Saturday, November 07, 2009

"The Wrong Guy?"

Today’s reading - Acts 11:23-24 (NIV): 22News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

The good news is being preached to the Gentiles (non-Jews that did not worship God) and many are becoming believers. This was threatening to those that remained in Jerusalem. They were fearful of what they could not see or imagine or even try to listen or understand. The Jews were not happy and sent Barnabas to see just what the heck is going on.

Ah Ha, they sent the wrong guy – Barnabas. The scripture is telling us that Barnabas saw the evidence of the grace of God and was glad and encouraged them to remain true. So was he the wrong guy? Maybe for those in Jerusalem, but not for me and not for you.

The journey Barnabas made to Antioch was for God. The one God Yahweh, the same God the Jews worshipped. I can’t help but wonder why & how their hearts were so hard; so hard they could not let Love inside of them. Without love, it would be impossible to accept the Holy Spirit and to believe in Grace.

Barnabas is the man! He had the heart of an encourager! We need more encouragers in life. Is that a gift that you practice? It certainly can be!

Dorothy Drago Brucks
Aldersgate UMC
Nixa, Mo.

www.aldersgatechurch.com
Up a tree

Today’s Reading: Genesis 3:1-3 NIV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden; and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

Good morning!

We have a new kitten in our home. We named her Faith, and what a name it is! I have been blessed to watch my Faith grow every single day. She is rambunctious and playful, quick and alert. We are doing our best to teach her not to bite or scratch; yet, our pretty kitty does not always choose to do the right thing.

Last weekend, I insisted that Jeff bring up a small Christmas tree from the basement, so that we could practice having Faith around it before we tried to decorate the parsonage for the upcoming holidays. This has been quite a test of faith. She is so attracted to the tree that we have a hard time keeping her from it. Every day, she shakes its branches until all of the plastic ornaments roll all over the floor. She has ripped off the silver ribbon and made it her personal play toy. We have raised our voices at Faith, correcting her and sending her to kitty time out. We have sprayed the tree with a cat stink potion purchased from a local pet supply store. Nothing seems to work. Faith is determined to take that Christmas tree out, and has made it her personal mission in life.

Watching Faith climb the tree reminds me of what we are like, as sinners, unwilling to let go of the things that separate us from God. He loves us so much, He sent His Son to teach and train us in the way that leads to life eternal. But just like our baby kitten, we find ourselves up the proverbial tree with no where to go but down. When we sin, we not only harden our own hearts, we bring havoc upon our whole house. When kitty chooses to destroy the tree, she makes a colossal mess that I end up having to clean up. Over and over again, she is relentless in her pursuit, refusing to leave her fatal attraction alone. That same sin nature lives within each of us. We must learn to set aside all the worldly distractions that corrupt our hearts and minds and eventually destroy our souls. When will we listen and obey God’s Word?

This morning, I find great comfort in praying the words of the Beatitudes. This Scripture is some of Jesus’ teaching in His Sermon on the Mount, found in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. I pray the words like this, “Lord, teach me to be poor in spirit; Lord, teach me to mourn; Lord, teach me… Every instruction from Jesus gives life to the lifeless, hope for the hopeless. It goes against our human nature and yet, we are to strive for Christ-likeness. Jesus calls us to leave the temptations behind that distract us from Him. He wants us to come out of our trees and live purpose-filled lives, focused on His will and His way. Just like the smell of the cat stink spray we use on our Christmas tree to deter young Faith, our sins are a stench before the Lord. If we want to live like Jesus, we must pray His Words over our lives every day.

Won’t you take a minute to read the entire fifth chapter of Matthew with me today. Jesus is the only one who can bring you down from the tree that you have climbed up, chasing your sinful follies instead of focusing completely on Him. Jesus carried all of our sins and chose to hang on a cruel tree in obedience to the Father’s will and simply out of love for you and me, so that we might be finally free. Won’t you come down from the sin tree and run to Jesus Christ today? Let Him lead you in the way that leads to life eternal. Exercise your faith 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.

Friday, November 06, 2009

"What's your Foundation?"

Today's reading - Acts 11:19-21 (NIV): 19Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

I love it when someone takes a risk, especially one that they don’t believe they can do, myself included. As a lay speaker I am asked to speak occasionally, sometimes to preach, sometimes to teach and other times to leader. There have been times I know that I have just run off at the mouth and not said anything. I pray there have been some times that what I said was helpful.

My walk with the Lord began over twenty years ago and wow have I taken a lot of risks. I’ll never forget the first time I sat down at Disciple I bible study led by Bill Koch, our pastor at the time and now a DS somewhere in Mo. I was ashamed and frightened. But somehow I made it through and went on to complete all four Disciple studies, the two next generation Disciple studies and have led Disciple studies several times.

It takes this type of foundation to be able to take the risk to do something out of the ordinary. Talking to the Jews and the Greeks about Jesus was risky business. Their foundation was the Lords hand! They accepted the hand of the Lord and their confidence was shattered no more. The scripture tells us the result of their willingness to risk – a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Remember for a moment what your foundation was. Mine was bible study, maybe yours was a spiritual weekend retreat, a series of sermon’s that changed your life, a friend or mentor that walked with you in the early part of your walk. Now praise God for providing that foundation and go out and share the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Many thanks to Bill Koch for believing in me and telling me there are no dumb questions.

Dorothy Drago Brucks
Aldersgate UMC
Nixa, Mo.
Leap of faith

Today’s Reading: Jonah 2:1-3 NIV

1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord His God. 2 He said, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. 3 From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.”

Good morning!

My mother asked me to do something that I really did not want to do. Being a very mature eight year old girl, I decided the only solution to this dilemma was to pack a bag and leave home. Quietly, I pulled my small overnight back from the closet shelf and began to pack my things. Funny, I don’t remember packing any food, only some play clothes and a doll baby that I slept with at night. I thought I’d be able to simply sneak out of the house unnoticed, but I wasn’t so lucky. Mother opened the front door for me as I began my independent adventure. She simply said, “Goodbye, Deborah. We will miss you.”

I think I managed to get about half down the street before I realized I had no place to go. Some of our neighbors had come outside and were sitting on their porches. The mothers were waving and asking me where I was going. I think my mom must have picked up the telephone and called every neighbor on the block, asking them to watch for me. Mrs. Ann offered me a couple of her homemade chocolate chip cookies and some ice cold lemonade. I sat on her front porch and talked with her for awhile. She asked me why I was leaving home. I confessed that I couldn’t do what my mother had asked me to, and I was afraid to tell her no. She placed her arm on my shoulder and softly said, “Dear, your mother is missing you so very much right now. Go home and talk to her. Tell her how you really feel. She will listen to you, because she loves you. And remember, if your mother asks you to do something, she probably has a very good reason for making the request.” I was winded and out of breath, running up to my house as fast as I could with the suitcase in hand, shouting, “Mommy, I’m home!” She was genuinely glad to see me. I know this, because she was snapping a photograph of my return entrance with her Polaroid® camera.

We can learn a lot from our child’s play; yet, we often we forget the meaning behind the message in our adult lives. Take Jonah, for instance. By refusing to do what the Father has asked, Jonah decided to run away from God. Didn’t he know that the Father would never let him out of His sight, even for a minute? He was in a world of trouble, and even the unbelieving pagan sailors recognized his cries for help. The storm that nearly shipwrecked the crew headed for Tarshish that night was caused by one man’s unwillingness to obey God’s call. Sin has a way of catching up to us. Have you ever been through a storm that jeopardized the safety of others, knowing it was your own fault?

When Jonah realized he had no place to go except to the deep, he chose to jump ship to save the others on the ship. At first, the crew tried to get back to shore. When they realized they could not, they prayed for forgiveness before throwing Jonah overboard. Sometimes, we just have to take that plunge of faith before we can experience His saving mercy and grace.

God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah to keep him alive. Sometimes, when we’re stuck in the dark and slimy pit of sin, we have no place to return except back home. Jonah prayed a sincere prayer of repentance, knowing that his willful disobedience had completely separated him from the One he loved. When we choose to disobey God, we find ourselves in a world of trouble with no one to guide us. We separate ourselves from the only One who can save us. Yet, we find that even in the belly of a big fish, there is eternal hope for you and me. As long as there is breath in our bodies, we still time to confess our sin, ask for God’s forgiveness, and turn around.

Jonah needed to face his Nineveh, but he didn’t have to go it alone. Are you ready to take that leap of faith, and come back home?

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, November 04, 2009

“Who, What & When”

Today's reading - Acts 11:11-18 (NIV): 11"Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house.

13He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'

15"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.

16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"

18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."

Spirit, angel, message, saved, came on them – these are the words that stick out to me today as I read this passage. I am wondering what I am meant to learn by having specific words stick out rather than a single message. Maybe I need to understand how each of them relate to each other.

What do the words have in common? I think it is the what, why and how’s that tie them together. What = spirit came upon them; Why = because God was sending a message; and How = the angel appeared in the home of a gentile.

The only thing that remains then is Who, When & Where. Since no particular words stuck out to me about who, when & where, I’m going to apply them to church today. Who should be in church, when and where? Good question.

I think the unchurched will be the who, at least one unchurched person every Sunday and the Where is in every United Methodist Church in the world. When this happens, and I believe it will, there will definitely be a baptism of the Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost. With this happening weekly in our congregations the Lord will be rejoicing as He witnesses the fulfillment of the great commission.

What part do you play in this baptism?

Dorothy Drago Brucks
Aldersgate UMC
Nixa, Mo.
www.aldersgatechurch.com
Hangin' out with Hezekiah

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 38:4-5 NIV

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father, David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.’”

Good morning!

One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is the healing of King Hezekiah. In my opinion, Hezekiah was one of the greatest Judean kings ever, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Uzziah. King Hezekiah reinstated religious reform and traditions, and single-handedly dismantled the brazen serpent, signifying his intolerance to idolatry. A great reformation was birthed in Judea, credited to King Hezekiah for his faithfulness to the Lord. We need the Lord to lift up servant leaders like Hezekiah today, who will faithfully lead the people in obedience to God’s Holy Word.

During Hezekiah’s reign, the prophet Isaiah was instructed by the Lord to visit the king and deliver a message that the physical illness he had contracted would take his life, and that he should begin to put his house in order and prepare to die. Upon receiving this untimely news, Hezekiah begins to grieve and cry out to the Lord, begging that he be physically healed and his life restored to wholeness. In his petition, Hezekiah states that he has walked faithfully before the Lord and with “wholehearted devotion, and has done good in His eyes.” Why do bad things, like terminal illnesses, have to happen to good people, we wonder? Maybe you’ve prayed your own healing petitions to the Lord, when someone you love has been seriously injured or has taken ill, suffering with a terminal illness. Hezekiah was in the prime of his life, only thirty-nine years old, when he received the Lord’s message from the prophet. Did you notice how Hezekiah didn’t hesitate to immediately express his deepest feelings to the Lord? He didn’t God ask why this had to happen to him; rather, Hezekiah asked the Lord to remember his plight and, through his tears, to heal and restore his health.

The Lord heard Hezekiah and added fifteen years to his life, promising to deliver his city from Assyrian rule. God promises Hezekiah that he will defend this city, and that he would see the living proof of His Word as the sun set that evening on the stairway of Ahaz. What kind of living proof do you need to know for certain that the Lord hears and answers your prayer for help today?

After his illness and recovery, Hezekiah writes a devotional praise to the Lord, describing his illness and miraculous healing. He gives complete credit to God for His mercy and grace in a time of desperate need. His words, found in Isaiah 38:10-20, are worth reading and re-reading every morning.

When I was a little girl, I learned how to play the violin. That instrument brought me great joy as I played with the orchestra in later years. God gives healing through the melody of our life’s song, as we offer it up to Him in faithful obedience. May you find great joy in the Lord, as He heals your heart today. Come with me, and let’s hang out with Hezekiah. Can you hear the beautiful music of the stringed instruments wafting in the breeze?

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, November 02, 2009

“There’s Nothing Perhaps About It”

Today’s reading - Acts 11:1-10 (NIV): 1The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."
4Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: 5"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'
8"I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
9"The voice spoke from heaven a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' 10This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

Three times, hum, seems like several things in the bible relate to three’s. God has definitely revealed that the gospel message is for all! That no one is to be left behind, not having an opportunity to hear the preaching. Peter was visiting in homes of those formerly unacceptable to mingle with according to religious law, and now God is expecting him and the others to do just that.

When Peter questioned God so he could be absolutely clear that he food was good to eat, the voice from heaven spoke. I wonder what everyone was thinking about Peter when he was relaying this to them. Something like, ‘oh my, he has really lost his mind now, we can’t eat those animals, we’ve never been able to, what is he thinking?’

If the church goers of today would not call anything impure that God had made perhaps our culture would be different. Perhaps if hearts pointed directly to God our characters and values would be different. If people would listen to those sharing the true message, perhaps wars and famine would not prevail. I could go on and on.

Perhaps – there is nothing perhaps about God – it will be!

Dorothy Drago Brucks
Aldersgate UMC
Nixa, Mo.
www.aldersgatechurch.com

Perfect Peace


Today’s Reading: Isaiah 26:3 KJV

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Good morning!

This was not exactly the way I wanted to begin this day. My appointment was located in the city at 7:30am. The doctor’s office suggested I be there fifteen minutes early. So, Jeff and I left home an hour before the scheduled procedures to avoid the Monday morning rush. After two back-to-back tests, somewhat lengthy and painful, I emerged from the scanner two hours later, thankful it was over. If you’ve ever had to lie completely still in a magnetic resonance imaging machine for a long period of time, then you have some idea of how this morning unfolded for me.

It is not easy for me to hold perfectly still, even on a good day. My flesh fights me every step of the way. Take a minute and try this little experiment and see how well you do. Sit down on your sofa, or, lie down across your bed and try not to move for one whole minute. This means, no flinching or twitching – do not move a muscle. Are you able to immediately relax so totally, completely still, that your breathing becomes shallow and steady right away? Could you fall asleep without so much as a whisper? How difficult is it for you to completely unwind and relax?

It was imperative that I lie completely still for both procedures. I became instantly aware of my breathing. There is really only one thing that completely calms my heart when I find myself in need of immediate rest. I recite Scripture in my mind. God’s Word, cradled inside my heart, becomes a life line in moments just like these. I remembered Christ’s ability to sleep through a horrific storm in a boat being ripped apart by the large waves and jagged rocks on the Galilean Lake. His peace level was baffling to His disciples, who were fighting for their lives that night. When Jesus stood, he raised His hand to the waters and said, “Peace, be still.” Suddenly, the waves and clouds disappeared as the lake water returned to a serene, calm state. When Jesus spoke, the wind and waves immediately and obediently responded to His call. Jesus Christ is the only thing I know that can calm our every fear. One thought of Jesus’ mercy and love for the sin sick and lost can stop the raging storms inside and bring a peace that is simply indescribable in human words.

The prophet Isaiah knew all about raging storms. Yet, he found perfect peace in the Lord, because He trusts Him completely. Sometimes I wonder if I’m trusting God completely for His peace in the storms of life. Lying in that tiny tube today, I knew His peace would be my source of strength. I could withstand the muscle cramps because I trust Jesus enough to give Him my pain. I knew that my mind, completely focused on the Lord, would be all I would need to get through the procedures without flinching.

The MRI tech congratulated me on being so still during each of the procedures. They got their pictures and I got to go home, full of Christ’s peace, knowing, no matter what my circumstance, He will see me through. I know that Jesus Christ will see you through whatever you are facing today. Relax! Take a minute and give Him all your cares. He will keep your heart in perfect peace as you focus your mind upon Him, because you can trust the Lord with your life.

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, November 01, 2009

Losing track of time?

Today’s Reading: Psalm 62:8 NIV

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.

Good morning!

When my telephone rang early this morning, its shrill sound resonated throughout the house! I hurried to the kitchen to grab the nearest portable phone from its stand, hoping it would not wake our guests. When I answered, my husband was on the other end of the receiver, calling from the church. “Do you know what time it really is?” he said, in a rather frantic voice. At first, I thought we may have set our clocks wrong the night before. With the change from daylight savings time to standard time, we rolled our clocks back one hour before we went to bed. Apparently, some of our clocks were supposed to automatically change at 2am, but for some reason, they did not. When Jeff arrived at church, he was relying on a clock that had not yet changed from daylight savings to standard time, and was alarmed when he realized it was not the correct time, as he first thought. Have you ever lost track of time?

Our culture teaches us to observe the time. We track it with our birthdays and blackberry calendars, and we wear the time on our wrists. We watch the seconds tick away on our computer screens, and on the dash boards of our automobiles, scurrying to our next scheduled appointment, praying to arrive on time. We see the time change in the brilliance of nature with every season; it is as if we are afraid, somehow, that time will slip away from us and we will miss out on something of great value. We are often reminded that our biological clocks are ticking, especially at our annual physicals; and we wonder if there will be enough time left to do the things we really want to do when our bodies have worn down. Will there be time to do the things we really want to do when we are no longer obligated to full-time work and/or study? No one wants to waste a single minute of each day. How do you spend the time you’ve been given?

It is so easy to lose track of the time. Where has it gone? Will we waste time chasing after the minutes that have already passed us by, somehow wishing we could go back and change that one foolish word said in a fit of anger, or one poor choice that leads to a lifetime of remorse. What will we do with the time we have left? How many minutes are ticking away on your time clock today? Do you really know what time it is?

Every minute is precious. All time is held in the palm of the Master’s hand. We spend our days the way we choose and it is His priceless gift to you and me. Will we waste the time we’ve been given or gratefully return it to the time giver? The Psalmist reminds us that we must learn to trust the Lord at all times. When we know Him, His gift of time becomes extraordinary and priceless. We stop taking the time we have been given for granted and begin using it to honor and glorify the One who holds all time in the palm of His hand. We begin to let go of our incessant need to hold fast to our time trackers, and simply live it out in a manner that is pleasing to Him. When we invest our time in loving each other the way Jesus loves us, our days are filled with great joy; our names forever recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

This morning, the sun was up over our parsonage at 6am Central Standard Time. There is still time for an early morning walk before worship begins and I intend to take it. Do not miss a minute with your maker. Trust Him today with the time of your life. He will give you exactly what you need to make the most of each new day. Hand Him your whole heart today, for the Lord God Almighty is your only refuge.

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.