The Cookie Ministry 2/22/2018

"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;  he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." Romans 12:4-8

I would hazard to guess that in most congregations, there is at least on sister who is known for her cooking in general and her baking specifically.  Growing up, I remember seeing these ladies always bringing baked goods to potlucks, home visits, and yes, a set aside for the preacher.  Lo and behold, once I became the minister of a congregation, one of these angels popped up and always seems to show up at just the right time with baked goods.  In my case, her name is Melanie and my favorite of hers is carrot cake cup cakes.

So that this does not appear as self serving as it might, let me also share with you that she blesses others as well.  We have some great cooks in the congregation but everyone looks for whatever Melanie has prepared.  Further, it is not unusual for her to bake dozens of cookies, wrap them with love in cellophane and hand them out just before service or class at random.  So many of us look forward to these times.  More, Melanie and her husband, Reiders, spend a significant amount of their time visiting those who are confined to their homes, hospital beds or convalescent facilities.  They notify the leadership and other members of statuses and updates and encourage us all to be an encouragement to others.  I can assure you that they are an encouragement and a comfort to all whom they visit.

Beloved, these thought lead me to sharing with you that we all have at least two things as it relates to our Christianity.  Each of us has been blessed with a gift from the Holy Spirit and each of us has been given a responsibility to use it in service to and support of the body (of believers).  Galatians 6:10 famously says, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."  It is up to each of us to discover our gift and to put it to work.  If you are not sure of what your gift is, first pray and ask God and then take an inventory of your life.  Are there things at which you seem to excel?  Are there things that you find yourself doing frequently and doing well?  Are you known for having certain abilities?  It is likely your gift can be found this way.  Now ask yourself if you are using it for the Lord.

We recently had to share with our congregation that one of our daughters has been diagnosed with Leukemia (for which we solicit your prayers).  I am grateful to God that so many responded with their well wishes, prayers and offers to assist in any way they could.  Among them was Melanie, who quietly and lovingly showed up at our home with two dozen of some of the best tasting, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies this preacher has ever had.  Considering both her gift and her readiness to use it, I thought to myself, "That is quite a cookie ministry she has there."

Building God's family,

Lee

Multiplying vs. Storing-7/2/12

"And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours." Matt 25:25

Most of us are familiar with the famous parable of the talents. In it, Jesus relates a story of a master who left his servants with varying sums of money with the implication that when he returned, he expected to see an increase. As the story goes, two of them doubled their respective shares, returned it all to their master and were praised and rewarded. The other decided to store his out of fear of losing it and returned it to his master upon his return.

Beloved, the Lord has blessed each and every one of us wondrously. He has given multiple gifts and talents to every person alive, and even more so to the Christian through the Holy Spirit. These gifts were not given that they may stored but that they may be used for the glory of God and the building up of His kingdom. The servant who hid his blessing stated that he knew his master was a man who expected a return where he had not invested, yet he failed to produce a return for his master from his own activities. Jesus does not physically come and share the gospel with each person on earth. Instead he has equipped us to do it. When he returns, he expects us to say, "you have entrusted me with 5 bags of gold; see I have gained 5 more!"

It is not enough to take care of our own houses, we must contribute to the care of His (the world of lost souls). It is not enough to be saved ourselves, but we must contribute to the salvation of others. It is not enough to sit on our blessings, we must share them with others who do not have that we might win them to Him from whom all blessings flow.

Are you multiplying or storing?

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

The Gift of Time-11/28/2011

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Pet 3:9

Contextually, Peter is addressing the taunts of those who question, at worst, the existence of God and at best, the prophesied return of the Lord. He reminds his audience that God is not on man’s timetable. Before we ever existed, He created all that there is and that there was never a time that He did not exist. Citing that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day,” he establishes that God is above and beyond time. This said, Peter further relates that God is doing us a tremendous favor by delaying the end of the age.

Beloved, there are some that are anxious for the return of the Lord. Looking as we do at the prevailing condition of this world and the people who occupy it, some are hungry for righteousness and justice to prevail and things to be set right by He who is the Master of the Universe. Others are not so anxious for the day to come due to the root cause of a lack of readiness. Regardless of one’s position, all should rejoice in the wisdom and love of the Lord. For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, know that the delay is due to God’s fervent desire that none are lost. What could be more righteous? For those who are “not ready” you are the object of His longsuffering. His coming, however, is as certain as the fact that the past has already occurred. In that when the time comes it will take place in an instant and that we do not know when that time will come, we only have this moment to be ready. The next moment is not promised. We therefore must not delay as He has done on our behalf. Surely whatever motives anyone has for doing so are nonsensical. The time He is giving is a gift and that gift has an unknown expiration date. Better use it. Now.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

Appreciating the Gift-9/21/2011

"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another." 1 Thess 5:12-13

God has given us great earthly gifts to help us and guide us on our journey toward heaven. "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints..." Eph 4:11-12. He has placed these men among us and before us to lead us in our spiritual walk. They are worthy of our respect and appreciation, if not for their own sake then for the fact that they are chosen of the Lord.

Beloved, in every aspect of our lives, there are authority figures. We have them on our jobs, in our schools, in our government, in our neighborhood associations and even in our families. In every case, we respond to leadership through abiding by laws, statues, ordinances or directions for the greater good of society and ourselves. Much more should we then respond to those whom God has sent to guide us in areas that supercede the temporal. Whether you refer to them as elders, bishops, presbyters, shepherds, overseers or pastors, their responsibility is to first be men of God. In so doing, they are to be examples of Christian virtues. They are to teach us in order that we may better know God and His will for our lives. They are to minister to those who are in need through whatever means God has gifted them individually. They are to protect the flock from all threats, particularly those that are spiritual. They are to serve God through serving the church.

It is a tragedy that some find it as easy to disrespect and disregard these men as they do the far more distant and much less personally impactful President of the United States(whoever that may be at any given point in our lives). Because it is perceived by some that our elders are not tied directly to our ability to sustain ourselves and our families, some find it easy to discount and, by extension, disrespect them.

Consider these two situations. In Numbers 12:1-16, we are shown the consequences of Aaron and Miriam in particular, speaking against God's annointed, Moses. It did not go well for Miriam, but it was Moses who prayed for her restoration. Secondly, it is well known that Saul constantly sought the life of innocent David. In 1 Sam 24:1-10, David has the opportunity to take Saul's life but said, "I will not put forth my hand against my lord for he is the Lord's anoninted."

Let us be sure to thank God for his amazing gift of earthly leadership. Let us thank Him for equipping us through those whom He has placed among us. Let us honor God by honoring our elders. They are indeed worthy.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

God's Gift to Men II: Loving Our Wives-9/9/2011

"She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." Prov 31:27-31

It is elsewhere asked, "A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies." There are many things that a man values. We value our homes, cars, boats and other toys. These are all material things. If we are indeed truly blessed, we have been given something that exceeds fleeting objects. After life, God's first gift to man was a "helper suitable for him." Made from his own rib, the Lord prepared her and brought her to him, not as a possession but as a completion of his own self.

Beloved we so often take for granted this glorious gift. It is amazing that we spend so much time, effort and money attempting to woo the one who has captured our attention and stolen our hearts, but just as often relegate her to a status unbecoming of the part of us she truly is. Too often we think of her as someone meant to provide for our needs and to leave us alone when ESPN is on. That is not God's design. The Spirit reveals that we are to love our wives as we do our own bodies and that those of us who love them are truly loving ourselves.

Let us remember that without them, there would be no us, no sons, and no daughters. In our wives we have built in counselors, collaborators, advisers, co-creators, consciences, motivators, inspire-ers, co-producers, beauty outside of ourselves and best friends. Boats and cars are just recreation and conveyances. Homes are just houses without her. Toys can never take her place because they cannot aspire to what she is inherently made to be.

Guys, I'm sure we love and appreciate our wives, but every now and then, we need to be reminded of who she is, how important she is, how valuable she is and the gift of God that she is. Let us never lose sight of the qualities and value that caused us to make everything in life a distant second when we first met them. Put down the toys, turn off ESPN and let her know that without her, there is no you.

**Happy Birthday Michelle. I love you!**

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

Supporting the Cause-8/4/011

Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means. Luke 8:1-3

Many times when we think of Christ's ministry, we picture him and perhaps some or all of his 12 apostles going from place to place preaching, teaching, healing and feeding. What we do not often visualize is the contingent that actually accompanied him. It must have been like a modern day concert. Jesus was the main attraction and his words were the hit songs of the day. The crowds he attracted were both supporters and detractors. But there was also quite the supporting cast that facilitated the "performance" by arranging logistics, participating in food service (feeding the 4000 and 5000), marketing (72 sent out to preach), security (they even tried to keep the kids away) and various other functions.

Beloved, one thing that cannot be neglected is this was a non-profit enterprise. No one paid to hear Jesus. In fact, most, if not all left with more than that with which they came. It does not defy reason to understand that the whole operation had to be financed. Scripture reveals that among the entourage that accompanied him were financiers. It is interesting that the women are credited in particular with this role. More importantly however, is the fact that those who supported the cause where those who had benefitted greatly from it.

It stands to reason then, that we should contribute to that which we believe in and from which we have benefitted. Today many are participating in spiritual shoplifting, that is to say, taking away without contributing. It is not to be understood that Christians should pay for blessings because they are indeed the free gift of God, however, because we have been gifted, we should support the efforts to extend those blessings to others, particularly if we have been made able by the Lord. The administration of funds, the personalities involved in leadership and even the minute specifics of how contributions are used should not be the primary concern of the contributor (though we all have a responsibility to ensure God's funds are used responsibly), but instead, the giving to God out of love, faith and appreciation should be the focus.

Jesus' instructions to his apostles and by extension to us today are, “And as you go, preach, saying, ' The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matt 10:7-8

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

God's Gift to Men-DD 5/20/2011

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her," Eph 5:25

Men, we have a great responsibility to God first and immediately thereafter, to our wives. We know that from the earliest man, there was woman given to be his wife. Not only was she formed by the Creator from the man's own body but she was presented to him by God himself, Gen 2:22. Why did God do this? The scripture reveals that He determined it was not good for man to be alone and that he needed help(2:18). What could anyone take from this except that God is wise, loving, compassionate and giving?

As with every corruption of God's design, marriage has devolved to, many times, a situation of temporary convenience. It has become as disposable as a used paper towel. We enter into the institution lightly and unadvisedly and we are quick to leave it at the earliest sign of difficulty. In so doing, we damage and sometimes outright destroy our families, we start or continue a pattern for our children's view on committment and contribute to the degredation of society. God never intended it to be this way. He intened us to be together for life.

Beloved brethren, wives are an amazing gift given to us by God Himself. With and through her, we have partnership, the ability to accomplish great things, wise counsel, the ability to be obedient to God, completeness and legacy. For this great gift, we must love, respect and give thanks to the Father. We can best accomplish this by honoring and cherishing our wives. We must be willing to prioritize her needs, support her at every turn, care for her as we care for ourselves and be willing to forgo some of our own desires for her sake.

Let us remember that Christ's relationship with the church, even with us as individuals, is the model for our marriages. We were brought together by Him. By placing God first, we can stay together through Him. We as men must immitate Christ's giving to and sacrifice for the church in our relationships with our wives. Remember, she is a gift.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

Deserving Nothing and Receiving Everything-DD 4/26/2011

"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:5-7

God has always had a plan for you and I and it has little to do with anything we have done to "deserve" it. He loved us enough to create us. He loved us enough to provide all things pertaining to life. He loved us enough to continue caring for us even when we sinned against him. He loved us enough to send His son to pay a debt on our behalf that he did not owe.

There is nothing that we could do or have done to deserve this type of love. It is the very nature of God to love us and He does so passionately, even as we love and provide for our children despite their occasional indiscretions and mistakes. Even at their worst, we love them most.

Beloved, God has provided everything that is needed for us to spend an eternity with Him. He provided the blood of His son to cleans us. He willingly takes up residence inside of all who ask Him in the form of the great gift of the Holy Spirit. In so doing, He makes us part of His family. What could any of us do, provide or even claim that would be deserving of such love?

Nothing.

Nevertheless let us make every effort to live lives worthy of such a gift.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

The Gifts of God-DD 1/12/2011

"Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you," 1 Tim 4:14

In his great benevolence and loving kindness, God, through the Holy Spirit, supplies each of us with an amazing gift. During the first century, many gifts were given that were supernatural in nature.

• "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills." 1 Cor 12:7-11

During these times, the people relied on signs and miracles to prove the existence of God. Even John wrote of the many miraculous exploits of Jesus, "that we might believe." Today, however, we walk by faith and not by sight.

The good news beloved is that God still gives gifts liberally.

• "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." Rom 12:4-8

First century or today, the tie that binds is that the gifts of God are created to be used for the benefit of each other and the glory of Him who made us. Each and every one of us has a gift. Let us identify it, develop and use it for what it was intended.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee