Wet Paint

I have about a dozen of my students here to paint the exterior of our 2 youth buildings.  You know what excites me about this?  They are not here because they love to paint.  They are not here because they love working in 89 degrees with 150,000% humidity.  They are here for a couple very important reasons. 
1. They love Jesus and hence they are willing to serve in the kingdom even if it means painting in the heat.
          Ephesians 6:7 tells us to, "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people"

2. They love being together.  They truly cherish their brothers and sisters in Christ and enjoy the                     fellowship.     
             1 John 1:7 " But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

3. They want to be good stewards with the resources God has given us.                                                              
          1 Peter 4:10 (B)¹⁰ "as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms"

On top of this, the youth rooms are going to look awesome and allow us to show our kids that we value them enough to make sure they have a suitable place to assemble.  I love Grace Community Church!

What a privilege to see the hand of God forming and fashioning our next generation into Men and Women of God. 
God thank you for allowing us to see you at work in the lives of young people.  Help us not to be a stumbling block to them but rather empower and equip us to pour into them and to be a Godly example for them.  Selfishly, I thank you for allowing me to be in ministry and have a front row seat.  I am living a dream!  Amen.
Waiting on Him,
ML

OH GOODY- More trials!!

James 1 verse 2 tells us to "consider it great joy whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance"  Ok, so it's not enough to consider it joy, we have to consider it GREAT joy?  Really?!!  Well, I seem to struggle with this.  Anyone else?  Who like to have trials?  I much prefer smooth sailing.  I want everything to go my way the first time.  I want traffic to cooperate, the check-out line at Wal-Mart to move faster, peace and harmony in my home, enough money to pay bills and still have fun on the weekends.  You know, just the basics.  Is that too much to ask?  Seems like there might be a little bit too much, I, ME, MINE in this list of wants.

As I read through James 1 this morning I am again reminded that it is NOT about ME! (or you, I hate to be alone!)  We sure want it to be about us don't we?  I felt relieved when I continued on past the great joy part and got to the part about the long term benefits of trials.  See, in verse 1 it did not say "IF" you have various trials but rather "WHENEVER" you have various trials.  The implication here is that trials WILL indeed come. 

We have to decide whether we will allow those trials to mold and shape us into the men and women God desires for us to be or will we allow them to derail us and cause us to be seperated from our Lord and Savior?  James 1 goes on to give some wise counsel about dealing with these trials and promises wisdom if we will only ask and then beleive in faith.  Are you ready to face the next challenge?  Are you ready to grow through it?  Are you ready to be joyful in the midst of it? 

God, thank you for your word.  Thank you that you make provision for us and that you help us to grow closer to you during difficult times when surrender ourselves to you.  Help us to count it joy when you refine our faith with trials and help us to ask in faith for your wisdom.  Make us a bright light in a dark world.  Amen.

Waiting on Him,

ML

Resurrection plus 3 days

I am back from a short get away with my family.  We celebrated my oldest daughter's 16th birthday with a trip to Florida.  While there we toured Kennedy Space Center and the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne.  I am so glad to be back in the office and am looking forward to what the Lord has in store for the remainder fo this week.  It is amazing how a couple of days away from the office can seem like weeks.  I feel very disconnected and kind of like I may have missed something!

I am also feeling somewhat deflated because I did not make time with my Jesus a priority while we were away.  I have missed our quiet times in the morning and our talks about His Word.  I am missing that still small voice.  How are things with you?  Has the excitement of the Easter celebration worn off like a new toy at Christmas?  I am so thankful that Jesus does not put me aside like I do to Him some times.  He never stops paying attention to us.  He never stops being excited about seeing us live lives that are pleasing to Him.  He is always right there by our sides.  I have (re)learned valuable lesson this week.  Jesus is on vacation with us.  We do not leave Him at home like the pet fish and dogs and cats.  He tells us as much is Matthew 28:20b- "And lo I am with you always, even until the end of the age" 

God I pray that you will help me to remember to take you with me wherever I go.  Thank you that you do not leave.  I am so thankful that when I came to you this morning, you were waiting, patiently, lovingly and willingly.  Help us to continue to celebrate your resurrection until we see you again!  Amen.

Waiting on Him,
ML

The tomb is Empty!

<sup>Never before and never again will there be a need for a savior.  Never again will we celebrate the resurrection of another because the King of the Universe is surely alive.  Death nor the grave could contain Him.  Because of His great love for us, He came to earth as a man, died on a cross for the payment of our sin and arose on the third day as only He could do.  Thank God for your Son Jesus, for His work on the cross and for His payment for our sin.  Thank you that as we celebrate the empty tomb today, we also await your return and the promise of eternity together.  Come soon Lord, we love you.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

Matthew 28:
1</sup> After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
 ² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
 ⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 

Happy Resurrection Day,
ML

The whole earth shook

The earth shook, the curtain to the temple was torn in two, the rocks split and Jesus yielded up His spirit, fulfilling what He was sent to earth to do.  Indeed, He carried your sin and mine to the cross that day and endured horrific things.  As we remember Good Friday today and continue the celebration of Holy Week let's be mindful of the pain and suffering that occurred on our behalf.

There will be many people who attend church on Sunday because of social norms and expectations.  Many will include church on the list of things to do along with family meals, Easter egg hunts and eating of jelly beans.  It is our responsibility, as those who understand, to show others.  We must be a reflection of the love of Christ.  In our speech, in our actions and in our hearts, let us love our neighbors as ourselves. 

God, thank you again for sending your only son to die for us.  Thank you for loving us that much.  Help us to love in such a way that others would be drawn to you.  Help us to worship in spirit and in truth and be an example for others.  We love you and thank you.  Amen.

Waiting on Him,
ML

Up and down and side to side

Matthew 22:37 reminds us that we are to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind.  And we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.  I have been recently teaching my students about the various relationships we have in our lives. 

This passage which is comparable to passages in other gospel accounts as well as in Deuteronomy 6 and  is essentially telling us a couple of things.  The first thing is our relationship with Christ.  This is our vertical relationship.  Picture the upright of a cross.  As Christians we are called to be in right relationship with Jesus, our savior.  This requires effort on our part.  Relationships take time, effort, willingness, devotion, trust, transparency, intimacy.  Sometimes we forget that Jesus is a living savior.  He longs to be with us.  He desires that closeness with us.  I would not have been able to stay married to Ame for 18 years if we did not spend time investing in our relationship.  This vertical relationship must be intact in order for the other relationships in our lives to be healthy.

Those other relationships are our horizontal relationships.  Picture the horizontal rail on a cross.  See in our passage we are admonished to love our neighbors.  The implication is that we are to love each other, period.  We will disappoint each other, hurt each other yet we must love each other.  Guess how to do that?  Have your vertical relationship intact.  That is why Jesus said this was the greatest commandment, if we get this right, our relationship with Him... Other things in life have a way of coming together. 

Are you trusting Him with your life?  Are you trusting Him with your eternity?  Tomorrow marks the day that He was marched to a place called The Skull and was nailed on a cross to atone for the sins of  mankind.  I would love an opportunity to share more about this with you if you have questions.  Just know this, Jesus loves us so much, He died for us. 

God, help us to continue to be mindful of the pain you suffered on our behalf.  Help us to celebrate your resurrection as we keep in mind the death that had to occur first.  Help us to love you with our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbors.  We can only accomplish these things because of your great love for us.  In your name... Amen.

Waiting on Him,
ML

2 days left

On Friday we will remember what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Can you imagine what His last few days were like? Joy from knowing He was fulfilling the will of His Father?  Fear from knowing how He would die?  Sadness in knowing He was leaving behind those He loved?  Hurt in knowing he He was betrayed?  How do we feel knowing that He did all of that out of His great love for us?  And of course it is the sin in our lives that perpetuated a need for a savior in the first place.  See, it was us that crucified Him.  He endured that pain and suffering on our behalf, so we did not have to.  How awesome is that?  There is nobody on the face of this planet that would endure what He did for us. 

How will we spend the next 2 days?  This is a great time of celebration with family and friends.  Sunday will be one of the highest attendance days in churches everywhere.  Families will come together, food will be cooked, we will all wear our new Easter best and take pictures, and worship and sing to the King.  We will celebrate the risen Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Let's not forget that before He rose, He willingly died, hanging on a cross, with us on His mind.

Jesus, thank you for the cross.  Thank you for loving us.  Help us to be ever mindful of your sacrificial love for us as is evidenced by your suffering.  Help us to tell others today so that all may know. Amen.

Waiting on Him,
ML