By Joe Widick
I don’t know how many of you take the time to read the paper! I would guess that the number is probably decreasing, because so many of us get our information from the TV or radio. Have you ever taken time to analyze how papers are laid out? There is national, state and local news. There will be editorials as well as entertainment sections. There is usually coverage of sporting events, religious articles (did you see the articles in the Post and Democrat about our missionaries)? All of these sections are neatly divided up in the paper. When I started looking at this and thinking about it, it made me realize that this may be a way that describes how many believers divide their lives into departments. Do we as believers divide our lives into departments with the “religious section” given a half-page somewhere near the back of our hurried lifestyle? Is there ever any attempt to relate matters of faith to the everyday issues of life?
Far too many think that the spiritual part of their lives can be taken care of by attending church or doing some good deed for someone. Once that has been accomplished the believer is then free to run their own business as they choose. They can involve themselves in any form of entertainment they wish. They will be able to relate to people in whatever way pleases them. Is this real Christianity? Is that what Jesus would have us do? We all need to realize that our Christianity can’t be confined to just one area of our lives. When the apostle Paul prayed for the church at Colosse he said; “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10).
Our relationship with Christ must affect all areas of life. There is no way we can live a life that is pleasing to God if we keep our faith limited to the “religious section.” Walking with Christ is a total-life experience. I would encourage each of us to make sure that we invite Jesus into all aspects of our life. We should make it a point to give Christ the key to every room in our life.
Thanks for letting Christ make a difference in you!
Prayer Thought: For the desire as well as willingness to invite people to Celebration Sunday.
By Joe Widick
I recently read of an experiment that was conducted with teenagers to see how they would deal with peer pressure. Most of us probably worry about our teens and if they will give into the pressure put on them by their peers. In this particular test 10 teenagers were brought into a room and instructed to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line on three charts. Nine of the teens had been told ahead of time to vote for the second-longest line. But one person in the group had not been told. You can imagine how the test went. The instructor began pointing to the second longest line and nine hands went up. The one who did not know began to look around the room and saw that the other nine raised their hands. He frowned, scratched his head and finally slipped his hand up. He knew deep inside that he was wrong, but because of the group’s presence, he elected to go along with the crowd. He lacked the courage to challenge them.
In the book of I Kings 13, an unidentified man of God performed a miraculous sign at the altar in Bethel. All are amazed, knowing that God was behind this. After this tremendous display of power, the unidentified prophet of God heeded the word of another prophet to be the truth even though he knew it was contrary to what God had already told him. Because of his disobedience, he was killed by a lion. I don’t think that God is going to send a lion to kill us when we know what we should do, but fail miserably to do so. I believe that all of us need to understand beyond any doubt, that God’s Word is superior to anyone else’s word. Because of that simple fact, we should always obey God’s word. How many times do we hear ourselves saying, God really meant…. Or God wouldn’t mind, after all everyone else believes…. If we are not careful we will find ourselves like the one teenager who knew without a doubt that the line everyone pointed to as longest was in reality only the second longest. God calls us to be faithful to Him and His word. We need to be able as Peter said to “give a reason for the hope that is within us.” This requires a good knowledge of God’s will coupled with the understanding that God will not forsake us. Can we like Paul say with conviction; “I know who I believe, and I am convinced that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day” (II Timothy 2:12). If we have this knowledge and trust in the Lord, we will always find ourselves willing to stand for the truth, even if we are the only one willing to take that stand.
May the Lord bless you with the opportunity to make a difference this week in the lives others.
Prayer Thought: For the new efforts of “His Needs Her Needs” the “Divorce Care” work, and the “Financial Ministry” classes.
By Joe Widick
I don’t know for sure what it is like at your house, but if it is anything like mine, it is HOT and DRY. All of us are looking for a break in the weather. A forecast in the mid 90’s almost seems like a cold front. A 10 % chance of rain would be a tremendous blessing. Most of the time when the clouds come rolling in and the rain starts, most of us head for the indoors to keep from getting wet. I can imagine the first day that we have a rain after this lengthy hot and dry spell that we are having. I can see people running outside their homes and offices, and standing in the downpour. I could imagine some even shouting with glee. Everyone would have a look of happiness and contentment on their faces. After weeks of scorching temperatures and crippling drought, the sheer joy of a life-giving rain would make getting soaked a pleasure.
Just as a physical drought teaches us that there is no substitute for rain, a time of spiritual dryness burns into us the truth that we cannot live without God’s renewing Spirit. Hymnist David W. Whittle expressed his longing for spiritual revival in these words: “Showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need; mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.”
I am afraid that from time to time, most all of us face periods of spiritual dryness in our life. Times when we overlook the rich blessings that God has provided for us. Times when we fail to see the joy of serving a loving and caring God. Times when we fail to show in our life the fact that we have been “redeemed by the blood of the lamb.” Times when it seems that God is distant even though we know that he is near. When we long for a sense of the presence and power of God, we echo the psalmist’s prayer. “Will you not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation” (Psalm 85:6-7).
The spiritual refreshing that each of crave comes from only one source. That source is from above. In John 4, Jesus the master teacher talked with a Samaritan woman, who had come to collect water. The setting was right for Jesus to enter into a conversation about “living water.” The promise he made to her is the same promise that is made to each of us, that is if we will come to Him we shall have this living water. Maybe in the midst of a hot and dry period, we can be reminded of how important it is to receive the many blessings that will be “showered down on us.”
Thanks for being a blessing in our community!
Prayer Thought: Help me this week to take time to count my many blessings.
By Joe Widick
As most of you know, I was in Bogotá, Colombia this past weekend. It was a great experience! As I got to the airport (2 hours early as instructed) I immediately grew concerned that I would never get out of that airport. There were people everywhere and seemingly no one was speaking English except for the two missionaries who were with me. They were not concerned in the least. I don’t know if they could see the panic on my face, but they assured me all would be OK. We finally made our way to the Continental line and began the long wait. After 30-40 minutes of inching forward, one of our missionaries asked an “official” if this was the right line. He saw that I was a “gringo” and said I needed to get a stamp from the tax exemption line. We slowly turned to where he was pointing and saw another huge line. More panic showed on my face! At this point we decided to divide and conquer. One missionary stayed in the Continental line while the other took me to the back of the tax line. Frustration, worry, concern all the above and more filled my thinking. Guess what, I forgot about the two precious men who were with me, helping me, guiding me, taking care of me, all I wanted was on the plane to Houston.
Guess what? I made it! As I rode in the plane, I began to think about my attitude. I was with two of the most loving and caring people you would want to be with and I lost focus. I wonder sometimes if we lose focus with who we are with daily. Each day of our lives, we need to be “walking with the Lord.” Sometimes or many times, we become so worried about where we’re headed in life that we fail to enjoy being with Him each day. Isn’t our life of faith more a matter of companionship than getting somewhere? In the Old Testament we find a man by the name of Enoch. The Genesis account says that he “walked with God three hundred years” (Genesis 5:22). And then he just walked off the earth into God’s presence without even experiencing death (Hebrews 11:5). What are you and I doing daily in our walk with the Lord? Do we miss the comfort he affords? What about the security that He gives us daily? What about the encouragement as well as the peace of mind that he gives us. When was the last time you considered the amazing grace of our Lord? Our missionaries were going to take care of me. I should have simply enjoyed sharing the last few minutes that I had with them. We may not know where life’s road will take us, but we can enjoy the journey if we are walking with our Lord.
Prayer Thought: For our missionaries not only in Bogotá but throughout the world.
