Fishers of Men

 <sup>"Let's go fishing!" My cousins, my siblings, and I used to love it when Uncle Leonard arrived and packed his car full of us to go fishing in a nearby stream. Of course, that was  back in the day when automobiles didn't have seat belts and the back seat could be filled two or three tiers deep with children. Believe me, he didn't have to ask any of us twice. We all ran and grabbed our poles, dug a few worms out in the pasture, and away we went "happy as clams", as they say here in Maine. Once we arrived at a fishing hole, we tumbled out of the back seat, grabbed our poles and worms from the trunk and hurried to catch some fish. I can hear my uncle chuckle now. He loved watching the spectacle as much as he liked casting his own line.

Last summer some of the grandchildren congregated around Stephen's pond. There was a lot of excitement as he provided poles and helped bait the hooks. "You will b e able to catch a LOT of fish, he said, but you will have to put them back so we don't run out of fish." Excitement filled the air. The children will most likely remember the fun for a long time to come. (So will the adults).

Remember this account in Matthew 4? "And Jesus. . . saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew. . . casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then he said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men'. They immediately left their nets and followed Him."

We could speculate about the thoughts that must have gone through the minds of the two fishermen, but we know they didn't think for long. They immediately left their nets behind and followed Jesus. They must have been enthused to go along with Jesus and find people who were hungry for the truth.

And what about us? Are we able to share the Gospel with others? Someone has said that a witness simply tells what they know. If you know Jesus and if I know Jesus, we are able to tell others about Him.

Today we heard that our eleven year old grandson is doing just that. Here is the story: "[He] took his Bible to the park. He got a bunch of kids sitting down at the picnic table reading to them. Apparently there were a lot of kids who were confused about the story where he was reading, so they decided they should begin at the beginning."

There is a song that Steve Green used to sing: "People Need the Lord". It was true then. It is true now. It has always been true. We, who know "the way, the truth, and the life" are the only ones who can share the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel with others. I know -- the devil tries to deceive us and lead us to believe that we cannot be witnesses for Jesus. But that is not true!

Here is a question for you and me: "If children can be fishers of men, what about US?" There are no valid reasons why not. Let's spread the WORD. Let's do it with enthusiasm. Jesus was offering much more excitement and satisfaction to fishers of MEN vs fishers of FISH!</sup>

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

How Can We Do Less?

We Value One Another 

I remember a song from years ago: "Love Makes The World Go 'Round".  It was a happy song that reminded us of the importance of loving each other. It was a much more simple time in many ways, but more difficult in others.

My husband and I were born in the early 1940s. The world was reeling from a horrific war. Perhaps every family had someone in the military service. There were sacrifices at home. Commodities needed for the war effort were rationed. Women went to work in massive numbers, leaving fewer and fewer children with a mother in the home to greet them at the end of their school day or mix up a batch of bread or cookies that filled the house with an amazing aroma when they were baking in the oven -- often the oven of a wood fired stove, burning fuel that she had chopped up with an axe. We wore hand-me-downs and thought nothing of it. In our house, water for the Saturday night bath was heated and we took turns bathing in the galvanized tub that sat in the kitchen with doors closed and blinds pulled.

It was a tough time, but there were some advantages. People cheerfully helped one another. Neighbors pitched in to help neighbors -- it was volunteer work. Children helped to care for the gardens and animals. They learned at a young age that faithfulness to the responsibilities of life were crucial to everyone. It was team work -- and it was team play. We weren't separated from one another when the electronic wonders were few and far between. We DID listen to stories read and dramatized over the radio. We gathered around the piano to sing. Families went to Church together and they gathered on Sunday for huge meals, most often featuring meats, vegetables, and fruits that were home grown. For the most part, we valued one another. One thing we do not remember is a feeling of entitlement. We knew that "money doesn't grow on trees" and we learned to be patient for what we wanted and thankful for what we got. We weren't allowed to grumble and complain!

There is a saying that, "big things come in small packages." Let's remind ourselves to be thankful.
The Bible says, "in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Now, I am not advocating that we all need to go back to houses with no central heat, water pumps in the yard, outdoor toilets, and a life with no computers or TVs. But what I AM advocating is for us to set our focus on becoming thankful, creative, productive, appreciative, and loving members of our homes, Churches, and communities. We need to learn to have fun just being together and to be sensitive to one another's needs. We need to LOVE one another and treat one another with respect and kindness.

Let's be reminded of the LOVE that God expects us to show (remember we are to "love our neighbor as ourselves"?)  By the way, "neighbor" includes our spouse, our parents, our children, our siblings, and anyone whose path crosses ours.

I Corinthians 13 is considered to be the GREAT "Love Chapter" of the Bible. Here is part of it:  " Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails."

It really IS tough to love some people. But when we are tempted to turn away and withhold the love that God says he has "shed abroad" in our hearts as Christians, we ought to ask ourselves a question.
"Was it easy for God to love ME when His own Son was bearing MY sin on the cross?" He could have turned His back on us -- but He didn't.

How can we do LESS?

We Won't Be Packing

Last Stop At The Marshfield House

 One of the most difficult LIFE LESSONS we have learned so far is this: "don't put your roots too deep".  It is not a good thing to feel too secure in your home, your job, your community, or any other temporal thing. Everything can change in a moment of time, in a few hours, or overnight.

As we look back, we believe we were too self sufficient. We had a home we loved and had raised our children there. We had good paying jobs that kept us well -- not in massive material wealth, but we were comfortable in our own, simple way. We loved our community and our Church. We lived in Marshfield and figured we would probably die and be buried from there. We were satisfied and comfortable there for 38 years.

I remember when we moved Downeast in 1965. Valerie was eight weeks old when we packed up in Pennsylvania and dragged a Uhaul to a rental in East Machias, where we lived for two months. And then we packed again when we bought the Marshfield house. I hate packing! I remember saying to Wayne, "the next time I move, I want it to be Heaven." I never wanted to pack again. But things changed in 2003 and we found ourselves packing and leaving everything that was familiar to us but each other and our stuff. We left, as I have often said, "kicking and screaming".  But God's plans are always good, even when we don't understand them.

As Christians, we were aware that this world is NOT our home. In reality, we are foreigners here. Jesus will be coming one of these days to take us home. Home? Yes! We are citizens of Heaven. We look forward to THAT moving day and we won't be packing!

The Bible says that while we are on this earth we are ambassadors for Christ -- wow! We Christians represent the King of Kings while we are here. He has given us a beautiful temporary home and we have the responsibility to take care of it. We have a commandment to love our neighbors and to teach them all that Christ has taught us. Since we left Downeast, we have met even MORE friends who are very special to us. We don't despise this world at all -- but we are looking forward to something better.

All Christians are waiting for something better! Let's not forget it. When we face the tough challenges, the grief, the disappointments and the pain of this life, though, it is important for us to put it all into perspective. God is building us into the people He wants us to be. The process is tough at times, but all of this is temporary.  Our primary focus must turn from our circumstances here to the great HOPE of eternity with Christ.

The Bible says to believers in Christ: ". . . we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." From II Corinthians 4 (NKJV)

A modern paraphrase puts it this way: "So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever."

So keep heart!

You aren't a Christian?  Here is the GOOD NEWS to you, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

It is so HARD to forgive!

" . .walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. . . And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."   From Ephesians 4 (ESV)

How come people we love so much can be so downright mean -- people in the Church, our neighbors, even our own family members?  And why is it that we can so easily look at ourselves, lick our wounds, and think everything is the other person's fault? In other words, why is it so hard to forgive others and so EASY to excuse ourselves?

You know what I think? I think it is because we have a very poor understanding of grace and a very faulty understanding of our own unworthiness for the very least of the favors God sends our way daily. May I tell you a little story?

Years ago my little nephew was raking up fall leaves at their home by the lake. Believe me, there are a lot of maples up there and the carpet of leaves seems endless. He was working hard to help his parents and he was stuffing the rakings into jack-o-lantern patterned bags. While he worked along, I sat in the beautiful fall air studying a college psychology assignment.

As he worked, Paul stopped and looked over my shoulder. "What are you reading, Aunt Brenda?" When I told him I was studying psychology he said, "what is THAT?" I put it in simple terms to him, "psychology is a study about why people behave the way they do." At that response, Paul got a puzzled look on his face and asked me, "WHY do you need to study that, Aunt Brenda? You already KNOW why people behave the way they do. It started with Adam and Eve. . ." My thought was, "that little kid is smarter than I am!" He simply stated the obvious when he made that reference to the fact that people behave the way we do because we are all sinners.

Next time I mistreat you in some way or the next time I don't like what you have said or done, let us both remember that Jesus said to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Did He forgive us because we deserve it? NO. I am not better than you and you are no better than I. We both deserve eternal separation from God, but He freely forgave us because of His mercy, love, and grace.

From James 4:  "Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?"

Not a suggestion! Forgiveness is required of us.

I Will Never Forget You

She was a foreign exchange student at a local Christian school for the past year. Always, she had a smile on her face and greeted everyone at Church with kindness and respect.

Over time we developed a special friendship and she asked if she could sit with us in Church. We said we would love to sit with her and every week after that, she would seek us out, share our pew, and sing along with us. What joy that was. One day I asked her if I could be her American grandmother. "Yes! Yes, you can," she said with a smile.

When she went back to her country nearly two months ago, the parting was bittersweet. She was lonely for her friends and family and so she could hardly wait to be home. Likewise, we were happy for her. But leaving her host family, her new friends, and the Church was a tough one for Pin. "I hope I can see you again," she said to me. Smiles and hugs and tears were exchanged with many friends at Church that last Sunday that she was with us.

In my Bible is a cherished card from her. Part of the handwritten message was, "I will never forget you, my American grandmother." I will never forget her, either! I sincerely hope and pray that I will see her again someday, too. Maybe we will see her again on this earth, or it may be in Heaven. In the meantime, we say "hi" online and exchange some photos. What fun to keep in touch so easily with our little friend from the other side of the world!

This morning I was thinking of "Pin" and missing her. While thinking of the people who touch our lives, God reminded me of a verse from the Book of Revelation:

"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. . ."

What a wonderful thing to think of GOD calling people from all over the world to Himself. How amazing to think of that PERFECT day when people from all of history and from every part of the earth will be together and bow our knees to our Creator and Redeemer, confessing Him as LORD!

Pin, Family, Friends: I hope to see all of you there! There is ONE way, according to Jesus, Who said,  ". . . nobody comes to the Father, except by Me." Trust Him!

Which Race Is Best?

Our Grandson Kyle

 “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.  Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.   And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,  so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might reach for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;   for in Him we live and move and have our being. . ."  From Acts 17 (NKJV) 

Tonight the caption of a picture took my eye and touched my heart: "Nobody is born racist." Immediately my mind went back to an incident with Kyle. After enjoying a program at Machias Valley Christian School twelve or so years ago, we were hugging the grandchildren who had participated. All at once, Kyle came over to us with a little friend in tow. "Look, Grammie and Grampie. This is my friend. See our arms? Mine are all white and his are all brown. Isn't he beautiful?" Of course we ruffled his hair and agreed with a smile. But this incident was more meaningful to us than simply acknowledging our grandson's sweetness. We hope to never forget the beauty of our little grandson's heart. We were blessed then with the joyful reminder of how beautiful it will be when people no longer know racial prejudice. And we are blessed with the memory now and look forward to the time when more of us appreciate one another as equals, created in the image of God.

Right now racial tensions are increasing in our country and this is such a tragedy. People are hurting. A woman said the other day that there will always be racism unless we all begin to realize there is but ONE race: the human race. I pray we do open our eyes and realize the worth of every life. I pray we truly turn our faces to God and love HIM with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves.

What if we began to find something to value in every person with whom we come in contact? How about the homeless addict on the corner? "There," we should say, "is a person for whom Christ gave His life." And if God loves that person so much, can't we have a glimmer of compassion for him or her?

"Oh, to be like Jesus!"

Who ARE We?

 
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?

Scripture from Psalm 8 (NLV)

 

You have probably looked at a night sky like this one, stood at the seashore watching the waves roll in, or heard a baby's first cry and found yourself filled with awe and wonder.

 

Have you ever thought of yourself and thought of the vast and magnificent universe and realized just how insignificant you are in comparison? Smaller than a drop in the bucket or a grain of sand on the shore? I have. And certainly the Psalmist did.

 

 

Sometimes I look around at the variety of things and wonder. Why aren't all trees fir or maple or dogwood? Why aren't all flowers yellow or red or blue? Why are there so many hues in the sunset? Think of this beautiful day lily that I photographed this afternoon. Look at all the marvelous use of color in this masterpiece. It's great that I snapped the picture because tomorrow it will be gone. This amazing beauty was created to brighten one day and one day only. Why did God bother to make something so spectacular to brighten just one day? It is amazing.

 

There is an old song that talks about the wonders of this natural world. It includes a line similar to this, ". . .but the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul is the wonder that God loves ME. . .' LOVE. That is why I believe God has given us such beauty. And that is why He gave us the capacity to enjoy beauty.  "Oh, how He loves you and me. . ."

 

Sometimes I think about the fact that I have this life and then all of eternity, but I will never be able to thank Him enough for His love, His grace, His mercy, His peace, His comfort and ALL of His many benefits that He so freely gives to me. 

 

Let us be thankful -- always.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Did It: I Lost My Grip

"Keep Me Safe 'Til The Storm Passes By"

Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.          Run to God! Run from evil.

 

A paraphrase from Proverbs 3 (The Message)

 

Most of the time I am able to keep a positive perspective. If you are around me very long, you will hear me say that we can trust the Lord to always to the right thing. He has written the final chapter and the end of the story is for our GOOD. That is all well and good, but there are times when it becomes necessary for me to ask myself, "is that because I have a deep faith in the goodness of God? Or is it because I am strong willed and pretty well skilled at being able to handle struggles?" I know what I would LIKE the answer to be.

 

The real answer is probably that both of those elements are at play in my life. I want to stand firm in Christ, but I am weak and prone to wander from security in Christ. Jesus said, "without ME you can do NOTHING." I know that is true because HE said so. And I know it is true because I've proven it too many times. Unfortunately, it is a feature of our fallen nature. You may have read how the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7 how prone he was to doing the very opposite of what he wanted to do.

 

You are wondering, perhaps, how I lost my grip. It was emotional overload and I ran out of my own steam. Instead of trusting God completely, I came to the end of myself and burst into tears over my own inadequacy. What was I to do about our freezer in this power down? What about the ants that began to invade through our sliders this morning? I couldn't find Wayne's wallet to go and buy us some breakfast because of the power down. Petty little things, aren't they? And the last thing my husband needed during this recovery from illness was to see ME in tears. I felt guilty and cried some more.

 

Then I was reminded that even JESUS cried real tears. I was reminded that HIS strength is made perfect in OUR weakness. And, finally, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

 

Once again, HE IS ABLE to do far more than we can ask or think. Why didn't I ask"? Why didn't I stop spinning my wheels and ask Jesus to "take the wheel". He has never failed me yet. I will "never walk alone, Christ walks bedside me."

 

Once again, I've messed up -- big time. And once again, He has given me His grace, His mercy, His love, His forgiveness, His strength, and His peace.

 

Can YOU identify?

When We Are Helpless

Are you anything like me? If you are, you like things to go smoothly. You like making plans and being able to see everything work out according to those plans. It is good thing for you to have peaceful and productive days. Right? Maybe so. And maybe not. Sometimes it is a good thing for us to be reminded of just how fragile and how needy we are. Only when we realize we are helpless are we able to see the wonder of God's power. Only at those times are we truly aware of the love and grace of our Creator and our genuine need for Him. God allowed such an opportunity in my life just this week. I am thankful for it.

 

We were up at the lake working on our camp when Wayne became very ill and was hospitalized for six days. He was released from the hospital and he spent a few days with me at Mom's, recuperating. Finally on Tuesday of this week we were going HOME!

 

So my plan: pack up things at the camp, clean out our dorm fridge, get Wayne settled into the back seat of the van with his leg elevated, drive the two hours home, and get him up the stairs into our raised ranch and give him the best TLC that I could possibly give. How hard is that, right?

 

Things were going well. The car was almost packed, and I had an aged cantaloupe to throw into the woods for our feathered and furred neighbors to enjoy. Standing at the edge of the woods, I pitched the cantaloupe down a little slope and headed back to finish packing the car. Hurrying along, I made a foolish decision to step over a builder's tool instead of walking around it. In two seconds I was on the ground with a nasty-looking leg -- the one that was needed for the brake and accelerator.

 

Without going into a lot of detail, let me just say that I have suffered from a condition that makes me  the poster child for the ads, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up."  I pulled the cell phone from my skirt pocket and then realized that my 91-year-old mother with a Hover Round to ride up the hill and my recovering husband with a walker and inability to do much with his left leg could not TOGETHER help me. I had an open wound and was crumpled on top of a 70-foot deep deposit of sand and gravel. I could imagine all those particles settling into the wound. There was nothing I could use to pull myself up (which I CAN do with difficulty). I was in an impossible situation. It was 90-plus degrees out and I do not do very well with hot temperatures. I thought momentarily of the snake that had perished on that sand the day before. Now what? Call 911?

 

The Bible says that GOD " is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. . ." I opted out of 911 and am not sure how I prayed, but it was quick and from a heart that KNEW that I needed to trust in Him alone. I was truly helpless.

 

I would love to have seen my face. Most likely my mouth was wide open and my eyes were bugging out as I got UP "unassisted" for the first time in more than a decade. One more time I was confronted with the truth from Luke 1 that says "nothing will be impossible with God."  And I was also confronted with another truth expressed in an old song: "Without Him I could do nothing. . . like a ship without a sail."

 

(The rest is a long story, but we are healing!)