WHICH PATH?

Scripture:

"As the Father sent Me, so I am sending you"
John 20:21

In "The Road Not Taken," one of the most
well-know poems of the 20th century " Robert Frost
describes two roads discovered during a walk in the
woods. Frost knows he can only explore one, and
he tells himself that someday he will travel the other.
But realistically, he knows he will never return. And
by the time we reach the end of the poem, we
realize the poet is talking about something infinitely
more important than a simple choice of paths.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

No, Frost is not talking about the choice of paths in
a wood, but the choice of paths in a person's life.
Choosing a road symbolizes any choice we must
make between alternatives that appear equally
attractive but lead to entirely different destinations.

In the verse Jesus Christ is empowering all followers
of Christ to go out into the world and proclaim the
Good News that a Loving God of Resurrection Power
is right here in our midst, in the very Person of Jesus
Christ, who is always their to transform despair into
hope, sorrow into joy, death into new life.  As a
follower of Jesus Christ the path that we choose has
us "turning the world upside-down".

A story has come down through the years about a
king who visited the monasteries of a great Zen leader
named Lin Chi. (Zen is a Japanese Buddhist sect that
seeks enlightenment through the practice of
meditation.) The visiting king was astonished to learn
from Lin Chi that there were more than ten thousand
monks living there with him. Wanting to know the
exact number of monks, the king asked Lin Chi,
"How many disciples do you have?" To which Lin Chi
replied, "Four or five, perhaps."

The number of Christians living worldwide today is
almost two billion. And most, if not all of us here today,
are pleased to be included in that number. But how
many of those two billion Christians can be counted
as true disciples?

WHICH PATH DO YOU TAKE ARE YOU A TRUE
BELIEVER?

(excerpts taken from Sunday Sermon on Line)

BLESSED IS THE NATION

Psalm 33

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
    and sees all humankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
    all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

THE BEST POSITION

A young man, who was always jockeying for the
very best position in all of his summer jobs went
through college dreaming of the day he would be
offered an executive role in his father's huge
industrial plant. On graduation day, the father
took him aside and said, "Son, now you're ready
to come into the family business." Immediately,
the young man had visions of a big, plush office,
a large staff of assistants, and a hefty executive
salary. "I'll start work tomorrow, dad," he said
enthusiastically. Whereupon, the father said,
"Of course, in order to learn the business, you'll
have to start at the bottom. To begin with, your
job will be to water the hundreds of plants located
in our buildings." In an attempted "power play" the
son protested, figuring his father would relent and
offer him a more prestigious position. "I've
changed my mind," he said to his father. "I'm not
coming to work tomorrow." Later, he thought
better of his ill-conceived plan and instead
decided to please his father. And so he went to
work at the job he had been offered. The father
hoped for the best, but was concerned that
despite his son's good intentions, he wouldn't
stay on the job for long. But he stopped worrying
when the young man showed him his new
business card, which read...

"PLANT MANAGER."

Sunday Sermons Online

A MATTER OF CONCERN!

Another week in Washington brought another
week of attacks on the poor.

The immoral budget proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan
called for billions of dollars in cuts to poverty
programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and other
programs that feed hungry Americans and help
those in need.

But here’s the kicker: Ryan’s destructive plan
would increase the already bloated military budget
by 20%.

Cuts for the least of these. More money for bombs
and guns. Sounds like a horrible plan, right? We
think so. But the sad reality is that this budget
actually passed in the House and was only narrowly
defeated in the Senate.

It was a close call. Too close.

And the threat lingers. Just this weekend, Rep.
Ryan went on Meet the Press and audaciously
claimed these budget priorities were the medicine
needed to restore America's economic health.
These policy debates will continue from now until
election day.

Washington needs to act responsibly with taxpayer
money, but balancing the budget on the backs of the
poor is anything but responsible. Paul Ryan and
many other decision-makers believe the only solution
to the budget deficit is cutting poverty programs. You
and I know that’s just not true.

This is not responsible politics. These politicians are
playing chicken with the budget, but the people who
will lose the most are the poor.

Sojourners

AS A PERSON ON MEDICARE & MEDICAID AND
A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST THIS CONCERNS
ME!

SET APART

Scripture:

"I knew you before I formed you in your
mother's womb. Before you were born I
set you apart and appointed you as my
prophet to the nations."
Jeremiah 1:5, NLT

Reflections:

God knew you, as he knew Jeremiah,
long before you were born or even conceived.
He thought about you and planned for you.
When you feel discouraged or inadequate,
remember that God has always thought of
you as valuable and that he has a purpose
in mind for you.

(Life Application Daily Devotion)

IN THE VALLEY WE GROW

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then we have to remember
That it's in the valleys we grow.

If we always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
We would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.

We have so much to learn
And our growth is very slow,
Sometimes we need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys we grow.

We do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.

The little valleys are nothing
When we picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share Your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank You for the valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it's in the valleys I grow!

Have a blessed day!

REMEMBER...
The shortest distance between a problem and a solution
is the distance between your knees and the floor.
The one who kneels to the Lord,
can stand up to anything.

(from GodVine)

LOVE YOU

Scripture:

1 John 3:18
"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth."

I'm a big fan of what I call talent reality shows.
I enjoy watching TV shows like, The Voice, American Idol,
Dancing With The Stars, and So You Think You
Can Dance. I really enjoy TV shows that highlight
peoples gifts and talents.
As I watch the shows I noticed something that seems
to happen often during each one of the shows. As a matter
of fact this phrase is kind of used the same way in life.
The phrase is "Love You"! I hear love you or love ya",
all the time. I hear it so often that the phrase becomes
almost meaningless. In all honesty, I find myself
using those phrases with really no meaning behind them.

The Scripture verse reminds me of that
phrase "actions speak louder than words". I have
discovered, through my faith in Jesus Christ, that
because of my deep and abiding love for Christ
and because through his words and deeds I have
discovered the meaning of love. I believe the act of love
is much more powerful than the words of love.
I can tell my wife I love you and mean it but when I
show my love for her it means so much more.
When I help a friend in trouble, when I listen to
someone who is suffering and in pain, or their life
is in such distress, just by listening I give them
my love. Whenever Jesus Christ or one of the
apostles talked about love they compared love
within action, like kindness, charity, giving,
healing, even the act of washing someone's feet
when their guest entered the home. It was an act
of love. And you and I have received the ultimate
act of love through the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Because of that action of love I am
free to fully love others.

YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE "ACTIONS ARE LOUDER
THAN WORDS".

Prayer:

Our dear Heavenly Father, thank You for "agape", for
that all giving love as seen through Your son Jesus Christ.
Lord continue to remind me that love is not just words,
not just feelings, but also expressions. Expressions
of kindness, caring, charity, hospitality, compassion,
All of this given from you to me, may that be given
from me two others. Thank you for your love oh Lord!
AMEN

REMEMBER MOM

Scripture:

"Honor your father and mother. Then you will live
a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will
give you" - Exodus 20:2

A Bouquet for Mother

This puts it all into perspective. Happy Mother's Day.

A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers
to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles
away.

As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting
on the curb sobbing.

He asked her what was wrong and she replied,
"I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only
have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars."

The man smiled and said, "Come on in with me.
I'll buy you a rose."

He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own
mother's flowers.

As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home.
She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother."

She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the
rose on a freshly dug grave.

The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire
order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred
miles to his mother's house.

THANKS MOM, I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

"“To live in hearts we leave behind, Is not to
die”

SIMPLE AND DEEP

Scripture:

"The entrance of your words give light;
it gives understanding to the simple."
Psalm 119:130

Reflection:

There was a Minister flying to the West
Coast who struck up a conversation with
the passenger next to him. "What's your
occupation?" He asked. His seatmate
replied, "I'm a professor of astronomy. And
what about you?" "I'm a pastor," the
Minister answered.

The astronomers shifted a bit in his seat
and then confessed, "I used to attend
church when I was young, but my wife
and I don't go very often now. But the way
I look at it, the Bible is pretty simple. It
all boils down to 'Get along with your neighbors
and stay out of trouble.'"

"That's interesting," the pastor noted.
"I feel the same way about what you do.
For me, astronomy all boils down to
'Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder
what you are.'"

You know it's been said, The Bible is like
the ocean. You can wade in it, feed from
it, live on it, or swim in it. But those who
take the time to learn its truths and
practice them will be changed forever.

It has always been fascinating to me
that the Bible is simple enough for a child
to read, yet too deep for a scholar to
Master.

(Some excerpts taken from "Our Daily Bread")

GOD WILL DO THE REST

Scripture:

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
you may ask what you will and you shall get it"
John 15:7

Reflection:

In a book containing a collection of letters that
children have addressed to God, a little boy named
Eric writes, "Dear God, is it okay to talk to you
even when I don't want anything? Love, Eric."

It's not only okay, Eric, it's probably best. All you
need to do is to enter into union with God lovingly,
trustingly, prayerfully, and God will provide you with
whatever you need to make you whole. Make the
connection, get in touch and stay in touch -- Spirit-
to-spirit -- and God will do the rest.

Caryll Houselander, author of many books on
spirituality, wrote a letter to a friend who was having
difficulty praying. The following lines are from that
communique:

"I wanted to say I could perfectly understand the
sense of fear you feel about prayer, for I've had it too.
But I think that a simple desire on your part that God
should act in you as He wills is sufficient. I do not
think it need even be formulated in words. If you just
mean something without saying it, like, 'I don't feel
as if I trust you, but I do,' then God will do the rest,
and He will enter then into the darkness of your night
as the rays of the sun enter into the dark, hard earth,
driving right down to the roots of the tree"...

(from Sunday Sermons Online)

FUNNY BUT TRUE

There's an old legend about a man who wandered
throughout the world seeking his deepest desires.
He wandered from one city to another, from one
realm to another looking for fulfillment and happiness,
but in all his wanderings never came to it. Finally one
day, tired from his search, he sat down underneath a
great tree at the foot of a mountain. What he did not
know is that this was "The Great Wish Fulfilling Tree.
" Whatever one wishes for when seated underneath
immediately becomes true.

As he rested his weariness he thought to himself,
"What a beautiful spot is this. I wish I had a home
here," and instantly before his eyes a lovely home
appeared. Surprised and delighted he thought further,
"Ah, if only I had a partner to be here with me, then
my happiness would be complete," and in a moment
a beautiful woman appeared calling him "husband"
and beckoning to him. "Well first, I am hungry," he
thought. "I wish there was food to eat." Immediately
a banquet table appeared covered with every
wonderful kind of food and drink, main courses,
pastries, sweets of every variety. The man sat down
and began to feast himself hungrily, but part way
through the meal, still feeling tired he thought, "I wish
I had a helper to serve me this food," and sure enough
a servant appeared.

Finishing the meal the man sat back down to lean
against this wonderful tree and began to reflect, "How
amazing it is that everything I wish has come true.
There is some mysterious force about this tree. I
wonder if there is a demon who lives in it?" And sure
enough, no sooner had he thought this than a great
demon appeared. "Oh, my," he thought, "this demon
will probably eat me up," and that is exactly what it did.

(from Sunday Sermons Online)

THE EMPTY BASKET

God Will Provide!

Scripture:

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but
those who trust in the Lord will never lack any good
thing.
Psalm 34:10 NLT

Quote:

Dear God, I know you will provide, but why don't
you provide until you provide?
(Jewish saying)

Reflection:

The empty basket

When Palestine was partitioned, Maltar and his family
were stranded in Jerusalem. Daily his family read the
Lord's promises, such as those of Psalm 34. One day
Maltar said, "Children, we finished the last of our food
for breakfast. We have no money. We'll tell this only
to the Lord, and I'll go out with this basket." So they
prayed around the empty basket.

Maltar went to the bank, but there was still no money
coming through. As he turned to go, he saw a friend
from his hometown in the line. He'd left before the
worst troubles and banked his money in Jerusalem.
"Maltar!" his friend cried. "What are you doing here?"

"We were on holiday in our small house in Jerusalem
and weren't able to get back home," Maltar said.

"Then you must be having money problems. How are
you managing?"

"Fine," Maltar told him and left the bank.

His friend overtook him: "You can't be fine, Maltar,
with nine kids to feed." He dropped a handful of bank
notes into the basket.
The children, waiting at the gate, stared in wonder
as Maltar returned with an overflowing basket.
(Patricia St. John
in Finding God Between a Rock and Hard Place)

David said, "Those who honor will have all they need"
(Psalm 34:9).

WHY NOT CLAIM THAT PROMISE TODAY?

Adapted from Men of Integrity Devotional Bible with
devotions from the editors of Men of Integrity, a
publication of Christianity Today International
(Tyndale, 2002), entry for May 13.