A Few Moments With God

[janbear]

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a story of a college freshman who decided it was about time she experienced her first college date. Her roommate, who was a senior, asked whether she preferred Southern boys or Northern boys. Since she was from South Dakota she was unaware of such nuances in the male gender and asked what the difference was.
Her roommate answered, "Southern boys are more romantic. They will take you walking in the moonlight and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Northern boys are more active. They like to go places and do exciting things."

The girl pondered the contrast and then asked wistfully, "Could you please find me a Southern boy from as far North as possible?"

This story suggests an expectation we often have when we have to make a decision in our life. We love to have the best of both worlds. We love to have our cake and eat it too. However, I think we know that when we are forced to choose which direction we will take in life it frequently involves lots of challenges. It is rarely the best of both worlds. We have some tough decisions to make this Christmas too.

"What do you want for Christmas?" That is a question we often hear during this time of the year. But the question I want to ask is "What do you need for Christmas?"



God of peace, give me what I really need for Christmas. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33 NRSV Bible)

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I read a few years ago a story about a store the was jammed with last minute Christmas shoppers, and the lines to the cashier's were very long. And of course there was nobody helping people with their questions on the floor of the store. Amid the madhouse, the telephone rang in the mail order department. The caller asked if the store had any copies of a popular book left, and if they did she would like two of them. "Just a minute," said the clerk. After checking, the clerk informed the caller that there were some books left and said, "That will be $24. Do you want us to send them C.O.D.?" "Oh, never mind sending them," said the caller, I'll pay cash. Just bring them up to the front of the store... I'm the one standing by the pay phone."
This is a busy season, but there is a lot more to Christmas than shopping. I recently read a Christmas card that clearly reveals what our focus should be this Christmas.

"If our greatest need was for information,
God would have sent an educator."

"If our greatest need was for technology,
God would have sent a scientist."

"If our greatest need was for pleasure,
God would have sent an entertainer."

"If our greatest need was for money,
God would have sent an economist."

BUT SINCE OUR GREATEST NEED IS FOR FORGIVENESS,
GOD SENT A SAVIOR.


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Dear God, please forgive me, as I accept Jesus into my heart today and everyday. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor. (Proverbs 22:9 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a story of a young girl who was taken to a shopping mall to see Santa. After waiting in line for what seemed to be an eternity, it was finally her turn to sit on Santa's knee. After to usual "Ho ho ho's" and "what is your name" questions, the girl was finally asked what she wanted for Christmas. She replied, "I would like two toy dolls, two teddy bears, two video games, and two winter coats." "Well," said Santa, "that certainly is a tall order to fill. But, do you mind telling me why you want two of everything?" The little girl had obviously prepared herself for this question, because she said without hesitation, "So I can share."
I like this girl's spirit. Christmas is about sharing. And may we this Christmas also realize that what we want and what we need aren't always the same thing. I hope we will allow Christ to help us change the direction we travel and the attitude that shapes our thoughts.

Let us play "Follow the Leader" with Christ. Those in the Christmas story did--Mary, Joseph, the Three Kings, and the Shepherds. Let's follow the savior, as we share his love.


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Dear God, you have shared so much of yourself with me. May I share as you have shared. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! (Luke 2:14 NRSV Bible)

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Christmas is a celebration of how God shared God's self with us. This story tells it best... Time before time when the world was young, two sisters shared a field and mill together. Each night they divided evenly the grain they had ground together during the day. One sister lived alone, the other had a husband and a large family. Now the single sister thought to herself one day, "It isn't really fair that we divide the grain evenly. I have only myself to care for, but my sister has a family to feed." So each night she secretly took some of her grain to her sister's granary to see that she was never without. But the married sister said to herself one day, "It isn't fair that we divide the grain evenly, because I have children to provide for me in my old age, but my sister has no one. What will she do then?"
So every night she secretly took some of her grain to her sister's granary. As a result, both of them always found their supply of grain mysteriously replenished each morning. Then one night they met each other half-way between their houses. Suddenly they realized what had been happening, and embraced each other in love. It is said that the spot where they met became a holy place, because God was made known to the world in a place where human beings discovered each other sharing in acts of love.

When we share and give in love most of the mud of the world will become a firm foundation of peace for all. When Jesus is around all ground can be Holy Ground.


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Lord Jesus, may the mud of my life become a firm foundation of your peace, as I learn to share. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11 NRSV Bible)

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Our scripture reading tells us God's answer to our deepest longing, "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."
This Christmas we need to follow Jesus Christ. Christ doesn't need a gift or a present from us. Jesus does want our presence. Jesus does want us to share. Jesus does want us to bring God's love to our family, friends, and neighbors. Jesus wants us to make a difference for God.

"To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."


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God of all, help me to do my best in fulfilling what Jesus would have me do. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a story of a little girl in Sunday School who was asked what she had learned from the story of Jesus changing water into wine at the wedding celebration at Cana. She answered: "It is always a good idea to have Jesus around." Children can give us some great wisdom in understanding life.
The reason we often track mud into our lives, and lean on crutches, and admire ourselves in mirrors, is that we won't allow the presence of God in Christ to be reflective in our everyday existence. Christmas is a celebration and a way of life-not a one day festival of getting what we want.


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Loving God, help me to make the true meaning of Christmas a way of life all year long. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7 NRSV Bible)

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When I was growing up, I can remember making out my "want list" by pouring through all the Christmas catalogues we received in the mail. Often, I would put down the prices, so mom and dad would see how little it would cost them to get everything I wanted.
However, as we read from the Gospel of Luke, the question we should ask is "WHAT DO WE NEED FOR CHRISTMAS?" What will help us live out Christ's message of love and forgiveness? What will happen to us when the last turkey scraps are used and the cookies and other goodies have been devoured? What will we do after the excitement of Christmas is over? What will we do to satisfy the hunger for the bread of life that got lost in all the activity and busyness of this season?


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Dear Jesus, you are everything that I really need. Thank you! Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11 NRSV Bible)

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When I was growing up, I can remember making out my "want list" by pouring through all the Christmas catalogues we received in the mail. Often, I would put down the prices, so mon and dad would see how little it would cost them to get everything I wanted.
However, as we read the Christmas story, the question we should ask is "WHAT DO WE NEED FOR CHRISTMAS?" What will help us live out Christ's message of love and forgiveness? What will happen to us when the last turkey scraps are used and the cookies and other goodies have been devoured? What will we do after the excitement of Christmas is over? What will we do to satisfy the hunger for the bread of life that got lost in all the activity and busyness of this season?

I read a few years ago a story about a store the was jammed with last minute Christmas shoppers, and the lines to the cashier's were very long. And of course there was nobody helping people with their questions on the floor of the store. Amid the madhouse, the telephone rang in the mail order department. The caller asked if the store had any copies of a popular book left, and if they did she would like two of them. "Just a minute," said the clerk. After checking, the clerk informed the caller that there were some books left and said, "That will be $24. Do you want us to send them C.O.D.?" "Oh, never mind sending them," said the caller, I'll pay cash. Just bring them up to the front of the store... I'm the one standing by the pay phone."

This is a busy season, hopefully after today it will slow down some. But there is a lot more to Christmas than shopping. I recently read a Christmas card that clearly reveals what our focus should be this Christmas.

"If our greatest need was for information, God would have sent an educator."
"If our greatest need was for technology, God would have sent a scientist."
"If our greatest need was for pleasure, God would have sent an entertainer."
"If our greatest need was for money, God would have sent an economist."
BUT SINCE OUR GREATEST NEED IS FOR FORGIVENESS, GOD SENT A SAVIOR.


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Dear God of peace, as I welcome your son once again on this Christmas day, transform me into his image. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (Mark 1:9 NRSV Bible)

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In our scripture reading today, Jesus went to John the Baptist and was baptized in the Jordan river. Baptism has been given to us so that spiritually we can be cleaned of our past and given a new start. Baptism is an important symbol that says God forgives us and welcomes into the community of faith.
Baptism has also been given to us--the community of God's people. One of the greatest joys and blessings we receive as the church is to witness a person being baptized. It is a gift that reminds us of God's power and love.

I read once about a little girl who watched quietly and intently as the minister baptized her little brother. But when the ceremony reached the pouring of the water, the little girl became nervous. She edged up to the baptismal font and whispered to the minister, "And be sure to wash behind his ears too!"

Baptism is about cleansing, and it is about our spiritual cleansing through God's touch of love and forgiveness.


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Lord Jesus, thank you for showing us the importance of Baptism. May your love and grace cleanse me forever. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. (Mark 1:13 NRSV Bible)

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God has given us the Holy Spirit, so that we will never be completely alone. In our reading today, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, but God was close by as personified in the angels.
We all have been tempted at one time or another. With amusement I read a few years ago an article where, Continental Cablevision of Madison Heights, Michigan, had a little trouble with some of its electronic switching equipment, resulting in X-rated programming being fed into the homes of many subscribers who hadn't ordered it. The alarm was sounded by an anger customer who called a local radio station to say, "It was really awful we saw it for four hours."

The funny thing about this story is that customer could have turned off the X-rated program.

Even beyond the temptations in life, it seems that sometimes we go through stages where we feel like we are being tested. Several years ago, I served on the staff of a large church as an associate minister. I was there for only one year, which probably says a lot by itself. But it was also a time of great testing for me. One of my major responsibilities was to direct the youth program. I remember some of the adults volunteers in the program telling all the things they didn't like about my predecessor. I remembered thinking to myself, "It won't be long before they will be talking about me." I was right and it turned out to be a very difficult year.

The only thing that got me through that difficult time was knowing that God was close by and that God had not given up on me. No matter what we go through in life, remember that God is with us through the Holy Spirit.


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Dear God, as your child, help me to always feel your presence through the comfort of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:25-28 NRSV Bible)

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Jacob was the son of Isaac who two sons Esau and Jacob. Jacob is famous for clinching his brother Esau's hel at birth. Jacob also stole Esau's birthright which was very important part of the family structure in those days. Jacob went on to become known as the Father of Israel. In verse 28, God said to Jacob, "You shall not longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."
Jacob had just sent some gifts to his brother Esau, so that he won't avenge Jacob for stealing his birthright. Jacob sends the caravan to Esau while he stays back by the river. This is where Jacob has a wrestling encounter with God.

Have you wrestled with God lately? In our scripture reading today, it says in verse 25, "Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak." In the next verse, we are given the indication that the man Jacob was wrestling with was God. For he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." It was a common belief that no one could see God face to face and still live, so the wrestling could not continue after daybreak or Jacob would die.

Now, I was a wrestler for six years when I was a kid in Jr. High and High School. Wrestling is a very physical sport. It takes a lot of energy and focus. Our relationship with God also takes a lot of energy and focus. We need to wrestle with God from time to time. We need to work at building our connection to the one who gives us life. It is so easy to go through life and lose our focus of serving God. When we wrestle with the big issues of life, when we wrestling with ourselves, and when we wrestle with God, we learn a lot and are blessed. Jacob was blessed for not giving up. Jacob said in verse 26, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." And verse 29 says that God blessed Jacob.


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Loving God, as I wrestle in my relationship with you, please bless me in your service. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 NRSV Bible)

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Someone has drawn a helpful analogy about the importance of unity in the church to the life of a honey bee. As I understand it, honey bees cannot live in isolation. You always keep bees (plural), you never keep a single bee. If you isolate a bee, you can give it the most favorable temperature, you can give it plenty of water and plenty of food, but the bee will die within two to three days. There is something about the community of bees that keeps individual bees alive. You can keep bees, but you cannot keep a bee.
In a sense that is also true of the church. One of the chief sources of our strength is our unity. If we are not as vital in our witness as we might be, it is probably because our bonds of love are not as strong as they might be. We, the church, must have an intense fellowship with one another.


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Dear God, remind me often of my need for study and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in the community of faith. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10 NRSV Bible)

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We read in Acts 2:42 that they devoted themselves to "the breaking of bread and prayers." Prayer fueled the vitality of the early church. Prayer will also continue the vitality of our Christian journey.
I saw a news report of a church bulletin that read like this: "The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church." I'm sure this was a typo. We should nonetheless be in prayer for those who don't attend church.

At the end of World War II, Robert Woodruff, president of Coca Cola declared, "In my generation it is my desire that everyone in the world have a taste of Coca Cola." Today Coca Cola is sold from the deserts of Africa to the interior of China. Why? Because Woodruff motivated his colleagues to reach their generation around the world for Coke.

Any healthy organization reaches out. We must reach out too, as we share our savior with a lost world.


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Dear God, thank you for all the people who have reached out to me with the message of hope in Jesus Christ. Move me to share my savior in love for those who are in need of your hope. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19 NRSV Bible)

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Peppermint Patty steps up to the store counter in a PEANUTS cartoon. She says, "Yes, sir . . . I need some school supplies . . . some pencils, some paper, a loose-leaf binder . . . and some answers ... I need a lot of answers ..." Don't we all?
Life is full of difficult questions. There are many things in life we do not understand. Many of us have a hard time understanding the Trinity--God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Even the finest theologians find themselves at a loss to explain it satisfactorily. Some use the analogy of the masks worn by actors in the old Greek tragedies. One actor wearing many masks can play many parts. But it is still just one actor.

Others have used the analogy of water. Under normal conditions, water, H2O, is a liquid, but freeze it and it becomes a solid. Heat it and it becomes steam. It is still H2O, whatever form it takes, but it can have three radically different forms.

The secret of us, in our understanding of the Trinity, is trust. We can either spend our lives making ourselves miserable about what does not make sense to us or we can live joyful lives based on trust in God. An ancient Chinese proverb says, "The bird does not sing because he has an answer; he sings because he has a song."

I may not be able to understand the mystery of God in three persons, but I can enjoy the incredible beauty of God the creator. I may not understand how the Bethlehem's babe "can in the Godhead be," as the song says, but I can read with awe the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. If anyone has ever lived closer to God than Jesus, I'm certainly not aware of it. I may not understand all there is to understand about that Comforter that Jesus said he would send us, but there have been times when that Comforter, the Holy Spirit, has enveloped me with love. I don't have to understand God in three persons in order to experience the grandeur of what those three persons can mean in my life. The secret of a successful life is not understanding but trust.


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Lord Jesus, as you are a part of the Trinity, help me with my trust, as I seek to more fully understand you. Amen.

[janbear]

For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:19 NRSV Bible)

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Catherine Marshall, the author of many fine books including the bestseller, CHRISTY, and the widow of the well-known pastor Peter Marshall, was told during a routine physical checkup on March 20, 1943, that she was infected with tuberculosis. It was a devastating blow! The doctors ordered her to bed twenty-four hours a day. There she waited. And waited. In her book BEYOND OUR SELVES Catherine notes that fifteen months later she had gained some fifteen pounds. Otherwise nothing was changed. The area of infection was as widespread as the beginning. Other specialists were consulted. They had no answers, and could only recommend more bed rest. When Catherine and her husband Peter asked how long, the doctors replied that they had no idea.
Writing in retrospect, Catherine described this time as three weary, endless years. Over and over she asked the question, "Why, oh why do I have to lie here month after month? Why can't the doctors do something?"

Yet it was during this time that Catherine learned many important spiritual lessons. She became keenly aware that there were no shortcuts. God alone was in charge. She learned to deal ruthlessly and fully with sin in her life. She committed her life completely to Jesus Christ as Lord during that time. The seeds of her ministry of writing--a ministry that has touched thousands of people--were planted during this period of waiting and rest. She developed an increasingly strong faith in God's ability to heal. At first she was told there was no progress. Then x-rays began to show progress. And finally she was pronounced well. In addition, as her faith was strengthened, Catherine Marshall was able to reach out with word and pen and encourage others.

Catherine Marshall's successful life is marked by obedience and trust. There are many things too deep for us to fathom, but we can still trust and obey our Father in heaven.


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God of all, I may not know all that I would like to, but may I be faithful in my obedience and trust of you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Consider how I love your precepts; preserve my life according to your steadfast love. (Psalms 119:159 NRSV Bible)

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Ruth Graham tells a humorous story from one of their trips to Europe. Dr. Graham and a member of his team, Grady Wilson, had left for Moscow leaving Grady's wife, Wilma, and Ruth under the watchful eye of an old college friend living in Paris, Jeanette Evans. "Now don't go shopping," were Dr. Graham's final words.
Ruth says that she and Wilma waited for the plane to disappear out of sight and headed for the nearest junk shop. With Jeanette's expert French they managed beautifully. Wilma found several irresistible items: among them a silver inkwell adorned with cupids. Ruth found one lovely little painting she couldn't resist--the price, translated from French currency to American, came to ten dollars.

At the hotel that night in Versailles they couldn't resist unwrapping their treasures. Ruth propped her painting on the mantel over the fireplace and admired it. Wilma placed her acquisitions on the desk, likewise enjoying her lovely old French bargains.

When their husbands returned from Moscow, they drove to Versailles to pick the women up. They were to begin driving to Zurich, Switzerland, that afternoon. Wilma and Ruth were packing when Grady came in to hurry them up.

"I like this picture so much," Ruth said on an impulse, "I just think I'll take it with me." And taking her painting from the mantel, she packed it in her suitcase.

Catching on, Wilma exclaimed, "And I like this inkwell so much I think I'll just take it." Whereupon she picked up her cupid-decorated inkstand and, fitting it in her case, closed it.

Miles on their way Ruth got to thinking about what they had done and started to laugh. "What's so funny?" Grady wanted to know.

So, laughing, the women told him about their trip to the junk shop, their purchases, and what they had done at the hotel.

Silence. "What's wrong?" Ruth asked. "We spent practically nothing."

"Well," Grady said, "it's just that when Wilma's back was turned, I took the inkwell out and put it back on the desk."

Grady Wilson is a good man. And it must be a thrill to be associated with Billy Graham--one of the most respected men in the world. And yet Grady Wilson will never be a celebrity. He will always live in Graham's shadow.

That's where most of us live. We have our successes. We are loved by our family and friends. And yet, when our time comes to go, the world will take little note. Like our Master, we will die somewhat in obscurity. Maybe there's a lesson here: the world may not notice, but God certainly will.


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Loving God, thank you for noticing the importance of my life. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 2:4 NRSV Bible)

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The sign on the stage proclaimed, "The Motionless Man: Make Him Laugh. Win $100." The temptation was irresistible. For three hours boys and girls, men and women performed every antic and told every joke they could dream up. But Bill Fuqua, the Motionless Man, stood perfectly still.
Luis Palau in his book HEALTHY HABITS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH, tells about Fuqua, the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS champion at doing nothing. Fuqua, says Palau, appears so motionless during his routines at shopping malls and amusement parks that he's sometimes mistaken for a mannequin.

Fuqua discovered his unique talent at the age of fourteen while standing motionless in front of a Christmas tree as a joke. A woman touched him and exclaimed, "Oh, I thought it was a real person."

Doing nothing is really impossible--even for the Motionless Man. Fuqua attributes his feigned paralysis to hyper elastic skin, an extremely low pulse rate, and intense concentration. He may not laugh at your jokes, but he readily admits that he still has to breathe and blink--occasionally.

When I read about Bill Fuqua, the motionless man, and I thought about so many churches. So many congregations have mastered the art of doing nothing. We read about the church on the Day of Pentecost--the flames of fire, the sound of a mighty wind, the strange excitement that catches the attention of passers by. This is not the church as we know it! The church on the Day of Pentecost was a church that was chaotic and yet caring, tightly joined as a group, yet reaching out with extraordinary vigor. It was a church ablaze with the Holy Spirit.

How about us? Are we ablaze with the Holy Spirit?


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Dear Jesus, set my heart on fire in doing your work. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1 NRSV Bible)

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Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. In our scripture reading, we have some wise and some foolish bridesmaids. How do we live our lives--foolishly or wisely, prepared or unprepared?
Life is a gift, and I believe it is important to live our lives wisely. We shouldn't live our lives by thinking that we have the rest of our lives before us, so we can live life on the edge and do as we please. There is so much more to life than fulfilling ourselves. Living wisely means, we are constantly working to better our relationship with God. We work to do all we can to help others. Living wisely means we live each day to it's fullest.

In the Wall Street Journal, there was a report where someone saw a sign in a Hong Kong dentist's office. The sign said, "Teeth Extracted by the Latest Methodists." I don't know how good Methodists are at extracting teeth, but as God's people we can extract or bring out the best in one another. So, being wise means we are a part of the church that helps us be the best we can be.


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God of all things, work on me to make me the best I can be for your glory. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. (Mark 8:32 NRSV Bible)

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I read a story once of a Sunday School class that was talking about heaven. A little girl said, "If you are good, you'll go to heaven."
A little boy asked, "Where do you go if you are bad?"

The little girl replied emphatically, "To the principal's office."

Choosing to go God's way is not so much about being good or bad, but it does have a lot to do with who guides our lives God or our own desires.

In our scripture ready today, Peter says to Jesus your crazy. You are not going to suffer and die. You see Peter and the disciples had a different idea about what the messiah would be like. The saw the messiah as an earthly king or president, who would restore Israel's freedom and power. The disciples were looking for their own desires to be met, not God's desire that Jesus would become the savior of the world.

We are being asked today to choose who we will follow. There are many surveys that say lots people in our society believe in God. But belief in God does not constitute living God's way. For when we live God's way, we will be willing to suffer with those who suffer, and we will make sacrifices so that God's work will get done in and through the church.


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Loving God, help me say yes to serving you in every way possible. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 NRSV Bible)

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Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz once said, "I've been on the top and I've been on the bottom. At Arkansas my first year, we won the Orange Bowl. Then everybody loved me. "They put me into the Arkansas Hall of Fame and issued a commemorative stamp in my honor. The next year we lost to Texas, and they had to take away the stamp, because people kept spitting on the wrong side of it.
Life is full of highs and lows, and for many of us it is hard to be humble. But when we deny our own pleasures and desires, and put God first, then we begin to understand what is really important to be filled with God's desires of love and hope.

Jesus tells us today, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." The cross here is a very important symbol. Carrying the cross means we carry a burden of helping others, it means God is important, it means we have hope, it means we have forgiveness, it means we use our financial resources to help others, and it means we want to share God's love, forgiveness, and hope with our family, our friends, and our co-workers.

When we deny ourselves, we put God first.


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Dear Jesus, you gave up so much for me. Now, guide me as I deny my wishes for yours. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9 NRSV Bible)

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There are lights that flood a room and reveals that which is hidden. There are lights that shines as a fixed reminder of eternal truths. There is another kind of light, however. It is the search light of compassion and concern. It is the light that moves out into the darkness to seek the lost. This is the light of the shepherd who leaves the ninety and nine and goes out on the hillside to find the one sheep who is lost. It is the light a woman shines looking for a precious coin. It is the light of a loving God who will not let us go.
Halford Luccock asked his two granddaughters what they wanted for their birthdays. "Give us a world," they responded. Soon he deduced that what they were asking for was a globe. So happily granddad went shopping for a nice large globe that would spin and would be an attractive addition to their room. Expectantly, he waited their pleasure on their birthday as they opened their gift from him. Somehow when the present was opened, however, he sensed they were disappointed. "What is the matter?" he asked. "I thought this is what you wanted." "Well, yes," said one of them, "but we were kind of hoping for a lighted world." Immediately he understood that what they wanted was a globe with a light inside.

"I can fix that," he said. "Let me take it back and exchange it for a lighted one." Unfortunately the store where he bought the globe did not sell lighted ones. So he got his money back and set out to find a lighted world rather than a darkened one. Finally, he located a globe with a light in it, bought it and presented it to his granddaughters, who were delighted. Telling a colleague about this, he was asked if he had learned anything from this experience. He said, "Oh, yes. I learned one thing. I learned that a lighted world costs more."

A lighted world does cost more. It cost God His Son. If we are serious about letting our light shine in today's world, it will cost us something as well.


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God of light, with Jesus as my inspiration, may my light shine brightly in this often dark world. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Make vows to the LORD your God, and perform them; let all who are around him bring gifts to the one who is awesome. (Psalm 76:11 NRSV Bible)

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I read a story that was about the very bashful young man who was hesitant about demonstrating his affection for his sweetheart. "Oh, but that I were an octopus," he said one night, "that I might wrap all eight arms around you." His impatient sweetheart replied, "Don't worry about having eight arms. Just make better use of the two arms you already have."
That is what we must do in doing the work of Jesus Christ. We shouldn't worry about weather or not we have the gifts to follow. We simply need to use what gifts we have to follow Christ and to do God's will.

Doing otherwise is simply a waste of time.


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Dear God, may I realize more fully today the wonderful gifts you have given me. May I respond to you call in fulfilling your will for my life in touching your people with love and forgiveness. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NRSV Bible)

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The only path to true success comes when we daily take up the cross of Jesus Christ. Even a self-centered generation knows that self-denial is the path to success. But listen. There is a catch. Self-denial will not bring us fulfillment if we only live for ourselves. We may say, "I am not doing this for my husband or my wife. I'm not doing this for my children. I am doing it for me." Fine. That may help you stay on your diet. That may help you keep up your studies. But it will not bring you ultimate fulfillment. Ultimate fulfillment comes only when we say, "I'm doing this for God and God's people."
I heard once that our will and God's will is like this, "Imagine a person carrying two buckets, one of them filled with oil and one filled with water. Now they are completely filled so that you cannot pour the oil from its bucket into the water bucket because there is no room and besides oil and water don't mix.

Now imagine that one of these buckets is you and your will and your purpose and your plan for your life and the other is God's will and plan and purpose for your life. Before you can know God's will and plan and purpose for your life you're going to have to empty your bucket to receive what God has to give. Now whom do you trust the most to know where real purpose and joy, satisfaction, and peace lie with you or with the heart of God?"

The key to truly successful living is to deny ourselves in order that God may fill us to overflowing with God's presence and power. As Paul said in Galatians 2:20, "and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." There is the path to real success. If we who are followers of Jesus would learn that one simple truth, we could turn this world upside down.


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Dear God, fill me with the saving power of Jesus Christ, as I pick up his cross of salvation everyday. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:19 NRSV Bible)

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It is important for us to understand that the church gets its power form being unified. Airing out our problems is important to building a unified community of God's people. Our church cannot be effective without our unity and support of one another. We are called to be one in the body of Christ.
I remembering reading once about Henry Kissinger when he was a boy. In 1934, he grew up as a Jewish boy in Bravaria. His original name was Heinz, and he grew up learning well his religious teachings. One day, one of the bullies of his neighborhood caught up with the young Heinz. Instead of fighting, he talked his way out of the situation without anyone getting hurt. Henry Kissinger's talent of talking things out became important when he moved to the United States and became the great talker who brought peace to many areas of the world. His work brought unity, which helped the United States become even more effective in bringing peace to many places around the world.

Unity also brings more effectiveness to the church. Jesus, said our scripture reading today, "Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." When we agree on the things that we need, we build unity. Then God will give us the things that we need. Maybe not the things we want, but our needs will be met. And, our churches will become more effective in helping people experience God's forgiveness and love.


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Lord Jesus, thank you for the great unity you bring to the church. Move me to do all I can to build unity in your holy church. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance. (Luke 8:15 NRSV Bible)

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There is a cartoon that shows a company president announcing to his staff, "Gentlemen, this year the trick is honesty." From one side of the conference table, a vice president gasps, "Brilliant." Across the table, another VP mutters, "But so risky!"
A cartoon in "New Yorker" magazine: Two clean-shaven middle-aged men are sitting together in a jail cell. One inmate turns to the other and says: "All along, I thought our level of corruption fell well within community standards."

We have a crisis in our land--a crisis of honesty, integrity, ethics, morality, what the Bible calls "righteousness." Our newspapers and magazines abound with stories of people and corporations who have slipped and fallen. You could probably name several recent examples off the top of your head, some really well know people and companies. We have become a nation of cheaters. Sometimes we cheat a little. Sometimes a lot. Is it that big a deal? The answer is a resounding "Yes."

A man confessed to his pastor that he stole something--a hammer from the steel mill where he worked. Everybody was doing it, he said. No big deal. His pastor, though, told him about a report in the newspapers that thefts at this particular mill averaged out to a thousand dollars a week. His hammer along with what others were taking was costing the company over $50,000 a year. "To make up for that loss," his pastor noted, "the factory raises the price of steel. Consequently, everyone who buys a car, purchases an appliance, remodels his house, etc., has to pay the price for your hammer. You didn't hurt the company," his pastor assured him, "you hurt everybody in this city." And that's true. We hurt the entire society when integrity is not maintained, and we also hurt the witness of Jesus Christ.


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Dear Jesus, forgive me for the times when I have failed you by not being truly honest. May honesty be my best policy. Amen.

[janbear]

If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. (Matthew 18:15 NRSV Bible)

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Doctors tell us it is important to get rid of our anger. John Lewis, a labor leader who often spilled out his anger to President Roosevelt, lived vigorously to the age of eighty-one. Roosevelt, on the other hand, who kept his anger inside, live to be only sixty-three. Expressing our anger is important in living a long healthy life, as God's people.
Jesus tells us how to do express our anger in our scripture reading, "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point our the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one."

Expressing our anger to someone else is important to our health. It is also important in maintaining a positive relationship with the person we are anger with. However, when we do talk to someone we are angry with, we should not unload on them. Our conversation should be a time of clearing the air and breaking down walls of hurt and separation.

In "Leadership" magazine, there was a cartoon that pictures a minister sitting with two obviously angry church members around a table in the minister's office. The caption reads, "With our current feelings, would anyone object to my praying with my eyes open?" Even a little humor can help our anger.


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Loving God, I'm thankful that you are in control of your anger. Help me to clear the air with those I'm anger with. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:45-46 NRSV Bible)

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What is it that gives God the most pleasure? The answer is, God gets the most pleasure from taking something that the world perceives as worthless and giving it value.
"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" they asked about Jesus, (John. 1:46). "But you, O Bethlehem, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel...," (Micah 5:2). "Pray, Lord," asked Gideon, "how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family," (Judges 6:15).

And these words from Paul: "For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Jesus Christ, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption...."

Paul is writing to the church at Corinth and saying, "Take a look at yourselves. You weren't much to begin with, but God finds joy in taking something that the world doesn't consider worth much and uses it in amazing ways." That's good news for each one of us today!


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Dear Jesus, thank you for blessing my life and making me something of great value for God's glory. Amen.

[janbear]

the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. (2 Timothy 2:24-25 NRSV Bible)

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What makes a person truly great? We certainly have a lot of sports and activities in our society to help us find out who is the greatest. We defiantly live in a competitive world. Michele, my wife, can most certainly tell you about the ways I am competitive. But does being competitive and winning make a person truly great?
Probably not. Jesus does, however, give us some important characteristics that do make us truly great.

We all love happy endings. I remember a story about Hollywood producer Sam Goldwyn. He once listened to director Billy Wilder describe in detail the true life story of a famous artist. Wilder thought it would make a great movie.

"Does it end happy?" Goldwyn wanted to know.
"Well," said Wilder, "it winds up with the guy in an insane asylum thinking he's a horse."
Goldwyn threw Wilder out the door. But Wilder wasn't discouraged. He poked his head back in and said, "Okay, how about if at the end the guy who thinks he's a horse...goes on to win the Kentucky Derby."

We love it when the good guy comes out on top. And being a servant is a lot like coming out on top at the end of a good movie. A servant will have lots of hardships, work hard behind the scenes, and little recognition, but in the end a true servant will be rewarded by being the greatest in the sight of God.


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God of true servants, help me to be one today. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

One who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips. (Proverbs 24:26 NRSV Bible)

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In a U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT/CNN poll, Americans said that the quality which they thought was most important in a friend was honesty. It was considered to be more than twice as important as sharing common interests or having a sense of humor.
Think how terrible it is to have a friend, or a child, or a parent, or a husband, or a wife, whom you cannot trust. What a tragedy.

If I were a young person considering a potential mate for marriage, the quality I would look for first is integrity. Can he or she be trusted? That might be the best argument for saying no to sex before marriage. If a young person can handle this temptation, then he or she can handle almost any integrity-buster that comes along. He or she is a person of character. When we cheat, we hurt people we love. When we are dishonest, we hurt the people we love. We hurt our God of all love.


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Dear God, remind me always to be truly honest with you, with myself, and with all of your great people. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. (Mark 9:35 NRSV Bible)

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In our scripture reading today, the disciples and Jesus are on their way to Capernaum. During their travel the disciples start arguing about who was the greatest. When they got to Capernaum Jesus asked them what the were arguing about. They were silent. They were embarrassed. Jesus called all the disciples together and said, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."
But what is a servant? In our society today, few of us have a real appreciation of what being a servant is all about. A servant is simply one who puts others needs before their own. This is not always easy to do, as demonstrated by the disciples in our text today. But, being a servant is what we are called to do, and being a servant makes us great in the eyes of God.


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Dear Jesus, you are the greatest servant of all by dying for my sins. Help me to put the needs of others before my own. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Happy are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods. (Psalms 40:4 NRSV Bible)

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We all should know that, in the long run, it pays to do the right thing. In fact, according to a "Newsweek" article more and more large American corporations are enrolling their employees in business ethics courses. These corporations realize that the success of their business depends upon the personal integrity of each of their employees.
A company in Phoenix, Arizona during the 1970's was shut off from the Mexican market because they refused to give pay-offs to Mexican government officials. Something remarkable happened, however. The company's ethical behavior in refusing the pay-offs increased its stature in the eyes of some Mexican business people. Impressed by an American business that was bold enough to go against the system, a group of influential Mexicans lobbied the Mexican government to allow the company to open two Mexican dealerships. They are doing a booming business. One reason is that people know they can trust them.

What is true on the corporate level is true on the personal level. It pays to be a person of integrity. It may not appear so at times, but just hang in there. Sooner or later time will expose the person who cheats.


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Dear Jesus, thank you for not cutting corners so that you could truly be my savior. May I follow in your footsteps so that I will not let you down. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again. (Mark 9:31 NRSV Bible)

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In our text today, Jesus informs the disciples that he will be betrayed, killed, and raised again. We know that Judas was the one that betrayed Jesus, but do we remember Judas as being a great disciples? We most certainly don't. He was not a servant. He looked out for his own interests first, and he betrayed his own friend--Jesus Christ.
Obviously, betraying a friend does not make one great. If you have ever been betrayed by a friend, then you know some of the pain that Jesus felt. When I was in college I had a friend who wanted to share an apartment with me. We had lots of similar interests and he was planning on entering a career in ministry, so I agreed to his request. Two months later, with bounced checks in my hand, a search that had found hidden phone bills, and an empty bank account, I was a victim of betrayal.

Betrayal can be as simple as making a negative comment about someone or as great as cheating on our spouse or selling secret information from the company we work for.

Being a truly great person involves honoring one another and honoring God.


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Dear God, help me to be a great person to those whom you have given me to serve. Amen.

[janbear]

Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him. (Luke 4:8 NRSV Bible)

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Luke writes, "Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
What do we worship? I believe where we spend most of our time, money, and other resources, says what we truly value or worship. Jesus was tempted to gain power over all of the world. Jesus could have given up God's will for his life, so that he could gain lots of earthly power.

Jesus says to us today, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'" We live in a world where right and wrong, good and bad are not always easily definable. However, God's word is clear that our purpose is to worship and serve God. Yes, Christian ethics do not come prepackaged and our call is not adherence to a list of rules, but our call is to faithfulness in our worship of God.


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Dear Jesus, forgive me for worshiping the wrong things. Move me to more faithfully worship our Father in heaven. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them... God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. (Genesis 1:27 & 31 NRSV Bible)

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I heard a joke this week where Susan said, "Phil, I heard you flew to California on vacation. I'll bet that was great!" "No, Susan," Phil replied, "that was bad. I missed the bus from the airport." "Oh," said Susan, "that's bad." "No," Phil replied, "that wasn't bad. I got a taxi, and the driver was friendly." Susan said, "That's good." "No," said Phil, "that's bad. The taxi's transmission broke." "Oh," said Susan, "that's bad!" "No," Phil replied, "that was good. The reverse gear still worked." "Oh," Susan said, "that's good!" "No," said Phil, "that's bad. The driver decided to drive me all the way to my hotel, backwards." "Wow!" Susan replied, "That's bad!" "No," said Phil, "that was good. When we finally got to the hotel, the driver owed me six dollars and forty cents."
Our world is full of good and bad, righteousness and temptation. Jesus Christ calls us to live for the good God has created in each one of us. Our call is to live as Jesus lived.


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Loving God, thank you for creating me to be good. Help me to live as Jesus lived. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (Matthew 5:46 NRSV Bible)

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Jesus emphasized the importance of love throughout his life. "Love your neighbor as yourself. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." These are some of Jesus' famous statements on the subject of love. Love is a very important characteristic in being truly great.
I remember reading a story in Better Homes and Gardens about a daughter who was home from college for the summer. She was in and out of the house at all hours, and rarely let her parents know where she was going.

The parents and their daughter got into an argument over the subject of where she was going one night. The daughter yelled, "You cannot expect me to act like a kid anymore." Her parents responded, "We don't want you to be a kid. We simply still worry about you."

After ten days of this, the parents decided to demonstrate how they felt about their daughter's behavior. With out telling their daughter, they scooped up the two younger children one Friday evening and headed to a nearby resort. They enjoyed playing in the pool and having fun together. Late Saturday evening when they returned home. Their daughter was frantic.

"Where were you guys," she yelled. "I was worried sick."

Her parents responded, "Why do we have to tell you where we are going all the time?" Their daughter laughed as she figured out the lesson she was being taught.

Though drastic, these parents are obviously great because they showed their love and concern for their daughter.

Being great means we love one another.

[janbear]

And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave his debt. (Matthew 18:27 NRSV Bible)

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The King in today's scripture reading, forgave his slave so that he would could live in peace with himself. The King had pity for the slave. The King knew in his own heart that if he did not forgive the slave, he would be troubled. He would not sleep at nights or be at peace with himself, unless he released the slave of his debt. So, the King forgave in order to better his life and the life of the slave.
In the same way, we need to take care of ourselves. We need to forgive one another, so that we can be at peace with ourselves and with God. If we don't, we hurt ourselves more than anyone else.

I remember a story of a little girl who had a fight with her sister. As the day passed, she refused to speak to her sister. At bedtime, their mother said, "Don't you think you should forgive your sister before you go to sleep? The Bible says we should not let "the sun go down on our anger." The little girl thought for a moment and replied, "But how can I keep the sun from going down?"

There are many people that like to nurture resentment. I have found, in my own life, that holding on to resentment hurts me a lot more than it hurts anyone else. How about you?


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Dear Father, in my humanness I seem to what to hold on to things that hurt. Show me a better way of living in peace through forgiveness. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving.
(1 Timothy 4.4 NRSV)

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Sometimes we are like the dog in the children's story who found a bone. He was so proud of it. He picked it up and started home. On his way home he crossed a bridge over a river. As he crossed the bridge he stopped, as usual, to bark at the other dog that he always saw down in the water. This time as he looked down, he not only saw the same dog, but that dog had a bone in his mouth, too. What made him mad was that the dog in the water had a bone that appeared to be bigger than the one he had in his mouth. Therefore, he opened his mouth to bark at the other dog and lost his bone.
It is ok to better ourselves if we are not satisfied with where we are at in life. In fact, we should always be growing in our journey with Christ. But, we shouldn’t be measuring ourselves against others. God made you special and you cannot be compared to anyone else.


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God of love, help me to see my special-ness. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
(Romans 12.7-8 NRSV)

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A fine Christian man lost a very good leadership position through downsizing in his company. He is such an outstanding leader and worker it is hard to believe that anyone would demote him. But it did happen. Now to make some extra money and to use his time for some good cause he cleans peoples' boats. You would think this man would be depressed. But not so.
He became the adopted parent of four college students from Costa Rica. It gives him great joy to help make their dreams come true. The loss he experienced in that very important company could not keep him out of doing God’s work.


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Lord Jesus, help me to never lose sight of doing your work. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
(Luke 4.8 NRSV)

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A young woman asks her father a question about her homework. But he's at the computer, working on a letter. And the television is on, shouting the world news. And two other children are busy with a noisy fight.
Suddenly Dad realizes he can't concentrate! He has to pause. He has to tune out the other messages. And he has to focus his attention on the one who came to him for help. Sound familiar?! And so it is with our lives before God. Are you ready to worship God right now?! Do you have a sense of his presence?! Could you lead another person to Christ?! Can you find him for yourself?!


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Loving God, help me to keep my focus on you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

A REFLECTION OF CHRIST
by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Genesis 43:33-34

Joseph's life offers us a magnificent portrayal of the grace of God as He came to our rescue in the Person of His Son, Jesus. So many come to Him, like Joseph's guilty brothers, feeling the distance and fearing the worst from God, only to have Him demonstrate incredible generosity and mercy. Instead of being blamed, we are forgiven. Instead of feeling guilty, we are freed. And instead of experiencing punishment, which we certainly deserve, we are seated at His table and served more than we can ever take in.

For some, it's too unreal. So we desperately plead our case, only to have Him speak kindly to us---promising us peace in our own language. We then try to fend off His anger by bargaining with Him, thinking our hard work and sincere efforts will pay Him back for all those evil past deeds we're guilty of. But to our astonishment, He never even considered our attempts important enough to mention. What we had in mind was earning just enough to silence our guilt, but what He had in mind was overwhelming us with such an abundance we'd realize we can never, ever repay.

What a beautiful picture of Christ at the cross, bearing the sins we committed, forgiving us in the process. Isn't such grace amazing? The One who was rejected is the same One who goes the limit to get us reunited with Him.

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him. (Isaiah 30:18)

Do you long for Him? I've got great news! In an even greater way---greater than you could ever imagine---He longs to be gracious to you. He is offering you all the things you hunger for. The table is loaded, and He is smiling, waiting for you to sit down and enjoy the feast He prepared with you in mind. Have a seat--grace is being served.

[janbear]

Let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 2.5 NRSV)

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A sixteen-year-old girl got her driver's license. Suddenly she knew how to drive! And that summer her family was going to go on a long trip together. So the day before they were leaving, she asked if she could wash the car. Get it all ready for the travels. It was a nice thought, of course. But all she wanted was a chance to drive the car.
So she opens the garage doors. It was a really small garage. Car barely squeezes in. Mom and Dad had told her so often: Make sure you check behind you when you back up! Be careful for anyone else who might be there!

So she gets in the car. She starts it. She steps on the brake, and slips the gear shift into reverse. She turns around and looks back to make sure there's no one behind. She lets off the brake, and revs the engine. And, as she's looking back, she turns the wheel! SCREECH! She proves the laws of physics! Two bodies of matter cannot occupy the same place at the same time! The left front fender is wrapped around the doorjamb on the garage! And what does she do? She jumps out of the car, crying and shouting: I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll stay home! I won't go on vacation! If you do something wrong, you want to make amends. And part of making amends might have to do with giving up something significant to you.

What sacrifices are you making for God?


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God of love, you have given so much to me. May I also give to help your kingdom grow. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12.2 NRSV)

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Mussa Zoabi of Israel claims to be the oldest person alive. He says he's 160 years old. Unfortunately, Guinness Book of World Records isn't going to print his name simply because his age can't be verified. Mr. Zoabi is older than most records-keeping systems will go. But here's the interesting thing! However old he really is, Mussa Zoabi knows exactly how he managed to live so long. He'll tell the secret to anybody who wants to know. He says: Every day I drink a cup of melted butter or olive oil! Doesn't that sound like a great diet?
Diets are the rage, aren't they?! Everybody's got a special diet. One says his diet can cure cancer. Another promises to reduce your weight, and then to keep those extra pounds off. Already in ancient times there were diets that supposedly turned on the sex hormones, and made a person incredibly irresistible! Now there's a report from Copenhagen, that the Danes have a diet craze on their hands. People are eating horse food! Hey! You don't see many sick horses, do you?! Health Department spokesman Haagen Schmidt, says that "especially young women keep on eating hay and raw oats!" And they do it, he says, in spite of a tremendous surge in digestive problems reported by hospitals all over the country!

Are you on a diet?! Sixty percent of women in North America say they're on a diet! Imagine that! A woman at Weight Watchers once told this story. She said that a new client had begun her diet. Came in to be weighed after the first stressful week. Stepped on the scale. Lost a couple of pounds! But the dieter wasn't too happy. She complained. She said: My friend comes here to Weight Watchers, and she told me she lost ten pounds. She said I'd lose ten pounds in the first week, too! Well, the leader at Weight Watchers was a little disturbed. She knew that you don't lose weight over night. So she asked the dieter, a little indignantly: Who told you that?! Is she a doctor?! The woman shook her head. Is she a nurse?! No, said the woman. Well! Is she a nutritionist, or another Weight Watchers leader?! Negative again! Well who is she?! I think . . . said the newcomer, I think she's a liar!

Nothing worth doing comes easy. It takes hard work. Our spiritual lives take a lot of work too.


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Dear God, my spiritual life is important. May I work in it like I would any other important project in my life. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? Only to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
(Deuteronomy 10.12 NRSV)

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Neal Scarlett's pastor stood by his bed. Neal was a big redheaded man who took charge as soon as he walked into any room. But he was not in charge that day. He was in a hospital bed. He was facing bypass heart surgery. He knew his chances were somewhere between slim and none. His pastor asked him if he was ready to meet the Lord. Neil replied, "I am as ready as I can be. If I had my life to live over, I would not change a thing. I am a farmer. Every piece of land that has come into my possession, I have made it a better. When my wife and I started out, we had no land. We both worked and saved until we could buy forty acres and an old house. We immediately improved the house and the fences and upgraded the fertility of the land. Soon we found the opportunity to buy a place next to it.
God has been good to us. We have been able to buy and develop over a thousand acres. We now have the finest dairy farm in the state. We are proud of what we have done. No. I would not change one thing. All I ever wanted was a little more land. And I haven't wanted all the land in the world. I have always been content to buy just what touched mine." Then he began to laugh. His pastor asked, "Why are you laughing, Neil?"

Neil replied, "I guess God has used you to get to me today. God knows that there is some unfinished business. I do not own that farm. God does. God has been good to me to allow me to own and develop it, but I know now that my place is not as the owner, but as the trustee. God is the owner. Let's pray. I need to move over, and let God take His rightful place as the owner, and I need to take my place as His servant." Neil and his pastor had a wonderful time praying together. The surgery was successful on both Neil's physical heart and his spiritual heart. He had found his rightful place. He had discovered that sitting at the feet of Jesus truly is the best place to be.


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Dear God, I am your servant. Remind me of that often. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
(Matthew 6.14 NRSV)

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The person who knows he or she has been redeemed by the generosity of God is able to be generous toward others.
Jesus told parable about a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. A servant who owed the king about a million dollars was brought to him. Since the servant was not able to repay such a vast sum, the master ordered that the servant and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before his master. "Be patient with me," he begged, "and I will pay back everything."

The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants. This second fellow owed HIM about a hundred dollars. He grabbed his fellow servant and began to choke him. "Pay back what you owe me!" he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, "Be patient with me, and I will pay you back." But he refused. Instead, he had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. "You wicked servant," he said, "I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" And the answer, of course, is yes. He should forgive as he had been forgiven. And that is where you and I are today. "Heaven," as Mark Twain said, "goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out, and your dog would go in."


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Lord Jesus, may I forgive as you have forgiven me. Thanks for your blessing. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.
(Luke 5.10 NRSV)

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When we read the Gospels, we discover that the disciples found the best seat in the house by choosing to accept the challenge of Jesus to invest their lives in others. Remember how Jesus came into the marketplace at the docks. There he found some commercial fishermen. He asked them to allow him to use one of their boats as a teaching platform.
After he finished teaching the people, he gave them an invitation: "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." He was asking them to give up their seats in their fishing boats for something better something more lasting to invest their lives in others. (Luke 5:1-13).

Will you accept the invitation?


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Dear God, show me the way to the best seat that you have reserved for me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
(1 John 4.11 NRSV)

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Tony Campolo tells about an experience that occurred when he was fourteen-years-old. Tony's family was very poor, and his father was out of work because he had been struck down with Hodgkin's disease. His hospitalization insurance was running out, and the family did not know where they would get enough money to meet their basic needs.
Tony knew that it was his duty to earn some money for his family, but at the same time he wanted to stay in school, get good grades, and go to college. He figured out that he could buy unsold loaves of bread that truck drivers returned to the Bond Bread Company located at Fiftysixth and Market Streets. He could buy the bread for a nickel a loaf and sell it for a quarter a loaf to restaurants throughout West Philadelphia. The transaction promised a hefty profit, but there were a couple of problems. He could not pick up the bread until after 9:00 p.m., and the only means he had for delivering the bread was by piling in on a wagon that he pulled behind his bike.

One dark, cold, rainy night at about a quarter till eleven Tony was making a delivery. Unfortunately he rode his bike over a pothole. Suddenly there was a BANG! His front tire blew out. He pulled the bike off the street and sat down on the curb. After a while he started to cry. He remembers crying hard and long. He was soaked, shivering, and completely discouraged. It was a lonely side street. There was no one to hear him when he cried out loud, "God, you're mean. Everybody else thinks you're kind. But I know you're mean. If you were kind you'd help me."

He cried for a few minutes more, then, for reasons that he will never figure out, he got up and pushed his bike and his load of bread to the service station down the street. The station was closed for the night. Nevertheless, he pushed his bike over to the air pump and tried to put air into the blownout tire. It never occurred to him how unusual it was that the air pump of this closed service station was still working. He was in such a state of brokenness and sadness that he did what he did in a daze. Needless to say the air came out of the tear in the blownout tire as quickly as he pumped it in. He says he doesn't know what he was expecting. But trembling and crying, he just stayed there in the dark carrying out a hopeless task.

Then the miracle happened! Suddenly he realized that the tire was hard. Somehow and in some way that is impossible to explain, the tire was holding air. He stood up, confused and happy. He remembers yelling out loud, "Oh, thank you! Oh, thank you!" He made two more deliveries and then rode the bike three miles back to his house. And the tire held!

When he got home he lifted the bike onto his front porch and locked it. The time was just after 12:30 a.m. He went to the front door and was putting his key into the lock when he heard a hissing sound. He turned back to the bike and watched with amazement as the air quickly left the blownout tire. The miracle was over, and the tire went flat.

I tell that simple story for this reason: My guess is that everyone with a deep faith can look back over his or her life and see some miracle there such as Tony experienced in his life. Can you? Many of you can, I know. It doesn't always happen, and it may happen only once in a lifetime. There are other times we will ask for a miracle and Heaven will be as quiet as a tomb. But God does love us more than anything else! That is why Jesus came to be our savior.


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Loving God, forgive me of my moments of disbelief for I know you love me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(Hebrews 10.10 NRSV)

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When an athlete comes off the field and says, "God gave us the victory tonight," we hope he or she is saying, "I thank God who gave me a good body so I can play at my best; I thank God for my good mind that allowed me to play alert and with awareness; I thank God for giving me the hunger to always be at my best." If that is what the athlete is saying, then I want to say, "You are absolutely right. Thank God for all God's good gifts."
But if that athlete is saying God literally guided the football through the uprights for the winning field goal so that one team would win and the other lose, that man has a lot to learn about life and about God.

God is not our personal weather expert, football strategist, romance matchmaker, or rectifier of our past mistakes. God is God. God is our Sovereign, not our servant. It is we who are to bring our actions into conformance with God's will, not God who is to bring God's actions into conformance with our will. It is very human when something is very important to us to assume it is also very important to God like making sure our team wins.


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Dear Jesus, may my will be conformed to yours. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
(Matthew 3.16 NRSV)

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I love the story of Martin Luther who, on those dark and discouraging days that we all have, would say to himself over and over, "I am baptized. I am baptized." He affirmed that whatever was happening to him at the moment, he was a child of the covenant God had made with His people. Try that on one of your bad days. You might get surprising results.
We have been baptized. Think about the implications of that statement.


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God of love, I have be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
(Matthew 4.1 NRSV)

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In the book, GOD'S VITAMIN "C" FOR THE SPIRIT, there is an interesting story of a sixty-four-year-old mother with an interesting library. Her bookcase is separated into three sections. The first rack contains books on psychology and theology. Many are thick textbooks full of mile-long words. The second rack in the bookcase is stocked with medical textbooks and journals. There seems to be a special focus on genetics and medicine on this rack. And the third rack is jam-packed with multiple issues of HEAVY EQUIPMENT DIGEST. Quite a contrast, don't you think.
A stranger visiting her home might say that she is a woman of diverse interests. Her sons, however, know that she is a devoted mother. You see, one son is a Christian counselor, and so this mother reads all his old text books in order to learn more about his work. He is represented by the first rack in the bookcase. This mother also reads the books and medical journals on the second rack so that she can understand the work that her second son does. He is a doctor, and is active in cancer research.

And what about the subscription to HEAVY EQUIPMENT DIGEST? Well, that represents a third son who spent years in that field. This mother spends considerable time and energy to acquaint herself with her sons’ interests, in order to better understand them. Is it important to her to know about Freud and DNA and bulldozers? Probably not, but it is important that her sons know they are loved.

How do we know God loves us? Because Christ has walked where we walk. He experienced what we experience.


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Dear God, thank you for loving me through the gift of my savior. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
(John 3.16 NRSV)

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A young husband has a crippling, terminal neurological disease. His wife is carrying a baby which this unfortunate young man may never live to see. Thus he writes a letter to this unborn child to say something very important that is on his heart. Listen carefully as I read these words. They are very beautiful. Remember he is writing to his unborn child:
"Your mother is very special," he writes. "Few men know what it is like to receive appreciation for taking their wives out to dinner when it entails what it does for us. It means that she has to dress me, shave me, brush my teeth, comb my hair, wheel me out of the house and down the steps, open the garage and put me in the car, take the pedals off the chair, stand me up, sit me in the seat of the car, twist me around so that I am comfortable, fold the wheelchair, put it in the car, go around to the other side of the car, start it up, back it out, get out of the car, pull the garage door down, get back into the car, drive off to the restaurant. And then, it starts all over again. She gets out of the car, unfolds the wheelchair, opens the door, spins me around, stands me up, seats me in the wheelchair, pushes the pedals out, closes and locks the car, wheels me into the restaurant, then takes the pedals off the wheelchair so I won't be uncomfortable. We sit down to have dinner, and she feeds me throughout the entire meal. And when it's over she pays the bill, pushes the wheelchair out to the car again, and repeats the same routine. And when it's over, finished, with real warmth, she'll say, 'Honey, thank you for taking me out to dinner.' I never quite know what to answer. . ."

If you have ever been the target of unconditional love, you know that young man's predicament. If you ever get a grasp on all Christ has done in your behalf, you understand the uncertainty of this young husband with this tragic neurological disease. You simply do not know what to say. You and I are the recipients of an amazing self-giving love.


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Dear God, thank you for your self-giving love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
(Hebrews 3.12 NRSV)

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After tucking in his six-year-old son Chris one night, Robert O'Brien tapped his son's chest and asked, "Do you know what you have in there?"
Chris looked puzzled and responded, "My guts?"

"No, you have a piece of God," his father replied.

After a brief silence Chris responded, "God is in my guts?"

"No," said his Dad, "we have a piece of God inside of us; it is God's gift to each of us." Chris smiled, tapped his Dad's chest, and asked whether his Dad had a piece of God in his guts. They laughed and together they began to ask this same question about the rest of the family.

"Does Mommy have a piece of God?"

"Yes," they answered, laughing.

"Does Matt have a piece of God?" they asked about his older brother.

"Yes."

O'Brien knew that Chris attended a day care center with a little girl named Mary who was so spoiled she made the people around her miserable. He said, "You know, even Mary has a piece of God." Chris looked stunned, and then he said emphatically, "No, not Mary." When his father insisted Chris said, "Daddy, I have been with her more than you. She doesn't have a piece of God." O'Brien told his son that God never missed anyone; everyone has a piece of God inside. Chris pondered this a while, and then said, "Well, her piece must be all covered up with junk!"

Don’t let God be covered up with junk in your life.


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Lord Jesus, don’t let me cover you up. Amen.

[janbear]

Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
(Hebrews 10.22 NRSV)

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A pastor in Winston-Salem, N.C., was teaching a membership class and explaining how some churches baptize by immersion and others by sprinkling. "Does anyone know how the Quakers baptize?" he asked the class. A young man responded, "Oats?"
Thankfully all Christians use water, not oats, but today we celebrate the washing away of all the junk that covers people and keeps us from being what God has created each of us to be.

Only one person who ever lived escaped being covered with this junk and that was Jesus. Still, he came to be baptized by John. The Jews already practiced baptism before John the Baptist, but their baptism had little to do with repentance and confession of sins. Among the Jews, clothing, utensils, and even articles of furniture were ceremonially cleansed.

The Feast of Weeks was a time when many believers from surrounding areas came to the Temple for the blessing of the "first bread made from the new harvest of spring grain." It was a perfect time for many people to witness Jesus' ministry and hear his message.

May we all be cleaned of our junk and ready to hear Jesus’ message.


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Dear God, clean me today of all the junk I have collected. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
(Matthew 6.6 NRSV)

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Have you ever noticed that communication is difficult business? In the book AMERICA'S DUMBEST CRIMINALS there is a story about a blundering, wannabe robber with speech difficulties in Thibodaux, Louisiana, who just couldn't win for losing. Sam Lincoln entered Bob's Cafe and, speaking in his thick, backwoods Cajun accent, ordered the waitress to "give me all the money." Unfortunately, she couldn't understand a word he said. To her it sounded like he was ordering "a sieve with all the honey."
In desperation, Sam turned to a patron and told him to hand over all hismoney. The diner could have sworn that Sam said to "live a big pile of bunny." When the patron couldn't understand him either, Sam got so frustrated that he pulled out his gun. He pulled the trigger. Click. The gun wouldn't fire. Now Sam grabbed the cash register and began to run. But he didn't get far only about three feet. The register was still firmly plugged into the wall, and he quickly ran out of cord. The register was jerked out of Sam's hands, and he fell. Humiliated and frustrated, he ran out of Bob's Cafe empty-handed. Waitresses and patrons breathed a sign of relief. Someone hefted the register back up to its place on the counter. But five minutes later, Sam was back. This time, he made sure he unplugged the register before making off with it. Sam was ecstatic for about three feet. A bystander knocked Sam down and made a citizen's arrest.

Communication is difficult. but even under the best of circumstances it is problematic. How many times have you heard the phrase, "What we have here is a failure to communicate"?

Don’t let that be true about your communication with God.

Let us pray.


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Loving God, thank you for listening. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.
(Acts 19.11 NRSV)

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The role miracles play in the life of the believer is awesome. God is not our servant. God is our Sovereign. God isn't going to do anything that ultimately is not for our best good. When we pray and Heaven seems to be silent, it is because God's plan is bigger and better than we can see at the moment. But somewhere along the way God gives us experiences that build our faith that serve as watersheds along our life's journey.
God gives us these events whether they be miracles or mountaintop experiences so that when we come to those difficult times when we pray but nothing seems to come from our prayers, we can say with confidence, "I know God is with me. God has been with me before and I know God is with me now."

Miracles happen, but they happen for a specific reason to build our faith. So, if you pray for the home team to win and they do not, or if it rains on your daughter's wedding day, in spite of all the time you have spent on your knees, remember this isn't what miracles are about anyway. Miracles are about helping us trust God.


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Dear Jesus, thanks for being the miracle in my life. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
(1 Corinthians 12.27 NRSV)

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Experts tell us that one of the most accurate means of discerning communication is to watch body language a nod of the head, a shrug of the shoulders, crossing the arms over the chest, all may tell us what the other party is thinking far more accurately than the words that come from his or her lips. In fact, some business books advise people to feign interest by deliberately using specific body language. For example, one source states that "steepling of hands is usually interpreted as a sign of deep thought. Doctors and psychiatric professionals traditionally steeple when listening to patients. Result: Someone who deliberately steeples tends to be considered a deep thinker and powerful, intelligent person. This expert recommends that business people steeple in meetings, or while listening to colleagues one-on-one."
St. Paul uses body language in our lesson for the day when he is trying to describe how a church is supposed to operate. Oh, we don't know if he steepled his hands or not. He used body language of a different sort. What St. Paul does is compare members of a church to parts of a body. Some of us are eyes, some ears. Some of us are mouths, some feet, and some of us noses, etc. I'll leave it to you to figure out who among us is what.

Paul's message is a very simple one and yet it is also vital. Each of us is indispensable.


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God of love, you are indispensable to me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!
(James 5.9 NRSV)

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Are you a grumbler?
A grumbler is a person who doesn't know how to handle the unhappiness which naturally occurs when parties disagree. Grumblers are people who do not know appropriate ways to express their disagreements with leadership. Rather than finding appropriate ways to show their discontent, grumblers stir up unhealthy conflict. That's what makes a person a grumbler. Sadly, these are frequently people who have good intentions. Yet the results of their grumbling are disastrous to the church.

One recent writer compared grumblers to termites. They slowly chew away at the foundation of confidence and vision of the people of God. Grumblers simply don't seem to know appropriate ways to have healthy conflict in their lives. They don't know how to talk about their discontentment in ways that are honest.

Don’t be a grumbler. With love and care of the people of God, be honest. Do all you can to build up the community of faith.


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Dear God, move the grumbling out of my soul. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5.11 NRSV)

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One pastor says he is afraid to walk into his office on Monday mornings. He knows he will find an anonymous note. No signature, just an anonymous criticism of his church or of himself. Sometimes the content is serious. Most of the time the notes are concerned with petty complaints. One Saturday before Easter, there was a letter in the mail. It was an unsigned note that said, "Sunrise on Easter morning is at 6:05 a.m. not 6:30." The pastor wondered if the author of the letter understood that the purpose of a sunrise service is not to identify the actual moment of sunrise so much as to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher one Sunday morning found an anonymous note with just one word written on it FOOL. That morning he held up the note to his congregation and said, "I have known many an instance of a man writing a letter and forgetting to sign his name, but this is the only instance I have ever known of a man signing his name and forgetting to write the letter."

Our call is to build one another up in the Christian faith.


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Dear God, assist me and build me up in your understanding, so that I can build up others in their faith. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it.
(1 Corinthians 11.18 NRSV)

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Arnold Prater has turned Paul's teaching into a parable: Once upon a time, he says, almost everybody was an ear. All the ears had a big convention and were having a wonderful time when a nose and a mouth walked in, sat down on the back row, and were very quiet. But soon the sergeant-at-arms walked over and said, "You fellows don't look like ears to me. I'm kicking you out." So the nose and the mouth left. But after a while the convention hall caught fire and destroyed all the ears because no noses were there to smell the smoke and no mouths were there to warn them the place was on fire!
A person who loses her sense of smell suffers. A person who loses his or her eyes has a much different view point. The same thing is true about members of Christ's body, the church. Every one of us is essential. Everyone is indispensable.


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Lord Jesus, help me as I build up your church. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3.13 NRSV)

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Some business people are now using the word, FEEDFORWARD. Think about that word for a moment: Feedforward, as opposed to the familiar word FEEDBACK. If you're running a business, feedback means when something goes wrong, you pick up the signal that all's not well, and you do something about it. You yell, you shout, you punish the "guilty" or whatever. The problem with feedback is it's always after the fact. You are being reactive instead of proactive. Why not try to anticipate rather than simply respond.
Watch a fastmoving tennis match. The best players can't afford to wait until their opponent hits the ball to decide where they should be on the court. They have to anticipate where the ball will probably be hit, commit themselves to that part of the court, and be there. Or talk to an experienced fisherman; he'll tell you that chances of hooking a trout are far better if you see the fish coming at the dry fly, rather than waiting for the splash when the fish does hit it. Feedforward. Anticipation. Not always possible in tennis, trout fishing, business, or life, but better than feedback when you can do it.

Paul writes, "But one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul lived in anticipation about what God was doing in his life and in the world.


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Dear God, may I be a feedforward servant for your kingdom of love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4.11-12 NRSV)

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C. S. Lewis once said something about the church that I believe is important. He said that the model many of us have in our minds for the church is the same model we have for secular organizations. That is, we think of the church as an organization that we join. Then we do what members of an organization normally do we come to meetings and pay dues. Maybe, occasionally, we read the organization's newsletter, if we have time. THIS IS NOT CHRIST'S MODEL FOR THE CHURCH.
Christ's intent is that his people will be joined to his church in the same way that members of a physical body are joined to that body. It is a living relationship. The body gives life to its members and they, in turn, are indispensable to the body. For the person in whom Christ dwells, being actively involved in church is not merely an option anymore than an eye has an option about being involved with a physical body. Losing an eye is a tragedy for both the eye and for the body. Christ is saying that each of us is indispensable. We all have a place in his family.


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Loving God, help me to be an active and effective member of the body of Christ. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
(Ephesians 4.4 NRSV)

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Author Irving Stone has spent a lifetime studying greatness, writing novelized biographies of such men as Michelangelo, Vincent van Gogh, Sigmund Freud and Charles Darwin. Stone was once asked if he had found a thread that runs through the lives of all these exceptional people. He said, "I write about people who sometime in their life . . . have a vision or dream of something that should be accomplished . . . and they go to work. They are beaten over the head, knocked down, vilified and for years they get nowhere. But every time they're knocked down they stand up. You cannot destroy these people. And at the end of their lives they've accomplished some modest part of what they set out to do."
He could have been talking about St. Paul. Paul was able to focus on the one thing in his life that really mattered his high calling in Jesus Christ. He was able to let go of excess baggage from the past that might have weighed him down. He was able to live in anticipation of Christ's future victory. Thus, he pressed onward and upward to his high calling in Jesus Christ. Those are lessons for all of us. Focus on the things that really matter. Let go of the past. Expect good things from God in the future. Press onward and upward, serving God all your days.


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Dear Jesus, help me to press onward and upward to my calling in Christ. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. (Matthew 4:17 NRSV Bible)

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You may have seen the bumper sticker: "Jesus is coming and boy is he mad." Most of what we hear in our society today is about the kingdom of God that is to come. But there is another kingdom we can be apart of today.
Jesus' first sermon began like this: "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel." Nearly all of Jesus' parables begin with "The kingdom of God is like...such and such...."

The interesting thing is that most of Jesus' references to the kingdom of God are to a kingdom that is already here. "The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed...the kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden in the field...the kingdom of God is like a pearl of great price...you are not far from the kingdom...the kingdom is within you...etc." The kingdom of God is not only a state of existence to come, it is also a state of mind, here and now.

I remember a story of a six-year-old boy who was assisting his mother with some spring gardening. The mother was absorbed in her work while the little boy explored the miracle of things that grow. All at once the boy picked up a daffodil bud, and sat down on the ground, and studied it. Then with his two little hands, he tried to force it open into a full blossom. The result, of course, was disappointment and a mess: limp petals and a dead flower.

Frustrated, he cried out, "Mommy, why is it that when I try to open the buds, it just falls to pieces and dies. How does God open it into a beautiful flower?"

Even before his mother could answer, a broad smile broke across the child's face, and he exclaimed, "Oh! I know! God always works from the inside."

That is a beautiful parable of God's community and kingdom. God's works from the inside.


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Dear God, continue to work on the inside of me to make me one of your beautiful children. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

You are not far from the kingdom of God. (Mark 12:34 NRSV Bible)

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Does it surprise you that it was to a scribe that Jesus said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God?" After all, the Scribes and the Pharisees are the people that Jesus criticized the most. Yet Jesus saw something within this particular scribe that thrilled him.
The scribe had asked Jesus which commandment was the most important. Jesus replied, "The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these."

The scribe complimented Jesus and said, "You are right, Teacher." He even expounded on what Jesus said: "You shall love one's neighbor as oneself is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

After the scribe had responded to Jesus, Jesus said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

How far are we from the kingdom of God?


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Dear Jesus, you came to bring us close to God's kingdom. Help me to do my part in accepting God's kingdom into my daily life. In your name we prayer, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. (Luke 19:41-42 NRSV Bible)

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Jesus well knew that His message would not ultimately be popular. After all, who wants to respond to a call to carry a cross? Jesus had no illusions. Jesus said in Matthew 7:14, "...the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life and those who find it are few." Yet-- when we see Him on what was supposed to be the happiest day of His life, Palm Sunday, we find Him standing, weeping over the city He had come to save.
Luke reports other words of Jesus earlier in his Gospel, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!" This gives us a clear motherly image of God. How could one improve upon Jesus' picture of God as a Mother Hen, brooding over her chicks? God, with outstretched wings, trying to gather together all of God's children into one community of faith and hope and love...but they would not! Moreover, we still don't. Our unwillingness to be gathered together as God's children still brings grief to the heart of God!


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God of forgiveness, gather me into your heart today. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[admin]

In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. (Acts 2:17 NRSV Bible) In 1872, at the age of 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go to school. For a boy, born a slave to a plantation cook in Virginia, who had no idea who his white father was, this was a huge step. He decided that he would enter the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. With nothing more than a small satchel of clothing, he started walking from Malden, West Virginia, 500 miles away. Eventually he made it to Richmond, about eighty miles from his destination. He worked there for a few days unloading pig iron off a ship, spending his nights on the ground under an elevated board sidewalk. He continued his journey and finally reached Hampton Institute. He asked the "head teacher" for admission. Washington later recalled, "Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of admitting me as a student."

The teacher delayed a decision about Booker while she admitted other students, and he waited anxiously. Finally, she said to him, "The adjoining recitation-room needs sweeping. Take the broom and sweep it."

"It occurred to me at once that here was my chance," he wrote. "Never did I receive an order with more delight...I swept the recitation-room three times. Then I got a dusting-cloth and I dusted it four times." He cleaned the walls and closets.

"I had the feeling," he continued, "that in a large measure my future depended upon the impression I made upon the teacher in the cleaning of that room. When I was through, I reported to her. She was a woman who knew just where to look for dirt. She went into the room and inspected the floor and closets: then she took her handkerchief and rubbed it on the woodwork about the walls, and over the table and benches. When she was unable to find one bit of dirt on the floor, or a particle of dust on any of the furniture, she quietly remarked, `I guess you will do to enter this institution.'

"I was one of the happiest souls on earth. The sweeping of that room was my college examination, and never did any youth pass an examination for entrance into Harvard or Yale that gave him more genuine satisfaction. I have passed several examinations since then, but I have always felt that this was the best one I ever passed."

Booker T. Washington not only passed that examination, but he kept a job as a janitor to help pay his expenses. In June 1875, he graduated, on the honor roll and as one of the commencement speakers.

Booker T. Washington was a dreamer who backed up his dreams with action. What are our dreams? What dreams does God want us to fulfill? Will we back those dreams up with action for God's glory?

Lord Jesus, move me today to help fulfill the great mission of your church. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. (Luke 9:33 NRSV Bible)

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A most unusual protest took place several years ago in a convent in New Jersey. Four nuns locked themselves in a tiny second-floor infirmary and had taken a vow of "near silence." They are protesting new rules established by their new prioress, Mother Theresa Hewitt. It seems that Mother Theresa has introduced television, secular videos, recorded music, bright lights, and (horror of horrors) daily "sweets" into the convent. The sweets consist of a tin of candy, which is passed around each day, and each nun is supposed to indulge. In the words of one of the protesting nuns (who are among the younger nuns in the order, by the way) the new prioress is turning monastic life into "one big party." In order to express their revulsion of these ungodly changes the four sisters have locked themselves away.
I can sympathize. There is much in our world that I would like to withdraw from. I can sympathize with Simon Peter who wanted to build three booths and stay on the mountaintop of Transfiguration in the presence of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Unfortunately, he was not given that option, and neither are we. We must live in this world of strident, discordant noise. There is no retreat. We are a part of God's heavenly kingdom, but we must live out our witness for God in this world.


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Dear Jesus, it is not always easy to be a good witness for you in this world, but give me the strength to share your love and forgiveness. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? (Matthew 20:22 NRSV Bible)

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Some you are familiar with golfer Gary Player. Player is a man for whom both faith and accomplishment are important. He won more international golf tournaments in his day than anyone else.
When Player was competing in a tournament, people constantly came up to him and made the same remark: "I'd give anything if I could hit a golf ball like you."

One particularly tough day, a tired and frustrated Player once again heard the tired refrain: "I'd give anything if I could hit a golf ball like you." Player's usual politeness failed him as he replied to the spectator, "No, you wouldn't. You'd give anything to hit a golf ball like me if it was easy. Do you know what you've got to do to hit a golf ball like me? You've got to get up at five o'clock in the morning, go out on the course, and hit one thousand golf balls. Your hand starts bleeding, and you walk up to the clubhouse, wash the blood off your hand, slap a bandage on it, and go out and hit another one thousand golf balls. That's what it takes to hit a golf ball like me." In his own way Player was asking, "Are you able to drink from the cup from which I drink?"

Greatness has its price. "Are you able to drink from the cup from which I drink?" Jesus asked his ambitious disciples. I am amazed how many people adopt the Christian faith as their own with the thought that it really won't cost them anything. Friends, Jesus' cup was his suffering on the cross. The sacrifice he made was ultimate, complete, and final. If we think that we can achieve greatness in the Kingdom of God with a token commitment, we are sadly mistaken.

In Medieval Europe, it was common for devout Christians to pray for the marks of Jesus to appear on their hands and feet. This was seen as a sign of deep spirituality. One night a monk, while praying for those marks, had a vision of Christ with another mark on his body--a bruise on his shoulder. That bruise came from carrying His cross. The monk realized the brusie mark was the one that really counted. How many of us have bruises from carrying the weight of Christ's cross on our shoulders? It is acceptable, even admirable to aspire to greatness, but greatness has its price.


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Dear Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice of love for my forgiveness and freedom. May I be marked for doing your work in my community. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's. (Matthew 22:21 NRSV Bible)

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The Pharisees were again plotting against Jesus. They had a question for him. They were trying to trap him into saying something that would discredit him. The Pharisees wanted to silence him and make him look bad in front of the crowd. Being the hypocrites that they were they baited their trap with a compliment. "Teacher, we know that you are sincere," one of them said, "and teach the way of God in accordance with truth." Say, what? They did not believe that for a minute, but they wanted the people listening to think they were giving Jesus a fair chance.
Then they asked him a loaded question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?" If Jesus says it's all right to pay taxes to the Roman government, then he will lose face with most of his audience. For the Jewish community it was offensive to pay taxes to the hated Romans. Paying taxes was simply a way of supporting the Roman's detestable occupation. On the other hand if Jesus says it's wrong to pay taxes, then he will be in trouble with the Romans. It was a no win situation.

Jesus knew the Pharisees were trying to trap him. Fortunately he was wiser than they. He asks, "Show me the coin used for the tax." Jesus is using a subtle strategy here. One Pharisees produced a Roman coin from his pocket. Little did the Pharisee realize that in even possessing a Roman coin he already was well on the way to losing the argument. The Jewish people found the inscription on the Roman coins offensive, "Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus, Pontifex Maximus." To the Jewish people the inscription on the Roman coin was a deliberate break with the Ten Commandments that prohibit "graven images." For these and other reasons the Jewish people did not use Roman coins. They had their own temple currency. In producing a Roman coin the Pharisee showed which side he was really on.

Where we spend our resources says which side we are really on too.


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God of all things, may my support for your work clearly say that I am for you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. (Mark 4:24 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a story of a large family who had gathered at an old farm house for a reunion. Long after dinner, the celebration moved indoors. The father of the family was the only one who ventured out to wander around the farm in the dark. On his walk he fell into a ditch and found himself sitting waist-deep in mud--very uncomfortable, but in no immediate danger. Without moving, he shouted, "Fire! Fire!"
Since fire is a most dreaded rural disaster, the celebrating family poured out into the night, frantic with fear. On finding their father in the mud, one of his sons said, "Dad, you scared us to death. Why did you yell `Fire'?"

His dad said, "If I had yelled 'Mud!' I would probably still be here till spring planting."

How many times have we been in similar circumstances--yelling out for love and help in the mist of our loneliness or pain? We all have a great desire to experience love. But in order to receive love we must give it.


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Dear God, in this day, may I experience your love by sharing it. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5 NRSV Bible)

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Our society bombards us almost daily with the message that we should care only about ourselves. "You owe it to yourself," we hear in advertisements for vacation trips. "You deserve the best," we hear from people selling expensive products. The mark of a Christian is the love we show for one another. A song I sang at many church camps says it best, "They'll know we are Christians by our love."
In our scripture reading today, the Pharisees had a question for Jesus. "Teacher," they asked, "which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus quoted from the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 6:5, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." "This is the greatest and first commandment," Jesus said.

What do we mean when we say, "I love God?" Loving God is not having a mushy, good feeling kind of love--like loving pizza or loving a good movie. Loving God has to do with commitment. It has to do with God being first in every aspect of our lives. Loving God means, we daily build a relationship with God through talking to God, reading our Bibles, and worship.

I remember reading about Lee Trevino who was involved in a humorous incident in a PGA tournament. Lightning struck a tree very near to where he was standing. Someone asked Trevino what he thought when lightning struck that tree. He replied, "I learned that when God wants to play through you had better let him."

Having respect for God is one way to love God. The most important way we can love God is by making God the most important part of our lives.


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Dear God, you know that I love you, but sometimes I don't show it. May my commitment to growing spiritually spread your love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18 NRSV Bible)

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An old story comes to us from Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian Empire. In that conquest Alexander's soldiers overran the palace of Darius the king. Looking for things to steal, one soldier came upon a leather bag containing the crown jewels of Persia. The stones were worth millions. However, the ignorant soldier dumped them on a rubbish heap, saving only the leather bag. He ran around the camp telling the other men about the marvelous bag he'd found to carry his food.
How often in life we throw away jewels and keep only the leather bag. We do it when we embrace pleasures at the sacrifice of our bodies, when we sacrifice our marriages to satisfy our lust, when we ignore our children in the search for material security, when we sacrifice our souls in our love affair with the world. The great tragedies of life can be summed up like this: We threw away jewels and kept only the brown leather bag that they came in.

So it is with religion. We make such a to-do about the trappings of religion and ignore that which is vital. Paul made no such mistake. He knew what was central, essential and irreplaceable. It was the cross of Jesus Christ.


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Loving God, every time I see the cross of Jesus Christ, may I be reminded of your gift of forgiveness. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings." (Mark 9:5 NRSV Bible)

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Peter had a bright idea: "Let us stay here and build." It is a common reaction. One can think of a number of areas in which Peter's idea has captured us. I think it is a tragedy when people stop and build upon one period in their religious thinking. There are those whose understanding of God has never progressed beyond the "now I lay me down to sleep" stage.
Conversely, there are those who have rejected religion because of some unfortunate experience with a religious figure or church member. They put the freeze on their own personal spiritual history at that moment. Their minds are closed to the possibility of an genuine faith.

There are those whose understanding of the Bible has never grown beyond the notion that is something like a fortune cookie, a magic talisman which can be cracked open anywhere to reveal God's word for the day. In our culture, we are all guilty sometimes. We like things "the way they were," not realizing that God may be calling us upward and outward toward something newer and better. "Let's stop and stay here awhile," we say. However, that is not the way of Jesus Christ.


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Dear Jesus, push me to continue to grow in my faith and commitment to follow you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. (Matthew 23:2-3 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a man who was returning from a business trip. His wife met him at the airport. They walked from the gate together and were standing waiting for the baggage. A flight attendant walked by. Suddenly, the man came to life. Beaming, he said to the stewardess, "I hope we can fly together again, Miss Jones."
"How do you know her name?" his wife asked suspiciously. He replied, "Well, her name was posted in the plane, under the names of the pilot and co-pilot."

To which his wife replied, "Okay, now give me the names of the pilot and co-pilot." Well, he couldn't remember. The man's hypocrisy was uncovered.

Jesus, speaking about the leaders of his days, said to his followers, "Do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice as they teach."

Our lives should reflect what we believe and teach. As the old saying goes, "Let your actions speak louder than your words."


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God of all good things, guide me in knowing your gifts and giving them freely to others, as I live out your will. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. (Psalms 7:8 NRSV Bible)

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Henry Nouwen tells the story of a family he knew in Paraguay. The father, a doctor, spoke out against the military regime there and its human rights abuses. Local police took their revenge on him by arresting his teenage son and torturing him to death. The father responded with the most powerful protest imaginable. At the funeral, the father displayed his son's body as he had found it in the jail--naked, scarred from the electric shocks and cigarette burns and beatings. All the villagers filed past the corpse, which lay not in a coffin but on the blood-soaked mattress from the prison. Is that not what God did at Calvary? He laid it all out there for all to see--the price that must be paid for humanity's refusal to obey God's Law.
Does it matter if we seek after righteousness or if we are persons of integrity, high morals, honesty and ethics? It matters to our society. It matters to people we love. Most of all, it matters to God. Always be honest. Treat others as you would want them to treat you. Give of your best in everything you do. Remember the gift of Jesus Christ who paid the price for our freedom.


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Lord Jesus, I am very grateful for the gift of salvation. I will show my gratitude by being a person of great integrity. In your name I pray. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. (1 John 3:1 NRSV Bible)

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I grew up with parents who took me to church every Sunday whether I wanted to go or not. I can remember being resentful at times. I would even act like I was sick so I would have to go to church. But I will never forget the love I received from my Sunday School teacher Tessie Stewally. She had a way of bringing out the best of me and the rest of her students. Tessie made each of us feel special and loved. She had such an impact on me that we became friends. When I was in high school, she got to the point where she could no longer drive to church. She lived just a mile down the road from my house, so I would stop in periodically and visit with her. I still often see her in my balcony as one of my mentors cheering me on.
When we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves, we experience Christ.


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Dear Jesus, thank you for the people you have sent my way to be in my balcony to cheer me on. I will share your love by being a balcony person for someone in need of your never ending love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Take from among you an offering to the LORD; let whoever is of a generous heart bring the Lord's offering. (Exodus 35:5 NRSV Bible)

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A little girl was in church one Sunday morning with her grandmother. Everything went well until it was time for the offering. The grandmother began to frantically search through her purse, but she could not find her offering envelope. Apparently she had left it at home. It was one of those embarrassing moments as she kept looking through her purse for something to put in the collection plate. Her granddaughter sensed her dilemma. The little girl had a solution to her problem. "Here, Grandma," she told her, "you take my quarter and put it in, and I'll hide under the seat!"
Children learn from watching adults. That is how they find out what is important in life. I remember when I was growing up. I first time I saw a large dollar bill was in the offering plate. Seeing all that money in the offering plate made me aware of the importance of the church. This experience has continued to influence my support of the church.

I remember my dad giving me a coin to put into the offering during Sunday School. The coin became a powerful symbol of what was important. I can remember wanting to keep that shiny coin, so I could buy some candy. However, I have learned that candy and all the other luxuries of life come and go. Christ's church, however, is eternal.


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Loving God, thank you for all the support you give me through Christ's church. Help me to be equally as generous in my support of your eternal church. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18 NRSV Bible)

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Jesus quoted from the Old Testament, Leviticus 19:18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Many people do not know how to love their neighbors. It's easy if those neighbors love us back. But what about someone who doesn't even like us or someone we can barely tolerate? Are we to love them? You already know the answer. The love Jesus spoke about was not about emotion, but it was about commitment. We are to love our neighbor despite our feelings toward that neighbor--even if we do not approve of that neighbor's lifestyle, we are to love him or her with the love of Christ. Is that hard? You bet. Love is not easy. Love sent Jesus to the cross.
I remember a touching story about Jennie Todd. At age 17 Jennie found lots of faults with the church--from the teaching methods to the time the minister scheduled worship. She resented her parents for forcing her to go to church and Sunday School every week. She would sit in her class with her arms folded across her chest, slumped in a folding chair in the back of the class. Jennie refused to make friends or to participate in class discussions. It was clear to everyone Jennie did not want to be there.

One night, though, Jennie came home to find her parents huddled in the driveway in their bathrobes. Fire had engulfed their house. They watched all their worldly possessions go up in smoke. It was a tragedy she would never forget.

Then shortly after the fire, something happened that took Jennie by surprise. Some young people from her Sunday School class came to visit her. One young woman handed her an envelope. Jennie opened the envelope with trembling hands to discover that they had filled it with money. "It's from everyone in our class," one of them told her, "We took up a collection." The love and affection of Jennie's Sunday School classmates overwhelmed her. She never really wanted to be part of the class, but the class showed her how much they cared for her. "I received a lot more than money that day," she reflected, "I received unconditional love and a fresh realization of what it means to belong to the church." This is what loving our neighbor is all about.


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Dear Jesus, you loved me so much that you died for me on the cross. Help me to love my neighbor unconditionally. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

They are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. (Romans 3:24-25 NRSV Bible)

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In a culture saturated with concern about things and getting more is there any room left for talking about sacrifice?
I remember a story about a thirty-nine-year-old bachelor suffering from acute aplastic anemia, a failure of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. His prognosis was almost certain death within six months unless he received a transplant of compatible bone marrow. With such a transplant, he had a good chance for a complete recovery.

Because the likelihood of finding a compatible donor was about one in sixty thousand, McFall solicited the aid of his relatives. A first cousin was tested and proved to be a perfect match. The cousin, however, refused to go through with the transplant even though there was no danger to him. McFall sued to compel his cooperation, but the court ruled against him. Even though they agreed that his cousin's refusal was morally reprehensible, he could not be forced to help. The young man died three weeks after the court's ruling.

Thankfully, this was an isolated case, but what happens to a society that worships at the altar of self? Fortunately we have a divine example to guide our lives. Christ emptied himself in our behalf. He took upon himself the sufferings of us all. Can we live only for ourselves in the light of his example? It is significant because of what it says about sacrifice.


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God of all things, help me to learn about sacrifice, especially the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God." (Mark 11:22 NRSV Bible)

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In the final analysis, believing is not enough. Faith is a better word, a more characteristic Biblical word. Jesus again and again exhorted His disciples to "have faith." Faith is belief plus action. A homely illustration occurred to me years ago. I may visit a pond in midwinter and ask a bystander if the ice is thick enough to hold me. The bystander may tell me that it is; and I may believe him. And then go home, having done nothing further. That is belief. Faith means strapping on the skates and getting out on the ice. The difference is this: you hold a belief; a faith holds you. Real believing isn't easy. It takes effort.
Now, the Apostles' Creed was not written by the apostles, but it summarizes the apostolic faith. In the beginning, the creed was only a short sentence which, like a snowball rolling downhill, gained in size as it came rolling down the centuries, reaching its present form sometime in the 14th century or thereabouts. In the beginning, the first creed may simply have been three words: "Jesus is Lord."

To us that simple statement doesn't say very much. We've heard it all of our lives in church, and it sounds harmless enough. But let me tell you that when this sentence was first uttered in the first and second centuries, it was spoken against the background of the pagan world's proclamations of other lords. Those who dared to confess the new creed were telling the world that a new age had dawned.

It might appear that Caesar is Lord, that Baal is Lord, that Zeus is Lord, or whoever, but Christians were those who believed that the true "Lord" appeared and His name was Jesus! And many of them died for that faith! This is the faith that "isn't easy."

It cost something to hold it back then, and I have a hunch that it costs something to really hold it today. If it doesn't cost us anything, we can only wonder whether we've really got it.


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Dear God, may my faith grow to hold me in serving you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. (Mark 9:5-6 NRSV Bible)

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It is said that a good secretary is one who often "covers" for the boss, and makes the boss look good when the boss does something stupid. Hence, Mark, the secretary to Peter, tells us that Peter's remarks on the occasion of Jesus' transfiguration were caused by fear. But Mark's report of this incident reinforces Peter's reputation for only opening his mouth at awkward moments. As Halford Luccock says in the Interpreter's Bible, "This was not a particularly bright remark of Peter. Mark apologies for him on the grounds that being afraid he did not know what to say."
Have you ever said the wrong thing at the wrong time? I sure have. I've said a lot of dumb things in my many years in the ministry. I've said things which I wanted to come out one way, but in the pressure of the moment they came out in another way. It is like squeezing out all of the tooth paste and then trying to put it back in the tube. It is hard to do.

I have said some embarrassing things over the years. Therefore, I can sympathize with Peter on the occasion described in our Scripture. I can also sympathize with whoever it was who said, commenting on our text for the morning, "Blessed are they who, when they do not know what to say, refrain from saying it." Thank goodness we have a forgiving God.


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Dear God, may I use my words to bring you honor! Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:34 NRSV Bible)

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Martin Luther once said that we have three enemies: "Sin, Death, and the power of Satan."
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the great Russian novelist, lay on a bed of straw in a prison camp in Siberia. Contemplating all that he had seen in the prison camp, he came to see that "the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart." When Solzhenitsyn saw that evil was not just a communist problem or capitalist problem but also his problem, he realized his need of a Savior.

You and I need a Savior. As Bill Copeland said once, "We used to hiss the villain; now we go out and buy his book."

Sin is that which is anti-God and anti-humanity. Sin is that which brings death and destruction to body, soul and spirit. Sin is the enemy of every good and worthwhile thing in this universe. Sin is such a serious matter that it caused the death of God's own beloved Son. Sin is serious business.

None of our sins is hidden--not nearly as well as we might suppose. I read recently a humorous list of persons who were convinced that their sins were hidden:

"The thief was sure that the church was a safe hideout. Just inside he spied a rope hanging. Up he climbed, only to hear the church bell ringing his whereabouts.

A Mexico City man snatched a woman's purse and dashed into a doorway to hide. It turned out to be the door of a police station, where he was questioned and later identified by his victim.

Shoplifting in a department store in Rochester, New York, a man picked up an alarm clock and headed for the nearest exit. The clock, concealed under his coat, went off before he could get out of the store.

A burly lineman for a professional football team often stayed out late, despite the club's curfew. He would pile things under his blankets, making it appear he was in bed. At one hotel, however, he couldn't find enough things to stuff the bed with. So he stuck a floor lamp under the covers and departed. When a suspicious coach peeked in at 1 a.m. and snapped on the light switch, the bed lit up.

We kid ourselves when we think our sins are hidden. Even more dangerous is the attitude that many of us have that our sins are not all that important. "Surely," we rationalize, "God has more important things to worry about than my petty vices." Not so, says the cross. We matter to God and because we matter, anything that is destructive to us or destructive to those we love or destructive to our relationship with God matters a great deal.


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Lord Jesus, please forgive me and help me to live righteously for you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14:1 NRSV Bible)

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In the opening line of the Apostles Creed, that little word "in." In the Creed I do not say that I believe that God exists. I say simply, "I believe in God." There is a great difference here--the difference between belief as fact or idea and belief as commitment. We can see the difference immediately if we put it in another context. If I say that "I believe that Michele is a good person," I mean simply that I have the impression that she is a good person. On the other hand, if I say, "I believe in Michele." I am saying that I know her character well enough that I trust her and am willing to commit myself to her.
Similarly, when I say, "I believe in God..." I am not saying that I know all about God. Christian Faith means that I believe that I have come to know God's character in such a way that I am willing to put my trust in God.

True faith in God isn't easy. If some of us have come to believe in God, it has only been after a stiff struggle with our doubts. I do not think that Christians should ignore their doubts. I think we all ought to bring our doubts out into the open and deal with them honestly. I believe that doubt is a prerequisite to a genuine faith. Without doubt, we would be liable to fall for any wild scheme that comes our way.

I heard a story of a man who visited a saintly monk on a secluded island. He asked the monk, "Do you still wrestle with the devil?" "Not any longer, my child," replied the godly man, "I have grown old and he has grown old with me. He does not have the strength. I now wrestle with God." "With God!" exclaimed the man with astonishment. "And you hope to win?" "No," answered the monk. "I hope to lose."

Our call is to lose ourselves and believe in God.


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God of all, as I move through the days you've given me, may I grow more like you and less like myself. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. (Matthew 23:23 NRSV Bible)

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Many religious authorities of Jesus' day were excellent teachers. Unfortunately, they did not live up to their own teaching.
People tell me the number one reason they no longer attend church is that the church is full of hypocrites. It may be a surprise to you that I agree with them. What is a hypocrite? The dictionary defines a hypocrite as a person who pretends to be what he or she is not. We call ourselves Christians, which means we are to be Christ like and follow Christ's example. I cannot speak for you, but I know that I am not always Christ like.

The most important question is--do we do our best, with Christ's help, to practice what we believe? Do we try to do our best in living for Jesus and one another? If we recognize our short comings, and truly work at living what we believe and say, it will show in our interactions with one another. No, we won't be perfect. Someone may even see our faults. But, if we love in spite of our faults, people will see our mistakes less often and Christ more.


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Dear God, help me not to be a hypocrite, but help me to be more like you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3-16-17 NRSV Bible)

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If you want a picture of what the heart of God looks like, then you look no further than the Cross. Do you realize that God loves you and me so much that even if you and I were the only people on the face of the earth he still would have sent Jesus to die for our sins that we might have life in all its fullness?
One of the early church fathers, Iranaeus, said it was by a tree that Adam sinned, and it was also by a tree that Jesus died on to save us from the penalty of sin and grant us the forgiveness of our sins. One tree represents our rebellion and sin. One tree represents our forgiveness from God. Somebody died that you and I might have the forgiveness of sins. On one tree we see the gravity of our sin; on the other tree we see the majesty of God.

In Stroudsburg, Pa., there is a tomb to an unknown Union soldier who died fighting in the Civil War. When President Abraham Lincoln heard of it, he had the tomb inscribed "Abraham Lincoln's Substitute. He died that I might live."

The cross of Jesus Christ today represents our substitute. Jesus died in our place. It is that simple. Christ died for us because God loved us!


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Lord Jesus, thank you for being my substitute! Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. (Jeremiah 23:28 NRSV Bible)

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God has created us to dream. The people who make a difference in this world are the people who dream. Here is a letter that is dated November 6, 1940, and mailed from Santiago de Cuba. It is addressed to Mr. Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States. Here is what it says, "My good friend Roosevelt: I don't know very English, but I know as much as write to you. I like to hear the radio, and I am very happy, because I heard in it, that you will be President.
"I am twelve years old. I am a boy but I think very much, but I do not think that I am writing to the President of the United States. If you like, give me a ten dollars bill green american, in the letter, because never, I have not seen a ten dollars bill green american and I would like to have one of them. "My address is: Sr. Fidel Castro, Colegio de Dolores, Santiago de Cuba, Oriente, Cuba. "I don't know very English but I know very much Spanish and I suppose you don't know very Spanish but you know very English because you are American but I am not American. (Thank you very much) Good by. Your friend, Fidel Castro."

The future Premier of Cuba got an acknowledgment, but no ten bucks. It might have changed the political profile of the Western Hemisphere.

People who influence the course of human events begin as dreamers. What dream has God given to you to fulfill?


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God of fulfilled dreams, give me the tools I need to fulfill the dreams you have given to me. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

...walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his ordinances and his statutes. (Nehemiah 10:29 NRSV Bible)

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One of the churches I served several years ago had an usher name Butch. Butch was mentally challenged, but I would say that he was one of the best ushers I have ever seen at work. He always had a smile on his face. He always greeted everyone who came through the door very warmly. Butch was someone you could always count on. Whenever he would see me he would give me a big bear hug. He was a very loving and giving person. In fact, one of the things he enjoyed doing the most was going to the nursing home to visit all the residents there and to share his love. Butch was a person who lived by what he believed.
All of us have probably met people like Butch. People who we can count on being loving and dependable. They are people who will live on in our memory, because they gave us a touch of what God's love is all about. That is the kind of people Jesus wants us to be. They are people who walk the talk of God's word.


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God of love, as hard as I try, I often fail to live your word and share it. Guide me as I focus my life on reflecting your forgiving love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
(Romans 8:35 NRSV Bible)

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The cross of Jesus Christ is the herald of God's power. The herald is the good news or the announcement of God's power and plan.
How do you and I live our lives each day? How do we deal with temptation and peer pressure and all the choices we must make each day of our lives? There is only one way we can claim victory and that is through the power of the cross. The cross alone has the power to lift us above all these circumstances.

Romans 8:35 says, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" The only way you and I can be over comers, the only way we can be victorious, is by the death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

That means, my brothers and sisters in Christ, that in any given circumstances you and God make a majority of one. You don't need to watch the Gallup Polls. You just keep your mind, body, and soul fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ. For Christ will help us to overcome all things by the power of the cross.


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Dear Jesus, may the power of your cross keep me lifted up in the name of God. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

"Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21 NRSV Bible)

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Many of us have heard the phrase that Jesus once said, "Where a person's treasure is, there is one's heart also." If we look at our checkbook, we will find that we are committed to our home, our car, and our family. But does it say we are committed to God and the church?
As a pastor greeted persons at the door following a stewardship sermon in which he discussed pledging, a disgruntled member asked accusingly, "Where in the Bible do you find anything about pledging?" Like many of us this man was uncomfortable being challenged to pledge to his church.

Instead of being defensive about his sermon the pastor answered good-naturedly, "That's a good question. Let's get together over lunch and talk about it this week." The gentleman agreed; a time and place were set.

Later that week the two of them did get together for lunch. After they had ordered, the pastor brought up the subject. "You know, your question was a good one." The pastor said the question forced him to do some thinking. "The Bible is full of references to pledging," he told the reluctant church member. But the member remained unconvinced. "Come on now, Pastor," he said. He knew that sometimes pastors have a way of exaggerating.

The pastor told him that he looked up the word, "pledge," in a Bible dictionary. He had written down some words he found there that pertain to pledging: "Commit, promise, dedicate, devote, covenant, vow"-very familiar Biblical words. Those words made the man think more about stewardship. His pastor explained, "Christian stewardship is merely a reflection of our spiritual commitment to Christ. Stewardship is first our response to God [and God's love]." The man's attitude about pledging changed as result of their lunch together.

Jesus exposed the Pharisees as hypocrites. They said one thing, but their lives said something else. Jesus takes the coin and asks, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" Without a moment's thought the Pharisees answered Jesus, "The emperor's."

Quietly Jesus says, "Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's and to God the things that are God's."


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God of all things, may I give all things to you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NRSV Bible)

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Senator John F. Kennedy went to one of his friends, also a Senator, to tell him of a dream he had. This was during the 1960 Presidential elections, and Kennedy had dreamed that the Lord had chosen him as a nominee for his party. Kennedy's friend laughed at him and claimed that he had been chosen by the Lord in a dream also. The two Senators approached Senator Lyndon Johnson to ask his opinion of the dreams. After he had heard an explanation of the dreams, Johnson said, "That's funny. I can't remember tapping either of you for the job."
God dreamed of a world of green trees and blue skies and sparkling dreams. He would populate this beautiful world with all kinds of exotic creatures--some that would fly high in the sky, others that would swim in the seas, others that would ramble across the prairies and the mountains. To oversee it all God would create a being in His own image. Male and female he created this new being. And God saw everything that He had made and it was good. Because God created this new being in His own image, however, it had a will. It could choose. And God watched as the creature despoiled the Creator's dream. But God never gave up. When, finally, there appeared no other way to save the dream and the creatures He had grown to love so dearly, God sent His own Son. The cross is the culmination of history's most magnificent dream--the dream of God for this fallen world. And you and I are part of that dream today.

Are your life dreams in harmony with God's? If they are, then you have found the secret of a satisfying life.


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Dear God, help me to live in harmony with your dream for my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. (Psalms 138:8 NRSV Bible)

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It is important that we step out on faith and with God's help make God's dream a reality. Don't wait for your ship to come in; swim out to it. There are some people who spend their lives waiting for a break, an opportunity, a winning lottery ticket. That is not how life works. That is not how God works. God plants the seed of a dream in a human heart, and then waits to see what we will happen.
Writer Denis Waitley told a story about when he was a child. His father had left home. He was nine years old and the oldest boy in the family.

There was an army emplacement near his home during the war. In order to befriend the children in the area, the soldiers would give them little canteens and army helmets and gun belts. In return the children would do favors for the soldiers. They would run their errands, bring them candy, get them home cooking.

One day a soldier said to young Denis Waitley, "I want to take you fishing in a boat." Denis had never been fishing out in the ocean. He had always fished off a bridge. He was so excited. He sneaked out of his bedroom window, got his tackle box, packed himself a lunch and put it in the refrigerator, and at 4 a.m. he was ready to go with his fishing pole, tackle box, and lunch. There he was sitting on the curb, waiting. The soldier never came.

Denis says that probably was the turning point of his life. Instead of being either cynical or telling his Mom and his friends that the soldier never came, he got himself a one-man rubber life raft. After inflating it, he went down to the bay and pretended that he was launching this marvelous fishing boat. Then he went out in the bay where he dug some clams and caught fish and had what he called the most marvelous day of his life. That experience taught Denis an important lesson. We can't rely on others to make our dreams come true. If they are to be realized, we must step out on faith and accomplish them ourselves.


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Lord Jesus, thank you for the great work you did in fulfilling God's dream. Guide me as I follow your example. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. (Matthew 23:4 NRSV Bible)

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The leaders toward whom Jesus' criticisms were directed had thousands upon thousands of rules and regulations. They loved to debate the fine points of the law for hours on end. What started as the Ten Commandments became a book of laws and dos and don'ts. These laws were too much for the average person. Meanwhile these same leaders were failing to keep what Jesus considered the second most important commandment--to love their neighbor as they loved themselves.
Jesus said in verse four, "They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulder of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them." When Jesus said this, he was talking about all the laws added to the commandments. These additional rules and regulations had become a burden to the people. And the leaders did not even live by them.

I remember a student who had music test at school. When the student arrived home that evening, she said to her parents, "I think my music teacher must be religious. As we turned in our examinations, she kept putting her head in her hands and saying, "Oh my God! Oh my God!"

Obviously, this teacher's response to the examinations was not a religious one. And being a great teacher does not make us religious. We do, however, need to become much more sincere and helpful to others, unlike the religious leaders of Jesus' day.


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God of all, may my life be one of sincere love for you and those you send me to serve, in Jesus name. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
(James 1.21 NRSV)

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Richard F. Shepard in his book, In Enemy Waters, tells about two men he saw pummeling each other in a gutter where each had a car half-parked, one frontward, one backward, in a parking space. The irrationality of it all, he says, was emphasized by a sign in front of the parking place that said, "No Parking." Of course, the point wasn't that they were both trying to park in a no parking zone. The point was that they both were probably carrying around anger that was just waiting to erupt.
Anger is one of our human emotions. We need to make sure we work through those emotions.


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Lord Jesus, help me to work through my emotions of anger when it hits me, so that I won’t take it out on one of your precious children. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.
(3 John 1.11 NRSV)

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In the book, WIT AND WISDOM FROM THE PEANUT BUTTER GANG, by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. wrote about some children who offer advice on spotting and dealing with anger:
Morgan, age 11 says, "When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair." Lezlee, age 11 advises, "When your mother is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?' It's best not to answer her." Children become quite adept at spotting the signs of anger because so often they become the unsuspecting target of adult anger.

Martin Luther King admonished his people "to avoid not only violence of deed but violence of spirit." That's sound advice. If we will take charge of our inner emotions, our outer actions will take care of themselves.


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Dear God, may your spirit overcome the violence of my spirit. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
(1 Corinthians 12.31 NRSV)

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We are indispensable, says St. Paul, BUT WE ARE ALSO DIFFERENT. A nose and a mouth are different. Both are indispensable, but they are different. They have different functions, different gifts to bring to the body. So it is with Christ's body. Some of us are strong at some things; others are strong at others. It would be a mistake to try to be something we are not. That would violate God's plan for our life.
According to news reports during one of the past Olympics, one of the most popular places in the Olympic Village was the bowling alley. Interestingly enough, Olympic athletes weren't that good at bowling. One source reports that in more than a half-hour of viewing, she didn't see one strike bowled. Just because you have strengths in one area, doesn't mean you have strengths in others.

Our call is to use our strengths to build up God’s kingdom.


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Loving God, thank you for your blessings. Help me to use my strengths to share your love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Romans 5.1 NRSV)

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There was a time when heroes could be invented. Many of us remember those more naive times when the press did not report on heroes' shortcomings. The media would often exaggerate the strengths of famous people and ignore their weaknesses. Politically that was true all the way up to Watergate. Nowadays, it seems like things are reversed. We see our heroes' weaknesses, and their strengths are minimized. Even when we do see a celebrity in a favorable light, we don't know how much is hype. We don't know how much is real and how much is just P.R.
There is a book titled Surface Chic. It is a book that gives a tongueincheek treatment of wealth, fame and power. Among other things, the book contains some paper watch faces that simulate an $11,000 Corum watch. You can cut these watch faces out and paste them on your $11 watch. According to the book, by doing this, your friends will be impressed with both your good taste and your great wealth. That's what the authors mean by "surface chic"! Many celebrities today are no more than surface chic. Invariably, when we get a closer look, they disappoint. One reason to make Christ your hero is that other heroes let you down.


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Dear Jesus, you are my true hero. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
(1 Peter 1.21 NRSV)

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Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China a half century ago, was forced to leave her missionary work when the Japanese invaded Yangcheng. In fleeing certain death, she led nearly a hundred orphans over the mountains to Free China. It was a frightening journey. At times she was burdened by despair. One morning after a sleepless night, fearing they would never reach safety, she shared her hopelessness with the orphans. A 13yearold girl reminded her of their muchloved story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.
"But I am not Moses," Gladys Aylward replied.

"Of course you aren't," the girl responded, "but Jehovah is still God!"

And that is the point, isn't it? Christ can help us. Christ can enter our lives and transform us into people who can accomplish more good things than we ever dreamed possible. All we have to do is trust him.


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God of love, help me to trust in Jesus. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the LORD.
(Psalm 144.15 NRSV)

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Katherine Elliot writes: "When I was about 10 years old, Grandma received a gift of perfume in a bottle that fascinated me. Made of green pottery with a long, slender neck and square bottom, it looked like pictures I had seen of ancient ware. I begged Grandma to open it. 'No,' she said. 'I'm going to save it until later.' When I was 33, Grandma gave [the perfume] to me saying, 'Let's see how long you can keep it without opening it.'”
"One day when I picked up the perfume bottle, I was shocked to discover that it was empty, although still sealed. Turning it over, I could see why. The bottom of the bottle had never been glazed. The perfume had slowly evaporated through the porous clay. How sad that no one ever enjoyed the perfume not Grandma or anyone else! How disappointing for the gift giver! Then it struck me that I frequently treat God's gifts to me in the same way, not using them because of shyness, selfishness, or just plain laziness.

Failing to use our gifts disappoints God, and we deny others the opportunity to enjoy God's blessings with us."


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Dear God, may I be a blessing to others as you have blessed me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”
(John 4.42 NRSV)

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Winston Churchill knew the difference between celebrities and heroes. In the summer of 1941, Sergeant James Allen Ward was awarded the Victoria Cross for climbing out onto the wing of his Wellington bomber at 13,000 feet above ground to extinguish a fire in the starboard engine. Secured only by a rope around his waist, he managed to smother the fire and return along the wing to the aircraft's cabin. Churchill, an admirer as well as a performer of swashbuckling exploits, summoned the shy New Zealander to 10 Downing Street. Ward, struck dumb with awe in Churchill's presence, was unable to answer the prime minister's questions. Churchill surveyed the unhappy hero with some compassion.
"You must feel very humble and awkward in my presence," he said.

"Yes, Sir," managed Ward.

"Then you can imagine how humble and awkward I feel in yours," returned Churchill.

I am sure the disciples felt the same way about Jesus.

Jesus is our savior!


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Dear God, thank you for sending me Jesus to be my savior. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church.
(1 Corinthians 14.12 NRSV)

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Those of you who are basketball fans remember a few years back when Michael Jordan decided he should be a professional baseball player. He put on the right uniform. He used the right equipment. He even was assigned to the right field. But watching Michael Jordan play baseball was not anything like watching Michael play basketball. Fly balls hit him in the chest. His swing lagged inches behind a fast ball. He referred to the umpires as "referees." He ended up being sent to a Birmingham minor league club.
Each of us has strengths. Each of us has places God can use us most effectively. The secret of having a strong and vital church is to make certain that every one of us is using the gift God has given us that we are doing what we can do best. If we do not use our gifts to God's glory, it is a tragedy both for us and for the family of Christ.


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Lord Jesus, may I use my talents to glorify you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
(John 17.11 NRSV)

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In Yakima, Washington, sometime back a dying man made a strange request. On his deathbed, Grant Flory said to his family: "Get me to the Mustangs' playoffs. No matter what." He was referring to his old high school team, The Prosser Mustangs. So in early December, when the Mustangs played in Seattle's Kingdome, Flory's cremated remains were in attendance. His son Dwight approached the stadium gate wearing a camera bag that contained his father's urn. He was stopped by a guard who asked what was in the bag.
"It's my dad," he replied.

The guard looked puzzled but allowed the ashes inside. Family members said anyone who knew Grant Flory wouldn't be surprised by his request. He was a real football fan.

It is the dream of every pastor to have a congregation filled with people who are that determined to be in worship every Sunday. I need not even say to you that there are church members who are much more dedicated to their favorite sports team than they are to God. They give more money to their team. They know more about the players on the roster than they ever will about the heroes of the Bible. And I will not live to see the days when people in the average congregation will sit in a cold, miserable rain to worship God like many will do to cheer on their favorite team. Perhaps that's because we don't understand the essential nature of the church. I believe if we could see the church as Christ sees the church, we would not take attendance as casually as we do.


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Loving God, help me to know and see the importance of being an active part of your church. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make melody.
(Psalm 57.7 NRSV)

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Harold S. Kushner tells of an incident from his youth that made a distinct impression on him. A business associate of his father's died under particularly tragic circumstances. Kushner accompanied his father to the funeral. The man's widow and children were surrounded by clergy and psychiatrists trying to ease their grief and make them feel better. They knew all the right words, but nothing helped. They were beyond being comforted. The widow kept saying, "You're right, I know you're right, but it doesn't make any difference."
Then a man walked in, a big burly man in his eighties who was a legend in the toy and game industry. He had escaped from Russia as a youth after having been arrested and tortured by the czar's secret police. He had come to this country illiterate and penniless and had built up an immensely successful company. He was known as a hard bargainer, a ruthless competitor. Despite his success, he had never learned to read or write. He hired people to read his mail to him. The joke in the industry was that he could write a check for a million dollars, and the hardest part would be signing his name at the bottom. He had been sick recently, and his face and his walking showed it.

But he walked over to the widow and started to cry, and she cried with him, and you could feel the atmosphere in the room change. This man who had never read a book in his life spoke the language of the heart and held the key that opened the gates of solace where learned doctors and clergy could not.

God needs people like you who can speak the language of the heart.


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Dear Jesus, help me to speak the language of your love and heart. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church.
(1 Corinthians 14.12 NRSV)

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Christ desires his church to be a close-knit family! He desires us to be unified. I suspect many of us underestimate how much we need one another--how much we crave contact--how much we hunger for true Christian fellowship.
Recent research has indicated that those persons who attend church are less likely to be ill over time than those who do not attend church. I don't know what that says to you. Possibly, it says something about a life of discipline. Perhaps it says something about avoiding self-destructive habits. My guess is, though, that it says the most about our need for one another.

Revealing studies have been done on depressed people. Depressed people want to be alone. Should we let them be? Not if we want them to improve. There is something about being with others that lifts our spirits. We need genuine fellowship. The church serves two vital functions in the world, and the first is to put us in touch with one another. We need one another--particularly when life caves in on us. The church also serves to help us experience and know God’s love for each one of us. The church is vital to our well-being.


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God of love, thank you for your church that keeps me healthy. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46.1 NRSV)

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Theodore H. White, Pulitzer Prize-winning expert on American politics, coined a new word. Someone asked him about the effect of television on politicians. White answered, "Politicians remind me of a certain variety of plant--the kind that grow under porches and other places where the sun doesn't penetrate. Botanists call these plants Heliotropic, meaning that as they grow, they bend in the direction of the sun. Well, politicians today are what I call Videotropic. As they grow, they follow the camera because that's where the votes are."
If I might build on that analogy, you and I are here because we are Theotropic--that is, we are drawn irresistibly in the direction of God. In God is our help and our strength. We gather in our church each Lord's day to acknowledge that He is our hope and the foundation of our lives.


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Dear God, you are my help and strength. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
(Ephesians 4.13 NRSV)

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During a frightful storm in the Georgian Bay of Canada years ago, a ship was wrecked. Many perished. The mate, with six strong men and one timid girl, escaped in a boat, but the waves were high and the craft turned over and over until, one by one the strong men lost their hold and disappeared beneath the angry billows.
The mate, however, lashed the girl to the boat, and thus she drifted to the shore where she was found, safe and unharmed. When the stalwart men went down with shrieks of despair, she alone was saved. She didn't escape by her skill or wisdom. She escaped because she was fastened firmly to that which would not sink.

As Christians, we fasten ourselves firmly to that which will not sink. We find it in our unity with one another, but even more so, in our unity with God.


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Dear God, guide me in strengthening my unity with you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
(Matthew 10.32 NRSV)

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I'm reminded of that wonderful story about a time when Senator Jacob Javits of New York was visiting England. A constituent happened to be in Washington, D.C., and decided to stop in and see his senator. He found Javits' office, introduced himself, and asked to see the senator.
"I'm sorry," said the secretary, "but Senator Javits has gone to the United Kingdom."

"Oh, my goodness!" exclaimed the visitor, clearly taken aback. "Is it too late to send flowers?"

We don't talk much about Heaven. And I suspect one reason is that Christ gave us so few details as to what it will be like. Some of the popular images of Heaven do it a disservice, I am certain. I was amused to read something former Prime Minister Lloyd George once said about the celestial realm. He said, "When I was a boy the thought of heaven used to frighten me more than the thought of hell. I pictured heaven as a place where time would be perpetual Sundays, with perpetual services from which there would be no break. It was a horrible nightmare and made me an atheist for ten years."

None of our language about Heaven can possibly do it justice. Our minds are too small to get around the concept of eternity. There is only one thing we can say about Heaven. We will be united--with Christ and with those we love. The unity we have here is but a poor reflection of a more perfect unity there.


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Lord Jesus, I look forward to my full unity with you now and in God’s heavenly kingdom. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Philippians 3.20 NRSV)

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Writer and speaker Carol Kent tells about a couple she met in Indianapolis, Indiana, named Pam and Bill Mutz. She was immediately impressed with the quality parenting these two were giving their three children. Carol asked her hostess what made their home so uniquely special. She began her story.
A few years earlier, when their older daughter, Cari, was just two-and-a-half years old and their son, Jonathan, was seven months old, the children were in the bathtub together. That week Pam and Bill had out-of-town company, and the guest had brought two dogs with him that were left outside in the yard. While Pam was bathing her children, she became concerned that the dogs might get too far from the house. Jonathan had been sitting up well on his own, and Pam turned to Cari and said, "Honey, please watch your brother for just a minute while Mama checks on those dogs."

Pam was gone a short time, but when she returned, Jonathan was under water. Cari didn't realize the danger. Pam grabbed her son and screamed for the guest, who came down and did mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while Pam called for an ambulance.

"They laid my Jonathan on a stretcher and worked feverishly over him, but even before we reached the hospital, I knew that he was gone," Pam said. In the days that followed, friends and family gathered, feeling Pam and Bill's grief as their very own.

Carol asked Pam about the long-term effect of this crisis point in their home. She said, "Carol, God has done an emotional and spiritual healing here that even psychologists do not understand. We know it's the Lord."

She continued, "Cari speaks often of her brother and looks forward to seeing him in heaven someday. Every time she gets a helium balloon, she rushes outside. Then she lets it go as she shouts into the heavens, `Jesus, this is for Jonathan, and tell him it's from Cari!' I just know those balloons will make it--all the way! One day, perhaps, Jonathan will greet us with an armful of balloons when we have the privilege of joining him in heaven!"

Jesus' prayer is that each of us would have that same confidence. He wants us to have unity with one another. He wants us also to have unity with God. God is our refuge and strength. He also wants us to know that the bonds that join us to one another and to God are eternal. Nothing will ever break them. Not even death will snatch us from Him or from those we love.


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Dear God, thank you for your heavenly kingdom that surrounds me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Take counsel together, but it shall be brought to naught; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.
(Isaiah 8.10 NRSV)

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They were shooting the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy" on the day after Pearl Harbor. The cast listened as President Roosevelt announced on the radio that the United States was at war with Japan and Germany. At that point director Michael Curtiz came on the sound stage with Jimmy Cagney. They all listened in silence for the national anthem to finish. As the women dabbed tears from their eyes, and the men were deeply moved, Curtiz said in his best Hungarian accent:
"Now, boys and girls, we have work to do. We have bad news, but we have a wonderful story to tell the world. So let's put away sad things and begin."

That's our challenge, too. We remember with sadness and gratitude the sacrifices others have made in our behalf. Now we go out to tell the story that in tragedy God is with us. We are not alone.


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Loving God, thank you for being with me through all of the ups and downs of life. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
(Matthew 16.18 NRSV)

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Many years ago, the world stood shocked to learn that the former President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, and his wife, Imelda, had amassed a personal fortune. During his 20year reign, while their country was devastated by poverty, the Marcos family's wealth grew to between 5 and 10 billion dollars. And yet with a 5 to 10billiondollar empire, they had no place to set it because no country on the face of God's globe wanted them. That's what happens when your life is built on sand.
The other side of that coin is that we can build our lives on the rock. I am reminded of the passage where Jesus asked that impetuous fisherman, Simon Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Simon answered, "You are the Christ, the son of the Living God." Do you recall what our Lord's response was? "You are right Simon Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." I submit to you that the rock on which Jesus Christ builds His church is the same rock on which He intends us to build our lives. "On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."


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Dear Jesus, remind me often to build my life on the rock of your salvation. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
(Acts 10.38 NRSV)

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I read about a report to a State Industrial Commission on a man injured while in the act of repairing a chimney. He says, "when I got to the building, I found that the hurricane had knocked some bricks off the top. So I rigged up a beam with a pulley at the top of the building and hoisted up a couple of barrels full of bricks. When I had fixed the chimney, there were a lot of bricks left over. I hoisted the barrel back up again and secured the line at the bottom, and then went and filled the barrel with extra bricks. Then I went to the bottom and cast off the line. Unfortunately, the barrel of bricks was heavier than I was, and before I knew what was happening, the barrel started down, jerking me off the ground. I decided to hang on and halfway up, I met the barrel coming down and received a severe blow on the shoulder. I then continued to the top, banging my head against the beam and getting my finger jammed in the pulley. When the barrel hit the ground, it burst its bottom, allowing the bricks to spill out. I was heavier than the empty barrel, and so I started down again at high speed. Halfway down, I met the barrel coming up and received a severe injury to my shins. When I hit the ground, I landed on the bricks, getting several painful cuts from the sharp edges. At this point I must have lost my presence of mind, because I let go of the line. The barrel then came down giving me another heavy blow on the head and putting me in the hospital." We are not exempt from the storms of life. They come at us from all directions.
What do we do with the storms of life? Become bitter? Hopefully, we will allow God to heal us.


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God of love, heal me and draw me close to your healing love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1.9 NRSV)

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A sunny day in September, 1972, a stern-face, plainly dressed man could be seen standing still on a street corner in the busy Chicago Loop. As pedestrians hurried by on their way to lunch or business, he would solemnly lift his right arm, and pointing to the person nearest him, intone loudly the single word "GUILTY!"
Then, without any change of expression, he would resume his stiff stance for a few moments before repeating the gesture. Then, again, the inexorable raising of the arm, the pointing, and the solemn pronouncing of the one word "GUILTY!"

Members of the lunch hour crowd would stare as they passed by at the strange performance. They would stop for a moment, look away, glance at each other, look back at the man, and then hurry on their way. One man, turning to another, exclaimed: “But how did he know?”

Are we all guilty? And, if so, of what? And before whom? And can we ever straighten it out?

There was a joke going around a few years back when the transgressions of certain prominent televangelists were being very painfully exposed., "Did you hear that Jimmy Swaggart and Jimmy Bakker have decided to give up their television ministries. They are going to start a magazine. It will be called 'Repenthouse.'" John the Baptist preached, "Repent for the kingdom of God is near." Jesus did likewise. The Apostle Paul declared, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." and "the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 3:23 and 6:23). The author of 1 John asserts: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1:8-9).


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Dear God, please forgive me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.
(1 Timothy 1.15 NRSV)

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Tony Pena is a former catcher for the Boston Red Sox. Tony grew up in the Dominican Republic. Life was not easy. Tony Pena says that the person who had the greatest influence on his life was his mother.
It is the dream of most every Dominican boy to play ball in the United States. Throughout the Dominican Republic young boys swing old rake handles or "anything else they can get for a bat, trying to hit a ball a little quicker, a little farther than anyone else" -- hoping to one day to play in our major leagues.

Tony credits his mother not only for teaching him and his brothers how to play baseball but also for giving him a love for the game. His mother had been a pretty good softball player herself when she was young. When school was out and their chores were done, she'd walk her boys to a nearby pasture. She would stand on a rough dirt patch that served as the pitcher's mound and pitch to her sons. "All right, little Luis," she'd call in, "this pitch will be right down the middle." When it was Tony's turn she would say, "Okay, Tony look for this one in on the fists. You must learn to hit the inside pitch."

Tony Pena is thankful for the influence of his mother. Before he left for the United States, he prayed, "God, all I want from life is to be able to help my family. Please help me do that." Tony has helped his family. "Not long after I made the majors," he recalls. "I drove with Mama through the streets of Santiago." As they were driving Tony asked his mother, "what do you think of that house over there? Take a good look, Mama." They stopped in front of the house. "It's a wonderful house," his mother replied, "why do you ask? Are you thinking of buying it?" He paused--hardly able to contain himself. He handed her a set of keys, "I already have, Mama. For you." "Oh Tony," she said as tears began to stream down her face. At that special moment, Tony writes, "I thanked God for giving me such a mother."

We have a lot to be thankful for, especially the gift of Jesus Christ.


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Dear God, thank you for sending me a savior. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.
(3 John 1.2 NRSV)

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Willis Moore recalls that his grandmother always ate cold grits. She preferred them hot. It was her priorities that caused them to be cold. Willis fondly remembers how his "Grandmother would cook a hot breakfast--fresh farm eggs, crisp bacon, homemade blackberry jelly and biscuits, and bowls of hot grits." The family would gather around the table. His grandfather would ask the blessing.
While the family was eating breakfast the grandmother would read devotions to the family. When she prayed everyone stopped eating and bowed their heads. Afterward everyone cheerfully joined in table conversation while finishing breakfast. "Only then," Willis remembers, "did Grandmother start to eat her breakfast and that is why she always ate cold grits."

Willis remembers those special mornings and the example of his Grandmother. At that time it didn't seem all that important, but as the years rolled on he came to recognize the significance of those cold grits. "Spiritual formation," he writes, "is the memory of Grandmother putting God first at breakfast. Of course she did so in the other areas of her life, too, but the memory of her putting aside a hot breakfast to share God's word with her family feeds me yet."

Are you eating cold grits so you can feed your soul?


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Lord Jesus, may I take the time I need to feed my soul. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.
(Matthew 7.25 NRSV)

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa has not always been called the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Built from 1173 to 1372, the 12story, solid marble structure stands 17 feet out of line. After the first three stories were completed, the ground underneath began to sink. And thus it continues to lean until someday it may topple. A life that is built on shaky soil will be an unstable life. The foundations of life consist of the ground upon which you build. Whether you're a teenager, an adolescent, a young adult, or a senior citizen, you are always building a foundation.
Now lets look at the storms of life and note that THE STORMS OF LIFE CONFRONT EVERY HUMAN BEING. Jesus said both men, the wise man and the foolish man were surprised by the suddenness of the storm. It matters not your educational background, your place of position or prestige, we are all confronted with life's storms. You may be upper class, middle class, low class or no class; storms are no respecters of persons.

Look at the intensity of the storm. The storms Jesus spoke of are described with deliberate accuracy and similarity. From what we can tell it may have been one and the same storm. He described them with identical words. Jesus used five conjunctions to show the intensity of the storm. In our English translations we lose this intensity. It reads like this: "And the rain came down and the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house and yet it did not fall." We need not go far to see the intensity of life's storms. Look at the Kennedy family. In the early 60's President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated on a street in downtown Dallas, Texas. Robert Kennedy, while campaigning for president, was assassinated. One of the Kennedy’s was born mentally retarded. Another lost a leg to cancer. It was a few years ago that David Kennedy, the son of the late Robert Kennedy, was found dead in his hotel room as a result of alcohol abuse. And we are aware of the Mary Jo Kopechne tragedy that has overshadowed Edward Kennedy. Our lives are obliterated at times by the intensity of the storms that confront each and every one of us. We are not exempt from storms of life. They are as much a part of life as breathing. That's the intensity of the storm.

There is also the diversity of the storm. Jesus, in relating the storm that hit both houses, used very descriptive language in explaining the storm. There are three dimensions of the storm. He said the rain came down so as to test the roof. He said the streams rose so as to test the foundation. And He said the wind blew and beat against the house so as to test the walls. That is the diversity and the intensity of life's storms that you and I are confronted with every day.

No matter the storm, Jesus is with us. Sometimes he is even carrying us.


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Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to walk with me through the storms of life. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.
(1 Thessalonians 3.12 NRSV)

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One day Chuck Swindoll found a book on his shelf that had once belonged to his mother. As he was paging through it he recalled some special memories of her. She had died some twenty years before. She had written notes in the margins of this book little knowing the impression her words would make on her son twenty years later.
At the end of the book Chuck's mother had written these words, "Finished reading this May 8, 1958." That started a flood of memories for Chuck Swindoll. He began thinking where he was and what he was doing in May 1958. The month his mother finished reading this book he was a Marine stationed on a tiny island in the South Pacific. That very month he had written in his journal, "The Lord has convinced me that I am to be in His service. I will begin to make plans to prepare for a lifetime of ministry." Amazingly, at the same time his mother was finishing reading her book.

"As I looked back over the pages, I found one reference after another to her prayers for me as I was away." Charles writes. His mother was concerned for his spiritual welfare and for God's best in his life.

That afternoon years after his mother had died Charles was sitting in his study reading his mother's book and recalling those precious memories. "There I sat," he writes, "thanking God anew for my mother's prayers, [for] my pilgrimage and especially [for] His presence. Faithfully, graciously, quietly He had led me and helped me and blessed me. I bowed my head and thanked Him for His sustaining grace...and I wept with gratitude."


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Loving God, I am grateful for all you have sent my way to show me your love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.”
(Luke 15.6 NRSV)

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James Moore remembers the time when he was seven years old and got lost at the Ringling Brothers Circus. It was a frightening experience for a seven-year-old boy in a crowd of over twenty thousand. Jim and his older brother, Bob, went to the concession stand to buy some cotton candy. People were pushing and pressing toward the counter. Since Bob was taller he was waited on first. After Bob got his cotton candy he stepped aside for his brother. Just then loud laughter came from the arena. Bob wanted to see what was going on. Certainly he didn't mean to leave his small brother alone. He simply got caught up in the excitement listening to the crowd laugh at the clowns.
Little Jim also got his cotton candy and then he looked around for his big brother. His brother was gone. In that moment of panic nothing looked familiar to this little fellow. He was lost. At that point he wondered if he would ever see his family again. "I started to run," he recalls, "trying to fight back the tears. Everyone was laughing loudly at the antics of the clowns, but they weren't funny to me at that moment." In this young boy's moment of panic and confusion he thought, "How can they laugh at a time like this? How can they laugh when I feel so lost?"

Just then Jim felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned around and saw his father. "My father had come after me and had found me. He held me down, reassured me, then bought me a Coke, a hot dog, a Yo-Yo, a lizard, a little stuffed bear, and a candy apple. I learned a valuable lesson that day: Being lost is terrible...being found is wonderful!"

Have you allowed our Father in Heaven to find you?


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Dear Jesus, come close to me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
(Colossians 3.1 NRSV)

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A little girl had a cut near her eye. Her father quickly took her to see the doctor. The cut was not serious, but the location of the injury made it important that it be fixed properly. The doctor decided a couple of stitches were needed, but he didn't want to give the child an anesthetic. He explained to her that the procedure would be painful and asked if she could stand it. The little girl replied that she could, if her father would hold her hand. The father then took her in his lap, slipped his arm around her, and held her tight. The doctor did his work, and the little girl never flinched. The father could not possibly have erased the pain from this process. If he had not been there, though, the girl's reaction would have been much different.
Our Father is always with us. Do we allow His presence to cause us to react differently?


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God of love, may my life be different because of you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

We endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 9.12 NRSV)

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A few years ago a group of Christian musicians traveled to Russia to proclaim the gospel in word and music. They had the privilege of taking their talents to Moscow during the Russian Orthodox Easter. They met in the Palace of Congress where the Supreme Soviet had met for years. It was a massive room, with the enormous oversize picture of Lenin hung in the front for all to see. Except that day Lenin's portrait was covered. In that massive hall the gospel message of Jesus Christ was preached to a huge gathering of Christians and nonChristians alike. The hall was filled with majestic music and Christ's message of forgiveness and grace was broadcast by television to millions of viewers throughout Russia. For the American Christians who made this trip it was a service they would never forget.
On Sunday afternoon the group went into Red Square and distributed more than a hundred thousand pamphlets that told the message of Jesus Christ, including Testaments and Bibles in the language of the Russian people. They were warned against doing that too aggressively, not because the authorities were opposed to it, but because they might be mobbed by people starving for more information about Christ.

I believe the response those musicians received in Moscow is but a foreshadowing of the way the whole world will one day move. There will come a time when Christ will rule over all. In the meantime let us look outward, let us look upward, and let us look forward.


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Dear God, may I hunger for you and hunger to share your word. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 2.38 NRSV)

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Calvin Miller tells about a Pentecost Sunday he spent in Brussels, Belgium worshipping in the Cathedral of St. Michael. The worship service was in two languages both of which were foreign to him. Part of the service was spoken in Latin, of which he understood a few words. The rest of the service was spoken in Flemish which he did not understand at all. Since it was Pentecost Sunday he thought the unintelligible service might be about the Holy Spirit. He thumbed his English Bible to Acts 2 and tried to follow the cardinal who was leading the service. The cardinal was totally unaware that a Christian from America was there, spying on his litany but very much in need of the Lord.
Calvin Miller testifies that he was able to worship there far away from home in two unknown languages because, as he puts it, a fire was loose in the world that makes Jerusalem, Oklahoma, and Belgium all one.

There was a fire loose on that first Pentecost. That fire was fanned by the very wind of God.

Are you allowing the wind of God to blow on you?


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Dear God, may your spirit blow on me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.
(1 Thessalonians 2.13 NRSV)

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A man named Allen Danforth had a dramatic conversion experience. Shortly afterward he was invited by a missionary evangelist to go to Ghana, West Africa. While there, he saw starvation and deprivation beyond comprehension. He was bombarded by one horror story after another. After a month in Africa, Allen boarded a plane for the United States. On the long flight home he asked, "Lord, why did you ever send me here? What can anybody do? It's absolutely hopeless."
Then Allen heard the voice of God. God told him that he would be held "accountable" for what he had seen. "I got a knot in my stomach," Allen recalls. "I didn't have a vision, but in my mind's eye I could see myself standing all alone before Christ, accounting for my life..." That experience became a priority in his life. "When I got off the plane," Allen says, "I didn't know anything about being a missionary, but I knew that I could share a vision. I could tell people what I'd seen."

Allen was alert to God's action in his life. Are you?


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Lord Jesus, help me to be alert to your action in my life. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
(James 5.16 NRSV)

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Sometime back a cardiologist at a California hospital conducted an experiment in healing. The study included 393 seriously ill cardiac patients. From this group 192 were selected randomly for special treatment. The special treatment was prayer. Selected people around the country were asked to pray for each of these 192 patients. Their conditions were described in detail. The people praying were to focus their prayers toward "beneficial healing and quick recovery." The remaining patients were given the usual medical care without prayer.
Ten months later, the results revealed a startling conclusion. The patients who were prayed for experienced markedly fewer incidences of cardiacrelated infections, pulmonary edema and mortality than did the 201 patients not prayed for. It's important to note that the patients selected for prayer did not even know they were being prayed for. And the people praying had never met the patients for whom they were asking Divine help. To them they were just names. (3) And yet, their prayers worked!

If prayer can accomplish so much at a distance, what might happen in our lives and our church if we were to pray for those close at hand?


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Dear God, may I take the time to pray for those in need. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
(John 14.3 NRSV)

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Sometime back, former talk show host Johnny Carson visited Harvard University to receive an award. After the ceremony he agreed to answer some questions from members of the press. One reporter asked, "What would you like to have inscribed on your tombstone?" Carson thought for just a second, then answered with the words he used before every commercial break on his television show. He wanted his tombstone to say, "I'll be right back."
Throughout the pages of the gospels we see how much the disciples loved Jesus. They loved him so much that they would do anything for him. But that does not mean they always understood what he was saying. Jesus told the disciples that he would be put to death and that he would be right back in three days. The disciples tried to understand, but for some reason they just didn't.

Thus the disciples were very confused. They were still trying to make sense out of what had happened. They were meeting behind locked doors. They were afraid. They talked in muffled tones. What had happened to Jesus could very well happen to them. Every time they heard a noise they thought that someone was coming to haul them away to prison.

I’m sure they hung onto the word, “I’ll be right back.” Jesus is always there for us. All we have to do is call for him to enter our lives.


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Loving Jesus, Come into my life today to show me the way I should go. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
(Luke 24.36 NRSV)

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I am remind a football story that Dennis Waitley tells about a Fiesta Bowl a few years ago, in which Penn State and Miami competed for the national title. Penn State eked out a 14-10 victory that included a nail-biting goal-line stand in the closing minutes of the game. Somehow, Penn State's stubborn defense managed to hold off Miami's talented quarterback, Vinny Testaverde, one last time to thwart the Hurricanes' final desperate effort to pull out a victory.
In the frenzied jubilation following the final gun, TV cameras zeroed in on various players, including one of Penn State's All-American linebackers. He credited Penn State's hard-hitting defensive backs with the victory. "[Miami's] receivers just didn't want to catch the ball," he said. "They heard footsteps all night long, and they just didn't want to get hit."

After Jesus death on the cross, I guess we could say the disciples were hearing footsteps like that. They were very frightened. But suddenly, out of nowhere, Jesus appeared in their midst. He showed them his hands and his feet and greeted them with familiar words, "Peace be with you." Their response was probably not peaceful at all. No one was supposed to know where they are hiding. How did Jesus find them? How did he enter without using the door? The disciples were anxious, afraid, and uncertain of what would happen next. Yet here was the Master right in their midst. And alive! Slowly they began to calm down -- and then to rejoice.

There’s a lot of rejoicing when Jesus enters our lives.


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Dear Jesus, come and bring me peace. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
(Romans 8. NRSV)

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Rebecca Manley Pippert recalls the time when she first came to faith. Up until that time she had been afraid that if she surrendered her life to God, He would take away her identity. Even worse, she was afraid she'd become somewhat strange in the process. She thought of religious persons she had known and wasn't sure that she wanted to be like them. She wondered what changes she would have to make in her life: would she have to give up her love of jazz music? Would she have to act religious all the time? Would her friends recognize her?
Her worst fear was that her friends would reject her as having become slightly demented. In her mind she would hear the taunts of her friends: "Too bad about Becky. She used to be so much fun." But Becky knew that something just wasn't right in her life. Something was missing. There was an inner restlessness, emptiness, a longing that never left her. Something was definitely missing, but she was afraid -- afraid of the changes that Christ would require of her. When she finally did come to faith, though, Christ filled her emptiness and removed her fear. She was filled with a new-found sense of joy.

That's what happens when folks come to know the risen Lord.


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God of love, thank you for taking away my fear and emptiness. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.
(John 14.26 NRSV)

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Over 70 years ago, Japan asked the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design a hotel for Tokyo that would be capable of surviving an earthquake. When Wright visited Japan to inspect the site where the Imperial Hotel was to be built, he was appalled to find that the soil there was only about eight feet deep. Beneath that was 60 feet of soft mud that slipped and shook like jelly. Every test hole he dug filled up immediately with water. Now a lesser individual probably would have given up right there. But not Wright.
Since the hotel was going to rest on fluid ground, Wright decided to build it like a ship. So instead of trying to keep the structure from moving during a quake, he incorporated features that would allow the hotel to ride out the shock without damage. Wright knew that the major cause of destruction after an earthquake was fire, because water lines would break and there would be no way to put out the fire. So he insisted on a large outdoor pool in the courtyard of his hotel, "just in case."

On September 1, 1923, Tokyo had the greatest earthquake in its history. There were fires all over the city, and 140,000 people died. News reports were slow in getting to the U.S. One newspaper wanted to print the story that the Imperial Hotel had been destroyed, as rumor had it. But when a reporter phoned Frank Lloyd Wright about it, he said that they could print the story if they liked, but they would only have to retract it later. He knew the hotel would not collapse. Shortly afterward, Wright got a telegram from Japan. The Imperial Hotel was completely undamaged. And when the fires that raged all around the hotel threatened to spread, bucket brigades kept the structure wetted down with water from the hotel's pool.

Frank Lloyd Wright knew about foundations. So does Jesus. He does not want his followers out in the world witnessing to something that they have not really experienced for themselves, so He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit as an internal witness. We do not have to simply depend on a story that we heard long ago. God is forever fresh in our hearts.


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Dear God, keep me close to your spirit. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
(John 20.28 NRSV)

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Ruth Bell Graham, Mrs. Billy Graham, tells of a young man who was a lot like the so called doubting Thomas. He was part of a demonstration at one of her husband's crusades a number of years ago. The young man told everyone he talked to how much he disliked Billy Graham. When he was a young boy his parents forced him to watch Billy Graham on television.
This young man had heard Dr. Graham's invitation many times before: "hundreds of you will be coming forward to make your commitment to Christ." But the young man thought it was nothing but a gimmick. Yet something unexpected happened to him when he heard Graham's message in person. He felt as though Dr. Graham was speaking directly to him. Then came the invitation. "Hundreds of you will be coming forward to receive Christ . . ." The young man watched as people came from every corner of the stadium. He quickly turned and left. But the next night he was back, and when the invitation was made again, he was among those who went forward and gave his life to Christ. This young man ended up going to college and majoring in Bible. Today he works for Billy Graham.

It's all right to have doubts and questions. Christ accepts us just as we are -- doubts and all. Thomas was not excluded because of his unbelief. Neither are we.


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Dear God, help me in my unbelief, so that I may know more fully of your awesome love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1.7 NRSV)

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In the book Do Yourself a Favor: Love Your Wife, there is a story about a certain little boy who was asked what his father did. The boy said, "He watches."
"You mean that he is a night watchman?"

"Oh, no," the little boy exclaimed, "He just watches."

"Well, what does he watch?"

"I don't know if I can tell you everything," the boy continued, "but I can name a few things."

"Well, tell me," the now curious man replied.

"He watches TV, he watches Mom do the housework, he watches for the paper boy, he watches the weather, and I think he watches girls, too," he said with an impish grin on his face. "He watches the stock market, football games, all the sports, he watches Mother spank us, and he watches us do our homework. He watches us leave to go to church and PTA and shopping. He watches Mom write letters and me play with my dog. He watches Mom pay the bills. But mainly, he said with a touch of sadness, he just watches."

God wants us to be much more than a watcher. Our call is to share and give God’s love.


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Lord Jesus, help me to be bold in sharing your love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

“The wind?blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
(John 3.8 NRSV)

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Walt Case was driving through the desert of West Texas one day in early July. As he drove through, he agonized for anyone or anything that had to try to live in the barren desert. A virtually rainless winter and spring had left the desert absolutely parched. "Worst in memory," was the common observation of the locals.
Then six weeks later and after five inches of rain had fallen, Walt retraced his route through the desert. But now it was different. "I saw a contrast that was nothing less than miraculous," he says. By midAugust the desert is usually green from summer rains, but this year it was positively luxuriant. Countless patches of brightly colored wild flowers dotted the roadside. The extremes were notable even to those most familiar with the rebirth that rain brings to the desert.

That's what happens when a lifebringing wind blows across a desert. That is also what happens when the wind of God's Spirit blows across our lives. We are refreshed, empowered and transformed.


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Dear God, what a blessing I have received by being touched by your spirit that blows life into me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

“Honor your father and mother” -this is the first commandment with a promise: “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
(Ephesians 6.2-3 NRSV)

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A man was boarding an airplane one day. As he came on board, he happened to notice that the head of the plane's cockpit flight crew was a woman.
As he found his seat, he noticed three persons sitting immediately behind him. One was a young boy about six or seven years of age. Next to him was a man in his early thirties. And next to the man was a woman in her early sixties.

The man could not help overhearing the conversation among these three persons as the plane made final plans for departure from the gate. It was not long before he realized that they were the woman pilot's family. The boy was her son. The man was her husband. And the older woman was her mother. Suddenly he realized why the family was on the plane. This was the first time the woman pilot had been the head of a flight crew! They were there to honor her promotion.

The plane taxied down the runway and poised itself for takeoff. The engines began to roar, and the plane gained speed quickly. Within seconds they were airborne. As the plane began to ascend the bank to the south, the six-year-old boy began to applaud! "Way to go, Mom. Way to go!"

Today, we applaud our Moms. "Way to go, Moms, way to go!" Truly, today's Mom deserves all the support and applause she can get. We need the faithfulness of our moms, and they need our faithfulness and love!


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Loving God, bless our moms in a special way to show your great love for them. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us.
(Ephesians 2.4 NRSV)

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There is a delightful story about Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the military hero.
MacArthur was highly thought of in Washington and was regarded as a leader. However, he also had a reputation for being a cold fish personally. So his Public Relations people came up with an idea. They would have him review a contingent of veterans. In the middle of the review they would have him suddenly recognize an enlisted man who had served under him during the war.

"It will be a tremendously moving and human moment," the advisers said to MacArthur. "Out of hundreds of men lined up for your inspection, you will suddenly pick out a single individual, call him by name and recall past campaigns." MacArthur agreed to go along with the plan.

So they set up the inspection and chose their veteran. The lucky soldier would be unaware that he'd been singled out for the honor. They went through the Army records, found out everything about the fellow and figured out precisely where he would be standing when MacArthur marched through the ranks. To be on the safe side, they arranged for an aide to nudge MacArthur discreetly when he was directly in front of the proper soldier.

It all went off like clockwork. MacArthur saluted the veterans, the veterans saluted MacArthur. The general began his march along the lines of soldiers. At the right moment, the aide gave MacArthur the nudge.

MacArthur halted. He turned and looked at the man standing stiffly at attention in front of him. "Jones!" he boomed. "We were together on Corregidor. You are Corporal Jones. I remember you."

Jones looked startled for a moment. Then he peered at the general with a puzzled expression. Finally, he blurted out somewhat quizzically: "MacArthur?"

General MacArthur got his bubble burst that day.

We live in a lonely world. So much that is counted as love is artificial. It sometimes seems that we don't really count for much. But there is one place where most of us still are somebody. That is at home. At home we are not simply a number. We are a valued member of the family. So it is with God. With God we are more than a number--more than a face in the crowd. God loves us with a very personal love. Even the very hair of our head is counted.


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Dear Jesus, thank you for your love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
(John 16.27 NRSV)

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A mother took her six-year-old boy into a doctor's crowded waiting room. As they waited their turn, he began to ask her all kinds of questions. In half an hour he managed to cover almost every subject known to humanity. To the wonder of all the others sitting in the room, his mother answered each question carefully and patiently. Inevitably, he got around to God. As the other people listened to his relentless "how's" and "why's," it was plain to see by the expressions on their faces that they wondered: "How does she stand it?" But when she answered her son's next question, she answered theirs too. "Why," he asked, "doesn't God ever get tired and just stop?" "Because," she replied after a moment's thought, "God is love; and love never gets tired."
If you or I were God, we would tire of giving, particularly when we get so little gratitude in return.


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God of love, thank you for your love that never ends. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
(John 3.16 NRSV)

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A pastor was visiting some of his parishioners. He took his young daughter with him. As they visited an elderly couple, the man gave her a handful of peanuts. Expecting her to show a spirit of gratitude, the father asked his daughter, "Honey, what are you supposed to say?" Sincerely, and with her eyes fixed upon the man, she asked, "You got any more?"
That sounds like many of us. We accept God's gifts, never saying "thank you" but simply asking, "Have you got any more?" Yet God keeps giving. That is His nature.


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Dear God, thank you! Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:25-28 NRSV Bible)

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Jacob was the son of Isaac who two sons Esau and Jacob. Jacob is famous for clinching his brother Esau's hel at birth. Jacob also stole Esau's birthright which was very important part of the family structure in those days. Jacob went on to become known as the Father of Israel. In verse 28, God said to Jacob, "You shall not longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."
Jacob had just sent some gifts to his brother Esau, so that he won't avenge Jacob for stealing his birthright. Jacob sends the caravan to Esau while he stays back by the river. This is where Jacob has a wrestling encounter with God.

Have you wrestled with God lately? In our scripture reading today, it says in verse 25, "Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak." In the next verse, we are given the indication that the man Jacob was wrestling with was God. For he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." It was a common belief that no one could see God face to face and still live, so the wrestling could not continue after daybreak or Jacob would die.

Now, I was a wrestler for six years when I was a kid in Jr. High and High School. Wrestling is a very physical sport. It takes a lot of energy and focus. Our relationship with God also takes a lot of energy and focus. We need to wrestle with God from time to time. We need to work at building our connection to the one who gives us life. It is so easy to go through life and lose our focus of serving God. When we wrestle with the big issues of life, when we wrestling with ourselves, and when we wrestle with God, we learn a lot and are blessed. Jacob was blessed for not giving up. Jacob said in verse 26, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." And verse 29 says that God blessed Jacob.


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Loving God, as I wrestle in my relationship with you, please bless me in your service. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.
(1 Corinthians 13.8 NRSV)

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Arnold Prater, in his book YOU CAN HAVE JOY!, tells about a man in a little English village named John Deckard. He was a clerk in a textile factory. A modest and quiet man, he lived in an ordinary little house at the edge of town with his wife and his six-year-old son, Rob. Like thousands of Englishmen, every morning John put on his plain tweed suit, got on his bicycle, and rode to work.
Returning home at five in the evening, he would work in his garden until suppertime. Then he would spend a quiet evening with his pipe and family. He was a very ordinary man living what most people would call a very ordinary life.

But he had one claim to fame. For five consecutive years he had won the blue ribbon in the Village Garden Show with his prize rose. It had gone on so long that people had come to expect it. John Deckard's prize rose would win, and that was that.

Behind his house was his rose garden. When he returned home each evening, he would don his coveralls and spend his time out there with his roses. Some said he had more than just "a way with flowers." Some said he mothered them, that he talked to them and that they understood what he said.

This year, deep in his own heart, John Deckard knew that he would again win the blue ribbon, for this year his rose was truly a rose among roses. Never had he seen such perfection in a flower. This was his masterpiece and as he watched it daily, his contentment and pride grew.

The show was on Saturday and he planned to transplant his rose to a pot early in the morning. But while he was at breakfast, the tragedy happened. His little son Rob burst into the kitchen, and chatting excitedly he rushed to the table and cried, "Look Daddy, look what I have for you!"

And in his grimy little hand, half its petals gone, its head drooping, was John Deckard's prize rose.

That afternoon, visitors to the Garden Show were astonished when they came to John Deckard's entry. For in a flower pot he had thrust a stick, and attached to it, at the very top, was a picture of his little son, Rob. When the judges heard what had happened, they gave John Deckard an honorary blue ribbon. Some said that the rose that was not a rose was the finest he had ever grown.

God's love is like that and we can all be thankful.


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Lord Jesus, I am thankful. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:25-28 NRSV Bible)

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Jacob was the son of Isaac who two sons Esau and Jacob. Jacob is famous for clinching his brother Esau's hel at birth. Jacob also stole Esau's birthright which was very important part of the family structure in those days. Jacob went on to become known as the Father of Israel. In verse 28, God said to Jacob, "You shall not longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."
Jacob had just sent some gifts to his brother Esau, so that he won't avenge Jacob for stealing his birthright. Jacob sends the caravan to Esau while he stays back by the river. This is where Jacob has a wrestling encounter with God.

Have you wrestled with God lately? In our scripture reading today, it says in verse 25, "Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak." In the next verse, we are given the indication that the man Jacob was wrestling with was God. For he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." It was a common belief that no one could see God face to face and still live, so the wrestling could not continue after daybreak or Jacob would die.

Now, I was a wrestler for six years when I was a kid in Jr. High and High School. Wrestling is a very physical sport. It takes a lot of energy and focus. Our relationship with God also takes a lot of energy and focus. We need to wrestle with God from time to time. We need to work at building our connection to the one who gives us life. It is so easy to go through life and lose our focus of serving God. When we wrestle with the big issues of life, when we wrestling with ourselves, and when we wrestle with God, we learn a lot and are blessed. Jacob was blessed for not giving up. Jacob said in verse 26, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." And verse 29 says that God blessed Jacob.


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Loving God, as I wrestle in my relationship with you, please bless me in your service. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him.
(Genesis 32.28-29 NRSV)

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I read a story this week of little Johnny who was having a terrific time on his first plane trip. He pushed every button in sight, ran through the aisles at top speed, and finally, he crashed into the stewardess as she was serving a tray of coffee.
Picking herself up, the stewardess grabbed young Johnny by the arm and stated as gently as she could force herself to. "Son, why don't you go outside and play?"

Little Johnny could not got outside of the plane and play even if he wanted too. And Jacob in our scripture reading today, certainly was not wrestling God for the fun of it.

Have you wrestled with God lately? Jacob sure did and was blessed. When we make God the center of our lives--we will be blessed too.


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Loving God, may all I do be centered around my commitment to you. Please bless all that I do for your glory. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus said, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."
( Matthew 6:34 NRSV)

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Do you know why many people worry? Worry is a substitute for faith. Worry does for some people what faith does for others. Have you heard anybody say, "Don't tell me it doesn't help to worry. Most of the things I worry about never happen!" They really mean it. Some people are genuinely concerned that if they fail to worry, that which they fear will happen.
In a Peanuts cartoon, Linus was talking to Charlie Brown and observed: "I guess it's wrong always to be worrying about tomorrow. Maybe we should think only about today." Charlie Brown replied, "No, that's giving up. I'm still hoping that yesterday will get better."

What we need to is to focus our attention on the things that are really important, our families, for example. Many of us are more fortunate that we deserve with our families. We've got great kids though they may get on our nerves from time to time. Weather or not they still live at home. I know I am very thankful for Matt and Michele. They have been a real blessing to me. In this great country we live in, we have plenty to eat. We may not live in Beverly Hills or the Trump Tower, but our house is warm and full of God's grace. And most important, we need to focus on our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus calls us to focus on what is really important.


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Dear Jesus, what a blessing you have been to me. May I share it by not worrying. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.
(Mark 12:42 NRSV)

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For this poor widow there was no Social Security, no pension, no monthly check she would be receiving now that her husband was gone. Widows were quite vulnerable. Jesus even indicated her poverty, when he said that those two coins were all she had. If indeed, she did give all she had, she must have done it trusting that God would provide her with her daily bread. That's a tremendous amount of trust.
Some of you may have read George S. Clason's book, THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON. The most important teaching in Clason's book is that the person wanting to be rich should give away ten percent of everything he or she earns. Why? According to Clason there are some deep subconscious, psychological principles.

The first is that you should put back what you take out. The second is that the act of giving ten percent creates value for yourself and others. But I was drawn to his third reason for giving ten percent away. When we do that, according to Clason, it says to the world and to our own subconscious mind that there is more than enough, that we expect life to keep providing what we need.

This poor widow trusted that there was more than enough in God's storehouse and that God would provide. That's the kind of trust we need to have.


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Dear God, thank you for taking care of my needs. Help me to trust you more. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:25-28 NRSV Bible)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacob was the son of Isaac who two sons Esau and Jacob. Jacob is famous for clinching his brother Esau's hel at birth. Jacob also stole Esau's birthright which was very important part of the family structure in those days. Jacob went on to become known as the Father of Israel. In verse 28, God said to Jacob, "You shall not longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."
Jacob had just sent some gifts to his brother Esau, so that he won't avenge Jacob for stealing his birthright. Jacob sends the caravan to Esau while he stays back by the river. This is where Jacob has a wrestling encounter with God.

Have you wrestled with God lately? In our scripture reading today, it says in verse 25, "Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak." In the next verse, we are given the indication that the man Jacob was wrestling with was God. For he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." It was a common belief that no one could see God face to face and still live, so the wrestling could not continue after daybreak or Jacob would die.

Now, I was a wrestler for six years when I was a kid in Jr. High and High School. Wrestling is a very physical sport. It takes a lot of energy and focus. Our relationship with God also takes a lot of energy and focus. We need to wrestle with God from time to time. We need to work at building our connection to the one who gives us life. It is so easy to go through life and lose our focus of serving God. When we wrestle with the big issues of life, when we wrestling with ourselves, and when we wrestle with God, we learn a lot and are blessed. Jacob was blessed for not giving up. Jacob said in verse 26, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." And verse 29 says that God blessed Jacob.


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Loving God, as I wrestle in my relationship with you, please bless me in your service. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
(Psalms 25:18 NRSV)

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There most certainly have been times when we have failed to be great in the sight of God. God loves us so much that we will be forgiven. All we have to do is ask for it. John 3:16 reminds us, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not parish but may have eternal life."
God forgives us, and God is great. If we forgive one another, we, too, will be great.

According to Grandma Hillis, "The difference between a friend and good friend is that the later knows all of your secrets and likes you anyway."

May our day be filled with being a good friend and a good forgiver, as we serve one another in love.


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Dear Jesus, in this holy season, I thank you for your sacrifice, so that I may be forgiven. May I also make the necessary sacrifices in order to forgive and to be forgiven. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
(Matthew 28:7-10 NRSV)

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The angel told Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, "Go quickly and tell his disciples. 'He has been raised from the dead.'" They would be the first ones to tell the good news--that Jesus is alive!
As they where hurrying out of the cemetery, they ran into Jesus. "Greetings!" Jesus said to the women. It was the happiest reunion anyone could ever imagine. Jesus told them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." Notice that Jesus called his disciples, "my brothers." This is the only place in Matthew's gospel where he called them "brothers." Everywhere else he refers to them as "disciples."

This is especially remarkable when you remember that the disciples had deserted Jesus in his hour of need. Peter had denied even knowing him. That was all in the past. The Master had work for them to do. They were to tell the good news to all who would listen.


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Loving God, thank you for the "good news" that comes to me and to all the world through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
(Romans 6:11 NRSV)

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I remember reading about a church that had burned to the ground. Determined to rebuild, the church board secured money from the congregation and then looked for a bank loan. The first bank refused, saying that a church of only 50 members was no longer viable in the modern world. A second bank, however, gave them a 20-year mortgage--which the members paid off in eight years. At the burning of the mortgage papers and the celebration of the church's bicentennial, the minister reminded the congregation of these facts. The church, once judged by a bank to be "dead," was still alive, while the bank which made that assessment was gone, bought by a larger bank and subsequently closed. The bank was dead, the church is alive.
Let's make sure that our church is alive and that we are alive in Jesus Christ.


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Lord Jesus, during this season of Christmas, help me to be live with you, so that I may truly honor our heavenly Father. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
(Colossians 3.13 NRSV)

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Phyllis Tickle tells of a vacation she had with her two teenage children, Sam, Jr., age 16, and Rebecca, age 13. One hot summer's day the two siblings were fighting with each other. Neither could move without offending the other. That evening Rebecca tried to physically evict her brother from the best TV chair and instead broke the crystal and the band of his new birthday watch. She was too stunned to move. Sam, Jr. was angry. Phyllis said you could see the anger written on his face. Suddenly, though, the fury receded, changing into a look that can only be described as a kind of startled surprise. "It's OK," he said, "I think I know where I can get it fixed tomorrow." Peace returned for the first time in days to that household.
The next morning during breakfast Phyllis asked her son what had happened in that moment of change the night before. He ducked his head as if he were somehow still uncomfortable. "Nothing," he said, "I was just so hurt. I couldn't hate her enough. So I had to forgive her--and it surprised me."


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Dear God, forgive me of my anger, as I forgive those who hurt me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
(1 Corinthians 10.31 NRSV)

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As a teenager Richard Foster spent a summer among the Eskimo people of Kotzebue, Alaska. It impressed Richard that the Eskimo Christians have "a deep sense of the wholeness of life, with no break between their prayer and their work." Richard went to Alaska on the adventure of helping to "build the first high school above the Arctic Circle." The work, however, was far from an adventure. It was hard, often backbreaking. One day he was trying to dig a trench for a sewer line, which was no easy task in the frozen tundra. An Eskimo man, whose face and hands displayed the leathery toughness of many winters, came by and watched him for a while. After some time passed the man spoke simply and profoundly. "You are digging a ditch to the glory of God," he said.
The words stuck with Richard. Beyond his Eskimo friend, no human being ever knew or cared whether he dug that ditch well or poorly. In time that ditch would be covered up and forgotten. But because of that man's words, Richard says, "I dug with all my might, for every shovelful of dirt was a prayer to God." Richard made the discovery that everything we do, whether great or small, we do for the glory of God.


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Lord Jesus, my I glorify your name in all that I do, and please forgive me when I don’t. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.
(1 Peter 4.10 NRSV)

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I'm reminded of a comedy skit done by a youth group. There is only one character--a pastor on stage answering the telephone. It goes like this:
Pastor: Good morning. Yes, sir, may I help you?
Voice: Good morning, peace be with you.
Pastor: Huh? Oh, sir, if you're looking for assistance the Calvary Mission is just two blocks down on Madison.
Voice: I came to give you something.
Pastor: Oh, I see, sir, didn't you see the sign out front, "No Solicitors?" Now if you don't mind, I'm very busy.
Voice: No one should ever be too busy for me. I've come to speak to your people.
Pastor: Oh, uh, sir, just what group do you represent?
Voice: I've been sent by my Father. I have a message for them.
Pastor: Well, that's very nice, sir, but you see, we do have a rather full schedule of events here at our church. We can't just pop things in at the last minute.
Voice: They must hear me. I have so much to give them.
Pastor: Well, I'm very sorry, sir, but you see, our theme for this month is "God is great in 88." Now, I don't quite see how your subject would fit with ours. As I said, we are a very busy church...why just this week alone...let's see here...Monday we have softball practice and in the evening Sara Plimpton will be showing her wildlife slides. And Tuesday's out. Oh my! The senior citizens will be going roller skating. And then Wednesday, yes, we have the craft class and the men's prayer breakfast. Well, as you see we just don't have a thing; but listen, why don't you have your representative give us a contact later in the fall...maybe something will have opened up, sir, sir?

Jesus calls us, loves us, but then sends us out, gives us authority to be his missionaries. "No purse, no bag, no sandals," to shed our excess, and to travel his journey of faith with him, a journey that calls us to travel light--to uncomplicate, to simplify, to catch a kind of lovely naiveté once again.

To move with Jesus means we don't have to take all our provisions with us.


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Loving God, help me to shed my busyness, so that I may serve freely. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
(Colossians 3.1 NRSV)

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Mary Jo West wanted more than anything in the world to be the best at what she did. When she landed her first news anchor job at KOOL-TV in Phoenix, she was 24 years old and the city's first female anchor. At a young age she had everything she ever wanted. But then her life began falling apart. Working long hours she often went days without seeing her husband. He accused her of putting work above their relationship, which eventually led to the break-up of their marriage.
After six years, Mary Jo was offered a job with CBS News in New York. Network news was her dream come true. Now she was more driven than ever. She routinely worked 12-hour days. The program was a success, but she felt empty. Other than work, she says, she didn't have a life.

Early one morning she went to church to pray. She had grown up with a strong faith, she says, but it had been a long time since she'd talked or listened to God. That morning she prayed, "God, what am I doing so far from home? I want to walk Your path, but I don't know how."

Within a year Mary Jo was back in Phoenix working at a rival television station. Things did not work out. The ratings went from bad to worse. Before too long Mary Jo was out of work. She found it difficult to find another job. She sat alone in her big house--lost. All her feelings of self-worth had come from her job; now she felt worthless.

In her lifelong quest to finish first, she had ended up dead last. Mary Jo began working as a volunteer at a local mission. She spent the next year as a volunteer, handing out diapers and bus tokens, dishing out hot meals and helping people find work or a bed for the night. It was during that year when she reached out to other people that she felt God's love as never before. She discovered God's love in the eyes of a man who cried as he thanked her for finding him a pair of size 13 boots so that he could finally get a job.

That year transformed Mary Jo West's life. She learned to rely on God and to keep her life in balance. "I don't have the glamour or the salary of my earlier jobs," she says, "but I do have something better: love, happiness, and peace of mind. That's God's idea of being first."


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Dear Jesus, help me to find you and keep you in my life. Amen.

[janbear]

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
(Matthew 21.31 NRSV)

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Jesus told the chief priest and elders of the temple, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you." What Jesus told them was unthinkable. These men were the best people in the land. Yet Jesus said tax collectors and prostitutes were going into the kingdom ahead of them. You see, these officials had used their religion to insulate themselves against God. They had their traditions. They had their rules. They really had no need for God. The folks at the bottom of society, on the other hand, had nothing--except God. True, they had said "no" to God sometime in the past, but if they said "yes" now, it was not too late. The officials, on the other hand, had once said "yes," but they had never let God into their lives.
Jesus reminded these officials of the preaching of John the Baptist. "Tax collectors and the prostitutes believed (John)," Jesus said, "and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him." Change was possible even for these men, but they were too blind to see. They did not realize that the message of repentance was for them, too, as it is for each one of us.


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God of love, change me today by the power of your love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

adversaries at your right hand.
(Psalm 17.7 NRSV)

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Have you ever been stuck in traffic behind a really slow moving vehicle? This can be a very frustrating experience, especially when you're running late. In San Diego there is a highway where one exit leads from one highway directly onto another. To make matters worse there is a steep upward hill on the second highway which is used frequently by cement trucks. You can imagine the results as cars leave one highway traveling 55 miles per hour only to find a cement truck slowly making its way up the hill at 20 miles per hour or less.
One day a woman found herself on this highway behind a big yellow-and-red cement truck. The truck was traveling so slowly that she had to watch the tire tread to be sure the truck was actually moving. It seemed to take forever as the truck slowly approached the same exit that she was taking. After what seemed like an eternity the woman was finally able to pass the truck that slowed her down. To say she was upset would be an understatement. She was fuming. As she passed the truck she looked up at the driver, no doubt to give him a dirty look. But when she glanced up at him he was already looking at her. And then a hand puppet appeared in his window. It was a character from Sesame Street, and it was waving at her as the truck driver smiled. Well, that unexpected gesture changed the woman's attitude. She smiled and laughed. She was no longer upset. In fact she now says that as she drives that section of the highway she looks expectantly for that one yellow-and-red cement truck.

Now that certainly isn't what you would have expected in such a situation. May Jesus continue to do unexpected things in our lives.


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Dear God, may you love unexpectedly shine in all places today. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there.
(John 5.13 NRSV)

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A reporter once asked Will if he went to church. "All the time," Will replied as he wiped mud from his cowboy boots. "I find church happens all the time." The reporter wasn't sure he understood. He thought that Will misunderstood his question. So he asked, "What do you do on Sunday mornings at eleven o'clock? Do you attend a church service?" "Oh," Will responded, "You mean do I go to those steeples. I thought you wanted to know if I went to church."
Then Will invited the reporter to lunch with him. They drove for several miles until they arrived at a crossroad which featured a combination service station, convenience store, and restaurant. As they entered, the reporter noticed that the place was nearly empty, and they found a table in the middle of the restaurant. Just a few minutes later some construction workers entered and filled the tables. Now the reporter had hoped to continue their earlier conversation about church, but was unable to do so because people kept interrupting. One man thanked Will for performing his sister's wedding. Another man reminded Will to visit his mother in the hospital. A third asked Will if he would talk to his wife because they were having problems. For almost an hour people came and asked Will to perform the functions of a minister. And each time Will responded.

At one o'clock the restaurant was empty again as all the workers went back out to their jobs. Will silently finished his sandwich, "Well," he said to the reporter, "church is over for today. Let's go home."

Will might not fit many people's expectations for a minister. He would certainly not fit the job description of most congregations. He had a different kind of ministry. But then, so did Jesus.


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Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to heal my wounds. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14.6 NRSV)

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Remember a few years ago when they polled people about various elements of the Bill of Rights? They discovered that a majority of Americans would not support many of our most basic rights if they were put to a vote. My guess is that the same thing would happen if we put many of Jesus' teachings to a vote among Christians. "Love your enemies. Turn the other cheek. Blessed are the poor." Would you vote for such sentiments? Many of us don't in our everyday lives.
There was a pop song back in the golden days of the televangelists that asked the question, "Would Jesus wear a Rolex?"

Where WOULD Jesus position himself today? Where would he stand on gun control? Or foreign aid? Or abortion? You call yourselves his followers, but do you really think he would vote as you would? Or would he be an embarrassment? Or better yet, would we be an embarrassment to him?

May we truly be Biblical people.


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Lord Jesus, help me to be bold in following your ways. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
(Luke 5.30 NRSV)

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Timothy George says he never understood the radical nature of Jesus' ministry until it was driven home in a dramatic way. He was in his first year as pastor of the First Baptist Church in, Chelsea, Massachusetts. Chelsea, says George, is one of the most isolated, economically deprived, inner-city sections of greater Boston: there are 27,000 people crowded into less than two square miles. Chelsea is a receptacle for all kinds of dropouts --prostitutes, pimps, drug addicts, all the people who have not "made it" and probably never will.
Every new minister to Chelsea at that time soon became acquainted with one of these drop-outs, an alcoholic known to everyone as Johnny Cornflakes because he often rummaged through the trash, looking through the cereal boxes or whatever to find a bit of food. George's church sometimes gave Johnny Cornflakes food and clothes and tried to see that he had a place to spend the night.

One Sunday after church Timothy George and his wife held their first dinner party in Chelsea for out-of-town guests. They had worked very hard to make everything perfect: they had brought out their best linen and their finest dishes in order to make a good impression. But right in the middle of the main course the front door of the parsonage burst open. Into their dining room in all of his inebriated glory sauntered Johnny Cornflakes. Everyone was startled!

Timothy later wrote that he suddenly knew what the Pharisees must have felt like. "Johnny Cornflakes was someone you'd hand a sandwich to at the back door, someone you'd deliver a CARE package to at the inner-city mission, but definitely not someone you would invite to a Sunday dinner! Yet," George continues, "this is exactly what Jesus did, he invited all the Johnny Cornflakes of Jerusalem to Sunday dinner with the best linen and the finest dishes."


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Dear God, I am grateful that you have invited me to your table. Help me to pass it on. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

With the LORD on my side I do not fear.
(Psalm 118.6 NRSV)

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When Sue's husband was seriously ill and undergoing surgery, she was filled with anxiety. "Oh, I'm so afraid!" she cried to a friend. The friend nodded, gave her a knowing smile, and then asked her this: "Do you know how many times the Scriptures say, 'Fear not,' or 'Do not be afraid'?" Sue shook her head, “No.” "It's a very curious number," her friend continued, "three hundred and sixty-five times."
Sue was surprised. "But that's . . . "

"Yes, one for each day of the year," her friend said, finishing her sentence.

There is one 'Fear not,' for every day of the year. A coincidence? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But God does not want His people to be afraid. "Why are you troubled?" Jesus asked his disciples, "and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see... And when he had spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet." Jesus wanted his disciples to know that it was all real. He was alive. Death had been conquered. The Gospel is true.

“Fear not.”


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Loving God, help me not to fear but to trust in you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.
(1 Thessalonians 5.14 NRSV)

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One day as Peter and John were approaching the Temple, they saw a man who was unable to walk. It wasn't unusual to see such people near the Temple, but perhaps seeing this man lying there reminded Peter and John of Jesus and how he always showed love and compassion for seemingly forgotten people. They instructed the man to look at them. Peter said to him, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Stand up and walk." Then the two of them grabbed the man's hands and helped him to his feet.
Suddenly a man who had never walked in his life was jumping for joy. He was healed. His ankles were strong. He was no longer lame. His friends would no longer have to carry him. He was overjoyed and began praising God. Since it was a time for prayer at the Temple, a lot of people saw what had happened. They saw this man jumping and walking about and they were amazed. Peter saw an opportunity to tell them about the risen Christ.

May we also help others and share with them about the risen Savior!


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Dear Jesus, guide me as I help others and share your hope. In your name we pray, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
(1 John 4.21 NRSV)

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Daniel, a big man, used to be a weightlifter. His scrapbook is full of colorful ribbons and photos of him in his prime, showing him in the muscle man pose and flexing his bulging arms. Today he teaches others to lift weights at a small local gym.
Daniel enjoys his work, but he dreams of one day owning his own business. Sometime back Daniel had the opportunity to purchase his very own gym. The bank offered to give him a loan if he could find someone to cosign. They worked out the details and the loan was approved. Daniel was excited: he could already see the new business.

But there was a mixup the day Daniel went to the bank to pick up his loan check. He was told that his brother had already been in the bank, taken the promised money and applied it to his own mortgage. Daniel was furious with his brother. The only thing that kept Daniel from beating his brother up when he went home was his brother's children playing nearby. Daniel told his brother that if he ever saw him again he would break his neck.

Several months later, Daniel met a young American missionary who taught him about Jesus. Daniel and his wife soon became Christians. But Daniel still found it impossible to forgive his brother. He did not see him again for two years.

One day on a busy street Daniel encountered his brother. "I saw him," Daniel said, "but he didn't see me." Daniel clenched his fists, he felt his face get hot. His initial impulse was to grab his brother around the throat and choke the life out of him. As he looked into his brother's face, though, his anger began to melt. For suddenly he noticed how much his brother resembled their father. He saw their father's expression. He noticed their father's look. And as he saw their father in his brother's face, his enemy once again became his brother.

Daniel walked toward his brother. His brother saw him, stopped, turned and started to run. Daniel quickly caught up with him, though, and grabbed him. Expecting only the worst, the brother was taken by surprise when, instead of having his throat crushed, he found himself in a giant hug. And the brothers stood in the middle of the crowded sidewalk and wept.

"And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he commanded us."


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God of love, help me to overcome my wounds to give love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
(John 14.27 NRSV)

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Bombeck tells about worrier named Estelle. She is a mother from Path, Rhode Island; and as a parent she elevated worrying to an art form. Her child was a cancer patient, so some of her concerns were legitimate, but still, Estelle admits, she carried worrying a bit too far. She says that as a parent it was her duty to worry. And as the parent of an oncology patient, she perfected it. She kept lists of her worries in case she forgot one. Every time something happened in her life she would revise the list, developing intricate new worries. Within a sixyear period, she says, she had a list of 142 things to worry about. Six actually happened, including two that were not even on her list. She eventually decided she wasn't as efficient as she thought she was, but, she adds, "I keep practicing."
Do you know anybody like that? Maybe yourself? Someone once said that, "Worry is an old manWith a bended headCarrying a load of feathersWhich he thinks are lead."

Studies show that a lot of people who are troubled, unhappy, and worried; and some with good reason. Jesus asked his disciples, "Why are you troubled?" That's a good question for many of us!


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Dear God, help me find the off switch. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.
(John 14.26 NRSV)

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Dwight L. Moody once to his audience, "Tell me, how can I get the air out of the tumbler (glass) I have in my hand?" One man said, "Suck it out with a pump." The evangelist replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter it." Finally, after many futile suggestions, Moody picked up a pitcher and filled the glass with water. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then explained that victory for the child of God does not come by working hard to eliminate destructive thoughts and habits, but rather by allowing the Holy Spirit to take full possession.
Look ahead to what God has in store for you. Fill your life with God’s hope!


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Dear God, thank you for the hope you give to me each day through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

…as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
(Ephesians 6.6 NRSV)

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There's a small church in Russia that is in the hometown of former Russian president, Boris Yeltsin. The lay pastor of that church is Lydia Istomina. This little church wanted to show their love toward others by starting a prison ministry, but they had problems getting it started. The prison staff told Lydia that the program was a waste of time. The men in prison, the officials told her, were hardened criminals who weren't interested in church. However, Lydia and her group persisted. Finally, they were allowed to enter the prison to pray with the prisoners.
The results of this prison ministry surprised everyone, including Lydia. The men were very receptive to the church's ministry. One day Lydia placed a call to their sister church in Louisiana. "The prisoners want us to baptize them and have regular services," she said. "Shall I baptize them?" Yes, of course, she was told, she should baptize them. And the prison ministry entered a new phase.

In the last two years, Lydia Istomina has baptized over 200 prisoners. The pastor from Louisiana visited last summer and baptized 49 himself men during his stay. Lydia and 20 members of the church's choir visit the prison every Sunday to lead prayer and worship. The prisoners who are now Christians make regular offerings from the rubles they earn making products in the prison shop. Their offering goes back to the little church for outreach ministries to orphans.

What is God calling you to do to share his love?


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Lord Jesus, help me to show your love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another.
(2 John 1.5 NRSV)

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The essence of Christian faith is love. Just as Christ laid down his life for us, so ought we to lay down our lives for others. That means loving all people  even those who misuse us, and that means doing good to all people  even those whom we may not approve of, and that means leaving our comfort zone from time to time for acts of extraordinary concern. The essence of Christian faith is love.
Love is our primary witness to the world. If the day comes when the Christian church is as loving as its Master, the world will beat a path to our door. John asks, "How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?" Love is more than just an emotion or a feeling. Love is feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned. Love is not a passive verb, but an active one. And it is the primary way we share Christ with the world.


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Dear God, help me to have an active love that truly touches the lives of those who really need it. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
(1 Corinthians 3.16 NRSV)

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Paul's words can be interpreted in two ways. First of all, they can be interpreted to refer to the individual believer--your body, your mind, your heart--is the temple of God. Our call is to take good care of God's temple.
I read an introduction to a speech once. The speech was by a Canadian, Peter Hanson. In the introduction he wrote of what a moving experience it was even for him, a Canadian, to visit the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. He described watching crowds of people of all ages reach up to touch the cold wall of granite rising out of the ground, containing the names of every American soldier known to have died in that conflict--approximately 50,000 of them. Some people who came just stood and stared; others broke down and wept. "Why?" they all seemed to be asking. Young boys taken from loving families to fight a war that basically had no meaning. Fifty thousand American soldiers died, and for no good reason. Fifty thousand brave young men slain in that terrible conflict. Then Hanson adds, "Fifty thousand--that is also the number of Americans who are killed by cigarettes every eight weeks." That will make you think. "Do you not know that you are God's temple...?"

There is another way of interpreting this text that is more in keeping with the context. Paul is writing to the Corinthian church--a church in conflict. Some are claiming to be followers of Paul, others are claiming to be followers of Apollos, a skilled preacher much admired in the early church. In other words, some are still linked to one former pastor, some are still linked to another. Paul counsels them to grow up. "Who is Paul?" he asks. "Who is Apollos?" Paul plants, Apollos waters, but it is God who gives the growth.

Then Paul compares the church to a building. He himself laid the foundation at Corinth, now another is building on that foundation. The foundation, of course, is Christ, and that is all that matters. Then Paul adds, "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him." In this context, we can see that God's temple is the church. WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD. What does that say to you?


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Loving God, help me do a better job of being your living word and temple. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it.
(Luke 19.41 NRSV)

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In reading this text we might ask the question, "Did Jesus Cry?" I once read that Ernie Campbell, a minister, took issue with the familiar Christmas lullaby (sometimes attributed to Martin Luther), which contains the words: "Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head." The second verse is the one that caught his attention: "The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes. But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes." Campbell took issue with that verse.
Jesus was a normal child. Normal children cry. Campbell said: "It would be strange if He did not cry as a child...He did as a man!" And no picture of Jesus is complete without noticing the tear drops on His cheeks.

Palm Sunday should have been the happiest single day in Jesus' life. After all, the crowds had gone after Him. Crowds count for a lot with most ministers. We feel better when church attendance is up. We worry when church attendance is down. In John 12:19 the Pharisees murmur: "Look! The whole world has gone after him!" It seemed that way when Palm Sunday began. It looked as though His preaching ministry was to be crowned with success, after all!

But Jesus knew better. He knew how fickle the crowds were; He knew that, when push came to shove, He couldn't really count on the people; and that when the chips were down and the cross went up, all would forsake Him and flee, says Mark 14:50. The same people who on Palm Sunday, had waved Jesus in, on Good Friday waved Jesus out again. He who rode into town in triumph, was carried out of town on a cross.

How quick were the crowds to shout "Hosanna!" on Palm Sunday--but also how quick they were to shout, "Crucify Him!" on Good Friday, when He didn't fit into their notions of what a respectable Messiah should look and act like. Before the week was out, Jesus had been arrested, tried, whipped, humiliated, spat upon, cursed at, plotted against, crucified, dead, and buried. When He was born, there was no room for him in the Inn. When He died, there was no room for Him in the world.

Is there lots of room in your heart for Jesus?


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Dear Jesus, please live with me and may I always have plenty of room in my life for you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
(Mark 15.34 NRSV)

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On the day we call Good Friday, Jesus was hung on a criminal's cross. Before the day was over, Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!" And then he breathed his last and he died. Why did Jesus die? Well, first he died because the religious leaders of his day felt Jesus was a threat to their authority. They simply wanted to get rid of him. But that happened some two thousand years ago, and that situation has little to do with us today. The reason that Jesus' death does matter to us today is because he died for each one of us. Jesus paid the price for our sins, so that we will never be separated from God's love.
I hope everytime we look at the cross we will be reminded that Jesus died for each one of us.


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Jesus, thank you for dying for me. May I live my life in a way that says, "Thank you!" Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.
(John 13.5 NRSV)

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According to the Bible there is only one perfect role model. Thirteen men are gathered for a meal. According to the Gospel of John, one of them, the leader of the group, girds himself with a towel and begins to wash the other men's feet. They are horrified. This is not the way a role model is supposed to act. Not in the secular world. In the secular world a leader is one who is served, not one who serves. Maybe that's what's wrong with the world today. Our leaders don't know how to serve. Maybe that's why service is so bad in department stores. The manager of the store doesn't know how to set an example. If you're going to choose Jesus as a role model, you're going to have to learn what it is to serve.
When the late Roy L. Smith, pastor and for many years editor of a denominational magazine, was not yet eighteen, he received a hurried message at school that his father had been hurt at the mill where he worked. While Roy was running down Main Street in Nickerson, Kansas, a blunt man called out, "No use runnin', kid. He's gone."

Smith's father was a skilled mechanic and flour miller, and was highly respected in their little village, so every business in town closed down for his funeral. The day after the funeral, Roy and his brother went to the mill to gather up their father's belongings--his tools and the clothes in which he had died. The first thing Roy saw were his father's shoes, the soles turned up. There was a great hole in each one, stretching from one side of the shoe to the other. On the day Roy's father died, his father's bare feet were against the concrete floor of the mill. Less than two weeks before, his father had bought Roy a new pair of shoes. Roy would have given anything, he said later, if he could only have put good shoes on his father's feet for the last hour of his life.

If you choose Jesus as a role model, you're going to wrap a towel around your waist and wash the feet of others.


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Dear God, help me to better know and live out Jesus' kind of sacrifice. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many."
(Mark 14.23-24 NRSV)

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In his book THIRTEEN DAYS TO GLORY author Lon Tinkle tells about Colonel Jim Bowie and the brave defenders of the Alamo. That sacred Texas shrine had only 183 defenders against a huge army led by Santa Anna. On March 3, 1836, two hours before dusk, the Mexican guns quit firing. William Travis lined his men up in a single line inside the Alamo. He told them no reinforcements were coming and that their destiny was sealed. "Our doom is certain," Travis told the weary men. Travis then pulled his sword from its sheath and drew a line in the dirt floor in front of them and asked every man who was determined to stay in the Alamo and die to cross the line.
Topley Holland was the first man across the line. Others quickly followed--Daniel Cloud, Micajah Utry, Davy Crockett. Colonel Jim Bowie was sick and unable to cross the line so he called for help and four men sprang to the side of his cot and lifted him over the line as the other men cheered. On March 6, the Alamo fell and the brave defenders within her walls died. They made the choice that counted most and the Republic of Texas was born out of their shed blood.

That night in the Upper Room was also about shed blood--Christ's blood shed for us--and our willingness to shed our blood to follow him.

There are too many Christians who glibly say, "Oh, yes, we follow Jesus." But they know nothing of sacrifice--nothing of service. If you choose Jesus, you will need to make a very special kind of commitment.


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Dear God, guide me so that I may not take lightly my commitment to Jesus. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness.
(Matthew 9.35 NRSV)

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With our finite minds there is not a whole lot we can say about the kingdom. Jesus doesn't describe it in detail, but one thing we can say with an air of certainty, it has something to do with love.
The scribe asked Jesus, "What is the great commandment?"

Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself."

Wherever God is, there is love. Wherever love is, there is God. The kingdom has something to do with love. Paul says, "There remains these three: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." In other words, if we are a citizen of the kingdom of God, it will show by the way we love one another.

We cannot hold on to our resentment, our anger, our prejudice, and our bitterness, and claim citizenship in God's kingdom. The Kingdom is centered on love for people. We would all be so much healthier and happier if we lived by that principle.

I remember a story of a girl who was told by her mother to take flowers to a shut-in who lived down the street. She did so and it was a marvelous visit. When she came back her mother said, "Smell your hands." She did and she was surprised to discover that the fragrance of the flowers still lingered on her hands. Her wise mother said to her, "Kindness always leaves a sweet fragrance."

The kingdom of God is like that too.


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Lord Jesus, help me to share your kingdom through love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

As you go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near."
(Matthew 10.7 NRSV)

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It is not enough for us to sing, "What the world needs now, is love sweet love." If we stopped here, we could say to our friends and neighbors, "Let's just love each other a little more." That answer, however, is not sufficient.
As human beings we will not love one another until, first of all, we understand that we are loved. Unless we feel ourselves loved, we cannot love. That's a principle not only of theology, psychology, or sociology, but of our Bible as well. Just as abused children grow to abuse their children, loved children grow up to love their children. Loved persons are able to love the world.

Love comes from the heart of God. And there is only one place that we can see God's love completely revealed, and that is on the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross, the heart of God is displayed for all the world to see. God love us enough to sent God's son to die on the cross for us.

The kingdom is here. It has to do with love, but it has even more to do with Christ. Jesus gave his life, so that we would have life in the mist of God's unconditional love.


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Dear Jesus, help me to realize and share your kingdom through gestures of love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[admin]

He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.
(Matthew 28.6 NRSV)

Over a thousand years ago, a Spanish kingdom was under attack by foreign invaders. For many years, one small fort withstood all assaults, thanks to a remarkable leader called El Cid. When their great leader died, his followers had an idea. They dressed his body in his armor, tied a sword in his hand, and placed his corpse on his horse. With El Cid's body in the lead, the Spanish forces charged. But they were quickly defeated, for this act fooled no one. A desperate trick that collapsed led to despair instead of victory.

There will always be those who insist that this was the strategy of the early church--a dead leader, dressed in armor, propped up on a horse with sword in hand. "Tell people," the chief priests said to the soldiers following Christ's resurrection, "that his disciples came while you were asleep and stole his body. That way if the story of his disappearance reaches the governor's ears you won't get into trouble." (Mt. 28:14) Thus from the very beginning, the explanation was advanced that the disciples had stolen Christ's body in order to invent the story of his resurrection.

Never has a less satisfactory solution been proposed to a difficult problem. The reason this explanation was not persuasive then is the same reason it is not persuasive now. It simply does not fit the facts. Christ is alive and nothing can change that fact!

God of the living, thank you for making me alive through Jesus Christ. Amen.

[janbear]

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
(John 20.19 NRSV)

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Never had there been a more demoralized group of believers than that tiny band of followers after Jesus' crucifixion. Only the women were brave enough to mourn him in public. The men were all in hiding--fearful that the Roman soldiers would next come for them. They were obviously stunned by the sudden turn of events. In one week's time they had seen their leader go from being cheered on his entrance into Jerusalem to being crucified between two thieves. They said in Luke 24:21, "We hoped that he was the One to redeem Israel..." But now he was dead and so were their dreams.
We can understand that. We too have difficulty accepting the death of a loved one. We can appreciate the feelings of a little girl who wrote a letter to God. It went like this: "Dear God,
"Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you've got now?"

We wish God did work like that. But God doesn't. The undertakers of this world all signed their letters, "Eventually yours."

We don't deal with death very well and neither did those early disciples. They were disappointed, discouraged, defeated on that first Easter morning. It would be difficult to imagine them mounting any kind of crusade at this point in their lives--much less, turning the world upside down. However, Jesus comes to them and says, "Peace be with you."

Where do we turn when we feel down?


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Dear God, lift me up to you when I am down. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
(Matthew 25.32 NRSV)

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In Matthew, Jesus is the judge of the righteous and the unrighteous. Jesus puts the righteous on his right, and the unrighteous on his left. The righteous people are good because they help clothe, feed, care, and visit those in need. The unrighteous don't help the needy and thus are separated from Jesus.
I heard about a newspaper staff who took a poll of their readers. They discovered that only four percent of their readers believed they didn't deserve to go to heaven. Twenty percent, however, knew other people whom they thought should not go to heaven.

It seems to me that none of us really deserve to be apart of God's heavenly kingdom. We have all neglected the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned. Some people even like to misuse the image of Jesus as judge to scare us over our lack of concern and help for others. But, seeing Jesus as a judge reminds us of our need for grace and forgiveness. We are sheep who have gone astray, but Jesus is the righteous judge who makes us righteous in the sight of God.


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God of all, help me to be righteous by my actions and by the savior who lives in me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

I am the good shepherd." (John 10:11 NRSV)

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The image of Jesus as a shepherd really helped the people of his day. People in Jesus' were dependent on sheep for their livelihood, and the sheep were dependent on the shepherd for their protection.
When I was very young, we had a small sheep farm for awhile. All of my older brothers and I showed our sheep each year at the 4-H county fair each year. Richard, my second oldest brother, had one sheep that he worked with so much that it would come right up to him anytime he was in the barnyard. Especially when it was feeding time, his favorite sheep was always right next to him. Richard also did a lot better than I did at the fair, because of his connection to his sheep. I wasn't so fortunate. I usually got last place, as I chased my sheep around the show ring. But, Richard was a good shepherd to his sheep, and his sheep followed his lead.

Are we following our shepherd's lead?


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Loving God, help me to be a better, more faithful, sheep. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven things into which angels long to look!
(1 Peter 1.12 NRSV)


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Generations ago John Spencer offered an interesting theory. He noted that the Jewish rabbis taught that when Joseph, in the times of plenty, had gathered much corn in Egypt, he threw the chaff into the river Nile. His purpose was to convey by means of the flowing river to cities and nations more remote the good news of the abundance laid up, not for themselves alone, but for others also.
"So God," writes Spencer, "in his abundant goodness, to make us know what glory there is in heaven, hath thrown some husks to us here in this world, that so, tasting the sweetness thereof, we might aspire to his bounty that is above, and draw out this happy conclusion to the great comfort of our precious souls--that if a little earthly glory do so much amaze us, what will the heavenly do? If there be such glory in God's footstool, what is there in his throne? If he give us so much in the land of our pilgrimage, what will he not give us in our own country? If He bestowed so much on his enemies, what will he not give to his friends?" Perhaps this is the reason for God's extravagance. He wants to prepare us for the greater extravagance of Heaven.


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Loving God, may I always look forward to serving you here and in heaven. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
(Matthew 6.6 NRSV)


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You may know the famous story of Jean Henri Fabre, the French naturalist, and his processional caterpillars. He encountered some of these interesting creatures one day while walking in the woods. They were marching in a long unbroken line front to back, front to back. What fun it would be, Fabre thought, to make a complete ring with these worms and let them march in a circle.
So, Fabre captured enough caterpillars to encircle the rim of a flowerpot. He linked them nose to posterior and started them walking in the closed circle. For days they turned like a perpetual merry-go-round. Although food was near at hand and accessible, the caterpillars starved to death on an endless march to nowhere.

That seems to be the story of many people today. They are on a march that leads to nowhere. We need to stop for a moment, and sit down in the presence of Jesus.


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God of salvation, may I find true fulfillment by being in the presence of your Son. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
(Psalm 106.1 NRSV)


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Campbell Morgan went to visit a member of his church. He was saddened to learn that she was to be evicted from her house because she couldn't pay the rent. That was on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday Campbell Morgan told his congregation that he wanted enough money from them to pay the woman's rent. They gave it to him. First thing Monday morning he went to the woman's house with the money. He could hardly wait to tell her the good news. He hammered on the door, but there was no answer. What a disappointment! He knocked again, but still no answer. He went away feeling dejected.
Some time later he discovered that the woman had been at home all the time. She had been afraid to answer the door, for she thought it was the landlord who had come for the rent. All the time she cowered in fear, it was her minister bringing her the money she needed.

When we shut God out of our lives, we, too, shut out the very One who can meet our deepest needs. For you see, God's greatest wish is to provide. God's very nature is to give. God is love. Love is always giving. If we are not receiving from God, the problem may be on our end, for God is a giving God.


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Dear God, I come to you that I may be filled with your love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
(Matthew 14.19 NRSV)


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Sometimes we are simply blind to God's wondrous bounty. We are like the tragic residents of one of America's first villages. During the winter of 1610, the population of Jamestown went from about 500 people to about 60. While disease and Indians took some, most of the settlers simply starved. There were plentiful supplies of fish, oysters, frogs, fowl, and deer; but these settlers from the city were not accustomed to obtaining food from the land. Hence, they starved!
We sometimes act the same way. God comes to us continually in the person of the Holy Spirit to guide us. As a loving Father God awaits the opportunity to meet our needs, but we are not accustomed to receiving from God's loving hand. Nor does it occur to us to pray. So we wander blindly from problem to problem, a sort of picture of those early settlers who starved in a land of plenty.

"Make the people sit down," Jesus commanded his disciples. Then he took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed these loaves and these fish to all who were seated, as much as they wanted. So also do we receive God's blessings when we sit and wait and when we receive what God has to offer.


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Dear God, help me to take time to receive your blessings. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries. (Psalm 17:7 NRSV Bible)

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A group of first graders got together and decided to write their own version of the Nativity. It was more modern than the traditional drama. Oh, there were the familiar members of the cast: Joseph, the shepherds, the three wise men, the star and an angel propped up in the background. But Mary was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly from behind some bales of hay could be heard some soft moans and groans. Evidently Mary was in labor.
Soon a doctor arrived dressed in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck. Joseph, with a look of relief on his face takes the doctor straight to Mary, then starts pacing back and forth. After a few moments the "doctor" emerges with a big smile on his face. "Congratulations, Joseph," he says, "It's a God!"

Indeed, during this season we celebrate God coming to us in the form of Jesus Christ. Who was born in a manager in Bethlehem to be our savior.


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Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to be my savior. May I not take you for granted, especially during this great and holy season. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because your are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16 NRSV Bible)

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I remember reading about Winston Lloyd who was an aide to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. One day he brought to Kissinger a long-awaited report on conflicts in South America.
Without even glancing at the report, Kissinger asked, "Is this the very best you can do?"

Lloyd stammered for a few moments and said, "There were a few informational gaps."

"Take it back," Kissinger said and dismissed him.

Two weeks later, after working night and day, Lloyd again entered Kissinger's office and held out the report.

"Is this the very best you can do?" Kissinger asked, without looking at the document.

Lloyd hesitated and admitted that there were some parts of the report that were incomplete. Kissinger told him to take it back. Three weeks later Lloyd asked for another meeting.

For the third time Kissinger asked, "Is this the very best you can do?"

Lloyd replied, "Mr. Secretary, this is my very best effort."

Kissinger smiled and said, "That's all I ever ask. I'll be happy to read your report."

Doing our best is all God asks of us. You and I do not have a right relationship with God because of the things we do. Our faith is the important key in our commitment to God. However, what we do says a lot about how much we care and how committed we are to serving God.

I realize that we are human. None of us are going to do everything perfectly like Jesus was able to do, but to follow God means that we are called to do our best. In Revelation 3:15-16, it says, "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because your are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

God doesn't want us to be lukewarm. God does want us to do our very best.



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Dear God, turn up the heat so that I may be on fire for you by doing my very best. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. (John 13:15 NRSV Bible)

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Choosing great persons for models is good advice for anybody. But who would be on your list? A few of us might choose Mother Teresa. Some may choose Martin Luther King, Jr., the Pope, or Billy Graham. But if you want to find someone who has done all things well our list would be mighty short.
Who shall we choose to follow? There is only one who achieved excellence in every area of life and that one was Jesus Christ. He lived well, he taught well, he died well. Beyond that, he rose triumphantly and lives with God forever. Christ is the one we celebrate today. Christ is the one we should model our lives after.

In a Peanuts cartoon, Snoopy sat droopy-eyed at the entrance of his dog house. He lamented, "Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I will still be a dog. There's so little hope for advancement!"

We are who we are, but we can be so much more by modeling our lives after Jesus Christ.


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Dear God, how wonderful is the example of your son. May I do all I can to allow him to live through me. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. (Mark 7:34-35 NRSV Bible)

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I remember reading about a lady who stepped into an elevator and said to the operator, "The eleventh floor, please." He asked politely, "Whom did you wish to see on the eleventh floor?" She snapped back, "That's none of your business, young man." "I'm not being nosy lady, it's just that this building only has eight floors." We can make the same mistake; we can set unrealistic expectation. But the real question that confronts us is whether we are willing to pay the price to achieve what we know in our hearts we can achieve.
As demonstrated in our scripture reading today, Jesus' centered his life on fully serving God's people. One of Jesus's own disciples did not commit his all to serving God. He was really looking out for his own good. He was the treasurer for Jesus and the disciples. It is speculated that he often dipped into the treasury for his own pleasure. Jesus even knew early on that there was a bad apple in his inner circle. That bad apple was Judas.

But, there are also many Biblical stories where people did give their all to God. Paul is one example. He was a persecutor of Christians. Then after his conversion on the road to Damascus, he became the greatest missionary in the history of the church and started many new churches.

How are we doing is serving God?


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Dear God, help me to hear your whispered word, so that I may more faithfully serve you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." (Mark 7:31 NRSV Bible)

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In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown, Linus, and Lucy are on their way to school. It's show and tell day. Lucy asks Linus if he has remembered to bring anything for show and tell.
"Yes," Linus answers, "I have a couple of things here to show the class." He then unfolds some papers. "These are copies I've been making of some of the Dead Sea scrolls," he says. Holding them up for Charlie Brown and Lucy to inspect he continues. "This is a duplicate of the scroll of Isaiah, chapters 38-40. It was made from 17 pieces of sheep skin and was found in a cave by a Bedouin shepherd."

Pulling out another piece of paper he says, "Here I have made a copy of the earliest known fragment ever found. It's a portion of I Samuel 23: 9-16. I'll try to explain to the class how these manuscripts have influenced modern scholarship."

Lucy responds, "Very interesting, Linus," and she turns to Charlie Brown and asks, "Are you bringing something for show and tell Charlie Brown?"

"Well," says a dejected Charlie Brown, "I had a little red fire engine here but I think I'll just forget it."

Do you think Charlie Brown did his best by giving up? His red fire engine would have been a great way to talk about fire safety or to address some other fire relate issue, but by giving up Charlie Brown was not doing his best.

Our theme for the day comes from words spoken about Jesus. After he had taught and after he had healed, the people said, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." What more can anybody ask of us than to do our best? What more can God ask of us than for us to do our best?


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Dear Jesus, you did your best for me, so that I may know true love. Help me to do my best, so that others will see your love through me. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[Cleaned-Up]

I just signed up today and have been reading your Blog. It is certainly God- Inspired and Godly Lead. I most certainly look forward to reading the recent and past God filled messages that you left.

[janbear]

Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" (Mark 1:23-25 NRSV Bible)

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Our scripture reading today is about a man who got real deliverance from that which tormented him. Do we believe that Jesus can really help us?
I heard a story once of a telephone line worker who was putting up some poles in a farmer's field. The farmer's wife told the telephone worker to get off her property. The middle aged worker showed her the papers that gave the phone company permission to put up the poles in the field. Soon a bull charged the telephone worker, and the farmer's wife yelled, "Show him your papers, show him your papers."

Unfortunately, many see Jesus' authority as only having paper authority. They see Jesus' help only being a reality on the pages of the Bible, and not in their lives. But if we want to change and if we believe, Jesus can make a positive difference in our lives. He can make life much more fulfilling. But believing must be a daily encounter and a life long process. Our call today is to believe and allow Jesus to transform our lives.


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God of change, please transform my life, so that I may fulfill your call. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matthew 8:34 NRSV)
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In the comic strip, BEETLE BAILEY, the general looks at his office staff, who are leaning on their elbows at their desks, and immediately changes a wall sign from THINK to ACT.
Jesus had done much to teach his disciples. Now it was time to act. Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." I wonder if it's even possible to speak about self-denial. After all, we live in a society were ME comes first. We say things like, "I've got to find myself. I've got to do my own thing. I will buy only the finest, because after all, 'I'm worth it.'"

Such an attitude was epitomized for many people by Margaret Trudeau, the wife of the former Prime Minister of Canada. You may remember her. At age 28, after marrying the Prime Minister of Canada and giving birth to three beautiful children, she announced simply that she was not herself. She left her husband and her children behind in order to be herself. We are the ME generation. We want what we want and we want it now.

How strange these words of Jesus seem in this context. "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves." Deny yourself. How out of place those words may seem, but that is exactly what our savior is calling us to do. NRSV Bible)


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Dear God, may I act rightly today my denying myself, as I pick up the cross of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

As you go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 10:7 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a silly story about a group of animals in the jungle who decided to have a football game. The problem was that no one could tackle the rhinoceros. Once he got a head of steam, he was unstoppable. When he received the opening kick-off, he rambled for a touchdown. The score was seven to nothing immediately. Somehow, they managed to keep the ball away from him the remainder of the first quarter. At the beginning of the second quarter, the other team tied the score 7 to 7.
The lion tried to warn the zebra on the kickoff not to kick it to the rhinoceros. But the zebra ignored the warning. The rhino caught the ball and there he was racing for the touchdown. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he was brought down with a vicious tackle. When the animals unpiled, it was discovered that a centipede had made the tackle.

"That was fantastic!" congratulated the lion. "But where were you on the opening kick-off?"

The centipede replied, "I was still putting on my shoes."

Are we still putting on our shoes to serve God? God needs each one of us to be in the game of life sharing the good news!


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Dear God, thank you for the good news you have sent to me today. Now, help me to share it! In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31 NRSV Bible)

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I remember an old story about a court jester who was once given a wand by the nobleman he served. "Keep this," said the nobleman, until you find a greater fool than yourself." The jester put away the wand and kept it for many years. One day the nobleman lay dying. Calling the jester to his side, he said, "I am going on a long journey." The jester asked, "Where to?" The nobleman shrugged his shoulders. "For how long?" asked the jester. "Forever," replied the nobleman weakly. "What provisions have you made for your journey?" asked the jester. "None," answered the nobleman. "Then," said the jester, "take this," and he handed the nobleman his wand. "For you are a greater fool than I."
The nobleman was a fool because he had not prepared for his future. Jesus knew it was important to be prepared for the future. For only fools don't prepare for what is to come.

Today, begins the season of Lent. It is a season where we are reminded to prepare ourselves to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In our scripture reading today, Jesus is trying to prepare the disciples to be ready for what is to come. He directly says to them, I will be rejected, I will be killed, and after three days I will rise again. Jesus wanted the disciples to be prepared for what was to come. The road would not be easy. And Jesus did not want the disciples following him under false pretenses. Jesus wanted the disciples to be ready for the trials and suffering they would endure.

It is important that we ask ourselves if we are ready for what is to come, because if we take our faith seriously the road ahead will not be easy. It will be a great challenge. But, we can also be prepared for the future by developing our spiritual lives in connection with God through Jesus Christ. Are we prepared for what the future holds?


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Dear God, thank you for this season of Lent. May I do all I can to truly be prepared for whatever the future holds. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. (I John 4:16 NRSV Bible)

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One of the important things Jesus does for us is shed light on the nature of God. He shows us in his own life what God is all about. An officer in the National Council of Churches was invited to help lead worship in a service to be televised from Israel some years ago. The service was beamed from a very old, small church under the care of a community of monks. The church was a bit run-down. It hadn't been modernized with electrical power.
As the officer from the Council looked around, a fascinating scene played before her. The television crew was busy going about its work of setting up generators, stringing cables, mounting cameras to stands, placing microphones. Hushed and standing back against the walls, were the monks. They seemed like guests from another century.

Something extraordinary happened as the scene played on. The technicians began to test the lights. The whole dark chapel flamed to light. Some of the monks looked up, nudged their brothers. Soon they were all pointing upward. The monks then vanished. Presently they scurried back bringing the entire community to see what they had seen.

On the ceiling was a painting. A member of their order, in a forgotten century long ago, had erected a scaffold. High there above the small sanctuary he had quietly painted by candlelight an unseen masterpiece meant for the eyes of God only. The lights of the television cameras had brought this ancient masterpiece into full view.

Christ did that to our knowledge of God. Who can know the mind of God? The wisest of minds among us have suggested that if we could capture God in our tiny brains, He could not be God. How then shall we know Him? Only one way. God has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. What is God like? He is like Jesus. Loving, compassionate, merciful, forgiving. What an example to follow!


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Dear God, thank you for revealing your love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Help me to live by his example. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:5 NRSV Bible)

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Until recent times, the night has been viewed as somewhat hostile. Why? The absence of light. Walking in the dark is a fearful experience. At night thieves and murderers ply their trade. At night the drug dealers and the merchants in human flesh do their thing. "Early to bed and early to rise..." is the ancient wisdom.
Now days we are surrounded by artificial light. It is difficult for us to appreciate the way night was perceived in earlier times. For centuries, people illuminated their dwellings and work places with fire. It was not until William Murdoch invented the gaslight in 1803, however, that large areas could be lit up after dark. For centuries before that, people walked in darkness--literally.

In the centuries in which the Bible was written, people knew the meaning of darkness. Thus when Biblical writers proclaimed that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, they were speaking of something vivid, dramatic, hopeful. When they spoke of Christ as the light of the world, they were ascribing to him the ability to transform their world from one of darkness and despair to one of hope and joy. You must understand the darkness of that world to appreciate the words of the Psalmist: "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?" (27:1) Or the words of John: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." (1:5)

Perhaps if we lived in Alaska, we could get a feel for darkness. Barrow, Alaska, on the Arctic Ocean, is the northernmost point in North America. In winter, it is also one of the darkest. The sun set there this past November and won't be seen again until the end of January. Getting through over two months of night isn't easy.

The people of Barrow understand the significance of light. In the last part of January, when the first feeble rays of sunlight peep back over the horizon, some Harrovians will take to the ice to fly brightly colored kites in a jubilant celebration. The darkness has been dispelled. Light is now here.

It isn't easy to live in darkness, and it isn't easy to live without Christ.


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Lord Jesus, take me out of the darkness and bring me into your glorious light. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 NRSV Bible)

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One crisp winter evening, a pastor got an astronomy lesson from his teenage son. About forty-five degrees up from the horizon in the northern sky, the boy pointed to the North Star. He pointed out that the constellations--Taurus, Pegasus, Orion, and all the others. They rotate like the hands of a clock around that one fixed light--the North Star. They move, but it never moves. That is why sailors in every century have used the North Star to steer in the right direction. It is always a reliable point of reference. It does raise or lower about twenty-three degrees in reference to the horizon between summer and winter. But while everything else in the heavens shuffles around, it basically stands still.
Perhaps Abraham Lincoln had the North Star in mind. During the darkest days of the Civil War, Lincoln had the burden of sustaining the hopes of the Union. Once when a delegation called at the White House with a catalogue of crises facing America, Lincoln comforted them with this story: "Years ago," said Lincoln, "a young friend and I were out one night when a shower of meteors fell from the clear November sky. The young man was frightened, but I told him to look up in the sky past the shooting stars to the fixed stars beyond shining serene in the firmament, and I said, 'Let us not mind the meteors, but let us keep our eyes on the stars.'"

There are some lights that shine as a fixed reminder of a permanent reality. The light of Christ is that kind of light. Indeed, the whole idea of liberty is impossible without the dignity Christ gives to the individual life. How can anyone count his or her life unworthy who can say, "The Son of God died for me?"


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Dear Jesus, continue to be a permanent reality of God's light in my life everyday. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:21 NRSV Bible)

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The Bible has a lot of saintly things to say about us who are made perfect through Jesus Christ. In the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, we are described as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In John we are the fruit connected to Christ, who is the Vine. In Romans we are joint heirs with Christ, sharing his inheritance. In Corinthians we are a temple a dwelling place of God. In Galatians we are sons and daughters of God one in Christ. In Ephesians we are saints, fellow citizens with the rest of God's family. In Philippians we are citizens of heaven, seated in heaven right now. In Colossians we are hidden with Christ in God. In Thessalonians we are chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. In Peter we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. And in Revelation we are those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
II Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." We are saints because we have been made perfect through Jesus Christ.

George Gallup, famous for his Gallup Polls, wrote a book called THE SAINTS AMONG US, in which he interviewed people from across the nation who apparently have lifestyles that have their friends calling them "saints." These "saints" are not racially prejudiced, and are more giving and forgiving than most people.

It would be great if the people who know us would consider us to be saints. But what is really important is how God sees us and how we see ourselves. We are saints because of Jesus Christ who makes us perfect in the presence of God.


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Dear God, it is really hard to me to think of myself as a saint. I am thankful, however, that I am a saint in your eyes, because of your offering of Jesus Christ. Amen.

[janbear]

Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. (Mark 12:43 NRSV Bible)

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The widow's offering in our scripture reading today said that she believed in the work of God. The work of the temple was important to her and she wanted to support it. Doubtless, it was with pleasure that she dropped in her coins for she knew she was part of something bigger than herself.
You know why people of limited means support TV evangelists? You may feel like I do about TV evangelist. I think they offer an impersonal religion and ineffectively use people's gifts. But people who support them feel that they are part of something important something far bigger than they are. There is a certain dignity about being able to give to something you believe in. It says that we are not simply takers but we are givers. We are all born with this need to give.

There was a reason that the widow spent her last few coins on the work of God rather than on herself. Perhaps she had discovered that valuable secret of her need to give, and she found peace in her giving. I hope each one of us will also find that peace.


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Lord Jesus, you have given so much of yourself to me. Help me to give in such a way that I will find the peace of fulfilling my need to give. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. (Philippians 4:15 NRSV Bible)

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What makes a saint a saint. Paul thought the people in the Philippian church were saints, because they were giving people. Paul says, in our scripture reading today, "You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone." One of the important trade marks of a saint is one who gives. Are we always good givers? Most of the time we are good givers. Jesus once said, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" We know how to give good things to our children, so we should also be good gives of all that God has intrusted us with.
Baseball pitcher Orel Hershiser in his book OUT OF THE BLUE tells about an encounter he had with Dodger's manager Tommy Lasorda. Lasorda called Hershiser into his office one day and shouted at him, "You don't believe in yourself! You're scared to pitch in the big leagues! Who do you think these hitters are, Babe Ruth? Ruth's dead! You've got good stuff. If you didn't, I wouldn't have hired you. I've seen guys come and go, son, and you've got it! Be aggressive. Be a bulldog out there. That's gonna be your new name: Bulldog. With that name, you'll scare the batters to death!

"Starting today, I want you to believe you are the best pitcher in baseball. Look at that hitter and say, 'There's no way you can ever hit me.'"

Two days later Orel pitched relief and in 3 innings, he gave up only 1 run. Lasorda's talk (he calls it his "Sermon on the mound") had worked.

How do we view ourselves? Can we believe that God created us to be saints, but because of our humanness occasionally sin? Paul knew the people in the early church were not perfect, but he still referred to them as saints. Paul says, "Greet every saint in Christ Jesus." What you do doesn't determine who you are; who you are determines what you do.


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Dear Jesus, you are the greatest saint of all. Help me to be a faithful saint who follows you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him; therefore your servant has found it possible to pray before you. (1 Chronicles 17:25 NRSV Bible)

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You may be familiar with Robert Schuller. He has written a lot about possibility or positive thinking. On one occasion Schuller invited Pat Boone to sing for his congregation. He introduced Boone by saying that Pat sometimes gets tired of his image. So, once a year, Pat checks into a motel under a different name, and goes into the closet and puts on black shoes. The congregation laughed. They knew that white shoes were Pat's trademark.
Pat was invited back to Schuller's church a second time. He remembered what Schuller had said the last time he was there. Pat told the congregation that Schuller got tired of his image too. So once a year Schuller checks into a motel and goes into the closet and shouts "It's impossible! I can't do it.

Schuller is known for his possibility thinking. We need to look at the possibilities God has in store of us.


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God of possibilities, help me to realize your possibilities for my life in this new year. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1 NRSV Bible)

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Isaiah says in verse one of today's scripture, "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." Isaiah was calling his people to let the light of God shine in and through them. We, too, should look at the possibilities of how God's light can shine through us.
It is easy to look at our limitations to keep God's light from shining through us. We may say I've had a rough year, and I cannot go forward right now. We may say we are too old or too young. We can make up a lot of accuses, but we do have the power to let God's light shine.

As we look at our possibilities, notice I am not saying that is will be easy. I am saying we can be our best with God's help.

But success cannot always be measured. If the coming year brings us closer to God and closer to our family and friends, then we will have a year of many possibilities and successes.


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Dear God, may all of my possibilities come by growing closer to you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:36 NRSV Bible)

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One day a group of Sadducees approached Jesus with a question about life beyond the grave. The Sadducees were members of the priestly party who were very conservative in their theology. Their scriptures consisted only of the first five books of the Old Testament--those books attributed to Moses. Unlike the Pharisees they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or angels. Neither did they believe in future punishments or rewards.
They believed that when the body died so did the soul. Since there was no mention of the dead being brought back to life in the first five books of the Bible, they concluded that there was no such thing. They were not the least bit open to Jesus' teachings. In fact, they were trying to trap him. They wanted to embarrass him--to discredit him and expose him as a fraud.

They brought Jesus a complex riddle. If a man married and died before he had any children, it was the custom of the day for his next oldest brother to marry his widow. In their riddle the Sadducees had the widow marry a man who then died, then his next oldest brother, who died, then the next, until she had married and buried seven brothers. "In the resurrection," they asked Jesus, "whose wife will the woman be?" Obviously, the Sadducees hadn't asked this question for edification. They didn't even believe in a resurrection!

The Sadducees' question was a test. It was a trap. Jesus, though, saw this as an opportunity to set the record straight. In heaven, he explained in verse 36, there is no need for marriage, "because they are like angels and are children of God."

I believe, in heaven, we will know our family and friends, but heaven will be more wonderful than our human relationships.


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Dear God, help me to know the assurance of my resurrection, so that I can focus on serving your people. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." (Mark 1:15 NRSV Bible)

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I like the story about the battered old man who got up one night during a revival meeting and said: "Brothers and sisters, you know and I know that I ain't been what I ought to of been. I've stolen hogs and told lies, and got drunk, and was always getting in fights, and shooting craps, and playing poker, and I've cussed and swore; but I thank the Lord there's one thing I ain't never done: I ain't never lost my religion."
It is true that we won't lose our religion when we have done something wrong if we seek God's forgiveness. Forgiveness is important to restoring relationship. Frederick Buechner, a well known Christian writer, said, "To repent is to come to our senses. It is not so much something you do as something that happens. True repentance spends less time looking at the past and saying 'I'm sorry,' than to the future and saying 'Wow!"

We have all heard many criminals say they were sorry for the crime they committed, but many of them continue to be criminals. Did you know that by far most of the people in our jails today are repeat offenders. They may feel sorry for their sins and crimes, but no real change has taken place. You see, true repentance is a matter of changing directions.

The most important change of direction we can make is becoming a faithful disciple of God and Jesus Christ moment by moment and day by day.


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Lord Jesus, may I follow you everyday so that my life will be the best possible example of faithfulness. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The LORD looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. (Psalms 14:2 NRSV Bible)

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The Hollywood version of life after death is portrayed in Albert Brooks' movie, "Defending Your Life." Brooks plays the part of Daniel Miller, an advertising man who is killed by a bus. He finds himself in Judgment City along with many other people. They are ushered into the city with all the efficiency of a bus tour.
Newly arrived persons are taken to what appears to be hotels and told to sleep because they are tired from their transformation. Their assignment is to spend one week in Judgment City reviewing their lives. A defender is assigned to Daniel Miller who explains the process to him. In a courtroom they will review nine days of his life. Then the judges will decide whether or not he will move ahead or return to earth and attempt to live a better life.

The episodes shown on the giant television screen of Daniel Miller's life reveal a man who is often fearful and afraid to take action. The prosecutor recommends that he return to earth to work on conquering his fears.

While in Judgment City he meets a woman named Julia. Julia brings out the best in Daniel. The last scene of the movie shows Daniel boarding a bus back to earth. Julia has boarded another bus to an unknown destination. Daniel sees Julia and runs toward her bus, clinging to the bus window for dear life. At that moment Daniel is able to conquer his fears and is allowed to join Julia. In typical Hollywood fashion, they both are advanced to a better life.

"Defending Your Life" is only one of several movies that deals with the subject of life after death. LIFE magazine has done featured articles on the same subject. Both believers and unbelievers are asking questions about life on the other side. Devout people will forever want to know what heaven will be like. However, for those who live with Jesus Christ in their hearts, we know our reward will be eternal salvation in the presence of our loving God. That, of course, is the most important point of heaven.


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Dear Jesus, thank you for giving me the peace of knowing that with your death is not the end of my story. In your name I pray, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. (Isaiah 60:2 NRSV Bible)

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Isaiah's main task was to remind God's people of who they were. In verse two, Isaiah says, "For darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you." Isaiah was trying to remind the people that they were God's people, even through they were an exiled people. They were scattered in many parts of the world, but they were still God's people.
Just like the Israelite people, we too are a chosen people, because God sent Jesus Christ into the world to be our savior. We are God's people. Christ died for us.

I think this poem says it well:

I may be young; I may be old,
But I am somebody, For I am God's Child.
I may be educated; I may be unlettered,
But I am somebody, For I am God's Child.
I may be black; I may be white,
But I am somebody, For I am God's Child.
I may be rich; I may be poor,
But I am somebody, For I am God's Child.
I may be fat; I may be thin,
But I am somebody, For I am God's Child.
I may be married; I may be divorced or single,
But I am somebody, For I am God's Child.
I may be successful; I may be a failure,
But I am somebody, For I am God's Child.
I may be a sinner; I may be a saint,
But I am somebody, For Jesus is my Savior.
I am God's Child.


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Loving God, help me to more fully understand my purpose of being your child. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23 NRSV Bible)

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I read a story this week of two young sisters who were waiting for services to begin at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Illinois. The older sister said to her younger sister, "Now when we sing 'Jesus Loves Me' then we go downstairs with the rest of the children!"
The younger sister asked, "Why!"

The older sister responded, "So we don't fall asleep up here!"

I wonder sometimes if all of us don't need to be with the children so we won't go to sleep during worship. As you may remember, Jesus had the same problem with his disciples when he went off to pray.

But today, Jesus comes to awaken us through the proclamation of the good news.

Jesus went around the countryside preaching to the people about the great rewards of living for God. In our society today some people are asking if preaching and the church are relevant for such a modern world. With instant communications and T.V., the voice of the church is often hard to hear. I have had many people ask me why Jesus or God doesn't do something really dramatic to get peoples attention, so more people would believe.

When we read about the life of Jesus Christ, we can find many stories were Jesus did do some dramatic things to get people's attention. I have even read about and experienced some dramatic things that have called my attention to God's power and love. In fact, there are miracles happening around us everyday. But many of the miracles of today have become ordinary for us, so we don't notice them. But even if we discount everyday miracles, the standards of our modern society would still say that Jesus was very successful. Remember that Jesus started with just twelve disciples. Today, there are millions of believers.

Jesus comes to us to bring the good news, and our call is to listen. And when we do, we will hear about the great rewards of knowing God.


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Dear Jesus, thank you for sharing the Good News with me. May I be a good listener. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. (John 11:25-26 NRSV Bible)

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We need to experience the presence of the living God in our lives today! Jesus says, "And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." These were people who had the spirit of God working in their lives and found true life in the presence of God. Moses also made it clear that God is the God of the living, weather in this life or the one to come.
I remember a story of a little girl who came running downstairs one morning, lighthearted as only a child can be. She rushed into the kitchen and noticed that her mother wore a grim expression.
"Mommy," she said, "aren't you happy?"
"Why certainly I'm happy," her mother replied.
"Well," said the little girl, "you certainly haven't told your face yet."

It is not always easy, but our lives should reflect the presence of God living in us today. Jesus said in John 3:21, "But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." Not only is there an indescribable and beautiful life beyond this world, but even more important, heaven is present here and available to each of us. For wherever truth is, God is there, and heaven is brought closer to each one of us.


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God of the living, please bring your heavenly kingdom closer to me today, as I live for you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him." (Matthew 17:16 NRSV Bible)

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There were times in the disciples' lives when everything seemed to go wrong. People rejected their message. Some even tried to kill them. There were times when they did their very best and no one responded. Sometimes they were run out of town. Being a follower of Jesus required patience and endurance. It still does.
Faith in God is important when things get rough. I remember reading about an 86 year old woman who was flying for the first time in her life. She heard the following announcement over the plane's intercom: "This is your captain speaking. Our number four engine has just been shut off because of mechanical trouble.

However, there is nothing to worry about. We will continue our flight with three engines and will land in Chicago on schedule. Also, I have some really reassuring news for you. We have four bishops on board."

The 86 year old passenger, who had been listening apprehensively called the flight attendant. "Would you please tell the captain that I would rather have four engines than four bishops."

Where do we get the ability to keep going even when everything appears to be going wrong? From God and God alone. In times of need we receive help from beyond ourselves. Thus we persevere and live one day at a time.


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Dear God, thank you for giving me the ability to fulfill what you have called me to do. Help me to be faithful to your call. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Follow me and I will make you fish for people. (Mark 1:17 NRSV Bible)

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When we first read the Bible about Jesus calling fishermen to be his disciples, we might ask, "Why did Jesus pick such ordinary, uneducated people to be his disciples." It seems that maybe Jesus would have been more successful if he had picked some well education leaders in the Jewish community and some Roman politicians in high places. Instead Jesus pick ordinary people. But there was a difference, Jesus saw the great potential in the ones he called. And more importantly, he saw them as important forces for building God's corporate management team and community.
How do we see others, the homeless, and those in need? Do we feel sorry for them? Or do we see them with their great potential, as Jesus did.

I remember a few years ago going to a board meeting of a community outreach center. After the meeting, I met a man who served on the board. We would probably consider him to be a candidate for the services offered by the center. He and his wife live on a small social security income. They have medication bills of over $500 dollars a month. The man had to carry an oxygen tank around because of his many years of smoking. This man was in bad shape. It would be easy to look at that man and his wife and feel sorry for them. But they are not sitting around waiting for handouts or feeling sorry for themselves. In fact, they are the ones who are giving the handouts. They volunteered every week at the center that helped others. Even in their struggles, their Christian potential was being lived out.

We need to look at others and ourselves and see the great potential we all have in being an important force in God's community of faith. There are many ways in which we can fulfill our potential. The most important step to fulfilling our potential is by becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." That statement by Jesus says very clearly that his new disciples had the potential resources to serve God and God's people. He used their strengths and potential, as fishermen, to "fish for people."


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Dear God, help me to be a good fish and a good fisher of your children. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. (Mark 13:31-33 NRSV Bible)

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Douglas Mayor, a fifteen year old boy who lived in Missouri, had been feeling bad for several days. His mother, Donna, took him to the emergency room where blood tests revealed one of the most agonizing things a parent can learn about a child. Douglas was diagnosed as having leukemia.
During the next forty-eight hours, Douglas endured blood transfusions, spinal and bone marrow tests and chemotherapy. For five days his mother stayed in his hospital room. Douglas became depressed.

During the first day in the hospital, Douglas said to his mother, "I thought you get flowers when you're in the hospital." One of his aunts called Brix Florist in St. Louis. His aunt wanted the sales clerk to be aware of the flower arrangement's significance. "I want the planter to be especially attractive. It's for my teenage nephew who has leukemia," she told the clerk. "Oh," said the salesclerk. "Let's add some fresh-cut flowers to brighten it up."

When the floral arrangement arrived Douglas opened the envelope and read the card from his aunt. Then he saw another card. The second card read: "Douglas--I took your order. I work at Brix Florist. I had leukemia when I was seven years old. I'm 22 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you. Sincerely, Laura Bradley." Douglas' face lit up.

Often it is the little extra things that we do that make a big difference. Loving things, encouraging things. Whether the world comes to an end today or billions of years from now, we want to be found not sitting on a roof-top looking crazily into the sky, but helping God's people.


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Lord Jesus, it is so easy to get busy and forget about the important work you called me to do. May I use the blessing of you in my life to be a blessing to others. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1 NRSV Bible)

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I'm reminded of two men who were talking about their New Year's resolutions. The first man said, "We decided as a family, we watch too much T.V. My son watches so much T.V. that he doesn't get his chores done. My daughter watches so much T.V. that she doesn't get her homework done. My wife watches so much T.V. that she doesn't get her work done." The other man said, "Well, what have you decided to do?" "Well, I have decided that I'm simply going to unplug the T.V. That is as soon as the football season is over!"
God is counting on you and me to make our lives and the ministry of our churches great, but let's not wait. Let's begin today to discover the great possibilities ahead of us.

In our scripture reading today, Isaiah is speaking about the peace that will come to the nation of Israel. Peace won't come easily, but the reward will be great.

The same is true for us. We can fulfill the great possibilities of peace and hope, if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. Peace and hope won't come easily, but the rewards will be great. May we all do our part in fulfilling the great possibilities God has given to each of us.


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Dear Jesus, please help me to fulfill all of the possibilities you have in store for me in doing your work. In your name I pray, Amen.

[admin]

When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. (Luke 9:36 NRSV Bible) There seems to be no escape from noise in our society. Wouldn't it be nice though, from time to time, to experience what Peter, James and John experienced on the mountain of the Transfiguration? They had gone away to a secluded spot for prayer with the Master. Doubtless they were not prepared for what happened there.

It is interesting that on the two occasions when Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a secluded spot for prayer, the disciples fell asleep. It was these same three who nodded off while Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. This time when they awakened, however, they experienced something that they would never forget. They were not only in the presence of Jesus, but also two of the most significant figures of the Old Testament--Moses, representing the Law and Elijah, representing the prophets.

Doubtless the three disciples were stunned. Peter spoke up and declared, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." Good old Simon Peter. Putting in his 2 cents worth as usual. About this time a cloud--the symbol of God's presence--moved in and enshrouded them and they were afraid. A voice spoke from the cloud, "This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to Him!" When the voice had spoken and the cloud departed, Moses and Elijah had vanished. Luke tells us that in the face of this experience the three disciples kept silence and told no one anything of what they had seen.

What was there to say? There are some experiences for which words are inadequate. How can words express what you feel when you first hold your new-born child? What words are adequate to comfort one who has lost their life's partner? Even more strikingly, what can you say when you have been in the presence of the living God? Luke tells us that they "kept silence," and that is an appropriate response. Do honor appropriate times for silence?

Dear God, help me to learn to be silent, and help me to use my silence to listen to you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. (Romans 7:4 NRSV Bible)

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Some of us may remember the name Leon Spinks. In the cruel world of professional boxing, Spinks was once the world heavyweight champion. Sometime back, Spinks was quoted as saying this: "People were always asking, after I won the title, 'Who is Leon Spinks?'" Then he added, "It's a question I've been asking all my life. I didn't know who I was but I knew I wanted to be somebody...I was tired of being nobody."
I wonder if anybody had ever told Leon Spinks that even before he was formed in his mother's womb, the eternal God knew who he was? That is the good news for the day. We matter. We are worth something. Let no one say that we are nobodies. This beautiful world was created in our behalf. The infinite stars would not shine down from the skies if we were not here to behold them. Of even more staggering import is a cross that stands on a hill named Calvary. For it was there that the Son of the living God gave His life in our behalf.

In Sweden there is a saying that "in every man there is a king, and in every woman, a queen. If you speak to them as 'Your Majesty,' their majesty will come forth." May we all live like we are children of God!


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Dear God, sometimes I don't do a very good job of loving myself. Remind me each day that I am your child! May I also treat everyone I meet as your child. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. (Romans 12:6 NRSV Bible)

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It is important for us to understand that each of us had different gifts, and it is important that we use well the gifts we God has given to us. There are no superstars in God's work. In God's perfect plan for the world each of us has different talents, interests and abilities. Not all of us can be teachers. Who would feed or clothe us? Whom would we teach? Not all of us can be farmers. Who would bandage our wounds when we are hurt? Our world functions as smoothly as it does because God has gifted us in unique ways.
So it is with the work of the Kingdom. Each of us has a different spiritual gift. When we all use our gifts as God intends, then the world is blessed and our own lives are enriched.

All great leaders have recognized that to be effective, we must use the gifts God has given us. Grady Wilson for years handled evangelist Billy Graham's business affairs. We are told that some time back Wilson was faced with a decision about whether to move the Billy Graham organization to larger quarters. Unable to arrive at a decision, he called Dr. Graham for advice. Graham answered kindly but firmly. "I don't call you and ask you what I should preach," he said. "Don't call me about what you should do with buildings."

One of the secrets of Billy Graham's success has been in locating people with gifts and entrusting them to use those gifts. Each of us has different gifts. The key to successful living is not to grieve over the gifts we do not have, but to take those we do have and use them in honoring God.


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Lord Jesus, Help me spend less time wishing for the abilities that I don't have, and help me to spend more time using the ones I do have! Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (Isaiah 62-2-3 NRSV Bible)

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There are two themes that dominate the writings of all the great prophets. They are Judgement and Hope. As far as the prophets were concerned, Israel's greatness as a nation did not depend on its prosperity or its military might. They knew that a nation's character was more important than its cash reserves. They did not buy the prosperity Gospel. Israel's wealthy elite might "have it all," but they dare not call it the blessing of God if their hearts and their lives were corrupt. Thus the prophets pronounced judgement on Israel's sinfulness. Without righteousness and justice there will be a day of reckoning, they thundered. Things will not continue like this forever.
Their pronouncements of judgement, however, must be balanced by their messages of hope. They were not all gloom and doom. When Israel was hurting, when its people were still trying to sing the Lord's song in a strange land, when there was famine and pestilence and war throughout the country, the prophets again spoke up. Things will not be like this forever, they said. Hang in there. God will not forsake His own.

Judgement and hope, God is always with us. It is our job to welcome God into our lives, no matter what situation we face!


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Loving God, there is times of great highs and lows when I don't even call for you. Help me to change that by inviting you to always be with me. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhou

[janbear]

Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors... Those who do these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:2-3,5 NRSV Bible)

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I remember reading about a woman who a few years earlier was a new Christian. And as a new Christian, she listened to any person who proclaimed to be a Christian. Over time, though, she realized that not all people who claimed to be Christian offered a true message from God. As she matured in her faith, She had to learned to discern between those who spoke the truth and those who didn't.
How do we find the truth about God and Jesus Christ? How can we discern who is teaching the truth about the Christian faith and who is not?

I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. Look at the example of Jesus. He valued people and little children and life itself. Jesus was concerned about truth and honesty. Even when Jesus was confronted by the people who opposed him, he treated them with respect and wisdom. Jesus' actions proved that he cared about people and their human situation. He healed people, fed people, gave people hope, and forgave people. Jesus also took a lot of time for prayer to discern God's will. Jesus humbled himself, as he relied on God and not on himself. These are the qualities of one who is telling the truth about God, and how we are called to live for God. May all we do be done with a Christ-like truth.


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God of truth, it is not always easy to discern the truth. May I live more each day with a Christ-like truth. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 15:38 NRSV Bible)

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In our scripture reading today, Jesus was at the height of his popularity. People were following him everywhere he went. It was difficult for him to get away even to spend some quality time alone in prayer or with his disciples. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and people flocked to him. This attention excited the disciples. Jesus' ministry was booming. Everything was running smoothly. At least that is what the disciples thought.
The disciples had been with Jesus for a long time. Now, Jesus felt it was time to tell them what would happen next. He gathered the disciples around him. He said to them, "[I] must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering, be killed, and the third day be raised." Wow! The disciples were not expecting anything like that. They just looked at each other, too shocked to say anything. The disciples thought Jesus would come to power, and they would hold positions of importance in his kingdom. They never thought he would suffer and die.

Leave it to Simon Peter to speak what the other disciples were thinking. Peter took Jesus aside and said, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." Peter spoke harshly to Jesus.

Has anyone ever said something to you that reminded you of someone else, or of another experience? When Peter rebuked Jesus, Jesus heard the voice of the tempter. Trying to temp Jesus as he had done in the desert at the start of Jesus' ministry. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block for me." Ironic that Peter the Rock was also a stumbling stone for Jesus.

Do we help or hinder God's work?


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Dear Jesus, through your inspiration, may I do more to help than hinder your work. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[admin]

Jesus said, "Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." (Luke 24:39 NRSV Bible) I remember a story I read of a Car and Carina who wished to honor the members of their court with a banquet. They sent out invitations and requested that the guests come with the invitations in their hands. When they arrived at the banquet the guests were surprised to discover that the guards did not look at their invitations at all. Instead they examined their hands. The guests wondered about this, but they were also curious to see who the Car and Carina would choose as the guest of honor to sit between them at the banquet. They were flabbergasted to see that it was the old scrub woman who had worked to keep the palace clean for years. The guards, having examined her hands, declared, "You have the proper credentials to be the guest of honor. We can see your love and loyalty in your hands."

This woman's love and loyalty was seen in her hands. In the same way, we can see Jesus' love and loyalty for us in the nail prints of his hands and feet. Take a look at your hands. What do you see?

Dear God, thank you for the hands you have given me. Even if my hands are missing, you have given me a job to do. May my hands demonstrate my love for you and for my neighbors. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors... Those who do these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:2-3,5 NRSV Bible)

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I remember reading about a woman who a few years earlier was a new Christian. And as a new Christian, she listened to any person who proclaimed to be a Christian. Over time, though, she realized that not all people who claimed to be Christian offered a true message from God. As she matured in her faith, She had to learned to discern between those who spoke the truth and those who didn't.
How do we find the truth about God and Jesus Christ? How can we discern who is teaching the truth about the Christian faith and who is not?

I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. Look at the example of Jesus. He valued people and little children and life itself. Jesus was concerned about truth and honesty. Even when Jesus was confronted by the people who opposed him, he treated them with respect and wisdom. Jesus' actions proved that he cared about people and their human situation. He healed people, fed people, gave people hope, and forgave people. Jesus also took a lot of time for prayer to discern God's will. Jesus humbled himself, as he relied on God and not on himself. These are the qualities of one who is telling the truth about God, and how we are called to live for God. May all we do be done with a Christ-like truth.


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God of truth, it is not always easy to discern the truth. May I live more each day with a Christ-like truth. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38 NRSV Bible)

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In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown and Linus are walking over the baseball field to make sure everything is ready for the new baseball season. Charlie Brown goes over to the pitcher's mound and says, "My pitcher's mound looks great." Then Linus and Charlie Brown go to the back stop, "Our ol' backstop seems to be in good shape." Charlie Brown asks, "How about the outfield?" Linus replies, "All mowed, Charlie Brown, it's beautiful! And we've raked the infield so it looks better than ever." Charlie Brown says, "Then all we have to worry about is the sound system." Linus says, "The sound system?" Just about that time Lucy belts out, "This year let's try to get the ball over the plate, you blockhead!" Charlie Brown concludes, "The sound system is still working."
I'm not sure that Charlie Brown and Linus really believed the sound system was working, and the disciples also had a hard time believing that Jesus was alive. Luke says, "While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them 'Peace be with you.' They were startled and terrified, and they thought that they were seeing a ghost."

The disciples were having a hard time believing. The disciples were trying to sort out the meaning of Jesus' death and the reports about Jesus' appearances. Was it a hoax? They were not completely immune to superstition. Perhaps it was some kind of ghost. Suddenly it happened. Jesus himself stood among them. The disciples were startled and frightened. Then Jesus said to them, "Why are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself..."

The response of the disciples is a sermon in itself. Luke tells us that they "disbelieved for joy..." It was simply too wonderful to be true. He was alive and he was with them--right there. It was to good to be true.

Some of us may have a hard time believing. Will we allow Jesus to take the doubts away?


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Lord Jesus, please take away my doubts. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16 NRSV Bible)

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There is a story of elderly lady who was watching as a pair of golfers sliced their drives deep into the rough. The golfers went in search of their errant golf balls. The grass was high, the trees were thick, and tempers flared as they looked in vain through the underbrush. The elderly lady observed all this from the front porch of her house. After the search had lasted nearly half an hour, she finally called out to them, "I don't want to bother you men," she said, "but will it be cheating if I tell you where the golf balls are?"
As we look around us, we see people searching for lost values, for real meaning in life, and for hope. We must not keep silent. Fulfilling the Great Commission means sharing Jesus Christ with those around. It means speaking up and guiding them to forgiveness and salvation.

There are too many churches with impeccable credentials for orthodox theology whose outreach is almost nil. They are sound, but they are sound asleep. It is far too easy for the Church to become a sort of religious clique where Christians retreat from the world.

The church on the Day of Pentecost understood that its primary mission was to reach out to the world. The unity that they experienced and the prayers that they offered were only to help them more ably fulfill the task that Christ had given them to make disciples of all persons. They existed not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of a lost world.


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Dear God, may I not loose sight of helping others to know you and your love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. (Acts 2:41 NRSV Bible)

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There is a legend that at the entrance to Heaven, two questions will be asked of everyone who comes seeking admittance. The first question is this: "Did you come alone?" And if--tragically--your answer is "Yes," the second question follows. "How could you?"
I don't want any church or Christian to be mistaken for a mannequin, do you? The answer to avoid being a mannequin is really quite easy: a commitment to fellowship, a commitment to prayer, a commitment to outreach, and a commitment to sharing Jesus Christ.

And remember: What is the longest word in the English language?

Smiles. There's a "mile" between the first and last letters!

With smiles and with joy may we bring life to our Christian faith.


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Dear God, with joy I will do a better job of bringing life to my faith, as I share my savior, Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven." (Matthew 16:17 NRSV Bible)

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One day everything will be revealed. Paul wrote, "Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face." (I Corinthians 13: 12a) I look forward to that day, don't you? I look forward to having some of the pieces of the puzzle put into place.
In order to save money, a college drama class purchased only a few scripts of a certain play and cut them up into the separate parts. The director gave each player his individual part in order and then started to rehearse the play. But nothing went right. After an hour of missed cues and mangled sequences, the cast gave up.

At that point, the director sat the actors all on the stage and said: "Look, I'm going to read the entire play to you, so don't any of you say a word." He read the entire script aloud, and when he was finished, one of the actors said: "So that's what it was all about!"

And when they understood the entire story, they were able to fit their parts together and have a successful rehearsal.

C. S. Lewis once said that the most frequently spoken word in heaven would be, "OH." As in, "Oh, now I understand." Or, "Oh, now I see what God's plan was." Or, "Oh, now I see the reason for the trial I went through."

In this world, however, we walk by faith, not by knowledge. But one day it will be revealed to us. We will be in the presence of the Father and the Son and the Spirit. How can we be in the presence of all three at the same time? It beats me, but as Paul says in another place, "I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." (II Timothy 1: 12)

There are some answers that are too large for our brains to contain. But our greatest need is not understanding, but trust that God is with us. God is with us and will be with us until that day comes when all will be revealed.


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Lord Jesus, I may not fully understand God's will or plan, but, with faith and trust, guide me in living for you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors... Those who do these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:2-3,5 NRSV Bible)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I remember reading about a woman who a few years earlier was a new Christian. And as a new Christian, she listened to any person who proclaimed to be a Christian. Over time, though, she realized that not all people who claimed to be Christian offered a true message from God. As she matured in her faith, She had to learned to discern between those who spoke the truth and those who didn't.
How do we find the truth about God and Jesus Christ? How can we discern who is teaching the truth about the Christian faith and who is not?

I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. Look at the example of Jesus. He valued people and little children and life itself. Jesus was concerned about truth and honesty. Even when Jesus was confronted by the people who opposed him, he treated them with respect and wisdom. Jesus' actions proved that he cared about people and their human situation. He healed people, fed people, gave people hope, and forgave people. Jesus also took a lot of time for prayer to discern God's will. Jesus humbled himself, as he relied on God and not on himself. These are the qualities of one who is telling the truth about God, and how we are called to live for God. May all we do be done with a Christ-like truth.


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God of truth, it is not always easy to discern the truth. May I live more each day with a Christ-like truth. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4 NRSV Bible)

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There is a story of a family who was on their way home from church. The son asked his mom, "Is it true that we are made of dust like the minister said tonight?"
"Yes, darling," his mom replied.

"And is it true that we go back to dust again when we die?

"Yes, dear," his mother replied.

"Well, mom, when I said my prayers last night and looked under the bed, I saw someone who is either coming or going.

Life is a continuing process of coming and going. Are we ready for what life and death will bring us?

And Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power," (Mark 9:1).


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Dear Jesus, may your kingdom come in my life, as I prepare my life for eternity. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

She... began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. (Luke 7:38 NRSV Bible)

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Robert Falconer was once witnessing among the destitute people in a certain city. He read to them the story of the woman who wiped Jesus' feet with her tears. While he was reading he heard a loud sob and looked up at a young, thin girl whose face was disfigured by smallpox. After he spoke a few words of encouragement to her, she said, "Will He ever come again, the One who forgave the woman? I have heard that He will come again. Will it be soon?" Falconer replied that it would be soon. After sobbing again uncontrollably, she said, "Sir, can't He wait a little while? My hair isn't long enough yet to wipe His feet."
This story of the woman with the broken heart strikes an universal chord. We all want to believe that someone understands how we got to this point in our life. We all want to believe that there is a merciful God whose nature and name is Love. We all want to believe our sins can be forgiven. Only Jesus can give us that assurance. He will give us that assurance if we will open ourselves to him today and each day of our lives.


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God of all things, it isn't easy to be open, but help me to be open to your love found in Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. (Galatians 3:23 NRSV Bible)

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Who is it that tells us we are ugly? It may surprise you to know the scriptural answer to that question. According to Paul, it is the law that tells us we are ugly. Listen to his words: "Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed." Earlier in this same chapter Paul calls the law "a curse." Why? Why would he say that? Because under the law we are all failures.
Who among us can ever keep the law perfectly? The answer is, none of us. Not a single one of us could possibly fulfill all the law's requirements. The law provides for us a standard that is unattainable. And even if we were able to keep the law without any deviation, we would probably be guilty of spiritual pride. We would conclude that we are better than other people--and that may be the deadliest sin of all. It's a lose/lose situation.

A sign at a railroad crossing read, "The average time for the train to pass this crossing is 14 seconds, whether your car is on the track or not."

Life happens. Stuff happens. Trains cross the intersections! But, life can be a win/win through the grace that Jesus Christ offers to each of us. We don't have to measure up. Christ already has!


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Dear God, I am grateful that I don't have to measure up to you on my own. Yes, Jesus is my savior. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy. (Galatians 1:23 NRSV Bible)

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Why would Christ tell people to be born again, if there were no chance that such a phenomenon could occur? Why would the Scriptures time after time urge us to repent if repentance is really not possible?
In Galatians, Paul describes the change that took place in his own life. He tells his reader that he "persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it." That's important for us to understand. Paul, or Saul as he was known then, was an extremist, a radical. If he had lived today he might even have been a terrorist. And yet he changed. He changed so much that rather than continuing to persecute the Christian faith, he became the most influential Christian who ever lived. He even changed his name from Saul to Paul. He changed so thoroughly that this madman, this radical, this terrorist became the author of the most beautiful writing on the nature of love ever penned--I Corinthians 13: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal . . . ." Can people change? If you believe the Bible, your answer would have to be yes.


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Dear God, change me from my sinfulness into the joy of your love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. (Luke 7:38 NRSV Bible)

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Have you ever known what it is to have a breaking heart? Have you ever let go and let the tears fall without regard for what others might think? Luke tells us about a woman who did just that. He tells us about a woman whose heart was breaking in two.
Now, we might not have too much sympathy for this woman. After all, she was "a woman of the city . . . a sinner." You could tell it by the way she dressed, by the way she made herself up, perhaps by her mannerisms. She was not fit company for decent folks. Her place was on the streets, not in the house of a Pharisee. Yet here she was kneeling at the feet of Jesus, weeping, and watering his feet with her tears and using her long hair to wipe them dry. Kissing his feet and anointing them with ointment. Altogether it was quite a pathetic display of emotion. Good people don't get carried away like that, do they?

If Jesus really were a prophet, thought the Pharisee who was playing host to him that day, he would realize what kind of woman this was, and he wouldn't even allow her to come near him much less let her kiss his feet. But Jesus made no effort to stop the woman--even though he knew his host disapproved. What's going on here? Why is Jesus allowing this quite spectacular show of remorse and affection?

Perhaps it is because only Jesus could see this woman's heart. Only he knew what she was really feeling. Only he knew what had brought her to this place.

Do we allow our heart to be truly seen by God? Yes, God does know everything about us, but we are called to present ourselves openly to God. We are called to confess our brokenheartedness and pain.


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Dear God, see my brokenheartedness and pain, and bring me healing in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! (Luke 15:23-24 NRSV Bible)

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Only Jesus can see the true heart of God. There are many who still have an Old Testament view of God. God is a God of judgement, of vengeance, of wrath.
Maxie Dunnam tells a powerful story that comes from a novel by Alan Paton, the great South African writer. In this story which takes place before the recent changes in South Africa, a white police lieutenant has secretly carried on an relationship with a black African woman. In South Africa that was against the law in every way. It also was an unforgivable sin.

The lieutenant is confronted with the charge by his captain. The lieutenant denies the charge, but the evidence is so overwhelming that he finally confesses. The captain does what might appear to be a strange thing. He goes to visit the lieutenant's father and shares with him his son's transgression. It is a moving and tragic scene.
The father asks the captain, "Is it true?"
The captain replies, "I fear it is true."
The father insists, "Are you sure?"
The captain says, "He confessed to me. It's true."

The father turns to his sister and says, "Bring me the Book." She goes to the bookcase, pulls down the heavy family Bible, takes it to the father, and sets it before him on the table. She wonders what passage he is going to read.

But he doesn't read any passage at all. Instead he opens the front of the book where family names had been recorded for 150 years. He takes the pen and ink and crosses out the name of his son, Pieter van Vlaanderen, not once but many times as though to completely obliterate it from the page. Without any anger or despair (at least that anybody could see), without any words, he does that dramatic task.

Then the father, still sitting at the table, turns to his sister and says, "Lock the door, and bolt it, and bring me the key. The door of our house will never open again." That's the scene. The door is closed forever. The son can never return home.

In the family of God the prodigal can always come home. The door is never locked. Why? Because Jesus showed us the heart of God. With his own shed blood he showed us how much God cares about sinners.


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Dear Jesus, thank you for showing me the true heart of God. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:10 NRSV Bible)

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The foolish bridesmaids in our scripture reading today were not ready. They went to get more oil for their lamps. Meanwhile, the wedding had already started. Matthew 25:11 says, "Later the other bridesmaids came also saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you." The bridesmaids were not allowed to enter the wedding celebration.
We also will not be allowed to enter God's kingdom unless we are prepared. We have all heard the phrase--there are two things in life that are certain--death and taxes. In our American culture, it seems to be a taboo to talk about death. We often talk about people passing away. People don't pass away. People die. In my life as a minister, I often have to deal with death, and I have learned that death often is a gift. For some, death is a relief from a hard life. For others, death is freedom from physical pain. And for still others, death is a rebirth into a new life that is eternal.

I think that since life is such a fragile thing at best, we should be ready to meet God in this life and the life to come. Matthew 25:13 says, "Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."


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God of all things, may I not live in fear of death, but may I be ready for my time to come to you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. (Galatians 3:25-26 NRSV Bible)

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In Jesus Christ we are all children of God. We are not losers at all. We are not unlovable at all. In fact, because we have met the Master, we are really quite beautiful.
Antonio Sanchez was only five years old when he was sent to a Mexican prison for juveniles after allegedly murdering his baby brother. Tony's parents, who had beaten him with chains and tortured him with fire, deserted him and disappeared after telling police he was the killer. In prison other inmates taunted him with the word "murderer" and sometimes abused him. He had to fight for food.

No one seemed to care what happened to Tony, until Carolyn Koons, an American professor, heard his story. She battled bureaucracy and a corrupt prison warden for almost three years to secure Tony's release and adoption at age twelve; but her real struggles had only begun. Somehow she had to meet the needs of a boy who still stuffed rolls into his pockets because of past hunger, who lashed out at others because of his emotional scars, and who seemed enticed by every wrong because of his unbridled life.

Tony Sanchez was not initially drawn to his new mother. In fact, he seemed more drawn to trouble than to anything else. He accused her frequently of not loving him and taunted her with "I won't obey you or anyone." Carolyn never stopped barbecuing those juicy hamburgers he craved, never quit hugging him after his acid words, never ceased rescuing him from fights.

Carolyn had almost despaired of Tony ever bonding to her. But then Carolyn got a big surprise; Tony made an unexpected speech at his junior high graduation. In almost a stutter he said, "I want to thank my mom for adopting me and bringing me to the United States." Then with tears streaming down his face, he yelled, "I love you, Mom. I love you. I love you."

Why did Tony love the woman who adopted him? It was because he could look into her eyes and see himself as someone of worth, someone of beauty.


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Dear God, thank you for making me someone of beauty. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3 NRSV Bible)

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I like something that Dr. Robert Schuller wrote in one of his books. He notes that Michelangelo attempted forty-four statues in his life, but he finished only fourteen. You are may be familiar with some of them--David in Florence Square, the Pieta, and Moses, to mention a few of the best known. But the thirty he did not finish are interesting, too. You can see them in a museum in Italy . . . a huge chunk of marble from which he sculpted only an elbow or a wrist. Another shows a leg, the thigh, the knee, the calf, the foot, even the toes. The rest of the body is locked in the chunk of marble. It will never come out. "Could this be true for you?" asks Dr. Schuller. "Of all the tragedies in life, the greatest is for a person to live and die and never come out of himself or herself--never to realize the possibilities hidden within."
I want to give you an invitation. I want to invite you to look into the eyes of Christ by faith. I want to invite you to see reflected there the beauty you were intended to be. And then I want you to go forth today to live the dynamic Christ life. It doesn't matter who you are or what your background is, you can begin living the Christ life today.


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Dear God, help me to live my life today as Christ would. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28 NRSV Bible)

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We can begin living the Christ life today. Notice that Paul says in our scripture reading today, "for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." That's important. This is not a sermon on high self-esteem. One of the most futile exercises in the world is to divorce self-esteem from faith. That is the problem with much of the self-help literature on the newsstands. "Believe in yourself," we are told repeatedly. "Believe in yourself, believe in yourself." Look in a mirror and say "I am beautiful, I am beautiful, I am beautiful." For most of us that would be stretching the truth just a little bit.
How can we be beautiful if we are no more that creatures of dust? How can we believe in ourselves if we are no more than cosmic accidents? No, we can truly believe in ourselves only if we believe in God through Jesus Christ. We can truly see ourselves as beautiful only if we see our reflection in our oneness with Christ.

If we take that step of faith, however, tremendous powers are unlocked within. Once you take that step, it doesn't matter whether you are Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, black or white or Hispanic. It doesn't matter if your degree is from Harvard or from Podunk U. You know who you are and you know your life matters. "For all of you are one in Christ Jesus."


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Lord Jesus, I believe in me because of you. Thank you! Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

I kept my faith, even when I said, "I am greatly afflicted" (Psalms 116:10 NRSV Bible)

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We have two choices in dealing with the unexpected. We can become bitter, or we can allow the unexpected to enrich our lives. If we choose to allow the unexpected to enrich our lives, then how can we survive the pressure? I believe there is only one thing that can truly help us deal with all of the changes of life--our faith in God.
I would not be the person I am today without my faith in Jesus Christ. I would not have been able to handle all the ups and downs in my life with out God's love working in me. So, we must nurture our faith--no matter how much we have. Weather we have lots of faith or only a tiny bit, we must nurture it. We do this through worship, study, conversations with God, mutual support of one another, by helping those who need us, by giving our time, and by sharing our resources. The greatest growth in my faith has come from experiences of helping other people.

So, we must nurture our faith, which will help carry us through the unexpected twists and turns of life.


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God of all, as I nurture my faith in you, please carry me through the unexpected hardships of life. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" (John 21:7 NRSV Bible)

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A man showed up at church with his ears painfully blistered. After the service, his concerned pastor asked "What in the world happened to you?"
The man replied, "I was lying on the couch yesterday afternoon watching a ball game on TV and my wife was ironing nearby. I was totally engrossed in the game when she left the room, leaving the iron near the phone. The phone rang and keeping my eyes glued to the television, I grabbed the hot iron and put it to my ear."

"So how did the other ear get burned?" the pastor asked.

"Well, I had no more than hung up and the guy called again."

Now there is a man who was focused. He was so caught up in watching the game, he didn't know what he was doing.

In our lesson for today the disciples of Jesus have lost their focus. They are confused and weary. They needed a break. They have been through so much. They had seen their Master crucified on a cruel cross. It was the lowest point in their lives. They had invested everything they had into following him--including three years of their lives. When they saw him nailed between two thieves, it was as if everything they had worked for was futile and without meaning. No one could know their pain and disillusionment. Then the women had gone to the tomb on the first day of the week and found the stone rolled away and the body gone. It was then they discovered that their Master was alive. Now each of them had seen him with their own eyes. Still, it was a bit too much for them to deal with mentally and emotionally. They wanted to believe, but it was like they were in a dream. It was too much, too soon.

The disciples were still trying to sort all of this out when Simon Peter said, "Let's go fishing." They fished all night, but without any luck.

Just as the day was breaking and they were ready to call it a night, they saw a stranger on the beach. "Having any luck?" he called out to them. "Afraid not," they called back. "Cast the net on the other side of the boat," the stranger replied, "and you will find some." And they did, and this time their net was teeming with fish. And the disciple John turned to Simon Peter and said, "It is the Lord." Who else could it be? Who else has dominion over both land and sea? Of course, it is the Lord.

Will we be focused today, so that we will see the Lord?


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Loving God, may I not get distracted today from seeing you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. (Ephesians 3:17 NRSV Bible)

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I remember an author who was asked to speak at a luncheon. During the meal, the president of the organization came up to the speaker and asked, "Are you ready to speak, or should we let them enjoy themselves for a while?"
I believe we can enjoy life and at the same time listen to a good speech or sermon. I also believe it is important that we live life to its fullest. We can have our cake and eat it too, but we must be prepared. And being prepared means that we are closely connected to a savior named Jesus Christ. With Christ in our hearts we will be prepared for life!


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Dear Jesus, carry me always close to you, and may I never stray to far away from your salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Make vows to the LORD your God, and perform them; let all who are around him bring gifts to the one who is awesome. (Psalms 76:11 NRSV Bible)

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If you were asked to buy the tackiest gift imaginable, what would you buy? Martin Marty was once invited to a postnuptial party. He was asked to bring "a gift in the worst possible taste." The purpose was to embarrass the newly married couple. They would open their gifts standing in front of their family and friends and "ooh and aah" as they opened each tacky item.
Marty found a five and ten store and began his search for the tackiest gift. To his delight he discovered a yellow plastic dove with a silver beak hollowed to hold a small plant and chained so it could be suspended. This was the perfect gift for the occasion, he thought. No one would have a more ratty gift than his. Then, an amazing thing happened. Expecting to be embarrassed at the checkout counter, he was instead surrounded by shoppers. They wanted to know where he had found such a beautiful object. Several of those doves got sold that day.

We have lots of options on how we use our gifts, and talents, but none of our gifts are ugly. Just like the shoppers who admired the plastic bird, our gifts are beautiful in God's eyes when our talents are used for good.


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God of all gifts, bless me as I use my talents for sharing of your love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." (John 21:15 NRSV Bible)

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A man went to see the doctor for his annual physical exam. When he came home later that afternoon, his wife asked him, "What did the doctor say?" He answered in a gruff voice, "He told me that if I want to stay healthy, I have to eat what I don't want, drink what I don't like, and do what I'd rather not do!"
Jesus tried to get the disciples to do the same thing. The disciples are sitting around a charcoal fire now. The disciples recognize their risen Lord, but still they are disconcerted by the recent chain of events. While they are lost in their thoughts the resurrected Christ takes some bread and breaks it and gives it to them. Then also the fish. Then he turns to Simon Peter and asks one of the most famous questions in the Scripture, "Simon Peter, do you love me?" Three times Christ asks Simon Peter this question--once for each time Peter denied him. "Lord, you know I love you," Peter replies. And after each reply, Jesus instructs Simon Peter to feed his lambs and then his sheep. This is Christ's way of focusing Simon Peter on his real mission in the world.

Go with me back to those earliest days when Jesus first recruited Andrew and Simon. He said he would make them fishers of men. Now he is challenging them to continue that journey on which they first embarked. Not that their prior lives as fishermen was unimportant, but from here on they would have a different kind of calling. Christ was asking them to forget themselves and to center their lives in ministry to others. That is a challenge that Jesus is still offering his disciples today.


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Dear God, teach me to center my life on your ministry. In Jesus name, Amen.

[janbear]

After this he said to him, "Follow me." (John 21:19 NRSV Bible)

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"Follow me," Jesus said. It was the same call he gave them at the beginning of their discipleship. Do you know what that call was? "Follow me." This is his final instruction for them before he leaves them. "Follow me." He is not sending them out to a hostile world alone. He goes ahead of them. Like a commander leading his troops into battle. Like an explorer leading his party into the unknown. He takes the first step, and those who would be his followers come after. That is what gives Christian living its radiance, its joy, its reassurance.
Susan took one look at her friend's exhausted expression and cluttered office and said, "What you need is a vacation!"

Her overworked friend asked jokingly, "Vacation? What's that?"

"A vacation," Susan explained, "is what you take if you can no longer take what you've been taking!"

If you can no longer take what you are taking, try following Jesus Christ more closely.


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Dear God, remind me daily to follow more closely in the steps of Jesus. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. (John 21:17 NRSV Bible)

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Sociologist and evangelist Tony Campolo once spoke to a group and asked this question, "Is it a sin to own a BMW?" Then he added, "If Jesus had forty thousand dollars, would He buy a BMW or use that to feed or house the needy in the Third World?" Wow, that's a tough one. That's the kind of question we would prefer not to even think about. People get crucified for asking questions like that. It's a challenging question--even a disturbing one. One woman, however, was so struck by Campolo's talk that she wrote his ministry a check for the same amount that she paid for her new custom drapes. Her gift built three houses in Haiti.
It is so easy for us to forget who we are and what Christ has called us to be. It is so easy for us to become so preoccupied with our work, with our family, with our own needs that we forget our essential call to feed Christ's sheep. There are needy people all around us--needy for things but also needy for love and recognition and for a word of encouragement. Most of all, needy to know that God loves them. Who will share Christ's love with them if we don't?


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Lord Jesus, thank you for feeding me. May I also work to feed others who need your love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. (James 1:12 NRSV Bible)

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A Little League coach was asked the name of his team. He replied, "The Scrambled Eggs."
"Ok? Why did you pick that name?" someone asked.

He answered, "Because we're always getting beat!"

Do you every feel that way about temptation?

Russian novelist Feature Dostoyevsky made the Temptation scene a centerpiece in his master work THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. Ivan Karamazov calls the Temptation the most stupendous miracle on earth: the miracle of restraint. If he had yielded to the Temptation, Jesus would have been a very popular figure, not just with Satan but with all Israel. He would have established himself beyond dispute. Imagine for a moment--stones turned to bread to feed the hungry, a spectacular descent from the pinnacle of the Temple as the crowds gasped in amazement and awe, political appeasement as the foundation of the Kingdom program rather than righteousness and justice. According to Dostoyevsky's view, Satan offered three easy means of inciting belief--miracle, mystery, and authority--and Christ refused all three. Again I say, I wish we could all be so fortunate.

We are fortunate that, even though we may fall into temptation, through Christ we are forgiven.


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God of forgiveness, give me the strength to resist temptation. In Jesus name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Take, eat; this is my body. (Matthew 26:26 NRSV Bible)

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Annie Dillard was in the ninth grade. Like most people her age she was suspicious of the values and traditions of her parents. Her parents had been taking her to church ever since she could remember. Annie wasn't too sure she really wanted to be in church, but she went to church nonetheless because it was important to her parents. On a typical Sunday morning she was sitting in her usual place, the first row of the balcony in a large stone carved church in Pittsburgh. She enjoyed the balcony because she could watch the people below, the women in their fancy dresses, and the men in their stiff shirts and neck ties.
In Annie's opinion the people had gathered to remind God how hard they had worked and how few pleasures they took for themselves since the flood. The people were always looking around for an entrance to another life or at least an exit from this one.

Annie Dillard was at that age where she was quite sure of herself. She thought she knew better than anyone. On that Sunday she realized it was Communion Sunday. Annie always did her best to avoid Communion. To be honest the whole thing seemed absurd to her. Communion was something people did that had no real meaning. Annie wondered what Christ must have thought of the whole charade. She watched as the silver trays were passed out, with the cubes of bread and the Welch's grape juice. Then as she was looking around a strange feeling came over her. She saw her friends praying, even the boys she had seen at the ninth grade dance the night before. They were praying. It seemed almost unbelievable that they could take communion so seriously.

Then she watched as the adults prayed. Every head was bowed in the sanctuary; no one was moving. As she watched she was alerted to a new feeling, something she had never experienced before. "I didn't know what to make of this," she thought to herself. As the ushers made their way to the altar Annie Dillard realized that she knew most of the people present and, more importantly, she knew what they loved and she wasn't so sure it was God.

There in that old church she experienced the broken body and shed blood of our Lord and Savior. The people that she doubted came together as sinners in need of the bread and juice. That morning Annie Dillard realized why we celebrate communion. It's not because we deserve it. It's not because we have been so good. Rather we come to the Lord's table in need of something we cannot do for ourselves. We are offering ourselves to be part of the body of Christ--so that we can go out into the world that seems God-forsaken. Annie Dillard slowly realized this is not a God-forsaken world because God is present through His people.


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Loving God, thank you for loving this broken soul. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. (Matthew 25:15 NRSV Bible)

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Each of the workers in our scripture reading today received a different number of talents--one five, another two, and the third one. Jesus does not pretend in this story that all of us or the workers are alike. Everyone has different talents or abilities.
I remember a rookie police office who during an examination was asked what strategy he would use to disperse a threatening crowd. The officer wrote, "I would take up a collection." We don't all have the same abilities or talents. But when we collect all of our talents and put them together, we will fulfill the needs of our church and community.

There is a story of a little boy who was listening in on a conversation between his mother and grandmother. The young mother said to the boy's grandmother, "You're not old, Mom, you're only sixty-five." The boy, quite impressed, said, "Grandma, you've reached the speed limit!"

Are we pushing the limits of our gifts and talents?


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God of all things, help me to push the limits in using my talents for your good. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

"For 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.'" (Acts 17:28 NRSV Bible)

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Max DePree is chairman and chief executive officer of Herman Miller, Inc., the furniture maker which was named one of Fortune's ten best managed and most innovative companies. In his book, LEADERSHIP IS AN ART, DePree writes about his ninety-six year old father who was the founder of the company. Many years ago, when his father was still a young manager at the factory, a millwright died. The millwright was a key person who oversaw the operation of the factory. The entire activity of the operation depended on him. DePree's father was unsure of what to do when the millwright died, but decided he should spend some time with the family. There were a few moments of awkward conversation as his father tried to find the right words to say.
The widow asked if it would be all right if she read aloud some poetry. Naturally his father agreed. When the widow returned she began reading selective pieces of beautiful poetry. When she finished Max's father commented on how beautiful the poetry was and asked who wrote it. The widow replied that her husband, the millwright was the poet.

"It is...sixty years since the millwright died," DePree writes, "and my father and many of us at Herman Miller continue to wonder: Was he a poet who did a millwright's work, or was he a millwright who wrote poetry?"

Do we allow the poetry of God's love to shine through us?


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Dear God, may I not just go through the motions of my daily routine, but may I let the poetry of your being glisten through me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

So that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. (Philippians 1:26 NRSV Bible)

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The Readers' Digest had a story of a little girl a few years ago who was eating an apple in the back seat of the car. "Mommy," said the little girl, "why is my apple turning brown?" Her mother explained, "Because after you ate the skin off, the meat of the apple came in contact with the air that caused it to oxidize, thus changing its molecular structure and turning the apple into a different color."
The girl pondered for a moment and then said, "Mommy, what are you talking about."

It is sometimes a challenge to communicate to a young child. If you can appreciate that challenge, then you can appreciate the challenge of the first Christians who had to communicate to others the image of Jesus Christ.

It may not be easy to share a meaningful image of who Christ is in our world today, but we are nonetheless called to help others experience our savior Jesus Christ. When we do, we will give away the greatest gift anyone can receive.


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Dear God, help me to effectively share your Son to someone who really needs him today. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. (1 Peter 5:4 NRSV Bible)

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I remember reading a story of a tour guide in Israel. He told his tourists that in the Middle East shepherds lead their sheep, instead of following them like they do in the English countryside.
When the tourists got to the countryside, they noticed a man driving a flock of sheep. The guide asked the man, "I have always been told that in the East sheep are lead not driven."

The man driving the sheep said, "You are right, but I'm not a shepherd. I'm the butcher."

There is a big difference between the interests of a shepherd and a butcher. Jesus is shepherd who has our best interests in mind.


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Lord Jesus, thank you for having my best interests in your heart. Help me to follow you more closely. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17 NRSV Bible)

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Paul had spent much of his life trying to save himself through strict adherence to the Law. But somehow, this was not enough. It never is.
Robert Ingersoll was a famous agnostic. He enjoyed arguing, particularly with Christian clergymen. One day Ingersoll was conversing with Charles Horace Talmage, one of the great preachers of the day, about Connecticut's blue laws--laws forbidding certain activities on Sunday.

"Would you like to live in a community, Mr. Talmage," Ingersoll asked, "where not one cigar could be smoked and not one drop of liquor could be drunk?"

"Certainly," said Talmage, "that would be a social heaven."

"And you would like to live," Ingersoll continued, "where no one could play on the Sabbath day and where everyone had to go to church?"

"Yes, sir," Talmage declared, "that would suit me. It would be paradise to live in a community where everyone was compelled to go to church on Sunday, where no one could drink a drop . . . and where the law would make every person good . . . "

"And you think such a person would be a good Christian?" Ingersoll asked, "A better man than I am?"

"Why, of course," Talmage responded.

"Then," said Mr. Ingersoll, "I advise you to go to the penitentiary. At Sing Sing there is a community of fifteen hundred men and women governed in precisely that manner. They are all good by law."

Talmage learned a lesson that day. Being good simply because it is required has no saving power. That was a discovery that Paul also made--keeping the Law by itself would never fill his deepest need. Of course, Paul did keep the law. He knew that though the Law was imperfect, it still was necessary.


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Dear Jesus, may the commandments of God guide me to your salvation. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NRSV Bible)

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We have a greater burden as God's people than anyone else on earth. We must always lift up a higher standard of living and loving.
In one of Garfield's cartoons he is shown resting droopy-eyed in his bed thinking to himself: "One of my pet peeves," he says to himself, "is people who never finish what they start." As he cracks a knowing smile, he says, "I do not happen to be one of those people." The last frame shows him under the bed covers saying, "My philosophy is, 'Never start anything.'"

"Never start anything" cannot be our philosophy as God's people. You see, we must care about our world because God cares. We must care about people because God cares. We must care about those in need because God cares. God cared enough about us to send a savior Jesus Christ. We must care too. We must care enough to make our church and community stronger. What is God calling you to do? Are you being called to help tutor a child struggling in with his or her education? Are you being called to be a Sunday School teacher? Are you being called to organize a neighborhood watch program or cleanup day? If you and I don't do it, who will? God is counting you and me. We also can count on God to give us the resources we need to accomplish God's will.


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God of all things, you can count on me! Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's. (Matthew 22:21 NRSV Bible)

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We get caught up in all kinds of activities, but we need to continually ask ourselves "what is most important in my life? What do I really care about?" When we answer those two questions, hopefully it will say we are committed to God.
Jesus outwitted the Pharisees at their own game. Notice that after he told them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's," the Pharisees were speechless. They had no more questions for him. Matthew reports that "they were amazed; and they left him and went away." Many people never really discover the giving themselves totally to God. Like the Pharisees they hear the truth but go away without another word.

I receive much joy from serving God through the church. When someone moves into our community--there is a place here for them to worship. When someone walks into the church office during the week feeling the burdens of life--there is someone to talk too. When someone has many questions and is searching for meaning to their lives--the church is here to help them find answers and meaning. It is a joy to give ourselves fully to God.


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God of all, in my time of need, remind me that true joy and healing comes from giving myself to you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." (I Samuel 3:10 NRSV Bible)

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What kind of attitude do we have about our work and the things we do in life? We may not like our boss or our working situation. We may not have much control over what we do. But, we do have control over our attitude. A positive attitude can make a big difference. And if we view our work and activities as a calling, then maybe someone for the first time may experience God's love and freedom in Jesus Christ through us.
Our jobs can be a vocation if we can see them as an extension of God's ultimate purpose. But, if our jobs are only a means of securing wealth, or passing time, or achieving status, they will eventually be a great burden to us. If, however, we can see them as an extension of God's plan for humanity--each of us doing our part to clothe people, feed people, teach people, and do thousands of other things to help one another, then we make God's world a better place. And we can get up each morning with enthusiasm believing that we are living God's call.

In our scripture reading today, Samuel was being called to be a priest of God. There may be some of us today who are hearing God's call to full-time Christian service. However, for most of us, we are being called to make our work an extension of our faith and love.


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Loving God, help me to make my work a vocation in serving you and your people Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Love never ends. (I Corinthians 13:4 NRSV Bible)

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In a PEANUTS cartoon, Lucy is berating Charlie Brown for losing the baseball game for their team. She says, "You blockhead! You struck out, and we lost the last game of the season!" Then she adds accusingly, "You were standing there thinking about your new girlfriend, weren't you?"
As Charlie Brown walks away, he mumbles, "I thought being in love was supposed to make you happy."

Well, love is an important part of happiness. Studies have proven that people in love are much happier. The same is true for people who get involved. They are much happier than people who complain, but never do anything to change the situation. What is your situation?


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Dear Jesus, may I find true happiness in you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Every sabbath day Aaron shall set them in order before the LORD regularly as a commitment of the people of Israel, as a covenant forever. (Leviticus 24:8 NRSV Bible)

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How is your commitment. There is a story going around that makes a powerful point about where many of us are right now. According to the story, Pope John Paul II needed a heart transplant. There was much concern throughout the Roman Catholic world. Everyone gathered outside the Vatican screaming and waving their hands. "Take my heart, Pope, take my heart!"
Well, the Pope didn't know what to do, so an idea popped into his head. He asked everyone to please be quiet for a few minutes and he told all of them that he was going to throw down a feather. Whoever the feather landed on, he would take their heart for the transplant. Pope John Paul II then threw the feather down upon the people. Everyone was still screaming and waving their hands, "Take my heart, Pope," but with one difference: they were leaning their heads back and blowing the feather back into the air. "Take my heart, Pope (blow), Take my heart (blow)."

I hope our actions will not be the same as these people. I hope we will make a true commitment to God everyday of our lives.


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Dear God, you have always been committed to me. May I also be truly committed to you in all the days to give to me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

As all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.(1 Corinthians 15:22 NRSV Bible)

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What is your hope this morning? What are you planning your life on? Two verses are important here. 1 Corinthians 15:22, Paul shares, "As all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ." In I Timothy 6:17, I think it speaks to the heart of many people here in America. Paul writes and says, "Instruct those who are rich in this world that they do not fix their hope on the uncertainly of riches, but on God who richly supplies all our needs in Christ Jesus."
We have a choice. We can put our hope in the things of this uncertain world, or we can put our full hope in Jesus Christ who supplies all of our needs.

I remember reading about a church in Chester who had a large cross on top of the church, but unfortunately all the lights had burned out. The church members decided not to fix it. So one day, the pastor paid for an electrician to come after hours to get the cross fixed and working again. The pastor wanted the people of Chester who drove by on Route 320 to see that the cross was the real hope of the world.

Is your cross lighted today: Do the people you live and work with know the cross that shines through you? Or, are your light bulbs all burned out?


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Dear God, help me to turn on your cross so that is will shine through me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have people call them rabbi. (Matthew 23:6 NRSV Bible)

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I remember a story of a family who went to their grandparent's house for dinner. After watching the man bow his head and speak in a soft voice, the girl asked her parents, "What did Mr. Bryan say to his plate?" Jesus asked a similar question concerning the leaders of his day. They spoke not prayers to God, but empty words trying to impress others and trying to appear successful.
Jesus said in our scripture reading today, "They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have people call them rabbi." The religious leaders seemed to be more concerned about appearing to be successful than serving God's people.

I read once about James Moore, a minister, who was invited to participate in a "Career Day on Campus." He was to be part of a panel discussion. Panelists were to discuss, "How Faith Influences Your Choice of a Career." First, panelists were asked to introduce themselves and mention their particular vocations. It was all rather routine. One woman gave her name and said, "I'm an attorney." A man gave his name and said, "I'm in business and I own a computer company." A woman gave her name and said, "I'm in real estate." When it was Moore's turn he said, "I'm a minister." The person seated next to him was a doctor. The doctor's statement changed that mundane situation into a special and sacred moment.

He said, "We are here today to talk about vocation." He told them that the word vocation meant "calling." "Well," the doctor told them, "my calling is to be a Christian and one way to do that is through the practice of medicine."

James Moore reflected afterwards, the doctor's life was a success, but his priority was service. Jesus said, "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted."


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Dear God, humble me, so that you will be honored. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37 NRSV Bible)

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Now that Jesus had answered the Pharisees question, Jesus had a question for them. "What do you think of the messiah? Whose son is he?" One of them proudly answered, "The Son of David." "How is it then," asked Jesus, "that David, by the Spirit, calls him Lord?" The Pharisees had no response for Jesus. They left him without saying another word. From that day on, Matthew reports, no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions.
Jesus was more than the Pharisees and the other religious officials expected. They had a fixed image in their minds of what the messiah would be like. Jesus did not fit that image. Jesus was also more than the people expected a messiah to be. They thought in political terms of a messiah who was a mighty warrior. Again, Jesus did not fit their image. Jesus was more than anyone expected. Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus' mission and authority came directly from God.

When we truly love God and our neighbors, then we will more fully understand the mission of Jesus Christ and the love God has for each of us.


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Lord Jesus, you mission has never ended. May I continue your mission of love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

This is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.
(1 John 5:4 NRSV Bible)

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What is the test of sincere faith? Do we walk the talk? Do we practice what we preach? Do we expect others to measure up to a standard that we do not keep ourselves? Is our faith centered in success or service? The most important aspect of this test of sincerity is not how others measure up, but how we measure up in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Many of you remember the great Oliver Holmes character. Well, once he couldn't find his ticket when he got on a train. As he rummaged through his pockets and bags, Holmes was recognized by the conductor who said, "Don't worry, Justice Homes, you don't need your ticket right now. Just send it to us later when you find it."

Irritated, Holmes replied, "Sir, the problem is not, 'Where is my ticket?" The problem is, "Where am I going?" A good question for each of us to ask ourselves, "Where am I going?" Are we going to be like the leaders of Jesus' day or are we going to be sincere in our faith and do our best to walk the talk?


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God of all, forgive me when I fail to walk the talk, and help to walk in the steps of Jesus as I witness your love. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:1-2 NRSV Bible)

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Woodrow Wilson once said, "We grow by dreams. All big [individuals] are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire on a long winter's evening. Some of us let those great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days until they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true."
We all have our dreams. A man named Abram had his dream. Go to a new land, father a new people, and his name would be a blessing forever. His dream came from God. Was God faithful to His promise to Abram, or as we know him, Abraham? Today the great religions of the world--Judaism, Christianity--trace their roots to this dreamer who stepped out and put his dreams into reality. Why was he so successful? Because his dream was God's dream. What is God's dream for your life? Find that dream and act on it and you will find life!


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Loving God, move me to fulfill the dreams you have given to me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 1:21 NRSV Bible)

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Jude reminds us that when we love God, we will experience God's love in a real and powerful way through eternal life in Jesus Christ.
I read once a really neat story about a little girl who was afraid to go to bed. After three or four trips to her parents' bedroom, her father sought to reassure her. "Look, honey," he said. "You are not really alone in your bedroom. God is watching over you. God is everywhere and God is in your bedroom, too." Dad's words did not reassure the little girl. She when back to her room but stopped at the door and said in a loud whisper, "God, if you are in there, please don't say anything. It would scare me to death."

God has many things to tell us and show us. Many of us would probably be scared too if God spoke to us. But if we love God and our neighbors, we will grow in our relationship with God, we will learn many valuable things about life, and we will learn about what is really important.


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Dear Jesus, keep me close to God's love, as I work to share that love with others. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6 NRSV Bible)

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In 1849, financier Joshua A. Norton came to San Francisco with $40,000 and big ambitions. For five years he invested his money wisely until he was filthy rich. Then he took a gamble. He invested all of his money in the rice market. The market fell through and he lost every penny. No one saw him again for five years.
Then, in 1859, Joshua Norton walked into the office of the San Francisco BULLETIN and told them to print a proclamation that he was Emperor Norton I, emperor of the United States. As a joke, the editor printed his proclamation.

The people of San Francisco decided to humor Emperor Norton I. They treated him with great respect. Local ships and railroad lines gave him free passes. The city bought him new military uniforms when his old ones wore out. A printer created Emperor Norton currency, which he was allowed to use in any establishment in town. Restaurants put up signs advertising his patronage. He was allowed to speak at all the sessions of the state legislature. He and his two dogs even had free, reserved seats at the theater.

Emperor Norton made many suggestions about improving the city, but most of these suggestions were brushed off as ravings of a madman. Yet after his death, many of his suggestions were acted upon--a bridge over the Golden Gate and the East Bay, wider streets, gaslights put up for safety, and filling in of the swamplands to the east of Montgomery Street. All these things came to pass.

Emperor Norton I died in 1880. His funeral was lavish, and many thousands showed up to mourn him. He is memorialized in San Francisco's Wells Fargo museum, and in local history books. He was a most successful fraud.

Contrast the burial accorded Emperor Norton with that given to Jesus of Nazareth. There was nothing fraudulent about Jesus. Never was a man more authentic. Nobody walked the talk better than he did. He told his disciples to forgive their enemies, and as he hung on the cross, he prayed for forgiveness for those who had put him there. He told his disciples to serve the least and the lowest, and among his last words were words of encouragement to a thief who was dying beside him. He told his disciples that on the third day he would be raised from the dead, and when the women went to the tomb, it was empty. What he preached, he practiced. No one who knew him ever called him a fraud. Even Judas, the friend whose kiss sealed his doom, declared that he had betrayed innocent blood. Yet there were few admirers at Jesus' funeral. He did not die a celebrity as did Emperor Norton of San Francisco. But, this is all right. Not many truly Godly people will die as celebrities. Let's just be thankful for Jesus' willingness to die for each one of us!


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Jesus my savior, thank you for dying for my sins. I may not be a celebrity, but I will do my best to be faithful to you. Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14 NRSV Bible)

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For many of us, our hopes and dreams in life center around our jobs. That's not surprising. That's where we spend most of our time. Our jobs give us the resources for achieving our goals in life. It is natural that we should have dreams concerning our work. Research shows, however, that around age 45, those dreams begin to change. By then men begin to have some idea whether they are going to keep growing in their work or whether they have gone as far as they will go. If they conclude they have reached their limit--that there is no dream out there for them to pursue--they shift their dreams toward retirement. In fact, some of them retire then and there in their minds. That is why some men in the middle years of life, when they ought to be in their prime, become somewhat listless and begin feeling tired all the time. The problem is not physical. It's mental. They've lost their dream. Meanwhile women who have spent most of their adult lives as care givers are beginning to taste freedom for the first time. So while their husbands are winding down, many women are thinking about going back to school or starting their own business. How you feel about life is related to your sense of purpose.
Now, listen to Paul's words: "Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus."

Paul discovered there is no ceiling on discipleship. We can be better followers of Jesus at seventy than we are at forty. We can be more loving, more joyous, more focused. The mistake many of us have made is taking our identity from our career rather than from Christ. If your dream is to be like Christ, you will never reach the point where you say, this is it. This is far as I can go.


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Dear God, help me to press on to the goal you have given me. Amen.
Ron Newhouse