So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! Acts 9.5

Saul was zealous. He had agreed to the stoning of Stephen. He continued to threaten to kill the Lord’s disciples. He traveled to Damascus with permission from the high priest to bring anyone that he found to be a disciple of Jesus back to Jerusalem in chains. His reputation preceded him.

But something happened on that road that brought him to a complete halt for three days. He met Jesus. Blinded by the light that appeared, he had to be led into Damascus to await instructions on what action he needed to take. For three days, he could not see, nor did he eat or drink anything. He prayed.

When picking up broken pieces. Harsh words I tried to soften.

But when I’m introspective and with my heart I’m true.

The question begs an answer, “What DID I mean to do?”

I have to mean to live for him. “On purpose” in every detail;

For if I fail to plan my walk, I really plan to fail.

Purposeful living is life with a map, instead of a wandering trail

It’s a definite destination, and a place to avoid, as well.

If I’m to keep away from sin; impulsive times of weakness;

I have to keep close to the Book—prepare, instead, for meekness.

If I’m to guard the worst of me, to practice self-control,

I have to feed the best of me, the manna of the soul.

If I’m to stop the talk that harms and spreads a dark despair

I have to start the talk that heals; the talk of fervent prayer.

If I can bear a burden instead of causing grief.

If I can offer words that heal and offer sweet relief…

That will not be an accident; a careless happenstance.

Heroic deeds are purposeful, and always start with plans.

Plans to set aside the time to get into the Word.

Lists of those who need the truth and maybe haven’t heard.

Jotted lists of those in need of comfort, meals or prayers.

And circled on my calendar the dates I plan to share—

A meal, a card, a visit, or a luncheon for the grieving

A Bible study session with a heart not yet believing.

A facebook group where sisters pray; a house with an open door;

A meal on the table for someone who’s tired, a trip to the grocery store…

A text to encourage an elder, who can hardly stand under the strain…

Coffee with a mom who’s single again; the victim of betrayal and pain.

What did you mean to do today? Exactly what was the plan?

Was the day you just spent purposeful? Did you firmly take your stand?

Did you cross off something on a list that’s focused for his glory?

Did you tell someone off or did you, as planned, tell someone the old, old story?

Did you wonder today at His greatness or wander in purpose-less “fun”?

Did you bask in pursuits of the world or bask in the warmth of His Son?

Did you handle aright the word today? Did you marvel at some truth anew?

Are you planning to fail by failing to plan? Or is God’s purpose living in you?

Eph. 5:16 – “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Cindy Colley

“I’m going to church today.”

“Would you like to visit my church?”

“VBS meeting tonight at church!”

These are a few examples of the kinds of things many Christians (myself included) often say or have said when referring to the place that we worship. Well-meaning, and probably due to habit or for the sake of convenience, we can often be heard descibing “church” as the building in which we meet each week to fellowship with other Christians and worship God. But what is the accurate description of the church, according to the Bible?

The topic of “church” is mentioned throughout the New Testament. In Ephesians 5:25-26, the apostle Paul, inspired by God, writes, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,”

So does this mean the church is a place or a people? If we were to replace the word “church” with “building” or “place of meeting,” would it make sense? Let’s find out..

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the building and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”

It wouldn’t make sense. So, why does this matter anyway? It matters because Jesus died on the cross and paid for the church with his own blood (Ephesians 5:25, “..as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…” When we obey the gospel, we are added to the church, not by our own doing, but by God’s, which we read about in Acts 2 where Peter was preaching at Pentecost:.

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

When we become a Christian through faith and obedience, we are added by God to the one and only church.

Romans 12:5, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

Choosing to be a part of this family, the church, is the best decision you could make, and one that you will never regret. If you aren’t sure yet about this decision, but would like more information about the church, please reach out and we would love to answer any questions you might have!

By Janelle Pollard

Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6.17

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the state of the world? Does it seem that evil is winning? Do you feel surrounded by the enemy?

As God’s people, we should never let our emotions determine how we see the broader picture. God is in control of everything. We say that, but how many truly believe it. We often feel that no one is interested in the Gospel message. The religious world has twisted it so that it is no longer recognizable.

Bonus post – Jesus’ temptations

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It is a fact that some are going to rule, and some are going to follow. We see this in many ways: children on the playground, politics, civic organizations, and even in the church. We often hear it said, “He is a born leader.” Or, “She is a follower, not a leader.”

Years ago, I heard a story about a young man applying for college. Many young men sent applications, and the college president read them with great interest. Many of the applications included examples of leadership and accomplishments. One young man wrote that he was very ordinary but that he would work hard and do his best. His application also said that he was more of a follower and not one to take on the leadership. When the president read his application, he immediately accepted him. In his letter to the young man he said, “We are happy to accept you into our school. We need followers. We have more than enough leaders.”

The fact is, someone is going to lead. The question is always, “Do we have the right person for the job?” Scripture provides us with an example of just such a circumstance in Judges 9.

Judge Gideon had been approached by the people and asked if he would rule over Israel as their king. Gideon said that he would not, and neither would his son nor his son’s son. He said that God would be their ruler.

Gideon had many wives, and they had given him seventy sons. After Gideon died, one of his sons, Abimelech, the son of one of Gideon’s concubines, convinced the people of Shechem that he would be the perfect one to rule over them. His mother’s relatives agreed that he should rule. He began his leadership role by killing all seventy of his brothers except the youngest.  The men of Shechem made Abimelech king in spite of what he did.

When Jotham, the youngest son, discovered what had happened, he went to the top of Mount Gerizim and proclaimed the parable of the bramble. He said that the trees decided they wanted a king over them. They approached first the olive tree. He was unwilling to serve as king because he didn’t want to leave the place where he grew and produced his fruit. Next, they went to see the fig tree. They asked him to come and rule over them. But the fig tree didn’t want to leave his sweetness and his good fruit and be promoted over the trees. Then they went to the vine. He didn’t want to leave the wine made from his grapes to be put over the trees. Finally, they approached the bramble. The bramble was more than happy to go and reign over the trees.

Let’s look first at the situation within the parable and examine some interesting facts about these candidates for leadership.

THE OLIVE TREE: This tree has become a symbol of many good things—peace, wisdom, fertility, prosperity, luck, victory, stability, and tranquility. Its wood is resistant to decay. It grows twenty-five to thirty feet tall (or taller), and it produces fruit and is a source of oil. It can regenerate itself, and it does not need to be watered. This tree sounds like a good candidate.

THE FIG TREE: This tree is productive, providing moist fodder for livestock. It enriches the soil, improves the growth of crops, and is an excellent source of healthy minerals. It is said to have the sweetest of all fruits. It provided the first clothing for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7). This tree seems to also fit the qualifications of a good leader.

THE VINE: The vine will grow most anywhere. There are many types of this plant. It is tough and hardy, but it must be trained to grow on an arbor since it will spread and climb. This candidate doesn’t sound as strong as the other two.

THE BRAMBLE: The bramble is often a shelter for grass snakes. It has thorns, thrives in acid-type soil, needs lots of sun, carries pests and diseases; and it even reaches out with the thorns and connects itself to other trees and bushes. This is definitely the weakest of the selections.

This parable was to let the men of Shechem know they had made a poor choice. They chose a man that had destroyed his family to get what he wanted. He wanted power, and he didn’t care what he had to do to get it.

The love of ruling involves the insistence of having one’s own way. It involves pride in one’s own opinion and conceit in one’s own abilities. You notice I said “the love of ruling.” When the love of being in charge and feeling superior over others takes hold, nothing good can come from it.

A good ruler needs to have humility, love the truth, and be obedient to God the Father. This is true because having each of these attributes will compel one to rule with the right heart.

Gideon had the right idea about ruling. The only ruler is God. The heavenly ruler should be the one to direct the steps of any that holds a leadership position on earth.

There are several lessons we can learn from this parable. First, we should understand that someone is going to rule; therefore, we should choose our leaders wisely. Second, we should choose a ruler that rules with humility, loving the truth, and being obedient to God. Third, if we want to be a leader, we should prepare for it. Preparation involves study, planning, and a lot of hard work. It is about sharing responsibility not just dictating. Leading is a gift.

If we happen to find ourselves in a leadership position, may we be mindful of the parable of the bramble.

Sandra Oliver

It’s just easier to tackle big things in small chunks.  I want my marriage to be happy and solid, all the time.  Since I know where my weaknesses lie, that can be an overwhelming prospect.  I know I need to stop being selfish, swallow my pride, smile more, be patient, sacrifice, compromise, grow up…. Oh boy, we’re doomed, UNLESS I view each day as a manageable challenge.  Bite-sized bits of  well-being add up to a lifetime of wedded bliss.  So here are some daily do’s and don’ts that might just spell the difference between a dreary marriage and a dreamy one.

1.  Commit your marriage to God.  First thing in the morning, whether you’re on the treadmill, carpooling, or sipping coffee on the patio, pray about your relationship.  Every day, ask God to help you be a loving spouse.  Thank God for blessing you with a life-long best friend.  Determine to make sure everything you do in your marriage glorifies God.
2.  Refuse to fall into the critic trap.  Everything gets a rating these days.  Want to know whether or not a movie is worth watching or a car is worth buying?  Check out the rating.  Whether it’s books, products, or recipes, you can look it up to see how many stars it rates.  We even get to determine whether or not we ‘like’ someone’s facebook status.  It feels like we’ve been conditioned to voice our opinion on everything.  “I like this.  I don’t like this.  I agree with this.  I disagree with this.”  How dangerous that can be in marriage!  If we’ve been conditioned to spot imperfections, the relationship will never measure up.  Don’t critique your spouse; just do your part each day to make it a 5-star marriage.
3.  Dare to be transparent.  Life is too short for guessing games.  Share your feelings.  Don’t be hard to figure out.  Be transparent in your affection.  Let your spouse know beyond the shadow of a doubt that your love is growing day by day.  Don’t fear rejection (or ridicule from others); just make the most of every opportunity to generously give your heart.  Every day, greet your mate with enthusiasm, and voice your admiration.  What spouse would hate that?
4.  Neglect the cyber world.  Is your marriage getting smothered by social media or other online activities?  Are you always looking at a screen?  Is the outside world connected to your hip?  Unplug!  Step awaaaaay from the tentacles of technology.  Do you really have to check every text, inbox message or email as soon as it shows up?  Sure there are advantages (I say as I’m blogging), but there should be some boundaries.  When the work day is over, enjoy real face-to-face time.  We have a goldendoodle puppy, and we learned real quick that as long as we take time to play with him, he behaves better.  If we neglect to stop what we’re doing to play fetch for few minutes each day, he acts up.  Forgive me for comparing a spouse to a dog, but the same basic principle applies.  Which am I spending more time with? My laptop or my mate?  Put it to the test and see if this simple philosophy enhances your marriage:  when your spouse walks in the door, everything else can wait till tomorrow.  My guess is that instead of feeling like you’re missing out, you’ll feel like you’re catching up.
5.  Don’t focus on what’s fair.  If you’re going to all this trouble to do your part, it’s easy to expect immediate reciprocation.  Well, it might take some time, or it might never happen.  The important thing is to not fixate on who’s doing what, who’s giving more, who’s compromising.  Focus, instead, on going the second mile, out-giving, and acknowledging even the smallest effort on your spouse’s part.  Miserable marriages are filled with a sense of entitlement.  There’s way more joy in looking for ways each day to offer yourself freely.

Prayer for Today:  Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful blessing of marriage!  May I show my gratitude to You by making the most of our precious union.

Kathy Pollard

If it’s true that encouragement can change people, then it must also be true that discouragement can as well, only not for the good.  Discouragement removes joy, causes doubt, questions abilities, and can make one want to give up.  No doubt we’ve all experienced it.  Certainly none of us want to be the cause of it.

Social media has increased our accountability.  Consider the words of Jesus:

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36, 37).

Our words impact others and we are being held accountable for each and every one.  With every posted status or comment, we must ask, “Will this bring sunshine or gloom to the reader?”  Of course I’m not talking about prayer requests.  It is blessing to be able to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15).  I’m talking about ways we might negatively impact others.  For instance:

• If the very first time we contact someone is to object, criticize, or point out a perceived wrong, it probably won’t have the kind of effect we hope it will.  Relationship is necessary.  Just because we are “friends” or followers on social media doesn’t mean we’ve built the kind of rapport essential to any kind of admonishment being well received.
• While venting may temporarily relieve our own frustration, it really doesn’t do much for the reader no matter how wittily we word it.  Everyone experiences bad customer service, careless drivers on the road, messed up orders, or any number of life’s daily annoyances.  What do we hope to gain by sharing it?  Sympathy?  The comments generally show that all we’re doing is reminding others how frustrating life can be.  Surely we want to accomplish something better than that with our words.  Complaining is just a bad habit (Phil. 2:14).
• We’re not going to agree with everything written or posted, but let’s choose our battles wisely.  And let’s consider our influence as Christians with the tone we use.  No matter how “right” we may be, sarcasm still sounds obnoxious.
• And finally, we really are not meant to be the Police of Social Media.  Let’s not be Facebook trollers out to catch others doing bad.  Let’s catch others doing good.  While there may be times when we can and should offer a gentle word (in private) of admonishment, more often than not we can and should offer grace.

We know that we should think before we speak.  Sometimes we need to be reminded to think before we post as well.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29).

Prayer for Today:  Help me use my words, Lord, to draw others closer to You.

Kathy Pollard

“It’s not a religion; it’s a relationship.”  I saw this quote on a t-shirt and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.  I’m not entirely sure of the intent of the message, but it sounds like rejecting one in favor of the other.

Religion, by definition, is something we all have.  It’s simply our beliefs about how we got here and why we’re here.  Perhaps some dislike the word because they’ve been exposed to people who have given religion a bad name.  Or maybe some equate religion with a list of rules, and they disregard submission and authority in favor of freedom and grace.

Relationship is certainly essential.  We’re to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37) and we’re to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:39).  Those who fail to nurture loving relationships lack the crucial essence of Christianity.  “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Christianity IS a religion.  The Bible tells us there’s a difference between a religion that’s worthless  and a religion that is pure and genuine (James 1:26,27). The hypocrisy of some may have tainted how some view religion (Matt. 6:1ff), but God says that true religion is acting out our love for Him and His creation.

If it’s the rules of religion that some reject, let’s remember what Jesus said:

• “If you love Me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
• “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word” (John 14:23).
• “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

A relationship with Jesus involves following His rules.  It’s almost like someone asking me if I’d rather have my husband’s love or his commitment.  I want both.  His love is key in having a good, happy relationship and his commitment means he will follow through in areas of honesty, protection, and providence.

It’s not religion OR relationship.  It’s both.  A relationship with God means following the pure religion He has outlined for us in His Word.

Prayer for Today:  Help us, Lord, to show others pure religion by our love for You and for them.

Kathy Pollard

Jesus’ baptism and John’s declaration (bonus post)

I know it isn’t the Christmas season, but the story of The Grinch has been on my mind. I have been thinking about this story because of the attitude that is prevalent in this tale of a greenish-yellow cartoon character that seems to be living in the hearts of even Christian individuals.

In the original story, The Grinch is a mean-tempered guy. His aim in life is to destroy Christmas. He sets out to steal everything in Whoville. His dog, Max, accompanies him on his journey on Christmas eve, and they gather everything relating to the holiday from the residents of Whoville.

The Whos believe that The Grinch’s problem is that he has a heart that is “two sizes too small.” In the original story, there is no explanation for this condition, and the Whos accept this as the kind of person he is.

At some point, The Grinch decides that there is a deeper meaning to this holiday celebrated by the Whos, and he stops the Whos’ belongings from falling off the edge of the mountain. In the process, his heart grows three sizes. He returns the gifts he stole and takes part in the holiday celebration.

I know this is just a children’s story; but when we think about The Grinch, we remember his bad attitude. We don’t usually think first about his change of heart.

What does that say about us? It says that we usually identify people by their attitude. I’m not saying we don’t recognize a change of heart in people, but we tend to identify people by the attitude with which we are most familiar. Maybe we need to look honestly at our own hearts and determine if our hearts are the right size.

In order to have a heart that is the right size, we need to have a pure heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8 ESV). The heart is the seat of affections and understanding (Matthew 13:15); therefore, a pure heart will give us the right kind of attitudes and the love for what is right. Later in His sermon, Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

 Second, our speech must reflect our hearts. Jesus taught, “How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34-37). Our mouths speak what is really in our hearts.

Third, all manner of evil comes from our hearts. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:19-20). If our hearts are not the right size and are filled with evil thoughts, only evil actions can be close behind.

Fourth, whether we do good or evil, our actions originate in our hearts. Paul, speaking to the Ephesians, gave instructions to both servants and masters. He summed this up by saying, “Knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free” (Ephesians 6:8). Good has to originate in our hearts. Good deeds must originate in our hearts.

Fifth, we need the peace of God to guard our hears. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). We can’t speak good if we don’t think about good things.

Sixth, we need to rely on the Word of God to direct our hearts. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word will bring out the true thoughts and intents of our hearts.

Last, we need to understand that our hearts reflect the true person we are. Peter, in speaking to the women about subjection to their husbands, gave us some specific instructions about our hearts. He said, “Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (First Peter 3:4). A gentle and quiet spirit will bring about a heart of submission, service, and honor to God our Father.

We want to have a heart, an attitude, of submission to the Father in all things. We don’t need to be known as one with a heart too small, but we should want to be known as one with a heart that is open to honoring God and serving mankind.

Sandra Oliver