Good News
from Bob Pickering
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A resource you may want to try is Search the Bible at Crosswalk.com.
Good News
from Bob Pickering
Subscribe to Good News
June 29, 2008, The Valley
“Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for you are with me.
(Psalm 23:4)
Several of our “Good News” group are either experiencing life threatening illnesses or have a close person nearing an end of life experience. There is pancreatic, liver, bone lung and other cancers along with strokes and heart attacks. Sometimes we need to deal with these through spirituality. Recovery from surgery is a tough mental and physical battle that frequently ends in the deepening of spirituality. Healing physically is something we all are used to; our bumps and bruises over the years, minor cuts, all go away in time. It is easy not to recognize the miracle of God with the minor problems. However, when a big one comes, it is equally easy to ask "Where are you God?" or "Why are you doing this to me?" It is easy to lose sight of what matters when facing a life threatening event. Often, we are caught up in the analysis of the doctor’s skills and the various treatment options and where is the best place to go for help. Yes, let's get technical and analytical to make darn sure that the doctor can take care of us. Let's make sure we go to a hospital with the latest equipment. But somehow, let's not forget God in the process. In 1998 when I had cancer, my impatience and out rite fear chased me into the hospital in only three weeks, no analysis or wait and see. Just my typical impulsive, "Just do it" (thanks Nike). As many of you know, somehow, I threw it over to HIM with reckless abandon. That brings to mind the last line of the Psalm 23, “Surely goodness and love will follow, all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” It has been ten years and the Lord and physicians came through for myself and my family. We need to remember Him during times of fear and illness.
Thought for the Week: Let us focus on the unfortunates around us that are ill and keep the 23rd Psalm in mind. Let us see if we can contribute to helping in some way.
Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, many of our friends have health issues. Some are minor, some serious and some fatal. We pray that we may find a way to assist, help and calm their fears as they walk through their valley. May we help by following your guidance through prayer. Amen
Everyone Is a Minister of the Gospel
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, So that they may see your acts of kindness And give glory to your God.”
(Matthew 5:16)
This week is a re-framing or summary of a sermon from last week by a retiring Pastor, Duane Salness, with his knowledge and permission. Duane came to our church a year ago and made a major impact on my life as well as the congregation of the Spirit of Hope UMC. The following impressed me so I am summarizing it for you.
The young daughter was watching television in the family room while her mother was sorting mail at the dining room table. She heard her daughter yell:” I want Jesus, Jesus! I waant Jesus!” Pleased that Sunday school was having an impact on her daughter, she went back to the family room and asked: “What do you mean you ‘want Jesus’?” The daughter gave her mother a confused look, and said: “Cheez-its! I said ‘Cheez-its.’ I want Cheez-its!” The mother thought to herself: how easy it is to misunderstand, how easy to be confused, even about something as simple as Cheez-its!”
Sometimes pastors and preachers of the Gospel are saying “Church” and folks in the pew are hearing “Country Club.”
The disciples were to:
Jesus tutored his disciples: three years of nurturing and instructing them…by his own example. Now they were to become teachers and “doers” of what Jesus taught them. The instruction Jesus gave them was extensive, as detailed in our Gospel reading from Matthew.
And, finally,
Well, there we have it: a job description for disciples. Be selective… compassionate…confident…cautious and resourceful…trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us.
Thought for the Week: This week we will be out in public; sometimes working, sometimes socializing, with family colleagues and by ourselves (but not alone!). Let us ponder Pastor Duane’s job description as we go through the week. Let us all be ministers of the Gospel.
Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, we pray to give thanks for our spiritual leaders; those that demonstrate to us and lead us to do your will here on earth. This week we specifically pray for the ability to carry forth your work as we proceed in our earthly activities and daily routines. We pray that we are good ministers. Amen
“All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”
(Proverbs 15 :15)
This is not to say that we laugh at the expense of others. Rather we have an obligation to look at the more humorous side of life.
“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply
and how good is a timely word!”
(Proverbs 15:23)
“An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.”
(Proverbs 12:25)
Somehow when we grew up, many of us looked at religion as “God fearing” and the Bible as a set of rules. With that in mind, how do we interpret these passages? We are clearly being told to relax, keep it light and enjoy while demonstrating to others how to do the same.
In life we need to deal with the negative forces. Today we are dealing with increasing costs of basic living. Our society is in a state of change. Our attitudes and actions as Christians need to be clear. We need to deal with the issues as best we can and demonstrate to the world that we can change and stay happy along the way through Christ Jesus.
Thought for the Week: This week let us all be happy- not by being busy but by taking time to smell the spring flowers. Let us demonstrate to those around us that as Christians we have something that keeps us at peace in times of stress.
Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father this week our world has some issues. There are floods, tornadoes and financial issues that seem to dominate the news. This week we pray for those areas and people around the world that are affected by natural disasters and give thanks to those people who have the ability and opportunity to help. We pray that we can help to bring normalcy back the lives of the victims.
Amen
June 3, 2008, Ministers
“You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)
My pastor says that we are all ministers in some way. Is that true? I believe that it is a fact that most of us want to keep under our hats. Perhaps the term closet minister applies to many of us. We help, we lead by example we attend services to learn more and we silently minister to those around us. Often, we do not know when we are leading. In any Sunday congregation there are takers and givers. Some percentage is there suffering a hurt, an illness and are looking to take something from the service. Others are there to sing, learn from a class, to teach or just to have some special time. The important thing is that we are all there.
Silent ministries occur in many ways. Twenty odd years ago, a young single couple was acting in a very special way. Holding hands, whispering in each other's ears and an occasional peck on the cheek. My personal thoughts were that they were inappropriate. The pastor announced their pending wedding during that service. After the service, a good friend of mine mentioned how neat he thought they were and that he wished he and his wife still had that level of enthusiasm for each other. My mind crossed over and today I think that couple, without intent, set an example for older couples. They were ministers. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds..".
Thought for The Week: This week let us be thankful for those around us. Be at peace and demonstrate our passion and love to others. Spring flowers have burst into color, warm weather makes us feel great, so let's utilize our Spring spirit to demonstrate our faith. Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, you have blessed us with many friends. We are surrounded and can not avoid them. At work, on the streets and at home we are blessed. This week we want to pray for them all and especially pray that they recognize the beauty of Christian friendship.
May 31, 2008, Looking Forward
12 “Not that I have already obtained all this,
or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me …” (Philippians 3:12-14)
Keeping your eye on the prize, the good life and focusing on the positive events and memories is life’s biggest challenge. A long term marriage, career or presence in any group (specifically a church family) is in my mind, the toughest challenge placed before us by the Lord. However, to do what He asks is to stick it out, focus on the positive experiences and learn from the negatives.
Recently three close families that are friends of mine have experienced marital stress after over twenty years. There are always marriage dissolutions in the paper after long standing relationships; often empty nesters. In any long term relationship, it is easy to remember bad times and save them as resentments and when we reach a certain level of resentments; we forget to “…I press on toward the goal to win the prize...” I want to share with you that two of the above families actually split up for a while. They went to work and struggled with their relationships, worked on their resentments and over six to twelve months have reunited and are rediscovering their relationships. Observing this process is a blessing for me because when they refocus on the positive memories and look toward the prize, they grow closer and more grateful of each other— that is love.
Below are some excerpts from the book Becoming Soul Mates by Les and Leslie Parrott. “ Our friends introduced us to the “principal of reintroduction.” Simply put, this principal acknowledges that every day we change as individuals based on our experiences that day. …We disclose what’s going on in our lives and genuinely inquire about each others lives. …For no amount of reading the Bible or praying together genuinely builds our relationship if we haven’t bared our lives with each other…”
Thought for the Week: This week let us pray that we may become more open in our relationships- with our significant others, family and friends. Let us look at our resentments, possibly share them and resolve them so that we may “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me…”
May 26, 2008, Faith and Perseverance
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault,
and it will be given to him.”
(James1; 2-4 )
Faith seems to be a constant challenge to us. Yes, some times we need to understand where God is in our lives. We often doubt that He is with us, we challenge his input and even knowingly violate His rules and submit to temptation. Does this make us bad people? The answer is a resounding NO! As we look back at our lives we often see a trail of mistakes, moments or events that we would like to edit or replay. Surely we know that reliving life is not an option. But, feeling guilty or bad about these things can bring about a crises of faith, low self image and have a negative effect on our future. This is true at any age. However, as we work through our faults, we learn that life goes on. God eventually works his miracles in our lives. When we lack the wisdom he come s through for us.
Thought for the Week: When we are very busy, it is difficult to feel God’s presence in our lives. This week, let us all try to take time to understand appreciate His contributions. Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, life in this world is very tense. Terrorism and war threaten the peace and tranquility or the world. There are also great and positive things happening. Amongst all this we often have a problem understanding your message. Heavenly Father, we ask that you help us appreciate the good things and understand your will. Amen
From Gary Oliver:
“Are there prostitutes in your life? Hear me out before you answer, When most people think of a prostitute, they think of someone that sells his or her self for money. However, I prefer to think a prostitute can be a person, habit or activity that promises short term pleasure for a high price; that makes you forget the most important for the least important and increases your vulnerability. Let me ask the question a different way. Are there any thoughts, habits, possessions or activities in your life that are more important to you than God, that make you more vulnerable to compromise and sin. If so, giving in to that is like giving in to the careless kiss of a prostitute. In proverbs we are warned to stay as far away from these things as possible.” Ok folks, now that we have all realized that we have “prostitutes” in our lives, what do we do next. T is a simple answer. We need to look into our hearts and follow our instincts. Purity, ethics, commitments and standards begin in our hearts. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mathew 6:21)
Thought for the Week: Each week we need to be the best that we can be. This week we will make choices. Let us make them from our heart- in purity with ethics, commitments and high standards. WWJD!
“In the bulb there is a flower,
in the seed an apple tree;
in co-coons a hidden promise:
butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of Winter
there’s a Spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until it’s season,
something God alone can see.”
(Hymn of Promise, Vs1, Natalie Sleeth, 1986)
This is s glorious time of the year. The northern hemisphere goes into the transition to Summer. It is a time when the resolutions from new year are long since successful or forgotten. A time of vacation planning, garden planting and the anticipation of the beauty of the warm season. A time of hope led by the visible evidence of God’s presence around us. This is a time for reflection and review of our dark side. A review of the negative forces in our lives. This is Spring and we need to recover the “...hidden promise...” in our personal lives “... that God alone can see.” Through our faith and belief, our Lord will share with us the pleasures of life.
Thought for the Week: It is Spring. Let us take special notice of it’s wonders. Smell the flowers and enjoy the showers. Let us share these positive feelings with others and encourage positive feelings around us.
Prayer for the Week: This week we pray that the worlds religions may see You as one God. We pray that somehow through your divine guidance, killing, hate and violence may come to an end.
J.L. Glass has written a humorous article, titled “Five Ways to Have a Nervous Breakdown.” He lists the ways as follows:
1. Try to figure out the answer before the problem arises. “Most of the bridges we cross is never built, because they are unnecessary.” Matthew 6:34 says: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
2. Try to relive the past. As we trust Him for the future, we must trust him with the Past, and He can use the most checkered past imaginable for His good. Paul’s letter in Romans 8 verse 28 states “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
3. Try to avoid making decisions. Doing this is like deciding whether to let weeds grow in our garden: while we are deciding, they are growing. Decisions will be made while we are procrastinating. Choice is a man’s most godlike Characteristic.
4. Demand more of yourself than you can produce. Unrealistic demands result in beating our heads against stone walls. We do not change the walls. We just damage ourselves. Romans 12:3 says “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.”
. Believe everything Satan tells you. Jesus described Satan as the “father of lies” (John 8:44). But our Lord declared that his sheep follow Him because they “know his voice”(John 10:4). They have listened to it in His word.
Focus for the Week: During this week, let us focus on keeping the lessons Jesus taught us in our thoughts. Let us feel his presence in our daily lives so that we can keep our stress levels low.
Tim Hansel wrote the following regarding our present state.
“We are called to be faithful, not frantic. If we are to meet the challenges of today, there must be integrity between our words and our lives and more reliance on the source of our purpose. “Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.”
Almost Christianity reveals itself in feverish work, excessive hurry and exhaustion. I believe that the Enemy has done an effective job of convincing us that unless a person is worn to a frazzle, running here and there, he or she can not possibly be a dedicated, sacrificing, dedicated, spiritual Christian. Perhaps the seven deadly sins have created another member— Overwork!
We need to remember that our strength lies not in hurried efforts and ceaseless long hours, but in our quietness and confidence. The world says today— Enough is not enough. Christ answers softly— Enough is enough!
Thought for the Week: This week let us all slow down. If that is a problem may I suggest that you print this Good News and when you feel overloaded, take a break and read it again or discuss it with a friend. I am available at 612-859-1224 to help you slow down!
Thought For The Week: This week we will all have opportunities to be compassionate. We may be tired, short tempered or busy. However, let us focus on being compassionate.
Prayer for the Week: Heavenly father, we are caught up in a busy world. There is too little time and too many things to do. Pressures to make the fast decision, reaction or remark sometimes lead to a lack of compassion. Please, help us concentrate on your place in our lives. Help us be compassionate and forgiving in all of our activities. Amen.
