The End of the World?

By Kim Stokely −

If you’re reading this post, it means the Mayans were wrong and the earth didn’t self-destruct on December 21st.

Whew. I was worried.

Not.

I hope you all enjoyed a blessed Christmas and didn’t let the threat of our ultimate demise cast a pall on your celebrations.

Honestly, I think the fact that Dick Clark died this year scared me more than all the Mayan calendar hoopla. I mean, can America really have a new year without Dick Clark? Can the Tiffany ball in Times Square fall without him?

My guess?

Yup.

The fact is, the Mayans probably ran out of room on that big rock wall they were chiseling, that’s why the calendar ended. Or maybe it was the fact that Cortez had arrived in South America and wanted to steal all their gold. I think they may have had more important things on their mind at the time, like trying to survive. And as for Dick Clark, well, much as we hate to admit it, the world does not revolve around a single human being (a household, maybe. Not the planet!)

Why are we so fascinated by the end of the world? People spend a lot of time trying to break Bible Codes, Indian prophecies and the ramblings of Nostradamus in an effort to figure out how much time they have left on this earth. The History Channel runs “Doomsday” marathons during this season—shows about global warming, rogue asteroids, nuclear holocaust (because nothing says Happy Holidays like a good, worldwide plague.)

But God alone knows the time and day of His return. He determined the beginning of the universe and the start of life on this tiny, third planet from the sun. It’s up to Him to decide when it’s done.

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (NIV). The key is not to figure out how many days we might have left, but to make the most of the days we’re given. Worrying about the number and not how we live is like a kid who sits among his Christmas presents but never opens them because then he’ll have one less package. Me? I want to savor each present, each day, the Lord chooses to give me. I don’t want to leave one experience left unopened at the end of my life.

Ministry: Long Hours, Little Pay, Great Retirement

By Jarrod Spencer –

People will sometimes ask me what made me choose to begin a career in ministry. I may disappoint some when I don’t have this eureka-like experience of feeling “called” to this position.

I didn’t have ministry on my radar at all growing up. I fell in love with the work of the manager/trainer in high school. I started out as the “water boy” type of person. Just your typical freshman who was the errand boy and carried the equipment out to practice and games, along with making sure there was water for the players. I was pretty much the bottom of the barrel in the way of popularity and respect. However, there was something about it that I greatly enjoyed. My pursuit of this career took me through college and two years as a professional trainer at a community college.

Somewhere during my last year and a half of college and my two years in the profession of being an athletic trainer and instructor, my focus started to shift toward ministry. It piqued my interest and I gathered some advice. Soon, I decided to go into something I never thought I would be even remotely interested in pursuing.

It didn’t take long to realize that I love ministry. As a person who has several talents, ministry has allowed me to use those talents to touch the lives of many people.

As you can see, there really was no “Aha!” moment, but rather the idea of ministry came through influence and something inside of me that seemed to click with the profession. One thing that I have always had a difficult time doing is fitting into a “box” when it came to ministry.

I did not want to have the stigma that was attached to ministers. I have always liked to be real and approachable. I want people to still be themselves even when a “preacher” is around. I love the opportunities that have come about through being in ministry to help people. These are some of the priceless moments.

A few years back, a church was looking for a minster and listed the following phrases in their job opening: “long hours, little pay, great retirement benefits.” They were being lighthearted with their advertising, but for most of us who work in ministry, this holds true.

Most don’t realize how much goes on in a minister’s life. It is generally not a physically laborious position, but there is a lot that goes into the mental side of things. We are always “on duty” in the eye of the public. We must be wary of the way we conduct ourselves for threat of rumor that can dampen our influence. We are not done at 5:00 PM, for someone can call us at a moment’s notice. We try to please everyone.

Some even think we work for them instead of Him.

Each minister or pastor has their various passions. Each has their own delivery style. Each one is different. However, this is important; each minister has feelings and runs out of steam once in a while. I hope you take the time to embrace and encourage your minister throughout the year. You have no idea of all that happens behind the scenes.

Let’s appreciate those who serve us!

PRAYER: Father, thank You for all the opportunities I have had to serve others in the way of ministry. I appreciate You so much for giving me the opportunity.

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 NIV).

Hokey Pokey-Defrosted

By Elaine James –

This week I took a frozen turkey and put it in the refrigerator to defrost. I realized how that was very similar to what had happened to my brain recently. It took three days to defrost both the turkey and my brain.

My frozen lips could only come out with “Help me!” That heart cry started a God-brain-defrost.

God appears to be in the refrigeration business. Relief came slowly, like the defrosting of a turkey. I was becoming aware that my brain had been hardening from my daily devotions. My spiritual intake appears to not have been enough. I was rationalizing and reasoning about how much reading of the Bible I needed, since I can quote New Testament stories in my head.

My brain freeze stated, “I know that story and I don’t need to read it.” My brain being frozen tried a new tactic avowing, “Once you start reading you won’t have enough time for the rest of your schedule.” My hurry up and do something response was winning over spending time reading the word.

But a freezer alert light came on in my brain! God got out His tools and began to help me be aware of how I needed to dismiss all of the arguments. First tool of choice; reading, John 15-17.

I melted! I can’t explain the phenomenon of God’s word. Simply put by God “Don’t question it, it defrosts.” The passion story and last words of Christ gave me strength.

You know when you get a brain freeze and it hurts? After it defrosts, you get hungry again. After this, I had a renewed hunger for God’s word.

Funny! I am hearing in my head the song Hokey Pokey. You put your whole head in, you put your whole head out, you put your whole head in and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and turn yourself about. That’s what it’s all about!

“For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me” (John 17:8).

Apparently, God helps defrost our brain so we can dance together!

Stuck in the Interim

By Jennifer Slattery –

The Bible tells us life, our time on earth, is short and this world is not our home, and yet, we rarely speak of heaven. Perhaps our biggest deception, our biggest distraction, is the here and now. It’s like we’re all stuck in an airport terminal dining on stale ham and cheese sandwiches, fighting for access to the vending machine and the seat closest to the window, not realizing the Bahamas are only a short flight away. Yet Jesus endured the cross, “for the joy that was set before Him.” And He told us to do the same.

According to John C. Hutchison, part of our inability to grasp eternity is due to our need for instant gratification. With instant messaging, texting, and high-speed internet, we’re trained to think of the here and now. Tomorrow is a long way away. Eternity, even longer…so long we consider it almost insignificant. Yet, the Bible tells us this world stinks. It’s plagued by sin, disease and death (Genesis 3, Romans 8:22-28). One of the most oft quoted Scripture passages is Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

We use this verse to comfort ourselves when we lose a job, fight illness, and face tragedy. We use it in the context of today–the here and now–but when we read the entire passage, we realize our world, “groans, like a woman in childbirth.” The hope is not in this life, but in the life to come.

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:20-25, 28 NIV).

Here’s the potential problem with misquoting the Romans 8:28 verse. If we’re looking for our rewards in the here and now, we won’t know how to handle it when difficulties come. We’ll be blind sighted. And even worse, we’ll lose hope, because what we hoped for may not come to pass. But our hope is not in this sin-plagued world. Our hope lies in eternity where God will wipe away ever tear from our eyes, where disease will be non-existent, and our joy will be inexpressible. And God will reward His children for every trial endured here on earth.

Matthew 5:11-12 says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven.”

Speaking of earthly trials, John C. Hutchinson says, “These dark moments actually have eternal significance!…Our lives are part of a bigger story, a drama that is unfolding in the heavenlies. When we understand this, it allows us to see every situation in life, especially the difficult ones, as faith opportunities that carry eternal significance.”

Rain on Me!

By Peter Lundell –

The sky finally dumped rain in Southern California—in October. Through all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen more than spit and drizzle this early in the rainy season. Today it came with thunder and torrential downpour. Kim and I thanked God for it and prayed for more. My daughter texted me with a request for an umbrella.

After a terrible drought across the country in 2012, the Bible would say that the land cries out for rain. A lot of people seem to think that water comes from a faucet and that lawn sprinkler systems somehow produce water out of PVC pipes—and they complain when their picnic or soccer game gets rained on. Others know that without rain we’re in trouble—as people in many parts of the world are.

In the rain I also saw God’s Spirit. And I saw that in the midst of busyness, I have too often relied on the equivalent of faucets and PVC pipes for spiritual vitality. I pray and read the Bible, but I want my soul soaked. I’m thirsty for downpour, for the Spirit of God to pour out on me and my church, and on you too.

Isaiah 44:3 parallels the image of rain with the outpouring of God’s Spirit: “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”

Ask Him for that Spirit. It’s life-giving.

I must be honest and ask myself, how badly do I want it? How much will I focus my heart on that? What will I sacrifice for it? God does not take lightly the giving of his Spirit. I invite you to be thirsty with me, not for religion but for God himself.

PRAYER: Lord, pour out Your Spirit on me! Forgive me for times I’ve been like Teflon and not received what You would have given me. I thirst for You. Keep me thirsty.”

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’S,’ and will take the name Israel” (Isaiah 44:3–5 NIV).

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