THURSDAY THOUGHTS ARCHIVES

YOU REALLY CAN HAVE IT ALL...Did you know that? I don't mean that you can have all of this world's wealth and fame and power. There simply isn't room for everyone "at the top." In America, when we say, "Anyone can grow up to be president," there's more than a little hyperbole in the statement. For example, although Arnold Schwarzenegger can be the governor of California, he can never be president because he was not born in this country. It's a limitation built into the U.S. Constitution. But you can have as much of God as you're willing to receive. He doesn't withhold Himself from us. As each year passes, we truly can "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3.18)

Spiritual formation and growth are on my mind as we begin a New Year...and as I start a series of messages designed to help us walk Along the Way with Jesus through the first quarter of 2007. I want to be a better disciple of Christ by this time next year; I want to experience more of the fullness of His Spirit dwelling in me.

In recent days, I have been celebrating the successes of the Mountaineer football and basketball programs. Our gridiron guys finished 11-2 and will probably be in the top ten of the final rankings. The Gator Bowl win was one for the ages, coming back from an 18 point deficit...twice! And the basketball team has surprised all of us, now breaking into the rankings in a year everyone assumed would be devoted to rebuilding.

But where will they be a year from now? Will next year's football team celebrate a National Championship...or be fortunate to get to a bowl game at all? Will our basketball team start with a high preseason ranking in the fall and climb the charts from there...or will unexpected challenges result in disappointing mediocrity? I'm in the camp of those who expect great things from both programs, but I've also learned that sports dreams don't always "pan out" in the way one hoped. As a certain pastor on our staff once observed about Mountaineer athletics, "We've become accustomed to having our hearts broken by 18 and 19 year olds." So true!

Even in the realm of professional sports, a year can make a huge difference. Almost one year ago, Pittsburgh and our entire region were swept up in the euphoria of a Super Bowl Championship. The Steelers had done the unthinkable: they won the trophy as a "wild card" entry in the playoffs, beating every team on the road just to get to the Super Bowl, and then rising to the challenge against Seattle. And they did it in Jerome Bettis' home town. What a storybook finish! But where are they this year? They didn't even make the playoffs, and it's looking like their coach won't be back for the coming season.

I don't want my biggest celebration of 2007 to come in January or February. With regard to spiritual development, I want to experience continued advancement in Christ Jesus, so that I can end the year rejoicing in all that God has done -- in and through and sometimes despite my circumstances -- and with confidence that I am a more faithful, better disciplined, less self-centered follower of Jesus than I was at the start of the year.

And I know that's available to me...and to you! In sports, a team's fortunes change overnight when a key player is injured or declared academically ineligible, or when a coach decides to leave for another place. In spiritual matters, adversity and affliction and "course adjustments" just make us stronger, teaching us to rely more on the Lord and to revel in the "fellowship of sharing in His sufferings" (Philippians 3.10).

I don't know about you, but I'm expecting 2007 to be a very good year with Jesus!

THIS SUNDAY is the first of a new series, Along the Way with Jesus, and our focus this week is on the Lord's baptism. In the Evening Praise Service we will relate His baptism to our experience of personal humility with an interactive session of discussion and questions and comment. Go to www.cmachurch.net for on-line sermons and other info.

YOUR CHALLENGE FOR 2007: PRESS ON TOWARD YOUR HEAVENLY PRIZE IN CHRIST JESUS!

WHO IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PERSON YOU KNOW? If you're thinking of people who have influence and wealth, you might suggest Bill Gates or Ted Turner. If the test is intellect or accomplishments, maybe you have in mind Albert Einstein or some Nobel Prize winner. In the world of popular music, it might be Elvis Presley. Sports? Perhaps Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. (Or Steve Slaton or Patrick White -- Go Mountaineers!)

Have you ever noticed that many of those who enjoy the greatest "success" in life, however that term is defined, come from very humble beginnings? Often their childhood was an impoverished one; sometimes people even go through a time of living out of a car, or walking the streets without a penny to their name.

Who is the most successful homeless person you know? You might have to stop and think about that, because you might say that you don't know any homeless people. Over the last 20 years, our society has tried to provide shelter for those who are homeless. It's especially grievous when children or entire families are destitute, exposed to the elements and without the guarantee of a next meal. Still, the problem of the homeless is very real, and there are people nearby who have no shelter when darkness falls.

I've know a few homeless people in my life, and the words "homeless" and "success" are seldom used in the same sentence. Just getting off the streets is a measure of success, but doors don't open easily for that person who has nothing. Finding affordable housing, finding gainful employment, finding hope again after setbacks that have left one feeling hopeless -- these are huge obstacles to overcome.

Nevertheless, you do know at least one homeless Person, and He happens to be the most "successful" Person who ever lived, homeless or otherwise. The scripture tells us that Jesus had no place to lay His head. Think about that! He who was with God and was God (John 1.1), who could say that everything in all the world belonged to Him (Psalm 24.1) and that everything we see was created by His hand (Colossians 1.16) was Himself homeless during His days on this planet. He grew up in the home of a carpenter, was a master of the trade and could have built Himself a mansion (He's building one for you!), but at the age of 30 He left all of that behind and embarked on a ministry that provided no regular source of income and promised no material rewards whatsoever. In fact, He understood from the outset that He would be despised and forsaken by men.

But was He a "success"? He sure was! Millions have followed Him down through the centuries, and one day every knee will bow to Him (Philippians 2.10). Every creature will call Him King. Everything in heaven and on earth and under the earth will confess that He is Lord, to the glory of his Father (Philippians 2.10-11).

Does this have any implications for you and for me? I should say so! When a teacher of the law said he would follow Jesus anywhere, the Lord replied, "Really? Then you'll be homeless, too, because I have no place to lay my head" (Matthew 8.19-20, my paraphrase).

We are followers of a homeless Person, the most successful Person who ever walked this sod. When He tells us that we cannot be His disciples unless we forsake everything we have (Luke 14.33), He's not "blowing smoke." He did exactly what He is asking us to do. He laid aside all the privileges of His heavenly station. He humbled Himself to become a man. He divested Himself of every treasure, every advantage. He submitted to the cruel ravages of an ignoble death. And He did all this for us.

Is it too much for Him to ask His followers to give up everything for Him?

THIS SUNDAY we continue our walk with Jesus as we Beware the Tempter. In the Evening Praise Service our interactive discussion of scripture will address the theme of how to deal with temptation. For online sermons and more info, go to www.cmachurch.net .

JESUS HAD LITTLE OF THE WORLD'S GOODS, BUT HE HAD ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH!

MY FOOT SLAMMED INTO THE BEDPOST as I made my way to the bathroom. I collapsed to the floor with searing pain. It was pitch black in the room, but my brain was firing a kaleidoscope of color. I fought the urge to scream in anguish. Part of me wanted to give full vent to my agony; part of me was conscious that others in the house were sound asleep.

So I writhed on the floor and stifled myself to only muffled moans. Had I broken a bone? Did I open a gaping wound? Was I bleeding all over the carpet?

Eventually, the pain subsided enough to get on my feet and hobble to the bathroom where I could turn on a light and evaluate the damage. At least no bones were protruding through skin and I was not gushing blood. So I started the "walk it off" routine. That's the manly thing to do, right?

In high school, I separated my elbow in a hard crash to the floor during a basketball game. Lying there looking at nine inches of webbed skin between the area where my elbow had moments before formed one point, not two, seemed surreal. The referee came over and said, "Get up and swing it around a few times. You'll be all right."

Why do we feel we must deny the pain, the obvious injury, the devastation that often characterize life on this fallen orb? Why does "being brave" mean pretending nothing at all has happened?

There are plenty of times when the "suck it up and keep on going" philosophy is truly appropriate. No one appreciates a whiner. Life is tough, and it's a waste of time to complain about our lot or to blame our misfortunes on others. However, some things can't be fixed by ignoring them. In my case, some medical personnel had to be called in and they put my arm in an air-cast until I got to the hospital. The joint had to be put back in place (it turned out the shoulder had been separated as well), and a bone chip had to be returned to its proper location. I was in a plaster cast for weeks, followed by about a year of therapy to recover as much of the former range of motion as possible.

"Get up and swing it around a few times" was not going to work in my situation.

There are hidden pains that can't be fixed by ignoring them. There are broken things in our lives that require divine intervention. If I have wronged someone, there is no substitute for apology and restitution. I must go to that person and seek to be restored, doing whatever is necessary to make up for the hurt or injury I have caused.

And if I have been wronged, I won't be free from that pain until I forgive. Hopefully, that person will acknowledge the injury and ask forgiveness. That's the quickest path to healing. But sometimes that doesn't happen. In fact, sometimes the person who caused the harm is gone. I might have been injured by someone who is no longer living. Still, I can forgive. I can take that pain, that brokenness to my heavenly Father and leave all the "junk" with Him. By His grace, I can truly say, "I forgive." Don't ignore the pain. Take it to the Healer.

Love keeps no account of wrongs (I Corinthians 13.5). Love is quick to let go of the grudge and the resentment and the anger that accompany emotional injury, because those passions are more destructive to the one who has been hurt than they are to the one who caused the harm. Don't let your life be controlled by the things you cling to. Forgive others just as God in Christ has forgiven you (Ephesians 4.32). Let His healing balm sooth your sorrowing spirit.

THIS SUNDAY our walk Along the Way with Jesus will consider the call of His first disciples...and His call to you and to me. In the Evening Praise Service our interactive conversation will investigate God's call and your personal experience of it. For on-line sermons and other info, go to www.cmachurch.net.

DON'T HOLD ON TO THINGS THAT DRAG YOUR SOUL TO THE DEPTHS--GIVE THEM TO JESUS!

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF A PERFECT DAY? Maybe not what I'm seeing out my window right now. There's snow on the ground, the trees gave up their leaves weeks ago, it's cold and going to get colder.

Tomorrow it's supposed to be "bitter" cold. What does that mean exactly? So cold that we become bitter about it? Like Jonah? When God took away the vine that provided shade, Jonah was angry, or bitter, and the Lord said, "Do you have a right to be angry?" And Jonah said, "Yes, I do. And I'm angry enough to die."

It's supposed to be in the teens -- maybe even single digits -- very soon. Will such cold be severe enough to make me bitter, or angry, toward God? After all, it is His doing, isn't it?

Our custodian, Larry, just stopped in my office to empty my trash and I asked him what he thought a perfect day would be. He suggested a spring day in the 70s. Oh, man! That sounds wonderful right about now! Better yet, it could be my day off, and I could be on my mountain bike, pedaling up the Decker's Creek Trail into Preston County, listening to the birds sing and the brook babble.

Someone else might say a perfect day would be a summer scorcher on the beach, enjoying the sun and sand with a light breeze wafting the salt smell of the ocean into your face. Someone else would opt for a lazy autumn day with leaves turning and perhaps an afternoon nap in a backyard hammock.

And there are some who might even choose a day like today, who will not become bitter no matter how cold it gets. After all, if you've been waiting for weeks to "hit the slopes," this is the kind of weather you want to see.

I guess it isn't the weather that makes a day "perfect" after all. The very best "weather" any of us will ever experience will be those climes we enjoy in Heaven. I can't tell you that it will be a spring day or a summer day or a fall day or a winter day. I can only tell you that it will be an eternal day in the presence of the Lord, the Maker of all that is, the Redeemer of our souls, the Friend of friends.

The Bible tells us something about the surroundings, and I have to say, it doesn't sound much like today. There will be a river flowing with the water of life, clear as crystal. On each side of the river the tree of life will grow, and it will produce a crop of fruit every month. I can't begin to imagine how luscious and delightsome that fruit will be, but the scripture says even the leaves of the tree are beneficial for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22). And the glory of the Lord in that place will eclipse even the light of the sun and moon.

Perfect! Just the thought of such a destiny will help me avoid Jonah's bitterness here...no matter how cold it gets!

Better yet, I know that I can experience just a taste of Heaven every day, as I practice the abiding presence of my precious Lord and Savior. If it is His presence that makes a day perfect, well, I really can't complain at all. I spoke with Him early this morning; His Word comforted me as I sipped my tea and reflected on His wisdom; He has blessed me with life and strength and the joys of family and other relationships. His peace guards my heart and mind even though I can't tell you what might befall me, or those whom I love, in the next weeks or days, or even in the next hour.

It's enough just to know the Lord, just to call Him Friend, just to cast all my cares on Him. It's a perfect day!

THIS SUNDAY we continue to walk Along the Way with Jesus as we investigate His cleansing of the temple. In the Evening Praise Service our interactive conversation will focus on His cleansing of us. For on-line sermons and other info, go to www.cmachurch.net.

EVEN IN THE BITTER COLD OF WINTER'S BEAUTY I SEE THE MIGHTY HAND OF MY CREATOR!

I JUST SAW A CHURCH CARTOON THAT REALLY MADE ME LAUGH -- A lady is standing in the midst of the congregation, apparently having been called upon to pray, and she is saying, "Lord, I lay all of these requests before you...even those most of them seem like whinin' to me."

Haven't you thought that sometimes? Doesn't it seem as though we slip all too easily into complaint? We expect the Lord to give us this and give us that, to make our lives uniformly and unceasingly pleasurable, and when there is the slightest disturbance in our otherwise placid existence we get all out of sorts with God. In fact, our attitude seems to be, "You're not doing your job! You're supposed to provide for me and keep me happy and stop anything bad from ever happening to me, and your neglect of my interests is simply inexcusable!"

Perhaps we're not quite that bold in our protest, but close. I'll confess that there are times when I am praying about a matter and suddenly I'll realize, "I'm just whining and complaining! I'm not submitting to the Lord's will at all. I'm griping because He won't submit to mine!" It's especially convicting as He brings to mind all the reasons I have for thanking and praising Him, all the ways He has blessed me and all the grace He has shown to me at Calvary and by His acceptance of me, a sinner, into His exalted Kingdom.

A perfect scriptural example is Jonah. After he finally submitted to the Lord's command and went to Nineveh to preach against sin, the inhabitants of the city repented and the Lord did exactly what Jonah expected He would do: He changed his mind, forgave the people and did not destroy the city as He had first intended. Jonah was so upset..by God's mercy!...that he went off by himself to sulk. He said, "Lord, take my life. I might as well die."

A bit melodramatic, don't you think? And God asked, "Now really, Jonah, do you have any right to be angry?" In his bitterness, Jonah went out to a desolate area, and as he brooded and pouted the Lord in His kindness caused a vine to grow up over Jonah to provide shade from the baking of the sun. Jonah was glad about that...until the Lord sent a worm to eat the vine. After all, He gives and He takes away. The vine was an undeserved gift, but Jonah didn't see it that way and he did not bless the name of the Lord when the vine disappeared.

Again the Lord asked, "Do you have any good reason to be angry?" Stubbornly, Jonah said, "I sure do. In fact, I'm angry enough to die." Then the Lord pointed out Jonah's folly: He was so self-centered, so concerned about his own comfort and reputation, when he really should have been rejoicing that God had spared 120,000 people who, until they responded to Jonah's preaching, were destined for destruction.

Here's the contrast: In Numbers 11.1 we read, "Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when He heard them His anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp."

A preferred behavior is admonished by Paul in Philippians 4.6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

What a difference in attitude and demeanor and approach to the great and sovereign God of creation! The more the people of Israel chafed under God's instruction, the more they and suffered. When we come with gladness, in simple trust and obedience, He guards our hearts and minds with the peace that is ours in Christ Jesus.

The Lord wants you to tell Him all about your troubles. Just be sure it's with thanksgiving, not complaining.

THIS SUNDAY we meet Nicodemus and his probing question, How Can This Be?" There Is No Evening Praise Service due to the Annual Meeting following Morning Worship -- but College Church and Alliance Youth Fellowship will meet Sunday evening. Go to www.cmachurch.net for on-line sermons and other info.

O LORD, HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT I CAN BRING EVERY SORROW, EVERY SIGH, EVERY SIN TO YOU!

OH, THE JOY OF WINTER DRIVING! I love it. My wife hates it. With a modest snowfall the past two days and temperatures in the single digits this morning, some roads are nicely glazed and ideal for the invigorating winter adventure I enjoy.

It occurs to me that my memories of stimulating winter driving experiences go back to my boyhood. Dad never knew a road he could not conquer, so I suppose he is responsible for my intrepid nature in this regard. I recall his red Fiat 600D with the manual transmission and a gearshift on the steering column. That little metal box on wheels had a propensity for doing merry pirouettes down slick snow-covered hills.

One day in the First Ward area of Morgantown, the car reversed itself as he turned down a side street. He proceeded to "steer" the vehicle as it careened down the hill, watching his rearview mirror for any approaching automobiles or other obstacles, while my brother and I were on our knees in the back seat (this was pre-seatbelt era), evaluating our progress out the rear window of the car.

The street leveled just a bit as it approached the intersection with Madigan Ave. and dad managed to bring the car to a neat halt right at the stop sign, backwards but unharmed. Moments like those impress on little boys that dad qualifies as a true hero and perhaps wears a big red "S" on his chest under his shirt.

Of course, I've had my share of such experiences as the years have passed. Most of the time my "escapades on ice" have been exhilarating but not really dangerous, but I've had a few close calls. Once I slid off a curve and plowed into a fencepost. I was sure the heavy thud of the impact would translate into at least a thousand dollars of front end damage. To my amazement, I discovered that most of the body of that vehicle was plastic, not metal, and the fender and front bumper had popped back out with no apparent damage. I didn't even crack my headlamp or turning signal. I praised the Lord and drove on...just a bit slower than before.

One thing treacherous roads will teach every driver is that the threshold of losing control is much closer than first anticipated. Speed and inattention can be deadly even on dry pavement. Throw in a little moisture, especially if the road surface freezes, and the margin for error is greatly diminished. Suddenly you realize that "control" is illusory, and once a two-ton vehicle decides to convulse in an unintended direction, there's very little that can be done to stop its progress or to regain control. At that point, your "irresistible force" is in search and destroy mode, looking for the nearest "immovable object."

I suppose "control" is just as illusory in most other areas of life. I get through my days on the supposition that I'm the one "in charge." I have an agenda for the day, schedules to keep, people to see, business to complete, etc. However, the truth is I'm just one heartbeat away from being set aside from all of that, whether temporarily or permanently. I'm not indispensable. To imagine that I am...to behave as though I am...is idolatrous.

Sometimes I lie in bed at night and silently review this truth before my Maker. I thank Him for good health and ask Him to continue it. I confess my utter dependence upon Him and acknowledge that He has authority to set me aside from all my activity at any moment, if He so chooses. I pray His protection and provision, and I ask Him to keep me focused on what I should be doing, not on what I think I should do or on what is most urgent and therefore most demanding.

Because the truth is, as I travel this highway of life He is the One who is in control...of everything.

THIS WEEK our walk with Jesus pauses at the well where the Samaritan woman drew water. In the Evening Praise Service we will share a discussion of lessons learned in dealing with brokenness. For on-line sermons and more info, go to www.cmachurch.net.

IT'S SO TRUE: "HE IS MERCIFUL TO ME"--OTHERWISE, I NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR!

WHERE ARE YOU IN THE "STAGES" OF LIFE? Several in our church family have experienced the loss of a loved one recently. As a result, the fact of death and departure is on my mind right now. I realize it's somewhat morbid, but it's an inescapable and inevitable reality.

Every day the newspaper publishes the obituaries of those who have passed on. These persons are referred to as the "departed." Like Elvis, they have "left the building." They were once here and now they are gone.

There was a time when newspapers regularly printed a list of birth notices as well. We were consciously reminded of the ebb and flow of life as we read, each day, the record of those who were "new arrivals" and those who were the "dearly departed." Some are coming, some are going. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.

Yesterday, I learned that the mother of a good friend has been diagnosed with lung cancer. It's in an advanced stage and she has elected to forego any treatment. She will receive hospice care and the doctors say she has two to six months to live. She isn't yet "departed" but I guess it would be accurate to say that she is numbered among the "departing."

Which got me to thinking (something I'm now scheduled to do at least on Thursdays since I endeavor to send this "e-pistle" once a week): At what point am I numbered among the departing?

Am I a "departing" person once I receive the diagnosis of a terminal illness? Am I "departing" once I cross the threshold into old (or older) age? When I qualify for senior discounts (not so far off now) am I in the "departing" category? If I receive AARP advertisements, am I now departing? If younger people regard me to be increasingly irrelevant and of diminishing consequence or contribution, am I among the departing? Did I "pass the torch" at some point and didn't even know it?

If I am no longer arriving, does that mean I must be departing? I'm just asking.

We know who the departed are. The death notices are printed, the eulogies are said, the pictures and memories are cherished. But if some have departed, there must be others who are departing -- and many of them are not even aware of it.

There will be obituaries in the paper again tomorrow, and the day after, and every day next week, and for the next month, and on and on. Many of those people do not know...today...that they are departing.

Do the departing simply fade away, like the Cheshire cat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, so that the last thing seen is a toothy and enigmatic grin...and then...nothing? How long have I been fading? How "faded" am I?

Going...going...gone.

And if I am departing...if I will one day be gone, perhaps earlier than I suppose...how then should I be living? In his second letter, Peter wrote, "You ought to live holy and Godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." Good counsel. If the departed did not heed that word, it's too late now. But it's not too late for those of us who are departing.

THIS SUNDAY the morning message looks at the story of the invalid in John 5. In the Evening Praise Service our interactive worship will consider how God's "can" overrules our "can't." Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

I'M NOT READY TO SAY, "SEE YOU LATER," BUT "LATER" SURE IS "EARLIER" THAN IT USED TO BE!

LEARNING TO LIVE IN THE "LORD, HAVE MERCY" PLACE! In my Annual Report to the congregation at the beginning of the year, I shared some thoughts about the prayers in scripture that begin with or are built around the simple plea, "Lord, have mercy." Last week, as I traveled to Colorado Springs for a meeting of the C&MA Board of Directors, I was reminded of the wisdom and benefit of that prayer.

My first flight was from Pittsburgh to Denver. I then boarded a smaller plane for the 18 minute hop down to the Springs. The weather was calm in Denver, but apparently it was quite different to our south. The pilot advised us that there were strong gusts in Colorado Springs. That's not unusual, since the wind shears off the front range of the Rockies are a regular challenge for pilots. He said it would be a bumpy ride and that the single flight attendant on board would have to remain seated the entire time. "In fact," he said, "we're not at all sure whether we can land when we get there." He told the passengers, "We will make several attempts to land, but we only have enough fuel for a few tries. If we are unsuccessful we will return to Denver to refuel, and we'll just wait a while and try again."

Now, I have flown with some frequency in recent years, but I've never heard an announcement quite like that one. I thought to myself, what he's saying is, we can get you into the air but we're not sure we can get you down...safely. Not the most reassuring thing to hear from your pilot. Just before he started this announcement, two ladies got on the plane. One of them was in the seat next to me; her friend was in the row behind us and across the aisle. When the pilot finished his caution, the one looked at the other and said, "Do you want to get off?" The other said yes and they immediately exited the plane.

I really don't have a fear of flying. In some ways, perhaps I should. I have a rudimentary understanding of aerodynamics and lift and thrust and all that stuff, so I have a basic comprehension of the concept that underlies the seemingly impossible feat of lifting tons of metal and luggage and human cargo thousands of feet into the air, then setting it all down gently enough to encourage everyone that they should consider doing it again someday. But when you look at an airplane, you can't help but think, "No way."

Despite this, I get on board, take my seat, and entrust myself to man and machine to transport me hundreds of miles through the upper atmosphere to my destination of choice. And I really don't worry about it. But this time, I thought a prayer might be prudent. And since I've been praying according to the "Lord, have mercy" model a great deal, that's how I prayed. "Lord, have mercy as we make this short trip to the Springs. You are the Master of the wind and the waves. You can speak your word and they must be still. All the elements of the universe that you have made are subject to your command. Lord, be merciful and grant that we will have a safe trip today, that we might praise your name for your goodness unto us."

And then we took off. I had complete peace, no sense of alarm whatsoever. But as the plane found its heading to the south, I began to sing to myself the words to that simple chorus, "You are merciful to me, You are merciful to me, You are merciful to me, O Lord." I sang it most of the way, for the next 18 minutes. I was not singing with any alarm; it was not some "mantra" I recited to put myself at ease. I just felt moved to praise the Lord with song, because I am absolutely confident of his mercy to me...in every circumstance.

And as I sang I waited for the gusts of wind...which never came. Folks, it was perhaps the smoothest flight I have ever had from Denver to Colorado Springs! As we gently touched down, I found myself wondering, "How long will it be before those two ladies find there way down here?"

THIS WEEK our series Along the Way with Jesus will look at the "rule" you choose to live by...because we all have one. In the Evening Praise Service we will share thoughts about practicing God's mercy as we handle the "bad guys" in our lives. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

HE REALLY IS A MERCIFUL GOD! THAT'S WHY IT'S SO EASY TO CALL UPON HIS KINDNESS!

"DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING I JUST SAID TO YOU?" Probably every one of us can remember mom or dad saying that to us at some time. I suppose every parent has said it to his or her child, usually with exasperation. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times...."

Children can be very selective in their hearing, often "tuning out" when they really don't want to listen to a certain instruction, even though their hearing is apparently flawless when it is something of importance to them.

Our son Nathan was forever so absent-mindedly preoccupied with whatever task he was doing that a freight train could have rumbled through the room and he might not have noticed. It was standard for us to say, "Earth to Nathan, Earth to Nathan," when we were trying to get his attention. However, there were instances when we might be talking about something in another room and, if it was of concern to Nathan, he would yell, "I heard that!"

Our son Marcus was different. He seemed to hear things the way he wanted to hear them. If we told him he had to finish homework before he could do something else, he would do the something else and then claim that he thought we said he could do that other thing first as long as he also finished his homework. He was adept at reinterpreting our conversations to his advantage. Jessica, of course, was never a problem in this area because, after all, little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Yeah, right!

How well do you listen? In the scripture passage that I will preach from this Sunday, Jesus asks, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Good question! If He is the Master -- if He is truly the Sovereign of your life -- what possible excuse is there for not hearing and heeding His counsel and command?

I don't know about you, but I admit that I'm not always a very good listener. Sometimes I just tune God out. I'm so intent on doing my own thing that I am inattentive to His voice, or perhaps don't care to hear Him. In my preoccupation with my own agenda, I really am not paying attention to His. Other times, I know what He is saying but I really don't want to humble myself to His will. After all, if I listen, He just might instruct me in a different path than I have already decided to walk! In addition to all this, I can be pretty skillful at reinterpreting His word to suit my personal objectives. All the while, my gentle and patient Savior is saying, "Do what I say! Put my words into practice! Can't you see that my command is for your own good?!" Oh, how I must anguish the heart of my Lord!

Sometimes a mother will take a child's face in her hands and say,"Look at me! Listen to what I'm saying!" I suppose something like that is necessary before I will really fix my attention on Jesus. I have to stop other activity, really look into His eyes, and allow His words to sink into my soul. I have to come to a place of readiness, a place of saying, "Lord, I've been avoiding you too long. I really need to hear your voice, and I'm ready to obey."

It seems to me that what we often call the "spiritual disciplines" are designed for just this purpose. If it is my regular practice to spend time in God's Word and in prayer, I'm much more likely to hear His voice...and to be inclined to obey when I do. If I am faithful in matters of stewardship, understanding that all that I have is truly His, then I am far more likely to manage my resources in a manner that is in keeping with His will. If every behavior, every choice, every life objective is ordered according to His precepts, I will not launch myself into behaviors that are in conflict with His will.

Listening isn't just a now and again proposition. Every genuine follower of Jesus has to be a faithful and consistent listener. I pray that I will be a better one day by day by day.

THIS SUNDAY we look at the foolishness of building on anything other than the Rock. In the Evening Praise Service we celebrate the ordinance of baptism. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

WHETHER BY SHOUT OR BY WHISPER, HE MAKES HIS WILL KNOWN -- MAY MY EAR BE EVER OPEN!

GREAT ANTICIPATION! ISN'T IT A WONDERFUL FEELING? No, I'm not talking about the Charles Dickens novel. That's Great Expectations. I'm referring to the thrill of some new venture, or being on the cusp of some long-awaited discovery or accomplishment, or awaiting the arrival of a much-wanted gift. That kind of anticipation. I know you've been there. Maybe you are there right now!

First-time parents know all about this. For nine months, as the baby is growing in mommy's womb, excitement and longing and wonder are growing in the parents, and there simply are no words to describe the joy of receiving that precious treasure, holding her in your hands, marveling at her perfections. Every little stretch, every facial grimace or gas-induced smile is regarded as a miracle.

Graduation. A new job. Wedding day. First home. The list can go on and on. In every such instance there is great anticipation. Hopes are high, and there might even be some spine-tingling moments as the actual event dawns in our experience. Wow!

Hopefully, the welcoming of that moment is every bit as fulfilling and rewarding as anticipated. Hopefully, the thrills will not soon dissipate, or turn into disappointment when it is discovered that the anticipation exceeded the reality. That does happen sometimes.

Of course, Christians live with an every-day anticipation of the Lord's soon return. At least, we should live that way! If we take Jesus at His word -- that He is coming again, so that we might be with Him forever -- then we should revel in the joy of anticipated completion in Christ. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" The expectation of His return is our chief motivation for holy living -- we want to be ready to meet Him! -- and for evangelistic endeavor -- we want to prepare others to meet Him as well!

But short of that grand denouement, that final fulfilling of His promise, shouldn't we live with great anticipation of what the Lord is doing, and going to do, in our lives on a minute by minute basis? Shouldn't we be rejoicing that He is sovereign!?

Shouldn't we be saying to Him, "Lord, I really have no idea what you're doing right now. I really don't understand all the signs and signals. I really don't know where you're taking me, or why. But boy, oh boy, I sure am glad that you're in charge! And since you are a God of love and you love giving good gifts to your children, I can't even imagine how exciting it is going to be when I get to the end of this particular road. Thank you, Lord, for your uncommon grace unto me, and for directing my steps into the paths of your choosing!"

Is that how you pray? Great "anticipators" pray that way! Why not give it a try? Let God have the lead in your life -- totally -- and start anticipating the thrill of living in His control.

Why is this on my mind? Well, I suppose in a larger sense, it has to do with the rapidly approaching Easter season. As Jesus set His face resolutely toward Jerusalem, His anticipation was growing. It was an anticipation that included deep sorrow and pain and enormous suffering...but also an eternal weight of glory that would outweigh all the cost. And....

Anticipation is also on my mind because I have a very encouraging announcement to share with the congregation on Sunday. Better be here! Better tell others to be here! Now, is that a "tease" or what?!

THIS SUNDAY we will consider The Education of the Easy Yoke. In the Evening Praise Service our interactive conversation looks at the issue of finding rest in the arms of our Lord. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

I WONDER WHAT GOD WILL DO IN MY LIFE TODAY? MAY IT ALL BE FOR HIS GLORY AND PRAISE!

DID I LEAVE YOU HANGING A WEEK AGO? Have you been waiting for an explanation -- for "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say?

At the end of my Thursday Thoughts I said there would be an encouraging announcement to the congregation on Sunday morning. Since there are many who receive this weekly "e-pistle" who do not attend our church or even live in Morgantown, I feel I am obligated to bring you up to speed.

It is an encouraging word, indeed. We announced to the congregation that Pastor Tony Etris, who has been our part-time pastor of children's and family ministries, will be taking a full-time position with us when his school-year responsibilities at Trinity Christian School are completed. Many did not know that Pastor Tony would not be returning to the school in the fall, but this is a possibility that has been quietly explored with the school over a number of months. Some administrative changes have been anticipated there, and we recognized a ministry need here, and the Lord has worked out all the details to his praise.

Pastor Tony has been in Christian School and ordained pastoral ministry for more than 30 years. As we all have discovered over these recent years, he is wonderfully creative, has a boundless love for children, and is genuine in his devotion to the Lord and to the advance of Christ's Kingdom.

What will he do in a full-time role? First, a primary focus will be placed on the development of children's ministry, a harvest field of incredible potential. We have approximately 100 children in the infancy through sixth grade years. Most people who come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ do so in their pre-adolescent years. What an opportunity to equip souls for a lifetime of service unto the Lord!

Pastor Tony will invest his energies and training in all levels of children's work, including Sunday School, Pioneer Girls and Boys Brigade, Children's Church, children's drama and music ministries (in concert with Pastor Scott), etc. He will also present parenting seminars and be available for parent counseling, and he will introduce other ministries designed to strengthen the Christian home in a pluralistic and post-modern age.

In addition, he will exercise administrative oversight of the youth ministry. He will not be the youth pastor, but he will be an immediate and ready resource to those who are working with youth, and will ensure that schedules of events are being planned and promoted so that the youth ministry thrives. We have a great youth team now; Pastor Tony will work with that team to facilitate continued growth in that area of ministry.

By developing the "base" of the large number of children who are presently available to us, and by "tweaking" the processes with regard to what we are already doing in youth ministry, I am confident we will strengthen the current youth program and position ourselves for a great expansion of that ministry as these children enter their teen years. Clearly, the decision to hire Pastor Tony is not an abandonment of youth ministry. Rather, it is a very carefully considered step designed to ensure the long-term health and growth of that ministry.

I wrote about anticipation last week. I can tell you, I really am anticipating the Lord's blessing on this decision. Pray with me to that end! And for those who attend this church, be sure to support with your tithes and offerings. We're taking a step of faith financially, so your generous and steady support will demonstrate commitment to this effort to bless the children, and the teens, who are our responsibility in this church.

THIS SUNDAY it's Palm Sunday, of course. We'll be looking at the confession Peter made before he was guilty of denying his Lord: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" In the Evening Praise Service our interaction with scripture investigates the elements of one's personal confession. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and more info.

EASTER APPROACHES! INVITE SOMEONE TO SHARE THE WORSHIP SERVICES OF THE SEASON!

"DID I DO THAT?" Remember the TV sitcom, "Family Matters," and the skinny star, Steve Urkel? He was a nerd for the ages, a one-of-a-kind character played by Jaleel Ahmad White, who portrayed the innocent bumbler with consummate skill. Everything Urkel touched seemed to dissolve into disaster. Then, with bug-eyed wonder and his high-pitched nasal voice, Steve would say, "Did I do thaaaat?"

Well, as a matter of fact, he sure did! Urkel was the ultimate nemesis for his middle-aged neighbor, Carl Winslow, who was a play-it-by-the-book police officer perpetually exasperated by the accident-prone kid in spectacles and suspenders. In nearly every show, Steve broke another of Carl's lamps or windows, or caused the collapse of a whole row of Carl's garage shelves, or did something else to infuriate the poor man.

Steve, of course, was oblivious to the havoc he created. Often, he scarcely understood what he had done.

There's a sense in which I relate to the cross in just the same way. From my earliest church experiences, I remember people expressing such sentiments: "It was my sin that nailed Jesus to the tree. I am the cause of His suffering and death." In other words, "I did that." Some part of me was asking, "Did I do that? Really?"

I always believed that I understood the heart of such statements, but I wasn't sure I agreed. It seemed a bit overstated to me. After all, I wasn't even around when it happened. Why blame me? Sure, He died that my sins might be forgiven, but how am I culpable for a crime I wasn't even there to commit?

As the years have passed, I came to understand the truth of Easter in a clearer light. Though it is nearly incomprehensible to me, I recognize that the Lord Jesus Christ had my welfare in view when He knelt in the Garden and prayed, "Father, not my will, but yours" He was making a choice to love me when he submitted to the scourging, when He carried the cross, when He allowed His arms to be stretched out on that tree and the nails to be driven through His flesh.

It's true: It was for my sins -- and yours -- that He suffered and bled and died. Although His passion is a fact of history now some 2000 years in the past, Jesus took upon Himself the sin of all humanity -- past, present, future -- when He trudged His way up Golgotha's hill. By His deliberate choice, He died for my sin. I can try to reduce my responsibility by saying, "Well, many others have sinned, and He would have died anyway because He would have died for them, whether or not He died for me." Still, the truth is, He died for me.

What others have or haven't done matters not at all. If it is true that He would have died for them, whether or not I had sinned, it is then also true that He would have died for me, whether or not anyone else had sinned. His death for sin is for my personal benefit, and for your personal benefit, and for the personal benefit of any and every trusting soul. "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"

As my fellowship with my loving Savior grows more precious and real to me, it seems His eyes are looking just at me -- right through me -- and His words are spoken to me, not to the masses of others, as He says, Father, forgive him -- forgive David -- for he does not know what he is doing." More and more, I think I understand: I DID do that. But there is no reason to laugh. It isn't funny at all. I am guilty of a horrible crime, and there is no remedy except in the blood of Christ my Lord.

O, what incredible, amazing, indescribable love, that He should give His life for me!

THIS SUNDAY we offer humble praise to Him who by His death and resurrection has granted us eternal victory over sin! In the Evening Praise Service we rejoice with those who are following the Lord in baptism. For online sermons and other info, go to www.cmachurch.net.

WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SIN? NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD -- THE PRECIOUS BLOOD -- OF JESUS!

WHICH PART OF THE GLOBE IS IT THAT'S WARMING? I'm beginning to wonder if any "warming" is ever going to reach us here in north central West Virginia! Just when we thought milder temperatures had arrived, we've retreated to chilly weather, further enhanced by the cold rain, even snow showers, of recent days. And the forecast calls for temperatures to dip again as we move into next week. Enough, already!

Then again, I guess the less than agreeable weather serves to heighten our anticipation of those sunny days that must be just around the corner. I wrote about anticipation three weeks ago. I'm thinking about it again this week, in the aftermath of Easter and following the home-going of two of our church members just two days ago.

Both of these who have just passed on were anticipating being in the presence of the Lord. Both fought a courageous battle with cancer, and both manifested a strong faith in the Lord as they endured physical pain, disabling sickness and weakness, and the gradual loss of function and faculty.

In my profession, I observe the ravages of disease and the approach of death more frequently than the average person, and those who are suffering and dying have been my teachers over and over. I am humbled by the grace they demonstrate. There is always a point in the process when the dying person seems to "come to terms" with the reality that life is escaping, bidding a reluctant farewell, and that this must be accepted.

I do not mean to say that death is ever affirmed as the preferred option. Death is our ultimate enemy. The "last" enemy, Paul said But for that believer who anticipates an eternity with the Master, an unending and conscious existence beyond all the pain and sorrows of this life and forever in the presence of our loving Lord, death is the necessary passage from what was only a transient place anyway into that everlasting realm where joys will never cease.

The dying disciple is ready to receive that "promotion" into the presence of the King. I saw that in both of these who passed this week. They left this world without fear. They were not embracing death; rather, they were embracing eternal life. They were confident that as they stepped out of this place of constriction and oppression and foreboding, they were stepping into the very presence of the One who created them for His eternal glory...and who has now called them to everlasting bliss.

Oh, that we might live each day with such a hope of Heaven! I'm anticipating moderating temperatures, the greening of the trees and all the energetic activities of summer, but I anticipate my eternal home far more.

Longing for a better place is not a denigration of life on Planet Earth. We are here for a reason. We serve the Lord while we inhabit this orb. We should rejoice in every day that is granted to us upon the earth He has made, and all our energy should be applied to His service. But we must never forget that we were made for better things, that this is a fallen world, that we will not be here forever, that we have a home on high where there are pleasures supernal compared to which the joys of this life are weak imitations.

The redeemed of the Lord are bold in their affirmation of the days God has granted us here, but joyful in their anticipation of all that waits for them beyond. That lesson has been impressed on me again this week, by two dear saints of God who have now entered into their reward. May the Lord give to each of us such grace to live...and grace to die and live again.

THIS SUNDAY our current series continues with a look at the challenge to take up our cross and follow Jesus. In the Evening Praise Service we will interact with Scripture and one another as we consider what we are willing to lose in order to achieve the glory of the Lord. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

DEATH IS AN APPOINTMENT I CANNOT AVOID; ETERNAL LIFE IS A DESTINY GOD HAS ASSURED!

"WHERE SELDOM IS HEARD A DISCOURAGING WORD...." Remember those lyrics from "Home on the Range?" Maybe you finished the line: "...and the skies are not cloudy all day." It's a bit sappy, but it evokes images of a place and time removed from hurt and harm, a place of idyllic peace and unanguished thoughts.

Not, of course, the place we inhabit. Not today. Not after yet another blow to the national psyche, this time in the form of a lone gunman mercilessly slaughtering 32 young college students, wounding a host of others, then turning the gun on himself.

How do you speak anything encouraging into such a context? How do you even say anything appropriate? Can you say anything at all? When Job's friends showed up and found him overwhelmed with misery and grief, they sat with him for seven days, not speaking a word. Then they opened their mouths and it went downhill from there.

At such times as these, the media catch heat for their failures in reporting. They either are too aggressive or too maudlin, too given to morbid curiosity or too bent on parading their own credentials and trumpeting their presence. Rather than report the facts, they morph into crime scene investigators and forensic psychologists, explaining things they scarcely understand and quickly assigning blame to this or that person or entity. The best reporting seems to be something akin to the approach of Job's friends at the beginning: Show us the images, let the grieving speak for themselves, and as much as possible, don't interject your comments.

Suffering mandates silence, when it doesn't provoke screams.

When Katie Couric became the anchor for the CBS Evening News, much was made over what she would choose as her closing farewell at the end of each newscast. It's quite a challenge when you think about it. You want a "signature" line, something that identifies you, something memorable...something appropriate to every circumstance. "Cheerio!" or "It's been great talking to you!" won't work when you've just finished showing images of bodies being carried off to a morgue. And you dare not use that ubiquitous and vacuous expression, "Have a nice day!"

That's why there might never be a better sign-off than the one Walter Cronkite employed for years: "And that's the way it is...." Pretty much fits any occasion and can be said with or without a smile, in a jocular or somber tone, whatever suits the occasion.

It's hard to find an appropriate word, isn't it? Hard to know what to say at such a time. Isn't it all the more remarkable, then, to find that the Lord has spoken plenty of words that are perfectly suited to such occasions? "Fear not, I am with you." "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened." "Ask anything in my name." "I will never leave you nor forsake you." And the rest of Scripture is full of such words of consolation and hope. "Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." "When I am afraid, I will trust in the the Lord." "This poor man cried and the Lord answered." "He delivers me out of all my troubles."

Here's a great one: "To Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy -- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

It's an encouraging word. It's an appropriate word. It's the best word I can give you today.

THIS SUNDAY the morning message considers how to be A "Best of Show" Believer. In the Evening Praise Service our time of interactive discussion of God's Word focuses on the theme of humility. For online sermons and other info, go to www.cmachurch.net.

WHEN WORDS FAIL ME -- WHEN THERE IS NO OTHER CONSOLATION -- HIS WORD SUSTAINS ME!

WASTING OUTWARDLY...RENEWING INWARDLY... That's what the Apostle Paul describes in II Corinthians 4.16. I experience it every day, and so do you.

The "wasting outwardly" part is easy enough to observe. In fact, everything in this world is subject to rust and decay. Just this week a part broke on my old van and the repair will be expensive. We've kept that vehicle because it's perfect for hauling our mountain bikes around, but the age and high mileage mean unavoidable higher maintenance costs. Same for this aging body of mine As the years go by, the maintenance costs go up.

At the same time, I learned something recently that I found to be encouraging, and you might as well. I was reading an article on the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet, and the author was making a point about how much good we can do ourselves even in our latter years if we are faithful to take care of our health. Specifically, he was highlighting the beneficial results of a good diet and regular exercise at the cellular level.

As has often been stated, you and I are in the process of dying from the very moment of birth. In our earliest years, we produce more new cells faster than old ones are dying, so we grow and we increase in strength and in capacity and intellect, etc. Through adolescence the rate of new cellular production slows, and eventually the number of cells that are dying exceeds the number of new cells being produced.

I guess I always assumed that we have a certain finite number of cells, and that at some point our "withdrawals" from that "bank" or storehouse of cells actually begins to deplete the total number. Moreover, I probably assumed that we have the same cells, essentially, but that they slowly shrivel and die off. Not true. This article indicated that our bodies produce new cells all our lives. We don't produce as many, or at the same pace, in later years as we do when we are young, but the fact that we are continuing to produce new cells has a profound implication with regard to diet and exercise.

According to this author, our bodies are "changing out" new cells for old at such a pace that we are literally "renewing" our bodies very frequently. The example he gave is that all the cells in your leg will be replaced by new ones over the next three months. So you will have a "new" leg in three months. Therefore, if you begin today to diet and exercise properly, you can train that new leg to be stronger and more agile than the leg you have today, because you are developing new cells, not simply trying to rehabilitate old and tired cells.

Apparently, God's principle of "inward renewal" is evident even in the physical self. Obviously, Paul is speaking of the inward spiritual renewal that is occurring even as the outward flesh is wasting away, but since God created our bodies to live, not to die, and since death is the penalty of sin, and since we will have new and incorruptible bodies in our eternal state, it makes sense to think that there is a principle of renewal at work even at the cellular level in this flesh we inhabit.

This is encouraging, of course, with respect to our efforts to stave off disease and infirmity, and to improve the capacity of this flesh and the quality of our lives while on earth. But if this is true for the (dying) physical self, think how much more true it is as you and I discipline ourselves in prayer and Bible reading and holiness of life. In Christ Jesus, we are training ourselves in righteousness, and because He is renewing the inner man daily, we are growing in the grace and knowledge of our dear Savior. Don't be discouraged! Press on!

THIS SUNDAY we continue our walk with Jesus as we consider the issues of reconciliation and forgiveness. In the Evening Praise Service our interactive study looks at the experience of being forgiven and of forgiving others. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

AS WE TRUST IN THE LORD, HE INCREASES HIS POWER IN US, AND THE GLORY AND HONOR IS HIS!

THE PRESIDENT AND I WERE TALKING EARLIER THIS WEEK AND.... Oh, I'm sorry -- not "the" President. I haven't ever had a conversation with George Bush, although I have been in his presence on a couple occasions. I mean the president of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Most of President Gary Benedict's ministry has been as a district superintendent, a college president, now as the leader of our denomination, but he started out in a local church as the sole pastor, speaking twice on Sunday and leading the mid-week Bible study and prayer meeting. He mentioned that he enjoys his opportunities to preach, which are rarer now, but that it is quite a challenge to exposit God's Word consistently, week in and week out. There's certainly truth in that.

A day later I had another conversation, this time with a fellow pastor who serves a significant church on the west coast. We both have had full days this week. Both of us were in the midst of preparing for Sunday's preaching responsibilities. He said this is one of those weeks when he just can't seem to get it all pulled together. How well I know the feeling! As he expressed it, "It's God's Word. I know there's something in this text that my people need and that they will profit by hearing, but I'm just not getting it right now." I've had weeks like that. I sometimes offer Mossie the opportunity to fill the pulpit, or at least to write the sermon for me. After all, she has accused me of exaggerating the illustrations that I share. It would only be fair to give her the chance to "set the record straight." So far, she has declined my invitations, but one of these days....

Sometimes I'm sure that God has directed me to a particular passage of His Word, but as I study it's as though a thick cloud has settled upon me. I grope here and there, spiritually sightless but confident that there is something of substance somewhere in that shroud. I search earnestly for enlightenment, aware that I'm working under a "deadline." People are going to expect me to be prepared when I stand in front of them. Sunday is coming!

Along the way, I've learned that my first recourse is prayer. The Lord promised that His own Spirit will be my teacher, so I humble myself and say: "Dear Lord, give me the essential insight into this passage, without which I am hopelessly befuddled." A second tact is to dig deeper I look at the passage more closely than I did at first, take it apart word by word, compare translations to get a better understanding of the structure of the text, and use reference materials such as Greek or Hebrew lexicons to root out the deeper meanings inherent in God's Word. A third thing I do is to simplify my approach. I often find that I have missed the plain truth of the text because I have worked so hard to discover more esoteric insights. I must learn to "let God be God" (after all, He will be, whether or not I "let" Him), and quiet myself to hear His voice rather than my own or that of others.

Good approaches to any set of problems! 1) Whatever the conundrum or dilemma, it's best to take it to the Lord in prayer. The best answers...the only ultimate answers...lie with Him and no other. Prayer disposes me to hear His voice and humbles me to obey His direction. 2) Digging deeper is good as well. I might at first be perplexed by my circumstances. "Why is God allowing this?" "Why me?" "What possible good can there be in any of the anticipated outcomes?" Valid questions, but my lack of understanding is correlated to my failure to see the "big picture" as God sees it. As I reflect on His will, I find that this thing I did not at first understand is both good and necessary as I grow in the grace and knowledge of the One who loves me and gave Himself up for me. Wow! 3) Finally, I must simplify. So often, the reason things don't "fit" in my experience is because I have complicated my existence beyond all measure. An inflated sense of self-worth or importance...stubborn commitment to a path I have outlined for myself or the goals and objectives I have chosen...unbending resolve to do a thing a certain way and no other...these limit my capacity to see and to appreciate the obvious. Then the Lord says things like, "Fear not...Trust me...Be anxious for nothing...Be still and wait upon the Lord...."

Simplify! Calm down. Take His hand. Discover a genuine relationship with Jesus. If you try it...you'll like it.

THIS SUNDAY the morning message continues on the theme of true forgiveness. In the Evening Praise Service our interactive study of God's Word includes conversation about moving beyond bitterness. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

OUR LORD IS NEVER IN A "FOG" ABOUT ANYTHING! HE CAN SURELY LEAD YOU OUT OF YOURS!

I'LL BE IN THE SUNSHINE STATE ALL OF NEXT WEEK! That's right, I'm headed to Florida, the land of sand and sun and surf. However, before you congratulate me on my good fortune, let me hasten to add that I won't be at the beach. In fact, I probably won't be outside at all except for the trip from the airport to the hotel.

Next week is the General Council of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Delegates from all over the U.S., plus guests from around the world, will gather in Orlando to review the global ministries of the Alliance and to conduct business related to the advance of those ministries. It's an inspiring week, and will be crowned with the traditional Missions Rally on the closing Sunday, a grand celebration of all that God is doing in His world.

The days are long and full. As a member of the Board of Directors, I will begin the week with meetings, then each day includes morning devotional hours, "Ministry Strategy Sessions" when delegates will adopt new legislation and plot future direction for Alliance outreach, evening worship services, plus special ministry seminars of various sorts later in the week. By the time the week is done, we're all exhausted by the sheer volume of material and the non-stop pace. We won't really get to enjoy Florida very much, although this year the schedule has been planed to allow significant free time on Friday.

Moreover, since I am the Corporate Secretary to the denomination, I have a lot of responsibility for the week. My office is basically responsible for "managing" Council events. I'm thankful for many very competent people who do their jobs very well. In addition, I will serve as the moderator for the business sessions. We anticipate 3000+ in attendance, and some important matters for discussion and decision. Please pray for a wonderful and encouraging week as we are engaged in the promotion of Christ's Kingdom.

Returning to Florida does bring back treasured memories. Our family has made several vacation trips to Florida in the past, when our children were small. Hunting for seashells, playing tennis in 100-degree weather, the thrill of amusement park rides, biting into fresh citrus fruits, riding a swamp buggy through the Everglades, the taste of alligator meat...these are experiences we can never forget. We've enjoyed the ocean as well as the Gulf, and we've seen just about all regions of Florida at one time or another. Coming from a northern climate with very different flora and fauna, we were always enthralled by the bright tropical colors of the flowers and the creatures that are natural to the Florida habitat. And how I love the warmth of the southern sun!

My very first trip to FL was in late December of 1974. My brother and I rented a canoe and explored the mangroves off of Key Largo on the southeastern coast. The ocean water was crystal clear and we could see stingrays and brightly colored fish as we paddled about through the dense thicket. We got lost in that maze, but found our way out again. Otherwise, I wouldn't be writing about it now!

It was also on that trip that I discovered kumquats. I had never heard of that particular fruit before, and didn't have a clue how to eat one. The fellow at the citrus grove where we picked ours told us that you don't peel a kumquat. Rather, you pop the entire thing in your mouth -- it's about the size of the end of your thumb -- and you chew it up, rind and core and seeds and all. The resulting taste and texture are exquisite. I ate so many that the citric acid peeled the skin from the roof of my mouth and left my tongue and cheeks sore.

In other words, I over-indulged. I've done the same with good chocolate and other tasty treats. Next week, I expect to "over-indulge" on the blessings of fellowship with a marvelous collection of God's people as we worship and pray and plan and rejoice. Some things you can't get too much of!

THIS SUNDAY our Along the Way with Jesus series continues with a look at the Good Samaritan. In the Evening Praise Service Pastor Andy will give you a biblical introduction to an excellent summer Alliance Bible Study Center course. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

IS THE LORD BLESSING YOU TODAY? LET IT OVERFLOW AND SPILL OUT ONTO OTHERS!

HOW OFTEN DO YOU "COME UNDER CONVICTION" WHEN YOU HEAR A SERMON? You might think it never happens to a preacher, but it does! Sometimes, my own sermons are very convicting to me, not because I preached so well that I brought myself to the altar, but simply because God's Word is indeed powerful and "sharper than a two-edged sword."

What is "conviction" anyway? I think of it as a "come to Jesus" moment in our lives, an encounter with the divine when we catch at least a glimpse of what it is God created us to be, and the truth that we are not that...not entirely, in any case...and an overwhelming desire to live up to that image of God in which we were made and to attain to the greater nobility of Christ in us.

Conviction may include guilt. "Lord, I know I have failed you. Forgive me of my transgression and help me live the life of holiness to which you have called me." Often, conviction is characterized by a stronger passion to fulfill the calling God has placed upon each of us. "O Jesus, you have given your all for me. Surely I can lay down my life for you."

Last week, I attended General Council in Orlando, FL. The entire week was both uplifting and challenging...and I came under conviction. The messages spoke to my heart. I think the Thursday evening sermon brought it all to a point of personal introspection and evaluation. In the days since, I have been wrestling with the truths of God's Word in a fresh way. Let me explain.

The speaker that evening addressed "the heart of the Father," specifically a divine longing for fellowship with His creation that would not permit the Father to turn His back on rebellious humanity. Think about the story of the prodigal, and the father's glad reception when the disobedient profligate returned home. Our heavenly Father loved us so much -- SO much! -- that He sent His own Son to die in our place and on our behalf so that our sins might be forgiven and we might be restored to Him. Incredible!

But do I have the Father's heart? Do I care so passionately for the lost? More to the point, do I care enough about the lost that I am willing to forsake every personal advantage, every chosen preference, every convenient routine, every familiar and cherished pleasure, so that I might be part of taking the Good News to anyone and everyone in his name and for His glory? Do I burn with a longing to see lost souls restored to their rightful heritage, to the treasured relationship that the Lord first intended for us?

As I evaluate my now 26 years of pastoral ministry, I confess I am convicted. The function of the pastor is, of course, to care for the flock. That's legitimate, and I would never despise the calling or the privilege. However, in that role, the pastor easily becomes the person who is most charged with the task of keeping the greatest number of people "happy" in their joint fellowship in Jesus. Sometimes, the pastor's chief purpose seems to be to keep the ship upright and coursing on (whether or not we are always sure just where we are going). The pastor can devolve into the number one placator, the person who conciliates and who makes and keeps the peace, the individual who smoothes the troubled waters and calms the spirits of those irritated by this or by that.

Is that my highest calling? The heart of my Father cries out for the lost to come into the fold. My Savior is He who left the 99 sheep to search for the one that is lost. My Comforter is the One who comes alongside the sorrowful and destitute and guides them to faith in the Son. I am struggling with conviction. I'm asking myself, "Is that what I am doing? Am I doing what Jesus did? What He has truly called me to do?" How about you?

THIS SUNDAY we walk Along the Way with Jesus...into a "Maelstrom of Malevolence." In the Evening Praise Service our interactive discussion looks at the question of who really pays the price when we disobey the Lord. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

"ONLY ONE LIFE, 'TWILL SOON BE PAST; ONLY WHAT'S DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST!"

ONE MILE LED TO ANOTHER...and then another...and then another! I had not been on my bike very much this year, so I really did not intend to ride as far as I did. When I started out that afternoon I thought I would go 20 miles, perhaps 25. But it was a beautiful day. Mild temperatures...a clear sky...bright sunshine. By the time I finished, I had ridden 65 miles.

Life is often just like that. We might have some idea of where we are going, and maybe a notion of how to get there or how long it will take, but we often end up in places we did not imagine, amazed how quickly time has passed. How little we knew! How fleeting the years!

As I anticipated graduation from high school, I had no desire to go to college. My mother wanted me to go, and the only reason I consented was because I didn't have anything better to do at the time. I told her I would attend for one semester but if I didn't like it I wasn't going back. Eleven years and three degrees later I wondered if perhaps I was called to be a professional student.

Each time I have accepted a pastorate, I did so with the intent of staying as long as the Lord directed, but when I came to Morgantown in January of 1990 I certainly wasn't assuming that I would still be pastoring in this church 17 and a half years later.

As a seven-year-old in Sunday School, my teacher -- who was also my uncle -- challenged us to discover the riches of the Bible by reading it through. So I did. Over the years since, I have probably read through the Bible at least 30 times. One year I read through it twice. I didn't set a goal to see how many times I could read through the Bible in a lifetime, but the number is accumulating.

God knows the end from the beginning. We don't. In fact, God IS the beginning and the end. How amused He must be when He sees us striving so hard to "make a way where there seems to be no way" -- after all, that's His business, not ours -- instead of simply placing our hand in His and saying, "Lord, YOU know the way. In fact, you ARE the Way. Lead me where you want me to go."

Our walk with Jesus is a faith-venture, not a sight-venture. When you started along this way, the Lord did not inform you that this would happen or that would happen; He did not tell you all the successes and failures you would experience along the way. Moreover, at the outset, in the full flush of an ardent trust in God and His wisdom and His providence, you didn't even care to know the details! You just committed. "I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back. Though none go with me, I still will follow. No turning back, no turning back."

Why would anyone make such a profession? I'll tell you why. When we started in this Way, we confessed implicit trust in the sovereignty of God. We believed in casting our cares on Him, because we were confident that He cares for us. We agreed with Paul in his letter to young Timothy: "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (II Timothy 1.12, KJV).

The words of an old Ira Stanphill gospel song wells up out of my memory bank: "I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. I don't borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray. I don't worry o'er the future, for I know what Jesus said, and today I'll walk beside Him, for He knows what is ahead. Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand; but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand."

THIS SUNDAY our walk Along the Way with Jesus takes us to the Garden and His arrest. In the Evening Praise Service our interactive study looks at the meaning of genuine lamentation. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

TOMORROW MIGHT BRING PAIN AND POVERTY, BUT HE WHO FEEDS THE SPARROW STANDS BY ME!

ARE YOU OF ANY USE TO GOD? You certainly are! Perhaps you question that sometimes. Your personal inventory of gifts and abilities and resources and "connections" might leave you thinking, "I really don't see how God can find anything in me that is of benefit to Him." However, the truth is, he created each of us for His glory, and He equips and enables us to serve Him well and productively.

Moreover, you must never make the mistake of thinking that there is only a certain "class" of people who are qualified to serve the Lord. Perhaps you have assumed that if you are not a minister or a missionary, you just don't "count" for the Kingdom. Not true! While some will devote themselves to God's work as their vocation, every person on the planet is a "full-time" servant of the Lord. The very last verse of the psaltery proclaims, "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 150.6, NIV). Everything!

Stanley Tam (author of God Owns My Business) once observed that while clergymen are "expected" to be men of God, the same is often not true for laymen. The general thinking seems to be that less is asked of laypeople than of clergy. He says, "...for us laymen to seek the divine life is another matter. We should be dynamic in our communities. We should bolster the nation's economy. We should build and scheme and flex our muscles. We ought to attend church and contribute to its material needs. But we are not to be men who pray, men who take the Bible at face value, men who witness."

He then says, "Well, if being serious about one's faith is a social error, I plead guilty, but without remorse or apology.... Although my business requires long hours at the office and constant surveillance and promotion, buying and selling is really no more than an avocation with me. My first concern is to succeed as a Christian. Let me state that a bit more definitely. My prime effort in life is to be obedient to my God, to serve Him and bring credit to His name."

What is your "prime effort in life?" Why do you occupy space on this orb we call earth? Is it simply to please your own appetites, or to amass more and more "stuff" that you will have to leave behind when your days in this flesh have ended? Or are you here for Him? Well, of course you're here for Him! He made you! He's the Creator, you're the creature, and you exist altogether for Him.

Dwight L. Moody once heard a speaker challenge: "The world has yet to see what God can do with one man who is wholly surrendered to Him." Moody purposed to be that man. In his case, it led to ministry as his vocation, but for the vast majority of believers, entire consecration to Christ and to the cause of the Kingdom will not mean full-time "professional" service. That is, about 99% of those who profess Christ as Lord and Savior are laypeople, not clergy, and surely God intends that everyone who names His name is truly "sold out" to His employ.

Whether you are an engineer or an auto mechanic, a coal miner or a hotel concierge, a teacher or a nurse or a supermarket cashier or a student or a stay-at-home mom or a small-business owner or an inventor or an entrepreneur...you are a "full-time" servant of the One who made you and who calls you to redemption through His Son! If you have repented of sin and confessed Christ as your Savior, His Spirit abides in you and the light of His life shines through you to others. In every smile, every kind word, every good deed, every faithful witness, you are serving Jesus and you are spreading the Gospel of forgiveness and hope and eternal life.

What a privilege it is to belong to Jesus! What an occupation, to point others to the blessed hope found only in Him! Do not demean your calling. Be His servant today, and watch how He makes you a blessing to others.

THIS WEEK our walk with Jesus continues with the story of Peter's shameful denial. In the Evening Praise Service we will discuss how the Lord's intercession for us insures that you and I do not deny Him as well. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

SUCH PROFOUND JOY! THE LORD HAS SAVED ME AND HE HAS APPOINTED ME TO HIS SERVICE!

"SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL! SHE TOOK MY BREATH AWAY!" That's how Trey described his reaction when he first beheld Jessica as she approached the altar for their wedding ceremony this past Saturday. And that's exactly what a father delights to hear from the man who is marrying his daughter. It's also the reaction I had on my own wedding day. I can't forget how stunningly lovely Mossie appeared to me. Words seldom fail me, but I had none in that instant. I was raptured, transported. As I have said over the years, "She took my breath away."

Not only was I enchanted by her beauty, I was enthralled by the thought that she was "mine." I did not own her, of course, as one might own a piece of property, but I "possessed" her as a trust, a privilege, a responsibility. I was very much aware that my vows acknowledged my assumption of an obligation to care for and cherish this exquisite creature who was being entrusted to me. My heart swelled with longing to do well at the task, and with dread that I would not be up to the challenge.

The ceremony was a little longer on Saturday, in part because of additional elements in the service, but also because my words to the bride and groom were extended. She's my daughter...he's my son-in-law...I wasn't going to let them out of the room without taking my best shot! There's so much to know about marriage, and so little time to prepare. As I remarked, it's easy to be "carried away" on the day of your wedding. The whole shebang is a fairy-tale setting, with "costumes" that we do not wear at any other time and "pomp and circumstance" that would seem pretentious and silly in any other circumstance. It all lends itself to the notion that life will be lived "happily ever after" when the newlyweds complete their nuptials.

But the thrill of the wedding day too quickly dissipates in the weeks and months that follow. Those who are truly wise soon realize that a good marriage requires hard work...and large measures of humility and grace, saturated with patience and tolerance. My counsel to Trey and to Jessica included the admonition that they must never -- ever! -- stop admiring each other, and they must devote themselves to discovering how their marriage will be used by God to bring glory to Himself.

Having counseled many couples over the years, I know that countless marriages fail on these two points. First, the unfeigned joy and delight we find in each other seems to wane as we discover that this person to whom we have pledged a lifetime actually has a flaw or two, and that unpleasantness will displace bliss on some days. There's a reason why the vows say "for better, for worse." The good and the bad seem to be apportioned in roughly equivalent measures.

Second, married couples must know that their union is not only about personal happiness, contentment and fulfillment. In fact, it is not even chiefly about that. Yet, most young people assume this is the sum total of what marriage means: I have found the one who "completes" me, and now I will be happy forever. The truth is, since we are created for God's good pleasure, union with another person -- also created for His pleasure -- means we are together responsible for discovering how to bring honor and glory to Him.

Marriage is for God first, and then for us. Marriage is designed to enhance and enable our capacity to fulfill the objective of knowing God and enjoying Him forever. Every married couple is duty-bound to consider how their union will serve the purpose of glorifying God, and then uniting in a yoked fellowship to fulfill all that He is requiring of that partnership. And the wonder of it is, this is the way to true happiness and contentment and fulfillment. I believe this, and I will be praying that my son-in-law and daughter discover the fullness of its truth, and the joy that is inherent in obedience to this command, as they begin to build a one-flesh life together.

THIS SUNDAY we continue to walk Along the Way with Jesus as we consider His refusal to "save Himself" as His tormentors urged Him to do. No Evening Praise Service -- Please join our choir and orchestra for the Patriotic Musical at 2:30 p.m. at Suncrest United Methodist. Then come to the repeat performance at the Met Theatre on July 4, also at 2:30 p.m. For online sermons and other info, go to cma@cmachurch.net.

REMEMBER, MARRIAGE WAS GOD'S IDEA! IF YOURS ISN'T WORKING WELL, TAKE IT TO HIM!

"THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH." Perhaps you know that two days ago I was called to testify in a murder trial in Charleston. I was subpoenaed by the prosecution and told to be at the courtroom by 11:00 a.m. As often happens, the trial moved more slowly than the attorneys anticipated and I did not get to the witness stand until 4:40 p.m.

For several hours I sat with a number of other witnesses in a hallway outside the courtroom. We were not permitted to discuss the trial or our testimony, but we became well acquainted through the course of a long wait. I enjoyed my conversation with the state toxicologist, for example, whose uncle is an Evangelical United Brethren pastor and whose grandfather was a United Methodist pastor. This doctor grew up in New Mexico, but is really enjoying West Virginia and the lush green of the eastern mountains.

And I got to know a young couple with four children who were taking advantage of some time away from the kids. They went to a nice nearby restaurant for lunch and were thankful that they didn't have to choose a place like MacDonald's or Chuck E. Cheese. We laughed at the morbidity of having to be called to testify at a murder trial to find time for a "date lunch" together. Such are the unceasing demands of parenting.

Another fellow confessed that as it got closer and closer to the time for his testimony, he was getting more and more nervous. At times he was pacing up and down the hallway. He complained that it was too hot, so he turned the thermostat down to 60, but the temperature never read below 76. People were telling us that it was really cold in the courtroom, so he speculated that perhaps the thermostat controlled that room instead of our area. He said, "I'm just going to tell the truth. I shouldn't be nervous."

I wasn't nervous, although I was not looking forward to my moment on the stand. Even when you know you are telling the truth, the fact of confronting another person with testimony or allegations that are of a confrontational nature is never a pleasant experience. I had resolved that I would make eye contact with the defendant if possible. I was curious to see her response to my words. "Nothing but the truth."

You know the procedure. Even if you've never been in a courtroom, we've all seen enough TV court dramas to quote it by heart: "Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" I wonder if the State fully comprehends the significance of that question. At our Lord's mockery of a trial, Pilate asked, "What is truth?" The human heart is so deceitful and wicked that getting at the whole truth and nothing but is really not an easy thing. I don't think it's even possible apart from God's help.

In my ministry, I've had to give testimony in half a dozen or so instances. Several of them were situations like this, of an adversarial nature. In others, I was there as a character witness. In each instance, I have weighed the implications of what I was to say and have searched my heart to be sure that every word I uttered would be the truth, whole and entire and unadulterated by any untruth. When people's lives and fortunes hang in the balance, it's an awesome responsibility.

And someday I will stand before my Lord. Every deed done in the flesh will be examined. It will be a moment of truth...whole truth...nothing but the truth. The examination will be conducted by the One who is Himself the Truth. How glad I am that He is also the Way and the Life, because I could not stand before Him at all if my sins were not forgiven and my destiny secured.

THIS SUNDAY concludes the Along the Way with Jesus series as we consider the Lord's ascension and our commission In the Evening Praise Service we will interact with Scripture and our call to "Go" in the name of the Lord For online sermons and other info, go to www.cmachurch.net.

LORD, GRANT THAT MY TESTIMONY FOR YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF CONSISTENT INTEGRITY!

MY APOLOGY! NO "THURSDAY THOUGHTS" THIS WEEK! Or next week, for that matter.

I leave town tomorrow morning for a 10-sermon preaching assignment at Mahaffey Camp in central PA, and I have been spending hours upon hours trying to finish preparation of the 10 messages. I had really hoped to find time to pen a few "Thoughts" as well, but I can see it just isn't going to happen. And since I will not be here next week, you won't get an email from me until two weeks from today.

I solicit your prayer as I undertake this ministry. If you are not familiar with summer Bible camps, let me just tell you that there is a long and storied history for Mahaffey. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, summer Bible camps became popular destinations for believers who were looking for a wholesome family atmosphere where recreational activity, uplifting fellowship, fervent prayer, challenging missions emphases and sound exposition of God's Word were the "staples" of the experience. For decades since, many people have planned their summer vacations around such events.

There aren't as many of the "old-time" camp-meeting locations these days, but Mahaffey is one of the nation's finest. Each evening, there will be hundreds gathered in the main tabernacle for the adult preaching service, while hundreds more teens are in a youth tabernacle for their own service and hundreds of children are gathered in another place for their ministry. Lots of families stay the entire time, actually camping in cottages or pop-up trailers and tents, etc., or renting rooms in the rustic dorms. Many others drive in for the experience.

In addition to the evening services, there are Bible classes and prayer meetings and other activities throughout the day. By the end of the time, a person should be refreshed in his or her soul and, in some instances, transformed by a "divine appointment" with the Lord. If you've never considered such a summer excursion, I urge you to try it. In our own Central District we have Beulah Beach, not quite the size of Mahaffey these days in terms of attendance, but with wonderful grounds and excellent programming.

Needless to say, I covet your prayers. In fact, if you are so led, please take time each day, now through the morning of the 29th, to pray God's blessing on my preaching ministry at Mahaffey. I do not want to waste anyone's time, and I do not want to speak "my" words to the neglect of what God desires to say to His people. Pray that the anointing of His Spirit would be on me and that I will be wholly submitted to Him as His instrument for this occasion. I truly appreciate your prayer support.

The Lord bless you! During my absence, we have some great services "on tap" for you! This Sunday morning, Pastor Smitty will challenge you with a message on prayer. In the evening, Pastors Tony and Scott will oversee the VBS Closing Program, which will enthuse you for what God has been doing these recent days. (I just learned of four children who prayed to ask Jesus into their hearts just last night!) The following Sunday, Brett and Sherry MacLean will share what God is working in their lives as they prepare to head to Africa for medical missions.

Cherish God's gift of faith! Hold it close to your heart, and do not hesitate to proclaim it to others!

HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY I DON'T WANT YOU TO MISS! On Saturday, the 8th of September, I plan to ride my bicycle a minimum of 100 miles in an effort to raise contributions for our Scholarship Fund to support students who are in seminary and preparing for ministry. To that end, I am breaking a rule: I'm using this space to solicit your support. If I didn't think it was so important, I wouldn't violate my own rule.

Of course, you might be thinking, "What's the big deal? He'll never ride 100 miles anyway." I beg to differ, my friend! Each year, as a personal fitness challenge and just to prove to my children that I'm not yet a candidate for the grave, I plan at least one "century" ride. I believe I've got at least another one left in me, and I would like to use it for a worthy cause. This fall, we will have 8 seminarians in school, in three different seminaries. Not everyone is eligible for assistance from our Scholarship Fund because you have to be a member of our congregation and some of these are married students, with spouses holding membership in other churches. However, several are members of our church and will be needing assistance with the high cost of graduate study.

In the interest of full disclosure, please know that one of these students is my own son, Nathan. However, my ride will benefit all who apply for assistance, not just one. In fact, any money given to the Scholarship Fund will simply go into the "pot" for the benefit of all who apply and who qualify. Gifts cannot be designated for a certain student. The Administrative Board will evaluate each request and respond appropriately (and I will not be a party to those discussions in any way).

Because my son and daughter-in-law are in seminary (Tara won't qualify; her membership is in her home church), I began to think of ways to help elevate awareness of the Scholarship Fund...and the need for support. A "bike-a-thon" is simply intended to generate interest in an opportunity that exists year-round anyway. I'm hoping a number of folks will get enthused about pledging support just to see if the old guy can really make it 100 miles.

And by the way, the ride WILL be completed in one day. I'm not breaking it up into 10-mile segments over 15 days or anything like that! And, some suspense is building. Mossie is doing it as well, and so is Meria Marstiller. I fully expect they will complete the 100, because they've done it before. Of course, I have done it more often. And I will do it faster. That's because I have an extra gear on my bike called the "macho gear" -- I simply have to finish ahead of them.

You can pledge your support to any one of us, but keep in mind that I will be shamed if they raise more support than I do. After all, this was my idea! But since whatever is given benefits some quality young people who are preparing to give their lives to the Lord's work, I will gladly be "humbled" if that's what it takes.

This works just like any other "marathon" event. You can pledge 10 cents a mile, a quarter a mile, a dollar a mile, ten dollars a mile...any amount you choose. Or you can just say, "I really don't care how many miles you ride. I just want to help the kids. Here's my check." Whatever benefits the cause will certainly be appreciated.

AND...I do not need to know, nor do I want to know, who has given or how much. You can send a check to the C&MA Church, 317 Elmhurst Street, Morgantown, WV, 26505 and indicate that it is for the "Scholarship Fund." If you attend our church, you can put it in an offering envelope, mark it for the "Scholarship Fund" and drop it in the offering. If you also indicate which person you are sponsoring, we'll have some fun seeing who can raise the most support for seminary education. If you can't give, participate by praying for the geezer on the bike!

THIS SUNDAY we observe Communion. Praise Jesus, who bore our sins and set us free from them! In the Evening Praise Service Pastor Hawkins begins a series called The Demands of Love. I Corinthians 13 will perform surgery on your soul! Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

A BIKE-A-THON IS FUN, BUT THE POINT IS TO HELP PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR HIS SERVICE!

"WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?" Perhaps you're familiar with that interactive game, which helps students discover exotic places and use powers of deduction to solve mysteries. What I want to know is, "Where in the world is Perm, Russia?" Wherever it is, that's where my son and daughter-in-law are right now..we think (more on that in a moment). On Sunday the 15th of July, Nathan and Tara boarded an airplane in Pittsburgh and began a long journey through Frankfurt, Germany, on their way to Perm They will return on Sunday evening the 2nd of September after seven weeks of a missions project with a church work there.

And I said we think that's where they are. We haven't actually heard from them since their departure, which isn't too surprising because they were headed to a very remote area. After a number of days, we learned that Tara's dad, who has done some missions projects in that same area, was able to reach a lady in Perm who had not seen Nathan and Tara herself, but reported that she had heard that they arrived safely. So that's all we know!

Perm is both the name of the city and of the province in which the city is located. Nathan and Tara were to be transported about two hours from the city into another part of the province, so we actually have no idea where they are. Recently, Mossie heard that eastern Russia had experienced an earthquake and immediately she was concerned about how far east Perm might be...which sent me in search of a map once again, in an effort to confirm that Perm is more centrally located.

It is, in fact, a long way from east Russia, but about 800 miles east of Moscow. It is sometimes called the "gateway to Siberia" -- as though anyone really WANTS to know how to get to Siberia. Back in 1994, as part of the international "Sister City" program, Perm became linked with our Louisville, KY, here in the U.S. They enjoy several cooperative ventures in the arts and in politics and business. I'm not sure what this means. Do Louisville hairdressers get inside tips on giving better "perms?" Are the leaders of Perm considering adding letters to the city name that are not to be pronounced? (Since Louisville plays in the "Big East" here in the States, what conference would Perm play in? The "Big West?" But Perm is "east" and we are "west" -- and when I start down these rabbit trails my brain always begins to hurt....)

Perm is located in the Ural mountain range of Russia, so that should make Nathan and Tara feel at home. It is a city of about 1.2 million, making it the sixth largest city in Russia. It was first settled as a small village in the 16th century and was officially established as a city in 1723. Each year on the 12th of July the residents have a loud and jubilant celebration of its birthday. None of this is of any great interest to you or to me, I suppose. We are caught up with life on our side of the planet. I'm not even sure I had ever heard of Perm until Nathan and Tara told us they were going there. But the fact that Perm has no particular significance in my realm of experience does not mean, of course, that Perm has no particular significance in the larger scheme of things.

This is what amazes me: I can be entirely "unconscious" of the goings-on in even the larger metropolises that dot the landscape in distant places -- Beijing, Manila, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul -- not to mention the happenings that unfold in places of supposedly lesser consequence, but God is at all times conscious of all things. He who notes the fall of every sparrow, who numbers the hairs on every head, who shows no respect of persons but values each one equally with every other one...He who neither slumbers nor sleeps...He is intimately aware of and involved in all that is transpiring in every part of this great inhabited world, even while He also sustains the whole of creation moment by moment by moment.

It's too much to fathom! What an awesome God we serve...worthy of praise and adoration! Because He is who He is, I trust Him, without fear or hesitation, with the lives of my children...wherever they are right now!

THIS SUNDAY we explore what it means to wear the name of Jesus. In the Evening Praise Service Pastor Hawkins continues his series on I Corinthians 13. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

OUR GOD IS THE GOD OF EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE...AND HE IS THE SAVIOR OF US ALL!

"OK, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?" The key went in the lock just fine, but I had tried repeatedly and simply could not get that door to open. I was frustrated, flummoxed, and more than a little frightened.

You see, I was in Paris, France, trying to get into the apartment where we were to live for the next 5 weeks. We were doing an interim for the pastorate of the International Church. Mossie and I had just taken Pastor Fred Henry to the airport (Carrol had already left the country shortly before our arrival the day before), and then we drove back to the apartment. Living in the hallway for 5 weeks was not an option.

Here we were in a foreign country, with almost zero skills in the primary language, knowing absolutely no one in the building, all our belongings on the other side of a locked door, late in the evening, and completely at a loss to know what else we could do to get that door to open. I thought I had listened carefully to Fred's instructions. "Turn the key two complete rotations to the right and then continue turning to the right to release the lock and open the door." It seemed simple enough, but I must have attempted to unlock that door about 40 times and it just wouldn't open.

What a helpless feeling. Clearly, the circumstances called for an "intervention," but who would I ask? I knew no one. I decided to knock on the door of one of the other apartments on the floor. It really didn't matter which door since I didn't know anyone at all, and I can't tell you why I picked the door that I did. The way the evening was going, I expected to be greeted by someone who didn't speak a word of English, so I was conjuring up ideas of how to communicate that I was locked out of my apartment and needed assistance of some sort.

Lo and behold, the knock was answered by a gentleman Fred had introduced to me in the elevator the day before! He was the only person with whom I had even the slightest acquaintance in that entire place. He recognized me, spoke English reasonably well (and I'm sure comprehended it even better), took my key, walked down the hall to the door, put it in the lock, turned it two rotations to the right and -- CLICK! -- the lock opened with no resistance.

My jaw dropped. The man was probably thinking, "American imbecile." I know Mossie was thinking, "American imbecile." But the man was gracious. He laughed and told me that the same thing happened to him and his wife when they first moved in. We discovered that sometimes the lock worked quite easily, but at other times -- perhaps due to humidity -- it required a very forceful turn for that last click.

I can tell you, I was truly relieved. It would have done little good to call the gendarmerie because I had no way of proving that I had any legitimate right to get into the apartment in the first place. We had names for some of the staff at the church there in Paris, but all of that information was inside the apartment. I don't know what we would have done next. But our Sovereign and loving Lord was in control all the time, and not the least non-plussed by our predicament. In fact, in His mercy he had permitted a "chance" encounter with this very gentleman the day before, which allayed any concern he might have had when I knocked on his door the next evening. And the Lord had led me to the very door of the only person who had even a minimal knowledge of who I was. And that person happened to have had the same experience when he moved in, so he readily discerned my problem and knew the solution was a simple one.

God is good...all the time. And all the time God is looking out for us. Especially the feeble-minded.

THIS SUNDAY we begin a new series of messages titled Lord, Have Mercy. You'll be encouraged! Bring a friend! In the Evening Praise Service Pastor Andy concludes his series on I Corinthians 13, a study of The Demands of Love. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

THE LORD IS GUARDING EACH OF MY STEPS...EVEN WHEN I DO NOT REALIZE HE IS THERE!

THE DAY IS ALMOST HERE, AND I'M PUMPED! This Saturday several of us will ride our bikes 100 miles to raise money for students who are in seminary, preparing themselves for pastoral ministry or the mission field or other Christian vocational service. Next week I'll let you know if we made it, and I'll remind you how you can give, if the Lord leads you to do that.

If you're wondering just how difficult a 100-mile ride is, let me assure you...it's a true test of endurance. I'm certainly not a Lance Armstrong type of athlete, but staying on a bicycle all day long is less about athleticism than it is about sheer will power. Even for a person who is in shape for such a ride, once you get beyond about 50 miles the body begins to protest.

The longer you ride, the worse it gets. Legs are fatigued, your lower back feels like it's on fire, neck and shoulder muscles tighten and begin to ache terribly, eyes dry out from the constant breeze in your face, hands and arms go numb...along with other parts of your anatomy...and harsh weather conditions like heat or blazing sun or humidity or rain only add to the suffering. But the absolute worst, for most people, is the agony of being "in the saddle" for such a length of time. After a number of training rides in preparation for this test, I can say without hesitation that my posterior is now the best conditioned part of my body.

By the time you hit 75 miles or so, you are a composite of pain willing yourself on one mile at a time, eventually one crank of the pedals at a time, refusing to yield to the plea of muscles and joints, "Enough, already!" All of which begs the question: Why?! Raising money for seminarians is a worthy objective, of course, but as I have told you before, I try to do at least one "century" ride each year. All those other times, I did it just to do it. Am I insane? I guess I enjoy the challenge. There's some measure of satisfaction in knowing that while I might not be able to run fast or jump high or excel in any number of other ways in physical prowess, many young fellows in their prime of life probably wouldn't last with me in a 100-mile bike ride. So there!

Moreover, long bike rides are a fitting metaphor for the spiritual journey we are on. John Bunyan's classic work, Pilgrim's Progress, could just as well be titled Pilgrim's Perseverance because the progress Pilgrim makes is largely owing to his persistence through trial and the overcoming of all obstacles. It's a persistence born of relationship with the One who saves us and who preserves us in that relationship.

Our journey with Jesus is sometimes trying, sometimes baffling, sometimes painful. An old gospel tune says, "It's not an easy road we are travelin' to Heaven." At times, we just want to quit. We are at the limit of our endurance, all our resources are exhausted, the effort seems meaningless to us, the price too great. But like the Apostle Paul, we "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3.12). And God rewards steadfastness. James adds his insight: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1.2-4).

We will test our limits this Saturday, and we'll be tired and sore when the day is done, but there will be a deep satisfaction with a "mission accomplished." The "race" will be over. The "crown" will be won. But the spiritual journey continues, and I pray that my perseverance in pursuit of my Savior and my heavenly home will never wane. I pray that together, you and I will press on until we hear the Lord's "Well done!" and that nothing will prevent us from completing the course and receiving our reward. Press on, dear friend, press on!

THIS SUNDAY the Lord, Have Mercy series continues with an assurance that our God is always "on call." In the Evening Praise Service several will share stirring reports of their recent summer missions experiences. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

WHEN I REACH THE END OF MY "HOARDED RESOURCES"..HE ADDS HIS GRACE BEYOND MEASURE!

IT WAS A PERFECT DAY TO SPEND ON A BICYCLE! Last Saturday was the long-awaited Bike-a-Thon in support of scholarships for students from our church who are in seminary. Adam Feathers was available for part of the day and rode 60 miles. Meria Marstiller, Mossie and I each completed the 100 miles that we said we would ride.

If you have planned to sponsor one or more of us, you can send your money to The Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, 308 Elmhurst Street, Morgantown, WV, 26505. Be sure to indicate that it is for the "Bike-a-Thon" or for "Scholarships" and it will be credited accordingly. And tell us which rider you are sponsoring. We've got a little friendly competition going!

The forecast called for rain in the afternoon, but it never arrived. In fact, we had bright sunshine all day, and it got quite warm. We had to drink a lot of fluid to stay hydrated and to fight back the leg cramps that are common on a long ride. Adam and I rode together in the morning, and Meria and Mossie partnered up. We got on the trail around 6:45 a.m.

We have some wonderful trails available to us here in Morgantown. Adam and I rode from Sabraton to Prickett's Fort, near Fairmont, then on a "spur" called the McTrail (MacDonald's funded the development of that section) which includes a 1300' lighted tunnel. We rode back to Morgantown and Adam had to part company with me there. Meria and Mossie started in Preston County and rode toward Morgantown, then up and down the river trail.

After Adam and I separated, I rode on to the Pennsylvania state line and back to downtown Morgantown and to Sabraton. At that point I had 67 miles completed and was just starting the climb on the Decker's Creek Trail into Preston County. It's a moderate but steady ascent from Sabraton to Masontown, so my legs were fatigued by the time I got to the "high country," but I enjoyed the test. The ride back was a relief since a good bit was downhill.

At certain points on a 100-mile ride, you begin to question whether you can complete the task. By God's grace, we did it, and the cause is a worthy one. Our ride was really a "gimmick" intended to focus attention on the fact that we have some quality young people currently enrolled in several seminaries, preparing for pastoral ministry, mission work, Christian education or other forms of ministry vocations. To invest in their lives is a privilege because it is an investment in the Kingdom of Christ.

Each of these students will be engaged in the Lord's work for years to come. Every soul who is introduced to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus...every life that is lifted from despair...every church that is advanced because of the labor of these servants...will be a testimony, in part, to the faithfulness of God's people who supported the educational preparation of each of these students.

I truly thank you for that investment. And whether or not you can give, take a moment now -- and as often as the Lord reminds you -- to lift a prayer for each of these: Trent & Emily Casto, Wes & Beth Crouser, Alica Davis, Nathan & Tara Goodin, Bryan Lilley. Ask the Lord to strengthen them for their studies, to preserve them in good health, to supply them with all the resources they need, and to enthuse them with a zeal for the Lord's work. Most of all, pray that each one will be filled with the Spiti of the Lord Jesus Christ, filled to overflowing, so that God's presence in them will be a great blessing to the many they serve in a lifetime of commitment to Christ.

THIS SUNDAY we open Missions Conference 2007. The theme is "Against All Odds." In the Evening Praise Service our children will present a wonderful missions musical. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

THE HARVEST FIELDS ARE WHITE! LET'S DO ALL WE CAN TO GET LABORERS INTO THE FIELDS!

I LOOK FORWARD TO MISSIONS CONFERENCE EVERY YEAR because the messages and experiences of the week never fail to inspire and challenge. Part of the delight is simply enjoying the cross-cultural dimension. Learning about distant places and different customs is exotic and stimulating. After all, I've lived in West Virginia most of my life. I've been to Indonesia and Korea and France...and to Canada and Puerto Rico..and to Los Angeles and Miami...but when our missionaries share their life-work among peoples who truly are "foreign" to me, I am allowed to "taste" other ways of life vicariously. It's always fascinating.

It's also sobering. Our guests this week are Betty Constance (Latin America), Mary Ebbett (Spain) and John Patterson (Argentina). Spanish is the common language, but each of the fields is very different from the others. However, in each of these places there are people who dwell in spiritual darkness. Some live in relative prosperity while others live in poverty. Whatever the material circumstances, many know the crushing desperation of life without eternal hope.

I will not forget the story that Betty Constance told of ministry among the very poor in South America. Perhaps you were here and heard the story, but let me relate it to those who were not here. For social interaction, Betty had made some bean bags that could be used for games and "icebreaker" sorts of activities. They had the desired effect and the ladies enjoyed the games, but they wanted to know what was in the bags. Betty told them that she had filled the bags with lentils.

Some time later, when she got out the bean bags to use again, she discovered that they were heavy and it was obvious that they were not the same as before. When she asked the ladies if they knew what had happened to her bean bags, one of the women confessed: There was a family that had no food, so this woman had taken the lentils to give to the family and had filled the bags with sand. She said she thought Betty wouldn't mind. Betty said she was suddenly face to face with the stark reality of the poverty in the midst of which she was serving. She said, "I had food that I could kick around the floor, and others were hungry and had nothing to eat."

What a powerful word to those of us who enjoy so much, both materially and spiritually! There is a divine purpose in our prosperity Paul says, "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion...." (II Corinthians 9.11). Whatever we have is from the Lord. Whatever the Lord gives, He intends that it be shared with others who do not have. This is true of material possessions, and it is also true of the gift of eternal life that is ours through faith in Jesus Christ.

John and Mary and Betty have touched my heart this week. Yet again, Missions conference has stirred me to do a new evaluation of my priorities and commitments. It simply is not enough -- it will not satisfy -- to hoard God's blessings and to apply my energies to self-preservation and self-aggrandizement. The vast majority of the world suffers in unspeakable poverty, and I can help. The masses who fill our cities are oppressed by spiritual darkness, and I can shine the light of Christ into those places. Countless souls are passing into eternal gloom, and I can tell them about the everlasting life that is ours in the Lord Jesus.

Oh God, open my heart to love and to care as you have loved and cared for me! Give to me, and to each of us who have received the benefits of your grace, a passion to serve those who have not yet been delivered from sin and darkness and despair. Make us ministers of mercy to those for whom you bled and died.

THIS SUNDAY will conclude our week of Missions Conference. Don't miss worship on Sunday morning. The Evening Praise Service will be preceded by a picnic at 4:00 p.m. at Jack Roberts Park on Madigan Ave. (next to the Chinese C&MA Church). We'll eat at 5:00 p.m. Bring a covered dish; chicken and beverages will be provided. The Closing Rally will be at 6:00 p.m. and the Youth Praise Band will be involved. For more info and online sermons, go to www.cmachurch.net.

HOW SHAMEFULLY UNGRATEFUL I WOULD BE, NOT TO SHARE HIS GREAT MERCY UNTO ME!

I AM ASTONISHED BY GOD'S GRACIOUS PROVISION OF OUR NEEDS! Just yesterday, a conversation with Pastor Scott reminded me of a remarkable example of this from some years ago.

It was 1985. Mossie and I had recently moved to a new pastorate in Wooster, OH. On the weekend in question our three little ones had all fallen prey to an intestinal virus or influenza. It was not pretty. It was not pleasant. On that Sunday morning, I went to church without my family and Mossie stayed home to tend to sick children. That afternoon, we comforted the kids and cleaned up messes, but it was about to get much worse.

Not long before I had to leave the house for the evening service, Mossie had a sudden and severe headache. She immediately had to go to bed and was completely incapable of doing anything. You see, when Marcus, our youngest, was born, the anesthesiologist who administered the epidural made an error, missed the durum space, and drained Mossie's spinal fluid. The resultant intense headaches were around the clock for the first weeks. Over the next months, the headaches diminished in frequency but not intensity.

These headaches tended to come without warning. When it happened, Mossie was completely disabled. All she could do was go to bed and sleep them off. But the timing of this one couldn't have been worse, because the kids were violently ill (a bucket or a waste basket awaited by each bed!) and I had the obligations of the church service...in just a matter of minutes.

I was helpless, without a clue what to do. Obviously, I could not leave three very sick children, not to mention my disabled wife. However, we had just moved to this new ministry and I really did not know anyone to call. It was too late for someone else to prepare a message for the evening. Who should I notify to take over the service? As I stood there racking my brain for a solution to this dilemma, the telephone rang. It was Connie, a mother in the church who had four small children in the same age range as ours. Connie was also a nurse. To my total surprise, she said, "Pastor, I just felt I should call and ask, are you guys OK? Do you need anything?"

After I put my jaw back in place I said, "Connie, you won't believe this..." and I began to describe the situation. She didn't even let me finish. "I'm on my way right now!" She and her husband lived about four miles from us. She rushed over. I literally walked out the door as she walked in. I got to the church just in time to start the service. She cleaned up vomit and wiped bottoms till I returned, and Mossie was never even aware that Connie was there because she was totally incapacitated.

On one occasion, when the prophet Daniel had been crying out to the Lord on behalf of the people of Israel, the angel Gabriel came to him and said, "As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given" (Daniel 9.23). Jesus once told His disciples that their loving Father in heaven knew their needs even before they made their petitions known to Him. Wonderful! In my case, I was so overwhelmed and perplexed by the circumstance I was in that I don't think I had yet even voiced a prayer, but my merciful God was looking out for me. Perhaps He consulted with Himself and said, "The poor fellow is flummoxed by this one. I'll going to have to step in and provide a way out." And that's what God does for us. He steps in. He provides a way out.

I still can't believe it. But this is hardly the only time that God has appeared at just the moment of my need. He loves us. He never forgets us. He "shows up" when we are at the point of despair. And He delivers us out of all our troubles. Praise Him!

THIS SUNDAY the Lord, Have Mercy series resumes as we consider the implications of the truth that Jesus is the Son of David. In the Evening Praise Service we introduce a new "concept" including more singing of favorite songs, opportunity for testimony and prayer, and a brief homily for your encouragement. For online sermons and other info, go to www.cmachurch.net.

WHEN YOU ARE "TAKEN BY SURPRISE" REMEMBER THAT GOD HAS ALREADY GONE BEFORE YOU!

THE MOMENT RIGHT BEFORE IMPACT IS THE WORST! There is that nanosecond when the brain processes the inevitable and thinks "This is not going to be good!" in anticipation of the damage about to occur.

You know what I'm talking about. I've experienced it many times and I'm sure you have as well. When another player tripped me as I was driving hard down the basketball court. Broke my collarbone and dislocated my shoulder and elbow that time. Oh yes, I also broke a piece off the corner of the elbow. Or when I crashed my bike and went flying over the handlebars. Gouged a hole in my helmet. Without the helmet it would have been a hole in my head. And when I put my car into a spin and took out seven mailboxes on my way to the ditch. Actually, it was dad's car. I wasn't injured in the accident, but I still had to face dad

Some of these moments are just the "Whoops!" sorts of experiences that have minimal consequences. Like the time I dropped a jar of pickles in the aisle at the grocery store. "Whoops! Sorry about that!" I offered to clean it up but the young fellow who came with the mop didn't seem to want any part of me.

Sometimes our lapses in judgment are very serious and the consequences are permanent, even deadly. Our hearts ache every time we hear of someone killed by a drunk who is behind the wheel. We anguish for those who are permanently disfigured by an accident that happened in a moment of haste.

When I pastored in Wooster, OH -- a community where many folks make their living by farming -- there were a number of men in the church who were missing fingers. One bad decision with a piece of farm equipment can cost you a finger...or a hand...or an arm. One fellow was missing all the fingers on his right hand because his combine jammed one day and he reached in to loosen whatever had caught. In one instant his life changed.

Fortunately, bad decisions are often corrected with only a small price to pay. Other times, there is no way to reverse what has been done. We live with the results, and might even continue to pay the price for a long, long time. We don't always get "do-overs" or "Mulligans." That's why I am so grateful for a God who is my Deliverer, a God who rescues me when I am far past the point of helping myself.

In Psalm 34 David speaks several times of this attribute of God. He says he will "extol the Lord at all times" (v.1) because "he delivered me from all my fears" (v.4). In fact, David says, "This poor man called, and the Lord heard him: he saved him out of all his troubles" (v.6). He repeats himself: "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles" (v.17). Again: "A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all" (v.19). Read those verses again. Notice how many times you see the word "all." God's salvation is complete, no matter how stupid or willful I am!

There is no promise that there will never be any trouble. From time to time, I might take a tumble. But the promise is this: The Lord will "deliver" me. I am very skilled at getting myself into fixes! I mess up, over and over! God, however, steps in to save me, to redeem, to overrule the bad decisions I've made and to alter the outcomes that are otherwise unavoidable. He rescues me. He lifts me out of the trouble I'm in. He delivers.

How thankful I am that even when I'm in one of those "This is not going to be good!" moments, I have a God who ordains my deliverance, a God who can take what was intended for evil and turn it to good, a God who delights in saving me from the ruin I would make of myself.

THIS SUNDAY we will continue the Lord, Have Mercy series with a look at "God Is My Refuge." In the Evening Praise Service my son and daughter-in-law, Nathan and Tara, will share a report of their recent 7-week missions experience in Russia. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

ARE YOU IN SOME TROUBLE? ONLY TRUST HIM! ONLY TRUST HIM! HE WILL SAVE YOU NOW!

I TOOK A WALK ALONG THE CHEAT LAKE TRAIL this morning. I wasn't "playing hooky" from work. I was actually meeting with another person and we both enjoy the outdoors so we decided to combine our meeting with a nice walk. We had some reservations. I pointed out to my friend that in the times I have ridden or walked on the trail, I can't recall ever seeing two guys out together. We hope we didn't leave the wrong impression with anyone!

Both of us remarked, however, on the beauty of God's creation. We agreed that we live in a beautiful state. There is so much to enjoy in our native surroundings, and everywhere we look we can see the handiwork of God. Actually, the wonders of creation are to be found around the globe, but I confess to being partial to the "Almost Heaven" God has given us here in West Virginia.

This past Sunday evening, one of the "favorites" that was requested was, "It Took a Miracle." The songwriter observes, "It took a miracle to put the stars in place...It took a miracle to hang the word in space...." At our Administrative Board meeting Tuesday night, Mike Carico shared a stirring devotional that investigated the awesomeness of God's expansive universe. Mike is a "stargazer," and I was fascinated by his insights.

The next evening at our midweek prayer and Bible study, Pastor Doug Miller commented on a news item regarding a scientist who claims to have discovered the origin of the universe at a point billions of light years from earth. The news of the "discovery" was not as enthralling as the thought of the sheer magnitude of all that God has made. And, as Pastor Miller reminded us, our awesome God is in control of every last particle of matter that exists in all the wide universe. Mike had made the same point the night before.

Wow! Recently, I was outside late one evening, around the time of the annual August meteor showers, marveling at the beauty of the night sky. Suddenly, out of the northeast, a comet or asteroid or meteor -- I'm not the expert on these things -- flashed across the sky right over my head. It seemed so low, though I know it wasn't, that I half-expected the next day to hear about a house that had been demolished by a "falling star."

I was transfixed by the experience. Out loud, I simply said, "Wow!" I've witnessed plenty of these over the years, but this one was truly astounding. No laser light show or Fourth of July display could compare with that one spectacular flash of heavenly glory.

And yet, the wonders of God's creation are so much grander still than just that one brief moment of gaseous display. Who can tell the glories of our majestic heavenly Father? Who can describe the work of His hands? Who can speak the honor that is due unto Him? We simply hold our breath, and our hearts open in praise, and our minds are stunned into wondering silence, and if we are able to utter anything at all it is something like..."Wow!"

It's important to maintain a vital connection with "the heavens [that] declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19.1). Whether it's a walk along the lake, or a private reverie under the night canopy, or getting one's hands in the dirt of a flower bed, or snapping pictures of birds and butterflies...the world God has made is filled with wonders, and our appreciation of them works a marvelous healing deep in our souls.

Look around you! What do you see that reminds you of your Master today? Praise Him for His mighty works!

THIS SUNDAY we consider the mercy of God showered upon those who are "Harassed & Helpless." In the Evening Praise Service we will share songs and testimonies and prayers and the refreshing Word of the Lord. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

YOUR WORLD IS MORE THAN WONDERFUL, O LORD! LIFT THE VEIL FROM MY EYES, THAT I MAY SEE!

THE BIG YELLOW SCHOOL BUS ROLLED TO A STOP with "caution" lights flashing. Then the driver turned on the red lights and extended his small "STOP" sign before opening the door to discharge his passengers. Two children bounded down the steps, a little boy and his younger sister it appeared, and they flew across the road in front of the bus and up the steps to a house on our left When they were safely out of harm's way, the school bus driver retracted his sign, turned off his warning lights and proceeded to his next stop.

How many times have we seen this drama unfold? We think nothing of it, but it's heartwarming, really. Little children, happy to have the day of classwork done, excited about coming home, thrilled to see mommy or daddy again. "Let the little children come to me...." (Mark 10.14).

As those children grow older they will become a bit more reserved and restrained, more circumspect, less obvious in their display of delight at having arrived home. They won't run to the door of the house; they will simply walk, with the accustomed gait of an acquired familiarity and sophistication. They won't throw their arms around mommy and give her a big hug and a kiss; if she's lucky, she might get a "Hi, mom" as they pass by on the way to the refrigerator or cupboard.

The artless, unfeigned, generous love of a child is an incomparable gift. An infant soon bonds with parents, siblings, extended family, and will often develop a fearless affection even for casual acquaintances, reaching to be held whenever anyone holds out their arms. Nothing is so precious as the love of a little child. "...[T]he kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Mark 10.14).

As the years pass, we expect the demonstration of affection to be less effusive. The relationship changes from one of total dependency to one of admiration as equals -- well, that's what should happen anyway -- and adults don't behave like children, after all. I assure you, all of my children (and I'm including my daughter-in-law and son-in-law) are now in their 20s and I do not desire that any of them show their affection by running and throwing themselves into my arms. Especially not my son-in-law, who is bigger even than my sons. I know my limitations.

But on the other hand.... "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Mark 10.15).

We were created for our Father's pleasure. We glory in Him, and He delights in us. Above all else, the story of Eden is about the relationship enjoyed by the Father and the man and woman created in His image. The grief of the Fall is the cessation of that fellowship, affection displaced by alienation, felicity supplanted by shame.

All our lives long, we are in a chase to recover that lost fellowship. It is ours in Christ, and when we first come to a saving knowledge of Him we are heady with joy and so "in touch" with our God, but even when we have been "born again" in Christ it seems too easy to drift away, to become complacent and cold. It's so hard for grown-ups to become "like a little child" with respect to the kingdom of God.

And yet.... When I see those children returning from school, running with abandon, anxious to get home, I imagine my heavenly Father longing to receive me, his child, running into His arms, losing myself in His love, giving to Him the whole of my devotion, bestowing upon Him the praise I was created to give. When the big yellow school bus of life comes to my stop, I want to be excited about "coming home." I don't want to saunter through the gates of Heaven -- I want to run into my Father's arms! "[L]ike a little child...."

THIS SUNDAY we will be reminded that Even the Dogs receive the mercy of God. In the Evening Praise Service we will share songs and testimonies and A Primer on Prayer. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and more info.

GOD LOVES ME WITH ASTONISHING PASSION! OH, THAT I MIGHT RETURN A CORRESPONDING LOVE!

IT'S NOT EVEN THANKSGIVING YET and here I am thinking about Christmas! No, I'm not talking about shopping for gifts, nor am I thinking of all the holiday events to attend or church ministries to plan. I'm not even pondering my Advent series of sermons. Right now, I'm just thinking about the huge sums of money that will be spent during the season, and the overbearing debt that so many will carry into the New Year.

I've been penning these Thursday Thoughts for seven years now. Every year, I share a "rant" on the subject of excessive Christmas spending. I've urged moderation and Godly stewardship of resources. You don't have to spend beyond your means in order to have a "Merry" Christmas. Indeed, Christmas won't seem so "Merry" if January and February bring credit card statements that take you most of 2008 -- or longer -- to pay off. I feel a bit like Scrooge when I address this topic. Perhaps it's a message that isn't welcomed, but it needs to be heard. I'm not against gift-giving at all. The practice of presenting gifts on this occasion has a well-established Biblical precedent: The Magi came bearing very expensive presents when they visited Bethlehem and the Christ-child.

However, their gifts were for the King! Somehow through the years Christmas has been transformed. Instead of placing primary focus on the One who is God's indescribable gift to us, and laying before Him not only our offerings -- tangible evidences of praise and adoration -- but even our very lives, we have adopted the practice of giving gifts to one another! Have I missed something here? We decry the commercialization of Christmas, then we plunge into the same dissipation. A joyful celebration of the arrival of God's Promised Deliverer should prompt a generosity of spirit that includes doing kindnesses to others. It's wonderful to shower genuine acts of love on others, especially those who are near and dear to us. But isn't a lot of our Christmas giving rooted more in obligation? Have believers allowed the world to define the meaning of the season?

And isn't it strange that the Lord, whose birth we are celebrating, is often excluded from our gift-giving...or offered only a token of affection? Adding to our neglect of the very One for whom the holiday is named, we spend extravagantly on each other, usually expecting to receive in comparable measure to what we give, and the end result is a debt that is a poor reflection on our Christian duty to be good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us. It just doesn't have to be like this. Really, it doesn't. Don't give what you can't afford. Don't let yourself be "shamed" into giving beyond your means. Don't participate in the self-centered excesses of the unbelieving world around you, to the exclusion of the Lord who gave His life's blood to redeem you.

Some people simply "opt out" of the secular model for celebrating Christmas. I know folks who choose to focus their giving on persons in need, not on each other. They give reasonable gifts to children, not wanting them to feel excluded from the experience of their peers, but the adults agree to "pool" what they would have spent on each other and then they bless a family or person or ministry. The opportunities are endless. You can give to your church's Christmas Love Offering, which is almost always focused on a need outside the immediate church family, or to missions, or to a family that is going through crisis, or to a student with limited resources, or a parachurch organization, or to someone who is in the Lord's work and is barely making ends meet.

One of the best things about this approach to Christmas giving is that you probably won't spend more than you can afford because you probably can't use a credit card for most of these kinds of gifts! Then you'll have the double satisfaction of knowing that you made a significant difference in someone's life and won't have to dread getting a stack of bills in the mail after the first of January. Think about it. Maybe it's early for me to be addressing this, but I'm aware that the stores and direct-mail marketers are already after your dollar. Before you fall into the same trap yet another Christmas, I'm asking you to consider what God might want you to do with the resources He has provided to you. Believe me, blessings await when we put God first in our finances!

THIS SUNDAY the "Lord, Have Mercy" series focuses on the character of God as compassionate and gracious. In the Evening Praise service we continue our study of prayer using Jim Cymbala's DVD series. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

WHEN I THINK OF CHRISTMAS, I SAY, "THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!"

"GOOD NEWS" IS WELCOME ANYTIME! Last night, I was opening the mail and one letter began with the words, "Good news!" The report that followed was indeed a good report, and I was gladdened by it. When a loved one's life hangs in the balance, how happy we are if the doctor walks out and says, "Good news!" If we are waiting for a loan approval, or for admission to a college of our choosing, or for our beloved to say "Yes!" to a marriage proposal, we know exactly what sort of "Good news!" is anticipated.

Next week we will celebrate Thanksgiving. I am so very thankful for so many things. Certainly, I'm thankful for family. The past several years have been eventful ones for our children with graduations, marriages, military deployments, seminary placements, new jobs, etc. As parents, Mossie and I sometimes feel like we are living in the middle of a whirlwind as we rejoice vicariously in the eventful lives of our kids. There has been a lot of "Good news!" in our family, and we are thankful indeed.

More than anything else, however, my heart swells with gratitude when I think of the "Good News" that is the Gospel of my Lord and Savior. After all, every shred of joy and accomplishment and rich provision that are ours in this world traces to the love of God that was manifest chiefly in the gift of His Son. "Every good gift comes from our Father above" and the most "indescribable gift" of all is the gift of Christ's life on Calvary, a holy sacrifice that purchased my pardon from sin.

How fitting that we call this, "Good News!" That's what the Greek word euanggelion means. Our English word evangelism comes from this Greek root, and Christians are passionate (or should be) about sharing the story of Jesus and His love with as many as possible, because we cannot bottle up the "Good News!"

Very soon, the season of Advent begins and we will be remembering all the circumstances under which the infant Lord Jesus made His entry into our realm. Such a blessed story! Not long into the New Year we will be anticipating the celebration of Easter, reminding ourselves that He who was born in a lowly stable came for the express purpose of dying for our sin. The awful record of His suffering and shame is painful to us, but the eternal joy that was procured by His sacrifice is forever "Good News!" What if He had not loved us like this?

Next week, I hope your celebration of Thanksgiving is a genuinely meaningful one. You might be at a table with a number of others, stuffing yourself with good food and enjoying the company of loved ones. Or perhaps you will be alone, keeping company with your personal thoughts and memories. Whatever your circumstances, you have a very great deal for which to be thankful, and thankfulness always begins and ends with who God is and what God has done. As the psalmist has declared, He is great and greatly to be praised.

Take some time next week to do an inventory of your blessings. You have many, even if they seem to be eclipsed just now by certain sorrows that have clouded your skies. Remember that even the rain that darkens some of our days is necessary to nourish and replenish the earth from which new harvests spring. The sun will shine again. And in the midst of every circumstance, you have this assurance, the Lord is always and ever upon His throne. He is the Master of everything, and He is the One who decreed that His Son should die for you, and that in Jesus you should have life eternal.

If you cannot find things in this life for which to give thanks, you always have the joyful expectation of what God has prepared in the next life. A wonderful future is yours in Christ! That's "Good News!"

THIS SUNDAY our "Lord, Have Mercy" series considers the truth that God is always and ever "for" us, and has even defined Himself in just those terms. In the Evening Praise Service we will continue our use of the Cymbala series on prayer as we learn how to approach the God of all grace. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

I AM REDEEMED, AND LIKE THE PSALMIST I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SAY SO!

MY CHRISTMAS OBSERVANCE "OFFICIALLY" BEGAN ON THE 13TH OF NOVEMBER on a flight home from Colorado Springs. I was returning from a speaking engagement, two messages to the Fall Leadership Conference of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. My flight was delayed due to a mechanical problem. By the time we boarded and departed, I was looking at a midnight arrival in Pittsburgh, then the drive home. I was tired, and the flight was full. I found my aisle seat, said hello to the lady in the window seat, and didn't bother to fasten the seat belt because I knew there would be a passenger in the middle seat. Sure enough, very soon a broad-shouldered man arrived. I could see there wasn't going to be any extra space in our row.

He was a lugubrious fellow with a pronounced European accent. Mentally, I dubbed him the "Affable German." It seemed he recognized the lady in the window seat from a conference they had just attended, so he immediately struck up a conversation with her. Both were loud and animated and the conversation had no lulls whatsoever for the first half of our more than 3-hour flight. Apparently, their professions had something to do with water treatment and waste management.

I must admit, I was a little too weary for this scene. It wasn't just that Affable German's voice was inappropriately loud, it was also very penetrating, with a metallic edge to it. It was annoying, frankly, and impossible to ignore. And while I'm not especially interested in what is done with waste, certain comments kept getting past my efforts to block what was being said. I tried to read, but found myself going over the same paragraph -- the same sentence -- multiple times. What did I just read? So I decided to put on the headphones and listen to some music. I was desperate for some relief, some brief respite from their noisy talk.

The headphones were defective. The left ear worked, but only if I held the wire in just a certain place. Eventually, the flight attendant stopped to ask if I needed anything. How did she know? I requested another headset, which she brought. It didn't work at all...and she had taken the one that at least worked in one ear.

At this point, a gentleman across the aisle discerned my need and wordlessly held up his headset, offering them to me. Voila! His headset worked...except for a constant vibrating of the bass in my right ear. Well, at least I didn't have to hold a wire in place, so I proceeded to listen to some light jazz, which was pleasant enough and provided some distraction from the loud conversation between Affable German and Waste Management Lady. After a time, broad-shouldered Affable German got out his journal and began to write, which was impossible to do without further invading my space. His elbow kept jabbing into my ribs and arm. He was a very energetic writer. And that vibration in my ear! I decided to see if there was another channel with a music style that did not include so much bass. And then, a gift from above!

To my surprise, Channel 2 was devoted to "A Classic Christmas with Placido Domingo and Charlotte Church." On the 13th of November! I found myself listening to beautiful German and Italian and English Christmas carols as I hurtled through space at 35,000 feet -- with a perfect stranger poking me in the side over and over and over -- and it was all good! O Holy Night! The first time, for me at least, that O Holy Night! has been interrupted by the pilot advising of turbulence and telling people to return to their seats. Angels We Have Heard On High. Tannenbaum. A marvelous arrangement of The Carol of the Bells. Christ exalted in glorious song.

God finds us wherever we are. His blessings surprise; His refreshing is always welcome. And Peace on Earth came to me in a most unusual way on the 13th of November. Our God is wonderful.

THIS SUNDAY is a very special opportunity to hear Rev. Abraham Sandler, a Jew who believes that Jesus is Messiah, as we begin the Advent season with an emphasis on Israel & Eschatology. In the Evening Praise Service Rev. Sandler will continue his messages, and he will be with us Monday evening at 7:00 as well. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and more info.

JESUS CAME TO BETHLEHEM...HE COMES TO US EVEN NOW...AND HE IS SURELY COMING AGAIN!

EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT IT BUT DO THEY REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS? "The Joy of Christmas." The cards come in the mail and most of them speak of Love, Joy and Peace. Carolers are singing, "Joy to the World." Talk show hosts reference the Joy that marks the season.

I suspect the word means different things to different people. To some it might be an acknowledgement that most folks are on their best behavior during the holidays, behaving like people of good cheer, happily wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas!" and experiencing a lightness of heart that is uncommon at other times of the year. Perhaps Joy has something to do with the whole gift-giving and gift-receiving process. After all, it is a wonderfully felicitous scene when we gather around the tree to open our presents.

Then, too, Joy is associated with the wonder on the faces of small children climbing onto Santa's lap...whispering their wishes into his listening ear...or when they get just exactly what they hoped for on Christmas Day. For the adult who participates in that child's pleasure, nothing evokes Joy so much as the arms of a child tightly embracing you in that moment of ecstasy and thrill. And I suppose Joy for some is directly associated with the conviviality of good food and drink. There certainly are plenty of holiday treats to be consumed, and our mouths water just thinking about the feasts that are to be enjoyed in coming days.

However, is any of this the "true Joy" of the season? Isn't this -- the pageantry, glitter, hustle-bustle, charm and excess -- just the "residue" of what actually started the whole deal? Isn't there a story here somewhere, a marvelous event that caused such a stir that everyone simply had to celebrate, a remarkable new thing that transformed human realities and compelled annual remembrances ever since? Isn't there a story still worth telling?

Oh, yes, there is! It's the story that never grows old! It's the story of Immanuel -- "God with us!"

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,

"Do not be afraid. I bring you GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2.8-11 (NIV)

There is much to be enjoyed about the season, so much Joy that fills the air and warms our hearts. But the true Joy, the root of every other Joy, the Joy that matters most, is the Joy that gave rise to that old familiar carol: The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing!

This Joy permeates. It's there, even in the secular trappings of the holiday, but it's a truth to be welcomed and warmly affirmed. In fact, the Joy of Christmas is actually the Person of Jesus, and He must be received into the heart. It is He, the Savior, who drives out the deadness of soul that threatens to steal contentment and satisfaction. It is He who awakens our dull minds to the real meaning of the celebration.

Don't settle for less! Make Jesus the center of all you do this Holy Season, and experience the fullness of Joy unspeakable as He reveals Himself to you yet again in all the traditional celebrations and festivities.

THIS SUNDAY we resume a morning emphasis on the Lord's mercy...with an Advent flavor. In the Evening Praise Service we will enjoy the drama and sound of our annual Christmas Musical, "There Is Peace in the World Tonight." Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

HOW GREAT OUR JOY! GREAT OUR JOY! PRAISE WE THE LORD IN HEAVEN ON HIGH!

"I LOVE YOU, MAN!" DO YOU REMEMBER THAT ADVERTISING SLOGAN FROM A FEW YEARS BACK? It was a TV beer commercial -- why are those the most creative and memorable ads? -- and it was a phrase that caught on and became ubiquitous for a season, like the lady in the Wendy's commercials that demanded to know, "Where's the beef?"

Christmas is a season for saying, "I love you!" We do it in so many ways, but especially through the giving of gifts. Some of those gifts are compelled (I'm not sure how deeply affectionate we feel toward our mail carrier, for example), but even the gifts that are compulsory are expressions of love at some level. And of course, we really want to do something nice for those who are dearest to us.

This is especially so for our children. When ours were small, part of the Christmas ritual was to make sure each was treated equally, because we didn't want any of them to feel less loved than the others. Mossie had an amazing ability to keep a running tally of how many gifts had been purchased and how much had been spent for each. As if there isn't enough complexity about the season, it was imperative that each child be treated exactly the same. Like other parents, we were bound and determined to give them evidence of how much they were loved (See all the presents under the tree?) and that not one of them was loved any less than the others. If necessary, we were prepared to produce the receipts!

There are a host of influencing factors, of course. If one of them happened to have a larger package, did we have to have packages for the others that were of a comparable size? If we found an item on sale at 50% off, was the financial tally for that child based on the retail value or on the discounted sale price? Did a really heavy gift count for more in the equation?

This system also leads to "gift purchasing creep," of course. To make sure the balance was right, we might find ourselves having to purchase yet another gift for this one, and two more less expensive gifts for that one, in our effort to come out "even" both in quantity and value. Oh what relief when we finally achieved the "magic number" and could focus on getting them all wrapped and under the tree by 6:00 a.m. Christmas morning. And yes, I have pulled all-nighters on Christmas Eve, assembling bicycles and inserting batteries...and consuming the milk and cookies that the kids never failed to place for "Santa."

The last thing you want on Christmas Day is an offended child who is convinced that he or she has been slighted and others have been shown greater favor -- tears flowing and feelings bruised because Johnny got more presents than Suzy, while both are surrounded by a mound of treasure-trove that ought to more than satisfy any longings! What happened to the love?!

Thankfully, God kept it simple, though at the same time unfathomable and immeasurable. He gave one gift at Christmas -- an indescribable one. He gave us His Son -- when we did not deserve Him -- and He gave Him "equally" to all who will call on His name. No one is left out or overlooked. No one is shown favoritism.

God so loved the world (John 3.16)....it breaks His heart to think that even one of us should perish, missing out on the gift of eternal life. God demonstrated His love (Romans 5.8).... How? By giving His own Son to die in our place, even though we were sinners and didn't deserve it! This is how God showed his love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him (I John 4.9, NIV). That's what Christmas is really all about...and it just doesn't get any better than that!

THIS SUNDAY we will continue the Lord, Have Mercy series with a look at "The Price He Paid." There Is No Evening Praise Service due to the Annual Meeting that will following Morning Worship (but our youth will meet for the GROTTO Cafe!). Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

I DON'T HAVE TO GUESS WHETHER MY FATHER LOVES ME! HE GAVE THE GIFT OF HIS ONLY SON!

ANOTHER YEAR IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE...Are You Ready for the New One to Begin? Several times recently Mossie or I have had occasion to mention to some younger person that the years seem to pass more swiftly as we get older. I'm not sure exactly why that is, but it sure seems to be true. It's hard to believe that 2007 is making its exit so soon! Right on its heels is a fresh New Year, and now I have to get used to writing "2008" on my checks. In the remaining days of 2007, I'm taking inventory. As 2008 looms, I want to do some things the same, some things better, and some things differently than I have done before.

Something I will do the same is my morning devotional time. This year I read through the Bible, then the Psalms a second time, along with reading several devotional books that offered selections for each day of the year. I will read through the Bible again in 2008, and I'm in the process of selecting some other books that I will incorporate into that daily time with the Lord. These kinds of disciplines are valuable and worth preserving.

One thing I want to do better in 2008 is to improve my overall prayer life. On 5 January the Board of Elders will meet in an all-day Prayer & Planning Retreat and our focus will be the corporate prayer life of our congregation. We hope to come away from that day with a renewed commitment to a vibrant corporate prayer experience and some initiatives that will encourage our entire church family to commit to a life of prayer. However, the corporate life of prayer in the church can only rise as high as the personal and private prayer experience, so the Elders...myself included...must set the tone by challenging ourselves to a better prayer life.

What is a "better prayer life?" More time spent in prayer might be a part of that, but that's certainly not the only component. I want to see evidence of greater faith and fervency in prayer. By greater faith, I mean that I want to pray believing. God has made great and wonderful promises. They are ours if we will just ask Him, believing that He is a God who hears and answers prayer. Lord, increase my faith in 2008! And I want to pray with greater fervency -- I want prayer to matter more than ever before; I want to become more passionate in prayer, and more devoted to my relationship with God through prayer. If faith and fervency become the hallmarks of our prayer life, I believe we will begin to see some remarkable workings of the Lord in the midst of His people! Please agree with me in this. Let's make this New Year one that is devoted to a better experience of prayer.

What about the things I would do differently? As I review the past 12 months, I will ask some questions: "Is there anything in my life of which I am ashamed? Is there anything I would not want the Lord to judge? Is there anything that I know His Spirit has told me needs to be removed or cleansed from my life?" What is on your list? Impatience with others, especially spouse or children? A tendency to gossip, even if ever so "innocent" in tone? Or just as bad, to harbor feelings of envy or jealousy toward someone, although words have not been spoken? Maybe it's the cherishing of anger toward an individual, or entertaining impure thoughts. Perhaps you're engaged in some secret behavior that would shock people if they knew...and grieves the Lord because He always knows. Do you really want to repeat those sins in a New Year?

Let's get rid of that garbage! We can "offload" that stuff right now, asking God's forgiveness and requesting His help to change! Believe me, it isn't easy. You know that, don't you? You've probably asked His help before. The only way to secure a real victory is to "sell out" to Him completely, to make a full surrender of heart and life to His control, to become in every way a true "saint," which means to be a "holy one" or, more to the point, one who is "set apart" to His honor and glory. That's what it means to be sanctified. Lord, I'm yours. I'm set apart for you. I belong to you, not to myself, not to the world, not to the devil. I'm yours. As the chorus says, "Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me" -- Let me be completely yours, O Lord. You know what? God hears a prayer like that! May 2008 be the best year yet in your walk with the Lord!

THIS SUNDAY the morning message will be given by pastoral intern Drew ReVeal as we anticipate the New Year. In the Evening Praise Service we will rejoice with Pastor Junius Lewis and Greater Love Outreach Ministry as several follow the Lord in baptism. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

AS THE NEW YEAR DAWNS, LET YOUR SOUL AWAKEN TO A NEW LIFE WITH JESUS CHRIST!

THESE PAST THREE WEEKS I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT THE PEACE, JOY AND LOVE OF CHRISTMAS...in that order. Usually, we speak of "Love, Joy and Peace," but I reversed the order so that I could write about the greatest of virtues, Love, the third week of Advent. I intended this week's "e-pistle" to be a summary for the season, shared with you right before the celebration of the big day.

Well, my summary just took a different turn than I had planned. This morning we received a call from Kentucky telling us that Mossie's father has passed away. He has been ill for quite some time and had suffered a number of strokes that left him weak and disabled. We weren't surprised by the news, but that doesn't make the loss any easier. It's even more difficult because Mossie had no settled confidence about her dad's spiritual condition.

Tom was an honest and hardworking man who fathered and provided for eleven children. Mossie is the fourth in that line, and I have always felt that she was her daddy's favorite. He worked in the coal mines of eastern Kentucky until black lung forced an early retirement some years ago. I greatly admired his skill on the banjo, and was truly saddened when a stroke took that gift of music from him. He tried to recover, making valiant efforts to pick the strings once again, but all was lost when subsequent strokes took away all use of his right hand.

My first introduction to Tom was memorable, to say the least. Mossie and I had dated a short time and she had grown fond enough to invite me home with her. The experience was a bit intimidating from the get-go because my family was small -- I had one younger brother -- and hers was quite large. However, I was totally unprepared for the moment when her father stepped through a doorway just to my left, holding a double-barreled shotgun in his hands, and said to me, "I want to know. What are your intentions with my daughter?"

To this day, I'm not entirely sure if Tom was just having some fun with me or was "dead" serious. He never clarified the point...but I always understood that I was to take good care of his little girl. I hope he has been satisfied with my efforts.

Now he is gone. The family will grieve, and the hearts of those who remain will sense that something of inestimable worth has been taken from them. It's Christmas, and it will seem as though there is no peace or joy; God's love might even be called into question.

But this is precisely where the Christmas story "breaks into" the gloom and despair of human experience. "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light." In the bleakness of our sorrow and disappointment there comes the One who is the very personification of peace -- He is the Prince of Peace -- the One who is our Joy unspeakable, full of glory, the One who is best defined by the simple and eloquent word...LOVE. God is Love.

When loss overwhelms us and answers are non-existent or inadequate, how good it is to turn to Him. How reassuring to know the embrace of His arms, to hear His invitation, to rest in His love.

Our day of joy is here again, with love and peace and song;

Come, let us join the angelic strain with voices clear and strong.

Glory to our God, we sing, Glory to our Lord and King;

Peace, good-will with all abide this holy Christmas-tide (Andrew Skoog).

THIS SUNDAY Pastor Andy Hawkins will preach a message to prepare you for Christmas Day. In the Evening Praise Service we will share "offerings" of songs and instrumental praises and readings and testimonies to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Go to www.cmachurch.net for online sermons and other info.

JOY TO THE WORLD! PEACE AND LOVE, TOO! THE LORD IS COME! LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS ARCHIVES
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS 2007
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Another Year is Drawing to a Close...	December 27, 2007	Top of Page
These Past Three Weeks I've Written About...	December 20, 2007	Top of Page
"I Love You, Man!"	December 13, 2007	Top of Page
Everyone Talks About It...	December 6, 2007	Top of Page
My Christmas Observance "Officially" Began...	November 29, 2007	Top of Page
"Good News" is Welcome Anytime!	November 15, 2007	Top of Page
It's Not Even Thanksgiving Yet...	November 8, 2007	Top of Page
The Big Yellow School Bus Rolled to a Stop...	October 18, 2007	Top of Page
I Took a Walk Along the Cheat Lake Trail...	October 11, 2007	Top of Page
The Moment Right Before Impact is the Worst!	October 4, 2007	Top of Page
I Am Astonished by God's Gracious Provision of Our Needs!	September 25, 2007	Top of Page
I Look Forward to Missions Conference Every Year...	September 20, 2007	Top of Page
It Was the Perfect Day to Spend on a Bicycle!	September 13, 2007	Top of Page
The Day is Almost Here, and I'm Pumped!	September 6, 2007	Top of Page
"OK, What Am I Supposed to Do Now?"	August 23, 2007	Top of Page
"Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"	August 9, 2007	Top of Page
Here's an Opportunity I Don't Want You to Miss!	August 2, 2007	Top of Page
My Apology!	July 21, 2007	Top of Page
"The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth."	July 12, 2007	Top of Page
"She Was Beautiful! She Took My Breath Away!"	June 28, 2007	Top of Page
Are You of Any Use to God?	June 14, 2007	Top of Page
One Mile Led to Another...	June 7, 2007	Top of Page
How Often Do You "Come Under Conviction..."	May 31, 2007	Top of Page
I'll Be In the Sunshine State All of Next Week!	May 17, 2007	Top of Page
The President and I Were Talking Earlier This Week and...	May 10, 2007	Top of Page
Wasting Outwardly...Renewing Inwardly...	May 3, 2007	Top of Page
"Where Seldom Is Heard a Discouraging Word..."	April 19, 2007	Top of Page
Which Part of the Globe Is It That's Warming?	April 12, 2007	Top of Page
"Did I Do That?"	April 5, 2007	Top of Page
Did I Leave You Hanging a Week Ago?	March 29, 2007	Top of Page
Great Anticipation! Isn't It a Wonderful Feeling?	March 22, 2007	Top of Page
*"Did You Hear Anything I Just Said To You?"*	March 15, 2007	Top of Page
I'm Learning To Live in the "Lord Have Mercy Place!	March 8, 2007	Top of Page
Where Are You in the "Stages" of Life?	February 22, 2007	Top of Page
Oh, the Joy of Winter Driving!	February 15, 2007	Top of Page
I Just Saw a Church Cartoon...	February 1, 2007	Top of Page
What is Your Idea of a Perfect Day?	January 25, 2007	Top of Page
My Foot Slammed Into the Bedpost...	January 18, 2007	Top of Page
Who is the Most Successful Person You Know?	January 11.2007	Top of Page
You Can Really Have It All...	January 4, 2007	Top of Page