Has God’s Promise Changed?

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post by Sue Oneal, friend and pastor's wife at Sequatchie Valley Church of the Nazarene in Whitwell, Tennessee.

One of my favorite passages of scripture is 2 Chronicles 7:14:

then if my people will humble themselves and pray, and search for me, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. (The Living Bible)

When I read this passage in context I find that the temple had just been completed and the people had prayed and celebrated the wonderful presence of God. After several days King Solomon sent the people to their tents. The people were happy and joyful because God had been so good to them. Solomon was feeling very proud he had accomplished all he set out to do.

Solomon reminds me of the American people. God has been so good to us. We have fought wars in other lands, but America has been kept safe. We feel proud of our jobs, our security and our ability to take care of ourselves. We now have a generation of people who have been able to satisfy most of their wants and all of their needs.

Since things were so great, why would the people need to humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways? Verse 12 tells us that one night God appeared to Solomon.

God said the temple is really mine and a place for the people to worship me. But verse 13 takes an odd turn. God said...

If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust swarms to eat up all of your crops, or if I send an epidemic among you… (TLB)

What?! The windows of heaven shut up?! Could this relate to our economic situation today?

As I listen to the news and talk with people I realize the pressures that we face as a Nation. The air seems to be filled with gloom and despair. Have we forgotten God’s promises? All through the Bible we find that God hears and answers prayer. As a child of God I choose to look to God, claim his promises, and remember that, come what may, God has the power to heal our land if his people will pray and trust Him.

I can’t close this note without stating that God is fair and just. He not only promised to care for his people if they would pray and seek his face, he gave a warning in verses 19-22 as to what would happen to the people who forgot God. Search out 2 Chronicles 7. It will challenge your heart.

Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace!

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post from my husband and fellow Pastor, Greg Bishop.

It seems there is little peace in the world today. We look at what's going on all over the globe and it's no wonder we're agitated and upset so much of the time.

There are so many scriptures in God's Word that tell us not to worry and not to let our hearts be troubled. Yes, we can be concerned about the things around us, but we are not supposed to let them get the best of us.

The scripture I use and have used for many years is Philippians 4:8:

Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report,if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things. (NKJV)

May the God of all comfort give you peace.

Seriously, Christians... "Let not your heart be troubled."

What's Your Calling?

And He said to me: "...you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel." (Isaiah 3:5)

Ezekiel has long been one of my favorite books of the Bible. I love God's call on Ezekiel's life - the fact that he was sent not to an unknown or unfamiliar people, but to his people, the "house of Israel"... the children of God.

Today, the American Church places so much emphasis on "foreign missions," on reaching people in Africa or India or Indonesia that we forget our neighbors next door need Jesus just as much as anyone else!

While everyone is called to share a testimony of Jesus, not everyone is called to do so with people of "unfamiliar speech." Some of us, myself included, are also called to share with the children of God... the Church.

What's your calling? Don't think because you haven't felt God's pull to the mission field or the pulpit that you don't have one! You do. Ask the Lord to direct you as He directed Ezekiel - to those He wants you to share His word with today.

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking

My niece shared this with me today. I've never seen it before but thought it was so appropriate! If you know who wrote it, I'd love to give them credit. This is a message every adult should read because children are watching us and doing as we do, not as we say.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend influences the life of a child.

How will you touch the life of someone today?

Share this post with someone else. You might make them think about their influence on others.

When Did Atheism Become a Religion?

I was surfing the Net considering what to blog about today, looking at options, when I came across a Christian blog post that talked about increasing blog traffic. It suggested signing up with Blog Toplist. So I clicked on the link which took me to the religion section of this site. Below the religious news sites, a few Islamic sites, and a couple of New Age sites, there were several atheist sites. When did atheism become a religion?

To my understanding, atheism is the lack of belief in God, so how can we call that a religion? Wouldn't it be a non-religion or an anti-religion?

The world is changing too much to suit me. Maybe I'm just getting old.

Tough Times?

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post from my husband and fellow Pastor, Greg Bishop.

The economy looks bad. The cost of almost everything has absolutely soared. Morals in most circles have broken down. Our government doesn't seem to know what direction they're going in. The financial system has gone haywire. On and on it goes.

But if we think we have it bad, just consider this... there are people all over the world who would love to have just one pair of our shoes!

That idea doesn't take away from our struggles. But it should make us think and realize that we're in a country where we have the opportunity to work our way out of most tough situations.

Christians: The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11, "I have learned in whatever state I am to be content." (NKJV)

And please remember when you get to thinking things are too tough that God is on our side. He gives us a promise that I have clung to for years, and maybe you'll want to claim it for yourself.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1Corinthians 10:13)

What a wonderful God we serve!

Plain Speech

I think I'm becoming an activist in my old(er) age. When I was younger, I never cared much about what was going on around me, and I certainly never felt the need to get involved in correcting wrongs and helping others to think clearly. Maybe that was in my pre-Christian days, 100 or so years ago.

But I've certainly changed.

Today, I'm so concerned about the direction America is going that I'm involved in a local Meetup group that grew out of response to Glen Beck's 912 Project.

And today I'm so concerned about the direction the Church is going that I've been researching (and will be reporting) what the Emergent church movement is doing.

I've certainly changed. But I believe it's change for the good.

Jesus was very outspoken about what He knew to be truth. He was actually very outspoken, period. Always in a loving way, but outspoken nonetheless. And I want to be like Jesus. Not offensive, but not afraid to speak the truth in love.

Be prepared for more plain speech coming from this blog. As I said, I've been studying the Emergent and emerging church. There will be more info on that as I know more and can share.

Until then, I encourage your comments and feelings on both of these matters - the state of our country and the state of the Church. And I covet your prayers as I lend you mine. We need to stand strong right now. The days are getting short and our Lord will return soon. Will He find us faithful?

Bend in the Road

When we feel we have nothing left to give
and we are sure that the song has ended.
When our day seems over
and the shadows fall
and the darkness of night has descended.
Where can we go to find the strength
to valiantly keep on trying
Where can we find the hand that will dry
the tears that the heart is crying.

There's but one place to go
and that is to God
and dropping all pretense and pride.
We can pour out our problems
without restraint
and gain strength with Him at our side.
And together we stand at life's crossroads
and view what we think is the end.

But God has a much bigger vision
and He tells us it's only a bend.
For the road goes on and is smoother
and the pause in the song is a rest.
And the part that's unsung and unfinished
is the sweetest and richest and best

So rest and relax and grow stronger
let go and let God share your load.
Your work is not finished or ended
you've just come to a bend in the road.

by Helen Steiner Rice

Are You Growing?

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post from my husband and fellow Pastor, Greg Bishop.

Years ago I had a friend whose wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They were so proud of their first born child. They watched their daughter as she progressed past the first several weeks of life. She was growing more beautiful as the days and weeks and months passed.

But after a year, this beautiful baby girl seemed to quit growing. They had made sure she had all her normal check-ups and the doctor had said she seemed to be doing fine.

On the next office visit the doctor said, "She'll be okay. Just give her more time."

More visits more of the same -- "give her more time."

My friends were so frightened by the time their daughter was three that they demanded that a specialist be called in. It just wasn't natural that a child would be the same size at three years of age as she had been at one.

The specialist found my friend's daughter had a chemical deficiency in her blood. It was corrected by giving her a regular dose of medicine on a regular basis. The last time I saw her, she was a healthy, normal young girl.

Christians, are we growing?

We should be! To do so, we need the right "medicine."

May I recommend a dose of scripture on a daily basis? A daily devotional book will help (just make sure it lines up with the bible). The pastor who led me to The Lord told me when I first met Jesus, "No one can stay the same. You either move forward or you fall behind."

May I add that if we're not growing, there is a deficiency in our lives. And where there is a lack of spiritual growth the devil has an opening to attack us.

Please... grow in grace and read the Word! The scripture tells us in James 4:7 "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (NASB)

Wonderful medicine to grow on, don't you agree?

The Awareness of His Presence

David Wilkerson, in his daily email devotional, said today, "I have come to believe that my most important prayers are those quiet whispers of thanksgiving that I offer to him all through the day. This keeps me in the awareness of his presence."

Are you suffering with fear and anxiety over the economic crisis? Are you worried about losing your job, your home, your spouse? Have you faced the loss of a loved one recently or know because of critical illness that you will soon?

Whatever the trials of life you're dealing with now, know that you can have peace when you practice the awareness of the presence of Jesus!

It's not that Jesus isn't with us all the time. He is. God is omnipresent - everywhere all the time. It's just that at times we aren't aware of His presence. We don't sense it or feel it.

But by praying continually and focusing more on Him, we can be aware of His presence through every moment of every day. And what a blessing that is!

Seek out the Lord today. Praise Him for all the little things He has done and is doing in your life. And you'll be blessed by the awareness of the presence of the one and only God of the Universe. What could be better than that?

Bearing What We Need to Hear

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post by Rev. Neal Stover, Pastor of South Haven Church of the Nazarene, and my "Spiritual Father" and friend.

I still have many things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now. (John 16:12)

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

Learning what we need to know is a gradual process.

At the present time, none of us can say that we've received all of the truth that the Lord has to impart.

That is why serious study of the Scriptures should be a part of our daily activity. Each day, we need to be adding a little to our storehouse of knowledge.

But coming to a full understanding of God's will involves more than study. Many things that we come across in our study will not "sink in" because we're not yet ready to hear them.

Perhaps we've not experienced the things in life that would allow us to see the real significance of what the Lord is saying.

Perhaps we don't have the desire for obedience that would let us recognize the truth of particular passages.

Or perhaps our study habits are not mature enough for us to penetrate the meaning of certain texts.

There may be many reasons, but the bottom line is that we don't always "hear" what God's word is saying to us.

To His apostles, Jesus said, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now."

These things would be made available to them later on, when they were more ready to receive them.

This illustrates the fact that God is patient with those who are trying to learn.

If we honestly want to do His will, He will see that we have the time and opportunity to learn. He will not ask us to understand more than we're able to receive at the present time.

But therein lies the problem. Often, it is not our lack of ability but our lack of willingness to hear.

As the Jewish proverb puts it, "The truth is not always what we want to hear." And even when the problem is a lack of ability, that lack of ability may be the result of neglect on our part. If we've not made growth in obedience a priority, it should come as no surprise that our understanding is immature and undeveloped.

And if this is the case, we need to repent. We need to set ourselves the goal of greater obedience.

Lord, give me the strength to bear the full impact of the truth as it applies to me. Help me, for the sake of Your glory, to be willing to hear whatever I need to hear. Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.

We are the vessels, the containers, so that the first work
after the new birth is to cultivate the habit of receptivity.
...Norman Grubb

Pastor Neal Stover
South Haven Nazarene

Back on Track

I feel so smart when I do the right thing. Today is a smart day. Let me explain...

In October 2008, I found out I have Type II diabetes. It was a surprise but not a shock since both my parents were diabetic before they died. In fact, both of their deaths were partially attributed to complications from diabetes - a fact which made me truly angry with both of them at the time of their deaths about a year and a half apart.

As such, when I first learned of my diabetes, I got serious about tracking my food intake, monitoring my blood glucose, exercising regularly, losing weight, and reading and learning all I could about diabetes. I felt like if I didn't control this thing, I'd be the biggest hypocrite that ever walked. So I worked hard at it.

Then I began to "cheat" a little. I quit monitoring my blood after meals. I quit exercising as often. I started eating things I knew I shouldn't eat. And because of it, I've gained a little weight back, I've been having frequent headaches, and I haven't had any energy. When my glucose for the last two days registered 138 and 143, I realized that it's time to get back on track.

Have you ever felt that way with your spiritual life? Maybe you started out as a strong disciple - reading your Bible, praying often, refraining from things you didn't need to be involved in, doing what would please the Lord.

Then gradually, you began to watch things on TV you shouldn't watch, or read things you didn't need to be reading, or hang out with people you knew were a bad influence for you. One day you woke up and said... Whoa. I need to get back on track.

I pray that - if you've begun to "cheat" a little in your Christian walk, you will wake up to the truth that you need to get back on track with Jesus.

Just as my need to monitor my diabetes will never lessen, neither will your need for Him. You (and I!) need Jesus just as much today as we did the very first day we met Him. And all we have to do is ask Him and He'll help us get back on track immediately.

Today, I feel smart because I ate oatmeal and a banana for breakfast. That always fills me up and helps me stay on track with my eating plan. And I'll be monitoring my glucose after lunch, just as soon as I ride my bike for 30 minutes. By God's grace, I am back on track. I hope you are, too.

Are You Ready?

Yesterday, I learned of the death of a friend from my former pastorate in Veedersburg, Indiana. John Rahm was a sweetheart who would literally give you the shirt off his back. He loved to laugh and tease his pastor, but he also refused to let me get even a cup of coffee for myself if he knew I wanted one. He was a treasure to be around and will be missed by many.

Coming face-to-face with death always makes me examine my heart. Am I ready to die? Am I convinced that when I do die, I'm going to Heaven to be with Jesus?

My answer is an unequivocal YES! I am ready to die. Not that I'm trying to rush it. It's like the guy who said, I'm ready, but I'm not trying to get a load up to go today. ;o) But being ready is knowing without a doubt that I'll be with Jesus when I die. And I have that assurance.

2 Corinthians 5:8 says in speaking of Christian believers that to "be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord." I believe that to be absolute truth. I'm just waiting on the Lord's timing to take me Home. There's still work to be done here. Still souls to be saved. Still loved ones and friends to encourage.

But when my time does come, I have no doubt at all that I'll be ready. Can you say the same?

Jesus Said...

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post from my husband and fellow Pastor, Greg Bishop.

And Jesus said, "Come unto me all ye that... are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

How many times have we complained about our load being too heavy? I know I have many times. It’s the natural thing to do. It’s the human thing to do.

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us. This seems like more than natural, and more than human, this seems like it would be Supernatural! And it is.

Jesus knows our weaknesses, He knows our limits, and He knows our needs. Most of the time we, in our humanness, think we have to solve our problems all by ourselves, but it just doesn’t work that way. As Christians, we just need to get out of the way and let the Lord work. We need to give Him our burdens, our cares, our worries, our fears... and trust Him to take care of them.

Is it easy? By no means! But it's crucial to a right relationship with Him.

Church Bloopers - Just for Fun!

We've all seen church bulletin or Powerpoint bloopers that make us chuckle. These have been compiled from various sources - email, online and even our own bulletins!

22 members were present at the church meeting held at the home of Mrs. Marsha Crutchfield last evening. Mrs. Crutchfield and Mrs. Rankin sang a duet, The Lord Knows Why.

Don’t let worry kill you - let the church help.

Due to the Rector's illness, Wednesday's healing services will be discontinued until further notice.

During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit.

Evening massage - 6 p.m.

Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please use the back door.

Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

The Pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning.

The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience.

The audience is asked to remain seated until the end of the recession.

The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

The music for today's service was all composed by George Friedrich Handel in celebration of the 300th anniversary of his birth.

The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.

The pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy."

The third verse of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.

This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

Thursday Night: Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow

Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

Have any to add? Leave a comment!

Escaping “Little Box” Mentality

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post by Krista Dunk, Co-Founder of Koinonia Business Women, twitterer and blogger.

As Christian business owners, we need to both mature, personally, and gain business skills based on the wisdom of God. That process certainly has had its ups and downs, victories and lessons! It will require gaining and escaping certain things, such as traits and mind-sets. One mind-set that holds many business owners and managers back is “little box” mentality. Most of us have a little box where we think all our resources live – all of our skills, abilities, knowledge, finances, opportunities, personality traits, future prospects, talents, etc. Although the little box can hold us back, it is comfortable and familiar. Sometimes we just can’t see beyond its boundaries.

Think about this:

• What limits have you (or others) placed on yourself?
• What limitations do you associate with yourself?
• Which part of who God says that you are, don’t you believe yet?
• Can you set goals without having every detail perfected first?
• Can you visualize an abundant future no matter what your present looks like?
• Can you brainstorm business ideas without limitation?
• Do you recognize resources that are not under your complete control?

Be conscious of whether or not you are placing limits on yourself. What you think you can do (skill sets, knowledge, success potential) is often rooted in your past. People tend to pull from their own ideas and experience about what is possible. How about tapping into what God says is possible!

I’m not assuming to say that you can go out and perform brain surgery today, design a 10-page website or write the next #1 hit worship song. It’s true that no one is good at everything, nor are we supposed to be. Each of us has different talents, skills, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses to work with and that is exactly how God designed us.

Let’s move the box out even a bit further with this next thought...

As a Christian, you are part of the Body of Christ. Romans 12:4-5 says, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

The Body of believers makes up God’s “church," not a building with four walls. Since you are a part of the Body that is working together, what strengths can you draw upon from the other “members”? You have power to rely on from the rest of the Body!

Let your mind explore that thought for a while and understand the resources available within the Body.

Other people have knowledge when you need ideas. Others have strength when you feel week. Others have found a way out of your same situation before when you are feeling stuck. Others have services and businesses that can assist yours. Others will offer referrals and networking when you have a dry spell. You don’t need to pull from your own ideas (your little box) about what is possible! God doesn’t have any box. In fact, His Word says that “with God, all things are possible”. Take the limits off and bust through that little box mentality! You have Kingdom resources available to you today!

Miracle Online Healing

A few years back, Greg had been complaining of chest pains for several weeks. He kept trying to brush off his concern, taking antacids to eliminate the symptoms. But we were concerned.

Greg's family has a strong history of heart disease. His dad died of a heart attack at age 53, a brother of one at 49, a sister of one in her mid-50's I believe, and four other siblings had suffered some kind of heart-related problems requiring medication or surgery.

Finally, one night when the pain became severe, I insisted he have it checked out. Within minutes we had arrived at the emergency room of our local hospital and were waiting for a doctor to examine him.

Thankfully, they told us his heart looked fine, but they diagnosed him with gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD, or acid reflux. Acid reflux is a condition where the stomach contents "reflux" (return) back to the esophagus causing inflammation that can - in the worst cases - damage the esophageal lining, and in the least cause extreme discomfort. The chest pains Greg experienced, which felt like they could be a heart attack, are a common symptom of GERD. The ER physician prescribed antacids and sent us home with instructions to visit our family doctor as soon as possible.

The next morning, we called Dr. England's office for an appointment. As soon as the doctor heard Greg's symptoms, he agreed that he was suffering from GERD and prescribed Prilosec, which at that time was the only medicine available to treat this condition. It seemed a miracle cure.

The chest pains were immediately gone, Greg was able to eat most anything again without undue problems, and we were thrilled that the illness was so easy to treat.

Fast forward five years...

Greg, who is an upholsterer, began having terrible pains in both arms. He managed the pain with Ibuprofen for awhile, but when that started to lose its effectiveness, back to the doctor he went.

This time Dr. England prescribed a prescription anti-inflammatory, but Greg couldn't take it without getting sick, even when he ate a full meal. He switched back to Ibuprofen, but the relief didn't last long enough. He'd be okay for a couple hours after taking a dose, but then the pain would return. We were afraid of the side effects to his stomach since Ibuprofen is known to cause ulcers if used in excess. The doctor ordered x-rays and other tests which revealed nothing unusual. Each time Greg saw him, Dr. England suggested that it could be Greg's work causing the problem. We didn't know what to do since he couldn't quit working.

Meanwhile, the pain in his arms had become so bad that he couldn't even lift his arms over his head. He said it felt as if he had two-hundred pound bags strapped to his arms. The only relief he found came when he was sitting in his recliner in our living room, letting his arms lay limp in his lap. He couldn't do anything without tremendous pain. His arms were virtually useless.

We began to worry that Greg would have to change his line of work. For a 50 plus year-old man, that possibility was terribly frightening. What kind of career change could he make at his age? Who would want to hire him? Along with the pain itself, the stress was becoming increasingly unbearable.

As people of faith, Greg and I had been praying for God to heal his pain. But we then began to pray earnestly that God would reveal a solution to us as to what the underlying cause of the pain was. We needed to know why he was experiencing this pain so we could learn how to eliminate it!

One day I felt a strong urge to look up Prilosec on the Internet. By this time, Greg had been taking the drug nearly six years. I wondered if maybe there was some kind of side effect that could be causing him problems.

Sure enough, on one of the medical sites describing the drug, I found a list of rare side effects. I was shocked to see that it included severe pain in the arms or legs! I called Greg at work.

"You need to stop taking Prilosec immediately!" I told him. Of course, he wanted to know why. The drug had been such a tremendous help in treating his reflux.

I explained what I'd found and printed off some information for him to read when he got home. By that time I was becoming convinced that this could be the solution we'd sought. That night, after reading several pages I'd printed from the 'Net, Greg agreed it was worth a try. He skipped his dosage the next day, and he's never taken another dose of that particular "purple pill" since.

Within two days, the pain had lessened. He could move his arms without hurting and the feeling of carrying around heavy weights began to reside. Within two weeks, Greg was completely healed... No More Pain! We were thrilled, to say the least!

We thank God for directing us to this solution and we know that the Internet is what made finding our answer accessible. Without it, we might never have discovered this little known side effect that even our doctor was unaware of.

The Friend of Sinners

What a thought that Jesus is the "friend of sinners"! To think that the Creator God of the entire universe would choose to befriend a sinner... a liar, or adulterer, or murderer. The One Who was without sin chose to befriend the one so lost in sin she couldn't find her way home.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God according to Romans 3:23. But Jesus came to change that! He came that we might live apart from sin, that we might be freed from the bondage and chains of sin - of addiction to sin, of the compulsion to sin - of sin itself, in all its ugliness.

He - Jesus - came to give us free, abundant life without sin. What a thought... what a Savior!

Are You Listening?

NOTE: Enjoy this guest post from my husband and fellow Pastor, Greg Bishop.

The scripture says in Matthew 11:15, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Why do we sometimes feel that we never hear from God?

Let's just explore this question for a minute... Could it be that we're just too busy?

Could it be that we get so caught up in the daily grind that we don't take time out to give God a chance to reach us?

Are we so tired at the end of the day that we have forgotten who gave us this day?

At one time or another I believe we're all guilty of this. How many times have we waited until bedtime, pulled the covers down, crawled in, covered up and started our prayer, "Lord thank you for keeping me today... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" Then we're not aware of anything until morning.

Listen, God is speaking.

Give Him the best part of your day. Make an earnest effort to talk to the Lord as soon as your eyes open. And then before you start your busy day, go to Him in prayer, speaking what's on your mind and allowing Him to talk to you.

You'll be amazed, if you keep this routine up, what a change you will see, or should I say hear, in the way God makes His presence known to you.

I challenge you to give God your most alert time, whatever time of the day that might be, then listen. He will speak to you through His word and His people and countless other sources. Sometimes our spirit hears a lot better than our physical ears do. But we must not ignore the fact that God gave us our physical ears to hear with. We are affected by what those amazing ears hear.

Three Ways to Reach Out in Love

I'm a big fan of Servant Evangelism - both the concept and the website. If you've never visited there, I encourage you to do so! There are literally thousands of small, inexpensive ways to show the world you care because Jesus cares and to do it with flair. So I'll be sharing a few occasionally as they come to mind.

Here are three to get you started:

Use your computer and printer to create business cards with scriptures, Christian graphics, etc. and your contact information on the back if you want. Attach these to:

• A mint with the saying "God's Love is Mint for You" or "I Mint for You to Know Jesus Loves You!"

• An inexpensive kitchen sponge into small pieces with the saying "Soak up God's Love."

• A stick of gum with the saying "Choose [chews] Jesus" or "Jesus will Stick to You for Life!"

Have other ideas? I'd love to hear them!