. No wonder Thomas responded the way he did, when the disciples caught up to him later.

If you have ever been an eyewitness to an automobile accident, then you know just how important your testimony can be to people who were involved. Eyewitness testimony is critical to the outcome of a jury trial, to better understanding the truth of the situation, and in resolving unanswered questions. We have a unique opportunity to see and understand the events of our Savior’s crucifixion and resurrection through the eyes of the tenacious twelve – the disciples of Jesus Christ. They walked with Him for three years, and were first-hand witnesses to every miracle Jesus performed. They watched Him die and saw Him fully resurrected. An eyewitness account will better help us understand the Truth.

When I get to heaven, I’m going to meet Thomas Didymus in person and shake his hand.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.