Sweet Rest

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:3&4 (ESV)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5&6 (ESV)

"I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1 (ESV)

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

As a pastor I have often shared these Scriptures with others, this morning I am thanking God they are real for me as well. I pray that God will be glorified in my life as I have my surgery today. May people see Christ in me, I pray. Amen.

The Changing Seasons

"Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation: for you I wait all day long." Psalm 25:5 (ESV)








It has already been a busy week for me and tomorrow I will be having some knee surgery. Nothing too complicated I hope, it is being done on an out-patient basis. I have spent a good bit of time in the car, and as I have traveled, I have wondered about what God is teaching me. The Psalmist said he was willing to wait all day long to hear what God wanted to teach him. That is hard for me to do. But I caught a glimpse of something this week.





On Tuesday I traveled to New Hampshire and was surprised to see how much snow they still have. The ground is still covered and the snow banks are still high. It will be some time before their snow is gone. The next day, while watching my son play basketball in the driveway of our Connecticut home I saw something amazing. There, beside our driveway amidst the leaves and dead grass, just peaking up through the soil, were some crocuses. How exciting to see these sure signs of spring!

It was as I thought about this contrast that I was impressed by the realization that spring arrived everywhere March 2oth, but will be realized in different places at different times. My family members who live further south, have already been enjoying the arrival of springtime flowers for several weeks. My family who live in New Brunswick are weeks if not months away from even seeing the ground come from under its snowcover.

It occurs to me that the same thing happens in our spiritual lives. People become new creatures in Christ when they experience God's grace personally, but they grow in grace at different rates and with varying consistency. And it occurs to me that this is why God wants to see us committed to sharing that journey with others as part of the body of Christ, as members of His church. While some may be enjoying the bright flowers of spiritual growth, others may be shivering under the snowcover of personal failure and disappointment. How important to be able to help and encourage each other when the blizzards come. And how exciting to hear about the blossoms that represent new growth and spiritual victory.

If we can hang together in Christian community, we will all be able to witness the excitement of Easter lillies!

Easter Reflections

What a wonderful reality, Jesus is risen from the dead! And because he has risen, we can have hope, hope for today and for all of our tomorrows. Yesterday we joined with believers everywhere in celebrating this basis for our faith. As we approached Easter this year, I was amazed to see just how central the resurrection was to the preaching of the apostles in the book of Acts. Over and over again Peter, Stephen, Philip, and Paul told the story of Jesus coming in power and authority, his being put to death by men and being raised to life by God! They tell of the witnesses to his resurrection and then call people to repentance. I wonder if this would be a good pattern for our preaching today?


When our church service was over, our family welcomed several guests to share a wonderful meal Barb had spent several days preparing. Two of our guests were from India! They have been in Windsor for some job training and will soon be moving on to jobs in other parts of the country. What a joy to share our home and table with these delightful friends who come from a very different part of the world but share our faith in the risen Savior.

After we took these guests home, Barb and I were able to take some of our extra food to a friend from church who was too sick to worship with us or accept our invitation to share Easter dinner. While we know it is not the same as sharing fellowship around the table, it is a joy to know we can be obedient to the teaching of Romans 12:13 simply be taking some of our extra food to a fellow believer.

I hope you had a wonderful celebration of the resurrection, it is the reason for our hope!

A King's Crown

Other than beauty queens, we don't see much of crowns in this country. The President doesn't wear one. The Red Sox (although crowned world series champs) don't wear them. I don't believe the queen of country music wears one either, although I must confess, I don't know who she is. Anyway, there are just not a lot of people wearing crowns these days. At least not like we normally think about crowns.



In my devotions this morning I came across a verse that made me wonder about the crown I wear. The verse is from Proverbs 17:6 and it says



"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,..."

Now I have to admit, I don't really like the idea of being called aged, I'm only 55, but I sure love the idea of having a grandchild. And this is my granddaughter, Erin. I think she is super special!

Just last week she called me up, she calls me Mr. Gramps and I love that too, and asked if I could tell her how I knew Jesus had changed me when I accepted Him as my Savior. What a great question froma 7 year old. We had a wonderful conversation about God's Word and how we can believe it. We also talked about changing desires which can be indicators of the new heart God gives us. I sure loved talking with my granddaughter about Jesus and my heavenly Father. When we finished she also talked with Mrs. Gramps about the same thing.

We are so thankful that her mom is encouraging her to find out for herself what difference a relationship with Jesus makes and how people she knows came to a saving knowledge of God's grace.

This week Erin is in Mississippi where she and her family are doing relief work with folks whose lives were shattered by Hurricane Katrina. It is hard to believe (at least from the nightly news) that so many are still not over the devastation the hurricane caused. How grateful we are that members of our family can bring hope and help in Jesus Name, even our wonderful grand-daughter, Erin. I wonder what God will teach her about His love this week.

Listen and Live

"My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adultress with her smooth words." "He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. Wounds and dishonor will he get, and his disgrace will not be wiped away." "And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart." "And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death." Proverbs 7:1-5, 6:32-33, 7:10, 24-27 (ESV)

Proverbs

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

Several months ago I began to read one chapter each day from the book of Proverbs. It has been an excellent discipline for me to undertake. The relevant challenges for daily living are simple and direct, and so very timely. I am amazed at the wide range of subjects covered by the various Proverbs. "Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance." Proverbs 1:3 (ESV) Why would anyone not take advantage of the wisdom and guidance shared with us by the writers of Proverbs? Yet, every day, tragedies take place because of people who fail to learn from God's instruction.



The news out of New York state this week has been heartbreaking for the Eliot Spitzer family. The former governor of New York, he resigned today, is accused of being involved in sexual immorality. The accusation seems to ring true enough for him to remove himself from office rather than face the threatened impeachment. How tragic to see the truth of Proverbs 5:22&23 lived out in this man's life. "The inquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray."

I am grieved for Mr. Spitzer, his wife and their three children. I don't know if the former governor knew what Proverbs said or not, but it proved to be true. But he is not the first, nor will he likely be the last, to find out that the warnings of Proverbs would be best heeded. It was last year that I was saddened to learn that Ted Haggard had also become ensnared in sexual immorality. I know Rev. Haggard should have known what was in Proverbs. What we must remember is that Proverbs 5:21 tells us, "For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths." I wonder why anyone thinks they can ignore God's instructions and warning and not end up paying a price, a very heavy price, for their trangression.

It is the New Testament that tells us that it is not enough to know what God's word says, we need to obey it. In fact, James 1:22 says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." It is my prayer that I will be attentive to the Word of God and the life giving instructions I find there. I also pray that in the pages of Scripture I will see a Jesus whose love and acceptance motivate me to live in such a way as to obey His commands. I wonder if you will join me in that prayer.

Happy Birthday David!

Tonight we called our son David, to wish him a happy birthday, his 27th. Actually, his birthday is tomorrow, but where he is, it was his birthday when we called him, weird, huh? David is pictured above with his wife, Marianne, (this picture was taken in Thailand) who will be preparing him a special birthday meal, even though he is fasting for 40 days, weird, huh? Then they will play cards with some of their friends and celebrate David getting another year older, really weird, huh? Anyway, my wife and I wish our second son a very happy 27th birthday!

Our weather was wonderful again today and I took a couple of pictures of our church building and sign for those of you who have been wondering. The church is in Windsor, CT and this is what it looks like.

This is the sign that identifies the church. If you

ever find yourself in the area, come on in and worship with us. We'd love to have you share some time with us as we gather to worship our Risen Lord! God bless you and have a wonderful day.

Random Thoughts on a Windy Day

Some places got a lot of snow yesterday, but we just got rain...and lots of it. As a result, our snow is almost all gone here in Connecticut. This is what our front yard looked like this afternoon. Spring will be here before we know it! Halleujah.

Yesterday, in the midst of all the rain I went up to Massachusetts and had lunch with my brother-in-law Dean (yes, he was named after me in hopes that some of my finest qualities would rub off) and his future son-in-law Matt (he was not named after me in hopes that some of my worst qualities would not rub off). We had a mediocre lunch but a great visit. It is so exciting to witness God work in the lives of fallen creatures who have been saved by grace. Our discussion about marriage and love and commitment was a testimony to how God has been working in three very different lives in very different ways, but always for His glory. The three of us are shown below. (l to r, Dean, Dwight and Matt).

We had a real sense of God's presence at church this morning, and that is always exciting. After the service, my family took two young people from India who have been worshipping with us out to eat at a restaurant that featured Indo/Pak Cusine. That was an adventure as we tried foods that we could not pronounce and had no idea of the contents, but had fun laughing and trying various dishes. The kids said the food was not as good as home cooking, but we found it a challenge to our taste buds. It made me wonder about the verse in 1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God."

How Many Days?

"O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!"
Psalm 39:4 (ESV)


Yesterday, I watched someone die. It is an experience I don't have very often. It was sad. It made me wonder about how fleeting my own life will be. That is something I don't think about very often either. I am not sure why I don't think about it very often because I know I will not live forever. Hebrews 9:29 tells us that it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes the judgment. So I wonder why I don't think more about the days I have left to live. Psalm 90:12 tells me to number my days that I may get a heart of wisdom.

When I watched the person die, I was impressed by what a peaceful experience it was. The person was a Christian and had the hope of eternal life. When death is not the final word, it is somehow an enemy whose sting is not so bad. What I realized yesterday was that while I do not want to die, I'd like to watch my sons grow up and share more years with my wife, I am not afraid to die. I am not afraid to die because I know that death is not the end for a Christian. Jesus showed us that he could overcome death when he was raised from the dead. He told his followers that he was going to prepare a place for them and then he would come back for them, so that they could be with Him. He gave them His Word on it. And the Bible says in both the Old and New Testaments that while grass withers and flowers fade, God's Word will stand forever!

I hope you don't have to watch somene die anytime soon, but if you ever do, I hope they will know Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord so that you can see that death from the perspective of the Christian's hope. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live..." I pray that I will number my days and use them wisely to tell others about what Jesus has done.