Today's post is by guest writer Laurie Moyer.

Your integrity is one of the most foundational elements of character that you can possess. To be known as a woman of your word creates a reputation that is a city on a hill and light in the darkness. This is the desire of Jesus (Matt 5:14-16) because it gives all who see your good works the opportunity to glorify God. A few verses later He said oaths are not needed for one who has proven that a simple “yes,” or “no,” is all that is required to establish the truth of what they say. How does this happen? It is grown over the course of experience and time. A reputation is not built overnight, and your integrity is also a cumulative reflection of the choices of your life.

The rain cloud in this picture is that it only takes one break of integrity to ruin your reputation. One moment of weakness and inconsistency will counter-act years of pattern behavior. Good habits reinforce making the right choices, but once broken, it is easier to lapse the next time. Praise God that He has said He will forgive our trespasses when we repent! Our mistakes do not need to define our future. Our reputation, however, may take a bit longer to regain. Our pride does not like to be reminded that we have sinned, but we must not ignore failures if we want to learn and grow from them.

You have a reputation with your children, as well. They trust and rely on you. When they are hurt or in distress they come to you for comfort. The accomplishments of their simple world are brought to you for display. “Look what I can do.” Do not tarnish that trust. Their hearts think in such simple terms that a broken promise is not so easily understood with lengthy explanations. When you tell them things you need to be determined to follow them through. I cannot count the number of times I have heard a parent threaten a child in public with punishment in some form and then watch in horror as misbehavior continues and nothing happens. Why do we lie to our children this way? Perhaps these parents never intended to carry out punishment in the first place, but thought the mere threat of pain or deprival would intimidate the child. Why should it? If a child has been conditioned to receive empty threats and wiggle out of them, why should they their parents ever mean what they say? Do not try to bully your child into obedience.

Sadly, when we, in good faith, give a consequence to misbehavior and then retract that punishment later for any reason we are saying the same thing. No, we are not perfect. We may fully intend to do something that circumstances prevent. Those moments we must deal with as they occur and perhaps the best method is to be more careful in what we say in the first place. To say, “We plan to go to Grandma’s house next week,” leaves room for changing circumstances and, more importantly, for the will of God to play out in the daily areas of our lives. James 4:13-16 warns us not to presume to be the one in charge of every future moment. Indeed, it is better not to make promises you cannot keep.

On the other hand, when we say, “If you don’t finish your dinner you don’t get dessert,” we have made a law that we both must live by. It does not matter that it was an impulsive thing to say or that it seemed easier at the time it was spoken. If you are going to dangle sweets as an incentive in front of your child, your “understanding” of why they did not comply does not remove the fact that it happened. Sympathize. Resolve not to be that rash in the future, but you must keep your word...

We have all made mistakes in setting standards for our children. When this happens, admit it to them. If you have wronged them, apologize. Tell them you want to do better. If your rules have changed tell them what the new rules will be from this time on, and resolve to work together to be a family that pleases God.

Laurie Moyer
Taken from Searching Daily a blog by Doy Moyer
 

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

When examining how Jesus spoke to people, there seems to be two reactions, neither of which promote growth.  The first follows this pattern:  "I know that Jesus spoke bluntly, but you aren't Jesus so you can't speak to people that way!"  This seems wrong on the face of it because of passages like 1 Cor. 11:1  "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" and 1 Thess. 1:6  "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit".  No, none of us are Jesus, but we are told in multiple passages to imitate Him, so I should speak as He did, even if that means being curt.  However, some *ahem* plain spoken men like to declare that Jesus was often brusque to justify blasting away with no regard for the situation, the hearer, or anything else.  This also seems wrong because of passges like Col. 4:6  "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person" and 2 Tim. 4:2  "preach the word . . . reprove, rebuke, and exhort"  Colossians teaches us to "know how you ought to answer" which surely implies that there are right and wrong ways.  Salt is used as a flavor enhancer in food, so words seasoned with salt means what I say is tailored to "taste" as good as possible to the hearer.  Paul is telling Timothy that there are times for reproval and rebuke, but also times for exhortation.  We must know the situation.  So, how do we follow Jesus' example?  Perhaps we should start by examining it more closely.

Jesus and the Religious Leaders.
          While we might expect Jesus to try to impress these men, or win them over to His side, Jesus does the opposite.  In John 3, when Nicodemus came for a private discussion, Jesus doesn't try to gain a political friend.  Rather, He challenges Nicodemus:  “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (vs. 10-12)  In John 6, when the religious leaders peppered Jesus with questions, a categorization of His answers shows His claims were intended to blow up the religious paradigm they clung to.  Famously, in Matthew 23, Jesus declares them all to be hypocrites.  Pretty rough stuff.

Jesus and His Followers.
          Was Jesus desperate to hold onto the disciples He had and to grow their numbers as quickly as possible?  Not if how He spoke to them is any indication.  In John 6, as many of the crowds are shocked and leaving because of the "hard saying", He turns to the Twelve and asks "“Do you want to go away as well?” (vs 67)  Surely, an unequivocal challenge.  Jesus uses the phrase, "O ye of little faith" four times.  Twice to the twelve and twice to the crowds that came to listen.  On at least two other occasions, He referred to the twelve as having "little faith".  Very stern.  (I betcha someone's feelings got hurt. *Gasp!!*)

Jesus and the Sinful Masses.
          Surely, these were the people who needed the stern rebukes.  And yet in Mark 2, Jesus eats with them and tells the Pharisees that it is the sick that need attention and He wasn't here to call the righteous.  In Luke 7, He shows great compassion to the sinful woman whom the Pharisee didn't even want nearby.  In John 4, in dealing with the Samaritan woman with five ex-husbands Jesus was frank, but kind.  He certainly didn't blast away. 
 
          So, what can we learn from this brief examination?  Jesus was often blunt, but His caustic comments were reserved for those who should have known better, and who had raised themselves up as leaders of God's people while ignoring the principles of God's law. He was stern with His followers who weren't keeping up due to lack of effort.  He was kind, compassionate, and merciful to outsiders who were beginning to seek a way out of their sinful lives.  As imitators of Christ, if we were to follow this example it would go along way to us being frank and kind as the situation merits. 
 
Matt. 9:15  "And Jesus said unto them . . ."
 
Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
Let's see how many questions we can answer with this one text.  Read it slowly and carefully:
"And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD. “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate. “Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast, though these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be delivered. “Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness. “For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! " (Ezek 14:12-21).
 
I am currently reading a book wherein a noted scholar apologizes for God allowing bad things to happen in the world. The atheists accuse God of genocide and he sets about to prove it is not so. But, suffering does not happen because God allows it, it happens because God sends it. HE says so! (Besides, when one allows someone to steal, lie, et.al unopposed, he is responsible too.) But, again, note: "When I send."  A lot of babies and children died in the flood. When we defend God for what He clearly says He did or make excuses for Him as if He needed our approval, we are sitting in judgment and declaring Him guilty.
 
And, many seem to think that because they attend the right church doing right things, they are OK. A little history lesson reveals that these people in the passage above did the "right" worship (Jer 7:8-12), something we also claim with great pride. Yet God says that though Noah, Daniel and Job were in the church, it would not save you. Only righteous living every day saves.
 
Along with that one, some think that we are the salt that will preserve the USA. Nice one, but a friend looked up every occurrence of salt in the Bible and it is always used of flavor or the use is vague; salt is not used as preservative clearly anywhere (despite the commentaries concerning "Ye are the salt of the earth"). Besides, God said that even Noah, Daniel and Job would only save themselves, not even their own children.
 
"Everybody does it," or "I'm doing the best I can," and, "God's grace through my right worship will cover me," seem to be our belief that God will forgive our daily failures to learn and live righteously like those three men did in the wicked worlds they lived in. The passage is clear that this is not so. Thinking very hard about Jesus' sacrifice on Sunday will not make up for indifferent living all week either.
 
Maybe a serious study in the "things written aforetime" would stop a lot of our foolish reasoning and motivate some to live self-controlled, righteous, and godly lives. (Titus 2:12 -- ESV & NASB).
 
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. " (1John 2:3-6).

Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

          When Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 that he must be born again, Nicodemus is confused.  Jesus elaborates:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (vs. 5-8)  This rebirth is spiritual, not physical, and therefore not blatantly obvious like a physical birth is.  It is more like the wind.
          While I might say, "I see that the wind is blowing," we never actually see the wind.  The only way I can tell that it is blowing is by its effects.  I see that the trees are swaying, the detritus in the street is being swept along, and I feel air flowing across my scalp.  (Insert your own joke.)  Jesus says that those born of the Spirit are like the wind.
          How do we discern who is born of the Spirit?  Are certain people walking down the street with glowing halos above their heads?  No, rather those born of the Spirit are like the wind in that we only can tell because of what they do.  The way we talk, joke and react when angry should be different from the world.  Eph 4:29  "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up"  Eph 5:4  "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."  Eph 4:26  "Be angry and do not sin".  Our old friends should be able to tell that there is a difference, and they might not like it:  "They are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you" (1 Pet. 4:4).  Instead of selfish pursuits, love of others is now our defining characteristic:  "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
          We claim to be members of the Kingdom of Heaven, which means we must have been born again of water and the Spirit.  Can anyone tell? 
 
Rom. 12:2  "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
 
Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Joanne Beckley
 
The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
2Thes 3:5
 
This is a benediction which all of us would like to receive. In Christ, patience has its perfection. Jesus did not have a life sheltered from the evils of this world created by mankind. But he endured with sensitivity, seeking out the good in people. His patience with his disciples was demonstrated over and over and over. Among all he met along the way He never showed impatience, but gave freely of the richest and best of His own life to heal and comfort. The majority rejected His gifts of love, but He never wearied in his offerings, even from his out-stretched arms on the cross.
 
So how do we demonstrate Jesus’ patience in us? He has given us all that we need, both from His example, and from within His words in order to exhibit the same patience. But perhaps we need to stop and consider whether our actions demonstrate the patience of Christ.
 
In the home
Too often we throw away thought filled words and are apt to speak or act disagreeably. We assert ourselves and are willfully exacting in our expectations. We lose our patience and speak unadvisedly and unkindly. These impatient words hurt and sometimes hurt irreparably.  
 
Eph 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
1Pe 3:7 “You husbands likewise, live with [your wives] in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”
 
Wherever else we may fail in our patience, it should not be in our own homes. This is the place that should be the nearest we have to our heavenly home. But is it? We don’t have long to stay together and we should be patient and gentle for the time we may have.
 
In society
We need the patience of Christ with whomever we meet, in business or among all that we meet, including our neighbors. Not everyone is agreeable and reasonable to our efforts to be patient. They may be thinking of us as we do of them because we are not exhibiting Christ. If this is true, we may not be able to bring that person to Christ.

Ec 7:8 “The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.”
Ro 2:4 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not  knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
 
In the church
We need the patience of Christ the moment we step into the company of His disciples. We are to bind up broken hearts, help the weak, and encourage the inexperienced with patient love. It is not a time to be self-seeking, but with patience seek to offer what is needed. All of us who would put our hands in any way on other lives need a large measure of the patience of Christ. Be patient and seek a good time to speak loving words. But in our very interest in others, we are in danger continually of speaking inopportunely.

Col 3:12-15 “And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  And beyond all these things [put on] love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
 
The trials of life
We need patience all the more to face the trials of life. Remember all that Jesus endured during His trials. Consider all the wrongs that brought him pain and suffering and how they were faced. We must face the same in our own lives. This lesson is hard to learn. We will feel resentment, perhaps even to the point of verbal anger at what we feel is unfair or untrue. Jesus can help us to be silent and patient in the time of distress. He can turn our cry of pain into a song of submission and joy, for He is our source of peace. It is so important in every area of our lives to develop a willingness to persevere and be patient. Do not relax your vigilance. Often the need for patience will come as a surprise.

1Co 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind, [and] is not jealous; love does not brag [and] is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong [suffered,] 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

May the Lord direct your heart into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Joanne Beckley

Today's book review is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
Our old Baker's Bible Atlas from our 70's classes at Florida College was not only outdated but so worn as to be tossed rather than moved when we relocated last year.  So we looked for a more up-to-date replacement once we got settled in.
 
Though the 1998 copyright shows it is 20 years out of date, HBA has a wealth of material written by a believer and color maps created by superior technology. And, I doubt any of the mountains or rivers have moved since its publication! It shows the reasons geography determined some events in the Bible not only in words but with detailed maps and graphics.
 
It provides just enough secular and Bible History to adequately supplement the inspired record and maps. Should one desire more, he needs to find appropriate history books.
 
I read it and recall no theology being pushed other than a belief in the Bible record.
 
My complaints are that the pages are too glossy and sometimes reflect in a way requiring maneuvering to get the light right to be able to read. This may be necessary to have the quality necessary for the excellent maps. And to read the detail on the maps, I needed a magnifying glass.
 
The Holman Bible Atlas is published by the B & H Publishing Group.
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Doy Moyer.

There is “a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Eccl 3:4). This is an important realization for the child of God. Weeping and laughter both have their place. We often talk about dealing with heartache, pain, and recognize the place that weeping plays, but what about laughter? 

Is it a stretch to say that we need a sense of humor? Do we ever laugh at ourselves? Do we find circumstances in life sometimes to be humorous? Perhaps we’ll just laugh about that later. Humor often comes naturally. Children love to play and laugh. When he was three, my grandson would come to me, rub his belly, and say, “Big tickle?” He wanted to laugh, and I would usually oblige. As children grow, telling jokes becomes part of children’s conversations, however silly they may be. Humor and laughter are simply a part of who we are as humans. Perhaps even this aspect of our nature is a reflection of our God, for He built it into us. 

Some of us (myself included) seem pretty serious a good bit of the time.  I know that my sense of humor can be dry at times, and sometimes it’s fun to keep people guessing (don’t judge). On the other hand, there are the ridiculous moments. My poor kids grew up with many “groaners”—the puns, the ludicrous etymologies, the chicken voice songs… don’t ask. Seriously. Laughing with my children was always important to me. 

In the middle of all the difficulties and trials, laughter still has a place. “When a face is sad a heart may be happy” (Eccl 7:3). Sorrow is also good for the soul, but those who sorrow can sometimes find a happy heart. Families gathering at a funeral for a loved one will often laugh about humorous moments as they reminisce together. This does a heart good. Here the time to weep and the time to laugh aren’t far removed from each other and may be part of the same occasion. 

When the peculiarities and problems of life get us down, God has built into us a way to help relieve stress and pressure. We don’t want to laugh at inappropriate times, but we shouldn’t shun laughter altogether. Too much avoidance of laughter may have the effect of furthering a broken spirit. “A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken” (Prov 15:13). 

Laughter does not mean that the one who is able to laugh is making light of the difficulties and problems of this world. We understand that “even in laughter the heart may be in pain” (Prov 14:13), but that doesn’t negate the fact that laughter can be good medicine. “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Prov 17:22). A heart can be joyful when not laughing, but laughter can be a sign of a joyful heart. The point is that it’s good for us from time to time to let loose a good laugh. Once in a while, it does us good to have one of those all-out howling, fall on the floor, lose our breath kind of laughs. It may not be pretty, but … it’s funny. Sometimes we may even start laughing just because others are laughing. It doesn’t have to make sense. We may just need to laugh, and that’s okay. Go ahead. 

We do need to be careful with what we laugh about. There is a great deal of worldly humor out there that is not fit for the children of God. Good, clean humor can be difficult to come by, and this is lamentable. We must be discerning because the world won’t be. Yet humor doesn’t necessarily need to come from outside sources like tv shows and professional comedians. Normal life has enough humorous moments if we are willing to lighten up a little, not take ourselves so seriously all the time, and laugh at ourselves when we create our own awkward situations. We surely don’t want to laugh at the expense of another’s feelings; we should never laugh at someone, particular in mockery or in violation of treating others as we would want to be treated (Matt 7:12). If we show that we can laugh at ourselves, however, we are showing good character. Taking ourselves too seriously all the time can be a sign of pride and conceit, and we can easily become bitter, angry, disgruntled people in the process. 

Balance is key. Those who find everything funny can be difficult because they rarely wish to think about serious matters, but those who never find anything humorous may not be very encouraging. A good, clean sense of humor will go a long way in both helping ourselves through a hard world and in encouraging others. Sharing a good laugh with another will make for some priceless moments and wonderful memories. Don’t neglect the “time to laugh.” God has made us to enjoy laughter at appropriate times. 

Doy Moyer
Taken from
Doy's blog Searching Daily
 

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

On Sunday, March 17, 1996 Dad showed up to church sporting fresh bandages and with dried blood still caked in his hair.  He had been shot in the line of duty the night before.  While none of his wounds were serious, still HE HAD BEEN SHOT THE NIGHT BEFORE!!!  Several times people exclaimed that he should be at home in bed and asked, "What are you doing here?"  Dad's reply, "Where else would I want to be?"  After what had happened, being in God's house and worshipping with His children was the most desirable thing Dad could imagine.  While this is somewhat extreme, shouldn't our thoughts be the same each week?

1 Cor. 5:9-10  "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world."
 
          We are surrounded by sin on all sides all day, all week.  We've stopped flinching when we hear the Name of the Lord denigrated.  We find the vulgar commonplace.  We no longer cringe at the completely inappropriate clothing worn by most everyone.  We need refreshing, recentering, renewal.
 
Ps. 42:4-5  "These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation"
 
          The purpose of going to the House of God is to be built up.  Are we feeling cast down?  in turmoil?  Remembering that we can go to God's house again should be a remedy.  Is your faith hanging by a thread?  Are you nearly ready to give into the temptations that are battering you?  Don't stay away from church in shame that you don't measure up; those are the time we should be even more eager to go to the House of God.  "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together" (Heb 10:24-25)  We go to be encouraged.  To be strengthened.  To help others and to accept help. 
 
Isa. 30:29  "You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel."
 
          Going to the House of the Lord should be a cause of joy.  We are working towards spiritual Zion (Heb. 12) and that describes Heaven in Rev. 21.  The earthly extension of that Kingdom, that City, is the church.  Fellowshipping with, edifying and being ecouraged by our brethren while we worship our Father is as close as we can get to heaven on earth. 
          Where else would we want to be?
 
Ps. 122:1 "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'" 

Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

We were sitting on the patio I built from paving stone that had been mislaid along the driveway.  It was after the flower walk we have taken after lunch for years. That walk is shorter since our whole property  now is smaller than our garden was up north. But, we have a rose, a hibiscus, two gardenias, a desert rose that right now is all bloom, and two small beds with summer flowers. It was an unseasonably nice day with a light breeze and so we were enjoying the shade and talking of little importance. Whatever came up is (conveniently?) lost to memory, but I said, "It's probably a good thing you can't read my mind."  Now, 'fess up. Haven't you at some time said, or at least thought the same thing about your spouse (or teenagers)? But, immediately, I added, "But God can."
 
Have you never seen someone driving in another lane picking their nose or doing something else inappropriate? We seem to forget that our automobiles are not private space, anyone can look through the windows. We are exposed to the world but act like we are in private. So we are always to God.
 
So, does that give you that, "Oops, I've been caught" feeling? Remember when you were thinking, "That is the most boring sermon I've ever heard?" God remembers that too. When you were angrily muttering imprecations about other drivers while alone in the car? So does God. When you were passing the Lord's Supper and not making much effort not to look at what was exposed by the inappropriately low cut dress when the nice looking lady leaned to take the tray? So does God.
 
In fact, my personal list could go page after page, angry words at a spouse or brother, lustful fantasies no one ever admits exist, much less that they have, etc.
 
But there is another list: The times I go around singing hymns in my head (to not disturb the neighbors who are no longer 100 yards away) or do so in the night when the aches waken me, God knows. The times I have been dwelling on a wrong done me and wishing I could….but then said within, "My God is a merciful God and I will not think these things." Or, in another situation, "My God is holy and I will not do this thing. God knows these thoughts too.
 
So, the struggle is always there to have more thoughts from the second group than from the first, in other words to create a new heart within ourselves. Has it not occurred to you that all the passages about putting to death the old man and putting on the new man are written to Christians of long standing (Col 3-17, Gal 5:16-24, et al.)?  God will give us all the power that he used to raise Jesus and enthrone him for us to be able to accomplish this. But, we must "Present our bodies a living sacrifice" (Eph 1:19-23, Rom 12:1).
 
It's a journey, but am I taking more steps forward than back? Are you?
 
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." (Ezek 36:26).
"For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that WE SHOULD WALK in them." (Eph 2:10).
"So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION with fear and trembling; for IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. " (Phil 2:12-13).
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Joanne Beckley.
 
An African funeral is a challenge to attend. This morning we left the house at 4.30am and arrived at 6am in the Venda village. The large funeral tent was set up at the home of the deceased, but I immediately went into the bedroom to see the widow. The windows were all covered and I could barely see eight old women seated on the floor in the murky light. I looked around to find the widow. Suddenly a figure stepped off the bed mattress (now lying on the floor) and grabbed my hand for a tight hug. It was spooky how she suddenly appeared dressed from head to toe in black and a black hat covering her head and face. She wouldn’t let go, so we led the procession out of the house, over to the very large tent (marquee), and to her reserved seat.
 
The proceedings then got underway, with seemingly the entire village in attendance. Two hours later after some eight or ten speeches, including my husband’s short sermon, we all filed out and gained our cars or walked to the cemetery, about a kilometer away. When everyone had arrived, they opened the gate and the Hearse drove through while we all followed on foot to the grave site.
 
By now the sun was hot, but a good breeze kept it just bearable. After standing for the second sermon and many more songs, we watched as the coffin was lowered, wet cement mixed and poured into the cut grave and around the coffin, dirt poured in, cement added, and the granite headstone and base were placed on top. A large blanket was draped over the headstone. (The cement and blanket were to keep evil ancestors away from the new ancestor who would now aid the family, that is, any who are believers.) THEN everyone walked/drove back to the tent to eat a magnificent meal and offer condolences to the grieving family. This is always quite an expensive effort, but everyone belongs to a burial society and so can feed the village at that time. It is always a challenge to attend and offer sympathy and care during such a long drawn-out affair–and at the same time listen to a language not my own. But all the Christians, from near and far, were so glad to pay tribute to a fine soldier of the cross. From all the speeches we learned of his great love for his village and how he never lost an opportunity to teach the gospel to any who would listen. It was good to listen to the expressions of love his people had for him.
 
We also met members of his second wife’s family for the first time. When he learned of the gospel, he left his second wife and children but continued to support both families. Despite his efforts, the two families became estranged (from angered inlaws), and only in recent years was he able to unite both families to work together to solve their needs. It was interesting to hear the Master of Ceremonies warn that there would be no disturbances between the families during this funeral, emphasizing that they follow the example of their father who was a very humble man, loving all equally. He died praying that all of his nine children and grandchildren would thetshelesa! Their Venda word for listen is the word to obey and he so wanted them to lovingly obey God as he did.
 
Funerals are necessary for several reasons. The primary purpose of a funeral is to help us accept the reality of the death. It is a time to honor the dead and to tie a family and community together. For Christians, a funeral offers serious reflection and a chance to teach our neighbors the joy of serving our Lord, that they too could learn the same joy even during such a sad time. “It is better to attend a funeral than to attend a banquet, for everyone dies eventually, and the living will take this to heart.” Eccl 7:2
 
Every culture from ancient times until today has recognized a need to share in some way the departure of a loved one from this world to the next. The ways they express this varies according to the beliefs of who it is that will meet them “on the other side”. The Egyptians had an entire story to tell, with an amazing panoply of gods to call upon. The Israelites used sackcloth, ashes, shaved heads, and loud lamentations to demonstrate their grief. Job 21:32 mentions a funeral mound. Isaiah 30:33 describes a funeral pyre. Ancient peoples used (and many today still use) water, fire, and smoke to aid the understanding that the human spirit will not end at death.
 
God’s people understand and gain comfort that life does not end with the death and burial of faithful loved ones. Moses was reminded at the burning bush that the eternal God is the God of the living, Exodus 3. David continually fasted and prayed for his sick child, but when the child died, he arose and said, “Now he has died, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” 2Samuel 12
 
Jesus attended at least two funerals and taught concerning life after death, Luke 16. We have scriptures describing how we will join with our faithful loved ones. 1Corinthians 15, 1Thessalonians 4. Sadly, there is another lot for the wicked, Hebrews 10:26-27.
 
Death is a harsh reality, and facing the death of someone we know and love is never easy. But Jesus Christ came to conquer death, and He did by His resurrection from the dead. We don’t need to fear death if we are obedient to Christ.
 
Joanne Beckley