Serving one another in the body of Christ

We are not all good at everything. Each of us has been gifted by God to do one thing in the body of Christ better than anyone else. We each have a gift we are to share for the care and building up of others. It's great to see that work. I love to see people in the church caring for, loving, and serving one another. The world is watching to see that too.

Jesus said this is how the world will know that we are Christians. Here's what He said to us,

Joh 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Joh 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

The normal guy on the street knows what a Christian is supposed to do- we are supposed to love one another, we are supposed to care for one another, we are supposed to serve one another.

Who told them what we are supposed to look like? God did.

And it looks like the picture at the beginning of this blog- it's helping others by doing for them what we do best, and what they can't do for themselves. It's loving one another, serving one another. It's described by Paul this way,

Eph 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Eph 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
Eph 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
Eph 4:16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Get involved. Serve others. Do what you do best, and serve others because you love them and are obedient to Christ's command. Because the world is watching to see if we really are who we say we are- children of the living God.

A new baby has arrived!

Justin and Michelle Russell, a couple in our church, recently had a new baby.

They named him William.

This is a picture from the hospital.

CONGRATULATIONS!

He looks like a very interesting kid!

(Just kidding, this isn't really William.)

God's blessings

I got an e-mail from one of our wonderful ladies at the church with these thoughts. They were so good I thought I would share them with you. She gave me permission, so I'm sharing her thoughts as she wrote them:

Dear Friends,

As I sat outside on my patio this morning after so many mornings of sweltering heat and drought, I became so aware of my garden after yesterday's saturating rain. I hope this will be a blessing to you.


There's nothing like rain from heaven to water the earth below. The plants and flowers seem to swell into fullness; the leaves and flowers are lifted up. There is a life-force that flows from the roots to the tip of each leaf, stem and vine. The flowers are vibrant and touched in a way so very different from the water I give them from my garden hose. While I can keep my garden alive with frequent waterings and an occasional fertilization, there is something remarkably different that occurs in their appearance when the water is sent from God above. Even the wind has a different affect on a rain-nourished stem. It's as if there is greater agility and strength in movement, not a fight to withstand the hot, relentless heat and empty, drying winds.

How we, too, need to be nourished and soaked by our Maker in ways only He can achieve. Man's words and teachings are able to sustain us, but truly, these are only a fair substitute for the life-giving saturation and nourishment which comes directly from God's own hand. Let us not seek to drink solely from the well of others, but pray that God, Himself, would personally rain on us so that we would bring beauty and glory to our Creator...evidence of His life in us.

"...for in Him, we live and move and have our being..." Acts 17:28

Love, Colleen Nunn

Being part of the plan of God

It's early Monday morning here. I am trying to rest and recover from preaching 4 times yesterday. Our senior pastor was out, and I had the joy of filling in for him. I am spending two weeks in a passage in John- John 9. It's the story of a blind man, born blind, who Jesus healed. The part of it that amazes me is that Jesus tells us clearly in verse 3 that this man was born blind by the divine plan and purpose of God so that he would be there for Jesus to heal, and give prophetic evidence to the fact that he was indeed the Messiah. What an amazing insight for this man. If you know the law and the times of the first century this man thought that he was blind because of sin, but Jesus comes and reveals that this was part of God's plan. And then he heals him.

You and I are part of God's plan as well. Our lives, surrendered to him, are his masterpieces in process...he is working in our lives for his own glory. What a treat- to be a poster child for his love, grace and mercy. Sign me up!

The story of John 9 is a wonderful picture of a man growing in faith, and the illumination of seeing both light and the messiah. In verse 38 he meets Jesus for the first time with sight, and worships him. This is the proper response when you meet God in human flesh, but around Jesus were a host of "watchers" who did not bow the knee and worship. They were there, they saw him, but really didn't see him at all. They saw him with their eyes, but were completely blind to who this was.

The most notable line from this chapter is the blind man's own testimony. He said, "One thing I know, once I was blind, but now I see." I love that line. He didn't need to know much, he didn't have all the answers, but he knew one thing- when you see Jesus the one proper response is to worship him.

One day we will all get to do that. Paul writes these words in Phillippians and says,

Phi 2:9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
Phi 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Phi 2:11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If you are reading this you have knees, have you bowed them to the messiah yet? Have you worshipped him and invited him to be your savior and Lord? If not, I invite you to consider him. You one day WILL bow before him. Won't it be great to do it because you want to, not because you have to?

God is amazing!

Brandon & Jenny Scott are friends of ours. They are getting ready to go to Guatemala as missionaries. Brandon has been part of our church since he was 3. He has recently finished seminary at Dallas Theological Seminary. His parents are now missionaries in Haiti. It's amazing to me to see how God works. He takes his children, gives them a burden for a ministry, a people, a country and they leap out into the unknown to serve God and preach the gospel.

Pray for Brandon & Jenny. Pray for their funding and their moving expenses. I'm so blessed to have friends like Brandon & Jenny. They, and their new son Deacon, are a wonderful witness to me of God's amazing power to work in lives.

If you want more information about Brandon & Jenny do let me know, or go to their blog site- http://brandonandjenny.blogspot.com/ .

I don't really want to get rid of them, but I do want to help them get on their way to the field.

Won't it be fun to see all that God has done through us as we have allowed Him to work in our lives?

Don't let your fears keep you from the adventure

Fear is a crippling thing. It keeps you from the adventures of life. Yes, I know, life is hard at times, BUT don't let fear keep you from the adventures that God has planned for you. Trust the Lord, and enjoy the ride. It's really a lot of fun when you know God is in charge of your life.

Here's a few verses to help you on your ride-

Psa 37:1 A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
Psa 37:2 For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.
Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Psa 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psa 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psa 37:6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.
Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Psa 37:8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
Psa 37:9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

The rock of Horeb

I love this picture. It means little to most, but to me it's a promise of God's provision. It's the rock of Horeb. You say, "so what?" It's the rock that Moses hit with his rod. God split it and provided a river of water for 2,000,000 jewish slaves and all their animals in the desert for months.

It's a reminder to me that God can meet my needs no matter what I see around me. It's a reminder that I have a very big God!

Whatever the need God is big enough to meet it.

But don't forget to say "thank you."

I don't like storms

I know storms come into our lives. We can't escape them. It's part of being human. The storms of a family crisis, a death, a sickness, financial problems, relationship issues, etc.

The big problem for me is that often I don't see the storm coming and find I'm in it before I can prepare. Of course that's the way it always is anyway...who sees a storm before it hits? Most of the time we seem to be "flying blind" when we find we are in the middle of a big storm!

But really, who can be ready for a storm? Who can prepare for the crisis of life? Jesus said we can prepare. He told an amazing story in the gospel of Matthew...

Mat 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Mat 7:25 "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
Mat 7:26 "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Mat 7:27 "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."

It's an amazing story because Jesus said that storm preparation is simply this- hearing HIS words and acting on them. That's all you need to get ready! We try to prepare by stocking food, getting flashlights ready, buying batteries, and a hundred other things. Many of you made these preparations in anticipation of the Y2K "disaster." But Jesus gave a completely different course of action to prepare for a storm. His disaster preparation course is this- listen to him, and do what he says! That's it.

What a bold statement! All I need for life and godliness is to listen to Jesus words and act on them. That reality still amazes me, still challenges me, still inspires me, and still humbles me because I forget it so easily.

Life's short- enjoy your work!

Strange business

I had a very interesting experience today. I had taken my motorcycle in to a vintage BMW dealer to do some repairs. It would cost me about $200.00. They called today and said, "that's the least of my problems....you need...."

When they were done I had a list of about $1,000.00 of repairs that I supposedly "needed right now." I was shocked, because I really take great care of my bike. I told them I couldn't do all of that, and would come get my bike, but with a second thought I called back to ask, "wait a minute, I asked you to do a specific repair, aren't you going to do that??" The owners reply was what got me, he said, "no, that's not what you need most. I won't do that before I do the more important things." So, tomorrow I am going down to pick up my, as he called it, "piece of junk" motorcycle, repairs undone.

Ok, why a blog on this?

I'm so glad the Lord doesn't do that with us. He's so kind to take what broken pieces we bring him and fix those. We have more to work on, but we don't know that yet...we are still growing. God knows there are bigger things to fix, more important things, and yet he gently takes the broken pieces we give him, fixes those, loves us, and knows there are more things we need to fix, but he waits...He waits for us to grow, to see, to know that there are more broken things we need his help with, and he waits for us to come to him with those pieces as well.

I may run down the road of my walk with God with things that need repair- a bad attitude, an unforgiving heart, anger towards another believer. God will convict me, lead me, work with me until I realize I need his help to fix each of those things. And then when I come, he helps me with my problem, fixes my broken life, and helps me grow to see there is still more we need to work on, still more...until we are mature in him, conformed to the image of Christ.

Thanks, Lord, for all you have done and all you are doing in us now. Thank you that you are working in us to make us Christ-like. Continue to work, help us to grow.

It's hot in Texas!

It's been over 100 degrees for more than 32 days this summer. Today was over 105! That's hot! I had to take my motorcycle in for service today, and wouldn't you know that I had it scheduled for the hottest day of the summer. I ride an old antique bmw, and it's air-cooled. It didn't cool off much today, in fact I think the motor was cooler than the air. I know it felt like it.

I know I have already complained about the heat, but summer is hard in Texas, and we have at least 4 more days over 100 ahead of us...it's tiring, and expensive to keep cool.

Ok, I got to fuss a little, so what's with the elephant? It just looked a lot better than my day, and the picture made me smile. Hope you had a cooler day than we did here.

A great picture that doesn't need a comment

Ok, I can't help it. I have to comment...

Does it feel like some days you are in a circus?

Do you have a good title for this picture?

A good article to read

I would like to encourage you to read a blog article on my wife's blog. It deals with how she reads the bible. I think it's an excellent article, and I encourage you to read it. The one thing I find with most Christians is that they don't read the word regularly, and I think it's hurting the church more than we know. I often ask people I meet with, "Are you in the word?" And rarely do I hear them respond, "Yeah, every day!"

Most of the responses are something like this, "Well, no, not as much as I should...I'd like to read more, but....I know I should, but...." Well, you get the idea. If you are struggling with a way to read the word on a daily basis let me invite you to read Joye's blog.

You can read it at Joyefulthings

The End of the World!

I have a confession to make. I know this will sound funny, but bear with me. Ok, are you ready?

Here's my confession- I'm a prophecy expert.

Yes, you heard me right. I'm an expert in bible prophecy!

I know EXACTLY what the prophecies mean.....

.....right after they happen!

I know, I know....you smile and tell me, "that's not an expert," but let me change your view of prophecy a little. Bible prophecy was not intended to tell us exactly when Christ would come back. Prophecy was given for two reasons-

1. To prove that God is God. He's the only God there is who can tell us what will happen before it does. In fact the Old Testament says that prophecy is one of the proofs that He is God...He tells us what is coming before it does. No other god can do that!

and, 2. To give us the signs we need to be ready. Take a moment and read the passage from Matthew below (notice the parts that are warning of what we are to do)-

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you.

Mat 24:6 "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.

Mat 24:33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.

Mat 24:42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

Mat 24:44 "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
Mat 24:45 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?

Mat 24:46 "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
Mat 24:47 "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Be on the alert...He's right at the door...Be faithful. He says nothing about knowing the exact day, nothing about building timelines.

It's all about being faithful. It's all about being ready. It's all designed to give us the signs of his return so we will be ready, faithful, on the alert, at the door, doing the work, expecting him, awake, with our lights on.

And Jesus also describes these times as birth pangs for those who don't know Christ- so they can prepare. The fear that these times create is intended to draw the lost to Christ and challenge us to get ready.

So what are we to do? It's easy- be ready, be faithful, share your faith, love the lost, trust the Lord, and look up....the Lord is coming!

Book Meme

So many books, so little time. This meme is a way to share books amongst our blogging community. Since we already know that the Bible is The Book with the most impact on our lives, this list should be books other than the Bible. The hard part is just sharing ONE book for each category!

1. One book that changed your life:
The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer (Sorry, Joye, this is too good to not be on the top of the list, so I have to list it too.)

2. One book that you've read more than once:
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

3. One book you'd want on a desert island:
Can I count the Chronicles of Narnia as one book?

4. One book that made you laugh:
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (It's story line made me laugh and made me mad.)

5. One book that made you cry [or feel really sad]:
Sorry, don't have one.

6. One book that you wish had been written:
The seekers guide to truth

7. One book that you wish had never been written:
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

8. One book you're currently reading:
Simply Christian by N.T. Wright (A great book, just out, I highly recommend it.)

9. One book you've been meaning to read:
Christ plays in 10,000 places by Eugene Peterson (I'm half way through and can't seem to get it finished.)

10. Now tag five people:
Brent (The McKinney Diner), Brando (Ramble Zone), Lori (A little of this..), Lindsay (Life in a shoe), Zach (The twitch cave)

The book of Judges

I just finished the book of Judges yesterday. Very depressing! This book paints a picture of the very lowest times in the history of Israel. It ends with a verse that is partially mentioned earlier in the book several times,

Jdg 21:25 "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

I have been thinking about that verse, and it's earlier versions in the book as the author says, "In those days there was no king in Israel." I know this is important because of its repeated theme. It appears that having a king would remedy everyone doing "their own thing."

How does this translate to the Christian life today? It seems to plug into my life rather nicely- if I make Christ the king in my life I won't be doing my own thing, doing what's right in my own eyes. If I don't make him king I do find that I easily wander off. I'm not talking about lordship salvation here, I'm simply talking about Christ being lord and king in my life.

So, that leads me to the next thought- What's the job of a king? What was he to do? How would my life be different under the rule of a king? What does the kingship of Christ in my life look like as I live each day? How do I bow my knee to this king and honor him? How do I tell when I'm not letting the king do his job, and find myself trying to be king myself? Do I even acknowledge him as my king in my daily life?

I'm not interested in answering all of these questions for those of you reading this blog, I'm simply thinking out loud for myself. You will have to answer them for yourself as you decide who is king in your life.

The pursuit of contentment

We have had an unusual number of days this year over 100 degrees. It's been hot! I'm amazed at how hard it is for me to be content with my circumstances, with the heat. If it's too hot, I wish it were cooler. If it's too cold, I wish it were warmer. If it's raining, I wish it weren't. If we go through a drought (as we have), we all pray for rain. We seem to enjoy being discontent. We just recently got back from a mission trip to Russia, and when asked how the trip went my first response is, "it was really hot." Why is my focus on my comfort, my contentment? Why do we all verbalize our discontent and everyone understands what we feel?

Why is it so hard for us to be content? I hear it from everyone I spend any length of time with, "If I only had ____________." Now, they may have a nice home, food, great kids, cars, enough to get by, but there is always that "one more thing" that will make them content.

We all struggle with it, and it has been a problem since the garden of Eden. In every country I have traveled the struggle for contentment is alive and well.

This morning I was reading Psalm 78 as the author recites the history of Israel and their sins. It's interesting how he views it as he writes,

Psa 78:16 He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers.
Psa 78:17 Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
Psa 78:18 And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.
Psa 78:19 Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

They saw God provide rivers of water as they had asked, but is that enough? No, of course not! Can God give us bread too? And in the middle of this the author calls that discontent sin, putting God to the test.

It seems we are always trying to fill a part of us with something instead of someone. "Stuff" will never bring contentment. Our culture will make sure of that, because as soon a I get the latest and greatest of whatever toy I want then, suddenly, there is an ever better, faster more wonderful one available and I'm unhappy again.

Contentment comes from someone, not something. I see in scripture the clear teaching that contentment is a result of an intimate relationship with God. The "stuff" is another topic altogether. In fact Jesus invites us in the gospels to live our lives with open hands and freely give our "stuff" away. That's hard to do if we consider it the source of our contentment, the reason we are happy.

I love the story that Phillip Yancey tells of a friend who went on a monastic retreat. As the little monk was taking the visitor to his room he said, "Now, if there's anything you need let us know and we will teach you how to live without it."

Although I have no intention of living a monastic lifestyle it's very appealing to me because I wouldn't have all this "stuff" to worry about and drag around.

Paul discovered the secret and talks about it in Philippians. Here is what he said,

Phi 4:11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Phi 4:12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Lord, teach me to be content. Help me to find my contentment in you, and not in the "stuff."

Henry Brandt says it best when he said, "My goal in life is not to get to the end of it and compare my pile of ashes to your pile of ashes."

The stuff will be thrown out, sold, given away, but an intimate relationship with the living God is priceless.

I'll gladly give all my "stuff" to get that!

But somewhere inside of me I hope I don't have to. We are sad creatures, aren't we?

The battle for truth

Navigating truth claims in our time is a very interesting adventure. It seems that there are as many roads to truth today as there are stop signs to direct us there. Everyone has "their own truth." One person I corresponded with said it this way,

"My thoughts are... No matter what a person believes about the Truth... whether they believe it to be fluid, or as solid as a rock wall...they're right...I'm personally of the mind that truth is totally fluid, depending upon your point of view and the beliefs you hold. From walking on water to walking on the moon - it's all a matter of where you want to draw the line (be it in concrete or sand, you get to choose) of what's possible, and what's not. I believe that truth is a personal, ever evolving creature, not to be pursued or nailed down."

With a definition like this (and many would agree with this view) absolute truth is unknowable, universal truth is unavailable, and "personal truth" has been elevated to the highest good.

I meet many on this road- the road of going, never of arriving. The road of personal choice, never of personal accountability. The road of what is best for me, not what's best for others. The road without a destination, just a wonderful self-indulgent journey. The bible calls this "the road to destruction."

What is your definition of truth? Which road have you chosen?

Looking for a really good book to read?

I have been reading a new book by N.T. Wright called, "Simply Christian". I highly recommend it. If you are looking for something to make you think this is it.

On a lighter note...

Our son, Ian, is a tattoo artist at Smilin' Ricks in Denton, http://smilinricks.com/.
He has always been an artist, and he finally found a canvas that will make it possible for him to make a living. Why do I mention this? Because one of my fellow pastors is going up to see Ian today to get two tattoos! (I'm going to go up and watch. It should be fun.)

I think he's getting something like this one, but maybe not...

Idol Makers, Inc.

We live in an amazing time in history. Across the world we have become expert idol makers. In every culture and religion the art of idol making is going on and being perfected.

For some it's the making of false gods, religious symbols created by men.

Others invent whole religions based on the creation of a new god, and gather huge followings to worship the gods they have made.

In other places the worship of men becomes a finely developed religion. A movie star, a rock singer, a celebrity, a model, an athlete. We have elevated the art of worshipping men and women for nothing more than how they look, talk or sing.

I don't even have time to mention the skills we have developed in idolizing our "stuff".

Still others redefine the Christian faith and recreate the God who already is. Idol making in the Christian world has become a fine art. Many have mastered it, and taken it to a new all time low.

In the bible the Jews of the Old Testament would make idols AND worship God just to cover their bases. This problem shows up in Genesis and continues throughout the bible.

In our time it's more subtle. It sounds something like this, "My god's not like that." or, "My god is a loving god, he wouldn't ____" or, "I couldn't worship a god like that! Why I don't think god is like that at all. I think ___."

In our zeal to have a sanitary, safe, comfortable and politically correct god we have redefined the God of the bible and have made hundreds of little idols that aren't God at all.

The challenge of our time is for us to be students of the bible so we are worshipping the God who is, not who we want him to be.

This is my personal challenge as well. I am easily led away from the God who is. I must constantly take my mind and heart back to the bible to see Him clearly so I don't wander off.


Psa 148:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!
Psa 148:2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!
Psa 148:3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light!
Psa 148:4 Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens!
Psa 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.
Psa 148:6 He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away.
Psa 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps;
Psa 148:8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Psa 148:9 Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars;
Psa 148:10 Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl;
Psa 148:11 Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth;
Psa 148:12 Both young men and virgins; Old men and children.
Psa 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.
Psa 148:14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the LORD!

Did you ever have one of those weeks?

I have a friend....

What a great thing to be able to say. I had breakfast with a friend of mine this morning. We talked about a lot of different things. We talked about work (both his and mine), we talked about family, the bible, motorcycles, ETC. We talked. Most men don't have anyone to talk to, but I know how important that is so I pursue it. It's an important thing to me to have people around me. I love people! Their presence gets me going. I love people! Yesterday I was at the hospital with a family and was so thrilled to see all their friends there with them. What a blessing! These were people who really cared about this family, and they came to the hospital because they love this family. How wonderful! What a blessing to have people who love you, cry with you, and care for you! They are the gold and precious jewels of this life.

Psa 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!

Psa 133:2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

Psa 133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing--life forever.

Rewards

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
--C. S. Lewis

I had lunch with a close friend yesterday. Years ago when I was in business I helped him and another associate to get connected. Both men were benefited by the relationship. Both men made money, but until yesterday I did not know how much. My friend told me that because of my connections with both of them they have both become very wealthy. In fact he told me that the other gentleman I connected him with just sold his company and pocketed 2 billion dollars! Yes, you heard me right- 2 billion! I thought, "well, Mike, how quickly they forget what you have done for them." And in fact they do forget. I remember the day when this now billionare was so discouraged that he was thinking of leaving the business. I encouraged him to keep going, and got him the right relationships to make it work, and boy did it work! WOW! And what did I get? You guessed it, not even a "thank you" for all my help, but I thought later that this is not what I'm after. Money has never been my goal. I have had opportunities to make millions, but the Lord has graciously protected me from money. That sounds funny, doesn't it? But I consider my lack of "big bucks" a real blessing. We get to see God work! We get to trust Him! I really come out way ahead of my billionare friend, and, in the end I get a much better reward! I get heaven,and all the souls I have had the great joy of leading to Christ. I get to enjoy God's better prize, so may I say to my friend, "Enjoy your billions, but I have much more than that awaiting me."

Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Psa 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psa 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psa 37:6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.
Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Psa 37:8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
Psa 37:9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.