Willow Vale Blog

The Word that Never Comes Back”

Do you know the word that never comes back?  It might be “depart”, or “yesterday”, or “today”, “death”, “Opportunity”, “time”, or “decision”.  II Corinthians 6:2 gives the word that never comes back: “For he said, ‘I have herd you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I sought you: behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”  Now is the word that never comes back.

He was going to be all that a mortal should be tomorrow.  No one would be better off than he tomorrow.  Each morning he stacked up the letters he’d write tomorrow.  It was too bad indeed, he was to busy to see his children, but he promised to do it … tomorrow.

The greatest of workers this man would have been tomorrow.  But the fact is he died and faded from view, and all that was left when living was through…

Was a mountain of things he intended to do tomorrow.

James 4:14 is a good verse to meditate on as you face the New Year 2009.  “What is your life:  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Why not consider several spiritual disciplines to help you experience spiritual growth during the New Year.

1.    Spend 15 minutes every day reading the Bible.  For a “Daily Bread” devotional with scripture reading get your copy on the Welcome Desk in the church foyer.

2.    Make time for prayer on a daily basis.

3.    Get involved in a small group for Bible study and prayer.

You Musts Never Give up!

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
And the road you are traveling seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sign,
When trouble is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit!

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and struggling man.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have won the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late
When night slipped down,
How near he was to the victor’s crown.

You never can tell how close you are,
If may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit.
It is when things are rough that you must not quit.
(Unknown source)

Common courtesy is becoming less common every day.  And that’s not good, because the Bible says, “Be courteous…that you may inherit a blessing.”  I Peter 3:9 NKJV  Sometimes we’re not sure how to go about pleasing God.  Preachers have made it complicated: a series of long-drawn-out, deeply painful acts designed to appease a God who delights in making us squirm.

The prophet Micah simplifies it: “What does the Lord require of you…to love kindness.”  Micah 6:8 NAS  Could language be clearer?  Here are ten “not-so-common” courtesies you should work on every day, and teach your children.  After all, if they don’t learn common courtesies from you, where are they going to learn it?

1. Go out of your way to speak to people.  “Pleasant words are…healing.”  Proverbs 16:24 NIV

2. Try to remember their names - it shows you value them.

3. Smile; it increases your “face value ”

4. Be friendly and helpful.  If you do, people will return it.  Proverbs 13:24

5. Show genuine interest.  You can find something good in almost anybody, if you try.  Philippians 4:8

6. Be generous withyour praise and cautious with your criticism.

7. Be slow to judge.  There are three sides to every story - your side, their side, and the right side.

8. Instead of “using” others, serve them.  “By love sere one another.”  Galatians 5:13

9. Start trusting people - it builds lasting relationships.

10. Be humble.  Oswald Chambers said, “When a saint becomes conscious of being a saint, something has gone wrong.”

Courtesy does two things first, it speaks well of your parents.  Jesus said, “Live so that people will praise your Father.  Matthew 5:16 NCV  Second, it determines your level of blessing.  “Be courteous…that you may inherit a blessing.”

From The Word for You Today, Dec. 10,2008

FROM THE DESK OF PASTOR

RAY ELLIS

“The Invitation of Chris

In Copenhagen, Denmark, there is a statue of Christ that portrays Jesus with arms outstretched in love and compassion.  When Bertel Thorwalsen, worked on the statue he intended to create a very different kind of figure.

His original model was a massive clay figure of Jesus as a hero king.  The head was thrown back imperiously, and the hands of Jesus were raised as if in a gesture of command.

The great Danish sculpture finished his work and then left the statue to dry in his studio overnight.  But the sea mist and fog came in during the night and worked a strange change in the artist?s handiwork.

When the sculptor returned, he fund the heard of Christ fallen forward and the hands outstretched in a gesture of love and entreaty.

When Thorwalsen saw how the statue had changed overnight he decided to make that new clay model  the design for his permanent statue.  Beneath the completed statue he wrote the inscription:  “Come unto me, all that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  (From the words of Jesus in  Matthew 11:33

When Jesus was born He brought good news of salvation.  To every person Jesus stands with outstretched arms and gives the invitation, “Come to me all who are weary and bring your heavy burdens and I will give you rest.

Amidst the stress and hassle of the Christmas season you can come to Jesus and find peace.  The promise Jesus gave his disciples prior to his arrest and crucifixion is also a promise to us:  “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrow.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

William Frey in his book The Dance of Hope, tells about reading for a blind undergraduate student at the University of Colorado.  One day William Frey asked John how he lost his sight.  He told him that he had an accident as a teenager that took away his sight.  He became bitter and angry with God for letting it happen.  He became mad at the world.  He shut himself in his bedroom and only came out to eat his meals.

 Now since John was attending Colorado University Frey asked him what had changed his attitude.  He told Frey that “One day, in exasperation, my father came into my room and started giving me a lecture.  He said he was tired of my feeling sorry for myself.  He said that winter was coming, and it was my job to put up the storm windows.  ‘You get those windows up by suppertime tonight, or else!’ he shouted, slamming the door on his way out.

 John said what his dad said make him angry so he made up his mind he would somehow put the storm windows up.  He groped his way out to the garage, found the windows, a stepladder, all the necessary tools, and went to work.  He thought to himself, “They’ll be sorry when I falloff the ladder and break my neck.”  But little by little feeling his way around he got the job done.

 At that point in telling the story to Frey his eyes misted up as he told Frey that later that day he discovered that at no time during the day had his father been more than four or five feet from his side.

“Dream No Small Dreams”

 Erwin McManus in his book Soul Cravings, tells of a young man that dared to dream.  Randy Bradford stood less than 4 feet tall.  When asked about his journey in life he would reply, “I’m a bumblebee.”  He believed with God’s help he could do the impossible. 

 When he was five years old he had a dream of flying.  In the late 1960s his parents took him to the airport to watch planes take off and land.  It was watching planes that his dream to fly was born.

 When he would tell people of his dream they would look at him and tell him that becoming a pilot was not reasonable for him to even consider becoming a pilot.

 Finally in 1989 a flight instructor, Bob Wallace, took him on as a student.  After a year of instruction and adaptive equipment Randy went  solo.  On April 15, 1998, Randy purchased a 1968 Cessna 150 and stated flying for a non-profit organization called Challenge Air for Kids and Friends, an organization that gives plane rides to children who are either disabled or in some way disadvantaged.

 Randy is an example of  “Dreaming no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.”  He graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University.  He says that he is living proof that Darwin was wrong or at least had a poor definition of who was the most fit to survive.

 The early Christians filled with the Holy Spirit carried on the life and ministry of Jesus.  They cared for the sick, provided for widows, and lived every day expecting God to bless.  Our mission as the Willow Vale Church is to continue the ministry modeled by the early church in  the book of Acts.  

From the Desk of Pastor Ray Ellis 

“Shirley & Marcy” 

A mother was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school.  He didn’t want his mother to walk with him. 

She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe.  So she had an idea of how to handle it. 

She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn’t notice her.  The neighbor said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed. The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. 

She did this for the whole week.  As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy’ s little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.

 Finally she said to Timmy, ‘Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?’ 

Timmy nonchalantly replied, ‘Yeah, I know who she is.’ 

The little girl said, ‘Well, who is she?’

 ’That’s just Shirley Goodnest,’ Timmy replied, ‘and her daughter Marcy.’ ‘Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?’  ‘Well,’ Timmy explained, ‘every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, ‘cuz she worries about me so much.  And in the Psalm, it says, ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life’, so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it!’     - Author unknown-

 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

 May “surely goodness and mercy” be with you today and always.   

Set Free from Harmful Habits”

Have you ever overcome a bad habit or addiction only to have it boomerang and take possession of you again?  Perhaps you tried dieting and losing weight, tried to stop swearing, or thinking bad thoughts.To assume that your habit will never be conquered is to flatly repudiate the precept and example of our Lord.  In every situation Jesus saw the possibility of change.  The writer of Proverbs gave this insight on change, “For as a person thinks in his heart, so he becomes.” Proverbs 23:7 If we change our thoughts– what we think about — we can change our behavior.  “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”Proverbs 4:23The Apostle Paul tells us how to focus our thoughts. “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  Philippians 4:8Change is a matter of choice.  With God’s help we can experience a renewing of our mind. Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.”Daily reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word will help you to begin to think God thoughts.  God thoughts will transform stinking thinking and bad thinking into “God Can” thinking.  “For with God all things are possible.”  Luke 1:37 You meditate on God’s Word by making personal application of the scripture you are reading.  You ask yourself: “How does this verse apply to my life?”    “How can I apply the teaching of this verse to my life?”You have the promise that God’s Word will change your thoughts and enrich your life.  “Let God’s Word enrich your life…”  Colossians 3:16.  Change your thoughts and you will change your behavior.

One  Nation Under God

Psalm 33:12,  ”Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people he chose for his inheritance.” 

I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

 The founding fathers of America were men of faith in God and God’s Word.  America was founded on Biblical truths. 

The Declaration of Independence declares that all people “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” 

George Washington, the first president of the United States, said, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God and to obey His will.”

 Thomas Jefferson, the third president, said, “God who gave us life gave us liberty.  Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?”

 Calvin Coolidge, thirteenth president, said, “The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.”

 Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president, said, “I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible.  Take all of this book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will lived and die a better man.”

 Franklin Delano Roosevelt, thirty second prayed,  “O Lord, give us faith.  Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade…Thy will be done, Almighty God.  Amen.”

 David Joseph Brewer, Supreme Court Justice from 1889 to 1910 said, “The American nation from its first settlement at Jamestown to this hour is based upon and permeated by the principles of the Bible.”  From Discovering God in America, by Newt Gingrich

 Ronald Reagan, fortieth president, aboard U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, New York Harbor, July 4, 1986, said:

 “And so tonight we reaffirm that Jew and gentile, we are one nation under God; that black and white, we are one nation indivisible; that Republican and Democrat, we are all Americans. Tonight, with heart and hand, through whatever trial and travail, we pledge ourselves to each other and to the cause of human freedom, the cause that has given light to this land and hope to the world.”

 In 1776, 11 of the 13 colonies required that one had to be a Christian to be eligible to “run for political office.”  In 1777, the Continental Congress voted to spend $300,000 to purchase Bible for distribution in the nation. 

 Romans 13:1-7 The Apostle Paul gives clear teaching that followers of Jesus are to be respected citizens.  God calls us to be responsible Christians in a dark - pagan world. 

 When Paul wrote the Christians in Roman to be good citizens and obey the Roman government and pay their taxes and obey the laws of the land, the Roman authorities were out to punish followers of Jesus for their strange faith. 

 Christ followers were accused of being atheists because they did not pray to a visible god.  They were accused of being anti-government because they met in secret meetings.  When Nero set fire to Rome he blamed the Christians.

 The government often goes over the edge with some of their laws.  Congress the past year passed a bill that is to take effect in 2014 that all light bulbs must be florescent.  The florescent bulbs if broken the room must have all windows raised and vacated for 15 minutes.  The glass swept up and put in a glass jar with a metal lid.  Bulbs must be taken to a recycling center.  Why?  Because the florescent bulbs contain mercury. 

 An?Idaho sheep rancher: was approached one day by a stranger in a suit. He said, “If I can guess how many sheep you’ve got, may I have one?” Thinking this to be impossible the rancher agreed. “You have 1,795 sheep.” Stunned by the correct answer the rancher told him to choose his sheep. The man selected an animal and slung it over his shoulder and started to walk away. The rancher said, “Hey if I can tell you who your work for can I have that animal back?” OK “You work for the government. How did you figure that out?” Well, put my dog down and I will tell you.

 When I apply the teachings of Paul in Romans 13 my views are influenced by the fact that I believe the Bible and Scriptures are the authority of God.  I believe God’s Word is our guide and road map for life.  I’m very conservative in my views both Biblically and politically. 

 I believed that God’s moral laws transcend man’s secular laws that cannot be backed by scripture. 

 The Bible teaches the Sanctity of Life.  You may not agree with me, but I believe an unborn baby is a real person and a life begins at conception.  I am pro life and do not believe in abortion taking the life of a unborn person.

 Since the laws changed in 1973 through 2005 there have been 44 million babies surgically aborted. 

 Fritz Baumgartner, MD, Professor of Cardiothoracic surgery at the UCLA School of Medicine. From 1995 to 1997 he became the Head of Cardiothoracic surgery at Harbor UCLA.  Dr. Baumgartner said:

 There is no more pivotal moment in the subsequent growth and development of a human being than when 23 chromosomes of the father join with 23 chromosomes of the mother to form a unique, 46-chromosomed individual, with a gender, who had previously simply not existed. Period. No debate.

 Dr. Baumgartner said: “When I graduated from the UCLA School of Medicine in 1984, we took the Hippocratic Oath, which states, “I will not give to a woman an instrument to produce abortion. With purity and holiness I will pass my life and practice my art.” The Hippocratic Oath, explicitly and implicitly, eliminates abortion as an option.

I believe in the Sanctify of Marriage.   The Bible clearly teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman. 

 Genesis 1:26-28,  “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

 Matthew 19:3-6, “Some Pharisees came to him to test Jesus.  They asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason and every reason?”  ‘Haven’t you read,’ Jesus replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

 As a Christ follower my responsibility is to pray for the president and members of congress.  My prayer is that they will make decision based upon God’s moral law.  I Timothy 2:1-4, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.  As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks.  Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.  This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”

 This Fourth of July let’s remember to pray for America and commit to being good citizens.  Pray for strong healthy families because as the family goes so goes the nation.  Most of all let’s honor the Lord and put Him first in all we say or do.

A spider dropped a single strand down from the rafter of an old barn and began to weave his web. Months went by and the web grew. Its elaborate maze caught flies, mosquitoes and other small insects, providing the spider with a rich diet. Eventually it became the envy of all the other spiders. Then one day the spider noticed a single strand stretching up into the rafters. “I wonder why it’s there? It doesn’t catch me any dinner.” Concluding it was unnecessary, he climbed as high as he could and severed it. In that moment the entire web began to fall in upon itself, tumbling to the floor, taking the spider with it.

Could we as a people make that same mistake? Can a country spin a great web, then sever it? Can we grow so successful, so smug, so self-sufficient that we forget the strong strand that supports us? Could we look at our prosperity and respond not with gratitude, but with arrogance? Recent actions make us wonder. A movement to remove God from all public life is gaining momentum. An emboldened portion of our population stares at the strand of faith upon which our country hangs and asks: “Why is that there?” Are we forgetting the hand that holds us? We’re not the first nation to suffer from amnesia. Israel did it too, and Moses warned them: “Beware that in plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands…. I assure you of this: if you ever forget the Lord your God…. You will certainly be destroyed” (Dt 8:11 & 19 NLT).

From: “The Best of; The Word for you Today”, Celebration Enterprises