Saturday, June 27, 2009

The porch

Today’s Reading: Acts 3:11 (NIV)

11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.

Good morning!

The porch has long been the gathering place for family and friends. My grandparents enjoyed sitting outside underneath their covered porch almost every afternoon in Brookhaven, Mississippi. During the summer, the interior of their farm house was extraordinarily hot, with no central air conditioning or ceiling fans to promote air circulation. The porch was a much cooler place to sit, as it was shaded by the large pine trees and kudzu in the front yard. Occasionally, a breeze would blow through, providing much needed refreshment during the humidity and heat. On the porch, we sipped exotic concoctions of homemade lemonade and iced tea in plastic cups, while playing board games, Jacks and Dominoes. I loved listening to the incessant chatter of my extended family as we gathered together on the porch.

My favorite time of day to swing in the glider on the porch was when it was storming. The Mississippi rains would beat hard on the dry, cracked ground, where the grass had burned to a crisp in the heat of a July drought. Sometimes, the rain would fall so forcefully that I wondered if we might suddenly find ourselves caught up in a flash flood as the creek bed began to rise. Sitting on the porch in the pouring rain, we would remain completely dry, enjoying the wafting fragrance of a cool rain while watching steam rise up from the ground. My grandmother would throw an old quilt over me when she saw the goose bumps rise up on my arms and legs, chilled by the sudden drop of temperature. Sneaking a cat nap in the rain on Grandmother’s porch is one of my most cherished childhood memories.

Solomon’s colonnade was the favored gathering place for the teachers and their students. Located on the east side of the outer court of Herod’s temple, it became a hall of judgment where verdicts were rendered. Many of our older judicial buildings were designed with a large front porch and concrete colonnade beams, to resemble that of Solomon’s Colonnade in Jerusalem. The porch was a gathering place for the Levites and students of the law, to discuss questions and receive religious training. This was a very special place for Jesus. He sat on the porch at age twelve, answering questions and amazing the priests with his uncanny wisdom. It was here where Jesus taught the crowds as an adult. When Herod passed final judgment on Jesus, he was led from the porch into the streets of Jerusalem, where he carried the cross to Golgotha. His disciples chose to return to the porch quite often, for many of their precious memories of Jesus remained there, underneath the beautiful colonnades.

When we gather as a family each week to worship the Lord, we sit in the shade of Solomon’s porch. It is a place of learning and refreshment, filled with sound teaching, joyful music and incessant chatter. As the Spirit rains down God’s amazing love, we feel His refreshing breath of air flowing through the porch, touching every person present. It is an experience you do not want to miss. Won’t you join us in worship this weekend at Faith Church? Come and sit underneath the beautiful colonnades and experience the love of Jesus Christ. Just like the beggar, the Lord will heal your heart today, if you’ll simply come into His presence with joy!

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.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Miraculous Joy!

Today’s Reading: Acts 3:9-10 (NIV)

9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Good morning!

What is a miracle to you? Webster’s online dictionary defines miracle as an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural source; such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God; a wonder; a marvel! Based upon Webster’s definition, I would say that the invalid who was healed at the Beautiful Gate that day was the recipient of an amazing miracle. What do you think?

Miracles come in all kinds of packaging. We sometimes overlook the little miracles of life, because we’re simply too busy to see them. The birds begin to sing long before the sun rises each day. Their melodies proclaim that wonder of new life. Is this not a miracle in the making? We wake up hearing the birds chirping, as we breathe in and out. Is this not a major miracle? Whose breath is it anyway? God breathed His breath of life into the nostrils of the first Adam, and Jesus Christ, the second Adam, breathes His breath of life into each of us through the power of the Holy Spirit. How often do you consciously think about breathing? How many times a day do you breathe in and out and remember to thank God for His holy breath in your life?

We miss seeing the miracles, until one miracle captures our undivided attention. The people couldn’t help but notice the man in the temple courtyards, walking and jumping and praising the Lord! They recognized him. Wasn’t he the crippled one sitting at the gate begging each day? Look at his feet – how they support him now! Look at his hands high in the air! We can sense his excitement and we are caught up in his amazing miracle. Who has the power to heal our every infirmity? Is it not the One who breathes His breath into our nostrils every day?

Sometimes, we receive a miracle and forget to say thank you. We don’t know whether the invalid healed was a Jew or Gentile. We do not know whether he knew the risen Christ before Christ healed him through the words of Peter. What we do know is this man did not hesitate to thank and praise the Lord for the miracles in his life. No monetary gift could have compared to the gift of healing and wholeness this man received. Do we forget to tell God thank you for the miracles in our lives? Do you have a grateful heart for the life you have been given?

Come and worship the Lord with me today. Let us praise Him together for the miracles of breath and life and love. He gives us so very much to be thankful for. Help us, Lord, to recognize the miracles You give and to praise You with exuberant joy each morning! Your miraculous love is truly contagious as we share our joys together through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!

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.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Free admission


Today’s Reading: Acts 3:7-8 (NIV)

7 Taking him by the right hand, [Peter] helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong! 8 He jumped up to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Good morning!

When our children were young, they looked forward each summer to our annual family excursion to Six Flags®. This theme park was cost prohibitive, and we felt blessed to be able to go one time a year. In the early spring, we would begin saving our change in a large container on the bedroom dresser, just to purchase tickets for admission into the park. We would pick a summer Saturday and mark our family calendar, keeping it clear of other commitments. Every summer, the theme park would offer some new attraction, like a roller coaster, guest celebrity, or a new water ride. We would plan to go early in the morning and stay until dark. We didn’t want to waste one single minute of our designated day.

Often, we would stand in a long line at the entrance to the park, waiting patiently to get in. The children were anxious, jumping and down and squirming next to us. Jeff and I would pray we had saved enough change to pay the added costs from last year’s admission fee. One year in particular, our budget had been too tight and we did not schedule our annual trip. The children were disappointed when we told them we would not be going. We felt like we had let them down. Our friends Georgia and Don invited us to join them for day’s trip to the park, knowing that we went faithfully every summer. We politely declined their kind invitation, explaining that we just didn’t have the extra cash to take our family of five, but maybe we could plan a joint trip together next year. Georgia reached inside her purse and handed me five free tickets. I was so surprised! She smiled and said, “We received some free tickets at work and we really want to share them with you. Won’t you please go with us this summer?”

The most enjoyable trip we ever made to the theme park was the summer we gained free admission. We walked through those gates, delighted thankful, watching our children as they ran and jumped and skipped along the sidewalk to their favorite rides. It was one of the best gifts our family had ever received.

When Jesus Christ shed His blood to cover our sin, He purchased our free ticket into heaven. The man who was crippled from birth received Christ’s healing gift that day, and he leapt up with great joy and thanksgiving, walking and jumping for the very first time as he made his way through the Beautiful Gate and entered into the temple courts. He was instantly healed! God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is free to all who will receive it today by faith. The price paid was greater than anything we could possibly comprehend, and yet, His present is for all generations, all people, everywhere.

Jesus Christ is standing at the entrance to the temple gate with your free ticket in His nail-scarred hand. Won’t you accept it today? Come and experience the full joy of the Father’s love through Jesus Christ, as we walk through heaven’s gate together.

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.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Daily walk

Today’s Reading: Acts 3:6 (NIV)

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

Good morning!

My mother joined Weight Watchers® while I was at elementary school. She would go to her weekly meetings and weigh in while I had class. Mom was determined to drop a few pounds, and forty of them fell off her frame after a year of disciplined eating and daily exercise. Mom learned the secret to losing and maintaining a healthy weight had a lot to do with daily commitment not to eat more than the number of calories she was allotted each day, and to persevere in daily activity. She had issues with her lower back that kept her from doing some of the aerobic exercises that most women liked to do, so she looked for something that was less stressful and worked well for her. She could walk faster than any other mother in our subdivision! Whoosh! There she goes again down the street and off on the hilly service road! I could hardly keep up with her. She would wait until we got home from school, and then we would lace up our tennis shoes and off we’d go. She walked and I sprinted just to stay beside her. For someone with such short legs, I don’t know how she picked up that kind of momentum. Up and down the service road hills we would walk, taking every side street to the end and back. It is no wonder she had great success in losing those unwanted extra pounds.

Walking is such a gift. We watch our babies move from crawling to pulling up, learning how to let go and taking their very first step solo. Do you remember the joy of seeing your child walk? Little wobbly ankles trying to hold up an unbalanced frame, while tossing aside all fear, picking up their feet and moving forward. We cheer them on, praising them with each new step. Not too long after they walk, running becomes a toddler’s theme, and many mothers often regret encouraging their wee ones to walk. It can be exhausting trying to keep up with a miniature marathon runner!

The crippled man had never walked. Scripture says he had been born with an infirmity that kept him begging daily for his needs. We don’t know whether he had seen Jesus riding through the streets of Jerusalem on a donkey, or if he saw the Lord leaving the city with the cross beam tied to his bleeding shoulders. What we do know is that Peter, through the power of the Holy Spirit, gave this man an incredible, amazing gift that day – it was a gift that would literally change his life. He offered him healing in Jesus’ name, and, for the very first time, the invalid stood up and took his very first step by faith.

How long has it been since you’ve taken a step of faith? The weight of the world may be holding you back, with feelings of insecurity as you try to stand up on wobbly, weak ankles. When the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is spoken, miracles happen! People who hear His name for the very first time are instantly strengthened and changed. What happened that day at the Beautiful Gate happens every day at the gates of our lives. When Jesus commands us to stand, His strength becomes our strength and we can walk toward Him, step by step.

It is a miraculous and holy thing when we fully commit our lives to taking a daily walk with Jesus, just as He commands. It all begins with a simple act of faith. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is calling you by name, to rise up and walk with Him today.

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.

Monday, June 22, 2009

A gift worth keeping

Today’s Reading: Acts 3:4 (NIV)

4 Peter looked straight at [the beggar], as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Good morning!

Have you ever received a gift from someone that you didn’t expect to get? Or maybe you expected something that you didn’t get. It used to be a time honored tradition for my parents, in-laws and spouse to give me new clothes on my birthday. This just never seemed to go very well. While my husband can still wear some of the clothes he wore in high school, I have hard time getting my big toe into something I wore thirty something years ago. Unfortunately, my body tends to fluctuate from year to year. I hate to return gifts, but find myself in the uncomfortable situation of having to exchange that sweater for a different size. The best gift I have ever unwrapped is when the tag on the garment says, “One size fits all.”

Every Sunday morning when I attend worship, I leave with a personalized gift. I go there specifically to give my praise and thanksgiving to the Lord who saves me day by day, and yet, He offers me so much more than what I can give back! As I listen to the message, it is as if He has prepared a special present just for me; and it is my job to pay attention and listen for what it is God is saying through the preaching and teaching of His Holy Word.

There are moments when I know the Father is speaking to my heart directly. It is important that I give Him my full and undivided attention as He begins to correct my thought patterns, words, and behaviors. Sometimes I’d like to exchange some of what He’s saying for something less convicting and more socially appealing. It is so very important for me to own my sin and confess it, so that I may receive His free gift of forgiveness and the opportunity to begin again. He waits for me to choose whether I will receive His gift and accept it unconditionally. Every time I listen to the teaching and preaching that is birthed from the Holy Spirit and spoken through my pastors and Sunday school teachers, I grow in faith.

Often, we try to exchange His Truth for a lie. The gift of His truth is as sharp as a double-edged sword. It is not the gift we most often want to receive, and yet, it is His gift that we need! We sometimes think His gift will not fit us perfectly as a body of believers, that one size can’t possibly fit all. Yet, God’s love for His children is so big that death and hell could not hold it. He loves us so much that He would give us His only Son as the supreme sacrificial offering for our continued sin and willful rebellion. Christ carried our sins to the cross just so we can receive the Father’s gift of everlasting life through Him! Even when His truth hurts, it causes us to take a deeper look into who we are and whose we are, recognizing His gift is waiting to be opened. We need to open our hearts to His gifts of forgiveness and grace.

The birthday presents we hope to unwrap today may not be exactly what we expect to receive. For the crippled beggar sitting at the entrance to the Beautiful Gate, his new birth day gift was more than he could have ever imagined possible. When God gives you a gift, please pay attention to what He is saying. Do not be afraid to accept the Truth of His Word. If you will ask Him, He will save you today! His gift of salvation is for all, and no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, you are not so far away that He cannot reach you with His nail-scarred hands. Won’t you receive the gift of new life today, in Jesus’ name.

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.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Giving it all away

Today’s Reading: Acts 3:3 (NIV)

3 When [the man crippled from birth] saw Peter and John about to enter [the temple courts], he asked them for money.

Good morning!

Every time my telephone rings, I wonder if the voice on the other end of the line represents yet another charitable organization seeking my donation for a worthy cause. It is not uncommon for our family to receive several phone calls each day. And in this strapped economy, more and more people have had to seek financial assistance just to feed their families, pay their utility bills and monthly rent. How do you choose who to help?

Sometimes people take advantage of others who are struggling to survive in a desperate situation. It was difficult to watch the looters who come to take what does not belong to them in the aftermath of a hurricane. We saw a lot of this happening live in news commentary videos made in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. We cannot fully understand the plight of a displaced, hungry person until we have experienced that hunger for ourselves.

My uncle owned a small family-style restaurant near Monticello, Mississippi for many years. After Katrina, there was no electricity for weeks in the area. Traveling anywhere was especially dangerous, with downed power lines and flash flooding. He knew the food in his freezer would become spoiled in a matter of days. So my uncle choose to cook everything he had outside on a camp grill and give it away to whoever needed it. People who were used to taking care of their own needs suddenly found themselves without the resources needed to do just that. Families within walking distance of the diner showed up to eat. A community’s great need was met for several days because someone was willing to give everything they had away to help a neighbor in need.

The crippled man sat at the Beautiful Gate, the entrance to the temple courtyard, hoping worshippers would have pity on him and give him money to purchase a day’s worth of food and pay his rent. He had no other means of support, and had learned how to beg for his very survival. He was looking to receive something that would meet an immediate need. He had no clue that what he was about to receive would literally change the direction of his entire life.

What would you be willing to give away to meet a neighbor's need? Would you give them everything you have?

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.