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What’s Missing?

The following announcements were found in church bulletins.

• Miss Charlene Mason sang, “I Will Not Pass This Way Again,” giving much pleasure to the congregation.

• Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don’t forget your husbands.

• The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water.”

The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”

• For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

• Potluck supper Sunday at 5 p.m. Prayer and medication to follow.

Isn’t it interesting how misplaced punctuation, missing punctuation or a simple rewording of a sentence can change the entire meaning of its message? It’s obvious that something’s missing in the above statements found in church bulletins. But what may not be so obvious is what’s missing in your relationship with Christ.

If Christianity is starting to feel boring to you, or if you’re thinking something may be lacking, it may be time to take a spiritual examination. Answer the following questions:

1. Do I have a daily quiet time with my Savior?
2. Am I involved in church and plugged into a youth group?
3. Am I growing in a Bible study?
4. Is Jesus Christ as real to me as my hands and feet?
5. Do I know the sound of God’s voice?

If you can’t answer yes to all of the above questions, you may need to get more serious about the time you spend with God. If you’ve never disciplined yourself to having a daily devotional time with God, now’s the time to make some changes! Let’s take the next few days and chat more in-depth about how to establish a quiet time.

Know It!
Jesus Christ holds all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Does that sound like something you need? If you’ll make time to meet with Him on a daily basis — have fellowship with Him, learn from Him and allow Him to guide you — He’ll share that wisdom and knowledge with you!

Read It!
Colossians 2:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13; Titus 3:14; 1 Peter 3:12.

Pray It!
Ask God to share His wisdom and knowledge with you, and let Him know how excited you are about meeting with Him on a daily basis.

Meeting With God 101

Imagine that computer genius and billionaire Bill Gates said he wanted to meet with you tomorrow morning at 6:30. Chances are, you’d clear your schedule, set your alarm a little early and show up. Why? Because Bill Gates is important. You’d want to meet with him. You’d care about what he had to say.

The King of Kings is much more important than any human! And He has incredible things to say to you. He wants to meet with you every single day. And the best part? He doesn’t want to do all the talking; He wants you to take an active part of the conversation! He wants to hear all about your hurts, your frustrations and your confusion. He also wants to help you celebrate your joys, your surprises and your excitement.

Knowing that God really wants to meet with you on a daily basis, should make you excited! If not, maybe it’s because you’re afraid to getting with Him or are juggling too many other things. Having a personal quiet time (some people call this devotions) is really important. It’s so important, that it’s almost impossible to grow spiritually stronger without it.

If you’ve never disciplined yourself for a daily time with God, let’s create a strategy that will help you get started.

#1: Make a Pledge. Decide that your quiet time with God will be a daily priority, and tell Him so. Be aware that as soon as you make this pledge, you’ll probably find yourself thinking, As soon as this TV show is over, I’ll have my quiet time. Or When I’ve finished e-mailing friends, I’ll begin my quiet time. Part of your pledge to have a daily quiet time should include the decision to avoid these kinds of thoughts and excuses.

#2: Make a Plan. Deciding to have a quiet time is great, but you need a practical plan to turn your good intentions into action. This is where your plan comes in! Set aside a specific time each day to spend time with God. Lots of people like to do this every morning, because it helps them get a jump-start on their day. Others like to do it in the evening so they can review their day with God.

Decide what time works best for you, and then decide on a specific place to have it. Jot these two decisions on a sheet of notebook paper and put it inside your Bible so you’ll have it as a constant reminder.

Know It!
God wants to help you develop strong spiritual muscles. But that’s hard to do without having a consistent spiritual workout. Reading your Bible daily, reading a devotional daily (like this one!) and spending time in prayer will help you develop a strong spiritual physique.

Read It!
Psalm 107; Mark 1:35; Hebrews 6:12; 2 Peter 1:5-9.

Pray It!
Tell God about your desire to grow spiritually stronger and ask Him to help you carry through on your pledge to spend daily time with Him.

Meeting With God 102

Okay, you’ve decided you want to grow closer to Christ, so you’ve made a commitment to spend time daily with Him. You’ve even come up with a plan that includes when and where you’ll carry out that pledge. But what happens if you miss a day? Do you throw in the towel? Wait till next year and make a brand-new commitment? No. To succeed, you’ve gotta keep on keeping on!

What happens if you miss lunch one day? Do you quit eating lunch altogether? No. If you miss your quiet time one day, pick it up the next day and keep going! The more consistent you become at having a daily quiet time with God, the easier it will be and the more you’ll start to depend on it. You want to eventually get to the point where you truly miss it if you don’t spend time with God every day.

If you do skip your quiet time, stop and think about why you didn’t have it. Was it too hard to get up early? Are you going to bed early enough the night before? Is there anything you need to change in your daily schedule to better accommodate your quiet time? If it’s too hard to get out of bed, put one foot on the floor and go from there!

Also, ask yourself some pointed questions: “If I stay in bed and miss my quiet time, how will I feel about it this afternoon? Tonight? Tomorrow?”

Realize that some quiet times will be more meaningful than others. Don’t expect every single quiet time to be a spiritual high. Try to recruit a couple of prayer partners who will encourage you and hold you accountable. Determine to be honest with them. When you miss a day, let them know.

The Bible shows us that Jesus spent time with His heavenly Father. He sought strength, fellowship and guidance from God. If Jesus Christ needed time with the Father, how much more do you need time with Him? Through your daily quiet time with God, you’ll become more like Christ as you follow His example and as you receive His power through prayer and the Bible.

To talk with God, you have to believe He’s present even though you can’t see Him as you would your parents and friends. Faith isn’t hoping that God will listen and speak with you; it’s trusting that He’s real and available for conversation.

God will speak to you through the Bible — His written Word — as well as through Christian leaders and friends. Sometimes His voice comes through your heart and your mind. Prayer is the process of not only talking to God, but also listening for His voice.

Know It!
Check your attitudes, your motivation and your relationships. If your prayer life is weakened by a problem in one of these areas, pray about that problem and correct it with God’s help.

Read It!
Proverbs 15:8; Acts 1:14; Ephesians 6:18; Hebrews 11:6.

Pray It!
Tell God about your desire to maintain a daily, disciplined time with Him. Ask for His help in putting that into action. Also seek His guidance in find a couple of prayer partners who can hold you accountable in this area.

Meeting With God 103

Now that you’ve created a strategy for having a daily quiet time with God, what should you do during that time? Let’s divide your quiet time into two parts and go from there.

Part One: Listening to God

Start your devotional time by reading Scripture. The book of Proverbs is a great place to start. There are 31 chapters—one for each day of the month! As you begin reading, ask God to bring to your mind any examples to follow, commands to obey, sins to confess, promises to claim or new thoughts about God. You may want to use a small notebook to keep track of what you learn as God speaks to you through your Bible reading.

Part Two: Talking to God

As you talk to God on a daily basis, strive to cover these five areas in your conversation with Him: Praise, Confession, Thanksgiving, Intercession, Petition. Praise is very similar to thanksgiving — but there IS a difference! To praise God means to adore Him for who He is. Thanksgiving is thanking God for what He’s done. When you praise God, you’re showing love to Him. When you express thanksgiving, you’re showing God how grateful you are. We praise God for His character, and we thank Him for His actions.

A. Praise: Begin your prayer time by praising God. “I love You, Father. I praise You for being all- knowing.”

B. Confession: Ask God to bring any sins to your mind that you haven’t confessed. Ask Him if there’s anything in your life that’s standing between you and Him. Whatever He brings to your attention, confess and commit to Him. Seek His help to avoid these areas of weakness in the future. Accept His forgiveness.

C. Thanksgiving: Be specific as you express your gratitude to God. “Father, thanks for helping me do well on today’s science quiz. I’m so grateful You helped me reach out to Staci.”

D. Intercession: To intercede for someone means to pray for them; to go to God on their behalf. Tell God about specific needs of your friends and family members.

E. Petition: To petition God means you’re praying for yourself. What should you pray for? Your spiritual growth, your needs, the desires of your heart— anything that concerns you! Remember, your heavenly Father cares about everything you care about!

Know It!
Have you ever known a spiritual giant? Someone who was really strong in his faith? Guess what — your public strength is gained in your private moments with God! So take your pledge of having a daily devotional time with the Lord seriously. Exciting things happen when you pray.

Read It!
Isaiah 40:31; Acts 16:22-33; Ephesians 6:18; 2 Thessalonians 1:3.

Pray It!
Tell God how you want to be successful in having a daily quiet time with Him. Seek His help in implementing these strategies into your daily routine.

Touchdown!

Drew lived alone with his mother, and he cared for her like she was a queen. When Drew entered high school, he went out for the football team. He was the smallest guy to hit the field, but he had such a positive spirit, the coach decided to put him on the team. Even though Drew sat on the bench for the next four years, his mom made every game.

When Drew entered college, he went out for the football team as a walk-on. The other athletes doubted he’d made the cut, but to everyone’s surprise, he did! The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because of the way he put his heart and soul into every practice, and at the same time, motivated the other athletes with the spirit and hustle they desperately needed.

Drew sent his mom season tickets for all the college games. She was thrilled to once again be at every game. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he repeated his high school record and never got to play in the game.

The end of his senior football season, he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big play-off game. The coach met him with a telegram. Drew read the telegram and fought the lump in his throat to share the news with his coach. “My mother died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?”

The coach stretched his arm around Drew’s shoulder and said, “Take the rest of the week off, Son. And don’t worry about coming back to the game on Saturday. You take all the time you need.”

Saturday arrived, and Drew surprised the team by showing up for the big game. He dressed in silence and made his way to the bench. The game was one of the worst they’d ever played. In the third quarter, Drew approached the coach and begged to play. The coach, figuring he had nothing to lose since they were already so far behind, relented and sent Drew to the field.

Suddenly, the game took a turn for the better. This little unknown who had never before played in an actual game, was doing everything right. The opposing team couldn’t stop him. He ran, blocked and tackled like a star. His team caught up, and the score was eventually tied.

In the closing seconds of the game, Drew intercepted a pass and ran for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. The coach approached him soon afterward in the locker room. “Drew, you were fantastic. I don’t get it! Your mom just died days ago. How did you do it?”

“Sir, my mom was a Christian. She’s in heaven now. Yes, she came to all my games, but she was blind. Today was the first time she got to see me play, and I wanted to show her I could do it.”

Know It!
God is your biggest cheerleader. He’s at all your games, and just like a proud parent, cheers you on whether you’re on the bench or the field.

Read It!
Jeremiah 29:11; Jeremiah 33:3; Ephesians 1:19-20; Ephesians 3:20.

Pray It!
Ask God to help you do your best whether you’re the star or standing in the shadows. Thank Him for believing in you.

The Gift of the Garbage Man (Part I)

(by Carolyn McInnes)


Have you ever stopped to think of all the garbage man does for you?

It’s a clear blue day. I suck in the pure air like a hungry vacuum cleaner. First, I inhale sweet dogwood. Then pine, rich and earthy. Closing my eyes, I imagine I’m winding through some sun-splattered forest. A potpourri of fragrant flowers drifts from my nostrils to my head. I’m dizzy with delight, and everything smells like freedom. As I stroll through the parking lot to the mailbox, I’m intoxicated with life.

What glorious scent will the next breath bring? I draw in the air slowly, with great anticipation. And then . . .

My throat suddenly constricts. My stomach lurches up and down wildly, and I think I might lose my lunch right there. The air has changed, and I’m strangled by a combination of the most offensive smells known to man. As I round the corner, holding my breath, I see the garbage truck.

I only glance at the garbage man on the tailgate as I hurry by. From the corner of my eye, I can just make out his stained blue work jumper and a greasy ponytail. I feel his eyes following me, and my pace quickens.

“Hey, wait!”

So I freeze. The parking lot is empty, and the garbage man is obviously calling out to me.

As he approaches, the putrid scent intensifies. He smells like all of the things he’s been surrounded by. Sour milk. Dirty diapers. Rancid meat. Rotten fruit. His work suit is smeared with the remains of all of these items and more. I think I might pass out.

“Hi!” He grins and brushes away a wisp of his long hair with a filthy glove. “We’re running a little behind schedule. I was wondering if I could use your phone.”

I stare at him. “In my apartment?” I ask. This must be a joke. I think of the vanilla scent that hangs in the air of my immaculate home. Then, cringing, I envision his steel-toed boots tracking unidentified waste across my ivory carpet.

“No offense,” I say, still trying not to breathe any more than necessary, “but I just cleaned my house. And you . . . well, you don’t smell so great.”

The garbage man doesn’t appear insulted. “No offense,” he responds matter-of-factly, “but if I didn’t pick up your garbage every day, your house would always smell the way I smell.”

I don’t understand his point. I just want to get away from this weirdo. I want to breathe the fresh air again.

“I appreciate that you pick up my garbage,” I say. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. . . .”

“Do you really appreciate it?” he asks. “How often do you actually say to someone, ‘I sure am thankful that the sanitation engineer picks up my trash every day!’? I’ve seen you out here before. You never once thanked me.”

“I wave sometimes,” I answer defensively. “Besides, why are you acting so noble? This is your job!”

The garbage man chuckles a little. “You think this is how I make a living?” he asks, a knowing smile dancing on his lips. “You don’t recognize me, do you?”

Know It!
God wants you to thank and praise Him consistently.

Read It!
Psalm 62:1-2; Psalm 115:1; Proverbs 18:10; Hebrews 13:1-2.

Pray It!
Ask God to give you His eyes and His eyes.

The Gift of the Garbage Man (Part II)

I look him over carefully now. Even peering past the grime, I just see a strong man with gentle green eyes. Unfamiliar. Nondescript. And really smelly.

Behind the Filth and Dirt

“What, are you an actor or something?” I ask. “Is this one of those deals where you’re going to play a garbage man in a movie, so you’re trying to learn about the part firsthand?”

“Well,” he smiles, “I guess you could say I’m doing it so I can understand people better. You can learn a lot by going through a person’s garbage, you know.”

“You go through our garbage?” I’m seized by an eerie, violated feeling. What have I thrown away that he might have seen? It’s one thing when you can trash stuff anonymously. But this is an invasion of my privacy!

“I know all about you, Carolyn.” I gasp as he calls me by name. “I know you use tons of tissue because of your allergies. You drink half a pot of coffee every morning. I see the grounds. I read the letters you toss, the receipts telling how you spend your money. I see the thoughts you write down and throw away because they’re so private, you can’t even keep them in a journal. I know you better than you know yourself.”

I just stand there, petrified and naked before the garbage man. I want to flee from this lunatic, but he already knows too much. Running now might provoke him to do something drastic.

“Why do you do this?” My voice is pinched and small.

“Because I love you,” he replies simply.

I can’t help it now: My feet are in motion. But before I can escape, I’m caught by his dirty hand. He holds my arm.

“Don’t worry. I’m not some stalker or freak. I love people. Your neighbor in 302 is Mr. Donaldson. Sweet old man. Had a leg injury that kept him from playing pro football back in the ’50s, but he’s still a volunteer coach at the youth center. Did you know that?” I shook my head. “And the Hanson’s upstairs, with that spunky 3-year-old — I love them, too! I remember when little Bradley got into some cleaning chemicals and nearly died last year. What a rough time for them.”

I watch his eyes as he speaks. They’re deep and clear, and they glisten like sunlight on water. My fear is transforming into fascination.

“I even know the lady in 310 you call Crabby Cakes. She got lonely after her husband passed away, so she decided to visit elderly people once a week.” He chuckled to himself. “You should see how excited they get on Tuesdays waiting for her! See, even she has some good inside. Everyone does.”

He holds out his hands, as though laying understanding before me. “That’s why I’m a garbage man.”

Know It!
God can help you see beyond outward appearances. He can give you spiritual insight that will help you discern a person’s character.

Read It!
James 1:19-27; James 2:1-7; 2 Peter 1:3; 2 John 1:3.

Pray It!
As you spend time in prayer today, ask God to give you a discerning spirit to see godly character in those around you.

The Gift of the Garbage Man (Part III)

“I still don’t get it,” I say. “If you’re not a stalker, not a blackmailer, what could possibly be good about sifting through our trash?”

Finding the Good in the Bad

Then, I see the most amazing glow envelop his face. It’s that look of blissful satisfaction someone gets when he’s quietly accomplishing his wildest dream.

“I get to take it away,” he says. “I destroy it, so no one else will ever have to see it. I wade through this filth so that your life will be clean. Take this letter. . . .” he pauses, his gloved hands retrieving a wadded package from the back of his truck. He flashes it before me, just long enough for me to see my handwriting and recognize the document. It’s my draft of a letter to a friend, full of gossip and hate toward a mutual acquaintance.

“I shouldn’t have written that,” I stammer, red-faced.

“Imagine what your house would look like if it were filled with all the letters you’ve ever written,” he says. “What if the words you spoke could stain the walls and your actions were slimy heaps of debris on the carpet? What if each of your bad thoughts hung in the air like an odor? Would you really want to live in that place?”

Now I’m speechless. I want to ask, “Who are you?” But I think I already know.

“Thanks to me, you don’t have to live like that,” he continues, waving the letter. “By tonight, this will be gone forever. I won’t even remember it tomorrow. Believe me, my memory about this stuff is horrible!”

Once again, I notice a putrid stench. But I suddenly realize it isn’t coming from him at all. It’s me. I hang my head in embarrassment, but he just smiles.

“So what do you say? Can I use your phone?”

I nod. There are no words left, only tears.

And right there in the parking lot, the garbage man puts his arms around me. Some guy driving to the next building turns to stare. His jaw is on the floorboard.

But it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. The garbage man’s arms are warm, and immediately the stench is gone.

The air smells fresh and sweet again.

It’s the scent of freedom.

Know It!
When God forgives you from sin, He chooses to remember it no longer. The Bible tells us He casts your sin as far as the East is from the West. There’s no way to measure dimensions from the East to the West as there is from the North to the South. So God casts your sins so far from His mind, they simply don’t exist any longer.

Read It!
Psalm 103:12; Luke 5:21; Acts 10:43; Colossians 2:13.

Pray It!
Spend time thanking God for taking your garbage, your sin, your rotten attitudes and not only forgiving you—but choosing to forget as well.