https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNf0NnY-Fy4

Free Wine- the finest

In Isaiah 55:1, God offers free wine.  He invites those with no money to receive the finest of wine, milk and food.  The offer is to any who are thirsty or hungry.  Are you hungry or thirsty?  

No doubt this is a metaphor to illustrate how God wants to give to us.  The actual invitation is to receive the everlasting covenant and unfailing love God promised to David.  It takes no money or efforts to receive this.  It is offered to sinful and wicked people.  I think everyone sins.   

Heres's my own illustration;
I heard this story about a group of soldiers who were training by walking miles each day.  The gear was heavy and the men were tired.  On top of that, the food truck that was to meet them did not arrive.  Now a few days without food the group received some encouragement as a Salvation Army truck met them with hot coffee.  But still no food.  

A couple of the men started eating the cups.  They said it felt better to at least have something in their stomachs.  

Why spend your efforts on food that does not give any nourishment?  Why use your life for things that do not matter?  

Filling your stomach with paper could make you feel like you had some food.  I wonder where I fill my life with things that do not matter.  I can stay busy, but what am I doing that really matters?  I could think I am satisfied.  Do we slow down enough to notice that we are really hungry and thirsty for what God has to offer?  

God says those who listen to him will find meaning/ purpose in life.  God's word will accomplish what he wants it to do.  I plan to take time as a rhythm in my life to listen to God.  To be still and listen to God and his word.  

Who would turn down the finest free wine?  

My High School Football Team at Pinellas Park High School

There is something about being on a team.  

I have good memories of my high school football team at Pinellas Park High.  Win or loose we were in it together.  Our coach asked us to choose the schedule we would take for my senior year.  We were a new school and people did not expect too much from us.  We could play smaller schools and that would be acceptable.  Or, we could play the bigger schools.  That would be the schools we came from.  Our new school had taken students from 3-4 other high schools.  We might loose all the games.  But, we all wanted to take on the challenge of playing our old schools.  

Today, Linda and I are on the edge of a new transition.  No doubt that God is moving us from Maryland, back to Florida.  It is like we have no choice.  God is that clear.  

For 30 years I have been privileged with a paid position as I worked on a church staff.  More and more I look to build a team.  We need to see the same purpose.  It will take work.  There will be training.  My future job is not clear.  But I know there will be a team.  

This will be part of the team.  All Scripture is inspired by God and it is useful for training workers.  Then I read another place that said church leaders responsibility is to train workers.  The church becomes mature in Christ when leaders train those who are teachable to do work.  My goal would be to build a team that would carry this out.  Team up with God to make this happen.  To be a biblical church.  (II Tim 3:17, Eph. 4:12)

As I remember it, the first game we won had the score of 4 to 0.  We scored 2 safety's.  No one really expected that.  But we planned and worked hard expecting to win.  I learned a lot from that high school team.  I hope to keep on learning as we build a team to be the church.  

Change the way I pray

Hey God in heaven.  I am pretty good.  Since I am good I think I should get my way.  Since I am good you will probably give me what I want.  I do sin, but not as bad as other people I know.  So just keep the good times coming.  

Ok, not the best way to pray.

I want to change the way I pray.  It seems I often say the same words without enough thought.  I have been thinking about how Jesus taught people to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. 

I want my prayers to realize the greatness of my Lord and Savior.  I want everything to line up with what he wants to do in my life and in the lives of those around me.  

My needs can be part of my prayers.  My needs and my wants are not the same.  I hope my wants, will keep changing to be more like what my Father's wants from heaven.  

When I seek the holiness of God I notice how I fall short.  My sin must be confessed.  Change my selfish ways to line up with my creator so to fit what I was made for.  

My Father in heaven, you are  .  .  .  .

And then he died

There are some things in life you can never forget.  We lived in Ohio about 20 years ago.  Each pastor had a day when they had to do the hospital visitation.  I went to visit the man on the card.  I would have forgotten this long ago, but he died while I was there in the room.  I had already read the Bible and prayed with him.  And then he dies.  He was already asleep and looked mostly dead.  

I am not qualified to pronounce someone dead.  But I can tell when someone is not breathing.  Some can check for a pulse.  I never can find a pulse.  If they are not breathing, they are dead.  

The Bible says that a body is dead without breath.  This illustrates something about faith.  When faith is dead there are no good works.  If someone claims to have faith and there are no good works then that faith is dead, useless and worth nothing.  Genuine faith will produce good works.

Claiming you have faith does not mean you have faith.  James 2:1  That is too easy.  And we can think we have something when we really do not.  You can know and show you have faith by your actions.  Good works are the sign that shows your faith.  Like a body has breath.  James 2:26

The Purpose is People

The greatest love is giving so much that it cost you your life.  You lay down you life for another person.  You are willing to stop living for your self.  No longer selfish.  My budget and my calendar will be full of time with others that I want to help.  Not that I need to put them on my calendar.  I will see them as important every where I go.  Where ever you go, care about people.    

The score of the game is not as important of those I am with.  My way in the meeting is not as important as my care and patience with the person I am talking to.  My food at the restaurant is not as important as the person who brings it.  

Stop and see the people.  

In the church we must have this kind of a team.  To know that we are working together.  We are on the same side.  My favorite times are the time with people who are taking up the cross of Christ.  They are looking to be used by God.  They are making time to care about others.  

Jesus laid his life down for us.  He died for us.  

He told us that to follow him would cost us our lives.  If I live for myself then lose my life.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  Mark 8:35

Since my life is no longer mine.  It belongs to God. I can let him lead me.  

The joy that comes from this is surprising.  When we love each other the way that God loves us we are filled with joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow.  John 15:11

The purpose is the people.  All the stuff will go.  People last forever.  

How can I get around to the things that matter the most?

Back in the 90's I worked at a church where the people voted on the pastors every year.  You could vote for them to stay.  Or you could vote that you wanted them to leave.  So what do you think this did to the pastors?  I know for me it encouraged the purpose of a pastor.  To keep everyone happy.  Right?  I think we all dreaded the vote.  Not sure it helped us at all.  Likely it did more damage to the hearts of the congregation.  Imagine thinking the pastors job was to keep you happy.  I think that church has grown past that.  I don't know of any churches that do that anymore.

Maybe pastors should work harder to do the things that pastors are told to do in the Bible?  Here are 3 things that would help us stay on track.

1.  I need to know what I am called to do.  I have taken on the call to follow Christ.  He is the leader of my life.  I trust him with every area of my life.  I will live my life to be pleasing to God.
       
          Have I put my trust in Christ?
          Am I a follower of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior?

2.  Put every thing on the table.  Things that do not fit need to go.  I must be intentional.  If I am not intentional then I will become busy with good things rather than the best things.  I will not keep doing the same things that do not work.  We will not keep doing things that get us no where.

          Is our budget spent on the things that accomplish the mission of the church?
          Does everything on the calendar fit the mission?

Things cannot be there because we just feel like putting it there.  What needs to go and what needs to stay.

          Has my church gone all in on this?
          Does the budget and calendar reflect this?
          Concerts, Socials, Softball team?  Why do this?


3.  Stop doing things that just fill my time.  No doubt we can stay busy.  But, we need to be busy about things that matter.

          Are we meeting needs in the community?
          Are we helping people grow in how they know and follow Christ?
          Are we training people to help others in how they know and follow Christ?

My life is worth nothing unless I use it to finish the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus- Acts 20:24

I look forward to spending time with others who want to live on the mission of Christ.