BE PREPARED

by Barbara Chadwick

I am reading a book on the life of Tim Tebow, the quarterback. It is very interesting to me, not because of all the football action he describes (I’m blond after all and just don’t get all that!) but because of how God has worked in his life.

Did you know that his mother was told that she should abort him? A doctor told her that “it” was just a “mass of fetal tissue” or a “tumor.” Amazing!

But, Tim says, “In the delivery room, my parents tell me that I entered the world without much fanfare, followed immediately by a blood clot that was bigger than I was.” The physician (a different doctor) told his dad, “Mr Tebow, your child is a miracle baby. I can’t explain how it happened, but despite all odds, he beat them. Only a small part of the placenta was attached, but it was just enough to keep your baby nourished all these months.”

In chapter nine he quotes Colossians 3:23-24: Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. That has been a mantra for him. He always pushes himself to do his best work.

In chapter ten he talks about being prepared:
“Being a competitor, I wanted to be out there helping and felt that I was ready to be involved whenever the coaches felt they needed me. The hardest part was no knowing – warming up to stay ready and then not knowing when your number will be called. It was a ‘wait, then hurry up, and then wait again’ situation, like much of life. You never know when an opportunity to help, to do something good, to lift up someone, or some situation will come your way. Always be prepared so that you can do your best when it’s time.”

Today I played the piano for a funeral of a friend - a godly man who was an example of Christ’s love and compassion to all who knew him. I made a number of mistakes and remembered this quote from Tim Tebow. I felt a little ashamed because I realized I had let too many hours of too many days slip by without practicing or touching the piano. God gave each of us talents and He expects us to develop them and be prepared to use them.

Chapter sixteen begins with a quote from Luke 12:48:  From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. His parents instilled this truth into all their children and they all put every effort into whatever work they undertook. Tim is a hard worker. He pushes himself to always set new records and give back to God what God has entrusted to him.

What a great example. Thank God for my Christian friend who was an example to family and friends and thank God for Christian sports figures who point to Christ in their actions.

IS GOD GLORIFIED IN YOUR LIFE?

By Barbara Chadwick

We went to a couple’s retreat in Walden, CO this week-end. Great fellowship and good food and just getting out of town was just what we needed.

Here are some things we learned.  (The italics are the words of the speaker.)

Christians are to be dispensers of grace (Ephesians 1:4-7)

Is your speech filled with grace?  Do your actions show the love of Christ in your heart?  Does your attitude bless people? During your regular daily routine, how often are you aware of God’s presence in your life? We need to pray for God to nudge us with a reminder that He’s still there and that He wants us to reflect His grace and love.

Our great hope is the basis of our rejoicing even in the midst of trials (I Peter 1:6-7) “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

So I say, keep your eyes on this hope. Fix your eyes on Jesus

Important truths about trials:

      -          Trials are temporary

-          Trials are necessary

-          Trials are purposeful

Comfort one another with these words: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus…. May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through… The one who calls you is faithful…”                                              I Thessalonians 4:16-18; 23a;24a.

So I say, FINISH STRONG! And may God be glorified in your words, your actions and your attitudes.

Stay Connected

Stay Connected

By BarbaraChadwick

A message popped up on the computer screen: “You must plug into a power source immediately.”

That got me to thinking:

As a Christian we cannot operate without the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There are times when I feel that my Christianity is very shallow. It seems that my prayers don’t go past the ceiling. I try in my own might to make my spirit in tune with God’s Spirit and it doesn’t happen. I’m in a real funk – not really good to help or encourage anyone. Jesus told His disciples, I am going to send you what the Father has promised (the Holy Spirit) but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Luke 24:49

Then there are times when I’m actually physically weak – ill. My brain says: “You can’t do this or that thing in church. You don’t have the strength.”  Then I’m reminded of when the Lord told Paul, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.  2 Corinthians 12:8

The apostle Paul talked a lot about the power of God in our lives. He told Timothy,  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.  2 Tim 1:7

He told the Ephesians, I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Ephesians 3:16-21

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

I pray that we will stay connected to our Power Source – Jesus.