Stay Calm and Be Meek

  

Matthew 5:5  Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
 The next "upside Down" Beatitude is "Blessed are the meek" In today's society we think of meek as those who are wimps, weak, with no backbone. But the upside down reality of this is that Meekness" is actually a strength given by God that helps us handle the everyday problems of life and the big problems that we occasionally face, such as Corona Virus? 
   The "meek" are those who are humble, gentle, caring. It is disciplined strength that comes from God. It means NOT TO PANIC, Stay Calm and Trust the Lord. Know He is in control. It is self controlled, not by all the problems around us, but by the reality of God's Word and the Holy Spirit.
   STAY CALM and KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE LORD!!!
  a.  The "Meek" can stay calm when faced with irritating people who try to get under their skin.
  b. Even when they face the sickness or even death of a loved one - They Stay Calm.
  c. When faced with financial problems they can stay calm because they are trusting the Lord to provide.

Let's be perfectly clear: With all that is going on right now, we ALL have a certain amount of fear and uncertainty. We have no idea of what is really going to happen in the next few months. BUT THE MEEK, have their eyes on the Lord and not on the money or the virus. God is much bigger that any of this. HE HAS A PLAN. As they say, "GOD's GOT THIS!!!

Mourning turned to Blessing

Matthew 5:4    Blessed are those who mourn,  For they shall be comforted.

Bee Attitude #2: Blessed are they that mourn.  
These beatitudes have been called "upside Down" attitudes, especially this verse. Since the word, "Blessed" means happy and filled with inner peace and joy, how then can those who mourn possible be blessed?
The word, mourn is a very strong word which speaks of someone who is in deep sorrow and lament, who is grieving over someone or even something lost. It is not a quiet grieving, but loud wailing. Years ago I heard someone wail like that over losing a son to cancer. I will never, ever forget what that felt like.
There are many reasons to mourn:
1. When you lose a loved one, experiencing loss and heartache. Jesus Wept!!!!
2. Grieving over sin in your life, being sorrow for sin with a broken heart.
3. Grieving over a loved one who does not know the Lord.
4. Weeping with those who weep, feeling their pain and discomfort. You hurt for them and with them.
5. Weep with those who are going through rough waters and hard times.
6. Grieve over things lost: a marriage, a job, money, dignity, time, etc...

   Now the Good News and Promise. "They shall be comforted".                              We can know that Jesus understands and He is ready to comfort us with outstretched arms of love and caring. JESUS CARES!!! He is the only one who can really comfort our hearts and fill us with His peace and joy. He is the One who makes us "BLESSED".

Beattiude #1: Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  So do you want to be REALLY RICH and have so much that you have to share it with others. Jesus had the key to real riches. It is not money, property, possessions, but riches in Christ! It begins by having a "Poor Spirit".
  A "Poor Spirit" doesn't mean to have a bad attitude and be in a bad mood. We have ALL been there! It means to "crouch as a helpless beggar."  It is someone who lives in absolute poverty and totally dependent on his provider. It isn't so much financial poverty, but spiritual poverty, where we are totally dependent on God our provider. It is someone who knows that he cannot handle things by himself and cries out to God for help.  
A humble, POWERLESS spirit. It is admitting that "I Can't, but God can!" The poor spirit has a servants heart, putting others and God before himself. 
Here is an honest evaluation of ourselves with a "poor Spirit".
   1. Admit your strengths and your weaknesses. 
   2. Don't put on a false macho image - The Big ME attitude!
   3. You don't always have to have your own way - "My way or the highway!" attitude.
   4. Admit your need for God and for others to help you.
   5. Don't be concerned about what you have or don't have. Have a Servants heart attitude. It ALL belongs to God anyway!
   6. Be willing to share with others without making a big deal about it! Don't do something nice for someone and then let the whole word know what you did. 

 The BLESSING of a poor spirit: "Theirs is the kingdom of God".
   We have nothing in ourselves, but we have ALL the riches and Blessing of the kingdom of Heaven.  We are POOR in Spirit, but RICH in Christ. We have ALL that we need in Him. He is our all in all. Think of all that we do have if we  know Christ as our Savior: Christ as our Savior, an eternal home in Heaven, Part of the family of God, God's grace and strength, His love for us, etc... 
So you want to be rich - It starts with JESUS!!!!  

Upside Down Attitudes

    

 In Matthew 5 Jesus sits down with His 12 disciples on a mountain side and begins to teach them. Times were hard and difficult. Israel was under Roman Rule. They were hurting financially and were just discouraged and ready to give up. Jesus also knew that these 12 men and many others would go through times of persecution and hardships. Jesus goal was to prepare them for the Real World. He taught them how to have the right ATTITUDE in difficult times. The same is true with us. We need to have the right attitude during these difficult days.
   Each Beatitude begins with the word "Blessed", which means to be "happy and filled with inner joy and peace". It does not depend on outward circumstances, but on our relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the only one that can give us an attitude of peace, bliss and peace - NO MATTER what happened around us.
   These 8 short statements go totally against what everybody else is thinking and promoting. To the Jews these statements were shocking, backwards and upside down. Just plain radical and even offensive.
   What makes YOU Happy or Blessed today?
"If only I had ________ or could do _________, I would be happy. (You fill in the blanks.)
Most people would say if only I had more money, fame, a better job, better looks, a new car or bigger house, etc... 
If you really want to be "RICH" follow these radical, upside down radical Beatitudes. This is where the real "GOLD" is found - only in Jesus Christ. It is better than winning the lottery and the key to a Happy and Blessed life and attitudes.
      Are you ready to take on the UPSIDE DOWN Attitudes of our Lord?
    Take a minute or two and read Matthew 5:1-10 and Be Ready to get started being truly Happy and Blessed.

BEE Attitudes

 Matthew 5:1-2  
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.                             ² Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:


Matthew 5 - 7 are known as the "Sermon on the Mount". In Matthew 5:1 Jesus sees the multitude... Usually when He sees the crowds He takes time to share with them, heal their sick and simply teach them from God's Word, the Old Testament Bible.  But this time he ignores the crowd and takes His 12 men and disciples off to a quiet place on the mountain. His goal is not to teach to the crowd, but to to the men He was training to "take over the world", when He was gone.  These 12 men were men that Jesus has hand picked and He spent 3 1/2 years teaching them and preparing them to face the real world.The Sermon on the Mount was designed to teach them how to deal with people, struggles, problems and above how to live in this cruel world of ours.
That is exactly what God wants to do in our life. Take us aside and teach us one on one. Thinks of it "Just Jesus and Me!"
   Notice: #1: "He went up on a mountain". A quiet place Lately most of us have plenty of "quiet time". But are we using it to spend time at Jesus Feet and let Him teach us.
#2: "When He was seated": When teachers in the Bible taught, they did it sitting down. This was a position of personal intimacy. He was on the same level as His students and got their attention much better. They could identify with Him..
#3: "He opened His mouth and taught them..." What a picture of Jesus sitting down with His special men and simply teaching them What He is about to teach them will blow them away. They have never heard these truths explained in the way Jesus did. He showed then things that would change their lives for the rest of their lives.

Love in Action

Matthew 9:36   But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 
  It always amazes me how Jesus reacted to crowds when He was here on earth. There were many times that He had to simply get away from the crowds and be alone with His disciples or just alone with His Heavenly Father. It wasn't that He was trying to avoid them  or ignore them. He simply needed "down time",  or recharging time, just like the rest of us. 
Inevitably when ever he tried to go off by Himself, the crowds would follow Him and throng Him that much more to teach them or to heal their sick. Jesus could have turned them away and said "Get out of here! Leave us alone." But that was not like Jesus. 
   Matthew 9:36 that when Jesus "SAW" the multitudes..."  Saw - not just see with your eyes, but see with your heart and soul. He SAW then out of love and compassion. 
The second part of that says that He was "MOVED WITH COMPASSION..." It is one thing to have compassion for someone and care about them. It is something else to put that compassion into action, to be MOVED with compassion. To back up our love for people by giving of our self and doing something. Put our love in action! 
   So during this "social Distancing" how can we put our love into action. Maybe we can pick up the phone and call someone, write a note to someone on Facebook or email. Pray for them and then tell them that you prayed for them.  Let the Lord lead you this week in how you can put your love into action.

Quiet Please

   Matthew 13:1 is a simple, but very important verse. Jesus had been busy all day, healing people casting out demons, teaching and much more. He was physically and emotionally drained. So what does He do. "Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea..." There were several times that Jesus just needed down time by Himself and His Heavenly Father. He needed to recharge His spiritual batteries.
   Just think, if Jesus, the Son of God, God in the flesh, needed quiet time, how much more do we need it. At least once a week I will take a trip to take a few photos or take a walk in the woods by myself. My goal is to be alone with God for a period of time so I can get my thoughts and heart in right perspective. Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right! as the old song says. None of us can handle all that is going on right now by ourselves. We need that time with the Lord to talk it over and share with Him what is on our mind and heart.

Victory in Jesus

In Psalms 3 David shares 7 characteristics of His God:
   1. God is a shield,
   2. God is my Glory
   3. God is the Lifter up of my head
   4. God is a Listener
   5. God is a Calmer of my Spirit
   6. God is our Protector

#7: Finally David declares that God is my Savior.
  a. He knew that God would eventually deliver him from this crises and he would be restored as King of Israel. (That did happen and his son Absalom died in battle.) By the way when David's son died he mourned for many days. He still loved his son dearly. That is Godly love.
The word for Salvation is "VICTORY". This was David's battle cry, "Salvation (or Victory) belongs to the Lord. David does not give glory to his men or to his skills or power as a king - BUT VICTORY BELONGS TO THE LORD!!! God was the deliverer!
   b. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Eternal Life in Christ, because of Jesus dying on the Cross for our sins and then rising form the dead 3 days later. He is a Risen Savior! Again, we don't get the credit or glory. We did NOTHING, but trust in Jesus and receive His free gift of eternal life. If you haven't done that right now is a great time to do it.
   You may know the words to the song at the top of the page. Take time to read it and even sing it if you know it. If you don't look it up on YouTube and sing along.

God's Protection

 Psalms 3:6  

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people  
who have set themselves against me all around.

Even though David was a very popular king, he had a lot of enemies, who wanted to do him harm and even kill him. As David was fleeing from his son who had run him out of town, he had a lot to fear. He was never really safe!  In Psalms 3:6 David says that he was not afraid of ten thousands of people. The word "Thousands" is actually "Myriads" or as we would put it "MILLIONS". Even with the odds of one million to one - David was not afraid. 
  David says with confidence, "I WILL NOT BE AFRAID!!!!!!" He wasn't going to let fear take over his life and heart. 
   How about us. Even though everything may seem to be against us and there seems to be a lot to be afraid of, can we say with confidence, "I WILL NOT BE AFRAID!!!" That is not self confidence, but God confidence. No matter how big a fear may be - GOD IS BIGGER!!! 
  Notice in verse 7 what David says God has done to his enemies:  
"You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;  
  You have broken the teeth of the ungodly." 
 Imagine a roaring lion running toward you and yet all his teeth have been broken out. He is powerless! All he could do is gum you. His roar is worse than his bite! 
   Let's be like David and say with confidence, "I WILL NOT BE AFRAID" God has already taken care of the situation. He is in control. 

Wide Awake!!!

   All of us have had times in the middle of the night when we wake up and our mind begins to wander and all of a sudden we are filled with fear and we just can't get back to sleep!!! What really gets me is when I sit in my chair in front of the TV and I can't stay awake. Then as soon as I get into bed, I lay there wide awake.  
   What keeps you awake? Is it fear of Corvid-19? Are you worried about losing our job or going broke in the midst of all of this. How are we going to make ends meet? Are you upset with others who don't agree with your point of view about all of this? Are you worried about your fellow workers or even your family? What keeps YOU awake???
   Psalms 3 tells of David during the one of the worse times in his life. His own son, whom he loved, took aver his kingdom and kicked him our of the palace and the city of Jerusalem. David had a broken heart. The amazing thing is that David NEVER BLAMED GOD! He knew God was in control and had a plan for David, his men and his family.
   Psalms 3:5 is one of the most amazing verses that David ever wrote: It blows me away!!!
   I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
       How in the world could David, after all he had gone through, lay down that night and sleep? 
I would be pacing the floors, angry and upset and mad at the world!!! Maybe that is how you feel right now?  Instead David had a calm, peaceful spirit that night. He wasn't worried, because His God was in control. 
   David said that he could sleep because the Lord sustained me. Sustained means to be kept safe and secure, guarded by a Holy Powerful God who never sleeps or slumbers. He has His hand and His eye on you. It also means to "PROP" up. "To Bear up" and "keep from falling or from sinking!" David and us are in Good Hands with God! 
   So when you can't sleep try:
   1. Praying, not for you but for others. Get your mind and heart off yourself.
   2. Put the headsets on and listen to a Gospel song that will encourage you. (Oh, No! He won't let Go" is a great song to play.
   3. Remember that God is there for you and HE IS AWAKE, so you don't have to. It is His turn to guard the fort and your turn to get some sleep! He will bear you up and keep you from sinking! 

Can You Hear Me Now???

Psalm 3:4 - 5: I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

⁵ I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

 Many of you may remember the cell phone commercials that asked the age old questions, "Can you her me, Can you her me now?" Have you ever poured out your soul to someone hoping that they at least were listening. Half way through the conversation you look at them and they are playing on their cell phone and not paying attention. "Huh, what were you saying?" Most of the time when someone is talking to us, instead of listening, we are waiting to put our 2 cents worth in. We have some great story that will answer all their questions.

  In Psalms 3 when David "cried" to the Lord with his voice, it says that the Lord heard me from His holy hill." The word "cried" means with a thundering voice, yelling repeatedly, praying out loud. God can read our thoughts, but it is much better to talk to God out loud.
   David was encouraged not only that he could cry out to God, but more than that God HEARD HIM!!! God listens to us - REALLY LISTENS!!! He pays attention and He CARES!!! Whether it is something small, like some small hurt, or something big, like the death of a loved one or real fears that you may have, God listens and He hears!!!
   You may remember the old song,
"What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! 
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! 
O what peace we forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, 
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

God: My Glory!!!

    In Psalms 3 David mentions 7 amazing facts about his God. He did this on probably the most discouraging day of his life. Instead of focusing on his problems, David focuses his attention to the God he loved.
   #1 Amazing Fact: God is a shield for me.
   #2 Amazing Fact: God you are my glory.
   The word "glory" is the same as "Worship". It means to adore and praise. David's "glory" was not in who he was or in the fact that he was king of Israel. He gloried in his God alone. What do we "glory" in? What is important to us and gives us fulfillment? Family, friends, $$$, job, house, toys, girl or boy friend. These things are important, but God is of much more value than all these things combined. David gloried in his God!
   #3 Amazing Fact: The lifter up of my head..." The day he wrote this he was going up a hill with his head hanging down in shame and discouragement. He knew that the day would come that God would lift up his head. He could hold his head up high and walk in confidence knowing that God was by his side. He knew that God was in control and that God had a plan. He also knew and had faith that God would lift up his head again as king. God would restore him as the rightful king of Israel.
    Right now, maybe your head is hanging down because you are discouraged or afraid. Be assured that God is the lifter up of our head. Our confidence is in Him!

   Go ahead and read Psalm 3 again. Underline or write down thinks God encourages you with. Then talk to God about it. Remember: BE REAL!!!

God is our Shield

 Psalms 3:3 
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

When King David was going through one of the hardest times in his life, instead of being full of self pity and feeling sorry for himself, he turned his eyes on the Lord his God. He begins to think about how great his God was and how God had taken care of him in the past and will now. In these verses he lists 7 amazing things about his God. 
1. A SHIELD for me... David had fought many battles in his life. He was well acquainted with the shield or buckler. It probably saved his life time and time again when the enemy was shooting arrows and spears at him or coming at him with their sword. Many shields were as tall as the soldier and surrounded his body on all sides, except his back. What ever way he turned the shield would protect him. What a wonderful picture of our God. No matter which way we turn, God is there for us. He has us surrounded and he even has our back. Psalm 139:5 says, "You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me." God has us "hedged in" like a shield, protecting us and watching over us. Where ever we turn God has His hand upon us. 
Someone has said:  
                   "God doesn't promise to keep us FROM battle,
                      BUT He does promise to keep us IN battle". 

But You O Lord!

 ^{Psalms 3:3-4}

³ But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,  My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
⁴ I cried to the Lord with my voice,  And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

   In the first session on Psalms 3 we mentioned that Psalms 3 was a "Calming Psalm". WOW, we really need that right now. David was faced with one of the worse heartaches of his life. His son, Absalom betrayed him and stole his kingdom away from him. David left with his head down, feeling like he had gone through a sausage press. Even his "friends" were telling him that God had forsaken him and couldn't help him now. How is that for friends? David cries out to his God being upfront about his feelings and hurts. He was being "REAL!"  

Then we come to verse 3 which is an amazing verse. David takes his eyes off from his so called friends and turns his eyes on the one true God. I love those first 4 words, "BUT YOU, O LORD!!!" 

Everything and everybody may be giving you a hard time - But You, O Lord!" 

You may be going through some rough waters with the waters up to your neck - But You, O Lord! 

It may seem like world is falling apart and nothing is going your way - But You O Lord!!!

You may be tired of social separation and all the Corona Virus news...  But You, O Lord!!!

David then lists several ways that God was there for him....

  This week when you start to doubt and fear - turn your eyes on the Lord and say with David....   
"BUT YOU, O LORD!!!"

Be Real!

 Psalms 3:1-2
1. Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
² Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah  

   One of the things I really love about the Psalms that David wrote was that when he prayed he was honest and straight forward. He never skirted an issue, but dealt with it head on. He had that kind of relationship with his God! David was REAL and he was REAL with his God!
   When he wrote this Psalm David was in deep, deep trouble, very discouraged and even depressed. You would be too is your son just stole your kingdom and kicked you out as king.
   So what do we do when we are discouraged and going through a rough time. Most of us are right now with the corona virus and social distancing in place. We can learn some lessons from the way David responded to his problem:
  1. That night when he got to the cave with those following him, he wrote this Psalm. It may be a good remedy to write down our feelings and anxieties. It seems to be a good release. Years ago there was a man that really got under my skin and made some accusations about us. I wrote him a long letter telling him just how I feel. I never delivered the letter, but just the process helped me come to terms with my feelings.
   2. In these first 2 verses David pours his heart out to the Lord. He didn't mix words in his prayer. Why should he, God knows what we are thinking and are worried about anyway. So we might as well tell God just what is on our heart. BE REAL!!!!
  3. Even though many people told him that even God can't help him now, David cried out to his God all the more. Whether he FELT God's presence or not he cried out to God for help and encouragement.
   4. At the end of these 2 verses is the word, "Selah". This is an instrument rest and it tells us to stop and think about what was just said or wrote. Read these verses again and see if they don't relate to your life right now. If so, do like David and cry out to God and BE REAL!!!

 

Calming Psalms

  

    If I have learned anything during these stressful days is that I need to spend more time in God's Word and sharing my heart with the Lord. I realized this was the only way that I can cope with the pressures.
   Psalms 3 was written by David during what was probably the lowest and most stressful time in his life. Verse 1 uses the word "TROUBLED" which means to press out of measure. You may remember your mom grinding apples in an apple press to make apple sauce or someone putting meat in a meat press to make sausage. That is exactly how David felt at the time he wrote this Psalm.
   David was king of Israel and everything was going quite well. God had blessed him with a large family, a strong kingdom, an absolutely amazing palace to live in and more money that he knew what to do with. He was probably the most popular king Israel has ever known.
   The problem came when his son, Absalom wanted to be the king instead of his dad. He stood outside the city of Jerusalem and stole the hearts of the people and they started to listen to him and finally they started to follow him. He was able to kick his father out of the city and he took over the throne for a period of time.
   David, along with a few of his faithful men and family left the city. he climbed the hill with his head covered, barefooted and weeping as he traveled. David's heart had been ripped out by his own son. That night he wrote this Psalm. It is not a Psalm of grief and sorrow, but of hope and calmness of spirit.  For next few days we will take a look at this Psalm.
My assignment to you is to simply open your Bible to this Psalm and read it, asking God to calm your spirit as you read it.    

Psalms 3:1-2
1. Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
² Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah

Wait for it!

   
   You have heard people say, "Wait for it!" when they want you to be still and wait for something special to happen. Isaiah 40:31 tells us we are to "Wait upon the Lord..." Right now with the social distancing and everybody staying home - all we do is WAIT!!!! We wait for the "all clear", so we can go back to work or go to special events with people all around us... Now they are talking about extending the wait for another 15 days or more... Personally I am waiting for us to get back together as a church body and worship in one place together...

  When Isaiah uses the word "WAIT" it can also mean to "HOPE in the Lord". The good news is that the Lord is our HOPE, not the government or other people. It means not only that we wait, but we wait trusting the Lord and knowing He is in control. We look to Him for our strength and grace day by day. This verse says that if do this, we shall soar like the eagle in the sky. The greater the wind and turbulence, the higher and more graceful the eagle flies and soars. As he does this he waits - for just the right moment when he can swoop down on his prey and snatch it up for lunch. may the Lord help us to wait, trusting Him and know that He has a plan for us right now!
WAIT FOR IT!!!!!

GONE!

 I have been a Christian since 1964, when I was 14 years of age. I can still remember that first Easter service and just what it meant to me. It was the start of a whole new relationship (Not religious experience). In all those years I don't believe that I have missed one Easter service in a church - until today! It really seems like there was something missing today: The joy of being with other believers, singing the good old Easter hymns, worshiping the King of kings and rejoicing in the fact that He is Risen as a congregation! What have you missed about today?

   If you think about it something was missing on that first Easter Sunday at the grave yard of our Savior! When the ladies came to the grave and knew they had to find a way to roll back the stone and finish anointing His body for burial they had no idea that He was not there but had risen! Can you imagine how stunned they were and totally confused! Where is He and where have they taken Him? Then they saw the angels who were sitting on the rolled away stone.
   Matthew 28: 5-6: ⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 

Our BIG God!

   In 1 Samuel 17 is the story of David and Goliath. I like to call it "David and the Dwarf". It is an amazing story of how a young boy takes on a giant of a man and wins. One stone in the forehead and the giant went down. Someone said this about that day: "When David faced Goliath, He didn't talk about how big and dangerous Goliath was. He talked about how GREAT and BIG his God was." 
   Today instead of worrying about how dangerous and deadly this corona virus is, concentrate on how big and Great our God is. He is greater than all of our fears or worries. He still is in control and has a plan for us. Keep your eyes on Him and not on our problems.
   Yesterday was Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. At the end of that day all of Jesus friends and followers were discouraged and lost hope. The One they loved and trusted in was DEAD and in the grave. They felt hopeless. They did not know the rest of the story YET! Sunday morning, Easter Day, Jesus would rise again and now their hope was renewed. Now Jesus was ALIVE! Jesus was bigger and greater than the grave and death! He conquered it all! That same Jesus lives in or heart and life and is still in control!

Good Friday???

 Today is "Good Friday". One question about this day that has been asked over and over again is "What is so GOOD about Good Friday? It is almost like asking "What is so good about the Corona Virus epidemic? Can God take this terrible sickness and make something GOOD out of it. What good can come from social distancing, no church services on Sunday at our church, people becoming depressed and discouraged, businesses failing and finances being drained and on top of it all many people getting sick and many dying? But there has been GOOD! Families are forced to come together and work together, churches are thinking outside the box and coming up with innovative ways of worshiping the Lord. Because of that many people are watching church services online that would not normally be in church on Sunday. God also uses this tragedy to make us stronger in Him and to depend on Him every day for our strength.
   What about Good Friday? What is so good about an innocent man being tried for falsely, everybody, but a few faithful ones turn their back on Him, They whip, beat, humiliate the Son of God and on top of it they crucify Him on a cruel cross meant for thieves and murderers. On that cross He dies and they put His body in a borrowed grave.
   The GOOD is that when He died He died for us and our sins. He died so that we can have a place in eternal Heaven. The GOOD NEWS is that He did not stay in that tomb, but 3 days later rose from the grave and He lives today. The Good News is that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to give us Eternal Life.

You Never Let Go!

 Psalms 46:10 tells us "Be Still and KNOW that I am God." No matter what the circumstance, problem or situation God has promised to be there for us. The "Oh, No!" song that we sing at church keeps going over and over in my mind. The actual title is "You Never Let Go!". Watch the video, enjoy the flowers and remember to Be Still and Know that I am God."

God sees POTENTIAL...

   Carl Sandburg tells the story of the day Abraham Lincoln was born. A friend of the family, Dennis Hanks,  came to visit soon after he was born. That night Dennis slept by the fireplace rolled up in a bear skin. The next morning he took another look at the newborn baby and said, "Its skin looks just like red cherry pulp squeezed dry, in wrinkles." While holding the baby, the baby began to cry and didn't let up no matter how much Dennis tried to calm him. Dennis gave the baby back to his aunt, Betsy Sparrow and said, "Take him! He'll never come to much!". (You know the rest of the story - Abraham Lincoln became one of the great presidents f the USA! - God saw his potential) 


  Over the years we have probably thought that same thing about kids and teens we have worked with. We see the way they behave and act and say in our heart "They will never come to much!" The great thing about our God is that He sees the real potential in each of us. Paul was a man that had a terrible past and yet God got a hold of His life and turned a murderer and persecutor of Christians  into a servant of the Lord. God used him to reach many people for Christ and start a slew of churches. God sees our potential, not just our failures.
   When a potter picks up a piece of clay to make a beautiful bowl, he sees the finished product in his minds - not the hunk of clay.  God sees the finished product. That is also why He was willing to go to the cross to die for us. It was because of His great love for us and He saw our potential - Through Him.

Self-Control

 The 9th and last Fruit of the Spirit is "Temperance or Self-Control".
   A better way of wording this is "Self controlled by the Holy Spirit." We all have areas in our life that that we have a hard time dealing with and controlling: Temper, Anger, Sin Temptations, Fear, Worry, Anxiety, Doubt... In our self there is no way of controlling these things. They are way bigger and stronger than we are. But the great news is that God is even greater and through His Holy Spirit He can give us victory and strength over these areas of our life.
    With kids we use the illustration of a plateful of cookies that are on the table and no one is around. Who is going to know if you have just one, even though you have been told to leave them alone. Who can "resist" warm, fresh out of the oven, chocolate cookies that smell just heavenly. The temptation or problem is much bigger than we are.
   Through the Holy Spirit and God's Word He gives us the strength to say no to the cookies or to other temptations. He also helps us deal with other things that want to control our lives. he can give us victory over Fear, Worry, Doubt, anger, etc...
#1: Admit you have a problem
#2: Turn to the Lord and ask His Help.
#3: Turn to God's Word, Bible for instruction and help.

Meekness

 The 8th Fruit of the Spirit is Meekness or Humility.
   There is an old saying, "I am so humble and proud of it." Sometimes this is one of the hardest Fruits of the Spirit to follow because we tend to be very proud by nature. There is nothing wrong with being proud of a project that you have done or of things that you have accomplished. But when you think that because you have done these things that you are better or more important than others, it becomes selfish pride.
   We are facing some very hard times with the Corona Virus and the Social Distancing. We cannot face and handle these things in our selves. We need the Lord to help us. If we are MEEK, we will ask for God's help. God desires for us to come to Him and say "Lord, I cannot handle these things, I need you!" "Lord, I have no strength in myself. Give me the grace and strength to handle these things with your help!" The Lord never told us that life would be easy. But He does promise to give us His grave and strength when we need it. RIGHT NOW WE NEED IT!

Faith

The 7th Fruit of the Spirit is Faith.
   The book of Hebrews defines it as "The substance of things hoped for...". A good example of that is the coming of Spring and Spring flowers. Even though we have not seen Spring yet, we have faith that it will come and we will be able to once again smell the flowers. Faith is the confidence that Spring will come and it is just like we are already holding those flowers in our hands.
   With God it is knowing that God will keep His promises. You can count on them just as if they already have happened. When God promises to be with us and Never, never leave us - believe it and count on it. When God promises us that Jesus is coming again - you can count on it and know it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
   As we go through these trying times, Keep your eyes on the Lord and have FAITH that He will take care of us.

Goodness

 The 6th Fruit of the Spirit is "Goodness". This word can also be  translated as "Kindness". Simply it is doing that which is "good" to others. Random Acts Of Kindness! Putting others first and doing kind deeds.  Helping others, giving of yourself. Going the extra mile to help someone. Usually that is easy, but what about to people who are not kind to you or who pick on you? The great example of this was Jesus who went to the Cross to die, not just for "good" people, but especially sinful people like us.
   On Palm Sunday many people were welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem and then a week later they cried "Crucify Him, Crucify Him". They were not very kind on that day and yet out of His Goodness and Kindness to us, He endured the Cross to pay the price for our sins. He put our eternity and welfare above His own needs. As we go through these trying times, let's follow Jesus' example and put others before our self.

Gentleness

 








 The 5th Fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness. This speaks of some who is kind, tender, caring, mild mannered, polite, courteous and above all compassionate. It is someone who puts the feelings and needs of others above their own. In a nutshell it is the perfect description of Jesus Christ.
    This is one characteristic that the people of the Barron Church have taught Linda and myself time and time again. We have seen them show love, tenderness and compassion to the nth degree. Sometimes it is a simple smile, a hug or just a word of encouragement. This is simply the heart of Christ.
   One good example of gentleness are horses. Many people think that gentleness means weakness. But instead it is a sign of strength and grace. It takes a strong person to be gentle. Many times when I see horses in a field I will stop and try to take their picture. They are not shy, they come right up to the edge of the fence and are super friendly and gentle. They are anything but weak and yet gentle.
   God wants us to have a gentle, loving spirit, especially during this time of the virus. That kind of gentleness comes only from the Holy Spirit and from the One who taught us gentleness even when dying on the cross for our sins.

Hang In There!

  The 4th Fruit of the Spirit is "Long suffering".
   Basically it is the idea of "Don't give up and Hang in there!" It is usually translated either "Patience" or "Endurance". If that isn't a great word for today, nothing is. The great part of this is that it is part of the Fruit of the Spirit, which means that this is something that we CANNOT do or handle in our selves. The strength and endurance has to come from the Lord.  It comes from keeping our minds, heart and thoughts on our wonderful, patient God. Hang in there - God is still in control!
Where do we get this ability to Hang in there?
#1: By knowing Jesus as your Savior
#2: By reading God's Word - The Bible
#3. With the help and encouragement and prayers of others.
#4: By talking it over with the One who is in control!  It is called prayer. 

Peace

 The 3rs Fruit of the Spirit" is Peace. Have you ever thought of a song and then the words and music are "stuck" in your mind all day long? This morning I was trying to think of a song that goes along with "peace" and the song "It is well with my soul" popped into my head - now it is stuck in replay, especially the  first verse. When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well, with my soul     Philip Paul Bliss / Christopher C. C. Stafford

I love going down by the river and watch the waters. Sometimes it is calm, quiet and peaceful and other times the waters are overflowing, raging and restless - "the billows roll". But no matter what they keep flowing and don't quit. Peace is not the absence of stress, problems or trials in our life. It is a calmness of spirit and soul even in the midst of the worse of times, because our minds are focused on Jesus who is in control. Ephesians 2:14says "For He Himself IS our Peace...".

   No matter what, because of the peace of Christ, we can say with the author of this song, "It is well with my soul". Jesus IS our peace! 

Joy???

   The second fruit of the spirit is JOY. Someone came up with the acronym:
"Jesus, 
  Others and then 
  Yourself."  
The verse that comes to mind is Philippians 4:4 and the key word is "REJOICE". The question is "How in the world do we rejoice in times like this with all that is going on?
   The Corona Virus spreading...
   The stock market going crazy - mostly down
   We are practicing "Social Distancing" at home.
   People are being laid off and losing jobs.
   Personally, one of the dear and wonderful ladies of our church has cancer and another sweet lady we know is deeply depressed and having physical problems as she is in the nursing home.
   This week I came down with a case of shingles on my back, which is not only ugly but very painful. Hard to sleep at night and get comfortable.
   We can't even worship together at our church. I really miss our people. We can talk on the phone, but it just ain't the same. 
   Philippians 4:4:  And yet God says "Rejoice" not once but twice in the same verse. But the key is to "Rejoice in the Lord" not in all these things. He and He alone is our Joy and comfort. He is in control and has a plan for all of this. Jesus and Jesus alone has promised us Eternal Life and the glory of Heaven.
Lets keep our eyes on the real source of Joy! Jesus Christ! Take a minute and read the next few verses. What a great comfort and encouragement.