Monday, June 30, 2003
People often shut God out of their lives. It sure seems like a senseless thing but many people are not too interested in having God shed light on their life because light exposes truth. And many people have a lot of lies they have been telling themselves for years pent up inside of them, lies about themselves and lies about God. Even Christians go to church, seek God and pray for God to lead them and bless their lives but they continue to shut God out or only let Him into their “outer self.” Why? Truth, the most fearful thing people have to learn about themselves. When we learn the truth about God through His light we will also see the truth about ourselves and our need for Him.
Heavenly sunshine can’t get into a life where the shades are pulled!
-Lyn Sahr
-Ps 43:3-4 NIV
Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Here in the Midwest we have experienced some horrible storms this past week. I was watching the news and saw how, in a matter of minutes, buildings were torn apart, cars crushed, lives changed. I began to think about these families who lost everything. I’m sure they had no idea that before the day would end their lives would be changed.
I thought of a couple of things as I was watching the news footage of the aftermath of the storm. First, I thought of the power of our God. We marvel at the power of the wind to pick up a car or house. Yet that is nothing compared with the power of our God. When you think that with His word God created the universe, you realize the awesome power of our God. And yet, this awesome God loves each one of us deeply and knows all there is to know about us. This awesome and powerful God also desires to have a close relationship with each one of us. What a wonderful God we serve!
The other thing that came to mind was that everything we own and hold dear is temporary. The only thing that really matters in life is our relationship with God and our relationships here on earth. We can’t take our possessions with us when we leave this earth, but when we invest our lives in spreading the Gospel to those around us, we will have true treasure—the only kind that will last for all eternity.
-Ardis Rivera
-Zechariah 9:16 NIV
The LORD their God will save them on that day
as the flock of his people.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
-Psalm 19:1-2 NIV
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
Saturday, June 28, 2003
When God doesn’t seem to make sense remember this…God is God, and I am not!
-Garrett Novak
-1 Cor 1:25 NIV
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
Friday, June 27, 2003
How did you get saved? Was it by following church traditions or by working so hard that God had no choice but to save you? No! There is only one way to get saved. That way is by believing that Christ died for you and acting on that belief. That is the only way.
That is also the only way to stay saved. By believing what Christ did for you and acting on that. Not by outworking someone else or by being so good that God has to do it for you.
-John Roe
-Galatians 3:3
Only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. (The Message)
Thursday. June 26, 2003
If you could bottle happiness and sell it what would you name it, “Happiness in a Bottle?” Sadly many would call it “Bud Hope,” “Bud Joy,” “Bud Peace,” “Bud Patience,” “Bud Kindness,” “Bud Goodness,” “Bud Faithfulness,” “Bud Gentleness,” “Bud Self-Control,” or perhaps even “Bud Love.” But none of these can be found in a bottle and, unfortunately, are often discovered at the bottom of the barrel!
-Lyn Sahr
-Ps 69:32 NIV
The poor will see and be glad–
you who seek God, may your hearts live!
-Gal 5:22-23 NIV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Would you really like to live the life a Hollywood celebrity? Many say yes and seek it to one degree or another. Funny thing about what we see on television, newspapers, magazines and movies, they never portray the real lives of the “glamorous” people. In other words, it is a fantasy. Usually there is little said about the media prison type worlds stars live in or the pressure from trying to have “another big hit. And most certainly it doesn’t show the lifestyles of all of those who tried, failed and the compromising things they did along the way to try to be “discovered” and the effects it had on their lives. And even more so, they never talk about the effect it had on their families.
I remember when Carroll O’Connor (Archie Bunker fame), described the life and death of his son (also one of the officers in “The Heat of the Night”) as a result of a lifetime of drug problems. Being one of the most recognized and successful actors in America, the fantasy world of Hollywood didn’t relieve the pain or grieving the death of a son brought to him. This was real life.
A fantasy life will always end in real heartaches. To have a real life you must walk the path of a real God!
I suppose that’s what the old saying means, “No matter where you go, there you are!”
-Lyn Sahr
-Ps 16:11 NIV
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
How important is regular church attendance? Regular church attendance is extremely important! Even Jesus continued to attend worship services at the local synagogues up until His death. Yet so many people somehow think they “can be just as good a Christian” even if they stay home and don’t attend church. But it is not about being “a good Christian!” It’s about being obedient to the scriptures (Hebrews 10:25) and continuing the example set by God’s people in the entire Old and New Testament.
Frankly, I have never really seen anyone grow spiritually who was not regularly attending a worship service. On the contrary, I have seen many people wilt spiritually who were not. It reminds me of what happens to a beautiful flower who is never watered. The freshness of a worship service from a good church keeps people spiritually beautiful. I think regular worship attendance is essential to spiritual health in all seasons, even summer!
-Lyn Sahr
-Luke 4:14-16 NIV
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.
Monday, June 23, 2003
When I was young I often heard, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness!” I don’t know where that came from but I do understand something about it. I am amazed at how many churches are so poorly cared for. They honor God with their unpainted trim, worn out carpet, uncut grass, dirty walls, messy closets, neglected flower gardens and overgrown shrubs. And then they wonder why their churches are dying?
Interestingly enough many churches, like many people, claim poverty but poverty is never an excuse for the lack of cleanliness. While speaking in churches in poor areas of Mexico I am always amazed at how clean the people are while living in extreme poverty conditions. And they are happy!
If Jesus were living today I would expect that he would keep His house, yard and personal appearance neat and clean regardless of His economic conditions. And most certainly the house of worship where he attended would be well kept.
Basically, I don’t think Jesus was a slob and neither should Christians be!
-Lyn Sahr
-Deut 23:13-14 NIV
For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.
-Rev 19:6-8 NIV
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
-Rev 19:14 NIV
The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Sunday, June 22, 2003
Yesterday our church had a cookout and sing-a-long in the park. It was a great time of fellowship. As we were playing, I noticed that some people wandered in and stayed to listen to the music, mostly the old hymns. There was one man that sat down to listen for a little bit. I found myself wondering how often, if ever, these people have gone to church. Last night, I began praying for these people, that the music would spark the deep-seated longing for God that lies deep within us. I prayed that they would start looking for a church, if they don’t have one. Then, a sobering thought came to me. If these people walked in the door of a church, would they be welcomed, or would they be made to feel unwelcome? I know what it is like to feel unwelcome in a church. Shortly after I was saved, I walked several miles (I was in college and didn’t have a car) to a church. Not one person greeted me. I almost felt like I had intruded on a private party. Needless to say, I never went back. And I really didn’t look all that different from the rest of the people in the congregation. What would have been their reaction to a poor, shabbily dressed person?
My prayer today is that these people will find a church with people that will love them and accept them. If we don’t show them God’s love, how can we expect them to accept His Son as their Savior? I have heard of people that want to go to church, but are afraid that they won’t be accepted because of their past. I find that sad. It’s almost like a sick person feeling that he has to get well before the hospital will accept him. The church is the hospital for the spiritually sick, so let’s welcome the sinners in. How else will they become well and whole?
-Ardis Rivera
-Matthew 9:12 NIV
Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
-John 10:10 NIV
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Saturday June 21, 2003
My wife and I took the “plunge” this week and bought our family a pool.
When we left for the store we had planned to purchase a small blow-up pool for our five children to splash around. But with the weather forecast calling for a hotter than normal summer here in western Wisconsin, (and the 20% off sale at Shopko), we came home with a 15 foot, 36 inch deep self-rising pool ready to fill with over 3,500 gallons of water.
I like to call it the “blue blob,” and it sits proudly in our front yard, as the back isn’t flat enough for the pool to sit.
Our children were excited about the “blob” and kept asking while the pool was filling (which by the way took nearly 10 hours), if they could go in yet? We had to keep telling them not yet, “It needs more water,” and “the pool needs the sunshine to heat it up.” Finally we gave in and watched the older four children climb up the ladder and jump into the pool with reckless abandon.
As we watched them paddle around and splash each other, with smiles abound, I couldn’t help but think that the same thing happens when someone comes to Christ. They have been living for themselves, looking for something or someone to fill the void in their lives, but knowing deep down that their job, money, their mate, drugs, cars, fame…none of it fills the emptiness. But Jesus is sitting there waiting (much like our pool), and when we repent of our sins and ask him into our heart, we are free to climb the ladder of his love and mercy, and jump with reckless abandon into his grace and living water. If you’ve never experienced God in that way and don’t have a relationship with his son Jesus, may I encourage you to contact this ministry today? We’d be glad to pray with you and show you how to begin the most important relationship of all, and how you can become of child of the King.
You know, that pool looks pretty inviting today, in fact, I’m going to put on my swimming suit and join my children and my wife in the cool water…watch out….
Cannonball!!!
-Garrett Novak
-John 7:38 NIV
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
Friday, June 20, 2003
You gotta have hope!
Life is meaningless without hope. It gives us a reason to get up in the morning, it gives depth to our relationships, it gives us the power to go on when others quit.
Hope comes from the heart, not the head. The head says that it is impossible, the heart belives that it can be. When Paul prayed for the Ephesians he prayed that they would have wisdom(head) and that the eyes of their hearts may be enlighted to the hope that was theirs in Christ.
May God grant you wisdom and hope.
-John Roe
-Eph 1:18
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.
Thursday, June 19, 2003
I have been translating articles for the ChurchMouse Chronicles for over a year now and words and their meanings are things that I work with continuously. Sometimes I can look at a word and it just doesn’t seem right. I get hung up on some words at times. For example, the words Calvary and cavalry have always given me problems. I usually have to stop and think which is which. I don’t want to say Jesus died at cavalry—that would be a major mistake. And yet, the only difference in the two words is the placement of a couple of letters. And in Spanish, changing one vowel at the end of a verb can change the entire meaning of the verb. Something that seems very small can become a very important thing.
Sometimes, I think we are like the letters. We each have a place that God has chosen for us. But sometimes we want to be somewhere else. But that may just change everything. If we decide we want to move from where God wants us, we may never know the impact of that decision. Then, there are those who just don’t want to do what God has given them to do. Can you imagine trying to write if a letter refused to be used?
-Ardis Rivera
-Isaiah 29:16 NIV
You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
“He did not make me”?
Can the pot say of the potter,
“He knows nothing”?
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
My daughter and her husband built a large storage faculty about eighteen months ago and he asked me if I would fill in for him while they are open on Friday night and Saturday morning while they went on a fishing/hiking trip. The time was pretty uneventful as there were no new customers and only one-person came in and out of the electronic gate. I did receive one phone call checking out prices. To sit there, relax and do nothing just didn’t seem right. Suddenly I realized that I had been so busy in recent months that I was having adjustment problems with “down-time.” I suspect that I am not the only one who experiences this in our fast paced lives of work and entertainment.
Recently I have been trying to understand why church attendance is so erratic these days. Perhaps the treadmill people are living on these days doesn’t allow for downtime. Are people so obligated and busy today that they feel guilty going to church instead of mowing the grass or doing the laundry on Sunday mornings?
The devil has done a good job of creating the illusion in people’s minds that things are more important than people and purpose has been replaced by possessions. Right now you may be thinking about all the people that you know who fall into this category. After you have pondered all of their lives, take note of your lifestyle and ask yourself, “Am I any different?
It takes a lot of courage these days to be different and prioritize the things of God higher than the things man!
-Lyn Sahr
-Ps 128:1-2 NIV
Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Last Friday night my 21-month-old grandson stayed over night at our house. He missed his afternoon nap and fell asleep at 8 P.M. At 12:30 A.M. I heard him start to shuffle around in his playpen where he was sleeping. My wife, Lonna, picked him up to check him out and see what he needed. He checked out fine, diapers were dry, he didn’t want any food and he stared at me with his eyes wide open. I thought, “Oops, this could be a long night.”
I walked the floor with him, rocked him and finally got him to sleep again. But when I went to lay him down he woke up again and wanted out of that playpen. So, I brought him with me to bed and he layed on my arm and fell asleep. It seemed like we were at war all night fighting for the same space, as he is not a kid who sleeps in one spot. He tossed and turned and turned and tossed. Finally we all fell asleep until the phone rang at 7 A.M. and woke us all up. His mother called to see how he was doing! That’s when I realized that he was sleeping crossways in the bed. Then he just looked up at me and smiled. There is nothing so difficult as a bad nights sleep and nothing more precious than the smile of my grandson. The struggles of the night just melted away.
The lesson here is that there is some give and take with all of the joys of life and we are all going to experience them in one form or another. So it is with marriage, our jobs, our families and our churches. And yes, even with God when we say, “God I am really struggling to understand what is going on here” and he says, “I love you!” When we are assured of God’s love, like my grandsons smile, the circumstances seem to melt away.
P.S. I asked my wife how we did this when our four daughters were young. She quickly reminded me that I stayed in bed and she got up!
-Lyn Sahr
-Deut 23:5-6 NIV
“…turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.” (Consider reading the entire passage)
Monday, June 16, 2003
Yesterday was Father’s Day in the United States. My father died over 21 years ago. Lately I have been remembering many things about him and I think of how much I would love to talk to him once more. Then I remember a dear neighbor man who was like a second father to me. It seemed I spent a lot of time at their house and it was truly my second home. But he died when I was in high school. I never had the chance to tell him how much he meant to me.
Both of these men are no longer with me. But I have a Father who will never leave me. He is always ready to talk to me and will never be too busy to listen to His child. I can rest in the knowledge that He loves me and is working in my life each and every day.
If your father is living and part of your life, take the time to tell him what he means to you. Also, look around you. Is there someone who has a profound effect on your life? Go to that person and tell him how much he means to you. But also, remember to honor your Heavenly Father, not just today, but every day of the year. Earthly fathers can disappoint us at times, but God will never disappoint you. He will never leave you as an orphan. He is just waiting for you to spend some time with Him.
-Ardis Rivera
-Isaiah 63:16
But you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge us;
you, O LORD , are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
Sunday, June 15, 2003
A Daddy’s Prayer….
“God, help me to show the love of your son, Jesus, to my children today. Let them see your love in my voice, my eyes, my smile, and my actions. Let them see your love in the way I love and cherish their mother. Let them not just see a “Christian” Dad on Sundays, but on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday too. Lord, let your guidebook, the Bible, not sit on a shelf, but be opened several times a week as I share stories of regular men and women whom you chose to do great things in your name. Let me understand your truths so I can pass them along to my children. God, I didn’t have a very good role model growing up, but please let me follow you and show my children a daddy that loves and serves you wholeheartedly, seeking your will in all I do. And finally, let me show forgiveness to them when they make mistakes, so they can forgive me when I mess up and have to ask their forgiveness of me. Jesus, please teach me to be a daddy just like you.”
-Garrett Novak
-Eph 6:4 NIV
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
I celebrated another milestone this week—yes I turned the big “35” and my children reminded me that I’m getting “old” now!
Instead of the usual birthday cake, my darling wife decided to do something a little special. You see, I love Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, so my wife and our oldest daughter made a late night “secret mission” to our local grocery store and bought my “cake” replacement.
The next day while working outside, the throngs of “happy birthday daddy” started to echo across our lawn, and as I walked into our home expecting my cake, there they were, six pints of Ben & Jerry’s on the table, in various flavors I might add. Yes, so much Ben & Jerry’s and so little time.
As I sat there with my family eating Ben & Jerry’s (while nibbling at all the flavors), I couldn’t help but think that my excitement of seeing the table full of ice cream is so much like our response when we first accept Christ and realize what all we have been missing in our lives and what he offers. Love, mercy, grace, compassion, the list goes on (much like the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s), we can take and feast on a whole bunch of one of God’s attribute, or bask in several of his qualities. But over time many Christians seem to lose the excitement for all our heavenly father has to offer (much like if we would eat Ben & Jerry’s for every meal). The secret is to spend time with our heavenly father daily whether in prayer, in the word, fellowship, and worship. The ways we can spend time with God are endless. God’s mercy is new every morning and his word is timeless and never grows old.
-Garrett Novak
-Ps 34:8 NIV
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Friday, June 13th, 2003
A Little Boys Father’s Day Prayer
“Dear Jesus, When I grow up I want to be just like my dad. And when he grows up I want him to be just like you!”
-Lyn Sahr
-Ps 103:17-18 NIV
But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children–
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
Thursday, June 12, 2003
What is a great father?
The kind that their children see Jesus through!
-Lyn Sahr
-1 Cor 11:1 NIV
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Shopping for a Father’s Day present? You are in good company. The stores are depending upon your dollars for the success of their Father’s Day sales. There is no doubt about it; fathers enjoy being pampered with presents and a great meal. How do I know? Because I am the father of four wonderful daughters.
But let me tell you about the greatest gift I ever received from my daughters. The greatest gift I ever received from my daughters was when they made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. The second greatest gift was when the three that are married dated and pledged themselves to believing husbands. Clothes get old, toys rust and trinkets can’t always be used but the gift of eternal life is forever. You see, the salvation of my children is the greatest gift I could ever receive because it lasts forever!
When your kids know Jesus, everyday is Father’s Day!
-Lyn Sahr
-Prov 10:1 NIV
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
The life of a child is like a quilt of events, cut into precise squares that fit together into one complete blanket we call a life. Those events are wonderful and meaningful time spent with a child teaching them about a life of hope, faith and love. They are carefully sewn together through time spent with a child by wonderful fathers and mothers to help a child form a life of beauty, comfort, security and love. Thus resulting in a child who knows they way.
When parents haphazardly sew uneven and peculiar squares of events into a their child’s quilt of life it leads to confusion, frustration, anger, disappointment and even hatred. Results? A child who doesn’t know the way!
And, unfortunately, many fathers and mothers leave the sewing of the quilt of their child’s life in the hands of others. If God intended for other people to teach our children the way, He would have had them born to other parents.
Be a great dad! Help stitch your child’s blanket of life together by spending time with them and by being an example of the love of Christ!
-Lyn Sahr
-Prov 22:6 NIV
Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Monday, June 9, 2003
The word heritage by definition is, “Something that is passed down from preceding generations; a tradition.” The heritage that fathers are able to pass down to their children is monumental. When men become fathers it is often at a very young age and they do not realize the great impression that they leave on their children. Unfortunately, often by the time fathers figure this out their children have already picked up all of their “downsides” and have truly become “just like dad!”
Whatever kind of person you want your children to grow up to be, dads you had better become that person first. Children’s behavior is generally made from a pattern and fathers are one of their favorites to choose from!
-Lyn Sahr
-Luke 1:17 NIV
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Sunday, June 8, 2003
In our church we have a young lady from Mexico who has come to work with the youth in the church. She arrived on one of the coldest days of the year. Her house is about 10 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico, so I’m sure the cold was a shock. Periodically, she would ask if it ever gets warm here. I would assure her that it will get warm. But I think as we were getting snow and ice in April, that she was doubting me. Now she is seeing that I was telling her the truth, and that it is warming up, even getting hot here. She is seeing leaves bud on the trees that were bare.
I was thinking about this the other day. I have lived in this area most of my life and know that no matter how long the winter seems, the spring always comes, and what appeared to be dead sprouts life. But for someone who has never experienced this, it probably seemed unlikely. In the same way, God has given us promises. These promises may seem unlikely and unbelievable, but we have limited vision. God sees the end of the story, so when He says something, we can believe it.
If you are doubting any of God’s promises, remember that He has never lied and He never will. When He promises something, you can count on it. It may not come right when you want it to come, but it will come, because He is faithful.
-Ardis Rivera
-Numbers 23:19 NIV
God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
-2 Peter 3:9 NIV
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Saturday, June 7, 2003
When all around you seems to be spinning out of control, turn to the one who created the “spin” of the universe.
-Garrett Novak
-Prov 3:5-6 NIV
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Friday, June 6, 2003
Are you open-minded?
One of the complaints that the world has about Christians is that they are very narrow-minded or closed-minded. Yet, I find that it is the world that is closed-minded. They fight and fight to have all references to Jesus Christ banned from public places while insisting that Christians be tolerant of all aberrant behaviors. Their minds are closed to God and the scriptures.
When it comes to being open-minded I prefer to be open to the truth and closed to evil rather than the other way around!
-John Roe
Luke 24:45
Then He (Jesus) opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.
Thursday, June 5, 2003
As I watch my 21-month-old grandson grow I realize that the learning process is amazing. The other day he was trying to walk uphill and it was a struggle for a little guy who had only ever walked on flat ground.
But for baby Christians our expectation is “instant maturity.” We expect them to run full speed up the spiritual hills of life with ease. I have worked with many new Christians only to discover that the maturity of their faith is a slow process and they aren’t very good at “hill climbing!” Many even say Christian maturity takes a lifetime to develop. The fact is I have never known a “mature Christian.”
So are there any mature Christians?
Yes, in heaven… attending the mature church!
-Lyn Sahr
-Jude 20-21 NIV
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
Last week my wife Lonna bought a bench glider for our yard. She has always wanted one and so one day she went and picked on up that was on sale. Now I am more the kind of guy who likes to buy high quality items at the best price and this glider was modestly priced and constructed to match the price. Of course, it had to be put together and I despise putting things together. But I decided I was going to do it without my usual moaning and groaning with these projects so I kept my shut and silently focused on putting it together. Finally that evening at 11 P.M. the task was complete and I went to bed knowing I didn’t have to face that again the next day.
A few days went by and Lonna noticed there was a sideboard holding the back to the seat that was out of place. I too had noticed it but thought it was a manufacturers defect. At closer inspection she determined that it was in backwards and that I would have to take it apart and turn the board around so it fit right.
I thought isn’t that typical in the spiritual world. When people are not put together right we consider it a “manufacturers defect.” In reality, they are just like Lonna’s glider, a piece is out of place that someone formed in their life and it needs to be taken out and put back together correctly. But no, when it comes to sin we blame God for the way he made people and forget about fixing the problem.
How are the pieces of your life fitting together? It’s never too late to fix the misconstructed parts of you spiritual life!
P.S. It wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be to take the piece out of the glider and put it back together right! It doesn’t have to be so difficult in your life either.
-Lyn Sahr
-Rom 6:12-14 NIV
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Tuesday, June 3, 2003
Sunrise on Seekers Bay has never been more beautiful. The sun glistens off the water and brings a sense of freshness to each new day. Yes, the mornings from our front windows are very, very beautiful.
However, I have learned to enjoy God in all settings. The sunrise and the beginning of a new day must be met with something beautiful no matter where we live or what the view is. Regardless of the view from your house, you can find something beautiful in the sunrise and the surroundings.
If you meet each new day with God your view becomes beautiful. You see it’s not the beauty of Seekers Bay that makes mornings so beautiful here. Rather it is Whom I seek that makes the mornings so beautiful here! Starting each new day seeking the presence of God makes anywhere beautiful! Try it and then you too will live on “Seekers Bay!”
-Lyn Sahr
-Lam 3:22-26 NIV
22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
Monday, June 2, 2003
Be careful when you pass judgment on others. Often we perceive the heart of others with impaired vision, failing to understand the circumstances of their lives. And because God works through circumstances, we fail to understand that what others are experiencing may well be a the hand of God directing their circumstances toward His will for their lives. That’s why it is so important that we pray for people, not judge them considering that we may be improperly judging the very will of God for their lives!
-Lyn Sahr
-1 Cor 2:14-16 NIV
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:
16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.
Sunday, June 1, 2003
God forgives me freely!
God set this whole forgiveness thing up based on His love for us, not on our love for Him. He paid all the price so that we could enjoy forgiveness and fellowship with Him. We can’t work hard enough to earn any of it, we can only receive it by His grace and love.
If I could earn my salvation then Christ would have died for no reason. Thank God that He didn’t count on my perfection for salvation because I wouldn’t have a chance.
-John Roe
– Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved, through faith. It is not your own doing, but God’s gift. There is nothing to boast of, since it is not the result of your own efforts.”
