Why Were You Not Moses?

by Barbara Chadwick

I give you excerpts from two books. Both speak of being who God created you to be. We are sometimes tempted to “try on” someone’s character or personality that we admire. It never works -  try as we might. It is awkward, unnatural. The reason is because we were made to be unique and in the image of God, the Creator for a purpose. There have been gazillions of humans since the beginning of time and not one of them has been duplicated because God has had a different plan for every individual.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

From In The Eye Of The Storm by Max Lucado

 “He placed one scoop of clay upon another until a form lay lifeless on the ground.

            All were silent as the Creator reached in himself and removed something yet unseen. ‘It’s called choice. The see of choice’

            Within the man, God had placed a divine seed.  A seed of his self. The God of might had created.... And the One who had chosen to love had created one who could love in return.”
         

From Living Your Strengths: Discover Your God Given Talents by Albert L. Winseman, Donald O. Clifton and Curt Liesveld

The author tells the Hasidic story of the Rabbi Zusya:

“In the coming world, they will not ask me: ‘Why were you not Moses?’  They will ask me” Why were you not Zusya?’” 

The author continues “That is God’s question to each of us as well. We are not expected to be who we are not. We are expected to be who we are.”

So with your quirks and your talents, your tics and your gifts God will use you to do just what He created you to do.

Billy Hanks said that God can use us if we will just be FAT.  That is, Faithful, Available and Teachable.

To accomplish the plan He has for you,  just be FAT. He will bless your efforts  and use you  to honor His Name.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8

SEE YOU SOON

by Barbara Chadwick

I hope to see you soon and we will talk face to face, the apostle John writes to his friend, Gaius, in   3 John verse 14.  And in 2 John verse 12 he says, I hope to visit with you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

We often say something similar to good friends or close family on the phone or in an email. The communion we have as family is sweet but when we have the additional tie in Christ Jesus it is very special indeed.  The sharing of love and faith between friends and family cannot be compared to anything else.

Gill says of this love that it is, “an evidence of regeneration; it is the bond of perfectness, and what renders the saints’ communion delightful and edifying.”

The apostle John mentions love 42 times in the books of 1st, 2^nd and 3^rd John. And Paul says in Hebrews 13:1,  Keep on loving each other as brothers. When we love someone we want to be with them. It makes our joy complete.

And now I share with you the Doxology from Jude verses 24-25:  To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!

I remember, as a child, that anticipation rising up within my heart as we would near a loved one’s home. Sometimes it seemed as if I would burst – the joy and knowledge of sharing a special bond of love. Won’t it be glorious when we come into heaven and greet those in Christ who have gone on before us?! Will we have that anticipation as we near those pearly gates? I hope so.

See you soon!

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A CHRISTIAN?

 

 

A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

 

(Larry Wauson shared this with me. I like it and I share it with you.)

JOY IN SERVING

           













It’s 20 degrees and snowing today!

Have you noticed how it can be 20 degrees with
snow everywhere cold as all get out but if the sun
begins to shine, the snow begins to melt?  Amazing!

How can it melt at 20 degrees? The warmth of the light penetrates.

Sometimes in our churches we have people who seem to be living at 20 degrees! No radiance in
their faces. No joy evident.

Last week at practice the Praise Team talked about the faces they look out at on Sunday morning.

To be sure there are some whose faces shine in their worship. However, they often see scowls and frowns, bored and listless faces and people not singing but looking around, (seemingly critically) at the other people.

One on the Praise Team said she was very discouraged and didn’t know if she would continue because some of the others on the Team were not giving their best or even halfway participating.

At a Potluck dinner a woman washing dishes said that was the last time she would wash dishes because no one else bothered to help.

We must remember that if we’re doing/serving to please other people or to rack up points, we’re doing/serving for the wrong reason. If we do and serve for the glory of God it doesn’t matter what anyone else does.

So - discouragement, critical spirits and weariness. Does the Bible speak to this?

The apostle Paul said in Gal 6:9,  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

And Jesus said, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love…. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you…You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit…This is my command: love each other. 

John 15:9, 11-12, 16-17

John Gill says in his Exposition of the Entire Bible:

Heb 13:1  Let brotherly love continue. The Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions add, "in you"; or among you, as a church..., and as Christ hath loved us;  when it is genuine, it is active and laborious; and shows itself in praying with and for one another; in bearing one another's burdens; in forbearing and forgiving one another; in admonishing one another in love; in building up each other in the most holy faith and in stirring up one another; this is an evidence of regeneration; it is the bond of perfectness, …the comfort and joy of Gospel ministers, and our own peace and edification: and this should continue; for the love of God and Christ continues; One of the Jewish prayers is to this purpose; "he that dwells in this house, let him plant among you  "brotherhood and love", (or brotherly love,) peace and friendship.''  

I pray that the Light of the "Son" will penetrate and melt our hearts and give radiance to our faces.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

…And It Was Very Good

By Barbara Chadwick

 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…  Genesis 1:1

 In that first chapter of Genesis we have the account of how God began the creation.  He created the heavens and the earth and light. In verse 4 it says …and God saw the light, that it was good! Yes! My mother says that from the time I was born I would cry when the light was turned off. Light is good.

He continues. Next, God separated the light from the darkness and called the light day and the darkness night.  He made the firmament and divided the waters. He called the dry land earth and the waters seas.  Then in verse 10 we see that,  God saw that it was good!

He called forth grass and herbs and fruit trees and in verse 12: God saw that it was good! Then God made the sun to rule the day, the moon to rule the night and stars in the sky and in verse 18 – And God saw that it was good! 

He put living creatures in the seas and birds in the sky and in verse 21 – And God saw that it was good.

He put living creatures and beasts upon the earth and in verse 25  - God saw that it was good.  Each time we see deer or moose grazing on our property we enjoy it as if it were the first time.

In verse 27  God created man in His own image… male and female He created them. And finally in the last verse of chapter 1 – Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good!

Did you ever wonder if He created the earth in the Fall?  There are brilliant colors across our mountains right now. It is, indeed, a very good sight!

O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your Name in all the earth…When I consider Your heavens and the work of Your fingers…What is man that you are mindful of him? Psalm 8:1

ENSALZAR

By Barbara Chadwick

 

This morning there was a piece of paper on my desk with the word, ensalzar written on it. (I am working to refresh my Spanish.  Ensalzar is a Spanish word meaning to extol, exalt, or to magnify.

This week-end a group called Christian Challenge from UNC (University of Northern Colorado) came to our house in the mountains for a retreat. There were 26 freshmen through seniors. So our usually quiet house was filled with laughter and action!

Since we go to bed pretty early – we were already there – in bed – when they had their evening devotional time – their singing, reading God’s Word and reflecting on it time. It was great to hear their voices ring out with enthusiasm and sweet to hear their harmonies with the guitars leading.  Some were new Christians but the desire of all to magnify the Lord in their lives was evident in their words, actions and treatment of each other. 

It is a beautiful thing to see young people – the future of our country – studying scripture together in love with excitement and enthusiasm. Paul tells Timothy to in I Timothy 4:7.

Throughout the Bible we see examples of God using young people to take His message to the world.  David, Jonathon, Samuel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Mary, and Timothy are some examples.

In I Timothy 4:7 young Timothy is told to, train yourself to be godly and in 2 Timothy 1:6,  fan into flame the gift of God… Then in chapter 2 verses 22-24, Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace…Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because they produce quarrels. The Lord’s servant must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. And in I Timothy 4:12, Paul tells Timothy to, set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 

When we do these things, regardless of our age, we “ensalzar” our Lord and Savior.

Throughout the week-end we heard these students extolling the character of God, exalting the Word of God and magnifying His Name. May their tribe increase!

GOD'S CREATIVITY IS AWESOME!

This past week I had two walks that showcased God’s awesome creation:

Wednesday:  I walked with my sister Ruth and her husband John from their house in San Pedro, CA to the Cabrillo Beach pier. Every few steps we greeted people as we passed palm trees, houses facing the Los Angeles harbor and lots of cars.  There were  people fishing from the pier and across on the jetty were hundreds of pelicans also preparing to swoop down to fish out of the ocean.  Thousands of sea gulls proudly strutted around. A huge machine raked the beach, cleaning up the sea weed and other debris the waves had washed up overnight. It was foggy so we heard fog horns in the distance and the slosh of kayaks nearby. It was already in the 80’s on the way to high 90’s with humidity at 78 percent! It seemed like I could feel the air. I was already sweating at sea level!

On the way home I commented that God’s creativity is awesome!  This busy beachfront scene contrasted sharply to the scene out our windows in the Colorado mountains and to the desert and the Grand Canyon we flew over on the flight to Los Angeles. I don’t believe a “Big Bang” could have given us such diversity and beauty!

Saturday:  My husband Kenneth and I walked up Mic Mac street to Flathead drive. (On the way back I decided they named it Flathead drive in order to keep from being overly serious! Because it is straight up!) He continued to Elk Horn drive and Ottawa Way then home.  I, however, not being conditioned like he is, turned around to come home after one mile! 

My sneakers crunched on the rocky dirt streets. I heard the wind in the pines and the shushing of the aspen leaves shaking in the cool breeze. I passed a brook gurgling down the hill. A deer made its way through the forest cracking a limb on the forest floor. Little chipmunks scampered over the boulders. White clouds wafted by in a deep blue sky. There was no one else walking and I heard no other voices.  It was a beautiful tranquil scene.  It was 55 degrees on the way to 65 and 10 percent humidity in this almost 9,000 feet thin air. My heart was getting a good workout but I was cool.

I reflected on the difference of this Colorado mountain morning to the walk to the CA beach.  Isaiah says,  This is what the God the Lord says – He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people and life to those who walk on it…  Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. Let the desert and its towns raise their voices… Let them shout from the mountaintops. Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim His praise in the islands. Isaiah 42:5; 10-12