tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318676112024-03-13T11:36:41.012-05:00Finishing WellI plan to retire...right after lunch on the day I die! Until then I'm here to serve God, love people and talk about Jesus!Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.comBlogger3575125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-41492676737493936882022-04-24T07:10:00.007-05:002022-04-24T08:54:59.525-05:00Being Seen<p> <span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; min-width: 0px; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: super;">Mark 10:46 </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; min-width: 0px; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: super;">47 </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David,</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">have mercy on me!”</span></p><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; min-width: 0px; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: super;">48 </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; min-width: 0px; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: super;">49 </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">Jesus stopped and said,</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">“Call him.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; min-width: 0px; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: super;">50 </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; min-width: 0px; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: super;">51 </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">“What do you want me to do for you?”</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">Jesus asked him.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">The blind man said, “Rabbi,</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">I want to see.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; min-width: 0px; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: super;">52 </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">“Go,”</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">said Jesus,</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">“your faith has healed you.”</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">Immediately he received his sight and followed</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"> </span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">Jesus along the road.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">There is something subtle but so important in this story. It seems small, but it is tremendously important. People need to be seen. What do I mean? Each of us has the core need to be seen, acknowledged, cared about and valued by others. It's built into us. We need to know others see us, engage us, touch us, care about us. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">That's what all the Internet activity is about- people saying to one another, 'look at me!' We need to be seen, cared for and valued. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">People want you to really see them, care about them, look in their eyes and ask who they are. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">That's why I love this story of Bartimaeus. The crowd is passing by, telling him to shut up, don't bother us, don't bother Jesus, but Jesus stops. That's a profound picture. He stops this huge procession of people to acknowledge just one person. And when he feels truly seen he himself sees as well. I know, it's a word play on the picture, but it's a beautiful picture of a man changed by the simple moment in time when the most important person who ever lived stopped to engage a blind man, to say simply, 'I see you.'</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">In our work the most important thing we do is a sublte, simple and relatively easy thing- the most important thing we do is to see a man or woman, to stop and spend time with them, to hear them, cry with them, touch them, to say, 'I see you and I care.' </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;">There is only one eternal thing you will ever encounter in your life. It's other people. Cars, houses, money and jewels will all rot, rust or be thrown away, but people will last forever. Take time and see them. Your life will be richer than any wealth you could ever acquire!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; min-width: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px;"></div>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-56061302534842156522020-10-28T08:29:00.001-05:002020-10-28T08:29:13.553-05:00Death<p> Death is not the end. It's only the period on the first sentence of your life. </p>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-14580521533523593412020-09-27T08:42:00.002-05:002020-09-27T08:42:47.299-05:00You can't be a Christian if.....<p><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am seeing numerous posts from people I love to the effect, "You can't be a Christian and vote ________." The party isn't mentioned because I am seeing well written (although flawed) articles from both sides. Let me address this simply- Being a Christian is not about your vote, it's about your relationship with God and others. Jesus made it simple- "Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself." Those are the requirements for a Christian. All the rest is personal conviction. We each are accountable to God for how we live out those convictions. You and I will each stand before God and give account for how we lived our lives. Live out your convictions, follow the Lord's leading for you and don't get offended when someone sees things differently....just love them and pray for them.</span></span></p>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-22539402914440373152020-08-26T17:02:00.002-05:002020-08-26T17:02:16.277-05:00This world<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>T</b>his morning these words came to my thoughts. Words of an old hymn that, in years past, we sang until we knew it by heart. Perhaps we have forgotten the message but it is still true. They go like this...</span></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">"This world is not my home I'm just a passing through</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The angels beckon me from heaven's open door</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And I can't feel at home in this world anymore"</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">How have we gotten so comfortable here that we so easily forget there? Yes, I'm to work and love, help and encourage, serve and give all I can but this is not the end for me. This is just the place and time God have given me to serve him until that day I do go home. Don't forget where home is. And don't forget why you are here- to love others and tell them about the wonder Christ who provided "home" for all of us....if only we would trust him.</span></div></div>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-12641533115799477112020-08-20T07:09:00.002-05:002020-08-20T07:09:23.429-05:00Quote of the day<p> "The fashion today is to place God in court and give Him a trial. We have had such a lust for “debunking” every good and useful man in history that even God cannot escape. It is one of the unfortunate by-products of the quest for truth, plus an unlovely hunger in humanity for scandal. It is a species of jealousy. We dislike to believe that anybody else is quite as good as we are, not even God." -Frank Laubach, 1931</p>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-72642489541947536322020-08-18T09:03:00.005-05:002020-08-18T09:03:48.564-05:00Broken<p style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Having it all together" isn't what makes you useful. Being broken but available is what makes you useful to the world around you. Those who are hurting aren't looking for someone who is perfect, they are looking for others who were broken but found hope and peace through the brokenness. It's always through your wounds that others find healing.</span></span></p>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-11386940814008977442020-06-30T08:46:00.001-05:002020-06-30T08:46:14.936-05:00Loving wellWe are seeing the beginnings of this prophecy: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be..." These words are from 2 Timothy 3. I didn't post it all because this is the most important thing to catch from it...the terrible times will come because of how people will act towards one another. In difficult times when people are our problem be a person who loves like Jesus did. Love them all! Overcome their hate, anger, rage or whatever they are going through with simple love. Just love them. Then, when they relax a bit and know you really care you can talk about the problems they are struggling with. Love is the balm that heals every wound. Apply it liberally!Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-83967017061066261252020-06-24T17:15:00.000-05:002020-06-24T17:39:38.458-05:00Variety<div style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit , serif; font-size: 18pt;">He is a wonderful and creative God. He made colors, all of them, and he uses them in sunsets, trees, flowers, birds and animals. He loves color! And God is amazingly creative in the animals he made, giraffes with their long necks, lions with their manes, deers with their antlers, elephants with their trunks…the list is amazing and diverse. And he colored all of them as well! Look at his birds! WOW! The colors he used in making birds is way over the top. He is creative! He didn’t stop with nature or the animal kingdom, he extended his creativity to us. He made some of us tall, others short. Some with straight hair, some curly. He made redheads, blondes, brunettes and a combination of several more (I'm not sure where pink hair came from). He made some with big noses, others with small petite ones. Some have big feet and some cute little ones. Blue eyes, brown, hazel, gray...what an amazing creation. And some he gifts with athletic skills and some (like me) are clumsy. And He used his amazing colors with us as well. Some tan, brown, black, red, etc. All to show his creativity and his design. All of this, all of it, was done by God to celebrate and show off his glory. All of it to be celebrated as a way to worship an amazing God. So, how could we, why would we take just one part of his work of art and say it is less than, worse than, lower than any other? We are not insulting the man we discriminate against alone, we are insulting God who made him! How dare we criticize the artist for the glory of his work! But that’s what sinful men do. We have now become God’s art critic and the outcome is we judge his works of art as well. Whenever a baby is born, no matter the color, God smiles and says, “I made that! This one is special!” How dare we demean or destroy a work of God! We are called by the artist himself to love his work simply because he made it. We are never to be color blind, that’s not glorifying to God, but rather we are to celebrate the handiwork of God and love it because God made it. No matter what color it is. God loves variety….that’s why he made each of us and says, "love one another as I have loved you." And do you know...and this is important...that God sent one of the early deacons Philip on a special trip to share his love with just one black man on his way home to Ethiopia...One of the earliest converts to Christianity was a black man sought out by God. God loves his creation and he loves each one he made. And he invites us to imitate him...love one another!</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-35488933652985569762020-06-19T14:53:00.000-05:002020-06-19T14:53:57.390-05:00What can the righteous do?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">That is a great question! It's the question asked by the author of this Psalm. It's a question being asked in many ways today. What can we do? How do we navigate these days in a way that honors God and helps rather than hurts those around us? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's my short list of things we can do when the foundations are destroyed:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">1. Pray. We have a really BIG God who is sovereign over the affairs of men. I'm sure he is interested in being part of your solution...why don't you ask him?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">2. Don't fret. In the midst of chaos and destruction we easily become fearful, fretful, worried, scared....add your own words, you know what I'm talking about. Out of prayer should come on thing very clearly- peace. It comes from trusting a big God with the worries of your life. See Psalm 37, Mat. 11:28-30 and Phil. 4:6-7.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">3. Love. Look for ways to show love and compassion to those around you. Really look for ways to love others. The ways are everywhere if we would simply look. John 13:34-35 and Eph. 5:1-2 come to mind. In the midst of anger and fear a person who loves well will change the emotional environment around him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">4. Take a nap. That sounds strange, doesn't it? But remember when Jesus and the disciples got in the boat to go to the other side of the lake? Jesus went in the back of the boat and fell asleep. He trusted himself to God. Trusting God looks strange in a storm but that's when. you most need him. Prov. 3:5-6</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">5. Keep your "eyes" on Jesus. Another storm story illustrates this. The disciples in the boat, Jesus walking on the water, Peter asking if he can do it and he does.....but the text follows with these insightful words about Peter, "but seeing the wind he became afraid and beginning to sink he cried out...." Did you see Peter's cause of fear? He focused on the wind instead of the creator of the universe right in front of him! Watching the wind will make you afraid. Keeping your eyes on Jesus will give you peace. The situation may be no different but you are. No matter what, focus on Him!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">What can we do when everything is crumbling around us? Start with these and let's see what happens.</span></span></div>
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Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-91152929998150218872020-04-08T09:13:00.002-05:002020-04-08T09:13:50.026-05:00A God dependent system<span style="font-size: large;">It is interesting to me that God made a system totally dependent on him for what it needs. Every creature but man lives as if that were true. Somehow man thinks it depends on us. That's why we're fearful.</span>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-12913864939474493632020-04-08T09:11:00.002-05:002020-04-08T09:24:49.628-05:00God has a plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You and I have been placed where we are, when we are, to be who we are on purpose and by design as part of an eternal work of a sovereign loving God. You were designed for these days! Don't be fearful, be excited. God knew what was coming and prepared you for it, designed you for it and equipped you for it. It will be exciting to see what God does with us in the days ahead of us.</span></div>
Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-37700938283030147882020-02-19T08:10:00.001-06:002020-02-19T08:10:37.342-06:00The truth is....<span style="font-size: large;">The truth is that life isn't about whch side you're on, which candidate you support, which views you hold on an issue but how you treat one another. Are you kind, do you see others as more important than youself? Do you yield at the light, open the door for an elderly person, say thank you, tip well, help those who are struggling, encourage those who are down? Life is not a competition to see who wins. If any of us lose we all lose. My favorite verse is hidden at the end of 1 Corinthians. It's verse 16:14- Do everything in love. That's it. Four words. And they sum up a life lived well. Don't live in fear, live boldly, love well and see those around you. If they don't finish well then neither do you.</span>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-19616168424005910272020-01-23T07:28:00.001-06:002020-01-23T07:28:12.246-06:00The tragedy of abortion I've been thinking about the abortion problem and it is tragic and terrible, but it's actually much worse than many describe. Not only have more than 60 million lives been taken but 10's of millions of mothers have willingly killed their babies and are living with the guilt of it. I can't imagine the weight of such a decision and the burden they carry for their choice every day. They desperately need our love and prayers.Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-60873699245377094392020-01-12T08:00:00.003-06:002020-01-12T08:00:46.170-06:00God's amazing provision <span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have been reflecting on life. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm old enough that I get to do that. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I look back on my life I realize I have not been qualified for any of the jobs I have ever gotten. I was given positions I was not qualified for, should have never gotten, but God opened doors I never saw, provided for us in ways I never imagined and led in paths I never knew were there. And, as we have wandered through our days here I realize that although it looks like a series of accidental encounters they were all divine appointments. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">God had his fingers in everything. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">How could I ever worry again as I look back and see God involved in everything that has ever happened? When he says, "My grace is sufficient..." he means so much more than we could ever imagine.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-86347065948356592562020-01-10T08:29:00.002-06:002020-01-10T08:29:45.033-06:00Fear and anxiety<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fear and anxiety linger at the fringes of our lives waiting for the opportunity to overwhelm us. These emotions are constant reminders of how thin and fragile our faith in God really is. I think this is why God has to constantly remind us, "Do not be afraid!" Why? Because there is a God who is fully in control of the events of our lives. He has never lost control. Everything that comes to us has to pass through his hands.</span></span>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-29589164008778892732019-12-31T08:50:00.001-06:002019-12-31T08:50:07.982-06:00The most important thing....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The most important thing you will ever do is know and love Jesus, the Christ. There is no choice more important than this one. Many will choose something else or someone else to know and love but in the end anything you choose instead of Jesus will leave you with eternal regrets for your choice.</span></div>
Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-17265712803838784192019-12-29T15:12:00.001-06:002019-12-29T15:12:38.375-06:00A ways away and a while agoThis morning our pastor worked through a passage in Joshua 3. It was a great message on God's leading, our obedience and how we can walk with him in faith.
As he worked through the passage it was clear that the miracle they experienced had happened "a ways away and a while ago." In other words the miracle had happened hours or days before and they became aware of it when the results of the miracle became visible to them.
How often do we see something God has been working on for a long time? It's been in the works and only now revealed....in fact most of his works are like that...a miracle for us, but a work of God done before we ever saw it.
Just because you don't see the results of your faith and God's promises doesn't mean anything, just wait....he's working....it probably happened a ways away and a while ago and is just now getting to your need.
Are you aware God's timing is always perfect? You will see his love revealed in time in history....just wait.<br />
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<br />Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-83284433821111230272019-07-19T08:29:00.002-05:002019-07-19T08:29:05.492-05:00Worship or Whine?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Each of us go through trials, tribulations and heartaches in our lives. It's unavoidable, it's part of being human. Our response will be to worship or whine, to praise and trust God or complain about the things that have happened. Our response will depend on our view of God and his role in our lives. Do we see him involved, caring, directing and working or do we believe we are completely on our own. Whether we worship or whine will depend on our view of God and his work in our lives.</div>
Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-68034028885232753162018-12-29T11:11:00.002-06:002018-12-29T11:11:52.806-06:00Thoughts on a new year<br />
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Your value in the new year is not based on who you are, what you resolve to do or not do, how much money you make, how famous you become or where you travel. Your value has been set by God and his love says you are of infinite worth to him. So, in the new year resolve only two things- 1. Love God with all that is in you, and 2. Love others as God loves you. If you do just these 2 things your year will be amazing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-53711567414784559792018-10-11T19:54:00.001-05:002018-10-11T19:54:22.634-05:00Now what?<span style="font-size: large;">Wow, I have simply gotten so busy I've forgotten about my writing. It has been weeks since I have had time to sit down, think about where I am, what I'm doing and write something. That's no excuse, just reality. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Blogging and writing has been part of my life for almost 20 years and yet, in recent days, I find the ink well dry, the thoughts rancid and inspiration gone. I would love to have it all back and write once more, but for now I find I'm as blank as most of the pages I try to write something on. Perhaps soon the inspiration will return, but for now....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-89032060666151971322018-09-29T21:10:00.002-05:002018-09-30T07:22:13.354-05:00She laughed!<span style="font-size: large;">She has Alzheimer's. She hasn't spoken or interacted with another human for as long as I've known her. She sleeps all the time! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But I discovered from her daughter that she is a Christian, loved studying the bible and had a passion for singing. She loved the old hymns.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">She lives in a facility I visit weekly. I spend time with this sweet lady every time I am there. This week I arrived as the facility sang hymns in the great room with the patients. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My friend was there, asleep in her chair, as usual. I sat with her and told her, "let's sing along!" And I did! No one would want to hear me sing, but I knew she wouldn't complain. As each hymn concluded I spoke to my friend about our hope, about the great day when there will be "no more crying, tears or sorrow." </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the end of one song that spoke of the great day when Christ will return I told my friend, "won't it be wonderful when we have our new bodies, no more pain, no sorrow, we can run and jump and dance together! Won't that be glorious? I can't wait." </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And she laughed! SHE LAUGHED!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't believe it, but I knew what she laughed about. She was thinking of that great day too. The day when we will see Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Having a hope is a wonderful thing, but it's even more glorious when the transformation will be as grand as the one my friend will experience. I can't wait for the day when I see her running and leaping and praising God. On that day I will laugh with her.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-38490349602033914872018-09-10T08:20:00.003-05:002018-09-10T08:20:54.685-05:00The Root of Bitterness<h2 class="articleTitle" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Hind, sans-serf; font-size: 25px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Dr. Adrian Rogers wrote these words on bitterness. It's so important I copied his thoughts and wanted to share them here. This is a subtle weed, one that, as Dr. Rogers says, "destroys the container." I hope you will prayerfully work through this in your own life. I have had to do so in mine. </i></span></h2>
<h2 class="articleTitle" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Hind, sans-serf; font-size: 25px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>-Mike</i></span></h2>
<div class="articleBody rawHtml" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Hind, sans-serf; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bolder; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Root of Bitterness</span><br />Bitterness blows out the candle of joy and leaves the soul in darkness. Here is what God's Word has to say about bitterness:</div>
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Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. (<a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/hebrews/passage.aspx?q=hebrews+12:14-15" style="border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Hebrews 12:14-15</a>).</div>
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bolder; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bolder; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />The Germination Of Bitterness</span><br />The seed of bitterness is a hurt that is planted in someone. It may be intentional or unintentional. Someone does not mean to hurt you, but you were hurt. Sometimes the hurt is only imagined. No one has hurt you, but somehow you feel that someone has done something wrong to you. There are also times when the hurt may be the very chastisement of God upon your life. That is the context of <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/hebrews/passage.aspx?q=hebrews+12:14-15" style="border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Hebrews 12:14-15</a>. </div>
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The soil of bitterness is a heart that harbors hostility and does not deal with hurt by the grace of God. When someone becomes bitter, the bitterness takes root in the heart and grows deeper.<br />The world is full of people who have not dealt with an old hurt. They look for things to criticize, people to find fault with, and ways to justify the way they feel. Have you ever seen people who are hypercritical? Generally, they are bitter people. They know how to push your hot buttons until you react in a way to further justify their bitterness. Then, they can say, "Aha! I was right. I have a right to be bitter."</div>
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bolder; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bolder; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />The Devastation Of Bitterness</span><br />We have learned about the seed and the soil of bitterness, now let's look at the root and the fruit of bitterness, which is found in our text from <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/hebrews/passage.aspx?q=hebrews+12:14-15" style="border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Hebrews 12:14-15</a>.<br /><br /><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bolder; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Root Of Bitterness</span><br />The root of bitterness is underground; it is easy to hide and camouflage. Seldom do you find anyone who will admit that they are a bitter person. They will either deny it or disguise it. A bitter person is hypersensitive, ungrateful, insincere, holds grudges, and has mood swings. The Fruit Of Bitterness<br />Bitterness will affect you physically, emotionally, and spiritually because the fruit of bitterness is an acid that destroys its container. When your heart is bitter, God will not be real to you be. Why? Because hatefulness and holiness do not dwell in the same heart. And without holiness you will not see the Lord (see <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/hebrews/12-14.html" style="border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Hebrews 12:14</a>).</div>
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bolder; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bolder; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />The Eradication Of Bitterness</span><br />There are three steps to eradicating bitterness:</div>
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1. Let God Reveal It.<br />Sometimes people say, "I know my heart, there's no bitterness in me." Truth of the matter is you don't know your heart. God's Word tells us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). A deceitful heart cannot diagnose a deceitful heart. You need to let God the Holy Spirit do radical surgery.</div>
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2. Let Grace Reveal It.<br />A response of bitterness is never right when someone has done something wrong to you. You need to ask God to forgive you, and He will by His grace. If someone has wronged you, cut it down and forget it. By the grace of God, bury that hurt in the grave of God's forgetfulness. Justice is God giving us what we deserve, mercy is God not giving us what we deserve, grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve.</div>
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3. Let Good Replace It.<br /><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/hebrews/12-14.html" style="border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Hebrews 12:14</a> says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." You cannot be holy unless you follow peace with men. It is so worth it when you forgive. But, you say, "Look what they've done! I am not going to let them off the hook." Well, they are not on the hook — you are! When you forgive, you set two people free and one of them is yourself.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">
You will discover that your life is more joyful when you uproot your bitterness. If God gave us justice, every person reading this would die and go to hell. Thank God for His mercy that removes His hand of punishment from us. Praise God for His grace that gives us a brand new life!</div>
</div>
Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-85879935313115396802018-09-06T07:29:00.001-05:002018-09-06T07:31:18.692-05:00Just a glimpse<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This morning I sat on the patio and watched the sun rise. I watched the colors come and go in just moments. If I had been 5 minutes late I would have missed it all. It was a work of art by an amazing artist, but it was gone in moments.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And then I realized....it was just a glimpse of his glory, a moment to see his amazing artistry, to see a bit of what he is like. He describes himself surrounded in light and color beyond our imagination. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This morning I saw just a glimpse of it in the sunrise. It was only a moment, but it made me realize he was revealing a bit of himself to us, a bit of his amazing glory and artistry to entice us to seek him and see more.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If this is just a glimpse imagine what it would be like to see what this amazing artist and creator is like all the time! Glory and beauty are inadequate words to describe it. We just don't have words for it, but one day we will see it...the glory revealed that is only hinted at in the sunrise.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This morning I saw God's brushes paint the clouds and simply said, "wow." What an amazing God.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-51049192649334237772018-09-03T08:31:00.000-05:002018-09-03T08:43:31.328-05:00And others....<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
topic of faith and what it looks like is quite confusing in our day. For
many faith is tied to outcomes. It says, "if you have enough
faith..." In this view your faith is measured by quantity and judged
by the outcome of what you believe. "Well, I guess you just didn't
have enough faith" is a frequent response to outcomes adverse to what the
person was believing for. It's a cruel system built on performance and
results. In this system it's your faith that gets it done and if it isn't
done it's your fault.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
But the Bible speaks of faith in such a different way! The focus of
Biblical faith is not the outcome, but the object. In other words, it's
not how much faith you have (Jesus said it didn't take much) but who your faith
is in that matters. If it only takes a mustard seed of faith to move a
mountain it must not be the size of your faith that matters at all, but who
your faith is in! It's not the outcome of faith that is important, it's
the object.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
We miss that so easily. Even in the chapter on faith, Hebrews 11, we
easily see the faith giants based on outcomes, but none of them saw the
outcomes they believed for and in fact, in this grand hall of faith are some
who, in our day, would be told, "well, I guess you just didn't have enough
faith..."</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
Here is their testimony from God,</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"...And
others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories
of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of
vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless,
powerless—the world didn’t deserve them! —making their way as best they could
on the cruel edges of the world.</span></i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their
hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and
our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith
not complete apart from ours."</span></i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span></i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">God
testifies of these 'others' that their faith would be rewarded as well even
though it would appear they were complete failures at this faith thing!
"If you just had enough faith" seems a silly statement when you read
about great men and women like this! Homeless? Wanderers? Murdered? In
prison? </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Could
it be it's not the outcome of faith but the object of faith that is the most
important thing? Could it be the poor widow who put in two pennies for
the offering, all she had, was a great woman of faith even though she had
nothing? Could it be we have looked at faith all wrong in our
day? </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's
not the outcome, but the object of faith that is the key to a faith that God
will praise in his grand hall of faith on that day.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31867611.post-48508611334695103852018-09-01T13:26:00.001-05:002018-09-01T13:34:51.046-05:00A simple act of kindness<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">I wish I had taken a photo, a video of the events this morning. I kick myself for not thinking of it, but I didn't. We simply watched in amazement.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">This morning my wife and I went out for breakfast. It was busy, crowded as usual, and every table was full. Next to us, across the aisle, was an older frail gray-haired man sitting alone. He had to be in his early 90's, sitting in his electric wheelchair at his table waiting for his breakfast order. He was dressed in a suit and tie. It was an older tan suit, a bit wrinkled but he had dressed for the occasion, for a nice breakfast out. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">The restaurant was noisy, busy. Wait staff running in all directions, but in the middle of it sat this aged gentleman.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">The waitress brought his meal. It was quite a big meal for a frail older gentleman, but she set it before him and then proceeded to take his knife and fork and cut up his food for him. My wife watched in amazement, as the activity around us continued, but at that table time stopped while this amazing waitress took time for a simple act of kindness.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">When she was finished she brought more coffee for us and we asked about this older gentleman. She told us he comes for breakfast every Saturday, sits in her section and she takes care of him by helping him with his meal, by cutting up his food.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">It's a simple thing. A small thing really, but it's Jesus stuff, the kind of thing that all of us should be about. I've thought about her act of kindness and her sweet spirit. It's what the people of God should be about all the time....the little things, the small graces, the little simple acts of kindness that show the world a different way, a way marked by love.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Today we saw one of Jesus' kids living out a simple act of kindness that showed the love of God to a dear old man.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Sadly most in the restaurant missed it, they were busy with their visits, smartphones and meals, but in the middle of it all God showed up. Her name is Kristine.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Mark-12-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">"One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?” </span><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” </i>Mark 12</span></div>
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Mike Messerlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09898765959699944927noreply@blogger.com0