Dreaming

   Chambers talks today about the work of the Holy Spirit thusly:

   " When I commit myself to the revealed truth of the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, who then begins interpreting to me what Jesus did. The Spirit of God does in me internally all that Jesus Christ did for me externally."

   I woke up this morning knowing that I had had an unusual dream. As with a lot of dreams, I realize I had one, but can't remember much of the details. It could be that they are not important, but it did remind me of a verse.

   From the Old Testament Book of Joel, verse 28 of Chapter 2, it reads:

      "After all of this 
      I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. 
      Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
      Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; 
      your young men will see prophetic visions."

   In the Old Testament Joseph had dreams, Pharaoh had dreams and others too, and they all had a meaning. God used dreams to convey His messages to men, and the Spirit had a part in this.

   Why do we dream? It could be because of spicy food, but it also could be the work of the Spirit in a life. 

   Now if I could only remember the content so as to try to get the meaning.

Too Soon Old and Too Late......

   Sometimes I think that kids who grow up in Christian homes in the United States have an accidental stumbling block placed in their path when it comes to a wholehearted following of Jesus. Jesus is who they have heard about since they could understand, and they have been led to accept Him as Savior at an early age. This acceptance is based on their acknowledgment of the fact that they are sinners, that Jesus paid the price for these sins on the cross, and their acceptance of the gift of salvation through His Name. It is what they have been taught and know, and I include myself in this group.

   Chambers talks today about an adjunct to all of this:

   "The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are "rich", particularly in the area of pride or independence, God can do nothing for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit."

   We, and remember that I include myself when referring to this group of American Christians, most of the time, do not know what destitute is. Along with our Christian upbringing, we have also learned that "we can do it", and that self reliance and independence are virtues that we need to cultivate. We have accepted that hard work will pay off for us, and that having a good work ethic is a head start on the pathway to success.

   The question is: Have a lot of kids (and adults) who grew up in American Christian homes just been inoculated into a very shallow Christianity? This one time vaccination can do us for a lifetime, but, if left on its own, can keep one from a productive life of discipleship. It may be enough to keep us out of Hell, but it is not what Christ intended when referring to true disciples.

I confess that I am still working on understanding the whole process. Salvation is all God and my part is belief. But God wants more than just this one belief, He wants a life that gets itself out of the way so that He can work through it.

Too soon old and too late smart.

What is God Interested In?

   Chambers says today:

   "We must never allow anything to interfere with the consecration of our spiritual power. Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested."

   I spent some time this morning pondering what it was that God was interested in. The first word that came to my mind was "people". God is concerned with people, their joys, their sorrows, the struggles, their victories, and just their daily lives. He is concerned with whether or not they accept His sacrifice for them.

   But it is not just that He is concerned with a generic "people". He is vitally interested in each individual person, and, although it is hard to get my mind around the fact that He knows each one of 6 billion or so folks around the world, the fact is true, that He is.

   So, Chambers says that I should be concerned also, about the 6 billion people around the world, but especially those that pass through my life on a daily basis. I need to live my life in such a way, that those that I come into contact with, whether once in a lifetime, or on a regular basis, are treated with respect. My life should not be a stumbling block to another, but should point them to the truth.

   There was an old song in our hymnal years ago that said "Make me a blessing to someone today", a reminder of how the Christian life should be lived. My prayer is for God to help me to be aware of a lot of "someones" today and the tomorrows ahead.

   Not just sing a song, or write a blog, but really do it.

Beware

   Beware of taking the Cross lightly!

   What is the Cross of Jesus Christ to me?

   For some it is a pretty ornament to wear. For some it is a religious symbol on the top of the church, and for some the designation of the dividing of modern history into the BC and the AD eras.

   But the question is not what it is to someone or everyone else, what is it to me?

   The Bible says that "cursed is anyone that hangs upon a tree". Crucifixion was a death punishment for "bad" people, especially in the Roman Empire of Jesus' day. It was a painful way to die and was meant to deter people from defying the Roman authority.

   Jesus suffered and died upon a cross, and that cross becomes a life giving instrument for me. Because Jesus took the sins of the world, and that includes mine, on himself and became sin for me, I can have life in this world and the next.

   The old rugged cross was not the pretty gold one that we use and see today, but it accomplished more than any ornament or jewelry could ever do. 

   In the lines of a modern hymn by Stuart Townend:

      I will not boast in anything
      No gifts, no power, no wisdom
      But I will boast in Jesus Christ
      His death and resurrection

   That is the power of the Cross.

Giving Thanks

   This is just a late Thanksgiving Day post, since it was kinda unusual.

   First of all we were in Blacksburg with Doug and family for this holiday period. Yesterday, when the kids got home from a half day at school, Dawn, after lunch, said she was going to rest because she did not feel well. After supper, Lucy threw up and Dawn was still feeling puny.

   This morning Doug was down with something, and Drew was not up to par either. Only Caroline was her usual chipper, happy self, but this household was in trouble. Doug suggested that we leave that morning instead of waiting till tomorrow, so that we might avoid the bug if possible. No matter that we would miss the day and the food, it was a good idea and we did hit the road around 10AM.

   The Bible says to "give thanks in all things". I always note that it does not say to give thanks for all things, but in the midst of all things. So, we gave thanks that we had not gotten sick yet, that it was a nice day to travel, and that we could be home tonight.

   As we stopped in Columbia, SC to eat lunch this afternoon, we started in the door, a girl standing just inside said that we looked like we could use this paper she had in her hand. It turned out to be a buy one get one free entree, so we got to eat for half price. Now that is something to give thanks for.

   We also got home around 8PM, safely, and that is always a thankful moment.

   Hopefully the family in VA is feeling more thankful this evening, and maybe they can even eat tomorrow.

Honesty and Blogging

   "Make a determination to take no one seriously except God. You may find that the first person you must be the most critical with, as being the greatest fraud you have ever known, is yourself."

   I found that statement by Chambers today, to hit me right where I am at this moment.

   We have been traveling for a couple of days, and the study and writing just had not been done. When I got up this morning, I had a breakfast meeting with an old friend here in Blacksburg, then returned back to Doug's house. My first thought was that I had better buckle down and get right to Chambers and write the blog, since I was behind a few posts.

   Sitting down to write and reflect, I could not do anything. Chambers made sense, but I did not see or feel a thing that God wanted to tell me. So, what could I do? Make up some great spiritual insight and look good to whoever might read it or confess that I am very dull today?

   Then I read the above quote in today's devotion and figured that I would at least not be a fraud spiritually to God and to myself. So, today....

   Honesty is the best policy.

Who Do I Need Forgiveness From?

Chambers says today:

   "Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one, "Against You, You only, have I sinned . . ." (Psalm 51:4)."

   I know for a certainty that I sin. Even the people around me know this although they cannot know my inner thoughts and desires. But the question is, who do I sin against?

   If I steal, there is a person wronged, the one who had title to the goods. If I lie, I seek to gain an unfair advantage over someone in some area, and, again, there is another involved. I can say I sin all the time, but there is someone else in the picture, and I can see who needs to give me forgiveness for my wrong acts.

   There is a moral law, and an earthly one also, that lets me know that what I am doing is wrong and should not happen. Something inside of me says that this is not right, but Chambers goes far beyond this idea.

   God is the one that I have sinned against, and the forgiveness for that can only come from Him. God can blot out my sins and remember them no more, only because His Son has taken them all upon Himself. Once I accept that sacrifice for me, then God sees me in the light of Jesus.

   I can partially understand all of this, but it is still hard for me to realize that all I do, that is contrary to His law and the morality that He has put in my heart, is against Him. To live a life in conscious recognition of this fact shows the work of the Spirit in my life, but the absence of the same fact tells me that I have a long way to go.

   God help me.

Does Sitting in Service Count?

   As we celebrated Veteran's Day a few days ago, and remembered those men and women who have served and still serve in our armed forces, my thoughts go back to another similar holiday time.

   Each year, on Memorial Day, our little community has, what is called Taps at Twilight, an event to honor those who have died in service to our country. Additionally, all those who have served in the military are applauded, and this has caused somewhat of a problem for me.

   When they ask for all those in the audience, who have ever served in a branch of military service, to stand and be recognized, I do so reluctantly. It does not seem fitting for me to stand with other men and women who have fought in WWII, or Korea, or Vietnam, or Iraq and Afghanistan. These folk have stood in harm's way, while I have never heard a shot fired in anger.

   In that same audience there are those who served in those wars, have been wounded, have been POWs, or spent their time on active duty, serving in many capacities all over the world. Some were volunteers, and some were drafted. Some spent most of their adult lives making a career of military service.

   The closest that I ever got to active service was being held in the Army past my discharge date in 1961, because of the Berlin crisis; the result of the building of the Wall in that city by the East Germans and Russians. Our unit of the Army Reserve was subject to activation if the crisis resulted in a "hot" war, but it was not, and so, it is hard for me to count that. 

   So, on the outside I am standing with others who have done far more than I to protect our nation and our freedoms, while on the inside I sit and give my thanks to those same men and women who have given so much in this cause, some the ultimate sacrifice.

   As in any endeavor, in a crisis there are at least four different types of responses. There are those who serve, those who are willing and not called upon, those who cannot, and those who will not. 

   As John Milton said in his sonnet On His Blindness:

   "They also serve who only stand and wait."

   That may let me off the hook somewhat, but I'm still sitting and thanking God for those who actually served.

Lessons from My "Kids"

   Yesterday, I posed a question to my three educator children as to the traits they would like to see in the lives of students that they had taught or worked with in their school environment. One such trait, mentioned by each, had to do with the idea of servanthood, or consideration of others more than themselves.

   That led me this morning, after reading Chambers devotional for today, to think about how this is reflected in the life of a person.

   The example that comes to my mind on a human level comes from my experience on the Walk to Emmaus, a weekend spiritual retreat that I went on some years back. I remember being overwhelmed when I realized that there were people, designated as "angels", that had cleaned the toilets and showers each and every day of our stay, and that they had paid for the privilege of doing so, just so that we would have an uncluttered experience with God.

   Of course the highest example of this is found in Phil. 2 where Paul reminds those folks:


     (Jesus)
      who though He existed in the form of God
      did not regard equality with God
      as something to be grasped,
      but emptied Himself
      by taking on the form of a slave,
      by looking like other men,
      and by sharing in human nature.
      He humbled himself,
      by becoming obedient to the point of death
      even death on a cross!

   I was glad to see that this trait of true servanthood was brought out by my kids as something to be admired in the people they had influenced in their educational work, because it is something that I can see in their lives as well. They all see a purpose to education that transcends that of filling minds with knowledge, and they model it to their students.

   The key is modeling, not just the speaking of it as a worthy attribute, but a living of life that way. The way Jesus did and the way that He wants me to do also.

   Thanks for the lesson, kids!

(I know I should not call them kids, because they are all on the upper side of 40, but they are still my "kids")

Forks and Outcomes

   When situations or things come my way, and there are different possibilities of roads to travel, I tend to work out scenarios in my mind as to what the outcomes might be. Usually I try to figure out what outcome may benefit me the most, and work toward that end.

   But is that really the way to do it?

   Chambers says today: "We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God's appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere."

   The Scripture reading that went along with today's devotion told the story of the servant of Abraham, going to find a wife for the son of Sarah, his prayer to God, and the circumstances surrounding the completion of his mission. What lessons do I see in the life of this servant? (story located in Genesis 24)

   He was obedient to his master.
   He trusted God to lead him in the way.
   He knew that God could give him the right place to go.
   He knew that God could also give him the right people to talk to.
   He knew that God was in control of the whole situation.
   He trusted that God would engineer the circumstances to the right end.
   He did not know all the details when he started out, but knew that God did.
   He gave God the credit for the success of the mission.

   I can only see the forks coming up in the road. I don't know either the things that will happen along each path, or the end result, but I know who does. If I can say that these circumstances are not random, but God ordained, and look for His hand in all of that, and be obedient, then it is not important to know the outcome.

   God help me to be a faithful servant to You, just as Abraham's servant was to him. Let the characteristics of his life, be mine also.

   Amen

Seriously?

   Today, in the middle of Chambers devotion, he wrote:

   "What difference has my salvation and sanctification made? For instance, can I stand in the light of 1 Corinthians 13 , or do I squirm and evade the issue?"

   So I began to think about the passage that he mentions which says in verses 4,5,6 and 7: 

   "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (NIV)

   So many times I have read over these verses without much thought, just pausing to think that they sounded nice at weddings, but never stopping to realize that they were meant for me and for today's living as well.

   Then I sit for an hour or so, contemplating what the words might really mean to me, right now, but begin to realize that an hour is not a drop in the bucket as to the time needed to pursue this. So I resolve to spend more time in this study, and then I go off and play tennis.

   Am I really serious about this....I need to be, that is for sure.

Fate or God-Controlled Circumstances?

   I have been taught, and I feel confident that it is correct, that God speaks to me through The Bible, through prayer, through circumstances and through other people. Of course, that happens only if I "listen" through those things, and realize that the "voice" is directed at me.

   Another belief that goes along with this is that nothing happens in my life without a purpose. If God is in control of everything, and He is, and if He cares about me, which He does, then the circumstances of my life reflect His desire for me to grow into the likeness of Jesus. Whatever the circumstances look like, they are meant by God to be good, although not always in the short term.

   There are at least a couple of things coming into my life right now that have the potential to be life changing. So do I look at them, if indeed they do happen, as a blow to my plans for my latter years, or do I trust that God is using them for His higher purpose?

   Chambers says today: "As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God's interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord."

   It is far easier for me to shrug my shoulders in resignation and say "whatever", than to place God in the center of it all and say " I don't know what it all means, but I trust You".

   But, as always, it is also much easier to contemplate this and write it down, than to walk through life's circumstances in the assurance of it's truth. For that, I need much more than my own strength.

   God, help me to see Your hand in all that life brings my way, even today.

An Insidious Tempter

   The old and ugly sin of pride comes up today. Not that Chambers actually talks about it, but that his reference to presenters of the Gospel, leads me to think about it. Maybe God seems to bring it up so much in my study and reading, because it is so prevalent in my own life.

   Anyway, Chambers says: "When we say, "What a wonderful personality, what a fascinating person, and what wonderful insight!", then what opportunity does the gospel of God have through all of that? It cannot get through, because the attraction is to the messenger and not the message. If a person attracts through his personality, that becomes his appeal. If, however, he is identified with the Lord Himself, then the appeal becomes what Jesus Christ can do. The danger is to glory in men, yet Jesus says we are to lift up only Him."

   What strikes me is the opportunity for pride to swell a person's head when he is praised for a good job, so that the glory goes to man and not to God, where it belongs. 

   I have been in those places of visible leadership in the church, and I have lived out the whole pride thing, and I don't want to do it again. Much better for me to serve in a place of obscurity than to hurt the cause of Christ.

   How about this "original" paraphrase of Psalm 84:10? I would rather be one who opens the door of the church for others to go in, than dwell in the place of pride because of more "important" jobs.

   Of course even the doorkeeper in the House of the Lord can be proud to be humble.

   Good grief, pride is an insidious tempter. For me, anyway....

A Temple Environment

   One of the essential doctrines of the New Testament church is that of the Trinity. God is three in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each is a separate entity within the Godhead. Don't ask me to explain all of that, I can't..I accept it as fact on faith. My finite mind just can't wrap around the concept.

   Inside the doctrine of the Trinity is the role of the Holy Spirit in an individual believer's life. Among other things, this Spirit is there to be our comforter, our guide and our intercessor before God the Father. The Bible states that the Holy Spirit prays for us what we cannot utter, and sometimes I have felt that being done in my life.

   Chambers says today: "Have we come to realize that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? If so, we must be careful to keep it undefiled for Him. We have to remember that our conscious life, even though only a small part of our total person, is to be regarded by us as a temple of the Holy Spirit. He will be responsible for the unconscious part which we don't know, but we must pay careful attention to and guard the conscious part for which we are responsible."

   We have a responsibility in taking care of our conscious life; those things that we have control over. That can include, what we eat, drink or take into our bodies. It can include what we put in our minds through our eyes. The conscious part is all we can sense and know, but that is plenty for us to be concerned with.

   My prayer today is that I will truly acknowledge in my mind that this body, however worn out and sad, is a temple that needs to be undefiled by things that I put into it, and then to ask the One who dwells there to help me keep it clean for Him.

New Attitudes and New Lenses

   Two things have brought a thought to my mind this morning:

   1. A "musing" as he calls it, from one of my Profs in grad school, that talks about the glory in each one of us. And by us, he means everyone. We each also have a part of the ruin of the Fall in us, some more than others, but even the worst of us have a piece of the glory, just from bearing the image of God in the Creation.

   2. A session with some men at our church early today in which we talked about the worth of each individual that darkens the door of our church at any given time. We talked about the fact that our Sunday services are not just a big crowd in the room, but many individuals, with their individual hurts, problems and victories.

   I find that each time I go to prison, I don't have much trouble in talking one on one with the inmates. I had never thought about that being the glory in me, however small, connecting with the glory in them, whatever the size. It was more about treating them with respect, letting them know that they were more than just a number in the prison system. Consciously or not, perhaps we were connecting because of the glory, or image of God in each.

   It is the same in daily life. Do I look on each person that crosses my path with that "glory in you" attitude, or am I quick to critique their lives with my standard? Could I look on their lives, as I can see them, with the thought of ascertaining what could be right, instead of seeing someone to be corrected or changed?

   My professor, mentioned above, gave the challenge to each of the teachers he mentors, saying to them that if they faced each student in their classes, with these thoughts, their interactions could be positive rather than negative. Another paragraph from this same article:

   "I believe God has asked me to seek out and find the glory in the ruin of the people he sends my way in order to affirm and celebrate that glory. I do not need to ignore the ruin or pretend it is not there. Jesus certainly did not do that. But I do not think He brought life to people by primarily focusing on the ruin and instructing them on how to correct it. Rather, maybe He lived in the paradox of glory and ruin as the incarnation of who His Father is and brought about healing in a ruined world by loving and setting free the glory."

   Maybe it is seeing folks with a new attitude and a new set of lenses.

Finish Strong

   I have watched a lot of races in my day. Since I have a son who competed in college and high school on the track and on the roads, many are the times that I have witnessed the end of races. His son and daughter also race, along with his wife, and all know the effort that goes into the preparation and completion of these events. 

   A runner wants to finish strong, not die in the stretch and watch as others pass him on the way to the finish line. A runner seeks to know his own body and his strength, so that he can reach down and summon that last resolve to finish strong. He wants to win, sure, but, from a personal standpoint, he wants to run the best time that he has in himself, regardless. 

   Yesterday, Mayre Lou and I went to see the movie Courageous. The story line concerned five men who wanted to finish strong in the race of life. They were not old men, like me, but in the prime of life, but, because of their jobs, police officers, they realized that their lives could end abruptly any time. Thus if they wanted to finish strong, they had to live every day as if it might be their last.

   These men all signed a resolution as to how they would live for God and their families, and this document can be found here:

   http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110612140401AA5BPxP

   When we lived in Virginia, I belonged to an informal group of retired men, one of whose stated goals was to finish strong in the race of life. Not just sitting and playing our way to the end, but helping others, serving others and being of use to church and community. We, who could almost reach out and touch the end of life on earth, wanted to live as Paul tells Timothy in his second letter: "I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith!" (II Tim. 4:7)

   Finishing strong has no age limitations or requirements. It is a way of living that seeks to put God first, family next and then ourselves last. 

   A proper way to live life regardless of age. I am glad that I got to see this movie and encourage all to do the same. It is well worth the time.

   Finish Strong!

Three Words

   The one thing about reading Oswald Chambers each morning is the fact that he does not cut any slack when it comes to the complete Christian life. The standards are high, and, when I read, I realize how far short I am, and, if I am short of Chambers' revelation of God's perfect standard, how much farther short am I of His?

   I read this morning: "The passion of Christianity comes from deliberately signing away my own rights and becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I will not begin to be a saint."

   Three words stand out to me in this reading; passion, bondservant and saint.

      Passion: Am I passionate about anything, especially about anything related to God, Jesus, His Word, His church, or His body of believers?

      Bondservant of Jesus: Have I put my own "rights" behind me, and completely placed myself in the His service? Can I even picture what that looks like?

      Saint: no way!

   Chambers also says today: "Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way?"

   If I am not coming close to God's standard, am I even walking toward it and not away from it?

   One final quote: "It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth."

   Oh, God, help me to recognize the truth about the spiritual condition of my heart. Not the truth as I see it, but as You do.

Shortcuts, Anyone?

   When our oldest son was a senior in high school, his academic grades placed him in the No. 2 position in his class. As salutatorian, he had the opportunity to give a short speech on graduation day. He was also a runner, successfully participating on the track and cross country teams in those years.

   I can remember the day of the talk, the setting and our pride in his accomplishments, but I can't pinpoint the  exact lesson in the address. The one thing that sticks in my mind about what he said was related in a story that had happened some few weeks before that graduation day in 1980. The incident centered around the exploits of one Rosie Ruiz, who finished first in the Boston Marathon in April of that year, later to be stripped of that title for cheating. It seems as though Ruiz began the race, then slipped away and took public transportation to near the finish line, jumped in the race pack there and finished. There is still the question of whether or not she was trying to win, but she did not tell race officials any different when awarded the prize and honors of the victor. She may have jumped into the race at the wrong time, placing her ahead of the fastest women runners, but accepted the accolades that she did not deserve.

   In using the story of Rosie in his talk, I don't recall if he made the point of trying to get ahead by shortcuts, but I do know that acting like that runner, was not his way of doing things. Dwayne was a hard worker, both in the classroom and on the track, and it paid off in high school, college, grad school, and in the working world. I remember many nights he would go downstairs after dinner and not emerge again until everybody went to bed (and this was before video games or computers). His study habits were great. He also ran 12 months out of the year, often early in the morning or late at night, to be at his best for a race.

   So, how does all of this fit into a Oswald Chambers' devotion on obedience for this day?

   Shortcuts don't work that well in any part of life. We can shortcut ourselves right out of God's blessing, and right out of the good feeling of accomplishment that hard work and perseverance brings.

   In the short run, Rosie's way might seem good and easy, but I think I will go with Dwayne's, and the blessings that go with that lifestyle.

   A short postscript is needed here. Donna and Doug, our other two kids, are cut from the same cloth as Dwayne. All three have accomplished much in their lives through their diligence and work, but they just did not use the story that I needed for my illustration. I'll get them later on.

Challenge for the Modern American Church

   I had a breakfast meeting this morning with another man from our church, and our conversation turned to church life, and our church in particular. After that time, I came home and started reading in the Book of Acts, looking again at the New Testament church and what it looked like in its world.

   The time right after the resurrection and ascent of Jesus, was a unique period, as the apostles began their witness through their teaching and preaching. People were added to the "church" in big numbers, and the world around them began to take notice. The Holy Spirit was given to the disciples, and people believed their testimony.

   What does that early church have to do with us? A lot of church organizations profess to be based on the model of the early church, but what does that look like, especially in our country?

   What I see in Acts is a group of people, operating on the same page, loving each other, breaking bread together, meeting for the apostles teaching, having all things in common, and being willing to give up everything for each other and for Jesus. Men and women were attracted to these groups as they witnessed their love and sacrifice for Jesus and each other.

   The challenge for any church is fostering that love and relationship among those who attend. In many parts of the world, where they have the ongoing fear of persecution, along with poverty, and a shared bond of the above among the disciples, the church is growing and thriving. 

   So, how do we achieve a level of togetherness and sharing in a society of mobility, busyness, and privacy? 

   God loves the people of America, which includes the people where I live, and I believe that he wants us to live in accordance to His Plan and Will. What that looks like, I'm not sure, but I know it includes trust in Him, love for His People, and a willingness to live a lifestyle that will be a draw to others.

   And my personal prayer in this whole area is to help me to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.

   Amen