A Few Moments with God - March

[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

[janbear]

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)

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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?


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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

[thereishope]

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]

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who 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

[bluidkiti]

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) 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.

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]

For our ancestors have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God; they have forsaken him... Therefore the wrath of the LORD came upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them an object of horror. (2 Chronicles 29:6-8 NRSV Bible)

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The cross reminds us of the horror of sin. I use the word horror intentionally because there are many people who have a great interest in horror movies and the violence that is contained in them. Some of us think that horror is very funny.
The most violent event in human history took place on the cross. The worst horror scene ever was the nailing of the son of God to an old rugged cross. In Genesis 3:5, we read of Adam's sin and his desire to be like God. It was Adam's sin and it is our sin also. Our sins must be extremely horrible for Christ to die for them.

If you take the word sin, the middle letter is I. If you take the word pride, which the early church fathers listed as the worst of the seven deadly sins, you will once again notice that the middle letter is I. Basically sin is the big I. According to the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:18-25, I get into trouble when I begin to worship the creature rather than Creator. It is when I want to decide what is right or wrong, to forget God's law and will and replace it with my laws that I go astray.

The Cross reminds us how much we have done to put Christ there. Were you there when they crucified our Lord? Yes, we were there.


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Dear God, help me to live more and more like your son. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ron Newhouse

[bluidkiti]

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) 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.

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

Ron Newhouse

[janbear]

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote



I don't change because I've seen the light but because I have felt the heat. - Penny P.

[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

[bluidkiti]

"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]

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

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Greatness in the kingdom of God always comes through service. That is true in all of life. Why can't more of us see it? The most trusted politician is the one who best serves his or her country. The teacher who is most fondly remembered is the one who best serves her or his students. The most respected and successful business person is the one who best serves his or her customers. Greatness is not measured in cars, or houses, or stocks and bonds. Society may reward us for our service, but that is secondary. One is greatest who knows how to serve.
Amy Carmichael was an incredible woman who for two decades administered an orphanage in India from her bed. Billy Graham once visited Dohnavur, Carmichael's home for destitute girls. He had to excuse himself for a few moments so he could weep in private--so great was her devotion. Amy Carmichael was able to drink from Christ's cup.

Author, medical missionary and explorer, Dr. David Livingstone spent most of his adult life living in primitive conditions in Africa in the 1800's. While exploring in Africa, Dr. Livingstone received a letter from some very well-meaning friends which read, "We would like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?"

Dr. Livingstone sent this message in reply, "If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want strong and courageous men who will come if there is no road at all." David Livingstone knew how to drink from Christ's cup.

How about you? Are you able to drink from His cup? It is the cup of self-giving love. It is the cup of self-denial, sacrifice and service to the world. "He who would be greatest among you," said Jesus "must be willing to be servant of all." Remember that true greatness comes through service.


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Dear God, help me to grow in my service to all of your creation, 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