MLK Day

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me,

But it can keep me from lynching me,

And I think that’s pretty important.

Martin Luther King

            There are many quotes from the great Martin Luther King and when I researched them I picked the one above because I had not heard it before. It does not make a great philosophical statement, there is not a spiritual or social justice meaning; it is a simple truth. Living and having the right to pursue freedom always needs to be protected.

            Other quotes by MLK have deeper meaning, spiritually and are more often used. Below are the one that seems to be in the media:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.
"Strength To Love," Martin Luther King, Jr. 

One that I personally like is: 

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. 

And as Christians we need to demonstrate that we have the faith, we need to take the first step. 

Thought for the Day: This is the day the Lord has made and He made it for all humankind. We need to remember and promote equality, always. 

Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, today we do not pray for forgiveness of the past discrimination and separatist social acts of our forefathers. We need to accept them and move forward. Today we pray for the guidance and will to contribute to peace and acceptance through Jesus love.

Ethical Business Wins

  " This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
 And if we know that he hears us
—whatever we ask—
we know that we have what we asked of him.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin;
the one who was born of God keeps him safe,
and the evil one cannot harm him."
(1 John: 4-14;17,18NIV)

        In business and life, aggressive and opportunistic behavior is fairly common. Our economies are generally cash driven, sales is often "let the buyer beware". It our more modern economy it seems that service has become a lesser part of the equation.

        We are a society of checks and balances and our scale seems to be tipped on the negative or "evil" side. Keep the faith as we proceed, I believe that God plays a role here and we will tip the scale back to more Godly behaviors.

        Often in my younger days as a salesman, my youthful enthusiasm, lack of confidence and immediate financial needs generated behaviors that may have not been as professional as they would be today. Perhaps that is not the whole truth. I was trained to use all the tools of the opportunistic salesman. Win the negotiation. Guess what folks, they do not work over the long haul. In fact, over the 30 years of sales, my experience has proven, without a doubt, that open and honest sales and business men out perform the sharks and slippery every time. Good ethics and Godly behaviors generate good rewards. The term "win-win" should be in the bible but I couldn't find the right passage.

        In my mind, faith and values need to be practiced in business. Sales is service the customer; integrity is don't cook the books; buying is get a fair deal; everybody can win, but only when there is confidence and a Godly presence.

Thought for the Week: This week let us ask a simple question as we go about our week. where is God in all of this?

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, ruler of all, we seem to be in a downward spiral. There is fraud, scandal, anger and war in abundance. Evil seems to abound and there seems to be no end to it. Please help us focus and demonstrate that your ways are the correct ways. Help us maintain the confidence and maturity to overcome the evil around us.
Amen

New Year's Resolutionist

"Not that I have already obtained all this,
or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that
for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize
for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. “
(Phillipiens3:12-14)

        For the next few weeks the athletic clubs will be filled with "New Years resolutionists". Diet programs will come and go, self improvement books will be purchased or at least the dust will be blown from last year’s cover! Does that sound familiar? Yes, we all have had a few resolutions fall by the wayside.      

         I do not know if Paul wrote the above on New Year’s Eve but it is appropriate. Many of us have new goals today: weight, fitness, financial goals etc. Paul is asking us to look at our spiritual goals. "...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize.” Hold that thought as you proceed through the New Year.

Thought for Today: Let us look ahead rather than behind. Let us look ahead at the opportunities in our lives. This year let us practice Christian ethics and life style in all phases of our lives and by all means share our faith with others.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father as this New Year begins please hear our prayer for serenity:

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."

Hear this for all the world’s people so that your love and peace may dominate this New Year.
Amen

 

 

Happy New Year!

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,

but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

(1 Corinthians 9: 23-25)           

            Last year I asked that we look back and give thanks for a blessed year rather than look forward. So, that is also a great idea today. Certainly we were challenged and 2012 had ups and downs. However, we made it to New Year’s eve and need to focus on the blessings of the last twelve months. We need not forget the down spots because they are learning events and make the blessings seem greater. We are here and ready for what happens next; we are blessed.

            This year I ask that we also look forward to 2013. I love Paul’s running analogy above because life is not a sprint and we need to keep on going. The world did not end so we have yet another year to run for the ultimate prize promised to us by Jesus. In our race, all can win because our prize is Grace!

“The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Psalm 46v7

            Whatever the case, the Lord was with us in 2012 and will always be with us.  

Thought for Today: Today let us be thankful for last year and prayerful about our future. As we move forward let’s remember two of my favorite themes. Keep healthy in spirit, mind and body and when we are faced with tough choices, remember my favorite philosopher, NIKE, and “Just do it!”

Prayer for Today: Heavenly father, we are blessed and have made it through another year. We look forward to your support and guidance as we do your work in 2013. Amen

 

 

Let Go in 2013!

“But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”

(1 Corinthians 6 vs. 17) 

            I have watched hundreds of people take a step to believe a power greater than themselves would restore them to sanity; people that were so down and out that the concept of God was beyond them. That is how someone who is chemically dependent starts their journey to sanity. It is a process of spiritual growth.

            Several people that I worked with were not capable of grasping the concept, even when God was referred to as a higher power. Those were too afraid to let go of the control. Most of us try to control too much and do not like letting go.

            In a few nights we will experience New Year’s Eve and many of us are making resolutions and setting goals. Today I want you to think about something other than exercise and weight. Think about adopting the slogan “Let go and let God.” Make that your New Year’s resolution and you will have a great year! 

Thought for Today: Today let us think about what we can turn over to God so that we may have a less stressful New Year! 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we pray that we may trust in you and allow your control and spirit into our daily lives.

Amen

Joy to the World

“Joy to the World, the Lord has come" 

        There are a lot of one liners that can be taken from Christmas carols. The opening of "Joy to the World" says it all to me. It summarizes our Christian lives. Lives of joy through the forgiveness of our faith and our Christian peers. Let us all feel the joy of the season, the love for each other and keep our faith strong throughout the season.  

With blessings, have a great Christmas eve.

Blue Christmas

“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.”

(Psalm 57, verse 1) 

            Each Christmas season at our church, Spirit of Hope, we have a service for those who are dealing with sad and negative issues; people who may not be merry. Today we call it the Service of Light and Hope. When we started it thirty years ago we called it a Blue Christmas service because our pastor was an Elvis fan!

            This year the service will have a special meaning because of the violence here in Minnesota and in America. We will be emphasizing the sadness, anger and senselessness of Newtown and the many incidents here in Minnesota.  It will be an emotional and moving service.

            I have a fear that some individuals with personal problems will feel left out so I need to talk about them today. There will be a gay man who is not welcome at his family Christmas because of his preference, several people will be celebrating their first season after losing their spouse and dealing with the empty chair at the table, several have lost their jobs and homes due to financial issues, people with ill spouses who are fearful and the list goes on.

            Today I will make a request of all of my Good News buddies. It is to remember those around you who are sad and who need a lift from a friend. I ask that you pray for them, greet them or call them and express your love for them; let them know that God and you are with them this holiday season. 

Thought for Today: If you are having a merry Christmas, share your love with someone. If you are dealing with sadness instead of joy, please reach out so that we may share our love and be with you. To all of us let us remember that the Lord is with us.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we pray for the victims of senseless violence. We pray that somehow they can realize that through the darkness there will be light; that YOU are with them. We pray for peace through the Holy Spirit.