Greatness found in Service

One day a couple of church members were out distributing loaves of bread in a low-income housing complex. They came to an apartment where they heard arguing through the door, but they decided to knock anyway. A man opened the door and asked what they wanted. One of the visitors said, "We don't want anything. We just wondered if you know anyone who could use some loaves of bread?"

"Why are you doing that?" the man asked.

"Just to let people know that God loves them."

"What did you just say?" the man asked, rather anxiously.

"We're just handing out loaves of bread to let people know that God loves them."

The man stared and said, "I can't believe this. We just buried our three-week-old son yesterday, and now here you are at our door."

The visitors offered to pray with them, and the couple accepted their offer. As they were leaving, and the door was being closed, they heard the husband say to his wife, "See, honey? I told you God cares. We thought he wasn't paying attention to us, but he sent those people here to make sure we knew."

I believe with all my heart that everybody can be great because anybody can serve. Dave Stone says that "service is the language of grace."  Too many people make excuses as to why they can't serve. Can you bake a cake? Can you cook some food item? Can you cut someone's grass? Can you call people and give them an encouraging word? Can you do housework? Can you do handy work? Can you donate anything of value? Can you stop along your way and give a smile? Can you take an interest in someone else's life?

The big thing is that you have to be ready to serve. You have to open your eyes and your ears to the needs of others. 1 Pet. 4:10 -- "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

Pigeon Walk

Pigeon Walk 

Read: Daniel 6:1-10
He knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom. —Daniel 6:10

Have you ever wondered why a pigeon walks so funny? It's so it can see where it's going. A pigeon's eyes can't focus as it moves, so the bird actually has to bring its head to a complete stop between steps in order to refocus. It proceeds clumsily—head forward, stop, head back, stop.

In our spiritual walk with the Lord, we have the same problem as the pigeon: We have a hard time seeing while we're on the go. We need to stop between steps—to pause and refocus on the Word and the will of God. That's not to say we have to pray and meditate about every little decision in life. But certainly our walk with the Lord needs to have built into it a pattern of stops that enable us to see more clearly before moving on.

Daniel's practice of praying three times a day was an essential part of his walk with God (Daniel 6:10). He knew there's a certain kind of spiritual refocusing that we can't do without stopping. His stops gave him a very different kind of walk—one that was obvious to those around him. 

Take a moment today and stop. Ask yourself, what is important? And follow thru. You might find something out that very moment and I think you'll be glad you did.

Diamond Dreams

On Christmas morning a woman told her husband, “I just dreamed that you gave me a beautiful diamond necklace. What do you think it means?”

“You’ll know tonight,” he said. That evening just before opening presents, the husband came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it only to find a book entitled “The Meaning of Dreams.”

Think long and well before you buy this Christmas.  :)

-Tony Cruz

"I need a new bike.."

A little boy told his father, "I want a new bike". The father said, "In this house we pray and ask God for the things we want and need". That night the little boy prayed, "Dear God, I need a new bike". The next morning the little boy woke up and ran to the garage but there was no bike.

The little boy prayed the same prayer for three nights with no results. On the fourth day while playing at his Grandmas house he found a small statue of Mary. He carefully wrapped the statue in tissue paper and put the statue in a shoe box. He then placed the shoe box in the back of his Grandmothers closet. That night as he said his prayers the little boy prayed. "Dear God, if you ever want to see your mother again.......... 

While the story is humorous, its true that we will do whatever it takes to get what we want. In a season and time when materialism is a high focus, please keep in mind what really matters.  Hope was born to the world. Celebrate with Gifts but because of HIM.

Tony

A Worship Rut

Gary Thomas, a friend of Rick Warren, noticed that many Christians were stuck in a worship rut. He raised the question, “Since God has intentionally made us all different, why should everyone be expected to love (worship) God the same way?”

Gary has discovered that for 2,000 years Christians have used many different paths to enjoy intimacy with God. In his book Sacred Pathways, Gary identifies nine ways that people draw near to God:

· Naturalists love God best when they are outdoors.
· Sensates love God best when all their senses are engaged.
· Traditionalists love God best when they are able to stick close to ritual, symbols, and familiarity.
· Ascetics love God best in solitude and simplicity.
· Activists love God best when they are battling injustice and evil.
· Caregivers love God best through caring for those who hurt.
· Enthusiasts love God best by experiencing celebration.
· Contemplatives love God best through adoration and meditation.
· Intellectuals love God best when their mind is fully engaged.

Did you find your favorite approach to loving God? Have you figured it out yet? ? It is not about style. So what is it about? It is about, how much of you does God have when you worship?

Rick Warren. Purpose Drive Life.
Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002, pg. 102-103.

Mechanic vs Heart Surgeon

A heart surgeon took his car to his local garage for a regular service, where he usually exchanged a little friendly chatter with the owner, a skilled but not especially wealthy mechanic.

"So tell me," says the mechanic, "I've been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me.."

"Yes?.." says the surgeon.

"Well look at this," says the mechanic, as he worked on a big complicated engine, "I check how it's running, open it up, fix the valves, and put it all back together so it works good as new.. We basically do the same job don't we? And yet you are paid ten times what I am - how do you explain that?"

The surgeon thought for a moment, and smiling gently, replied,"Try it with the engine running.."

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT

“‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ means: 
‘Blessed is the man who has realized his own utter helplessness, and who has put his whole trust in God.’ If a man has realized his own utter helplessness, and has put his whole trust in God, there will enter into his life two things which are opposite sides of the same thing. He will become completely detached from things, for he will know that things have not got it in them to bring happiness or security; and he will become completely attached to God, for he will know that God alone can bring him help, and hope, and strength. The man who is poor in spirit is the man who has realized that things mean nothing, and that God means everything.”
William Barclay