Don’t you love rumors?  In the Navy it was called scuttlebutt.  Most were made up.  Some had a hairline thread of truth.  For the most part, it was all made up.

 

Yet what do rumors do?  For the most part they sow the seed of distrust, which will sooner or later lead to destroyed relationships, business, families, or even churches. 

 

How does one stop rumors?  Do not repeat them.  Just that simple.  Unless you witnessed the event, saying or problem, being quiet stops a problem before it grows.  Remember, one day that rumor may be about you and I am sure that you would wish people would just be quiet.

Yesterday will be marked on my calendar forever.  It was the day that I realized that I needed to let go.  When I let go, it was like the weight of the world was removed from my body.  My strength was renewed.  Vision for the future returned.  I smiled. 

 

Letting go is never easy.  When a person hurts us, it is hard to let go.  When a person manipulates us, it is difficult to let go.  When a person hurts our family, or takes our family from us, it is extremely difficult to let go. 

 

God is in the letting go business.  When you let go and give it to God, it becomes His business and believe me, He will take care of business better than anyone.  He will right the wrong.  He will heal the hurt.  He will restore the soul.  Just let go.

Several popular TV shows today are about living in the wilderness.  Shows like, Survivor, Alone, Naked and Alone, Life in Alaska, Living in the Arctic, etc. portray the individual battling the elements.  Of course they have a camera or a camera crew with them.  If not, at least once a week someone comes and checks out their physical condition.

 

Now, imagine being alone for 40 days by yourself.  No camera crew.  No weekly checks.  Just you and the elements.  Jesus did that.  Toward the end or at the end, Satan then came and challenged Him.  Jesus won the encounter.   At the end, angels came to care for Him.  I always wondered why He did it alone?

 

Why?  Let’s face it.  There are times we battle life alone.  No one comes along to help.  No one calls to check in.  No knock on the door.  Just you and the air around you.  In the midst of this it feels like the world crashes in upon you.  You are still alone, in the wilderness.

 

Are you?  Jesus went through it.  He survived.  Since He went through it we are not alone.  He made that promise, that His children, His followers would never be alone. 

 

Going through a wilderness?  Just remember, you are not alone.  He is right there.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul uses the word sit several times.  I have always wondered why.  Why sit when there is so much work to do?  Why sit, when people need saving?

 

Then it dawned on me.  We are told to sit in the presence of Christ.  To rest in His glory.  For anyone following Jesus, it begins in the arms of Jesus.  Knowing Him.  Hearing His voice.  Feeling His spirit. Resting.

 

What did Adam do on his first day?  He rested.  He was created on the sixth day, God rested on the seventh day.  He rested with God. 

Stop the busy schedule.  Stop the running here and there.  Sit with Jesus.

Watchman Nee was a Chinese minister during the early to middle part of the 20th century.  He died for his faith in a prison camp in 1963.  His view of a Christian life is different from the Western view, yet it is very true.  I would like to share one of his events.

 

An engineer came to Nee at a preaching.  He had left his family for two years to earn enough money to buy them a new house and a new start.  When he returned, his wife had left him for another man (best friend), with his two children.  He had been filled with hatred because he was wronged by her, yet everyone seemed to accept it even embrace it.  He wanted to know what to do.

 

Nee’s response was, “The solution of your problem lies, that when the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He not only bore your sins away, but He bore you away too.  When H was crucified, your old man was crucified in Him, so that that unforgiving ‘you,’ who simply cannot love those who have wronged you, had been  taken right out of the way in His death.  God has dealt with the whole situation in the cross, and there is nothing left for you to deal with.  Just say to Him, ‘Lord, I cannot love, and I give up trying, but I count on Your perfect love.  I cannot forgive, but I trust You to forgive instead of me, and do so henceforth in me.”

 

When we stop struggling, God will do everything.  Tough words, but I am learning that they are oh so true.

Jesus taught, “when you are forced to carry an other’s load one mile, carry it two.”   The main idea is simple.  After the first mile of grumbling on your part, you find in the second mile you begin to understand the person who owns the load or burden.  It is in the second mile, you listen, watch, and understand.  When you understand, you know how to minister.

 

However, there is another lesson.  One day you may have need to have someone carry your load.  When you do you will understand more of both sides.  Then you will grow.

So, when one wants to continue their education there will be classes.  Now a days, most are on line, or so I am told.  You must keep your mic muted so there is not static.  You must be dressed.  That is important.  Why would you not?  You must seem energetic and enthuised. 

 

Really, it is not for me.  As I have gotten older, I like the classes that happen throughout the day.  Learning from an older woman how to make a special tomato soup.  Watching an older man, show a short cut on fixing brakes.  Listening to older people talk about problem resolution back in the day.  To be honest school is in session all the time.  We just have to watch, listen, and learn.

 

That is how Jesus teaches.  Yes, there is the written word.  That written word is learn when it is lived, tried, tested.   Try it some day.  Try it today.

 

PS.  I mentioned older people.  I found out that they are pretty smart about life.  They need to share it more and we need to listen more.

It is raining here.  Just a little, but enough to hear it on the metal roof.  Relaxing is the sound of rain.  Remove the tension. 

 

For the farmers this is not good.  They want to get the crops out.  Fields must be plowed and prepared for winter.  Yet, the rain will settle the dust and reduce combine fires.  They just take the good and the bad.

 

Rain does do one thing.  It makes one stop, even for just one moment.  One stops and watches it fall.  You listen to drops hit.  Just for a moment there is a surreal peace.

 

Rain reminds of of a flood from ancient days.  It reminds us a refreshing drink, quenching our thirst.  Rain reminds us of being clean.  Washing away the dirt from the body and the soul.  That is really what we desire, a clean conscious, pure heart, revived spirit.  Rain does that.

 

While rain is here one day and gone the next, the Living Water of Jesus is always in your heart.  It provides your soul with cool water soothing pains and hurts.  It is water that washes away the sins of the past, heals the regrets, and strengthens the soul.  Just stop and taste it.

Today is Monday.  First day of the week for many.  Others it is just another day.  Monday is significant for many because it starts a NEW week.  That means the weekend is coming.  With the weekend time off, relaxation, family time.  So, it is just not another Monday.  It is a starting point.

 

Yet, on the other hand for many it is just another day.  Worked all weekend, have to work today.  There seems to be no stopping or starting point.  For a minister, there is no Monday.  It is just one day after another.  It is that way for police officers, military personal and their families, firefighters, and emergency trained people.  There seems to be no stopping point or starting point.

 

Often times, Jesus would just take off and disappear.  He would go into the mountains or some other remote location just to be alone, rest, and most importantly talk to the Father.  This would happen before a major event.  It was His stopping and starting point.  It should be true for those following Jesus.  Sunday should be our stopping and starting point for the week.  It is that day where everything stops to just spend time with God the Father, Jesus our Savoir, and the Holy Spirit our Guide.  It brings us back into focus as to what is really important and the direction that the week will take.  Then we are ready for another week.

 

So is this just another Monday?

What a title for a church blog, right?  When I was in the Navy, when pulling into port, we would go to the bars.  The one who got to drag everyone out was me.  Not a fun job.  Do not recommend it.  Someone had to do it.  Many knew how to hold their alcohol.  Others, well, they did not.  It was a quick read to know who could drink and who could not.

 

What I learned was simple, if the situation was right, no one could hold their beer.  That one more beer, turned into too many.  Too many, turned into a lot of problems. 

 

Same way with living for one’s self.  It becomes addictive.  Just one more car, or one more girl.  One more night out.  Just one more.  Yet, there comes a time when that one more is dangerous and destructive.  You loss everything. 

 

Do not live for your self.  Do not live for your desires.  Live for Christ.  Let Christ lead.  What will happen with your life will be far greater than just one more beer.