Two Heads Are Better Than One, By Linda Mayhan

 Two Heads Are Better Than One

By Linda Mayhan

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. Ecclesiastes 4:9

I have been fortunate and blessed to be the only secretary my boss has ever had!  Nearly 25 years ago, he claimed Ecclesiastes 4:9 as our verse because, as a team, we are better equipped to service our clients for their best benefit. This mantra has served us well.

In the same way, Jesus told us that God did not intend to leave us alone in the work of spreading the gospel.  In John 16, Jesus tells his disciples: "7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

On Pentecost Sunday, God sent His Holy Spirit to be our helper until Christ’s return. He is our Strengthener, Comforter, Advocate, and Intercessor.  The Holy Spirit guides us in the way we should go.  He is our encourager when life is hard. He is in prayer for us at all times, and He walks before us, behind us, and beside us in all the trials and triumphs that each day brings our way. 

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for knowing that we would need your Holy Spirit to navigate this world and all its demands, not in our strength but yours. Amen

 

Do You Know What You're Talking About?

By Dr. Jim Townsend, Ph.d

Today's Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:9-12

Today's Verses: 1 Peter 1:10-11-Concerning [the] salvation [/ just referred to] prophets searched ... with reference to what sort of time ... the Spirit of Messiah inside them prophesied.

A British cab driver recalled asking the famous philosopher Bertrand Russell, "Well, Lord Russell, what's it all about?" {or, as you might say}, "What's the meaning of life?" The cabbie said, do you know that he [Russell] couldn't tell me"?

The Bible does inform us about the meaning of life, but it isn't always as clear as we'd like. For example, 1 Peter 1:9-11offers a most unusual take on the Old Testament prophets. The passage informs us that many prophets didn't know precisely what they were talking about. That is, they made many forecasts but didn't always know how or when their prophecies would be fulfilled.

Like the Old Testament prophets, we are sometimes forced to muddle over some prophetic biblical statements. Interpreting them is like trying to decode Shakespeare or another classic. We can take heart from the words of the apostle Peter who said that some things the apostle Paul said were "hard to understand" {2 Pet. 3:16}.

When we run aground due to "hard to be understood" passages, we can always seek God's help in interpreting what we have just read. After all, we should expect the Book of all books to contain some things beyond our range.

Lord, help me understand that I won't comprehend everything about things that transcend me.

An Eclectic Collection of Clutter by Margaret McNeil

An Eclectic Collection of Clutter 

by Margaret McNeil

 Ecclesiastes 3:6 “There is a time to keep and a time to throw away.”

When Covid put the world into lockdown in 2020, I decided to use my newfound time at home to declutter and organize the house we’d lived in for almost two decades. No closet, drawer, cabinet, or bookcase was safe from me and my label maker. I didn’t go as far as Marie Kondo, the renowned organizing expert, and ask if the item sparks joy, but I did have my own criteria. If an item was chipped, cracked, stained, or unusable, out it went. Duplicates of books were donated to the library. Toys from Christopher’s younger days — except for a few favorites I kept for the day he has children — were donated to charity. Why do I have so many cupcake liners when I rarely make cupcakes? Why keep pictures I inherited from my parents when no one in the family knows who the people are? Do I really need 13 black shirts?
Like our home, our spiritual life also needs decluttering occasionally. An excellent way to do this is to spend daily time with God. Reading the Bible, praying, journaling, or whatever makes you feel closer to God, even if that means going fishing on the lake. Replace anxiety, evil thoughts, and bitterness with scripture reminding you that you are accepted, secure, and significant. Attending church connects us to God, strengthens us spiritually, and fosters a sense of community. I have to admit I struggle with this one. During the lockdown, watching services online at any time became too easy, but I’m trying to attend church more regularly.
As for my house, I have two more rooms to declutter. Before I can resume work on them, though, I need to buy more label maker tape.
Dear Lord, Help us know when we need to declutter our spiritual lives to strengthen our relationship with you. Amen.

God Works within Us, By Elaine D. Morrow

God Works Within Us

Ephesians 3:20-21 says, Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

One of the celebrated songs sung by Frank Sinatra in the latter part of his life was a song written for him by Paul Anka. The song is about one man's journey in life and how he lived it, with the refrain being, "I did it my way." In contrast to that song, which in some ways speaks to how Sinatra lived his life, the Apostle Paul tells the Christian in Ephesus and to all who read his letter to acknowledge what God can and will do for us, in us and with us when we live the life God's way through Jesus Christ.

We often lose focus and look only at what we want God to do for us, with and through us.

If He would change this situation or fix that problem, my life would be better. But He invites us to think and ask more, and wants to change us, not just our situations!

The Holy Spirit can transform our lives from the inside out but is usually slow. That's why we need patience and faith to believe that God is working within us even when we don't see the results right away.

The Lord has a purpose for your life, and even though He has an individualized plan for each of His children, His ultimate goal is to conform every believer to be just like His Son, Jesus Christ. For this to happen, we may have to go through some trials and tribulations, things that might not make any sense to us, but as He works through us, we can look back in retrospect and see how God strategically worked things out in our favor. Be encouraged. God knows what He's doing.

Elaine Morrow