ANONYMOUS GIVING

Scripture:

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to
the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your
harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner
residing among you. I am the LORD your God."
— Leviticus 23:22

Most people fall on hard times at some point in their lives
and asking for help from others can make a difficult situation
even harder. Sometimes, the only thing that people have left
is their dignity, and having to go to someone they know for
a handout can take that away from them, too. This is why
God prescribes that food be left behind for the poor and not
brought to them directly. This allowed the poor to come and
take what they needed, in the darkness of the night if they
preferred. This way, their needs could be filled while their
dignity remained intact.

Today, this beautiful system of giving is not practical for
most of us, but the spirit of this type of giving is something
that we can still incorporate into our lives.
Christianity/Judaism values giving anonymously or giving to
people whom you will never meet or know. This way, your
gift is exponentially greater in value as you fill someone's
stomach, without depleting their pride.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL

Songwriters: Francesca Battistelli,
Ian Eskelin, Andrew Fromm

Don't know how it is You looked at me
And saw the person that I could be
Awakening my heart
Breaking through the dark
Suddenly Your grace

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need, You are so
Beautiful, beautiful

Now there's a joy inside I can't contain
But even perfect days can end in rain
And though it's pouring down
I see You through the clouds
Shining on my face

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need, You are so
Beautiful, beautiful

I have come undone
But I have just begun
Changing by Your grace

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need, You are so
Beautiful

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need, You are so
Beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful, beautiful

LET'S YOU AND I TALK

Let's you and I talked, I think it's way overdue.

What if I told you that I knew the mystery of life. What
if I told you that I know what the center of life is. I'm really
curious about what your reaction would be. I suspect
some of you would think that I'm a little nuts. Many more
of you would not only think I was crazy but also extremely
arrogant. To all of you I wish to apologize for I am neither
crazy or arrogant. I'm just me
.
I know that what I'm about to say bothers a lot of people,
I know that they feel uncomfortable hearing these words.
A lot of people have heard these words before and the more
they hear them the more uncomfortable they feel. I have to
apologize for that because I've been on your end and I know
how uncomfortable it feels. But I'm going to say them
anyway and ask you if you would be just a little patient
with me and before you know it it'll be all over and I'll just
shut up.

You see I really believe I would be just a little crazy and
awfully arrogant if I didn't tell you the mystery of life and
what actually is the center of life. So I'm going to, and take
the risk of your dismay and criticism. I think some of you
know what's coming so here it goes.

That's right the mystery of life, the center of life is Jesus
Christ. There I said it go on give it to me! I know you've
heard it all before and to your much chagrin you're probably
going to hear it again, and again, and again. But I really
believe that the center of my life is Jesus Christ. You see
many years ago Christ took my life over and it's never been
the same. He has loved me, been disappointed in me, angry
with me, happy with me, and always driving me. Jesus Christ
has saved my life forever. Again I went ahead and said it but
I'm not going apologize for it, and I'm going to say it one more
time, Jesus Christ is the mystery and the center of my life.
He has made my life have meaning, he has made me feel alive.

Now here it comes, hold on now, here's the question. Do
you want to know that same meaning, that mystery, that
center to your life?  All You Have To Do Is Believe!  Except
Jesus Christ into your life and he will make you feel alive
AMEN!

IS THIS YOUR WAY OF LIFE?

Scripture:

"If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him
be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7).

President Theodore Roosevelt once owned a feisty
little dog that was always getting into fights with
other dogs and always losing. Once, after watching
Roosevelt's dog pick a fight and then taking the
usual beating, a friend said to the President, "That
dog of yours isn't much of a fighter, is he?" To
which Roosevelt replied, "On the contrary, he's a
very good fighter, but he's a bad judge of dogs. He
always underestimates his adversaries."

Time after time, Jesus' adversaries grossly
underestimated Him. The Scribes and Pharisees
who resented Jesus failed in their attempts to use
His words and deeds against Him. They failed in
their attempts to trip Him up and they backed off.

All too often we try to create situations in which we
can use another's words and deeds against them.
With our idle gossip, we try to put others to the test
or hold them to a standard that we ourselves are not
living up to. In hypocritical fashion, all too often do
a great deal of judging. Some of us have embraced
it as a way of life...

IS THIS YOU?  IS THIS YOUR WAY OF LIFE?

                       REMEMBER

"If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him
be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7).

(some taken from Sunday Sermon On Line)

AN INVITATION!

Scripture:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but
have everlasting life. God sent not his son into the world
to condemn the world but that the world through him might
be saved." (John 3:16,17)

Reflection:

This is a very familiar verse from the New Testament. I think
everyone knows John 3:16, 17. When I first read and studied
this verse I began to realize what the word "Love" really
means. I cannot even comprehend what it means to love
someone this much. In the Greek this word "Love", means
Agape, real love, the kind of love you give to someone and
not expect anything back for this love. The kind of love God
has for his children. Our God loved us so much that he gave
us his only son, He sacrificed his only child for the ones he
created. He gave us his son, he sacrificed his son, so that
we no longer have to suffer for our sins. He gave us his only
son so that we can live for eternity together with our father
in heaven. There is only one thing we have to do, all we have
to do is believe. That belief requires no sacrifice on our part.

What makes this whole concept of love even more exciting,
is that God sent his only son into this world not to condemn
us, not to judge us, not to put us down, but to lift us up and
save us. Now that's real love, that's the love of God!

In the reflections that I write I do not do this too often, but I
would like to give you an invitation, the kind of invitation that
makes a difference in one's life. I would like to invite you to
know the real love, "agape" of God. It is my hope and prayer
that right now in your life you feel God's real love to you. I
would like to invite you to open your heart To God's son
Jesus Christ and experience his sacrifice in your life. Right
now open your heart to the one that lifts you up to the one
that saves you, Jesus Christ.

God's love has meant so much in my life. I'm getting older
now and I'm starting to slow down. I'm beginning to realize
my own mortality and I am facing it unafraid. My life has had
its ups and downs but there has always been one consistency
and that consistency has always been and always will be
God's love for me. My life was changed years ago when I
accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. I can't explain adequately
what God son means to me. All I can say is this, "I Know He
Loves Me", and that's all I need.

Open your heart, your mind, your life, to Jesus Christ, and it
too will change. Do not be afraid only believe only love for
eternity!

ARE YOU LISTENING

Scripture:

"The sheep that belong to Me listen to My voice;
I know them and they follow Me" (John 10:27).

In a high school literature class, the teacher called
on a day-dreaming student to read aloud a paragraph
from an essay. When the reader had finished, the
teacher asked him to tell the class what the paragraph
he had just read meant to him. The classroom rocked
with laughter at his answer: "I'm sorry, but I wasn't
listening."

One thing is clear about today's world: there is a
serious shortage of good listeners.

We talk too much, most of us -- talk, talk, talk. And
even when we're not talking, we're not listening. We're
trying to think of what we're going to say when the other
person slows up enough for us to break in.

Listening is a loving way of affirming the other's real
worth as a human person. When you care enough to be
there and to give your full attention to the other, you are
saying, in effect, "I care enough about you to take time
to listen." Moreover, the person "who can no longer listen
to his brother, will soon no longer be listening to God,
either."

We who have identified with Jesus the Christ have been
taught a very special kind of love which, among other
things, is a listening love.

A young man was faced with making an important
decision that would affect the course of his life. He
considered his grandmother to be the wisest person
He knew, and so he went to see her. "Grandmother,"
He said, "I need to make the right decision about my
life and I've prayed about it. But I just can't decide.
Nothing happens when I pray. Tell me please, how
can I hear the voice of God?" The grandmother thought
for a while, then replied, "My dear grandson, I have
quite a different problem and, because of it, I don't think
I can help you. You see, I cannot NOT hear the voice
of God."

You hear what you want to hear. You hear what you're
listening for. If you want to hear the voice of God, you
cannot not hear it. God never gives up on you. God never
stops inviting you to be His own. The Good Shepherd
always keeps you within calling distance. If you don't hear
Him it's not because He's too far away or He's not speaking
loudly enough. It's because you are listening for other voices.

To listen to God's Word, really listen, we must turn toward
Him in the spirit of complete openness, love and trust.

Prayer:

Lord God please give me the gift of "listening". Lord I want
to listen to You and Your Word.  I mean really listen. I want
to turn to You in spirit of complete openness, love and trust.
I do love you Jesus and I place my trust in You.
In Your most Holy Name     AMEN

LIVING ON PURPOSE

We live our lives “on purpose.” We all know that we have
a purpose in life. But sometimes we live life “by
accident.” We forget our purpose and spend our
time and energy on things that don’t really fit our
purpose here on earth. To live “on purpose” means
that everything we do in life aligns with our purpose
on this planet.

When we eat, it can be a mindless, self-indulgent
act, or it can be an act of serving God when we
thank Him for the food that gives us the energy to
serve Him. When we sleep, it can be a purely
physical experience, or we can dedicate our rest
for the purpose of preparing our bodies to serve
God when we wake. Earning money can be a purely
selfish pursuit, or we can use our earnings to further
God’s purposes. Everything we do can be service
to God.

So how do we become holy? We do what we are
already doing – only we designate and dedicate
everything we do to the purposes of God.

IS THIS YOUR WAY OF LIFE?

Scripture:

"If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him
be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7).

President Theodore Roosevelt once owned a feisty
little dog that was always getting into fights with
other dogs and always losing. Once, after watching
Roosevelt's dog pick a fight and then taking the
usual beating, a friend said to the President, "That
dog of yours isn't much of a fighter, is he?" To
which Roosevelt replied, "On the contrary, he's a
very good fighter, but he's a bad judge of dogs. He
always underestimates his adversaries."

Time after time, Jesus' adversaries grossly
underestimated Him. The Scribes and Pharisees
who resented Jesus failed in their attempts to use
His words and deeds against Him. They failed in
their attempts to trip Him up and they backed off.

All too often we try to create situations in which we
can use another's words and deeds against them.
With our idle gossip, we try to put others to the test
or hold them to a standard that we ourselves are not
living up to. In hypocritical fashion, all too often do
a great deal of judging. Some of us have embraced
it as a way of life...

IS THIS YOU?  IS THIS YOUR WAY OF LIFE?

                       REMEMBER

"If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him
be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7).

(some taken from Sunday Sermon On Line)

THE SERVANT

Shortly before his death, the famous American missionary
doctor, Tom Dooley, returned to the U.S. to raise additional
funds for his hospital in Southeast Asia. As a doctor, he
knew he had terminal cancer and would soon be dead.
However, the big question on his mind was whether, under
the circumstances, he should spend his last days in the
country of his birth or return to his hospital in Southeast
Asia where the people needed him. While he was debating
this in his mind, a telegram arrived from some of the medical
corpsmen he had trained to be his helpers at the hospital.
"We need you here," the message read, and then went on
to say: "While you are gone, we are the fingers of your flesh
to heal the sick. We are your ears to hear their cries of pain.
We are your heart to love them." And that is precisely the
response Jesus asks of us. He sends us into a world and
a community where people need us. Consequently, we
pray to the Lord Jesus: "We are the fingers of your flesh
to heal them, we are your ears to hear their cries of pain,
we are your heart to love them."

 Sunday Sermons Online

BLESSINGS

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the achings of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

CELEBRATING FAMILY

God celebrates family

What was the most effective discipline you
have experienced?

Scripture:

Now his father, King David, had never disciplined
him at any time, even by asking, "What are you going?"
1 Kings 1:6 NLT

Rebounding skills

Suppose you get home from grocery shopping and
discover your six-year-old is eating candy you didn't buy.
It might be tempting to just scold him, send him to his
room, and let it go at that. After all, it's only worth a dollar,
and you're tired. But you'd miss an opportunity to turn this
"miss" into a second chance.

It would be better to take away any uneaten candy, put
your little shoplifter back in the car, drive to the grocery
store, hunt up the manager, and tell your kid to apologize.
Pay for the candy and deduct it from the child's allowance.
Then, if the culprit is truly sorry, be sure to express your
 forgiveness — and God's forgiveness, too.

You've just boxed out the opposition and put your kid in
position to rightly rebound. Because there will come another
time in that grocery store or when he's passing a coveted
pair of Nikes or — who knows?
Ricky Birdsong in Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life

The Bible tells us that parents have the primary
responsibility for the spiritual development of our children.
And nowhere is the job given only to mothers and
grandmothers. As Moses told the people of Israel, "Repeat
[the command of God] again and again to your children"
(Deut. 6:7). Why not begin today?

adapted from Men of Integrity Devotional Bible with
devotionals by the editors of Men of Integrity magazine
(Christianity Today, Intl), Tyndale House Publishers (2002),
p 391

It is easier to build boys than to mend men.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

KNOWING HIM

Remember the First Commandment in its entirety?
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt,
out of the land of slavery" (Exodus 20:2). More importantly,
think about what is not said in this commandment. God
does not refer to Himself as the Creator of the world, even
though that might have been a more obvious choice.
Instead, He commands that we know Him as the God
who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. Why?
Because we are commanded to know God not just as the
Creator of the world, but as the Savior of our individual lives.

We are commanded to believe in a God who hears our
prayers and cares deeply for us. We are instructed to
believe in a God who can and will help us out of our own
personal bondage, our own trials and difficulties. So, can
God command us to be optimistic about life? Yes,
because to believe in the God who took the Israelites
out of Egypt is to believe that God can perform miracles
for us, too! He expects that level of faith and commitment
from us.

So next time you come across that proverbial glass,
don’t see it as half-empty or even as half-full. See it as
filling up and believe that it will run over! As it says in
Psalm 23: "my cup overflows" (v.5).

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

TRUSTWORTHY

How do you respond to God's Word?

Scripture:

Let the godly sing with joy to the Lord, for it is fitting
to praise him. Praise the Lord with melodies on the
lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
Sing new songs of praise to him; play skillfully on
the harp and sing with joy. For the word of the Lord
holds true, and everything he does is worthy of our
trust. He loves whatever is just and good, and his
unfailing love fills the earth.
Psalm 33:1-5 NLT

Praising God's Trustworthiness

What does it mean to be trustworthy and true? In
a society that insists that all truth is relative, many
people have given up looking for truth, much less
basing their lives on it. But Scripture declares that
there is something that is completely true — no
matter what angle you look at it, no matter what
perspective you come from. God and his Word will
always remain true. That facet of God's character
is what this psalm celebrates. It encourages
believers everywhere to shout for joy, for their lives
are securely established on God's eternal truths.

Take a moment to reflect on how few things are
certain in this world and how much change is a
normal part of life. Then think about how God and
his Word are forever trustworthy and true, and give
him praise.

Prayer:

Dear God, your Word holds true, and everything
you do is worthy of my trust.…

From The One Year Book of Bible Prayers , Tyndale
House Publishers (2000), entry for October 7

Quote:

Now what is food for the inner man: not prayer,
but the Word of God; and here again not the simple
reading of the Word of God so that it only passes
through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe,
but considering what we read, pondering over it, and
applying it to our hearts.     GEORGE MUELLER

THE WRONG IMPRESSION

People have the wrong impression about who
God is. They think He's the spoiler of the party,
the one who wants to "end celebration with
harsh, unfair austerity." Wrong, wrong, wrong.
He is the one who brings celebration to life and
celebrates when those who are lost from Him
are found....In fact, He's seeking, seeking,
seeking so that people can have the life only
He can give.

HAVE YOU EMBARRASSED YOUR FATHER?

Scripture;

"Such people claim they know God, but they deny
him by the way they live."
Titus 1:16 NLT

Embarrassing God

Not so long ago I saw a man shopping in a grocery
store while his young son ran up and down the aisles.
The boy was unleashed and hyper, making a complete
nuisance of himself. The father kept calling his son's
name, but the boy only ran faster — up one aisle and
down the other.

Just as the father caught up with him, the boy reached
out and grabbed a handful of candy bars. The father
tried to take them away, but the boy held on tightly.
Then he started to scream. It was a high-pitched,
piercing scream that reverberated throughout the store.
Clerks and customers turned to look from every direction
as the frustrated father tried his best to squelch his son's
cries. The boy only screamed louder and started to kick.
Finally the father let him go, and once again he ran down
the aisle with all his might, chocolate still clutched in his
greedy little grip.

I caught a glimpse of the father's face. It was the look of
complete and total embarrassment. Although I'm sure he
loved his son dearly, at this moment he was ashamed to
be his father.

Do you think God ever feels that way with his children?
Imagine how he must feel when we become so earthly
minded that we run through life, ignoring his voice and
oblivious to his warning, grabbing things as we go and
holding them tightly.

Do you think God doesn't get embarrassed by the way
his children act? Our life is a reflection of his authority.
And when we disobey, he is the One the world scoffs at.

From Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B.
Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 148

(God's Daily Promises)

TO THOSE WHO ARE RICH

Scripture:

And those who are rich should boast that God has
humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower
in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers;
the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades
away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with
all of their achievements.
James 1:10-11, NLT

If wealth, power, and status mean nothing to God,
why do we attribute so much importance to them and
so much honor to those who possess them? Do your
material possessions give you goals and your only
reason for living? If they were gone, what would be left?
What you have in your heart, not your bank account,
matters to God and endures for eternity.

(Life Application Daily Devotion)

SOMETIMES YOU DON'T GET IT

We don't always get what we pray for. But we always
get what we need, and that makes all the difference.
When we pray for one thing and we don't get what we
asked for, it feels as though one of two things has
happened: Either God didn't hear our prayers, or He
has denied us a gift. But neither is true. God hears
every one of our prayers. Sometimes He says "yes"
and other times He says "no." But when God says
"no," it's not because He doesn't want us to have
good things. When God says "no" to what we asked
for, it's because He has something even greater to
give us!

Thank God for your unanswered prayers because
those are often the greatest gifts of all.

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

WHAT AN ANSWER

"Father, forgive them; they do not know what they
are doing" (Luke 23:34).

In a Sunday school class, the teacher was working
with her young students on the subject of the Crucifixion.
As they were going through the Event, the teacher
asked, "Do you understand? Do you understand this
Crucifixion?" They all nodded yes. But she wanted
more, so the teacher asked, "Do you really understand
the meaning of the Cross for you and for me?" To
which one of the youngsters replied, "Why are you
trying to make it so hard? It just means that God will
do almost anything for us."

That is a beautiful answer. "God will do almost
anything for us" -- even the death of His own Son. We
would be hard put to come up with a better
interpretation of the Crucifixion.

HE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR US!

INSIDE A LOCKED ROOM

Easter Tuesday

Scripture:

Read Luke 24:36-49.
TEXT: As they were talking about these things,
Jesus Himself stood among them
(see Luke 24:36).

On Sunday evening the disciples are hiding behind
locked doors. But their fear and grief has been
replaced with joy, as they discuss Jesus' afternoon
appearances to Simon and on the road to Emmaus.
Suddenly, Jesus is standing right in their midst,
saying, "Peace be with you."

They should be overjoyed, but instead they are
terrified. He didn't come through an open door or
window. He simply appeared out of thin air. They
think they are looking upon a ghost. Immediately,
Jesus asks why they are so agitated. He stretches
out His hands and tells them to feel and know He
has flesh and bones.

Still the disciples cannot believe because their
hearts and minds are unable to grasp the magnitude
of the wonderful thing they are seeing. So Jesus
asks for some food. By eating before them He can
impress upon them that they are actually looking at
His risen body and not a ghost.

Just as Jesus unrolled the Old Testament references
about His suffering, death and resurrection to the two
walking to Emmaus, He unfolds the prophets to the
11 and those with them. He reminds them what He
had said to them when He was with them before His
death-that He would suffer, die and rise again on the
third day. Now they remember His mighty words of
prophecy. Finally, Jesus reveals their work. The
disciples are witnesses of Jesus' fulfillment of the Old
Testament prophecies, so they are to be the witnesses
who proclaim what they have seen to all nations,
beginning with Jerusalem. First, they must wait until
Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to equip them with power
from on high.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for completing all the work
required for our salvation. Help me to faithfully believe
the words You shared with Your witnesses in the
New Testament. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

A SUNDAY WALK

Easter Monday

Scripture:

Read Luke 24:13-35.
TEXT: (Jesus said) "What is this conversation that you
are holding with each other as you walk?"
(see Luke 24:17).

On this day of Jesus' resurrection, two of His followers
are walking to a nearby village called Emmaus. Jesus
begins walking with them, but they are kept from
recognizing Him. When the stranger asks them what
they are discussing, they stop dead in their tracks,
stunned that anyone coming from Jerusalem could be
unaware of the things that have happened there.

They talk about the powerful prophet Jesus, whom
they had believed to be the Messiah, about the horrible
end He met, about the chief priests who delivered Him
up to be crucified. They add the bitter disappointment
of hoping He was the One who would ransom Israel,
and the women's confusing report about angels at the
tomb.

After letting them unload their grief and sorrow, Jesus
begins to solve their mystery. They had been quick to
believe the glorious things about the Messiah, but they
stubbornly resisted the passion He predicted and of
which the prophets had spoken. The Christ first had to
pay the ransom price for sins; only then could He enter
the glory the Jews had focused on for so long.

When they reached Emmaus Jesus sat down with them
at the table. He blessed and broke the bread, and while
He was giving it to them their eyes were opened to
recognize Him. Then He vanished from their sight. They
discuss the way their hearts warmed with new faith,
assurance and joy, when they finally understood the
Messiah's work.

They then return to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples.
They are greeted with shouts: "The Lord truly arose! And
He appeared to Simon." Then the two tell their story.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for taking the time to teach Your
disciples and us about the ransom You paid to free us from
our sins. Receive our joyful thanksgiving. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)