To live is Christ, but to die is gain...

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.  Yet what shall I choose?  I do not know!  I am torn between the two:  I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."

Philippians 1:21-24

A nine-year-old boy named Austin, had his tonsils removed. Before the surgery, the anesthesiologist came into start NIV. He was wearing a cool surgical Covered in colorful frocks. Austin love that “frog hat.” When the doctor started to leave, Austin called out, “hey, wait.”

The doctor turned. “Yeah, buddy, what do you need?”

“You go to church?”

“No,” the doctor admitted. “I know I probably should, but I don’t.”

Austin then asked, “Well are you saved?”

Chuckling nervously, the doctor said: “nope. But after talking to you, maybe it’s something I should consider.”

Please with his response, Austin answered, “well you should, as Jesus is great!”

“I’m sure he is, little guy,” the doctor said, and quickly made his exit.

When Austin surgery was finished, the anesthesiologist came into the waiting room to talk to his mother. He told her the surgery went well, then said, I don’t usually come down and talk to the parents after surgery, but I just have to tell you what your son did.”

Oh boy, she thought. What did that little rascal do now? The doctor explained that he just put the mask on Austin when her son signaled that he needed to say something. When the doctor remove the mask, Austin blurted, “wait a minute, we have to pray!” The doctor told him to go ahead, and Austin prayed: “dear Lord, please let all the doctors and nurses have a good day. And Jesus, please let the doctor with the frog hat get saved and start going to church. Amen.”

The doctor admitted that this had touched him. “I was so sure that he would pray that his surgery went well,” he explained. “He didn’t even mention his surgery. He prayed for me! I had to come down and let you know what a great little guy you have.”

A few minutes later, a nurse came to take her to postop. She had a big smile on her face as they walked to the elevator. “There’s something you should know,” the nurse said. “Some of the other nurses and I had been witnessing to and praying for that Dr. for a long time. After your son surgery, he tracked a few of us down to tell us about Austin’s prayer. He said, “well girls, you got me. If that little boy could pray for me when he was about to have surgery, then I think maybe I need his Jesus, two.”

If a nine-year-old boy can live that way... For me to live is Christ and to die is gain... Then why can’t we...

How Can I Forgive Myself?

This week at Almond Union of Churches, we continued our series on Forgiveness:  The real F word.  While last week we looked at how to make sure we were forgiven by God in  a message titled Finding Forgiveness, this week we look at how to forgive ourselves, in a message titled, How Can I Forgive Myself.

I identified three steps I must carry out to be able to truly forgive myself.  Last week we looked in depth at the first.  This week we summarized that message by going over the three steps again:  We must 1) recognize our need for God, 2) return to God, 3) receive forgiveness through Jesus and what He did on the cross.  but possibly the most important part of that message was that forgiveness is available to everyone who will turn to God and earnestly seek it.  The first step in my being able to forgive myself, is to come to God seeking forgiveness from Him, and knowing for sure that I have been forgiven.  Forgiveness by God enables me to forgive myself.  I can't possibly forgive myself if God hasn't first forgiven me.

The second step in my forgiving myself is to change my behavior.  We call this repentance.  I will never be able to forgive myself for something if I'm still doing it.  If I'm feeling grief and shame and despair, and I desperately want to be able to forgive myself for this, I've got to stop doing it.  I've got to turn away from the wrong behavior that caused these feelings of regret, and I've got to turn to God and make sure I get right with God again.

The third and final step in being able to forgive myself is to create a new future for myself.  Many people who experience the pain and regret and despair from sin fail here.  They are tempted to withdraw and isolate themselves and continue on in the pain they feel.  In order for us to get past it, we've got to truly start again, to step out in faith in the path God has for us.

If you would like to read the entire message, click on the title below.  You will also find an audio link if you would rather listen to it.

Forgiveness:  How Can Forgive Myself?

The Voice of God

Back in the beginning of the month, I preached a message on the voice of God.  We started looking at the importance of our voice.  How is that we communicate without using our voice.  It's pretty clear that while there are some options, our voice plays a very major role in our communication.

We communicate with people, and live in relationships with people, by speaking to them.  If that's true, and I certainly think that it is, we would communicate with God the same way.  We would live in relationship with God by speaking to Him.  

The trick is, how do we know when He speaks back?  The crux of the message on June 3 was just that.  How does God speak to us?  How do we recognize the voice of God.  To see this message, click on the title below.  There is also an audio link if you would like to listen instead of reading.  Hope you enjoy!

June 3 - The Voice of God

Trusting in God

Sometimes as I read Scripture, I find something that causes me to pause and reflect.

That was the case this morning. I was reading Psalm 41. In this Psalm, David’s enemies are pursuing him, saying evil things about him, and devising evil plans against him. Even his best friend has turned against him. He is all alone, and fears that death is near.

Yet he looks to God. All of his hope is found in God. He believes that God will lift him up and deliver him. And his proof? Verse 11: “By this I know that you are pleased with me, that my enemy does not triumph over me.”

How does David know that God is still with him? Because his enemies, while hotly devising evil schemes, have not yet killed him!

I find that pretty incredible. Today, so many people want God to deliver them from every bump in the road. Every hitch, every setback, is cause for wonder if God is still there.

Have the faith of David. God is with you! The fact that you are still here is all the proof you need. Live your life for God now, no matter how difficult it might be. Because you’ll probably never be as bad off as David was when he wrote Psalm 41. And David still knew of God’s love for him.

Though you may face trials of many kinds, God is with you and will deliver you. Trust in that!

Experiencing Doubt

Do ever suffer from doubt? Do you ever struggle through your faith, wondering if it’s real? If the practice of your faith is worth it – if it’s even the truth?

I think it’s a natural occurrence. I think everyone has doubts from time to time. I have read from several of the Saints of the Catholic Church, Church fathers, and many writers considered to be the best theologians of their day. Almost without an exception, each one writes of difficult times and struggles in their faith.

Just a few months ago, news broke of a new writing found from Mother Theresa, where she wrote of some struggles in her faith. If a giant of the faith like Mother Theresa struggled with doubt, don’t be surprised when it happens to you.

We see doubts of faith in Scripture, as well. I think of the Psalms, where David is almost arguing with God in some of the Psalms of Lament. But even more than David, I think of David’s son, Solomon, described in Scripture as the wisest man who ever lived. Here is a quote that I came across recently (I forgot now where I read it):

The word meaningless appears in the Bible thirty-eight times, thirty-five of these in the book of Ecclesiastes. “It’s a strange thing that the man the Hebrews knew as the wisest person who ever lived, is the one who struggled the most with doubt.”

Over and over again Solomon writes that everything is meaningless. But in the end, He found that all that we can do is to love God, and find our purpose through Him.

Solomon’s example is an example that will find true in our own lives. So many things can seem meaningless. It’s only through surrendering our lives to God that will bring meaning to our lives.