What's In a Name?

There's probably nothing people like to hear more than the mention of their own name. But just what is in a name? The other day one of my students came from his history class. They had been studying Presidents and their famous sayings. The history teacher had assigned each student to come up with his own saying. This student's saying was "The name your given isn't as important as the name your livin'" He wondered if he would be famous for his saying. As I thought about this student's saying, the biblical character Saul came to mind. After he met Jesus on the road to Damascus in Acts 9 he received a new name. In Acts 13:9 we read, "Then Saul, who also is called Paul..." It was a Roman name that means "humble." Paul was not only given a new name but he lived the name he was given. It was Paul who in Philippians 4:11 said, "I have learned in whatever state I am to be content." His life was one of humble service to the Lord. I also thought about a new name each of us was given when we trusted Jesus as Savior. We became a Christian. Sometimes that new name doesn't mean much. Our lives don't picture the Christ of the name Christian. Perhaps we need to listen to that student's saying here carefully. Being called a Christian is not nearly as important as living life as a Christian. Just as Saul's life exhibited a dramatic change, so our life must do so as well. We are now to emulate the love, humility, service, forgiveness and availability of Christ.

Follow the Signs

Many of today's drivers are an accident looking for a place to happen. As I drive around town I notice drivers talking on the cell phone, trying to eat their lunch and tending to their children. As a result they roll through stop signs, run red lights and turn at intersections where no turn is permitted. As a result they endanger their own lives and the lives of innocent people around them.

The spiritual highway is very similar. We can get so involved in distractions that we miss the signs God has for us. He tells us as Christians that we are to STOP certain things. He admonishes us to YIELD to Him in our daily decisions. We are commanded to GO to others and share our faith and encouragement. The directions are for our protection and spiritual success.

Today we can experience God's direction and have peace or ignore it and face confusion and disaster. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths." Let's listen to Him and follow the spiritual road signs He gives.

How to be a Millionaire

One fascinating dream that most people have from time to time is that of becoming a millionaire. At one time there was a TV show called The Millionaire. In each episode a multimillionaire Michael Anthony gave some unsuspecting person a million dollar check. The story line explored the affects of such a large sum of money on the person who received it. Most of the time the outcome was not the best. Perhaps that's why God hasn't allowed most of us to be millionaires.

However, I read an article once in a Sunday School take home paper that suggested becoming a millionaire was really quite easy. Simply save a dollar a day for a million days. Of course, if you do the math that is about 2,740 years! On a more serious note the article suggested four steps that would be necessary to become a millionaire. While most of us still will not see that happen we can apply the same steps to becoming whatever God sets before us as our goal. The steps are DECIDE, DEDICATE, DETERMINE, and DISCRIMINATE.

We must be decisive. This was the challenge of Joshua to the people as they entered the promised land. He said "Choose you this day whom you will serve." When confronted with the sin of worshiping false gods Elijah challenged the people to decide "How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him..." Once we have made a decision then we must be dedicated to that decision. That dedication must be under girded with our determination or resolve. In I John 2:15-17 we are encouraged to determine to "love not the world or the things that are in it." Without such resolve we will easily be detracted from our decision and fail to become the "millionaire" God intends for us to be. Finally, we must discriminate. Our time, our relationships and our priorities must all line up behind the goal we have adopted. We can become a spiritual millionaire becoming what God wants us to be by simply adopting God's way. His riches are greater than any monetary goal. He wants us to be spiritual millionaires.

All Things New

We are in one of the most exciting times of the year. The spring rains have done their job and blossoms are bursting open everywhere. Our dogwood tree is displaying its white flowers with their cross-shaped markings. Our lilac bush has produced its wonderfully scented flowers. The tulips have spilled color all around us. And, our  azalea bush is about to explode with thousands of bright pink blossoms. All of that new activity in the physical world breathes excitement and a positive feeling into the atmosphere.

As I think about all that is new with the coming of spring, the new things that accompany spiritual rebirth come to mind as well. In Hebrews 10:19-25 we read of those new things. The writer speaks of the new confidence we have giving "boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus." What a privilege it is to be able to speak in prayer directly to Him. Then we read that this Jesus is our new commander, our High Priest to whom we can "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." He is our Way to God himself. With these truths in mind we are challenged to have a new commitment that involves "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together...but exhorting one another." We have received a purpose in life that is directed at ministering to one another. Finally, as a result, this purpose gives us a new comradeship. We are not alone in our new life in Christ. We have not only the Savior but fellow believers.

How exciting to contemplate the provisions of new life. Like the blossoms of spring they cause us to look forward with joy and excitement to the plan God has in mind for us. I hope you are enjoying the spring season with all its freshness and encouragement. Even more I would encourage you to discover the spiritual spring God has prepared for you. Let Him cause your life to be filled with the blossoms of his grace.

The True You

I have always enjoyed science fiction. I read Tom Swift books as a boy and watched just about every Star Trek episode on TV. One of my favorite Star Trek shows featured the shape shifters. They were a species that could change themselves from one thing to another at will. I always thought how neat that ability would be.

We actually do have that ability. According to Walter Anderson in his Confidence Course "You and I are not what we eat; we are what we think." More important than his opinion is the teaching of scripture. There we read "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he!" and "According to your faith, so be it unto thee." Obviously it is extremely important for our thinking to be right so that we can be right.

The path to right thinking begins with a heart change. Scripture tells us that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. By our nature we don't think right. So our nature must be changed. We must become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Then we are told are told to let the mind of Christ be in us. A warning is given in Romans 12:1-2 to not be conformed to the world (and the way it thinks) but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

When we begin to think the way God thinks we are changed and can become more like Jesus every day. That is God's goal for us... to be conformed to the image of Christ. I once had a student explain his improper behavior as he suddenly realized a significant thought. He declared, "I forgot who I am." Who you are depends greatly on how you think. Who do you think you are?

Cell Phone Syndrome

There is an obvious malady that has taken over the world. I call it "cell phone syndrome." Everywhere you look people are on their cell phones. On breaks at work, in the car coming and going, at the table in the restaurant and even jogging down the street it seems that everyone is talking, talking, talking. I must admit that I am guilty too. What is the driving force behind all this need to talk? Are our lives so full of events and exciting developments that we are forced to be on the phone non-stop to share it all? I don't think that is the reason. I think the problem is the same one that causes people to constantly need to have the TV or radio going. We are a lonely people.

A story is told of a young man traveling on a bus to rural Georgia. A fellow traveler asked him about his trip. The young man said, "I am on the way to the countryside because I am lonely." When asked where he was from he replied, "New York City." Amidst all the millions of the city this young man was still lonely. We are much like him. We know many people, talk on the phone for hours and are entertained by the constant presence of TV's and radios, but we are still lonely. What we need is real relationships.

As I think on this need, I am reminded of the greatest relationship there is. Even when there are few or no close relationships with fellow earth-travelers, we find this relationship to bring relief to our loneliness. In Zephaniah 3:17 scripture tells us, "The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." In those times when it seems that no one listens and that there are no obvious answers to our problems, we can count on the presence of the Lord. When no one else notices you He will rejoice over you. When you are disturbed by situations in life He will bathe you in his love. When no one celebrates your joys and victories He will sing out with rejoicing. If God is not your companion, He wants to be today.

Fitness for Life

Great emphasis is being placed on fitness these days. The value of life dictates that we exercise regularly, control our diets, avoid harmful chemicals, eat organic and sleep properly. Quite frequently discussions arise in the news about living to be 100 years old or older. We all feel better physically and emotionally when everything is in order to maintain fitness.

According to I Timothy 4:8 "bodily exercise profits little: but godliness is profitable to all things." We need to put equal if not greater emphasis on spiritual fitness. In Acts 18:24-28 we come across a believer who appears to be very spiritually fit. Verse 28 states that "he vigorously showed from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." In the preceding verses we note three qualities that contributed to his spiritual fitness. First he was declared to be a man who was "mighty in Scriptures" having been "instructed in the way of the Lord." Apollos knew God's Word and it made him fit to defend his faith. As a result we are informed that he was "fervent in spirit" so that he spoke and taught the things of the Lord. He didn't just know God's Word; he shared God's Word with those around him. He was motivated to pass his faith on to those he met. Finally, Apollos is described as one who "greatly helped those who had believed." He was active in service to bring about the growth of his fellow Christians.

We would do well to follow the example of Apollos. Often our spirituality is limited to Sunday church services. However, our worship should so motivate us about the reality of our Savior that we become animated in our spirit and motivated to share with others. Unlike physical fitness, our spiritual fitness will improve the fitness of others around us. We need to focus on fitness for life, ours and others.

Life in the Fault Zone

Last Friday brought folks in our region face to face with the biblical truth found in James 4:13-14 which says, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." The instrument of that confrontation was an earthquake.

While the quake that occurred about 40 miles from us wasn't one of the California variety, it was enough to get our attention. At 5.4 on the Richter scale with tremblors lasting 45 seconds the event literally shook many of us out of bed. My first thoughts were that something was terribly wrong with the furnace. Visions of an exploding house passed through my mind. It didn't take long to realize that it was an earthquake but in that brief time I was reminded of just how uncertain life is.

The stuff we hang on to in our lives could easily be taken away in a moment. Life itself has no guarantee for tomorrow. That is why it is essential that our dependence be on the Eternal One rather than people and things that may speedily pass away. We must daily give thanks to God for what He allows us to enjoy and order our lives and activities in view of the brevity and uncertainty of life and the certainty of eternity. Tomorrow may be lived in the literal presence of Jesus. Today must be lived knowing He is present in our lives.

Bury the Hatchet

In life there are always disagreements and conflicts. In haste we say or do things that we wish we could undo later. Sometimes when we resolve the conflict or at least agree to set it aside we say, "Let's bury the hatchet. Let's just forget about this confrontation." However, many times we don't really mean what we say and we leave the hatchet handle sticking out so that we can easily retrieve it later.

Thankfully, God doesn't work that way. When God says that he forgets our sins we can rest assured that He will never bring them up again and He will not hold them against us. Our enemy may bring them to mind in order to hold us in a prison of guilt, but as far as God is concerned the hatchet, handle and all, has been buried.

We would do well to pattern our forgiveness of others after God's forgiveness of us. As Matthew 5:7 says, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." While we can't erase something totally from our memory, we can choose to set it aside. I can remember several situations and the people involved in them that offended me, but I have chosen to fully bury the hatchet as far as my relationship with those people is concerned. It is God's grace and mercy flowing from me to the other person that enables me to let go of the hatchet. Ask God to help you in this area. You will find that God's peace will be the result.

Dealing With Detours

Sometimes it seems impossible to get from one point to another. Perhaps the streets don't run continuously through and suddenly you must detour to get to another section of the same street. Often a river or railroad track separate parts of the city so that you must go way out of your way to get to your destination. In desperation you might declare that you can't get there from here.

In life we may feel the same way. We have a desire to please God and bring grace to others but it seems as if there are numerous "road blocks" in our path. We want to know God's will but it seems to be hidden from us. In Romans 12:1,2 God gives us a guideline for knowing his will that also may be applied to bring direction for many situations in life. Basically, the instruction is to give yourself to God, refuse to be distracted by the world, and to think God's way. The promise is that we will then be able to prove (discover) the will of God.

If there is a situation in life that you cannot seem to resolve or a goal you can't seem to reach, try those three steps. Turn the matter over to God, don't let the world's normal way of thinking limit your insight, and then shed God's thoughts (the Bible) on the problem. He will give your the direction you need.

Walk in My Shoes

When I go shopping I like to go in the store, pick up the item I want and get out quickly. I guess that's a man thing. There are some times when that technique just doesn't work. When buying shoes or clothes there is a time-consuming process of trying things on to make sure they fit. Failing to go through the process results in the extra bother of having to return and exchange items.

Sometimes we want relationships to work the same way. We think that unless a person instantly matches our expectations something is wrong with them. Often the problem is that we simply haven't been in their shoes. We haven't experienced their circumstances. A story is told of a King of a country who wanted to identify with his people. So he dressed up in old clothes and spent time down in the coal mines where many of them worked. As a pastor I sometimes could not understand why people would not come to some of the church services. Then I worked in the secular world and discovered what they were experiencing and was better able to understand them.

God has done the same thing for each of us. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus is one who can identify with our infirmities. He is God who came to experience the human circumstances that we have daily. We need to be thankful for his willingness to "put on our shoes" and do the same to meet the needs of others around us. Today, when you can't seem to understand people try on their pair of shoes.

What Are You Worth?

There are various expressions for the value of a person. I've heard people describe others as "not worth a plugged nickel." On the other hand, some have been described as "worth their weight in gold." Science tells us that the elements of our body are worth about $4.50. Actually, our value depends on how much we value others beginning with God himself.

Jesus told his disciples that the first would be last and the last would be first. He was speaking about being poor in spirit. That doesn't mean that we are poor spirited or poor in estate but rather that we are humble. The Bible also tells us in Romans 12:3 to "not consider ourselves more highly than we ought" and in Romans 12:10 to "in honor prefer one another." One sales marketer stated that when we value others we become valuable to them. I believe this applies to all our relationships.

When we put others first then our own sense of usefulness and value increases. When we put God first He is able to use us and bring value to our existence. When we put others first then our skills and gifts will be exercised for them and they will value us. As long as we put ourselves first we will be battling daily for position, popularity and finances as the elements of our value. Our greatest value lies in our availability as a channel of grace from God to others.

Preparation for Giant Slaying

We all encounter giants in our lives. They are not the fictitious monsters of our imagination. They are the obstacles that seem unconquerable. They may be financial, physical or emotional in nature. They stand before us as and intimidate us into submission. They are similar to the giant that David faced in I Samuel 17:1-50. We cannot defeat these giants unless we have the same preparation that David had.

Actually, David passed six tests that led to his victory. We must do the same. In the test of dependence David learned to lean on the Lord. He experienced this training as a shepherd out alone except for God caring for the sheep. Then having been kept at home from war, David's father required his obedience as he was sent out with food in service to his brothers. When David sized up the situation and offered to face the giant he was bombarded with human reasoning that questioned his ability to face the enemy and ridicule at his boldness and faith. Finally, David passed the test of humility as he expressed his total trust in the power and victory the Lord would give him.

In order to have victory over the obstacles of our lives we must each complete the same curriculum. We may face seemingly impossible situations just as David did. If we draw upon our own strength we will cower before the enemy just as the rest of the army of Israel did. But as we go forth in the power of God the giants will fall before us. We will enjoy God's blessing and become testimonials of His power and presence.

An Inexaustable Resource

When something great happens in our life we usually want to tell others all about it. We buy a new car and we can't wait to show it to our friends. We get a great new job and we are excited to tell others. We or one of our family members reaches a new milestone in life and we want to announce it to all. However, none of these shared experiences become the experience of the person with whom we are sharing. And eventually when we have shared them with everyone we can think of they become old news and we don't even bother to talk about them anymore.

There is something that never runs out no matter how often we share it with others. That is joy. What is joy? Some children were asked that question with interesting results. One child responded that joy is what Mom uses to do the dishes. Another said that Joy is his brother's girlfriend. But real joy is the result of an ongoing relationship. Other kinds of joy may be caused by temporary successes, events and circumstances, but they have an end. The joy of a relationship is ongoing and increases rather than decreases with time.

Of course the greatest joy creating relationship is with our God. In Psalm 16:11 the Bible indicates "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." If we want joy that never runs out, we must have that relationship. When we do the inner joy that results will radiate out to others. They will benefit and we will continue and increase in our own joy. Someone once said that when our upward relationship is right then our outward relationships will be right as well. Try God's joy today.

Watching Your P's & Q's

We have all heard or used the expression "Watch your p's & q's." It comes from an old printer's axiom. Back in the early days of printing presses, each line of text had to be set up one letter at a time. Since the letters in the press were reversed (so they'd print forward), the print-maker (or typographer) needed to be careful not to confuse one letter for the other. Reminding someone to "watch his p's and q's" means to pay attention to the details.

Paul could have used that expression in Ephesians 5:3-17. In the Christian walk it is easy to wander from the path God has laid out before us. Our enemy is constantly providing side paths to attract our attention. We must really focus to stay within God's will. Paul suggests three areas that need our attention. First he admonishes us to maintain purity in expression by avoiding the unclean and unfitting practices that so strongly draw us. Then we are counseled to practice propriety in our relationships, making sure we don't become participants with those whose wisdom is vain and filled with darkness. Finally, we are encouraged to have purpose in our activities by walking circumspectly and redeeming the time.

We must daily examine the p's & q's of our life style to make sure they are a testimony appropriate for our Savior and that our path is God's path. One of my former high school students was once asked why she wasn't more interested in dating. She responded, "I have been called to be a missionary and I cannot allow myself to be distracted by getting involved in dating." She was watching her p's & q's. Today she is a missionary in China. God has honored her careful focus on his will. He will do the same for each of us as we focus our lives on him.

Becoming Richer

"Without love, what are we worth? Eighty-nine cents! Eighty-nine cents worth of chemicals walking around lonely." So said Hawkeye (Laurence Marks) on M*A*S*H. No one enjoys being a pauper. We struggle for a better job so we can have a better income. We think we need the better income in order to have better 'stuff'. However, we usually discover that our lives still are not richer as a result. True riches are not found in the things we have but in the kind of person we are.

In Ephesians 5:1-2 we are enjoined to be "imitators of God" and to "walk in love." Later in the chapter we find that men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. In what way did Christ love the church? He invested himself in it. We always have greater affection for something in which we have an investment. Our investment in others needs to be patterned after Christ's investment in us. In our text we find that Christ "has loved us and given himself for us." In Hebrews 12:2 the Bible says that Jesus "for the joy that was set before him endured the cross." If loving us enriched Christ then certainly when we love others we will be enriched also. Our text also declares that Christ was "an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. The love Jesus expressed was not only for the joy of seeing us become his children, but also for the joy of pleasing his Father.

What greater riches could there be? If we are pleasing the one we love most and our love expressed to others is changing their lives as well what more could we desire. I may never be rich in money or possessions but to the extent I love others and my Father in heaven I am rich. When I was a child my family used to watch the TV show The Millionaire. In it Michael Anthony gave away a million dollars to someone in each episode and its affect on the person was depicted. Those who were selfish invariable met disaster while those who shared were enriched. We are not going to get a check for a million dollars from anyone today but God has given us something worth more than a million. He has given us his love. We can either become richer by giving it away or become lonely, eighty-nine cent bodies by not giving it away. We must make the right choice each day.

A Wilfull Walk

Most good things don't come easily. We must be single-minded to realize the life-walk that God has designed for us. Being single-minded means to focus entirely on the goal. Each spring at home on the farm I had the job of helping to plow the fields in preparation for planting. My dad always told me to look straight ahead at something on the other end of the field rather than looking behind the tractor to see how straight my furrow was. Of course I had to try it both ways. Whenever I looked back and tried to plow a straight furrow it ended up really crooked. However, when I locked my sight on a post or tree at the other end of the field the furrow turned out straight and formed the guide for plowing the rest of the field.

In our spiritual lives we need to discipline our will to focus on God's ways. In Ephesians 4:17-32 we are encouraged to incorporate several guiding principles. First in verse 23 we are challenged to "be renewed in the spirit of our mind." A right attitude or spirit in life will help us to 'plow our furrows' straight. Further we are admonished to "speak truth with our neighbor." Such integrity is essential in representing God's ways to others. Finally, we are to focus on relationships. Verse 32 stresses kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness.

Just as plowing a straight furrow in the field requires focus, so living a life that is in accord with God's Word and ways requires our will to be under God's control. When it is then we can have an impact on those around us and enjoy the blessing of God in our life. Set your will in accord with his will and our furrow will never be crooked.

A Worthy Walk

Soon as a sure sign of spring there will be various fundraiser 'walks' that taking place in our community. Some are in support of cures for cancer or other diseases. Others are to assist efforts in providing youth activities. Each gives people of the community an opportunity to share in meeting needs. Each is for a worthy cause.

In Ephesians 4:1-3 a 'worthy walk' is described for the cause of of Christ. It is a walk that is to be in line with the call of God to the Christian life. Paul gives three aspects of the Christian walk that must be visible if we are walking in a worthy fashion. First, we are to walk "with all lowliness and gentleness,..." In one word we are to be humble. Humility always considers the needs of others and motivates us to meet those needs. Then we are to walk "with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,..." Patience is the key word here. Often we are so consumed with our own goals that we run roughly over the needs of others. The worthy walk is not a hurried one, but one that patiently assists others through the problems and trials of life. Finally, Paul indicates that we are are to walk "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." If there is one thing that all Christians should sense as the leading of the Spirit, it is to reach out to others as an example of the compassionate and serving heart of Jesus.

Fundraising walks for worthy causes are a great idea. They enable us to have a significant part in helping others. However, we can have an even greater impact for eternity on the lives of others if we choose to participate in the worthy walk for Christ. Are you willing to walk a mile for Christ? How about going an extra mile with others to demonstrate the heart of Christ? Join in the worthy walk and know the blessing of God in your life and the joy of passing the blessing to people around you.

The Nose Knows

No, this is not an article about how your nose functions. However, smell does play an important role in our lives. There are even products on the market that are part of an aromatherapy concept. Once when my wife's foot was aching she massaged it with some peppermint foot rub. She commented on how good it felt. Now I don't believe that foot rub has any medicinal qualities but the strong peppermint aroma and the massaging action combined to give a pleasant feeling.

We are told in scripture that "we are the aroma of Christ" (II Corinthians 2:15). Our presence around others should result in their attraction to us and to God. Unfortunately, we sometimes repel people just as if we had body odor. I had a really good rapport with one of my junior high students. One day he came up to me smiling and said, "I'll smell you later." You have to understand the junior high mind to appreciate that statement. I knew it came from someone who liked me and enjoyed being around me. I had been told by another source that I was his favorite teacher. While I had to carefully help him to realize that you shouldn't go up to a teacher and say things like that, I also was encouraged that the aroma he sensed from me is pleasant.

What kind of aroma do you have? Do others enjoy being around you? Do they sense a pleasantness that draws them? What does their nose know about you? Is Christ being sensed through your life? These are extremely important considerations as we attempt to bring grace and encouragement into the lives of others.

Wisdom From Above

Advice is offered today from everyone. Books are written to provide "how to" information. TV promotions regarding every area of life are beamed into our living rooms. Our friends freely share the plan of action they think we should take on whatever issue is before us. Likewise, people turn to us for advice as they face different circumstances. How can we sort out all that is presented and how can we make sure we give the right advice to others?

In Acts 6:1-6 the church was in distress. There was murmuring about how people's needs were being met. They needed helpers who would be wise in their actions. So they chose a number of men to serve. Their qualifications give us some insight into what needs to be true of both the source of advice we receive and our own life as we try to assist others. These chosen men were to be "of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom." One of the chosen men was Steven who was described as a "man full of faith and the Holy Spirit." Later in Acts 6:19 it is said of him that "they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke." We need to make sure that our reputation is good by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in our decisions and in the advice we give.

James 3: 17-18 gives us additional guidelines to make filter out the bad wisdom from the good. We read "the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. As we listen to advice given and as we give out our own counsel we need to evaluate it according to God's description and make sure that it is from above.

A Picture of Vitality

Everyone has an idea of what real life is. For some it may be monetary prosperity. For other a secure job is what counts. Many view the good life as days filled with merriment and activity. However, all of these things are transient. We can loose them as fast as we gain them. Even in the absence of all those things the Christian can claim real life.

In Acts 2:40-46 God give a picture of a healthy church. The same principles that make a church healthy are true of the individuals who make up the church. This real life begins with a proper foundation. The scripture indicates that the foundation consisted of "gladly receiving his word" and "continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." God's truth is our mooring when tough times come. If it is in place in our lives the Holy Spirit can use it to give us stability no matter what may come. Next we read that regarding the focus of the church that "fear came upon every soul." This is not a cowering fear of things that might happen but a reverence and respect for the power and presence of God. This too gives stability to our lives. Finally, the resulting features become evident. There was one accord, co-operative effort, praise, good relationships and growth.

As we individually experience the foundation principles our focus and life features will change as well. That which seemed important to life before will become secondary and its loss will not render us immobilized. Get into this picture of vitality with your life. You will enjoy life even in the tough times.

Promises, Promises

We all make and receive promises. Jim Rohn has said, "For every promise, there is price to pay." Perhaps that is the reason so many of them are broken. We should consider the price to be paid before we make the promise. In the case of God's promises to us the price was considered and paid before they were made. The price for all of the promises of God was the sacrifice of his Son on the cross.

One of the great promises of God that resulted from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is found in Acts 1:8, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Jesus had risen, walked with the disciples and then promised that upon his ascension God would send the Spirit to be our Comforter and Guide. We need not fear that God's promise will fail. However there are some things we are expected to do in order to benefit from the promise. First, we must do like the disciples had to do. We must wait. It is difficult to wait but to be Spirit-powered we must hold back from our own plans and reason and wait for Him to guide us. Even the disciples had to be doing something, so they elected one to replace Judas. Another thing we must do is believe in the promise. Often our hurried actions indicate that we really don't expect the guidance of the Spirit. Finally, we must make use of the Holy Spirit's presence in our life. In Acts 1:8 God said that when the Spirit comes "you shall be witnesses to me..." Our witness is to take the form of sharing our faith, but it is also to take the form of living our faith. As people observe us they should see the presence of the Spirit in the decisions and actions of our life.

God has made the promise, He has paid the price and now we must exercise the power by waiting upon the Spirit and reflecting the presence of the Spirit each day.