Be The Fourth

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for others ... Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" 1 John 3:16,18

Someone has said that the reason for the crucifixion of the Son of God is that three out of every four people will hurt you if given an opportunity. Only one in four is genuinely kind and willing to help. So then, we have the privilege of being the fourth persons in each set, to act without fear of the closeness of loving compassion exemplified by Christ.
To move in close to one another calls for us to let down our shields that we pull up tight to cover our hearts like the Roman guards that confined Jesus. These shields may be memories of past hurts or anticipation that someone is going to wrong you. Raising your shield up may join you with the three in the set. Be the fourth. Lay them down.
The people who sentenced Jesus to die presumed Him guilty without proven innocence. They sought to hurt Him but missed Him by a mile. He was genuinely kind and was willing to help us know God's heart by laying down His life so that you know what love is, it is Jesus Christ.

Got Your Back

The Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard. Isaiah 52:12

As Jesus was deep in prayer in Gethsemane He was counting on the disciples to 'watch and pray.' They were to guard His back but they fell asleep. Even though not one of the disciples was watching out for His safety He was watched over by God- God had His back.
As you draw near to God in prayer Jesus has your back. He understands. Go forward with God's goodness in confidence. You can depend on Him.

Humor (sent in by AlphaChurch.org member)

J. Paul Getty - "The meek shall inherit the Earth, but not its mineral rights."

In Case of Accident or Anxiety

Jesus said: As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. John 15:9

Paul Harvey told a story about a man named Carl who was driving to work one morning when he bumped fenders with another motorist. Both cars stopped, and the woman driving the other car got out to survey the damage. She was distraught. It was her fault, she admitted, and hers was a new car less than two days old from the showroom floor.

She was dreading facing her husband. Carl was sympathetic but felt he had to pursue the exchange of license and registration data. She reached into her glove compartment to retrieve the documents which were in an envelope. On the first paper, written in her husband's distinctive handwriting were these words: In case of accident remember, honey, it's you I love, not the car.

In the midst of anxiety we too can forget about love. You do your best to get the task before you accomplished as well as possible and you work hard while knowing that you're going to be so glad when it is complete. When something goes wrong along the way it can feel like everything is wrecked, yet only a portion of the whole needs your focused attention to mend it and make it right again. It is at a time like this that there in the glove compartment of John's gospel, chapter 15, waiting for you are words spoken from the heart of Jesus: kid, it's you I love, always.

Advent on the Horizon

On Sunday, December 2nd, the first Sunday in Advent will meet up with us. String the lights on your house and turn them on, put up the Christmas tree, set the nativity scene in a prominent place, and invite friends over for Advent cheer. The 'cheer' of Advent is in the anticipation of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

The word 'Advent' is taken from the Latin word avenio which means the coming of Christ our Savior.

Sunday is the day to begin reading one chapter a day of the Gospel of Luke-- it has 24 chapters and I think that you'll find Luke the Physician's stories of Jesus nothing short of remarkable and awesome!

my picture

Our First Job Today

C.S. Lewis, in his book Joy in His Presence, writes: "The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that Other voice, taking that Other point of view, letting that Other larger, stronger, quieter Life come flowing in. And so on, all day."

Our first job in the morning, throughout the day and into the night is letting quieter Life flow into our thoughts. Christ is quiet Life. This sensitivity to Him, my friend, will allow a different view, His holy view, into all that approaches or confronts you.

Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will act. Psalm 37:5