The James Approach

By Elaine James –

 

When my son was about two years old he bit a little boy in a child play class we were taking together. The mother abruptly turned to me and blurted out “Why did your son do that? What are you going to do about that?”

I thought to myself: First of all, the bite did not break skin-thank goodness. Second of all, let’s let just ask him? Really?

I was appalled.  I wanted to lash back asking, “What did your son do that made my son bite him?” But I restrained myself.

I think we can find reasons daily to quarrel with anyone. I left that lady with a quarrel going on in my mind thinking, “I should have said that or next time I will say that.” Aren’t quarrels crazy?

James stated: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17-18 NIV). I use this as a guideline to go through my list of arguments against a person to see what my motives are all about.

Why quarrel? The James approach regarding wisdom is a great list to use as a self-exam so we can measure our reasons for not quarreling.

Joseph used the word “quarrel” when he made a deal with his eleven brothers to go retrieve their father Jacob and bring him back to Egypt. As they were getting ready to leave Joseph turned to them and said, “Don’t quarrel on the way!” (Genesis 45:24 NIV).  Joseph had an intuition just like James about wisdom. It helped him to deal with his brothers and to run the country of Egypt. He sowed in peace to reap a harvest of righteousness. Something he obviously knew his brothers lacked.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1 NIV).

The Influence of Faith

By Carin LeRoy –

 

When my husband was a young man serving in the military, he went home on leave to see family and friends.  He visited with one of his buddies that had grown up with him in the neighborhood. His friend had since become a Christian and began sharing about his new faith. Later when my husband began searching for truth, he thought about that friend’s conversation. He found a Bible and began the journey of reading Scripture. My husband realized his need for Christ.

Being a witness and influencing others for Christ is an important part of our Christian life. Sometimes it’s not just a conversation with someone, but also our lifestyle that attracts others to Christ. Abraham was a man of great influence and witness– not only to the nations around him but also to his household. In Genesis, we can see how Abraham influenced his servant for Christ.

Desiring to find a good wife for his son, Isaac, Abraham asked his most trusted servant to go back to his homeland to search for a wife.  “Go to my relatives,” he told the servant. Then he gave explicit instructions on how he should look for a wife and made him swear to follow his directives. As the servant traveled to that distant homeland, I’m sure he felt overwhelmed at the responsibility. Rather than believe in his own ability to make the right choice, he chose to do what he had seen Abraham do many times. He prayed to his master’s God.

“Then he prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today…’” (Genesis 24:12 NIV).

We know that prayer was answered. God orchestrated the perfect events that led the servant to make the right choice for Isaac’s wife.  After finding her, he bowed and worshipped God.  He realized that Abraham’s God was real because he experienced how his own prayer had been answered. This became the point of his own belief in God.

Do others realize that we have a personal relationship with Christ? Is our lifestyle a witness and are we consistent in our walk with God?  As we go through each day, let’s remember how important it is that our lives be a testimony to those around us who may not know Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to be a witness for You. Give me boldness to share my faith with others. Help me to have a lifestyle that will draw others to Christ.

“Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor.  He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.

Then he prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, “Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,” and she says, “Drink, and I’ll water your camels too”—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.’

Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor” (Genesis 24:10-15 NIV).

Put On Your Shine

By Cheri Cowell –

 

Let’s be honest. Two subjects are lightning rods in the workplace—politics and religion. Some workplaces are zero-tolerance zones when it comes to religion. Even if you are blessed to work in a business run by those with Christian principles, the differences on religious views can be tricky to navigate. So as not to rock the boat, do you simply put your Christian values in a lockbox from nine-to-five?

Scripture gives us an alternative approach to the lockbox. We’re told to let our light shine. Light doesn’t use words. It doesn’t argue its point. Light simply brightens a room, and it helps show the way. How? It does it through its presence. When we let our inner light, which is Jesus Christ, shine, that interior light warms hearts. When we put on our Shine, we bring glory to God without a single word spoken. If you work where it is unwise to discuss your faith, determine to let your light do all the talking.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 NIV).

Prayer: Help me remember that arguing my point is often less effective than simply putting on my Shine—Your Light shining through me.

Going Home

By Gillis Killam –

 

Not long ago my youngest sister went home to be with the Lord. I thought about what it means for a Christian to die.

Dying to the Christian is like going home. If you had a home anything like mine, you would have always loved to go home, justas a child at the end of the day, and later as an adult if I had been somewhere far away. I looked forward to coming home to a warm house, a loving father and mother, brothers and sisters who cared for me. Our journey on earth is the same. Even our spiritual journey is spoken of as coming home to the Saviour.

When Jesus portrayed our straying from God the Father He told the parable of The Prodigal Son, which is a picture of our coming home to God, our Father.

It means to be accepted.

The Bible makes it very clear that our coming to Jesus Christ is coming home to our Father.(2 Corinthians 5:6-9) God is calling all of us home.

At home I didn’t need to knock; I didn’t have to try to be like someone else. I just belonged! I was accepted! How can we really be sure of acceptance into God’s home? John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—” (NIV).

It means to have a place that is home (John 14:1-3).

When we personally receive Jesus as our Saviour, we take our place in the great family of God as described by the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:14).

Going home to heaven means never to leave. “And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 NIV).

The Psalmist wrote, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6 NIV).

The bane of this life is that we fear the day when good things, good relationships, and good times will end. But for a Christian, life with God will never end (Psalm 16:11).

One day our journey on earth will be over. Are we ready to go home?

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you have gone to prepare a place for us and we will one day enter into our new home.

Heavenly Promenade

By Hally Franz –

 

My dress was a gunny sack – literally. Handmade by my professional seamstress aunt, the dress I wore to senior prom was a “Gunne Sax” pattern. Those dresses were extremely popular in the 1980’s. With a sweetheart neckline and lacy sleeves, my original was lovely and feminine. But, have you seen the prom dresses of thirty years later? Whoazah!

When I worked in education, one of the supervision “opportunities” for faculty was the spring prom. While that made for a longer evening than other dances, it was by far the most entertaining. I loved watching the girls enter with gorgeous gowns and their cleaned-up dates.

Prom season came and went a couple months ago, and it was again fun to see groups dining at restaurants and taking photos in local parks. I more than once asked glammed-up girls to do a little spin so I could check out their evening’s selections. Outside my wedding dress, I’ve never had dresses as fancy as those worn today. Fortunately, the young ladies are usually pleased to oblige this old lady, and I smile at their youth.

Now, in some local high schools, they do what is known as “promenade.” In my home district, the school is too large to accommodate such an event. But, wouldn’t that be fun? All the prom guests take a leisurely stroll through the gym or venue so they can publicly display their fancied-up selves for parents and school personnel. Let’s face it; today’s kids rarely dress up. I may have to crash that party next year for some Saturday night amusement.

Having said all this, do you imagine there is a promenade in heaven? A time for new guests to mosey through for introductions and greetings? We will have new, young bodies, right? And, surely our garments will be the finest if we are to present ourselves to the Almighty. Since time is unlimited, vast numbers should not be an issue.

That’s a thought that excites me. While we don’t really know what awaits us, I am confident it will be grand.

Here’s the part where the minister offers an invitation. I’m not a minister, but I encourage you to consider or share this. Have you made the choice to follow the gospel and become a believing, baptized and saved member of the body of Christ?

There’s something waiting you don’t want to miss.

PRAYER: Gracious and Glorious Father, please protect our young people as they participate in all the modern-day activities that accompany youth, and please help us all prepare and make ready for an eternal stroll in your courts.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1 NIV).

 

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