Tuesday: Potatoes and Tree Stumps 2

For it is by grace you have been saved!

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is Tuesday and schools day on the line, so let's get praying for our schools. Praise report, praise report ... We have been praying for Peggy Everhard. Peggy resides at the Bridges in the Gardens section, the Dementia Unit. Over a month ago Peggy had a major heart attack to add to her other problems. The family was called together, I was called to her bedside. Peggy always loved to sing. Together we sang Amazing Grace with Peggy trying to sing with us. Time was running out. No, the Amazing Grace from God was heard again, and this past Sunday Peggy was in the front row in church, and at the end of the service, I walked over and asked Dolores to play Amazing Grace. God is Good ... Oh, and Peggy was more alert than I have seen her in years. Someone shout -- PRAISE GOD!

Potatoes and Tree Stumps 2
Ephesians 2: 8 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (NIV)

Yes, it does seem that we worship things other than God, idols we could call them, but do these things sneak up on us? Maybe we do not think we are worshiping things other than God, but are we? Notice I am using the word, WE, which of course includes me. But let me turn this around a tad. Let's say we are not worshipping any potatoes, donuts, and/or tree stumps, or old cars, trucks, and yes buses or motorcycles ... but we are indeed worshipping our Lord Jesus. So now my next question is ... How long do you worship God? Is it all the time, or 12 hours out of 24 or is it, well, is it one hour per week? Gosh, have you ever sat in a church when the service is near the end you could see some of the people getting up and leaving? Or during that final hymn, out they go ... Out to the parking lot, car in gear and off and driving like they are on the race track. What is the hurry? Oh yes, first in line at the local all you can stuff in your face buffet. You know, if we worship anything in this country other than God, it just might be food. Oh, and don't get me wrong, I love good food, ok, I really confess I love food, from burgers to steak, from lobster to shrimp, from pizza to liver or pizza with liver and onions on it. Oh yes, it is food ... and yes, wash all that junk down with a diet soda. A dozen years ago or so my dear wife and I went to our local all you can stuff in buffet after church and we did not hurry to get there. We stayed to the end of the service. Near the front of the line I noticed one of the folks that left church early. And then it happened, a whole lot of people came in from church and cut into the line, to get with the one person who saved the spot. And I walked up and said, excuse me, did we learn that in church? And Iasked them to go to the end of the line. And they did, but they were not happy. Do we worship food that much that we just let Jesus in church? I mean, after all, that is where Jesus is right? I mean it has nothing to do with where Jesus should be living, ah, in our hearts. Do we leave him in church?

Are you a one hour Christian? And maybe you are not even that. Christian means, or should mean, that you have Jesus locked into your heart and you are living for Him. Yesterday I mentioned about the people who think they see a vision of one of our respected church leaders from years ago, or even some from today and sometimes our Lord Jesus and/or His dear mother, Mary. But we do not need to bow down and kiss the potato, donut or tree stump, we can be worshipping other things, including food, without even noticing it. It could happen, we need to really review our lives, and again I am saying WE, for I indeed am going to look over mine. Most of you know that I am an old motor head, I have had cars, and cars and cars, and motorcycles and trucks and buses ... and yes I love vehicles, but I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH THEM.

I have been telling people that a pack of smokes would purchase about six boxes of mac and cheese. Well, if I sell one of my old city buses for a thousand dollars or so, I could purchase about 2,000 boxes of mac and cheese for our food pantry ... ANYONE WANT TO BUY A BUS?

Tomorrow, more on this subject, for I do not want to put you, or me, on a guilt trip for having some nice things, for when we work for God, for when we give of our first fruits to Him, He keeps giving back. But for today, be sure you are worshipping God, look yourself in the mirror, search out yourself, don't look to see how others see you, but look and see how God might look at you,
and ask yourself these questions ...

Are you a fulltime Christian or are you a fool time Christian?
Do you love Jesus all the time, or just an hour or two per week?
Do you give to God and others, before giving to yourself?

And then just pray this prayer ... Lord, forgive me when I fall short, and help me be a full timer. Come into my heart today and teach me to live all the time for You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Now share those blessings, and yes, those Potatoes, Donuts and tree stumps. You could share the potatoes, and donuts and not worship them, and you could, well, help a neighbor dig out an old tree stump. All sorts of ways of sharing those blessings ... get sharing ... love ya, dan.

Want to have fun? The next time you go to the drive-up window of a food place, when you get your meal, ask how much the next car's bill is ... and pay for their meal, pull up, and watch the smile on their face, then just drive away. It is FUN ...