Friday, March 31, 2006
We have something offered for sale on the internet. Some people responded today and said, “If you will meet us half way with it we will buy it, providing it is not damaged.” Hmmm….
It is a good thing God doesn’t work that way. He is willing to come the whole distance for us and accept us even if we are damaged!
– Lyn Sahr
-Ps 71:19-20 NIV
Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
you who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you?
20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
Thursday, March 30, 2006
I am thankful that I don’t have to depend upon worldly transportation to get to heaven. When I get on heavens railway it will not be late, there will be no stops, breakdowns, transfers and it will arrive on time! No one has ever arrived late to heaven but some people have gotten there early!
God expects us to take care of this temple we live in. Improper care practically guarantees an early trip to eternity. Dwight Moody was extremely overweight. When he was asked about his weight he said, “God can keep me alive fat or thin.” He died about 15 years prematurely. I think of all he could have accomplished had he lived a full life.
If he had been a basketball star it would be like he left the game in the 3rd quarter!
– Lyn Sahr
-3 John 2 NIV
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
I find it interesting how people get so excited about free stuff. When we give away food and goods there is a look that gets in peoples eyes that says, “Free, I want my share and more!” I have also come to the place where I believe that most people think they are poor regardless of their standard of living which reflects in their desire to have free things and the lack of desire to contribute from their own pockets to help the truly poor. Now here is the part of that which is difficult to understand; “If people like free things so much then why are so many of them unwilling to accept the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ?”
Perhaps if God offered them to be God maybe they would quickly grab that free gift. Hmmm…, seems to be what a popular cult is doing today!
-Lyn Sahr
-Rom 6:22-23 NIV
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
The love of God doesn’t change during trials. But I think our “love receptacles” get blocked by pain, sorrow, disappointment and discouragement. So, if you are feeling a little unloved by God today I would encourage you to take a moment and count your blessings or anything else that it takes to clean out your “love receptacles.” God loves you in all seasons.
– Lyn Sahr
-Deut 7:9-10 NIV
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Monday, March 27, 2006
When we need a special touch from God we need to look for it in the most obvious places, God and Godly people. Be thankful for the Godly people in this world who help hold up the shelters in the time of storms.
– Lyn Sahr
-Ps 91:1-2 NIV
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Sunday, March 26, 2006
I do a lot of translating and interpreting. Knowing the culture of the people helps me interpret the message in a way that they can understand. It doesn’t matter how wonderful the message is if the hearers don’t understand the language it is in. It must be “translated” so the hearers can understand. The interpreter never gives his own message. He just puts the speaker’s message into a language the hearers understand.
Jesus came to this earth to translate to us human beings the message of God’s love. There is no way we could understand this wonderful message without help. And Jesus came to make the message clear. He used words we understand. And just as a good interpreter will mimic the speaker’s actions, Jesus came showing us in word and actions the love of the Father.
Praise God for the wonderful gift of His love and for the fact that He sent His Son to live among us to make the message clear.
-Ardis Rivera
-John 5:19-20
Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
A couple weeks ago my wife and I received a call that my great aunt had been killed in a freak accident involving a snowplow. Immediately we began the game of 20 questions, and found ourselves making plans to head to the northern part or Wisconsin for the visitation and funeral.
When we arrived at the small funeral home, the parking lot and surrounding side streets were filled with cars. After parking about a block away, my wife and I walked in the memorial service to standing room only crowd. Surely, my aunt had touched many lives in her northern Wisconsin community. As I reflected on her life, her children and the minister talked about how much she had done for so many, and because of all those things, they knew that she was in heaven.
Funerals don’t have to be just a sad time when someone knows the Lord, but a “celebration” of their heavenly homecoming. I remember playing my trombone with the praise team from our church for one “Samaritan” who had passed away several years earlier, and the joy that was all around the service and event. It truly was a celebration!
I don’t know where my aunt stood with the Lord when she passed away, but one thing I do know. Unless she had that personal relationship with the Son of the Living God, she is not in heaven today. No amount of good works here on earth can get you there. So the question I would like you to ponder is….if your life would be demanded of you today, do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you would be in heaven? If not, make today the day you surrender your sins (past, present and future) and your life to the one who is the only “way, truth and life,” Jesus Christ.
-Garrett Novak
-Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
-John 3:16-18 (The Message)
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
Friday, March 24, 2006
My youngest grandson can’t pronounce muffins, although he really loves them, so he calls them “fluffins.” Even though he doesn’t say it right we all know what he means.
I think God is a little like that. We may not have all the verses memorized like some people or know where everything is found in the Bible or even have all of our theology straight but God knows are hearts and what we mean. Communication is not an exact science, even in the spiritual realm!
“Dear Jesus, I need more follars!”
-Lyn Sahr
-Ps 119:25-32 NIV
I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word.
26 I recounted my ways and you answered me;
teach me your decrees.
27 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;
then I will meditate on your wonders.
28 My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.
29 Keep me from deceitful ways;
be gracious to me through your law.
30 I have chosen the way of truth;
I have set my heart on your laws.
31 I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD;
do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Christian maturity is a decision and a commitment to be the person God would have us be, measured by His Word and not the word of those around us or even ourselves.
– Lyn Sahr
-Heb 5:11-14 NIV
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Anytime we get an opportunity to share our faith, we should feel privileged because there is a need. Here are some interesting statistics:
Looking across the past decade we find the following percentages of born again Christians:
2005- 40% 2004-38% 2002-40% 2001- 41% 2000- 41% 1999- 40% 1998- 39% 1997- 43% 1996-39% 1995-35% 1994- 36% 1993-36% 1992- 40% 1991- 35%
There are approximately 87-89 million born again Christians. (2005)
See http://www.barna.org
Therefore, it appears that approximately 60% of the people you meet in the United States are not born again believers. What a mission field we have in our own communities. But like in all church history, the people aren’t coming to the church so the church has to go to them.
And then some dare say the days of evangelism are over and there is no need for evangelism. By the way, how many evangelists do you know? How many have been in your community in the past five years? How many have preached in your church lately?
So why are there no evangelists today? My theory, “We starved them out spiritually and physically by not praying for them and supporting them financially.”
It is also interesting that in our area only 10% of the population attend church on any given Sunday. If these statistics are even close to accurate it would indicate that 75% of the born again Christians are not in church on any given Sunday, not making adjustment for those who attend church who do not profess to be born again. A few months of sermons of priorities may be in order in our churches.
If the church doesn’t get its act together it can’t act like a church!
– Lyn Sahr
-Eph 3:7-21 NIV
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Our recent trip to Mexico gave me plenty of reasons to never go back or ever be involved in missions again. The frustration level was extremely high from all the problems we were encountering and yet I had to carry on for the sake of the team, the churches we were scheduled into and what God had in mind for the week. I remember praying and telling God I didn’t think I could take much more of this. Shortly thereafter Pastor Magdaleno totaled out Ardis van right in front of us!
This is my fourth day home and I am still totally exhausted. The physical and emotional recovery seems hard to come by this time. Yet there is this tiny seed of excitement as I wonder what God has in store for the team members and also for those lives the team touched in Mexico . I wonder, “God, how are you going to use all this?” This was no ordinary mission’s trip. I feel like I have fought the good fight and now I need the good rest.
Perhaps you are or have felt like that at times. Today I want you to know that fighting the good fight requires the good rest. It is okay to rest! Sometimes we forget that and just try to keep fighting the good fight. It’s okay to rest and let the Holy Spirit minister to you in your time of suffering and weakness.
– Lyn Sahr
-Matt 4:1-11 NIV
4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Monday, March 20, 2006
The cost of doing business with God isn’t cheap, but then again we didn’t pay for it!
– Lyn Sahr
-Rev 21:6 NIV
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
Sunday, March 5, 2006
Just as we need to eat nutritional food to maintain good physical health, we must daily “eat” of God’s word to stay spiritually healthy. Without good food, the body doesn’t feel satisfied and looks for something to fill that need and if there is not good nutritional food around, a person tends to eat junk food that doesn’t satisfy.
I think there are a lot of anemic Christians around today. They made a decision to follow Christ, but they fail to get the proper spiritual nourishment and are feeling unsatisfied. So they run from one thing to another and never find that sense of being satisfied. Our times in the Word and prayer should be just as important to us as the time we take to eat physical food. We always seem to find time to eat, but how many times do we hear that there just isn’t enough time for Bible study. If we want to be strong spiritually, we must feed on God’s Word.
-Ardis Rivera
-Psalms 119:97-104
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong
Saturday March 4, 2006
Roller Coasters……just the word brings excitement to some, or sheer horror to others.
I think that nothing explains the “ride of life” that we are on better than a roller coaster. You start out slowly and quickly learn that there are some “hills” in the way and you pick up speed as you travel over them. Then looming in the distance is the “biggest” mountain of your life…and before you know it you are slowly chugging towards the top. Now one thing about roller coasters, is that when you are climbing the “big hill,” the car tends to “jerk a bit” almost resistant to get to the top. Then all of a sudden you’ve reached the top and you are racing down the other side with nothing to stop you, and yes, it can be a bit “scary” not knowing what’s on the other side of the mountain. Then just when you think that mountain is done, many times there is another just around the bend.
That is exactly what life is like…a roller coaster. Except when you are a Christian, God sits down with you in the front car and says….”Do you trust me?” Are you ready to throw your hands up in the air and say…”I trust You, Lord?” As you sit there in the cart going on the back stretch, just after a race down a mountain, the Lord says…”Are you ready for another?” “I will be right beside you.” When the mountain gets too high, He will grab your hand, hold it in His and say…”Hang on, I’m with you!” And the ride of life goes on…..
-Garrett Novak
Joshua 1:5 (The Message)
All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you.
Friday, March 3, 2006
If your past is shaping your future, you are patterning your life after the wrong person! Pattern your life after Jesus Christ. His past is what gives you a future!
– Lyn Sahr
-Rom 16:25-27 NIV
Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him- 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Two little boys were bragging about their fathers. One little boy said, “My father is a big man! He is stronger than anyone in town!”
The other boy said, “Well, I guess you got me beat. My father is a little man. He is so short that before he goes to bed at night I can only see his head and shoulders above his bed.
“Really” the other boy said. “He must be really short.”
The second boy replied, “Yes, but he is short on pride and tall on God. Every night before my father goes to bed he gets on his knees and talks to God.”
God could use a lot of short people these days!
– Lyn Sahr
-Phil 2:5-11 NIV
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death-
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Have you ever watched anyone get old? I have. I look in the mirror everyday and I said, “Who is that old guy?” Not really but when the hair thins and the hair grays it is surely a sign of the aging process.
With the changes in our body there should be some changes in our mind. We should have a different perspective of life. We should take less serious the things that were so important to us when we were young and begin to appreciate time.
And there should be a change in our relationship with people. We should learn to love people more and be less critical of the shortcomings of others.
And there should be a change in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We should love Him better everyday as we grow in His grace and knowledge.
And finally, we should be preparing for the future in the light of the eternity in the presence of God. I think it is a lot easier to prepare for heaven as we grow older than it is to be preparing for hell. Of course, no one could be prepared for hell!
– Lyn Sahr
-John 14:2-3 NIV
In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
-Eccl 3:11-12 NIV
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
