OUR LIFE STARTED AND WILL END WITH DIVIDENDS

FIVE DOLLARS

PAID DIVIDENDS

My wife, Delois, and I, last August celebrated 49 years of marriage and they have been pleasant and sweet years as we have served the Lord together as a real team.

On our most recent celebration, I was a patient at a St. Louis hospital during our anniversary and a therapist bought roses for my wife on that day since I was without my billfold or credit card for security reasons. He was a dear friend and celebrated the day with us.

As all of my readers know we have traveled to many areas of the world and ministered together. She has always been a close partner and companion.

I have especially grown to appreciate her these last 17 months of hospitalization and being homebound. She has been just as incarcerated as me caring for my every day needs and being the nurse for my wounds.

She and I had both been engaged before we even knew each other, but both engagements had been broken and nearly a year had lapsed before we met.

Our meeting occurred in February of 1958 and we were married in August. A brief period according to standards set 49 years ago.

Our introduction came from a state policeman who was from her church, but who attended mine on Wednesday nights.

He once asked, “Why have you never married?” I said, “I am waiting for God to pick one out for me.”

He became our cupid.

His invitation to visit him and his wife in his town was the beginning of our date life. We were taken by him to an A & W Root beer drive inn and he then dismissed himself. We looked at each other then I said, “Do you think this was a setup?” I’m sure glad it was.

That began a regular weekly drive for me to date her about 45 miles each way. I knew she was the one within three weeks and would have married her then, but the church I pastored would have looked with disfavor.

It was during our dating period that I found a five dollar bill the next morning after a date with Delois. I had a flat on my car two mornings before the day of the date and then the day of the date again.

I had been broke for a few days and couldn't understand the sudden testing on my already exhausted funds. In those days, I made all of $15 dollars a week at a young thriving church.

The next morning after the date I returned to the car and for a fourth time in a row I had a flat on the same tire. I grasp the steering wheel with tears about to flow when I spotted the money on the dash. Where did that come from I wondered?

I returned into the house where I lived in the attic apartment of a church deacon's home. I felt they had left the bill there, but they smiled at me and said they hadn't.

I didn't believe these precious people since they had been so good to me many times before and was convinced they had left it there all these 49 years until recently when my wife and I were recalling our dating days.

As I mentioned how good that couple had been to me and recalled that peculiar gift; she interrupted and said, "I don't want to take anything away from your belief in them, but I left the $5.00. I wanted you to come back at the end of the week and knew you couldn't without a miracle, so I thought I would help God out!"

Then she said, "I believe I made a good investment!

This August we will have invested 50 years in each one’s life. That is another miracle!

Of all our trips, the life together has been our best trip.

Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; “

Mont-St-Michel

The beauty of the Mont-St-Michel

After a week in Spain my wife and I headed to Lit-a-Mix, France where I was to speak to a concave for missionary families that would arrive at this coastal city for a week. It was such a beautiful place and the families from Spain and France added to the wonderful time there.

After that event we rode with a couple farther into France visiting and speaking in a number of churches until arriving for a few days in Rennes for some relaxation. We had hoped to visit one of the military cemeteries in Normandy and photograph the marker of a soldier who was killed during the infamous invasion in World War II and taking the picture back to a mother who had always wondered about his burial place. The cemetery was well organized listing every person by section and row so our visit was brief but long enough to be stunned by the beauty of its layout.

As we headed toward Brittany's emerald coast we saw countless homes with thatched roofs many of which included the refuge for the animals along with the living quarters for the family in the same building. Then into the small towns where the old dress of the family traditions were still worn. Everywhere we went it was an event that we have not forgotten.

The walled city of St. Malo was a great place for a delicious lunch of Choucrute (Kratt and wieners with a layer of pork). The historic town, famous for its privateer past, ramparts and unique architecture was a delight. A walk around Saint-Malo's ramparts and ancient shops was a unforgettable experience.

However, we were yet to see the unique setting, beauty and architecture of the Mont Saint Michel. It is truly the "wonder of the western world" and is the second most visited place in all of France after the Eiffel Tower.

A Benedictine Abbey, it is unquestionably the finest example both of French medieval architecture and of a fortified abbey. The buildings of the monastery are piled round a conical mass of rock which rises abruptly out of the waters of the Atlantic to the height of 300 feet, on the summit of which stands the great church. This rock is nearly a mile from the shore, but in 1880 a causeway was built across the dangerous quicksand that occupies this space and is exposed at low water, so that there is now no danger in approaching the abbey. The monastery was founded about the year 708 by St. Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, and according to the legend, by direct command of the Archangel Michael himself, who appeared to the bishop in a dream on three separate occasions.

On the entrance heading up to the abbey are countless shops and cafes for the wondering pilgrim. Like many, before and after, we stopped in one of the cafes for another meal. Our friends from Rennes (pronounced Ren) remembered what they had at this very place on a previous visit. Snails were their selection. For most of an hour I viewed them as they with a small hooked wire pulled the meat from inside the shell that housed the slippery morsel. Finally, I decided I would taste the item. Well, it was not as bad as my imagination but something I have learned to do without.

After the meal and relaxation was over, we headed to the top to view the unusual place with all its features. It was worth the climb. After a longer that expected trip we returned back to the area when we had left the ladies. My wife's keepsake from this visit in a very small piano made of porcelain to remember this place in France.

In 1872 the French Government took over the abbey as a national monument and under took, none too soon, the task of restoration. The work has gone on almost continually ever since, and the restorers must be praised for the skill with which the great pile has been saved from ruin, and the good taste with which the whole has been done.

An Italian architect, William de Volpiano, was chosen as building contractor for the mount in the 11th century. He designed the Roman church of the abbey, daringly placing the transept crossing at the top of the mount. Many underground crypts and chapels had to be built to compensate for this weight. These formed the basis for the supportive upward structure that can be seen today. Today Mont Saint Michel is seen as a gothic-style church.

It remains one of the most beautiful places I have ever visitied. However, I am reminded more often for its reason for being. I cannot vouch that the angel St. Michael visited there but I do know the Bible gives to St. Michael four offices: 1.To fight against Satan. 2. To rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death. 3. To be the champion of God's people, the Jews in the Old Law, the Christians in the New Testament; therefore he was the patron of the Church. 4. To call away from earth and bring men's souls to judgment.

Your visit from Him will surely be someday.

Jude 1:9, Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, do not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

WHEN IT COMES TO THEN

(Photo by Jim Jeter)
Yosemite Falls - Third highest in World.

Every Beginning has a ‘Then’

We have just completed the year of 2007 which brought an end to what started just 365 days ago. All of us can look back and see good and bad but all of us would agree how it flew by.

Now 2008 is here and it will be just as short so make all the days count for right.

It has been 23 years ago that the event I will share with you today happened, but it seems like yesterday to me.

I’ve never been one who allowed closeness with many. One such person was nearly 15 years younger than me. This may have been true of him toward me also since I was one of a few with whom he shared a closeness.

We had opportunity to spend many times together in Bible conferences, revivals, leadership meetings, and other denominational gatherings. He and I had another thing in common in that we began to preach at an early age. He at 12 and I at 17. However, his tenure ended at his death three months after his 35th birthday and I am still going at 70.

I remember while we were both speaking at the California Christian College in Fresno , we visited the Yosemite National Park . My friend was so overwhelmed by the beauty that he continued all that day repeating. “I just can’t believe it…just can’t believe it!!!”

Then May 22, 1985 changed everything. At just over are 35 he departed to bask in the sunlight of Heaven. To walk on golden streets. To gaze upon the ineffable glories that surrounds him—Forever!

In my imagination I see him lost in the wonder and admiration of the heavenly glories, surveying the unutterable wonders of his saviour.

On earth he often was insecure, but always was secure in preaching about the Old and New Testament saints. Today he pleasures with them as the new boy down the street.

Someone once told me a friend is a person to whom you do not have to explain anything. He was one for me. Few have ever met with such a lost -- for few ever had such a friend to lose. I did!

On the morning of his funeral God gave me this tribute to such a friend:

It is not for us to ask "WHY?" but rather "WHEN?"
Since each of us will depart so prepare for "THEN."

The Question is "WHERE" is our spirit going
With full assurance in Christ - Knowing.

For Life exists in the Father's Son
And only in Him is earth's victory won.

Our beloved Lord who still lives today,
Preached of the end with the power to sway.

He never promoted the "WHY" But preached about "WHEN"
So all of His followers would go "THERE" when it came to "THEN."
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And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27

I WISH CHRISTMAS COULD LAST ALL YEAR

Merry CHRISTmas and a blessed 2008th


"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful," remarked the famed Dutch Reform preacher Norman Vincent Peale.

But for only for a few weeks the spirit of Christmas lasts--that special feeling of love and brotherhood that affects the world at Christmastime. For one glorious month, feuds are forgotten, grudges go on the back burner, and everyone adopts a spirit of friendship and cooperation.

Then it's gone. When the whistle sounds on the last New Year's Day bowl game, life gets "back to normal." Workplace worries bring stress, tension, and the disunity that so often infects everything. However, Alexander Smith reminds us that, ”Christmas is the day that holds all time together."

Mary Ellen Chase said, "Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind."
This year, let's resolve that Christmas is not just a season, but a state of mind. Let's permit the love that was in Christ Jesus, be in each one of us. Let's sacrifice for others, be tolerant of their mistakes, and keep their best interests at heart. Christmas doesn't have to be a once-a-year event. It can be a lifelong passion, a lifestyle of love that says to others "You matter to me."

Many have a single object--to make it to the top! Money, resources, and even people, become tools to be used in the pursuit of success. Climbing the ladder, punching tickets--whatever it's called, the goal of the game is always the same: to be king of the hill.

Jesus took a different route.

He didn't climb up; he stepped down. He wasn't after the chair at the head of the table; he took the lowest place. By being born as a helpless baby and placed in a manger, Jesus Christ demonstrated the most potent lesson of all time: the way up is the way down. If we are to help others best when we should first be willing to serve.

1. Nowhere is Strength found better that in what many call a Weakness.
Herod's soldiers were sent to kill the helpless Christ-child, but they failed. God's plan may have seemed foolish, sending the Savior of the world in the form of a helpless child. But here as always, his strength was made perfect in weakness. The child rose to be king. I am constantly reminded by Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind, who said, "The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart."

2. Good servants will Know Their People.
Jesus left the splendor of heaven to live within the confines of a human body. By doing so, he did something that had never been done--not even thought of--before. He brought God and man together.

Human beings can't be helped by remote control. Servants must be among them, talk to them, and learn from them. Building friends is necessary to gain their confidence in you. If Jesus saw the need to step down from heaven, certainly we must be willing to step out from that which governs us, and spend some time among those whom we have the privilege of sharing His grace.

3. The only thing at the top is nothing.
Seeking to help others know the real action is never at the top, but at the bottom. Politicians know that public opinion counts more than any summit. Business leaders know that buying habits, not boardroom decisions, are what make their bottom line. Remember the words of Benjamin Franklin, "How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments."

"Give to others, and you'll receive something really special this Christmas—love," says, my friend, Stan Toler. He further states, "We celebrate Christmas best when we give to those who need the most."

People should be the goal of your servanthood. If you want to be a great servant, you must love people more than you love power, prestige, or perks. If you finally do "get to the top," you'll probably find that it's a lonely place without the love and respect of others. "Christmas began in the heart of God. It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man." --Anonymous

4. People who do something in life learn to move out and forward.
Jesus didn't stay in the manger. Because he was willing to humble himself, he was given the position of highest authority. There's a U-turn at the bottom of self-sacrifice. When we truly humble ourselves, we are exalted in the eyes of God and others.

If you are a true servant, your sacrifice will not be in vain. You will accomplish your goals for your church, your organization, your people, and--most important--for the Lord. Don't be afraid to give yourself away. There's a bend in that lowly road that leads to heaven. "God is with us. That's the best news I've heard all year!" writes Stan Toler.

I'm praying for you--for your family and your church and your job--praying that Dec. 25 was the first day of a brand new year!

IT IS THE SEASON TO GIVE THANKS

“IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS”

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
1 Thes. 5:18

This is the season to give thanks. It is a time to remember with love those who touch our lives in so many special ways.

Many of my readers are unaware that I have had eight operations, spent 132 days in the hospital, with the remaining time mostly homebound since July of 2006.

It has given me so much time to think and to appreciate friends. I have learned to take my thoughts about myself and turn it toward those who have cared for me.

Therefore:
I give thanks to my wife who has given all her time to me during these 17 months.
I give thanks to my sons and their families through this time.
I give thanks to the hospitals whose staff aided in my recoveries.
I give thanks to my many doctors whose expertise has given me continued life.
I give thanks to therapists who were patient with me while they taught me to walk again.
I give thanks to my BJC homecare nurses whose care and friendliness made me confident in my recuperation.
I give thanks to my pastors and our church members who have not forgotten us.
I give thanks to other pastors whose visits and prayers were blessings.
I give thanks for churches around the country who have kept me furnished with DVD’s of their services.
I give thanks for those from business, organizations, and the editor of this paper whose visits were rewarding.
I give thanks to a young couple’s class that decorated our home for Christmas while the men powerwashed the mold from our house and fence. The dinner and worship time afterwards brought real joy.
I give thanks for the hundreds of cards, emails, and phone calls from around the country and abroad.
I give thanks to my McDonald’s Sunday night friends (5 couples) who brought snacks, coffee, and offered a worship time.
I give thanks for friends who have driven us to the doctors or hospitals in St. Louis without complaint.
I give thanks for a friend who shoveled snow last Sunday morning my entire drive and sidewalk.
I give thanks for my classmates who have called and prayed
I give thanks that, besides our local paper, other state and national publications have published my writings.
I give thanks for a room for rest with a computer nearby to write, research, or to just enjoy surfing the internet.

But most important of all, I give thanks to God who loved the world so much that He gave His son who offered eternal life beyond the troubles of this life.

“O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people” Psalm 105:1

JESUS IS COME

THE SAVIOUR HAS COME

When we lived in Ohio every December in front of the State Auto Insurance Company in the heart of downtown Columbus was built a large nativity scene covering nearly two hundred feet recogning Christmas.

While nativity scenes are not uncommon at this time of the year, this one had some unique features. The scenes make changes every day in December as the night of the birth draws near. On the eve, the donkey, with Mary aboard, and Joseph nearby, arrives finally to the inn in Bethlehem. The manger is empty until the next morning...Then the babe appears, the donkey is barren, the parents are inside, the star brightens. All has changed.

The night we know as Christmas Eve, had closed down Columbus just like it did Bethlehem. And like other unassuming Columbusites, I did not know this scene had been changing daily.

"All is changed; all is bright, round yon virgin, mother and child,
Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace."

In fact, this Child of God has changed a whole world for the good, and a simple faith in the Christ child will produce a greater faith in the Child-the-Savior of all men.

This reminded me that changes are ever occurring as the Lord prepares His new coming. He advises us in His Word to be ready, and I don't want to simply be a passerby unaware of the daily changes going on before my eyes. I desire to be in total awareness of what is changing so the unexpected to the world will not be a surprise to me.

Luke 2:4-11
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) [5] To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. [6] And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. [7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. [8] And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. [10] And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”

YOUR MUG IS SEEN AROUND THE WORLD

My wife and I had visited many of the woolen shops in Windsor, England and decided we would cross the street to enter St. Patrick's Cathedral to view its interesting architecture and listen to a lecture from its guide about the kings and noblemen who had made this famed old church their place of worship.

As we turned the corner a guard in full red and black dress took a fast step into a prone position lifting his gun and snapping his heels as he momentarily changed into complete attention. His eyes without moving looked forward, but obviously surveying every move made by those of us entering through the gate.

After everyone was in, he relaxed and returned the heel of his gun to the ground. Again, his piercing eyes continued forward. I had been told they never speak nor make any signs of response except to their superiors. To this point my informers had been correct.

As I removed my camera I waited for a change in his pose which never came. Then I asked if he minded me taking his picture. No response. I went to his side. No movement. I returned to look straight into his eyes and face and said, "I bet you get tired of people taking your picture," and added, "but you know your mug is probably seen around the world."

At which time he broke into a great big smile.

As I departed to view this huge church, I was reminded of another gate I will pass though in the future. We have teased about it being the gate of St. Peter, but it actually is the gate in which the children of God will walk.

Psalm 118:19-20 recorded it so well, “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.”