The Perfect Church

So I’m dreaming of the perfect church. I know exactly what it would look like. There would be lots of people who are excited about learning more and more about Jesus. These same people would be talking to each other every day and inviting one another over to each other’s houses and going to each other’s kid’s games and performances. They would be sharing their “stuff” (possessions and well as issues) with one another. They would be serving their community; volunteering at the hospital, cleaning up their neighborhoods and the poorer neighborhoods, babysitting the children of single moms, using their knowledge to help people in shelters get back on their feet, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping the poor and needy. They would be praying for their country’s leaders, from their local mayor to the White House. They would be impacting the world with their love for one another.

I’m dreaming about this church because the one I attend and the ones I’ve attended before are not quite like that. I’m tired of the time we spend complaining and arguing. I’m annoyed with our “ontological lightness” … the inability to focus on God and the things of God. And so far that’s just problems with ME! I want to dump church as I know it and start over.

In the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, in the chapter “HOPE” he writes:

The Christian Way - …Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist …

Now that’s what I’m talking about! I want the satisfaction of being a part of the perfect church! Imagine with me how wonderful that would be … We would feel a part of something grand, glorious, and noble. We would be impacting our community with real and tangible proofs of God’s love. People would know that we are Christians because of the way that we love one another.

Is my want-er broke? Will I ever experience this church … ???

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy,

the most probably explanation is that …

are you ready for this?

I was made for another world.

I knew it! That explains everything! I don’t fit in … I don’t feel comfortable … because I don’t belong here! I’m just traveling through. I’m in a foreign country and not only do the natives not speak my language, I can barely understand my traveling companions.

Have you ever traveled anywhere? Don’t you just love it when the people you’re traveling with … usually the kids start it … the adults just say it in their heads: “Are we there yet?” “How much farther?” “He’s touching me!” “Make her stop!”

Anyways, my point is … there’s nothing wrong with my desires, dreams, hopes. In fact, they are God-given tidbits of heaven … things I can work toward and try to inspire in others. However, I’m striving to recognize that God has placed in others … different kinds of tidbits of heaven. I’ve decided to trust that the Jesus in me … who is raising me up to be like Him … is the same Jesus in them.

So this Sunday when I go to church, instead of looking, and finding, all of the things that are different and annoying and irritating, I plan on looking for the tidbits of heaven that He’s placed in the people around me. I plan on celebrating the fact that we’ve made it … a bit farther in our journey towards heaven … we’re almost there! And He’s waiting for us and when we arrive everything will be just perfect … just like He promised.

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,

all you his servants,

you who fear him,

both small and great!”

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!

For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

And his bride has made herself ready.

Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

Revelation 19:5-8

Fix Your Eyes On Jesus
by Barbara Chadwick

I fell in love with Kenneth when I was 12 years old. He was six years older than me. He was my knight in shining armor. He was, in my mind, going to do wonderful things, accomplish a lot and provide my every whim!

He has done some wonderful things and accomplished a lot but providing my every whim? Well, let's just say it didn't happen.

Of course, I was disappointed when things turned out differently than my teeage mind had supposed. All the books I had read ended like Cinderella where you know that the prince will make her happy.

One day Kenneth said, "You know, you shouldn't expect me to make you happy. No one can do that. Only you can make you happy. That is a decision you make in your mind. God can help." Well, Of course, I knew he must be wrong. He didn't know everything! Although, up to that point I had supposed he knew everything.

Well, as time passed I discovered that his statement was true. Don't you just hate that when they're right?

I began to see people who put their faith in a pastor or some other leader and when that person wasn't perfect - made some mistake - their faith faltered. They quit attending church and became discouraged, even bitter. Their focus was in the wrong place.

We read in Hebrews 12:1-2, ... let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus...(HCSB) The NIV translation says, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus...

I'm reminded of a two-year-old at an Easter egg hunt. You've probably all seen this: running to gather up the eggs, he takes his eyes off the egg to look at another child also running toward the egg. He trips, falls down, scrapes his knee and then begins to cry.

Lots of things ensnare us. Watching other people is one of them. But if our focus is on other people or even upon self, we can't see God's direction or hear His voice. Only in Christ can we have joy, happiness, and the abundant life.

Fix your eyes on Jesus. Never waver.

Birth Stories

My daughter-in-law is past due with our second grandchild. Her mother came over to be here for the birth and to help afterwards. Three women and a waiting baby … birth stories are a natural result. After much sharing it occurred to me that in all of our stories there were just a couple of things that were the same,

· T The pregnant mother

· T The newborn baby

Everything else was different.

Jesus told Nicodemus, “To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you must be born again.” If you want life … eternal or otherwise … you have to be born … you have to have a birth story. But aside from a few facts … our stories are going to be pretty different.

Sometime we get to comparing our Christian “birth” stories and either come away feeling inferior … like we did it wrong somehow, or feeling smug like we did it better than someone else. The truth is … we were born in our own unique God given way. The Word of God says that He is the One who draws all men to Himself. The story is not about us, we just get to be in the story.

Let’s look at it from another perspective. Love Stories. A true lover pursues his love in a way that is completely unique to him. One of the things that makes our stories so desirable, so compelling, is that the God of the Universe is pursuing us in a very special way … so much so that although we may have similarities our stories, each one is very unique, special meaningful, epic.

We’re interviewing a young man for a position on our praise team. Part of the process includes a written testimony. His testimony was so cool and I so rejoice with him and his family over what God has done in his life. In fact it inspires me to want to share some of the things God has done in my life.

Here are some things you can do while you are waiting for a birth … the birth of a child … the birth of a new Christian … the end of the labor pains and the return of our King …

· Time your contractions – Watch and Pray!

· Pack your bags – Trim Your Lamps!

· Exercise – Work

(work for the night is coming when man’s work is done)

· Keep your house clean - Be Faithful in the Small Things

· Love on your family – Love One Another Deeply from the Heart!

· Share Your Stories … Inspire One Another

God is coming soon … the earth is groaning as in the pains of labor … groaning for the day of the Lord’s appearing, though He tarry … wait for Him … wait for Him … He will surely come.

When We See Christ

Words and music by Esther Kerr Rusthoi

Verse 1

Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,
We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair;
But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away,
All tears forever over in God's eternal day.

Verse 2

Sometimes the sky looks dark with not a ray of light,
We're tossed and driven on , no human help in sight;
But there is one in heav'n who knows our deepest care,
Let Jesus solve your problem - just go to Him in pray'r.

Verse 3

Life's day will soon be o'er, all storms forever past,
We'll cross the great divide, to glory, safe at last;
We'll share the joys of heav'n - a harp, a home, a crown,
The tempter will be banished, we'll lay our burden down.

Refrain
It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Susanna Wesley - A Godly Woman
by Barbara Chadwick

I John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

I was reading about Susanna Wesley this week. She was amazing. She was the mother of John and Charles Wesley who were leaders in the Christian world of the early 18th century. She had 19 children. Ten survived.

She lived in the 17th century so we can believe that the life of a wife and mother was pretty full just with everyday chores.

When I think of my own mother-in-law having to draw water from the well for everything from washing dishes to washing diapers, building fires in the fireplace to heat the house and fires in the kitchen stove to cook, planting, weeding and harvesting a garden in the summer and canning most of what grew for the winter, sewing clothes for the children from flour sacks and besides all she did in the home, she also helped my father-in-law in the fields! She was faithful in the church and faithful to pray at home. And this was in the 1930's and '40's in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. I thank God for her example.

First of all just having to deal with the path out the back would have done me in! I realize that I'm spoiled. Probably just rotten. I'm probably like a hot house flower that has to be tended!

Anyway, back to Susanna Wesley. She had daily devotions. I can remember thinking when my oldest was thirteen months old and the second a newborn, that there simply wasn't enough time in the day for a wife and mother to have daily devotions!

Besides all of the household chores, she taught all the children. "Under no circumstances were the children permitted to have any lessons until they had reached their fifth year, but the day after their fifth birthday their formal education began. They attended classes for six hours and on the very first day they were supposed to learn the whole of the alphabet. All her children except two managed this feat, and these seemed to Susanna to be very backward." (Haddel, 1961, pg.14)

"The children got a good education. Daughters included, they all learned Latin and Greek and were well tutored in the classical studies that were traditional in England at that time." (Haddel, 1961 pg.15)

Oh my goodness!

At that time she also arranged to spend personal time with each child. One on one.

I can tell you that I, Barbara, am put to shame by Susanna Wesley.

But this is really so important - this spending time with each child.

We had a memorial service for E. O. Bracken yesterday. He was 90 years old. He died in his daughter, Barb Coate's home. Barb recalled how at one time he was a mining engineer and had to go out into the field each week. He would take a different grandchild with him each week, spending quality time with each one. This is a beautiful picture of nurturing in our times.

Our children could become the John and Charles Wesleys of the 21st century if we ask God to give us the passion to instill in them His Words, His Grace and His Love and if we continually hold them up before Him in prayer as Susanna Wesley did.

Let's ask God to help us to, Love in actions and the spirit of truth, especially in regards to our children.

Love COSTS

School is starting soon … in just a week for me. There’s still so much for me to get done; Things here at the house that I want organized so that it will make things easier once school’s in; Lesson plans to write; Meals to figure out. Perhaps you also are going to have a busy year. Let’s don’t forget the most important things in the middle of our busy-ness. Here is an excerpt from a letter I wrote about a time, an incredibly busy time, in my life. I hope you are encouraged to focus on the really important things of life … during the busy times.

God Bless You,

Audrey

A letter to one of my sons:

Son,

Today I wonder if you would to take some time to reflect on what and who God has made you to be. I’m praying that you will let nothing break your focus and concentration on following Him, no matter what. Ask God to search your heart for any roots of bitterness or discontent and remove them from you, especially in regards to the church where you are serving, and in regards to your family …because everything is at stake.

The world will know we are Christians by our love for one another. Loves covers offenses, love obeys the Lord wholeheartedly, love serves others, love does its very best, love sacrifices for others. Love costs everything. God is love … and He tells us to “love Him with all our heart, mind, and strength,” and to “love one another deeply from the heart.”

This world that we live in is spiraling down quickly. And few indeed are the men who know enough about God to lead. Please, I urge you to be careful how you spend your time and who you spend it with. Be careful what you are thinking because out of the mouth spring the issues of the heart. Most especially … guard your heart … guard the places that you let your mind wander to … the sights that you let your eyes see … “for as a man thinketh in his heart … so is he.”

These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel (your name), and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Deuteronomy 6:1-6

One of our most dangerous enemies is complacency.

Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God,

failing to observe his commands,

his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.

Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied,

when you build fine houses and settle down,

and when your herds and flocks grow large

and your silver and gold increase

and all you have is multiplied,

then your heart will become proud

and you will forget the LORD your God,

who brought you out of Egypt,

out of the land of slavery.

Deuteronomy 8: 12-14

I’m grateful beyond words for what the Lord has done in your life and what He continues to do. It fills me with such joy that you desire to serve Him. And although it costs me (I miss you) I am blessed to know that you are and will be serving Him … no matter where. I’m so grateful to God that He has promised to give you everything that you need to live a life of godliness and power.

Love,

Mom