Happy Easter from Jerry & Dotse

    

                                                          

Separate Yourself From the World

Chuckle: On a highway billboard -- "ILLITERATE? Write for a free brochure!"

Good Quote: "Each of us will one day be judged by our standard of life -- not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving -- not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness -- not by our seeming greatness." --William Arthur Ward

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers" (Psalm 1:1 NIV).

The psalmist begins by emphasizing the joys that come to us when we obey God and refuse to listen to those who are out to discredit or ridicule Him. The word "blessed" means happiness of the kind that only God can give -- a state of pleasurable satisfaction. Those who obey God's Word and live holy lives will have this kind of happiness. However, if we choose to habitually associate with ungodly people, this happiness can become threatened by their influence, causing us to drift away from God and become indifferent to His will. When we get to this point we not only become useless to God, but our happiness is drained away.

Friendships are wonderful, but friendships and associations with those who are indifferent to, or openly oppose, God can do you much harm by undermining your faith. God pours out His blessings on those who are holy and remain obedient to Him. Holiness requires separation from the sinful ways of the world. Peter wrote, "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:14-16 NIV).

Jesus wants us to be in the world but not of (like) the world (John 17:14-19). If we are to be faithful witnesses to those who need Christ, we must love them as Jesus loves them and establish relationships with them while remaining faithful to our Christian principles and conduct.

In the little book of Jude, we find some very clear instructions. "Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins" (Jude 22-23 NLT). The theme of our passages is that we must share the love of Christ with sinful humanity without becoming comfortable in their lifestyles to the point that we become like them, enjoy their company, and adopt their sinful ways.

Love, Jerry & Dotse

God is Patient

Chuckle: "It's frustrating when you know all the answers and nobody bothers to ask you the questions."

Quote: "Patience is more than a virtue; it is a daily necessity. It is not an elective; it is a required course in the school of life." --William Arthur Ward

When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village. (Luke 9:54-56 NIV)

When you observe people indulging in a sinful lifestyles and refusing to respond to the love of Christ, what is your reaction? When someone rejects you and your Christian message, does anger and frustration produce bitterness in your heart? In our passage, those in a Samaritan village did not welcome Jesus, and James and John wanted to exact vengeance upon them. They were not content to merely shake the dust of the village from their feet (9:5) and move on. No, they wanted to retaliate in a harsh and destructive way, but Jesus responded to their rejection with love and patience.

When others reject or scorn us, we, too, may feel like retaliating in a harsh way. We must remember that judgment is God's business, not ours, and we have no right to expect that He would use His power to help us carry out our personal vendettas. We are sometimes quick to condemn but Jesus abounds in patience and compassion. With patience He teaches the disciples and with patience He deals with those who initially reject Him by giving them another opportunity to find eternal life through faith in Him.

God's patience with us, when it comes to our accepting His gift of salvation through faith in Christ, is pointed out in 2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise (of judgment and destruction), as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

God proclaimed to Moses, "I am the LORD, I am the LORD, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness. I show this unfailing love to many thousands by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. Even so I do not leave sin unpunished..." (Exodus 34:6-7a NLT). In His own time God will deal with the those who reject Him and remain unrepentant, but now is a time of patience and an opportunity for repentance. If it were not for God's patience, we would all be doomed. Aren't you thankful that God let you live long enough for you to claim eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ?

Love, Jerry & Dotse

God's Retirement Plan

Chuckle: "Did you hear that one of Santa's reindeer now works for proctor and Gamble? It's true . . . Comet cleans sinks!"

Quote: "Esteem age and you will always have life to look forward to. Esteem youth and you proclaim your own obsolescence." --Unknown Author

"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever" (Psalm 73:26 NLT). "The Lord gives strength to his people and increases the power of the weak" (Isaiah 40:29 NIV).

During a men's Bible study, I heard someone comment that some people feel that when they retire from their professional careers, they should also retire from the Lord's work through His church. Some may say, "I've done my time; now it is time for the younger people to take over." Is this the attitude God wants for us?

Of course, it's true that many older folks have physical limitations that prevent them from serving as they once did. However, I can't find anywhere in Scripture that we should ever retire from service to our Lord and to others. The work of the Lord should continue throughout our lifetimes as God gives us strength. Then we will benefit from God's fantastic retirement plan which includes resting from our labors in His presence throughout eternity (Praise) .

Our passage tells us that even though our health may fail and our spirits may grow weak, God is still with us and will provide strength and increase the power of His people. Senior Christians have much to offer in valuable wisdom and skilled service to others. I believe God would have us continue to do all we can for as long as we are physically able. Even the physically disabled can pray, use the telephone, send an e-mail, or write a note, thereby blessing the lives of people in unbelievable ways.

It is a terrible tragedy when older persons come to think of themselves as no longer useful and crawl into the prison cell/shell of self-pity, despair, and loneliness. Medical science tells us that long and productive physical lives result from remaining active and challenged. I believe this is true in both our physical and spiritual lives.

Remember, as you become weak and tired, God's power and strength will never diminish. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel you cannot go another step, you can call upon God to renew your strength. "For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need" (Philippians 4:13 NLT). This verse says we can do everything God wants us to do in His strength. Your faithfulness to your church and ministry to others in your later years will bring you much joy and serves as welcomed inspiration and encouragement to younger people as well as to others who share circumstances similar to yours.

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Law or Faith

Chuckle: At the first session of a class on salvation, the minister asked, "What must we do before we can expect forgiveness from sin?" One of the men in attendance raised his hand and said, "sin?"

Quote: "Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake." --Martin Luther

"Clearly no one is justified (made right) before God by (trying to keep) the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith'" (Galatians 3:11 NIV). "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8 NIV).

The Old Testament Law was given by God to His people to protect them by giving them a standard to live by and to reveal their sins. The law governed their relationships with God and one another. However, when it came to making people righteous before God, it fell terribly short -- the law definitely has its limitations.

Our traffic laws are for our safety by preventing accidents and making for the smooth flow of vehicles on our streets and highways, but they have their limitations. Assume you are approaching an intersection where the law says you legally have the right-of-way, but you see another car failing to stop. You realize that merely obeying the law will not save you from danger. What should you do? Obviously, the law cannot protect you in this situation and you should take action that will keep you safe -- allow the unlawful vehicle to proceed. Just because an action is lawful doesn't always mean that it's the sensible and safe thing to do. You could be lawful and be very dead or seriously injured.

Likewise, God's laws are for our good and protection; however, even God's law has limitations. Obeying the law as a standard for moral and spiritual conduct is the wise thing to do, but the law cannot save you and justify you before God. We can never earn our way into God's favor by obeying a set of rules and being a "good" person. However, our passages tell us that it's only by God's grace and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we are made right with God. It's only the righteousness of Christ that covers our sins and makes us right before God who will keep us safe during our earthly journey and throughout eternity. The law cannot justify and save -- it only can condemn.

"A plumb line can only prove that a crooked wall is crooked. No matter how you use it, a plumb line can't make a crooked wall straight. The law was God's plumb line, designed to show all people that they are crooked and sinful. It was never intended to make us straight or righteous -- and, indeed, it never could." "The righteous will live by faith."

Love, Jerry & Dotse

God Loves You

Chuckle: Adult-living class completed a questionnaire. One question: "How far apart would you like to have your children?" One student filled in, "About 300 miles." --Phyllis Schaefer

Ponder this: "Isn't it strange how a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to your church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?"

HOW MUCH DOES GOD LOVE YOU?

"Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39 NIV).

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. Of the 200 in the room, he asked. "Who would like to have this $20 bill?"                                              

Hands started going up all around. He said, "I am going to give this $20 bill to one of you, but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" As before, the hands were up.

"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have just learned a valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It is still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him.

When God created us, He built into our nature the need to be loved and to love in return. The Bible tells us God's love for you and me is never ending. He is constantly reaching out to us with expressions of His love, patience, mercy, and grace. And, even though you may think otherwise, there's nothing you can do that will make God stop loving you -- and nothing you can do to make Him love you more. If, on occasion, you feel unloved because you perceive something in your life makes you unworthy of love, please remember how precious you are in God's eyes. After all, He loved you so much that He was willing to sacrifice His one and only Son to demonstrate that love to you.

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him" (I John 4:9 NIV). "But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 ).

Hold on to these comforting words even in the darkest times of your life. They will help you to realize how loved, important, and valuable you are to our Lord. It doesn't matter how crumpled and dirty you may feel because of sin in your life. God still loves you and He yearns for you to come to Him in humility and repentance. He will forgive you, lift you out of sorrow and shame, and give you a new joy, all because He loves you unconditionally.

Love, Jerry & Dotse

A Life of Righteousness

Chuckle: Dad to his son: "Don't be selfish. Let your brother use the sled half the time." Son: "I do, Dad. I use it going down the hill and he gets to use it coming up!"

Quote: “Will we listen to 'Satan, the author of all lies ... ? Or are we going to believe a loving Heavenly Father, who is the source of all truth and righteousness?” --Richard C. Edgley

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. (Psalm 92:12-13 NIV)

Righteousness is a word often used by Christian people, and for good reason. It is often found in Scripture to describe a condition of a Christian's heart as demonstrated by a godly life. But there is much we should learn about righteousness as it relates to our eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and our lifestyles.

We cannot become righteous in our own strength by living a good moral life -- by good deeds. Becoming righteous requires the supernatural power of almighty God working within us to totally transform our sinful hearts. Righteousness begins on the inside and works its way out -- not by our actions on the outside to work its way inside. And we must realize that any righteousness we have is not of our doing, but rather God's righteousness in us. Martin Luther said this about the quest for righteousness by works:

"He who would gain righteousness by faith and works is as the dog who runs along a stream with a piece of meat in his mouth, and, deceived by the reflection of the meat in the water, opens his mouth to snap at it, and so loses both the meat and the reflection."

Righteousness occurs when we allow God to conform us to the character and will of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we see in our Scripture, God both requires and blesses righteous people. Jesus came to make us righteous by dying to pay the penalty for our sins and rising on the third day victorious over sin, death, and the grave. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV). Again, the only way we can become righteous is through faith in Christ and then we progress in righteousness by cooperating with the indwelling Spirit's work within us.

Let's pray together that God will give each of us a renewed passion for His righteousness in our daily lives to bring glory to Him and to receive His approval and blessings. "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last . . . The righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:17 NIV).

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Life at its Best

Chuckle: "Dad are you growing taller?" "No, son. Why do you ask?" "Because the top of your head is poking up through your hair."

Quote: “To God the Father, God the Son, And God the Spirit, Three in One, Be honour, praise, and glory given by all on earth, and all in heaven.” --Isaac Watts

Jesus said to his disciples: "But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Counselor (Holy Spirit) won't come. If I do go away, he will come because I will send him to you" (John 16:7 NLT).

Just imagine how the disciples must have felt when Jesus said He was leaving them to return to the Father who had sent Him. It must have been terribly difficult for them to understand that Jesus' going away was really the best thing for them. In reality, Jesus' going back to the Father after his redemptive work on earth was done opened yet another vista of God's love and provision for those who love Him. The gift of the promised Holy Spirit provides for His unending presence and amazing power in our lives.

We can intellectually accept the Biblical truth that the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us when we become believers and followers of Christ. But if we treat Him like something to be ignored except in times of emergency, He provides us no real assistance or direction for our daily lives. Just to know He dwells within us is not nearly enough. I like this statement by Dr. Mark Kemp: "We must daily recognize, seek, and yield to the Holy Spirit so that we can experience the presence and power of God each day of our lives. He is ours for the asking." Jesus said, ". . . how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him" (Luke 11:13 NIV).

If Jesus had not died, there would be no good news of God's love, and our sins could not be removed. He could not have risen from the grave and defeated death. If He had not gone back to the Father, the Holy Spirit would not have come to be our companion, counselor, and comforter. By God's choosing, Christ's presence on earth was mainly limited to one place at a time. But His return to the Father meant He could be omnipresent (present throughout the whole world at the same time in the person of His Spirit).

Grasping the significance of the Spirit's omnipresence helps us understand why Jesus could say to his followers, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12 NIV). Just think for a moment about what the Holy Spirit has accomplished in the 2000 years since Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father.

The Holy Spirit, working in, and through, people just like you and me, has caused literally millions of people to come to know Christ. Yes, because Jesus returned to the Father, even greater things have been accomplished for God's kingdom. Are you taking advantage of the precious gift of the Holy Spirit by allowing Him to bring the power of God's presence into your life each day? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to grow God's kingdom through you? Are you enjoying life at its very best in the power of the Holy Spirit?

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Revenge: Not the Answer

Chuckle: "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them quite as much."

Quote: "Revenge, like suicide, is as impractical as it is self-destructive." –William Arthur Ward

Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written (Deut.32:35), "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord. Instead, do what the Scriptures say: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you." Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:19-21 NLT).

Given our human nature, this is one of the most difficult areas of our lives to conquer. Often our immediate reaction when someone inflicts a perceived injustice on us is to want the guilty party punished swiftly and painfully, according to our personal concept of justice. But God tells us that to exact vengeance on someone is neither our right nor responsibility. God has promised that He will take care of things like that -- His business. Instead of seeking revenge, or getting even, Jesus tells us our responsibility is to return kindness and forgiveness for evil. "But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:44-45a NLT).

The instructions from Paul and the words of Jesus may sound preposterous and almost impossible, but God's Word is specific and clear. When someone hurts you deeply, instead of giving him what you think he deserves, Paul says to befriend him and shower him with kindness. What a revolutionary concept! Here are some reasons why we are so instructed:

          (1) Kindness and forgiveness may break the cycle of revenge and retaliation and lead to mutual reconciliation. After all, reconciliation with others is a Christian responsibility.

          (2) Your kindness may make the one who hurt you feel ashamed and change his or her ways. God may use your loving overtures to touch the heart of someone who needs a fresh encounter with our Lord.

          (3) Repaying evil for evil does more damage to you than the offender. Even if the offender never repents, forgiving him or her will free you from frustration and bitterness.

We live in a day of lawsuits and incessant demands for our legal rights to immediate justice. But our rights are not the issue here -- our testimony for Christ is. If you are no different than those who do not know Christ, how is anyone going to know you are a Christian? How can God use you as an instrument for his work in the hearts of people? Forgiveness involves both our attitudes as well as our actions. Perhaps you are in need of a attitude transplant. If so, please remember that our Lord, through his Spirit, is the chief transplant surgeon. . . .

Only God can ensure that the proper justice is carried out. By our impatience for swift justice and revenge, we are saying we know better than God how to deal with justice, and we show that we do not trust him and his sovereign wisdom. If we refuse to trust God for justice, we can become enslaved to bitterness and anger.

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Faith and Foolishness

Chuckle: "The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes."

Quote: "Wise men learn more from fools than fools from wise men." --Cato

"But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. We who have the Spirit understand these things, but others can't understand at all. How could they? For, 'Who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who can give him counsel? But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ" (I Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT).

Often, the "wise," by the world's standards, have a difficult time accepting what God says in his Word? In fact, it seems that the more educated we become, the more difficult it is for us to accept anything by faith. "I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, 'I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas' " (I Corinthians 1:18-19 NLT).

As we think about this serious topic, we should consider this verse from Hebrews 11:6 NIV, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

To the non-believer, it is foolishness and nonsense that the Spirit of God lives in believers. Therefore, many will not understand your decision to follow Christ. It just seems silly to them. In the same way a tone-deaf person cannot appreciate fine music, those who rejects Christ cannot understand the truths from God's communicated through His written Word.

This unbelief is prevalent in our time, even though "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT). "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried (moved) along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV).

Some people praise human intellect and exalt themselves because of pride in what they have accomplished. Still others seek supernatural signs to point the way to God. But divine wisdom is from another nature, not human intellect, and cannot be comprehended without divine intervention and assistance. No words that I could conjure up would summarize this message nearly as well as this quote from God's Holy Spirit inspired Word.

"So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe" (I Corinthians 1:20-21 NLT).

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Making Your Joy Complete

Chuckle: The veterinarian in our little east Texas town was also the taxidermist for our county. I love his sign - "Either way you get your dog back!"

Good Quote: "A faith worth embracing is a faith worth imparting." --William Arthur Ward

"And our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete" (1 John 1:3b-4 NIV).

Have you experienced the joy of sharing the good news of Jesus with someone? Have you shared with someone what God has done in your life since you became a believer? Have you experienced the feeling that comes from leading someone to faith in Jesus Christ? How long has it been since you let God use you as His messenger to share His wonderful plan of salvation?

From my own personal experience, there is no joy that even comes close to that of seeing a person pray to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord as a result of my sharing God's plan of salvation with him or her.

The joy of the apostle John was made complete by sharing what he had seen and heard in the presence of Jesus -- the impact that Jesus had on his life. By touching the lives of others through his writings, he received complete joy as they too experienced the fellowship with the Father through faith in His Son.

We experience great joy when we receive Christ as Savior and have fellowship with Him. However, complete joy is found as we share Christ with others through faithful service and witness. Dr. Mark Kemp put it this way: "Remember to inhale the sweet air of fellowship with Christ daily and then to exhale in Christ-like service to others."

"Joy means the perfect fulfillment of that for which I was created and regenerated, not the successful doing of a thing. The joy our Lord had lay in doing what the Father sent Him to do." --Oswald Chambers. Jesus says: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you" (John 20:21 NIV). It only stands to reason that our greatest joy will come from doing what God has charged us to do -- spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If we are willing, God will always provide the opportunities to share His love with others. As you and I take advantage of those opportunities, we are on the path to complete joy.

Love, Jerry & Dotse