A PERSONAL SAVIOUR
In 1954 Dr. Billy Graham arrived in London, England to conduct an evangelistic crusade at the Earls Court Arena which had a seating capacity close to 20,000. Not particularly large for an arena but to Londoners such as I who had never been to a religious event of this nature it was remarkable. Although I don't recall the text he spoke on I do remember that the meeting ended with his plea to listeners to come forward and accept Christ as personal Savior. Many people surged forward as the huge choir sang "Just as I am, without one plea".
Looking back to 1954 it is the words "personal Savior" that I find to be so important. Most of us like to personalize things, give them our own personal touch, a monogram on a shirt, our home decor, the choices we make. What is so important about our relationship with our Savior that it is described as personal? Because each one of us has to make a "personal" decision to accept Jesus and His salvation, no one else can do it for us. Because He knows everything there is to know about us, more than we may know or care to admit about ourselves. Because it exemplifies the most loving and caring relationship we can ever enjoy.
Every day this Personal Savior reminds us that His love enfolds us (Rom.8:39), His light surrounds us (Eph.5:8), His power protects us (1Pet.1:5) and His presence watches over us, wherever we are He is there (Ps.139:7)
Hallelujah!
All scripture from the King James Version
Jean Dean
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Devotional 8-21-08
Lamentations 3:22
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Leader: When our medical machines can no longer keep us alive or solve our problems we ask --- Why God!!!!
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Leader: When we keep our taxes low and our profits based on a short-term focus while our societal safety net crumbles we ask ---- Where is God?
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Leader: When we invest in pleasure and self-indulgence only thinking of ourselves and not others in our world by the burning of forest, global warming, unsafe environmental practices and our lifestyle implodes we ask --- Who is God?
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Leader: When business lay low-income workers off and give bonuses to management based on those decisions – We wonder about justice?
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Leader: When our government official’s former companies make billions from a war that they promote while our children are killed and maimed in that war which was uncertain to begin with -- It angers us.
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Leader: When we continue to eat, live, and act unhealthy and find ourselves dying from diseases and causes that are related to the way we have lived, eaten, and acted. We want God to fix our problems. When He doesn’t we say it is God’s will.
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Leader: When and oil company Exec makes $ 50 million in salary and bonuses a year and responds to a questions about the price of gas by saying he is only charging what the “free Market” will bear and that it is his “right” to make a profit, we have to wonder where profit becomes greed. We ask does only that which is limited have value?
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Leader: When a society can produce financial crisis’s such as the junk bond collapse, the saving and loan bailout, the disintegration of the tech stock market, the real estate balloon burst and foreclosure, Enron’s debacle, the Bears and Sterns implosion and still believe to not be motivated by self centered desires – We wonder when God?
Response: But the steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases.
Rev. David Johnson
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Devotional 8-15-08
Matthew 15:1-28
I always enjoy reading about the interactions that Jesus had with the women of his day. Jesus ministered to a wide variety of people. I truly believe that his approach to people was revolutionary. He talked not only to women, but foreigners, people who were sick, social outcasts of all kinds, wealthy people who were important socially, lepers, you name it. He treated everyone with respect and dignity because his understanding of what constituted righteous behavior was not how well they followed a ritual. The Law in the book of Leviticus talked about who and what was unclean and how the Hebrew people were to conduct themselves on every occasion. But those laws had little to say about why they should practice good behavior, in other words, what motivated people to please God. Jesus wanted people to "behave;” to make choices that were pleasing to God because they wanted to, not because they felt they had to. He wanted them to understand that following God meant much more than eating the right foods, or staying away from this person or that situation. He looked at the reasons why people behaved the way that they did. He wanted people to be pure of heart
So, with that concept of Jesus' openness and acceptance in mind, I have to admit that I become a little angry with him in this Scripture from this week's lectionary. Here was a pagan woman, certainly someone considered ritually unclean, but who, in my opinion, was at the end of her rope as she sought healing for her daughter. Jesus ignored her request. His disciples told him to send her away. I am not absolutely positive about this, but I think this is the only place in Scripture where Jesus refused, at least at first, to help someone. This woman was persistent. She kept asking until finally Jesus healed her daughter and commended her for her faith. Perhaps her tenaciousness and love for her daughter made him respect her. Perhaps he was impressed with the fact that she did have faith that He could heal her, when apparently no one else had been able to. She did not give up.
We're all tempted to give up on something that is important to us. Sometimes we wonder if God hears our prayers or why they seem to go unanswered. Probably all of us have had times when we prayed for loved ones to be cured from illnesses such as cancer, and the person died, in spite of our fervent, faith filled prayers. Many of us have had incidents take place in our family that were so difficult to deal with, that we wondered where God could possibly be. I have no easy answer to that question, other than to share that I have asked it a few times myself. However, I have learned over the years that God works in ways that we don't see, that God has the bigger picture in mind, and sees every situation in ways we cannot.
As a pastor, I tell people that from the worst situation God can and will and does bring something good, although we often have to discipline ourselves spiritually to see it.
This challenging scripture reminds me that maybe the answer to our prayers is "No" or "Not now". Prayer is not a way for us to somehow gain control of God and thus control of our lives. It is not a way of piling up things that we simply would like to have, of having our every whim catered to and every desire fulfilled. It can be a remarkable resource for sustenance and support. I have to trust that God acts in God's own time, not mine.
This story of a remarkable, feisty woman reminds me of that. She never gave up. The cynical part of me thinks that maybe she just nagged and wore Jesus down. (Obviously, that's not something I recommend for the best inter-personal relationships!) But we can use her as an example of prayer. She exhibited clarity about what she wanted, the ability to go to the Source that she was sure could help her and a determination to make herself understood and heard. Maybe that's what a healthy prayer really is, seeking with determination while trusting that some sort of answer will be forthcoming, and an awareness that sometimes God does indeed say "No" or "Not yet."
Rev. Dorcas Conrad
Dillon Chapel UMC
I always enjoy reading about the interactions that Jesus had with the women of his day. Jesus ministered to a wide variety of people. I truly believe that his approach to people was revolutionary. He talked not only to women, but foreigners, people who were sick, social outcasts of all kinds, wealthy people who were important socially, lepers, you name it. He treated everyone with respect and dignity because his understanding of what constituted righteous behavior was not how well they followed a ritual. The Law in the book of Leviticus talked about who and what was unclean and how the Hebrew people were to conduct themselves on every occasion. But those laws had little to say about why they should practice good behavior, in other words, what motivated people to please God. Jesus wanted people to "behave;” to make choices that were pleasing to God because they wanted to, not because they felt they had to. He wanted them to understand that following God meant much more than eating the right foods, or staying away from this person or that situation. He looked at the reasons why people behaved the way that they did. He wanted people to be pure of heart
So, with that concept of Jesus' openness and acceptance in mind, I have to admit that I become a little angry with him in this Scripture from this week's lectionary. Here was a pagan woman, certainly someone considered ritually unclean, but who, in my opinion, was at the end of her rope as she sought healing for her daughter. Jesus ignored her request. His disciples told him to send her away. I am not absolutely positive about this, but I think this is the only place in Scripture where Jesus refused, at least at first, to help someone. This woman was persistent. She kept asking until finally Jesus healed her daughter and commended her for her faith. Perhaps her tenaciousness and love for her daughter made him respect her. Perhaps he was impressed with the fact that she did have faith that He could heal her, when apparently no one else had been able to. She did not give up.
We're all tempted to give up on something that is important to us. Sometimes we wonder if God hears our prayers or why they seem to go unanswered. Probably all of us have had times when we prayed for loved ones to be cured from illnesses such as cancer, and the person died, in spite of our fervent, faith filled prayers. Many of us have had incidents take place in our family that were so difficult to deal with, that we wondered where God could possibly be. I have no easy answer to that question, other than to share that I have asked it a few times myself. However, I have learned over the years that God works in ways that we don't see, that God has the bigger picture in mind, and sees every situation in ways we cannot.
As a pastor, I tell people that from the worst situation God can and will and does bring something good, although we often have to discipline ourselves spiritually to see it.
This challenging scripture reminds me that maybe the answer to our prayers is "No" or "Not now". Prayer is not a way for us to somehow gain control of God and thus control of our lives. It is not a way of piling up things that we simply would like to have, of having our every whim catered to and every desire fulfilled. It can be a remarkable resource for sustenance and support. I have to trust that God acts in God's own time, not mine.
This story of a remarkable, feisty woman reminds me of that. She never gave up. The cynical part of me thinks that maybe she just nagged and wore Jesus down. (Obviously, that's not something I recommend for the best inter-personal relationships!) But we can use her as an example of prayer. She exhibited clarity about what she wanted, the ability to go to the Source that she was sure could help her and a determination to make herself understood and heard. Maybe that's what a healthy prayer really is, seeking with determination while trusting that some sort of answer will be forthcoming, and an awareness that sometimes God does indeed say "No" or "Not yet."
Rev. Dorcas Conrad
Dillon Chapel UMC
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Devotional 8-8-08
Read: Psalm 105:1-6, Matt 14:22-33 and Romans 5:1-15
Faith is defined in Webster’s as:
1 a: allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1): fidelity to one's promises (2): sincerity of intentions2 a (1): belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust3: something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs
As a Christian we are to place all of our Faith in God through his son, our savior, Jesus. Let all of our life be guided in everything we do by his hands. We are to do this every day of our life. WOW, can we really do this??? Well, if you read the above passags you’ll see that this is exactly what our God of the Old Testament and of the new Covenant, through his son Jesus wants us to do.
Now I don't suggest that we do not have to make certain informed choices in our lives. (Don't try driving a car on Faith alone. You do have to place your hands on the wheel.) We are to talk with God and listen for his guidance when we need to make a choice, or when we need to take a leap of faith.
Twenty-four years ago I was looking to make a career change decision. As I investigated what I would have to do to make this change I needed Gods help to lead me to see if this was the path I was to take. I prayed about it, I counseled with our Senior Pastor F. Emerson Wood. Because one thing was certain I would have to leave Huntington for a school I would need to attend. What that meant was leaving my job, loss of income, and my family. We had three small children, a home, expenses, etc. Well, after all the prayers and counseling, a school was found, and I was accepted. Funds to help defray the loss of income were made available. (And much appreciated) I left Huntington and commuted on weekends from Cincinnati to maintain our family connection. A year later I returned to Huntington with a new career.
None of this would have happened with having the faith I needed in our God. As my dear mother, Frances Herr, often said, "everything always works out for the best." She had great faith in God. Since then has my faith wavered? I have had not had enough faith at times. But I always find out that when I place all of my worrys, decisions and concerns in God's hands, "everything does work out."
When we have this faith in God we are not to keep it to ourselves, but we are to use it to bring other to Christ and God. It is through our example of living a life in Christ and faith in God that will help others see the light.
The refrain in the lyrics from the song below have a special place in my heart, as it was a part of the music used during my "Walk to Emmaus" weekend. I have just seen the rest of the lyrics as I was writing this devotion, and I was taken aback by how much they followed parts of the scriptures above. (Divine intervention!!) (For those able to be at church this past week Patricia Green's music during the Offering was a beautiful arrangement of this song).
Now that I have rambled too long, one last word "KEEP the FAITH" is more than just a saying it is something we all should live by daily.
God Bless ALL
Fred HerrTURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS
Words and Music by Helen H. Lemmel
1922
O soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free.
Refrain
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His Glory and Grace.
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion -
For more than conquerors we are!
Refrain
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His Glory and Grace.
His Word shall not fail you - He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell.
Refrain
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His Glory and Grace
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