Maeher State Park, Alabama

Sunrise at the boat ramp

Sunrise at the boat ramp, who is in the shadow?

Sunrise at the boat ramp

I can't identify these ducks because they are silhouetted, but when they swim, their heads bob foreword and vertical.

Boardwalk at Maeher state park, looking at I10

Mobile skyling and bird taking off. I am not sure what kind of bird, my impression was a heron.

Mobile skyline

Red winged blackbird

A tempting entrance

 

Maeher State Park, Alabama

We got to stay here on our second night of our 2021 Florida trip. Our first night was boondocking in a parking lot across from the mechanic fixing our truck. It was not a bad night. It was peaceful. We had internet so got to watch videos and our battery held our refrigerator.

We had a long drive to get from our boondocking spot to our reservation at Meaher State park. We arrived right at dusk. The office manager had called us earlier in the day and given us the gate code, so we were able to get in and pull into our pull through site and had our full hook-ups connect in five minutes. We walked to the bay to catch the last color of the sunset.

The following morning we got up early and watched the sunrise light at the boat ramp. I then went exploring and found a beautiful boardwalk that looped out over the bay and was able to see the sunrise for real. From that boardwalk, you would also be able to see the sunset over the Mobile sky line. There were a lot of birds around the boardwalk. I really enjoyed this walk.

Across the street from our campsite was another trail head. It looked like it meandered through the tall pine woods. I didn't hike these trails because we had to hit the road.

This is a great campground. It makes a great overnight stop, but you can spend quite a long time here also. There is a nearby town with everything you could want, you could explore Mobile. You could hike, boat, canoe, fish, or just sit and watch the birds.

The Lord's supper, Richard Chapman

 The Lord's Supper

Richard Chapman

Introduction

The Lord's Supper, also called communion or the Eucharist (meaning "thanksgiving” in Greek), holds deep significance for a believer and should not be underestimated. More than just a memorial to remember Jesus' death and resurrection, the Lord's supper is also a declaration of one's continual dependence upon Christ's life and a regular reminder of His return.

Historical Background

Observance of the Lord's supper began when Jesus initiated it at His last meal before His death with His disciples. The apostle Paul wrote about this event in 1 Corinthians 11:23- 29, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'this is my body, which is for you do this in remembrance of me.' Then the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'this cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me, for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes'. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord, eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

The Lord's supper involves partaking of two elements,, bead and grape juice (or wine) and is preceded by a blessing or prayer of thanksgiving. The Bible reveals some deep truths about the two elements of communion.

The Bread, Representing the body of Jesus

By partaking of the bead in communion, we acknowledge that Jesus is our source of life. Indeed, He is the Bread of Life where by we may satisfy our spiritual hunger, He said, “here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. In anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:50). Bread signifies life, so when Jesus broke the unleavened bead and gave it to His disciples He illustrated that His body (life) would be broken in order that they might have life.

The broken body of Jesus also ushered in the new covenant, signified by the temple veil tearing in two. Paul said in Hebrews, “therefore brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body.” (Hebrews 10:19-20) This “new and living way” is by His spirit, allowing us to approach God with a heart made pure by the blood of Jesus. The resurrected body of Jesus validates the new covenant, because the same Holy Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead is the same Spirit dwelling in the children of God (see Romans 8:11).

The breaking of bread with other believers signifies fellowship with the Body of Christ and unity by the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:42). The body of Christ is strengthened and Jesus is glorified when the body serves one another in humility and shares blessings in selfless love. “For we veing many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one Bread[Jesus] (1 Corinthians 10:17)

The Cup. Representing the Blood of Jesus

The symbol of a cup represents a measure of portion, and blood signifies suffering and death. Blood is the life of the body, but when it is poured out, death occurs (Leviticus 17:11). The Father gave Jesus a cup of suffering to drink, requiring Him to be the sacrificial Lamb of atonement for sin and to pour out His sinless blood through a torturous death; for only the shed blood of Jesus can cleanses and make permanent atonement for all sin. (1 John 1:7).

Jesus cried out in Gethsemane, “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36) Jesus submitted Himself to is Gather's will and drank the terrible cup of wrath for our sin “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

By partaking of the communion cup, we commit to follow Jesus no matter the cost. Jesus drank the cup of God's wrath for our sin, be we are to partake in His sufferings for righteousness' sake. Jesus said, “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). Paul knew from experience that all who “live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2Timothy 3:12)

Peter encouraged believers to respond to suffering even as Christ did: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.' When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

The Lord's supper gives believers the opportunity to identify ourselves with Jesus, and show that we are willing to experience both His life (power) and death (suffering) in our daily walk. The apostle Paul said it, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10-11). Just as the Passover was a symbol of the old covenant, so the Lord's supper is a symbol of the new. Christians remember the sacrificial death of Jesus for our sin (bondage) while anticipating the fulfillment of our salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven (Promised Land). King David knew only the old covenant yet by faith he declared, “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:13)

Biblical Warnings

Because of the significance of identifying when Christ in communion, those who profess to be Christians but live according to the world should question their participation until they are able to fully commit to follow Christ daily. Everyone should examine his own heart prior to partaking in the Lord's supper to be certain of a pure conscience toward God. “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).

Although we should certainly rejoice and celebrate the finished work of Christ's death and resurrection, be sure we also “walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). Eating and drinking unworthily has to do with trying to identify with Christ but elsewhere living like the world. We are warned to turn from sin so as not to come under judgment.

Paul understood that the purpose of the Lord's supper was to remember Christ and his example of love and servant-hood. Whenever they body of Christ comes together, there should be unity.

Bond of Fellowship

Communion illustrates fellowship with the Lord and with His Body. We read: “Our fellowship is with the Father and His son Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 John 1:3)

“Our fellowship is through the Holy Ghost” (2 Corinthians 13:1, Philippians 2:1).

So precious is the bond of fellowship portrayed in communion that it cannot be shared with the world. Paul said, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's Table and the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21) No one can serve two masters (see Luke 16:13), neither can a person keep idols in hes heart while fellowshipping with the Lord. Some may pretend to do so, he the scripture says, “You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

Looking ahead

The Lord's supper is a time to anticipate the day when we will see our Lord face to face. Just as He said “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29)

How often should we observe communion? There is no biblical guideline. In light of Jesus' instruction to do it in remembrance of Him and Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 11, communion should be held periodically as a reminder of believers' mutual fellowship with the Lord and with one another. A general guideline would be to take communion often enough that we benefit from the reminder but not to let it be routine (without significance).

Is it okay to use alcoholic wine in communion? The Biblical mandate here is this “It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.” (Romans 14:21) While some have the liberty to drink wine on occasion we are not to be drunk with wine (Ephesians 5:18 and 1 Timothy 5:23). Others count it as sin. A believer who has the liberty to drink wine with a pure conscience should “take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9). We are to consider others ahead of ourselves. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31). Those who prepare the communion should be sensitive to the weaknesses of those they serve.

Conclusion

The Lord's supper is a symbol of the new covenant we have with God by Christ Jesus. This covenant is the '”new and living way” whereby we follow God's law written on our hearts by the power of his Holy Spirit. When we participate on the Lord's supper, remember not only Jesus' death and resurrection, but also reflect on the deeper meaning that He is our continual source of spiritual life.

All things God works for the Good

 

All Things God Works for the Good – Feb 2, 2012 Richard Chapman

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Think for a moment about who wrote these words, inspired by the Holy Spirit. These are words that cam from the apostle Paul. This is the same man who wrote, “Five times I received from the Jews the 40 lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. I have know hunger and thirst and have often gone without food. I have been cold and naked (2 Corinthians 11:2-27) “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Does Paul really believe it? This is one of those scriptures of the Bible that we can find irritating at times, particularly when people quote it to us in the face of some disaster. As we are struggling with cancer, or other illness and live with a chronic ailment; as we are struggling in our lives; as we live with poverty; or stand at the grave side of someone we loved, some people will remind us of that scripture, “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Others will speak about tragedies as “blessings in disguise” and yet others will say, when something happens “it is God's will”. These sorts of lines, while they may be easy to say are sometimes very difficult to believe. At times they can be irritating and often, if said at a funeral or in the face of some tragedy, they are of very little comfort.

Think of Joseph. The Bible tells us, “Israel (or Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age,” Genesis 37:3 This love led to Jacob adorning his son with the coat of many colors. It is recorded that “when his brothers saw that their father loved him (Joseph) more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” Genesis 37:4) Later on their hatred led them to want to kill their brother. But instead he was thrown into a pit and sold to the Midianites. Then Joseph was sold to the Egyptians where he spent a great deal of time in prison on false charges. While Joseph stayed true to God, it would have been of little comfort if we had told him at the time that he was being sold into slavery, “this is a blessing is disguise. This is God's will. Don't worry, Joseph, remember that all thing work for the good of those who love the Lord.”

When someone we love dies or when a tornado strikes, or when an illness we dread hits someone, we tend to wonder about God's will. We tend to wonder about the good in it. And certainly the idea of it being a blessing in disguise is really not much comfort to us.

And yet, it is often the case that when something happens people will, begin to search for the good in it. The need to find something “good” in a horrible situation is necessary' it seems to somehow make the situation more palatable.

“There must be something good that comes out of everything that happens,” we tell ourselves, “because if there is nothing good then things are indeed meaningless.” Sometimes there are some things that we point to and say, “If it would not have been for the illness, the person may have never come to know the Lord. If it were not for the death of a parent, the brothers and sisters may have never been reunited. If it were not for some natural disaster, people may never know what it means to share or give of themselves.”

Look at Joseph. The woes he experienced led him to Pharaoh's court to interpret a dream. That interpretation of the dream, given to Joseph by the Lord, led to Joseph being made second in command in Egypt., which led in turn to Jacob's family coming to Egypt in search of food during the famine. When Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to look for food,little did they know that they would stand in the presence of their brother.

God had worked it so tat the result was that Joseph ended up saving his father and his brothers., When the brothers finally discovered what had happened, Joseph said to them, you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid” (Genesis 50: 19-21)

Sometimes that “good” we are searching for is hard to find. We wonder if any “good” can be found among the murder victims of our land, or if any good can come out of the carnage on many a highway as people's lives are suddenly brought to a screeching halt because of an accident.

Closer to home, we wonder what good can come out of the loss of a child, or the illness of a child. What good can come out of a lack of rain? What good can come out of an ongoing life of abuse? Hat good can come from broken relationships? The list is long and we can think of situations in which we wonder. In such situations, upon hearing our scripture, we may be inclined to clench our teeth and say, “yea, right, sure. God is working for my good in all of this misery?”

The Bible records the words not as a theory but as fact, It is simply a fact, whether we like it, understand it, or experience it or not. The reason the Bible can make such a claim is that the Lord God is recognized the ruler of all things. Romans deals with salvation and climaxes with the return of the Lord. It is a process that will culminate in the presence of the new heaven and the new earth. It is on that new earth where those who love the Lord will dwell for all eternity. This is ultimately what the scripture is talking about. God is working out his plan of salvation in the world and nothing can stop him, and everything that happens finds its place in that plan. It is like the example of the embroidery. On the underside there are strings going every which way, but on the top a beautiful picture is emerging. God sees the top, we see the bottom. Everything that happens flows through the hands of the Almighty and is woven into the tapestry of history.

Consider Joseph and his trials. The saving of Joseph ensured the continuation of the people of Israel, the ancestors of the Messiah. We can be sure that Joseph did not understand when his brothers sold him into slavery. It was only in retrospect that Joseph was able to explain what happened. We don't always have an answer as to why bad things happen. It is foolish to pretend to know when we don't. Sometimes we think we can tell what good reason God might have for allowing evil, but often we can only guess. God allows people freedom to do both evil and good otherwise they wouldn't be humans, only robots. Maybe God allows diseases and tornadoes to make us depend on Him or to make us more courageous. Maybe God sometimes sends punishments on a whole nation. Or maybe there are times when a person's suffering—and the way he handles it-- draws other closer to God. It is hard to say in a particular case. Often we do not know why God permits a certain evil But we do know this just as a doctor must sometimes hurt us in order to help us, so God is always working with us for good, even when we can't see it.

Our Lord Jesus Himself, as he died shouted “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Two days later, He was alive again and speaking peace to his disciples. God does act against evil and for good. It is part of his providence.

“In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” The reason the Bible can make this statement is because it takes a very wide view of life and history. Our view is always very limited, and therefore we struggle.

All sorts of painful things may happen to us. Our hearts may be broke a thousand times in this worlds and our bodies wracked with Pain. But these things are part of the Refiner's fire. That which we experience here on earth is part of that struggle of life in a sin-filled world. What good is there in the struggle? We may not see it in the now, but James tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance and spiritual maturity. Ultimately, the One who has all of history in His hands works it for our good.

The story is told when St, Augustine was advanced in years, he saw the storm clouds rising of the imminent invasion of the Roman Empire by the barbarians. He feared the marauding horde would destroy the work he had labored to establish. He went to God in prayer and uttered a petition in three parts. He first asked that his people would be spared the devastation that could result from the barbarian invasion. Second, He asked that if that was not the will of God that he be given the grace to accept it. Finally, he prayed that in either case God would take him home soon.

The text talks about all of this in the context of “those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) God's people are being discussed here. Those who do not know the Lord and who remain unrepentant will ultimately not have everything work for the good. But those who love the Lord can live with the utter security and assurance that they belong to their faithful Savior, in life and in death, and nothing is able to separate them from the love of Jesus.

While we may not, in the midst of misery, like to hear such statements as found in our scripture. Yet it is true that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. Surely this is where our comfort lies.

Where does your comfort lay? Do you know for sure that all thing work for good for those who love the Lord? If your comfort lies in money, doctors, home, children, etc. and you are missing the assurance that all is working for our good now is a good opportunity to come before His throne in prayer, praise, and worship.

Taking God Seriously March 6, 2012 Richard Chapman

 

Taking God Seriously March 6, 2012  Richard Chapman

If what the Bible says is true: that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) then what does the Bible mean when it says that we are to “fear the Lord”? Perhaps the most accurate way of expressing this is “Taking God Seriously”. Since we live in a seriously troubled time, why don't we take God more seriously? What does it mean to take God seriously and why is it important? How do we know if people are serious about their faith in God?

A lot of “Christians” simply don't take their faith seriously. They have their fire insurance and for them, following Christ in their daily lives is optional. If they get in trouble, they pray. If they get enough sleep Saturday night, they go to church. Otherwise, they mostly do their own thing.

Thinking on the definition of faith, a potential definition of faith is taking God seriously. Many Christians, who claimed to have faith, do not take God seriously. To take God seriously means to take His word seriously. If a person speaks to us, but we ignore- or even reject- much of what he says to us, we certainly are not taking him seriously. In fact, we are guilty of disrespect.

The same applies to God. If we ignore or reject much of what He says through the Scriptures, we are not taking Him seriously. We are treating Him with disrespect. Yet this is how many Christians are relating to God. They treat His word like a smorgasbord, picking out those portions that appeal to their taste and passing the others by.

There are four practical ways in which God's word applies in our lives: His promises, His commandments, His prohibitions, and His warnings.

Here are some examples of each and how they apply to us:

God's Promises

The four gospels contain many wonderful promises of Jesus, but before we claim these for ourselves it is important to define to who the promises were given. The gospel writers make a clear distinction between words that Jesus spoke to his disciples and those He spoke to multitudes or to individuals who were not disciples. There are more than 900 verses recording words spoken to disciple and about 860 verses addressed to non-disciples.

The distinctive mark of true disciples was commitment. They had made an unreserved commitment to obey and follow Jesus, regardless of personal cost. Jesus Himself laid down this condition: “whoever does not ear his cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple. Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 1:27, 33)

Before we can apply His promises to ourselves, we need to ask, “Am I the person that Jesus is speaking to? Do His promises apply to me? Do I have the right to claim them?” For example, John 14 contains promises such as: “ Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. Because I live, you will live also. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:13, 14, 19, 27)

These promises were given only to a group of committed disciples. In Luke 18:28 Peter spoke for them when he said, “See we have all left and followed you.” To claim these promises without fulfilling this condition is not faith, but presumption. We need to ask, “Am I a disciple- or just a church member?”

God's commandments

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him', and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”(1 John 2:3-4)

Our response to God's commandments reveals our true spiritual condition. Obeying them is proof that we know God. The Bible contains many commandments covering various areas of our lives, but Jesus sums them up in one that takes precedence over the others: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciple, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

By obeying this commandment, we fulfill the entire law: “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Galatians 5:14). Love is the end purpose for which all other commandments were given: “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,...” (1 Timothy 1:5,6) Any activity, which does not produce love, is wasted effort. On this basis, we must assess our obedience to God's commandments. We need to ask ourselves “Is my life an expression of God's love?”

God's Prohibitions

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him.” (1 John 2:15)

God forbids us to love the world. He compels us to make a choice. We cannot do both. It must be one or the other. Either love God or love the world. In the New Testament language, “the world” comprises all people and activities not submitted to Jesus Christ as Lord. As such, the world – whether consciously or unconsciously-- is in rebellion against God.

The pull of the world in all our lives is extremely strong. It offers us many enticements. Some seem innocent, yet can be a clever rebellion against God. The media is a channel of the world's influence, with all the forms of entertainment it offers. Much of media entertainment is permeated by moral and spiritual impurity. We must not voluntarily expose ourselves to anything that glorifies sin and dishonors Jesus Christ (immorality or vile language). Make it a principle not to keep books or other objects that dishonors Jesus. That may seem radical, but Christianity is radical.

God's warnings

In Matthew 23, Jesus is warning against deception: “Take heed that no one deceives you.” In verse 11, He repeats this warning; “Then many false prophets will rise and deceive many.” Deception is the greatest single danger that confronts Christians. Many Christians feel that the warning against deception does not apply to them. This reaction could be an indication that deception is already at work. There is only one sure safeguard against deception: it is to receive the “love of truth”. This goes beyond merely listening to sermons, or even reading the Bible. It is an intense and passionate commitment to the authority of Scripture. It produces within us an instinctive reaction against any message or ministry that is not faithful to Scripture.

God offers each of us this “love of truth”. Are we willing to receive it? Shall we take His warning seriously or shall we ignore it?

A relationship with Christ affects everything about our lives. It affects our reason for living-- why we get up in the morning, why we exist. The whole goal and purpose of our life is to glorify God and to seek God and His kingdom and His righteousness above all things. We owe everything to the Lord. We have no life apart from Christ, we can't call anything our own-- our time, possessions, influence, family, plans, future life. It all belongs to the Lord. Paul says it a different way in Romans 11:36: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” It's all about Him. He is the center of our lives.

In Acts 20:24, Paul says, “But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love.”

It's not our business endeavors, or friendships, hobbies,s or other temporal things that matters. It's that we do what God has called us to do. If we have any regret when we see God face-to-face, it will likely be that we did not take God more seriously. That we frittered our lives away with meaningless things, with things that didn't have eternal value or significance, because Christ wasn't at the core and the heart of our existence.

What about each of us? Do we take God seriously? Here are a few more questions to ask:

What is my purpose in life?

Why do I exist?

Why did God create me?

Why has He saved me?

Why do I get up in the morning?

What motivates me?

What drives me?

What keeps me going?

God is serious, serious about loving us in any way possible. God is big enough for our anger, small enough for our whispers, and strong enough for our worries. We cannot be half-hearted or nominal Christians. If we are a Christian, we are a new person. There is no reasonable option, but to take God seriously.

The most serious thing a person will ever do is not to take God seriously. Whenever we start taking God seriously, it is then that He will take us seriously!

We waste our time pretending. That is play-acting. And a casual looking for Him will profit us nothing. It is when we seek for Him with “all our heart” that the promise is fulfilled, and we will find Him.

Anyone who is searching and longing can joyfully testify, I found him, I held Him, and would not let go. We need to be like the little boy who said in prayer, “I ain't kiddin' Lord, I mean it.” And, by the way, God knows when we mean it.

Overcoming Fear of the Future

 My dad wasn't a paid church minister, but he was a lay pastor and regularly presented sermons to vespers, church, and a homeless ministry. He and my mom did lots of ministry. He liked to type out his sermons before he gave them to people. We have them printed out and as pdf files. So I will be trying to type them into a more useable form. Here is one of them. 

12/31/2013

II Timothy 3:1 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited,, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-

These are "perilous times". Today's perils is the danger of all-out war in the Middle East, the saber-rattling by North Korea, and the continuing threat of bio-terrorism makes this a dangerous time to be alive.

Yet life goes on, uncertain perhaps, but we have business to attend to, classes to teach, orders to fill, patients to see, books to write, games to play, bills to pay, medicine to take, songs to sing, meals to prepare, and beyond that, there are the concerns of marriage, children, friends and family. It is easy to dismiss the large concerns of the world.

Someone has said that worry is "the interest paid by those who borrow trouble." Another person called worries "a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind." According to John Haggai, "In America, worry has become part of our national culture. You could write eon countless American gravestones the epitaph: "Hurried,, Worried, Buried."

Maybe our greatest fear is the fear of death. Hebrews 2:15 tells us that Christ came to deliver those enslaved by the fear of death. It's not just the fear of dying that troubles us, it's the thought of leaving this life with much to do. For some people living and dying can seem equally painful. How can we overcome our fear of what might happen in the future?

With all that looms before us, how can we move from fear to faith? In order to answer this question, let's take a look at the story of Esther. Even though the events took place 25 centuries ago, the story of her courage points the way to a life free from fear over what might happen tomorrow.

The year was 465 .C. A man named Xerxes was king of Persia. He ruled an empire even bigger than the empire of Nebuchadnezzar. His empire spread from India in the east to Greece in the west to Africa in the south to Turkey in the north. Our story takes place in one of his capital cities. In those days the Persian Empire had four capital cities. One we've heard of --Babylon. Two we have never heard of and a fourth one called Susa. It is in Susa where our story unfolds.

Archaeologists dug up Susa about 100 years ago and found ruins of the palace spoken of in the book of Esther. Susa is in Iran. There appears a large mound, flat on top, with ruins above it. That is all that is left of Susa.

In 4465 B.C. Susa was on of the world's great cities. Darius the Mede, father of king Xerxes, built his winter palace there. Archaeologists discovered a tablet that describes how he built the cit of Susa. Darius imported cedar from Lebanon, gold from Sardis, ebony and sliver from Egypt, ivory from Ethopia. After he died, Xerxes continued the work his father began. The capital was in Babylon. Susa was the winter palace.

The king of Persia kept his harem in Susa. The harem was a group of beautiful women who were at his beck and call. They were gathered from among the most beautiful women in the empire. They had a special diet and were taught a special way of life and their calling was to please the king. He would call the women in and they would serve him and do his bidding.

In the course of time, the king became enraged at Queen Vashti and began to look for the most beautiful, most attractive, most desirable woman to make her the new queen. He looked at one after another until at last he came upon a woman whose beauty, character, form and charm was such that he was completely taken with her.

Her name was Esther. She was a Jew. She was of God's chosen people and she became the queen of Persia. She was the most important woman in the realm--a Jewish woman, queen to a Persian king.

Life was good for Esther. Esther basked in the glory of being the chief woman of the realm and the one to whom everyone else bowed down to and paid homage.

A man named Haman came in to see the king. Esther knew nothing about it because in those days the king kept his business and his women apart. Haman came in with a story the king could hardly believe. He said, "Oh king, there's a certain people in your realm who are treasonous. They do not follow your law. They do not pay homage to you. They do not respect what you have done.

We must do something about these people." As a matter of fact, the things he was saying were not true. The Jews were not treasonous. But Haman, because he was a descendant of the Amalekites, the ancient enemies of the people of God, wanted to stir up trouble against the Jews.

The king asked, "What do you propose?" Haman answered, "If you will allow, I will write a decree and have you sign it with your signet ring and we will send a decree to the kingdom. The decree will be that on a certain day all the Jews will be put to death."

Haman's idea was to kill all the Jews in the Empire on the same day. Haman neglected to tell the king he was talking about the Jews. Not that it would make much difference to a Persian King. And so the decree was signed and sealed with the signet ring and it began to go out over all the land.

Mordecai, cousin to Queen Esther was a Jew serving in the court of King Xerxes. He was involved in the business affairs of the king, a man of good character, whom the king respected. When Mordecai heard what Haman had done, which would mean that he and his relatives would be put to death, he went to the middle of the city clothed himself with sackcloth and ashes and began mourning and wailing.

Esther had not heard about Haman''s plot so when she heard Mordecai was mourning,, she sent a messenger to find out what happened. He gave the messenger a copy of the decree and said, "Go to the queen and tell her that she is the only one who can save us. If she does not act, we will die."

In Esther 4:9-11 the messenger reported to Esther what Mordecai said. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, "Everyone knows that for anyone to approach the king in the inner court without being summoned, the king has one law: that he should be put to death."

No one could come near without an invitation. If a man rushed in to see the king and the king didn't want to see him, without a word the man would be taken out and put to death. "The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life." Esther said, "thirty days have passed since I was called to the king" (4:11b) It's hard for us to understand but remember this is an ancient Near East nation. During the 30 days the king had not seen Esther. Mordecai is saying, "Esther, you've got to save us." Esther is saying, "Before you ask me to do that, you've got to understand what the risk is. If I go in there and the king doesn't want to see me, I will be put to death even though I am the queen." She was counting the personal cost.

Before we take the first step, we need to count the cost. Nobody goes to war without counting the soldiers. If we want to be Jesus' disciple, it's going to cost something.

So Esther is saying to Mordecai, understand I am taking my life in my hands. She was queen. She had a good life. She had anything she wanted. Now Mordecai is saying, "Esther, it's time for you to put it all on the line."

The messenger tells Mordecai what Esther said. Mordecai's answer is the heart of the book of Esther. Mordecai sent back this answer, "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (4:12-14)

He says Esther, you're queen, but underneath beats a Jewish heart. You're one of God's people. Don't think that by remaining silent you can avoid persecution. Just because you're the queen, you are not out of trouble.

We should learn from this that there is no safety in this world, not even for the rich and powerful. Riches cannot save us from the troubles of the world.

Mordecai is saying, "if you don't help us, God is able to help us from some other source, but you will be destroyed." Then he says who knows but you came to a royal position for such a time as this"

Mordecai said, "Esther, what made the king pick you? You're the queen. Do you think that was by chance? Esther, the reason your on top is because God put you there. He put you there so that at the crucial moment of history you could deliver your people.

What a way of looking at the conditions of life, a way of understanding the work of God. Esther, are you here for this one thing? All that's happened is training for this moment.

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast just as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king. and if I perish, I perish."

Mordecai's appeal to Esther was based on a great principle. The greater the privilege the greater the responsibility. The more we have,, the more we answer for. The more God has given the greater our responsibility to use it for His Kingdom.

What does this story teach us about our own fear of the future? For one thing, we learn that there is no safety in the world. Bad things happen to good people and we learn that there are no coincidences in life. We are there because God wants us to be there. Wherever we are, God has a hand in it.

Our highest calling is to be obedient to Christ. We must do what Esther did -- fast,, pray, and seek the Lord so when the time comes we do the right thing. The choice is obedience to God, leaving the results with him.

That's the meaning of "If I perish, I perish." Those are words of faith spoken by a woman who put her life in God's hands. There is no one so free as the person not afraid to die. If we aren't afraid to die, then we are free to serve the Lord and do whatever he calls us to do.

Four truths for the New Year

As we look to the year before us, for truths encourage us'

1. God is already there because He goes before his people
2. God Promises to be with us no matter what happens.
3. If we know the Lord, the worst thing that can happen is we go to heaven, which is the best thing that can happen.
4. We have the time we need to do everything God wants us to do.

That last point is important because many of us enter the New Year feeling rushed and harried. No matter what happens, we will have the time, strength, and wisdom we need to do everything God wants us to do.

That principle should not be stretched to mean we are guaranteed to accomplish all our goals so that every dream will come true. We live in a fallen world where things break and nothing works quite right. But given that limitation, we can have confidence that God will supply all that we truly need, when we need it, so that we can do his will.

No one can say what the New Year will bring. None of us knows if we will even be here 12 months from now. But that should not alarm us. To our fears the Lord says "Fear not."

Will things get worse? Fear not.

Will I lose my health? Fear not.

Will I keep my job? Fear not.

Will my loved ones struggle? Fear not.

Will I run out of money? Fear not.

Will tragedy strike my family? Fear not.

Will others ridicule my faith? Fear not.

Will my dreams turn to ashes? Fear not.

Will I face death? Fear not.

Any of those things might happen; Indeed some of them will happen eventually. But the Lord is with us today and tomorrow. We of all people should be optimistic as we face a new year.

We have a great future because we have a great God. Take our troubles, wrap them up, and five them to the Lord. This is going to be a great year but not without troubles, heartache, difficulty, or opposition. We'll have our share of hard times, but overriding it is the promise of God who said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

On Christmas day 1939, King George VI of England gave a radio address to hos troubled nation. England was at war with Germany. Soon all of Europe would be at war. The king offered words of encouragement. He ended his remarks by quoting a poem by Louise Haskins, "The Gate of Year."

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: 'Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!' and he replied: 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'"

What a word for us today. No one but God knows what the future holds. Let us do as the poet suggested and place our hands in the had of God. Let us go into the future with confidence, knowing that if God goes with us, we need not fear the future. To walk with the Lord is the greatest of all joys, and it is indeed safer than a known way. 

Philippians Bible Study

 Ch 1 Being a slave of Christ is not always easy. We trust in him, grow in his love and discernment and share about him, but we also suffer and struggle for his sake.

Ch 2 Work out your salvation without selfishness. Be obedient to God and promote Him and His interests Don't promote yourself. Serve other people with humility.

Ch 3 Even if we can follow all the rules and all God's laws, our way to heaven and God is through the forgiveness of Christ. Through Him, asking to join his family and asking for His righteousness.

Ch 4 Dwell on things worthy of praise- true, honorable, pure, lovely, just, virtue and be content with what God has provided and rejoice in it.

Philippians is short so it was a quick read. Every time I read it, I learn more. It is always a reminder that there is no way we can be good enough on our own to follow all of God's rules and laws and make it to heaven because we are good enough. We only make it to heaven because we have asked Christ to adopt us and forgive us. Once we do, we are adopted as God's kids and we are to learn and grow as children do so we can be a credit to our Father.

 

Dog training, Attention

 Having your dog pay attention to you is the number one ingredient to dog training and living with your dog as a family member. 

How to capture your dog's attention varies with each dog. To get attention, you have to experiment, vary your approach, and make it rewarding for the dog to interact with you.

Have you ever sat down to have a conversation with someone and what you heard is how much more work needs to be done, how you could have done something better, what is wrong with the world, or other complaints? Did you want to keep listening and focus on that person, or did your attention wander and you started focusing on things in your environment,, what you were going to do next, what you could have for a snack? 

What keeps your attention? A happy friend with exciting ideas for adventurues? Someone telling you how wonderful you are? Someone offering to cook for you? Someone with a quick reprimand and a solution to keep you out of trouble? Someone teaching you something interesting? Someone sharing your interests?

When we work with a dog, we need to find what they are interested in and how they want to interact with people. Sometimes you have to be really goofy to gain attention, reward the attention, and frequently repeat catching the dog's attention until the dog is in the habit of looking to you to see what you will do next. Other times your requests for attention have to be soft and quiet, but you still get to reward the attention and get the dog in the habit of paying attention and not being overwhelmed. Your reward will also vary depending on what the dog finds rewarding. It is hard to believe, but not every dog likes the same thing. My dogs Tippy and Roudy will do anything for any kind of treat and know if there are treats in the area. Peanut just craves words of praise and a gentle rub. Ellie loves her ball being thrown. Jessa likes a smile and a cheerful voice.

Try this: Reward your dog every time he looks at you and see quickly he looks at you more. Your goal is that everyt ime you say his name, he looks at you and focuses on you for an instant. Once he looks at you every time you say his name, you can start delaying the reward seconds at a time until your dog keeps his attention on you for fifteen seconds before you reward him.

Uses: You can catch your dogs attention when he is reacting badly to another dog, encounters a person who is trying to get his attention away from you, wants to chase a squirrel or lunge after speeding golf cart, when he is afraid of something, or when you know something is going to happen that your dog will react to. Catching your dog's attention is the foundation of any other training. No one can learn if they are not paying attention to the teacher.