Oh the beauty of the skies of various blues!
Proclaim praise to God for His gorgeous hues.
God is the greatest of all.
Even though man took a fall,
He provides abundant blessings.
My heart with all its might glory sings!
The fresh snow on the earth is white
With my eyes its beauty finds delight.
It serves as a reminder of the labor of laundresses
Who take joy in the cleanliness of shirts and dresses.
Our Lord has given us the love of His blood on the cross
That our souls may be cleansed of their sinful dross.
The snow covered fields
Reminds of the cleansing His blood yields.
Never forget the beauty of God’s creation,
The blues, yellows, reds bring mankind into celebration.

Mary Wright

My husband and I recently attended the memorial service of a beloved Christian woman named Ruth Waddell. It was obvious by the attendance and by the words spoken that she touched the lives of many, many people. One of her sons brought a large stoneware bowl and explained that his mother served gravy in that bowl every single morning. And sometimes she filled that bowl with pinto beans for lunch or dinner. We heard wonderful stories of how Ruth fed, nourished, and loved countless people with her home and her heart during her 83 years of life. It was so inspiring, and it was a reminder of how much of an impact can be made through the simple, consistent act of hospitality.

I ran across a verse that sounds like it was written about Ruth:

“…and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work” (1 Tim. 5:10).

Something special happens when we’re in each other’s homes. Relationships are built, souls are strengthened, friendships are forged, and yes, bellies are fed. Ruth probably had no idea that her daily offerings were making such a difference, first for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, but also for her church family and her community. I’m sure I’m not the only one in attendance who was touched by her example and convicted to follow it!

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

(Matthew 25:35)

When you are feeling too strong, better be careful.  Paul said, “Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).

And when you think everyone loves and respects you, better be careful.  The Lord said, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Lk , 6: 26).

When you think you are better than someone else because you are faithfully discharging your duties, better be careful.  The Lord said, “So likewise, when ye have done all those things … say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do” (Lk , 17:10).

– by Dee Bowman

A man named Paul Harvey graced the airways of this country with his pleasant voice and his reporting of events, current and past. He often spoke about the declining American morality. People trusted him; so, whether he was reporting the news, telling something from history, or selling a product, people believed him. His life ended in 2009, and so ended a special kind of news reporting.

Paul Harvey was famous for saying, “And now, the rest of the story.” So often we hear only part of some event, historical story, or current news flash. But Harvey was famous for digging into what existed that didn’t get reported. It might be what followed or what preceded his story. Whichever it was, it gave clarity to his reporting.

That is often true in our telling of Bible stories. I mentioned one recently about the beautiful story that preceded the taking of Elijah. But there are more. Many more.

In thinking about some such stories, I see a pattern. It’s a strong signal for us as Christians today. God never leaves His people without hope. There is always, “the rest of the story.”

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 would seem to be the end of that story, all that needed to be told. True enough, the cities were destroyed, Lot’s wife was turned to a pillar of salt, and some of Lot’s family perished. And now, here is the rest of the story. Lot’s two daughters that were saved from the fire committed sin and bore sons by their father, Moab and Ammon. Both sons grew into nations. Through a series of events, Ruth, a Moabitess, married Boaz, a Hebrew, and became an ancestor to the Savior of the world. How is that for hope?

One story that stands out for me is the story of Jonah. We all know how God told Jonah to go preach to the people of Nineveh; but Jonah not only refused to go, he got on a ship and went in the opposite direction. He quickly realized no one can hide from God, and he went to Nineveh to preach. And now, the rest of the story. He did preach to the people of Nineveh, and “the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.” Even the king repented and made a decree that everyone turn from their evil ways.

Just think. Jonah almost missed a chance to convert an entire city, but there is more to this story. Jonah became angry, and his anger was directed at God because God saved Nineveh. There is even more to this story, but it is enough to say that we do not teach the last chapter of Jonah though it is most certainly “the rest of the story” of a prophet of God.

Most of us are familiar with the healing of the man at the Pool of Bethesda. This poor man had been infirmed for 38 years. He had lain beside this pool, believing that an angel would come and stir the water and heal the first one that got into the water. Jesus passed by, saw the man, asked him if he wanted to be healed, and told him to pick up his bed and walk. Now here is the rest of the story.

This healed man became the subject of controversy among the Jewish rulers. They confronted the man because he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath. The man explained that the man that healed him told him to take up his bed and walk. So, they wanted to know which man had said this to him. The man replied that he didn’t know, and the reason was that there was a great crowd into which Jesus had just disappeared.

A little later, Jesus found this man in the temple. Here Jesus forgave his sins with a warning that something worse could happen to him. It seems that the man’s sins were somehow related to his disability. The man left, and the Jews persecuted Jesus because He healed this man on the Sabbath. He had violated their twisted interpretation of the Law, but not God’s actual commands.

One other story from the book of Acts that is often not completed. Peter and John were on their way to the temple for the hour of prayer (Acts 3). A lame man was laid at the temple gate, unable to walk on his own. Peter and John healed this man, and this greatly astonished the people who witnessed this healing.

And now, the rest of the story. Peter took the opportunity to preach to the people, telling them how they had denied Jesus and wanted a murderer released and how they had killed “the Prince of life.” This sermon was as powerful as the sermon Peter preached on Pentecost. At the end of the sermon, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees took Peter and John (and possibly the man they healed) and put them in prison for the night. But not everyone was turned off by that sermon. There were many of them that believed, about 5,000.

In the end, the apostles were told not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus. Their response was a simple one: “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). This was just the beginning of their speaking and teaching and about Jesus.

The rest of the story continues with us today, if we choose to teach the Jesus of the Bible. We need to make the sharing of Jesus the rest of our story.

Sandra Oliver

I’ve always had a soft spot for gospel preachers. I grew up watching my dad preach and saw that he loved (most) every minute of it. My family met, worked with, and loved many wonderful people because of his efforts. I married a preacher who immensely enjoys what he does, and I hope our now-grown sons look back with the same positive impressions.

As it is with any profession, there are preachers who don’t represent the job well. Their motives can be less than pure, or their messages can come across as self-righteous or arrogant or showy or apathetic. However, I truly believe that most gospel preachers simply love the Lord and desire share His Word to the best of their ability and with all their heart!

Every time we gather as a church for worship, we hear the saving Truth because of someone’s diligent study and courage. I’m thankful for that!

My wise sister, Kristy Woodall (also married to a preacher), said:

“If you love your preacher: pray for him, encourage him, be his friend. But if you don’t like your preacher: pray for him, encourage him, be his friend.”

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

(Romans 10:14-15)

Sometimes, I’m amazed as I look around and see children dominating parents; I mean, really being the bosses in the God-given schools of submission tutelage. Children are, biblically, the students in the subject of submission and holy conformity and parents are the primary teachers in that education. It’s easy for parents and grandparents to slowly melt into the world’s mode of child-dictated homes using phrases that sound good; phrases like “I want my child to learn to make good choices on his own, so I just let him lead the way and learn the consequences,” or “saying no a lot to my kids can make them have negative self esteem.” (I actually read that last one in Psychology Today.)

God punished Eli in 1 Samuel 3:13 for his failure to restrain his sons. Perhaps similar failures of parents in recent decades has contributed to the rampant adult patterns we see around us of self-absorption and manipulation, often developing into narcissistic behavior.

I think there are some phrases kids often say today (with obvious variations)  that we can and should eradicate from our homes. Here are some examples:

“But what if I don’t want __________ for breakfast?”

“I will get in the bed, if you will do _________________.”

“But I really wanted to go to McDonald’s instead of this place.”

‘I hate wearing these dress shoes.”

“I’m first!”

“Yes. But I finished that snack and I’m still hungry.”

“I’m bored.”

“I don’t want to drink just water.”

“No, mom. I’m leaving that there because I am going to play with it again later.”

“It’s too hot outside today. I’m staying in here.”

“But that theater is not the kind with the comfy seats.”

When we foster this thinking, we pave the way for an unfulfilling adulthood; one in which there is never enough. We enable selfishness and selfishness never co-exists with true happiness.

WHAT DOES PRAYER REALLY MEAN?

A group of young women were sitting at a local coffee shop. It appeared to be a Bible study group, but only one of the women had a Bible with her. Several had small notebooks. As the meeting began, it didn’t seem to follow the path of a Bible study, but each of the women contributed something. About forty-five minutes later the lady that seemed to be directing the meeting asked the ladies to bow their heads in prayer. One of the women opened her eyes and looked around at the others. She closed her eyes again and then opened them to take a sip of her coffee. The prayer continued, and this time she didn’t close her eyes. She was quiet and respectful of the others praying, but her mind did not appear to be on the prayer.

This makes one wonder how many others do this even in the worship service. How important is it that we bow our heads and close our eyes when we pray? What should our behavior be when we pray on our own or when someone else is praying?

Jesus gave the disciples a pattern for prayer in Matthew 6:5-15. He wanted to help them understand what to do and what not to do. Here are some things they were not to do:

• Do not pray like the hypocrites. Don’t stand in public places and pray so men can see you.
• Pray in private.
• Pray to your Father.
• Do not use empty phrases. Don’t be guilty of praying long prayers and using many words thinking God and men will be impressed.

He then told them how to pray:

• Pray to God, the Father.
• Show honor to the name of God.
• Pray for the kingdom to come. (The kingdom has come which is the church, so we no longer need to pray for it to come. We can pray for it to increase.)
• Pray for God’s will to be done.
• Pray for our daily needs.
• Pray for forgiveness. Notice Jesus says to ask God to forgive us as we forgive others.
• Ask for deliverance from temptation and evil.

This seems like a relatively easy pattern to follow, but we all know that our prayers don’t always sound like this. Unfortunately, our prayers are less about showing honor to God and more about asking for what we want. But praying is not all about us. It is a conversation with God our Father, and it should involve some thought before we enter into it.

I have written in the front of my Bible three principles of prayer. They give some guidance to what we need when we pray.

First, we need faith. What good is it if we pray and don’t believe in that for which we are praying? John says that if we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us. Notice that we must ask “according to His will”, not our own (First John 5:14).

John also says in First John 3:22 that “whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him”. We have to be obedient, and being obedient will guide our prayer requests.

God’s nature is that of a giver. He gives to us that which we need for our good. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). We need to seek God’s direction, knowing He will give us what is best for us. We need to remember that God always answers our prayers. Sometimes He says “yes”, sometimes “no”, sometimes “wait”.

Second, we need humility. Jesus clearly shows the need for humility in Luke 18:9-14 in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed aloud that he was glad that he was not like other men who were extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like the tax collector. The Pharisee then pointed out all the things he had done. “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get”. His prayer is all about him. No reverence, no respect, no humility.

When the publican prayed, he stood away from everyone. He beat his breast and asked God to be merciful to him, a sinner. He said nothing about what he did. He showed humility.

The third principle is thanksgiving. Paul, in his writing to the Ephesians, tells them to address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord. He also says to give thanks for everything to God in the name of Jesus, submitting to one another out of reverence to Christ. Some of our songs are prayers, and even in our singing we need to be thankful. Paul told Timothy, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service” (First Timothy 1:12). Though Paul was a blasphemer, a persecutor of Christians, and an opponent of Christianity, he was able to receive mercy when he became obedient to the gospel. For this, he was thankful. We should have that same thankfulness when we pray. Like Paul, we were and are sinful, but our obedience changes us.

I also have written in my Bible something I like to remember when I pray. It is the letters A C T S. It stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication. It helps to remind me that I need to show respect and adoration to God, confess my sins, express my thanks, and only then can I ask of God. Maybe this will help you as well.

Sandra Oliver