This is Grace … Or, How I Spent My Summer Vacation

My friend Paul (his picture is at the top of this page) asked me how our summer vacation went. I felt like the kid in second grade giving his report to the teacher on the first week of school … How I Spent My Summer Vacation. This is my report:

We returned from our trip refreshed and loving each other more. That is a statement very seldom heard as the result of vacations. We enjoyed the country and each other, even though we did not have time to stop much with a busy schedule to accomplish in only nine days.

We had a wonderful reunion with my Aunt Ivadell at her daughter's place in Kansas City. It was a double pleasure in that it was Ivadell's 90th birthday and I hadn't seen my cousin for over 50 years. We spent a couple nights and a day ... had good visits, ate good food ... rested up well.

Then on to Oklahoma City for my Grandson’s wedding and a wonderful reunion with my three children … Tom, my son and father of the groom, and my daughters, Lisa and Wendy. It was especially glorious, the time we spent with them because Wendy, who has always been very cool towards me (rightly so, as I split when she was just a baby) was very warm and chatty with me. She even patted me on the back when I gave her a hug ... the Holy Spirit has been working overtime ... and I love it!!!!

The bride is a lovely girl and the wedding was eventful as well as very nice. It was outdoors at the bride's home, a small rural place ... the temperature was 100 degrees and the wind blew at 30 mph ... I describe it as a wedding in a convection oven. But, even with all that, a very enjoyable experience.

We made it back in two days, stopping for the night in Wyoming and getting home in plenty of time for Sharon to rest before going back to work.

All in all ... a worthy and worthwhile experience. The enjoyment was magnified by the factor of ten by the fact that I was with a wonderful wife full time, 24 hours a day for over a week, doing devotions together, praying together, laughing together and enjoying each other.

People always look for the Grace of God in large events … forgiving the murderer, healing the abuser … raising the fallen. Those are wonderful examples. However, if you want to see the everyday, simple act of Grace in a small, wonderful and practical way … you just read it.

And that was how I spent my summer vacation .... the end!

Larry Abele – Editorial Team

It's Good To Go Home

Both Paul and Betty and my wife, Sharon, and I have been doing some traveling this month. The Weresch’s are on an odyssey across the US and back across Canada taking the whole summer. Sharon and I traveled to Oklahoma to attend my grandson’s wedding. All four of us have marveled at the beauty of God’s creation. We have traveled through areas that cry out … confirming the power of the Lord … seeing new and different sights.

Isaiah 55:12: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”

Yet, as our trip from Oklahoma City neared the end and we grew closer and closer to home, we began to look forward to our beautiful little valley, the rolling hills of wheat, the craggy canyons and wide flowing rivers, the awesome grandness of North Idaho … we were nearing our home and we were glad to be back.

Isn’t that the way we all are in our travels through life. The world offers so many wonderful things to woo us away from our home. We enter the world, we experience different things, we fight for position and for affection. We seek the approval of men and compete in the “rat race”. We become enthralled with sinful things, many times without knowing we are doing it … we have strayed from “home” … the bosom of God.

If, my friend, you have stumbled upon these words and you suddenly realize that you are a long way from home … or, if you have known for a long time and just don’t know your way back … there is good news. He is waiting. He is longing for your return … and He can’t wait to enfold you in His loving arms.

As the Lord told Israel in Hosea 14:1, “Return to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall!”

Stop in the road and do a “180” … and say: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.“ (Luke 15:21). That’s what the prodigal son of the Bible said when he returned … that is called repentance.

Remember the Father’s reply in verses 23-24? “Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” … that is called Grace.

"So now, come back to your God. Act with love and justice, and always depend on him.” Hosea 12:6

Though your travels may have led you far away … you are now home

As Asaph wrote in Psalm 73:28: “ ... as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Welcome home weary traveler!

Larry Abele - Editorial Team

From the Little Church Down the Street ...

The elders of our local church have a standing account with the Thrift Shop in town. If the proprietor, a Christian lady, sees someone in the store that is in obvious need, she is to offer a bag of clothes or whatever else they might need, and it goes on the account.

This little gift has proven to be a wonderful testimony to the Grace of God. The highest the elders have ever had charged was $10.00 and most of those receiving the gifts only take $2.00 or $3.00 worth. For that amount they can stuff in as much clothing as a paper grocery bag will hold. The store owner lets the recipients know that it is an offering of love from the little church down the street.

As a harried young mother accepted her bag of winter clothes … two small children hanging on to her hands … she was heard to ask, "Why do they do this for me … they don’t even know me."

She was right … the elders probably didn’t know her. But, they loved her … not because they knew her … but because they knew their Master, Jesus Christ.

John described the Christian when he said "We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

God is described in Deuteronomy 10:18 as the one "… who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing."

John again, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." (1 John 4:7)

"We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action." 1 John 3:16-18

Love does not ask how this young mother found herself in a position of great need. It doesn’t tsk-tsk over bad decisions she might have made. It just says … give. From your heart … give. Jesus Christ asked us to mold our lives here on this earth in an image of himself … and that is His image … one of love.

That is what Grace is all about … an unbending and undeserved love for all of us. All of us have made bad decisions … all of us have fallen short … all of us are the most dastardly of sinners. But, the love of God … Grace … trumps it all.

And, to that young mother and all who resemble her, God gives this invitation, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live." (Isaiah 55: 1-3)

That’s today’s message from the Little Church Down the Street.

Larry Abele – Editorial Team

God Bless America

Today, July 4 - 2009, is the 233rd birthday of The United States of America. The occasion prompted a call from my Canadian friend, Paul Weresch, who wished my nation a happy birthday.

He was remembering the song, “America, America, God shed his grace on thee …” and as we thought about those words Paul also remembered what the Psalmist wrote … “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

There has been a lot of negative things said about our democracy but Sir Winston Churchill said it best when he stated, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”

In a time when the entire world is looking for answers, many are looking to the U.S. to lead as they have so often done in the past. This is the time, my friends, for a strong and vibrant nation … a nation that is not afraid to quote Patrick Henry who declared,

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."

We must be a nation of people who, like their founding fathers, never tire of mentioning and praising the Lord. George Washington said in his 1796 farewell address, “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”

As we sing, “My Country, 'Tis of Thee,” we must remember what we are saying; that my country … this country, America … is of You, my Lord. It is a gift from God.

“Our fathers' God, to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing”

It is to God we sing, for the liberty we have is from Him, because He formulated the true way of liberty … that we love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul, and with all our might; and that we love our neighbors as ourselves. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18)

We also need to remember that if we truly love God, we will also love and care for the whole of His creation; including without exception, all other humans, all the other animals, and the world in which we all live.

Continuing with the last verse of this hymn, “Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light ...” These United States will not be a bright light to us, or to the world around us, unless that light is the bright and holy light of the Lord from heaven.

As Isaiah said, in 2:5, to the nation of Israel that was turning more and more from the ways of the Lord. “Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord”.

Come all of you who love this land, let us also walk in the light of the Lord, so that nothing will ever happen to our freedom.

You will find to the right of this entry, a link to the Presidential Prayer Team. Go to that link and join with them in prayer for our nation and for our leaders. All of our leaders from the very lowest elected position to the mightiest seat in the world need our prayers.

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States."  - George Washington.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Paul and I join with the people of our great nation in saying, “Happy Fourth of July and God Bless America!

Larry Abele – Editorial Team

An Extraordinary Event ...

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ we sometimes get lost in the trappings that have attached themselves to this day and forget the extraordinary grace that surrounded the event.

I have a friend who is a pest control man. He searches out and eliminates various types of vermin. He presented an idea that is amazing to me.

Sewer rats live in an environment of slime and filth. They are content to live in the sewer and would be uncomfortable living in our world … forsaking the filth with which they are comfortable.

Wouldn’t it be an extraordinary event if one of us … humans … would decide to go down into the sewer, live with the sewer rats and attempt to better them and their lives with the idea of saving them from their plight and eventually inviting them into our world? Disgusting idea … isn’t it?!

Isaiah had the privilege that only a couple men had of seeing into heaven. He wrote in Chapter 6, verses 1-3, “I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’”

Can we, as humans, wrap our arms around such majesty. Can we imagine the God that created everything and keeps track of everything and is used to bands of creatures continuously praising Him? Many people in the Bible have said that God and Heaven are beyond our ability to reason or even wonder.

Now lets read Philippians 2:5-8, “ … Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”

God looked upon us … sewer rats compared to heaven … and said, “I love you too much to let you perish. I will set aside the glories of heaven and come abide with you … and I will save you from yourselves. In fact, I will become a sewer rat so you can learn how to live and how to leave your sewer.”

The best we have to offer the Baby in the manger is filthy rags … but, He loves us just the same. Can we do any less than honor that love and love Him back.

Let us never forget the sacrifice He made for us … to come live with us and show us the way. Love that Baby Jesus with all your heart and marvel at that extraordinary event.

Merry Christmas and God Bless you all!

Larry Abele – Editorial Team

What a Great Time For Thanksgiving!

In the United States we will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving. And, as I thought about the many things I have to be thankful for, I am reminded of a song.

Song writer, Irving Berlin, penned a little ditty for the 1940’s musical “Annie Get Your Gun.” I can still see in my mind, Ethel Merman singing:

“Got no check book .. Got no banks .. Still I’d like to express my thanks, I’ve got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.”

In this present time, 60 years later, it is still a great attitude to have. People around the globe are gnawing on their knuckles wondering what is going to happen to them as their world seems to be draining into the sewer! Enormous ego’s and giant greed has reduced their sight to a tunnel that leads to disaster.

The financial crisis has spread throughout the world and is no longer a problem for just the Western Hemisphere.

In the Los Angeles area over 500 high end houses and mansions have been burned down in wild fires this past week. And still war and starvation and abuse continues to blight the whole world.

However, believers know that no matter what storms swirl around us, there is one thing that endures forever … the love of our almighty God! We DO have many things for which to be thankful.

We do not judge our worth by our finances or by our position in this world … we judge our worth by what Jesus Christ did for each of us. We judge ourselves by the fact that God … the Creator of EVERYTHING … loves each and every one of us.

The apostle Paul gave us such a beautiful truth in Romans 5:1-2 when he said “… since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

And on top of that, my friends, “we have the sun in the morning and the moon at night.”

As Thanksgiving time approaches, let us take our minds off of the secular world for a week. Don’t think about what you don’t have. All of us DON’T have something. Don’t think about what you may have lost. All of us have LOST something. Take time to think of what you HAVE and be thankful for it.

I guarantee … the Lord will be pleased … and knowing that … you might like to express your thanks.

Larry Abele, Editorial Team

Please Pray With Us ...

My good friend and one of the editorial team of this blog, Sasha Shein, sent me a prayer request. It concerned the news of further trouble in the area east of the Black Sea … Georgia, Russia and South Ossetia.

Paul, Sasha and I ministered to people in that area nearly 10 years ago. We were in the city of Vladikavkaz 20 miles north of the border of Georgia and 100 miles north of the capital of South Ossetia where the fighting is taking place.

It is a wildly beautiful area with humble, warm, beautiful people. Many times I find myself thinking back to those days among them. And I, along with Paul and Sasha, am grieved by this terrible news.

Let me share with you a portion of Sasha’s letter:

"Russian believers are greatly concerned and are praying for the people of South Ossetia. The aggression of Georgian troops and the genocide exercised by Georgian government must be stopped. Please pray for the people of South Ossetia and our fellow believers among them who I happen to know personally."

God proclaimed in 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

This is personal to Jesus Christ, my friends; it is personal to us and it should be personal to you. Please pray for these precious people!

Larry Abele - Editorial Team

All eyes are on China but not all for the same reason.

China is one of the most exiting mission fields of the world, and the church better take notice and perhaps learn a few things. To illustrate my point let me quote a passage from Philip Yancey’s book, “ What’s So Amazing About Grace?” (pgs. 258-259)

Not long ago I had a conversation with an elderly missionary who spent his early life in China. He had been among the 6000 missionaries expelled after the communist took over. As in Russia, the communist strove mightily to destroy the church, which until then had been a showcase of the missionary movement. The government forbade house churches, made it illegal for parents to give religious education to their children, imprisoned and tortured pastors and Bible teachers.

Meanwhile the exiled missionaries sat on the sidelines and wrung their hands. How would the church in China fare without them? Without their seminaries and Bible colleges, their literature and curricula, without even the ability to print Bibles, could the church survive? For 40 years these missionaries heard rumours, some discouraging and some encouraging, about what was happening in China, but no one knew for sure until the country began opening up in the 1980s.

I asked this elderly missionary, now a renowned China expert, what had happened in the intervening 40 years. “Conservatively, I would estimate that there were 750,000 Christians when I left China.

And now? You hear all sorts of numbers, but I think a safe figure would be 35 million believers.” Apparently the church and the Holy Spirit Fared quite well on their own. The church in China now constitutes the second largest evangelical community in the world; only the United States exceeds it.

One China expert estimates that the revival in China represents the greatest numerical increase in the history of the Church. In an odd way the government hostility ultimately worked to the church’s advantage. Chinese Christians devoted themselves to worship and evangelism - the original mission of the Church - and did not much concern themselves with politics. They concentrated on changing lives not changing laws.

The words of Jesus are still pertinent for this generation; “Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.“ Mat. 28:19-20

That article, written in 1997 and stating 35 million believers, is updated today to 50 to 70 million believers.

Paul Weresch

God helps those who help themselves!

This is a common saying but it is not true when it comes to the salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Bible speaks of Salvation as a free gift rather then something we did for ourselves.

The Apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

That means that everyone misses the mark in his own deeds. All great and small have missed the mark for all have sinned. He further states that sin has consequences: “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23)

Paul, who had a personal encounter with Christ, the Saviour of all mankind, concludes: “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Then back to Romans 3:24, the Bible says, “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

This Gift, my friend, is available to all, by faith. In Romans 10:13, the Bible says, “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” God is a respecter of no person. His salvation is available to all who will call on His name.

The truth is God will help those who cannot help themselves and will call upon him for salvation in Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus?

Paul Weresch

Neglect and Forgetfulness can be Dangerous

We are constantly reminded of our bodily needs by our bodily senses and desires, and by the material world. If we forget to eat physical food, we will be reminded by hunger pains. If we neglect to clothe our bodies and to collect fire wood, we will be reminded by feeling cold. If we neglect to earn and save money, then bills in the mail will soon make us aware of that need.

However, it is much easier to forget the needs of the spirit, because the prompting's are not as noticeable and deprivation signals are often overlooked. God in his providence may cause us to notice our neglect or forgetfulness. Perhaps this blog entry is one reminder.

King David said, "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous person forsaken nor his children begging bread" (Psalm 37:23-26).

When we put God first in this world, we will always be looked after even in times of persecution, and in the world to come we will have eternal life. Jesus confirmed that in Mark 10:29-30.

However, labouring for eternal life is more important than working for the things of this world. Jesus said, "Labour not for the food which perishes, but for the food that endures unto eternal life".

Comparing this with the above passages, we see that, while some earthly work is necessary, we can work too long and hard for earthly comforts, and neglect to work for things eternal (John 6:27).

Paul Weresch

"I will not neglect to remind you." (2 Peter 1:12)

Carpe Diem

Good Morning! A friend of mine (Dr. Dave Demchuk) sent me the following thoughts:

Holidays are a wonderful time to reflect and regroup. One of the things that has been on my mind during this holiday concerns how I use the present. Let me elaborate where I’m going with a quote by Ken Blanchard:

“To learn from the past is good – to live in it is a waste. To plan for the future is good – to live in it is a waste. You are happiest and most productive in life when you are living in the present.”

It seems to me that we face a couple of negative extremes when it comes to our perspective on time. Some of us tend to live with our gaze to the past, lamenting that the good days are behind us. Others of us living so totally focused on the future that we fail to learn from the lessons of the past, or enjoy the blessings of today. Living at either end of the time continuum yields the same result – we forget to live in the “today” of our lives.

So does that mean to live fully in the present is to ignore the past and the future? Not at all! Living fully in the present involves being informed and shaped by the past – its experiences, lessons, and pitfalls. It’s a sad thing when leaders ignore their past, only to keep on repeating it. Living fully in the present also involves being pulled forward towards the future – the only real way to ensure that a far-off hill in conquered is to begin to take steps towards it today. But we only really have today, and we need to learn to squeeze every bit of value out of every day, whether it’s at work, with our family or with our friends. We can do that through working hard and smart, but also through those moments when we take uninterrupted time for our family or friends.

The ancients captured the need to live fully in each day with the phrase “Carpe Diem”, which means “seize the day”. The word carpe literally means “to pluck” and paints a bit of a picture of one taking the best from each day, in a way an individual would pick flowers.” The phrase finds its source in the writings of the Latin poet Horace” “Scale back your long hopes to a short period. While we speak, time is envious and is running away from us. Seize the day, trusting little in the future….”

Jesus calls us to live fully in each day we have been given, reminding us that our heavenly Father “will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” (Matt. 6:33). So seize the day – today.
___________________________

Have a great day,

Paul

DO NOT HESITATE !

Occasionally I meet people who are aware of their need of the Savior Jesus Christ but are reluctance to make a personal commitment to him by believing in his saving work accomplished for us. Although they have seen what faith in Christ has done for others they still hesitate. Their problem seems to stem from the misinformation given to them by well meaning religious people. Some people think one must join a certain church to be saved. Others insist that a person must be baptized in a particular manner. Still others claim that we must obey the “golden rule” in order to be pleasing in the sight of God. 
The Apostle Paul made it clear in his writings: it is not what we do for God, but what God has done for us that will bring us into relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
As we read the writings of the Apostle Paul we realize that God Loved us while we were yet sinners. Furthermore Paul makes it clear that it is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that enables us to be saved; which means that our sins are forgiven and we can be brought into an eternal relationship with God. Paul makes it unmistakably clear that, all we have to do to be saved is turn away from our sins and believe (place our trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have not done so, do it today trust Jesus now. Remember, we are not saved by what we do, but by trusting what Christ has done

Paul Weresch

*For further reference please read Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapters one to eight. Should you care to, please look it up on the following web pages: http://net.bible.org/bible.php

Break Any Commandments Today?

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
"Yeah, $1000 is a lot to spend on a TV. But, our whole family watches TV constantly."

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
"I work six days a week, I don't want to waste Sunday in church!"

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
"They’re just a couple old fuddy-duddies. They’re spying on me!"

You shall not murder.
"He's about as worthless as they come. Have you heard what he did?"

You shall not steal.
"Let’s mark that up a little more we could use a little extra profit on this junk."

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
"He’s not the same as us. He’s probably growing dope in that house."

How did you do … that is only half of God’s ten commandments (Exodus 20:2-17). It is ten parts of one law. He designed them knowing we could not keep them. And, if we break one (see statements above) we have broken God’s Law.

That is why He gave us a solution, the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1-3 states: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering."

That, my sinful friends, is called GRACE!

Larry Abele - Editorial Team