THE CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS

"for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills". Psalm 50:10
"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness."
Psalm 29:2 

In Ethiopia, not all roads lead to Rome.  Some roads lead to Addis Ababa, some roads don't lead to anywhere...or so it seems.  We were nearing the end of our week in the Chencha area as well as completing the four kebele (village) visits we had planned. Solid roads gave way to 'soft' roads which gave way to pathways, which we took on foot.  I was tired and honestly, I did a little grumbling to myself but we had a great visit at Doco Eliza. The families and others present were very interested in our being there and appeared to listen hard to what was said about the family flock poultry projects. 
After the meeting, as we left on foot for our vehicle, I noticed a group of fly and dirt covered little ones perched atop the hillside waving as we walked by.  In the midst of the group was one of the most lovely young ladies.  Remarking to myself about her stand-out beauty, I was reminded of some of our recent discussions in our Koinonia Class back at Central Church, in the states.  We had discussed how we see things versus how God sees things.  I thought; God sees all those little ones as precious in his sight, as should we. 
Yes, I was convicted and with a contrite heart I turned back to the path to be trod and was rewarded by 'new sight' to see one of the "thousand hills." Psalm 50:10   Ahead, maybe a mile or so, was one of the most beautiful hillsides.  Small patches of terraced farm land encroached the foot of the mountain followed by some grassy pasture areas, then, a ring of small trees and brush protected the crown of the mountain.  Atop the mountain was a beautiful pasture with a mix of cattle, sheep and goats.  Yes, there it was; the illustration to go with the scripture..."the cattle on a thousand hills".  Thank you, God for giving me vision of eye and heart to see your spectacular creation...through your eyes. Psalm 29:2   Amen and amen.

HOPE ON A ROPE

From The Message: "So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things  we can’t see now will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
 So many times I've repeated the old adage; "When things seem so bad and you're at the end of your rope...just tie a knot in it and hang on."  Paul always encourages us to hang in there.  He knew God was faithful and ever present, just as some of us have learned.  We have friends in far away places who have so much going for them as a family and as workers in the kingdom of God.  Life has not only knocked them down but has kicked them in the gut.  If I know these folks...they are tying the knot, holding on for dear life and trusting God to pick them up and place them on solid ground.  That's what God's children know to do.  I anxiously wait for their story to unfold.  God is good and He is good all the time.  Life isn't, but with a good rope; some life teaching knot work and a strong faith in a loving Father...it's not just going to be alright...it's going to be 'amazing'.  I can't wait!

HOPE IS A GOLDEN CORD

"Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven." This was the opening line from today's "Jesus Calling", a daily devotional by Sarah Young. The scripture passages associated with this thought were: Romans 12:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; and Hebrew 6:18-19.  With this kind of start to a day...wow!  I had the beautiful pleasure and blessing to have lunch, Friday with a special friend who also is/has been wrestling with cancer.  He was somewhat reserved yet anxious to share with me how the cancer just "seemed to go away" in the past several weeks.  Tests are great...x-rays are clear and he can breathe deeply, literally.  We rejoiced as I shared how God had renewed my energy and stamina for the trip(s) to Africa (more to follow).  It was the beginning of an absolutely wonderful weekend on the lake and in the spirit.  What a blessing from God to have friends who share their lives and their blessings with us.  Thank you, Father.

LOVE BEGATS LOVE

     “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”   1 John 4: 10

     We have loved love-ones, family, friends, work, play and things.  Often, the most important things are not things, it is people.  Not just people, but people-relationships; relationships which require love.  The true source of love is God and we must get that love and its deep-seated emotional values from Him. Prior to the eternal experience of first hand love, forgiveness and acceptance from God, we cannot share these ‘feeling’s with others. 

     Being aware of His presence in our lives, a whole new world of love abounds. We have never loved this way before because we have never before been loved this way.  Now that we know the love of God we are able to share His love and forgiveness with our loved ones and friends. 

     If God had not first loved us, we would not know how to love. 

    “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”      ROMANS 5:8

DREAM STEALERS

     Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. GALATIANS 6:9

     We have dreamed of a garden producing an abundance of flowers, beautiful foliage and veggies for sharing.  However, there are days when we want to sit down and let it all go.   There is too much weeding.  Seeds didn’t germinate.  Transplants are not looking so good.  On and on come the thieves that will steal our dreams. 

     Life, too, has dream stealers. Dream stealers thrive in our homes; exist in our extended family and congregate as friends at work.  Our passions for life are neither celebrated by loved ones nor comprehended by friends.  

     Our spouse or child observes our lives as a testimony of our faith and yet they do not “get it”.  Remember that it takes time to grow a garden and it may take time to allow those closest to “see the light”. We plant seeds with expectations of instant gratification. God plants souls in the soil of eternity knowing full well the lasting rewards.   

 

Neither do people light a lamp and put in under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.   MATTHEW 5:15

GOD AND LAWN CARE

Don't know where this originated nor who to give credit...a friend forwarded it and I can't just sit on it!!!

God: "Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles."
ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD:  The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS:  Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.
GOD:  They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS:  Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD:  They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS:  No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD:  Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD:  These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS:  You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD:  What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS:  After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD:  And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS:  They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD:  Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

 

SOUNDS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE, CITY AND GOD

     “When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”                          

1 Corinthians 13:10-12

 

     When I was a very young kid my first experiences of the country occurred while being ‘farmed out’ for the summers to my Uncle Leon, in Nutbush, Tennessee. There were cows and pigs, horses and hens, buzzards and crows. Times were quieter then and sounds could be heard well past the next farm or two but the best sound of all was that of the great dinner bell.

     A few years later, after Papa retired from the railroad, we moved up to our farm, Highway 19 east of Ripley.  There, trains could be heard across Lauderdale County as they worked their way from Chicago, along the Mighty Mississippi and through the great Delta to New Orleans.  One of the greatest sounds from that era was the day World War II was over and the sounds from town, three and a half miles away, included the shrill shriek of the whistle from the tomato canning factory, the fire department’s several serious sirens, a cacophony of car horns from the highway and I promise you, I think we may have heard people shouting.

     Many years later, in Collierville, I lay face down in the aging green shag carpet of the office of my counselor, pastor and friend. For weeks we had been praying for God to dig deep into the depths of my soul, to forgive my sins and finish a work in me He had began many years before.  I had moved from the seated position to the kneeling position and lastly, prone on the carpet when I heard it, the sound of the train approaching the crossing. The engineer alerted everyone within hearing that the train was coming and essentially ‘there’.  Being from a railroad family I understood the message from the train, “I am here.”  God was nearby.  He had heard my prayers and I had heard his voice through the train whistle. I stood to my feet a changed person. Prayer really changes things. Prayer makes a difference.  God changes lives.

     Years later, Matt Surber, senior pastor-designate, was wrapping up his sermon on his introductory test run at Central Church and I had been praying along with him that God would ‘show up’ and bless his efforts.  Then, I heard it again, as if on cue....the sound of the train, “I am here”.  Prayer changes things. God changes lives.

     He, God, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, is right here in the middle of our church, our lives and the ‘big C church’ out there.  He is calling the lost unto himself...bringing salvation to the yet untamed and unchurched masses and tending His flock.  To hear and to heed the voice of our Lord is a great daily prayer. It is also a thought that should penetrate, permeate and occupy our hearts, our minds, our thoughts and our souls, constantly through the day and into the night.

     May the sounds of “The Engineer” and the long train of His eternal salvation move in and along the tracks of your life and those of your loved ones...soon and often.

 

     “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.”  Romans 12: 11-13