Devotional 1-29-10

Stewards of the Gospel

Please read Jeremiah 1:4-10.

Jeremiah was only a boy when God appointed him to be a prophet to the nations. Not surprisingly, Jeremiah said God must have dialed the wrong number. Fortunately, God was patient with Jeremiah and empowered him to be a great prophet with a message of hope for the future during turbulent times.

God’s call followed by Jeremiah’s excuses is a pattern we see repeated throughout the Bible. Think about it…when God called Moses, Moses pointed out that he was no good at public speaking. When God called Isaiah, Isaiah reminded God that he was a lost sinner, a person of unclean lips who lived among a people of unclean lips. When God called Jonah to go east, Jonah set out for the far west.

Accepting no ifs, ands, or buts, God used Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and even Jonah to do God’s ministry in spite of their weaknesses, unwillingness, and excuses. “You shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.” Jeremiah 1:7. As the saying goes, God doesn’t call the equipped; God equips the called.

We may think of God’s call as something that happened in ancient times to a select few. God calls us, too—maybe not as a prophet to nations; but make no mistake. God calls us to ministry. Most of us respond with excuses. We’re too young, too old, too busy, too weak. Maybe later…when this project is finished…when the kids are out of diapers…when the kids are out of college…when the mortgage is paid off…. We miss opportunities for ministry because we do not have enough faith to believe God will give us what we need to accomplish God’s will. Not our will, but God’s.

Recently I spoke at a local church program focused on some of the issues facing senior citizens. During his introductory remarks, the coordinator of the event noted that each person in the room could probably think of people who should have been there, who could have benefited from the information. He reminded the listeners that they were to be “stewards of the information and resources you receive tonight. Our job is to learn what we can and then share it with those who need to hear it.”

His words resonated with me! Isn’t that the charge of the Great Commission? The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit are not ours to keep. We are called to be stewards of the good news, to share what we have received, and to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

You come into contact with people every day who need the love of God. It may be the clerk at the grocery store who is in an abusive relationship; perhaps the neighbor who has an addiction problem; the neglected youth…God is calling you to witness the love of Christ to them by your words and actions. If not you, then who?

What’s your excuse?

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 1-22-10

Musing on Psalm 19

The sky, the air, the clouds, the very heavens,
The home of God himself
Speaks of his glory.
The earth below our feet,
The trees, the mountains, the rocks
Speak of his creation.

Every day witnesses to God’s greatness
Every night declares its knowledge of God.
Even though their voices are silent and wordless,
Their proclamations are heard to the very ends of the earth.

God has placed the sun in the sky
And told it the path it must travel.
Its road is paved with the joy of its purpose
And nothing on earth is shaded from its heat.

God has set the world in order
Created the perfect plan for his creation,
Shown us the way to live
Made our paths straight,
Revived our souls,
Shared with us the wisdom of the ages.

His laws are right,
Bringing us joy,
Inspiring our reverence,
Opening our eyes,
Enduring forever.

His word is true and righteous.
Completely perfect and without compare.
His word is a pearl of great value,
Finer than any treasure,
Sweeter than life.

His laws are our warning,
Our security,
Our foundation.
In obedience we find great reward.

Lead me not into temptation,
Keep me from disobedience and sin,
So that I shall be blameless,
Free. Innocent.

I pray that my words,
My very thoughts,
The beating of my heart,
And the currents of my mind,
Shall be acceptable to you,
My God and my salvation.
My Rock and my redeemer.
Amen.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 1-9-10

This is an awesome sight - "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier", Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. I would encourage all who read this booklet to go and see this. You won't be disappointed.

• How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
• How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why? 21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.
• Why are his gloves wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.
• Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time? And if not, why not? He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder
• How often are the guards changed? Guards are changed every thirty minutes, Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
• What are the physical traits of the guard limited to? For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.' Other Requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the Tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. Their shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis (the boxer) and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, (the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for Guard duty.

Eternal rest grant them o lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!' Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

GOD Bless Them and Keep Them.
Submitted by: Paul S. Riggs