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GO AND DO LIKEWISE

Bloged in Worship Music by DeNelle Stotser Wednesday May 31, 2006
 
  “Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer,  the ninth hour.  A man lame from birth was being carried who was laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask for alms from those who entered the temple.  Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple he asked for alms.  Peter directed his gaze at him with John and said, ‘Look at us.’  and he fixed his attention upon them expecting to receive something from them.  Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’
  He took him by the right hand and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong and leaping up he stood and walked into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
  All the people saw him walking and praising God and recognized him as the one who begged for alms at the beautiful gate of the temple.  They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him” (Acts 3:1-10).
 
  The temple in Jerusalem was a magnificent structure, the center of attention in Jerusalem as well as the world of the Jews.  A special feature of the temple was one outstanding gate which came to be known as the “Beautiful Gate.”  Sitting along side this gate, was a crippled man who was crippled from birth.  Someone would bring him to this place where he would daily sit.  This day could have been exactly like any other day for this man.  Peter and John themselves had walked past this man many times.  But, on this particular occasion something unusual happened.  Peter and John noticed that he was lame and they spoke to his need.  Peter took him by the hand and raised him up and pronounced him healed in the name of Jesus.  The man was healed miraculously, instantaneously and fully.
  What qualifications did Peter and John have to enter into such a situation as this and come out with that kind of result?  The first clue comes from the opposition, the leaders of the temple, who violently opposed what they were doing and tried to stop them by putting them in custody.  The only answer they could figure was that Peter and John had been with Jesus.  The second qualification was they had been with Jesus and they had something to give; they were walking and there was a lame man.    The third qualification was that they had been with Jesus and they had words of healing.  (”And by faith in this (Jesus’) name this man was made strong and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.”  Acts 3:16)
  Many of us walk by sick people, people in need day after day and not notice them.  If we did notice them would we know what to do?  Maybe we need to ask some serious questions.  Have we been with Jesus?  Are we walking?  Do we have something to give?  Are we really seeing the lameness all around us?  Do we really see their hurt?  Are we not to give away what the Lord has so generously given us?  Peter and John got involved.  They participated with everything they had in the healing of this man.  I believe the call of God to us today is to go and do likewise. 
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AS LONG AS THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HOPE

Bloged in Worship Music by DeNelle Stotser Tuesday May 30, 2006
 
  Do you ever get discouraged?  There are times when I struggle with keeping myself encouraged and staying on the positive side.  Since I’ve been there before, I have learned what to do, if I only do it.  Sometimes we allow ourselves a little pity time, don’t we?  Ricky Temple said sometimes we get tired and decide to take a day off, saying; “I think today I will backslide.” 
 
   Francis Frangipane told about an incident in his book: What Difference Can One Person Make? that I think is a priceless lesson for those that suffer from discouragement.  A man who was driving home from work one day, stopped to watch a local Little League baseball game in a park near his home.  He sat down behind the bench on the first baseline and asked one of the boys what the score was.  “We’re behind fourteen to nothing,” the little boy answered with a smile.  “Really?” he said.  “I have to say you don’t look very discouraged.”  “Discouraged?” the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face.  “Why should we be discouraged?  We haven’t been up to bat yet.”
 
  All my life I’ve heard the saying: “Its not over till the fat lady sings.” whatever that means.  To me, I think it says; as long as there is life, there is hope.  Sometimes we have to look hard to find life in certain circumstances. Did you hear about the fifty year old mountain climber from Australia that was found two days ago on Mt. Everest alive?  He was given up for dead because he fell ill in the highest point of the mountain where there was very little oxygen. His fellow climbers left him there because they could not safely bring him down. They were sure that he would not survive in that altitude overnight. Other climbers found him a day later still breathing.  What a miracle!   
 
 Romans 8:   ”What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”  v31
  “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” v37
  “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” v38-39
  1 John 4:4  “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!”
 
  As long as there is life, there is hope!  On those days when we have trouble staying on top, we have to remember that.  Sometimes breath is hardly detectable, the score is 14 to 0, but our time to bat is coming!  Hallelujah!
 
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AND I WON’T FORGET THE ONES WHO GAVE

Bloged in Worship Music by DeNelle Stotser Monday May 29, 2006
 
  I rarely spend any time watching TV, but I did see the National Memorial Day Concert last evening on the Public Television Station.  It was shown from the Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C.  If you saw it I know you were equally blessed.  I was impressed by the testimonies and tributes given to our brave men and women in uniform who gave so much to this country.  I was also inspired by the wonderful music and inspirational songs.  Hats off to PBS and those responsible! 
 
  Today is Memorial Day, 2006.  I have to wonder how others in this great and wonderful nation think about this day.  Is it just another day to go fishing?  Or be off from work?  Maybe it all depends on the era in which we grew up.  Or, on the way we were taught to observe this day.  My mother loved this country and she loved Patriotic Band music.  The flag, music and remembrance on this day was instilled in me from my beginning.  I am thankful for that.
 
  Actually, Memorial Day started out as “Decoration Day.”  The widows, mothers and relatives of the ones who lost their lives in the American Civil War began decorating their loved ones graves. On May 30, 1868, General John Logan proclaimed that a day be set aside to honor those who died “in defense of their country.”  I think as we spend Memorial Day, we should remember a lot more than those who lost their lives.  We also need to remember those who were left behind.  Parents have lost sons and daughters, children lost fathers and mothers, spouses lost the love of their lives, and on and on.  War is devastating, but we must remember!  God remembers.  He knows every tear and every heart wrenching cry.  He blesses those who mourn. I believe He blesses those who give comfort to those who are in mourning.  I believe He blesses those who remember on this special day.   
 
  “And I’m proud to be an American…………….where I know I can be free………and I won’t forget the ones who died that gave that life to me.”   Thank You, My God!  Thank You, Jesus!  And……………..Thanks to all who made my freedom possible!
 
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BREAK UP THE FALLOW GROUND

Bloged in Worship Music by DeNelle Stotser Sunday May 28, 2006
 
  We hear and read many advertisements and instructions this time of year for successful gardening.  I pass by many businesses where thousands of beautiful plants are waiting for someone to take them home to beautify their gardens. If one is not careful the beauty of the plants will cause one to overbuy and to forget the work that it takes when you get them home.  I love plants, but I know loving them is not enough if I want them to live and flourish.  It is the same for our spiritual lives.  Wanting a Christlike life takes more than just wanting it. 
 
  I have found that there is certainly one thing among many that is required for a successful, fruit producing, Christian life.  That one thing, I think, is to continually plow and break up the fallow ground.  In Hosea 10:12 and Jeremiah 4:3 we learn the importance of this.  The Word warns us not to sow our seeds among thorns and fallow ground.  Fallow ground is a field that has been sown with crops in the past and has yielded much fruit, but has now been left unworked for a time.  Land was allowed to lie fallow that it might become more fruitful; but when in this condition, it soon became overgrown with thorns and weeds.  The cultivator of the soil was careful to ‘break up’ his fallow ground, to clear the field of weeds, before sowing seed in it.  It is hard and full of ruts and clods.  It is not able to yield anything but weeds.  Fallow ground is land that in days past was known for bumper crops and luscious harvest. 
 
  The Word parallels fallow ground to our spiritual lives.  This pictures us as people who at one point had produced fruitful crops and had yielded much fruit.  We tasted a life of righteousness, walked very near to the Lord, but over time we turned from God and grew cold toward Him.  (Unfortunately this is where our beloved country is at this time.) 
 
  As there are steps to successful crops, so it is with our spiritual lives.  We have plenty of the Word.  Most everyone has a Bible, we don’t lack for a Church to worship in, we have Christian TV and Radio programs, so……..What’s the problem?  Some of my observations:
  1. Lack of a true love and affection toward God.
  2. Lack of love and fervency for reading the Word of God.
  3. Lack of zeal for prayer producing prayerlessness.
  4. The love of the world and its possessions.  Worldly-mindedness and carnality.
  5. The “me” syndrome.  Pride, vanity and selfish ambitions.
  6. Lack of personal worship and fellowship with the Lord.
  7. Hardness of heart.  Indifference.
  8. Lack of personal holiness.  Compromise.  Entering into and getting pleasure out of things we shouldn’t.
  9. Keeping our minds stayed on ungodly things.  Lusting.  Unholy and impure thoughts.
  10. Disobedience to the Word.  Rebellion.  Deliberately choosing the things of the world.
  11. Absence of the fruit of the spirit.  No love, joy, peace, longsuffering, temperance, etc.
  12. Lack of Repentance!  Repentance!  Repentance!

TIME FOR PLANTING.  LET’S GET TO WORK ON THAT FALLOW GROUND!  

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CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY

Bloged in Worship Music by DeNelle Stotser Saturday May 27, 2006
 
  How often have you said or heard the phrase; “I wouldn’t in a million years do something like that,” or “When I am such and such, you won’t find me doing that,” or, “When I have kids,  they will not do things like that?”  I bet we even have said, “If we had lived in the first century, in the time Jesus was bodily on earth, we would not have treated Him like others did.”  Would you have been completely sold-out and receptive to the teachings of Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul?  If you had been there, would you have believed?
  1. Would the sight of John, in his camel’s hair and leather girdle, eating locusts and honey, turned you off completely?  He was so frank and course, he called the religious people coming to be baptized,  a ‘brood of vipers.’  Would that have offended you?
  2. Would a truthful and strong message offended you?  Jesus said in Matthew 23:13-17, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows houses……………Woe to you, you travel land and sea to win a proselyte, then make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves…………..Woe to you blind guides and fools!”
  3. Would the rough edges of Peter have turned you off?  Someone called Peter the ‘Hillbilly Hypocrite’ because of his rural ways, lack of formal training, and who denied Jesus three times.
  4. What about Paul and his role as persecutor of the church?  He was not a fluent speaker, nor was he the ‘handsome man of the hour.’ 
  5. Would you have been an avid ‘front pew setter,’ if you had  traveled miles and miles, (sometimes by foot), only to swelter in the heat? (No AC!)  No AC?

  We act and weigh things according to our comfort; how we are entertained in the process.  We are also quick to judge people by their physical appearances, their size, their beauty, their influence, their weight, their statue, etc.   And for sure we judge pastors by their oratory prowess.  We won’t go across the street to hear someone who is young, inexperienced, or one who lacks eloquence.  How we receive people today is probably a strong indication how we would have received men like Jesus, John, Peter and Paul.  We certainly need to look beyond the messenger, and hear the message.  We need to look beyond the ‘outer’ and seek the jewel within.  We need to be careful what we say.  Sometimes it comes back upon us!

 

 
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