A Sabbath-rest (4th Day 43)

A Sabbath-rest for the people of God

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Lord is good to me. He hears my prayers and walks with me. He keeps me on straight paths toward Him. He is my comfort. I find my rest, my Sabbath-rest, in Him.

Thank you for your prayers in response to yesterday's message. I will let you know that the Lord has heard you.

Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.

You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.

When you say your prayers tonight, be sure to thank God for being your God.

And may His peace be with you always.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

http://emmaus4thday.blogspot.com/
http://groups.msn.com/4thDay

Pray for Help (4th Day 42)

Pray for Help

My parents and brother live in Ft. Lauderdale. I just spoke with my brother, who has one of the only working phones on the street where they live. I know a lot of people suffered from Katrina, but Wilma has been just as damaging to those who live in South Florida. Perhaps not the flooding, but the results of Wilma are just as devastating.

Tomorrow, my parents (84 years old) and my brother (62 years old) will have been without electricity for a week, with estimates of three more weeks before power will be restored. Apparently, over 15,000 telephone and electric poles were knocked down and need to be replaced. A major electrical tower was knocked over. They have no electricity.

Imagine the people of South Florida, mostly elderly, without any power. My brother, who lives next to my parents, has a 5000 Watt generator, but that barely runs the refrigerators and a couple of lamps. Plus, the generator needs gasoline. No electricity means the gas station pumps don't work. Those that have power backups can only run a few pumps. Lines for gasoline are six hours long, or longer. There's no milk; no frozen food; no hot water; no heat. Many of the phone lines are down. My brother drove across the state to Naples just to buy gasoline for the generator.

I wish there was something I could do, but what can I do? Help is close enough, but the kind of cleanup and rebuilding that needs to take place takes time. I could bring them to my house, but my parents fear flying and I fear they could not make the trip by car--their health is not good. My brother says there is nothing I can do unless I could magically restore everything.

I can pray. Praying is the first course of action. Praying together is powerful, as you know. But if you don't know where the need is, then how can you pray for those in need. Please pray for all the frightened, confused, and helpless people in South Florida as they prepare to cope with another three weeks of being in the dark. I don't see the same coverage of South Florida as I saw for New Orleans. I'm not jealous, I'm just worried, and I know that all of our prayers together will cause God's power to be displayed. Perhaps in some dramatic way; perhaps in some subtle way. If it's only enough to sustain those in need until things are restored, then our prayers will be answered.

Please pray.

De Colores,

Bill

WV88

http://emmaus4thday.blogspot.com/

http://groups.msn.com/4thday

The Day After (4th Day 41)

He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

I have felt a little weird today and didn't know why; not really sad, but like something was missing or needed to be done or was being forgotten. I really didn't know what it was until I sat down to write and thought about what day it was. This is my forty-first 4th Day.

Why is that significant? Because for those original apostles, who saw and spoke with the risen Christ, this would be the day after Jesus' ascension, the second time He would be taken from them. And like them, I have just spent forty days after coming off the mountain with the risen Christ and can imagine how sad they felt for Him to leave them again. I was feeling displaced today because I miss Jesus.

Now, I know Jesus hasn't left me; He isn't gone. But how marvelous and confusing that time must have been. We have the benefit of experiencing all those things that went on at our leisure. We were taught them in Sunday School; we read about them now. But, we can pause the events at that time and resume when we want. For the disciples of Jesus, everything was happening real-time. Jesus promised "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) but still, it must have left a void in their hearts to see Him depart.

So, now I know what was bothering me today. The Lord let me feel what His friends felt that day after. Though I know He is here with me now, those disciples would not know that right away. They must have missed Him deeply.

One final thought: How did I spend the last forty days? I know I have been close once again to Jesus since coming off the mountain, but did I spend every moment basking in His Glory like I should have been? If I could do it over, what would I do better? How many of those original disciples asked themselves those questions?

The Blessing we have is knowing that Jesus is here and walks with us every day. Let's not take that for granted, but use every opportunity to please Him and bring Him glory. Walk with Jesus every day as if it was one of the first forty.

May God bless you and keep you.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

The First Stone Part II (4th Day 40)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I’ve made an appointment with the doctor to treat a chronic condition that I have. It’s called “foot-n-mouth” disease. It’s been pointed out that I say some really stupid things sometimes. I think it’s because I think faster than I write and I assume other people can read my mind and fill in the blanks without me.

I re-read what I wrote yesterday and realize that I had a flare-up of the disease. I never intended to offend anyone with my discussion about divorce. It grieves my heart to think that I may have hurt any of you by my careless words. So, please forgive me and let me try to be clear about what I meant to say--actually, what I failed to say.

It is true that the Bible speaks against divorce. But the Bible also speaks against anger, hatred and injury to others. And while the Word of God does speak against divorce, I know that there are situations when divorce is the best course of action. I’ve written about anger before; it grieves the spirit. Remaining in a relationship plagued with anger, hatred and abuse cannot be the Father’s Will. There is no biblical basis for it.

Jesus said divorce is permitted in cases of adultery. Paul said it is permitted when a non-believing spouse abandons a believing spouse. The law says that abandonment can be either physical or emotional (constructive abandonment, in legal terms). In either case, divorce is justified and permitted.

I am not qualified to offer advice on marriage or divorce. I am no counselor. I’m not ordained and cannot speak for the church. But I do read the Bible and God’s grace and mercy and love is consistently displayed throughout. God loves each and every one of His children (that’s us) and wants us to be happy. I truly believe that. Jesus said he came that we might have life and have it abundantly.

I love you all and pray your forgiveness if I have caused anyone pain.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

The First Stone (4th Day 39)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7)

I heard a TV reporter say today that a professional woman athlete (I don't remember her name) had come "out of the closet" and admitted that she was gay. As a result, a certain endorser (again, I don't remember who) said that they will stop endorsing her because they no longer consider her a role model for young girls.

That statement bothered me. I asked myself, what made her a role model to begin with? Did anything else change besides her revealing her sexual preference? Did she stop doing the things that made her a role model to begin with?

Let me say that I do not agree with the homosexual lifestyle and know that it is considered detestable before God (Leviticus 18:22). However, careful study of the Bible will show that there are other sins that are just as offensive, if not more so, to God (based on the number of times they are addressed in the Bible). For example, and I know I'm taking a big risk here, are the sins of adultery and divorce. Adultery and divorce are abhorred by God because they are betrayal of trust and love and destroy the relationship that God intended for a man and woman--they are counter to God's Will. Jesus speaks out specifically against divorce. God, in the Old Testament, likens Israel's turning to other gods as adultery.

I am not judging anyone, I'm just pointing out that if this athlete had gotten a divorce instead of announcing her sexual preference, it's likely she would have kept her endorsements. Lance Armstrong's divorce doesn't seem to hurt his popularity or endorsement by the Postal Service or Subaru. However, God doesn't differentiate sin. Sin is sin and is punishable with death. The only unpardonable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31).

I am not suggesting that we treat homosexuality as normal or acceptable, because God's Word clearly says it is not. However, while we are called to discern right from wrong, we are not called to judge others. Why am I talking about this? Well, because I've had to do a lot of soul searching over the years as I have worked with gay people and have relatives who are gay. While at one time I was much more intolerant of homosexuality, God has softened my heart. I once did a study of the Ten Commandments which revealed to me the depth of my sin. Since then, I've had to ask myself, if God has forgiven my sins, what arrogant assumption can I make that I am entitled to judge others.

Let me be clear, so that I am not misunderstood. We are to discern right from wrong; we are to judge behavior and actions. We are to take action to protect the innocent and helpless. But we are not called to judge others the way God would judge. Only God, Who sees into our hearts, can see what is there. God judges what's in our hearts and we cannot see into the hearts of others.May God keep me ever so humble to remember these words.

God bless you.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

My Strength and My Song (4th Day 38)

The LORD is my strength and my song

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The LORD is my strength and my song appears at least three times in the Bible; in Psalms, Isaiah, and Exodus. In Exodus, it's a verse in Miriam's song. In Isaiah, it's a song of praise. In Psalms, it's repeated again as a song of praise.

What motivated those early writers to say such a thing. (Well, of course it was God.) But really, it's the cry of the heart in praise to God that He is our strength to move us to action, and our song to calm our agitation.

That became apparent to me today as I felt unexplainably agitated over I don't know what. Maybe it was the morning commute. Maybe it's a decision I have before me. Maybe it's the Accuser up to his old tricks. But whatever it was, when a praise song came on the radio I was calmed by the lyrics. Interestingly, I later read how David would sing to Saul to calm him in his nightmares.

God really is everything to us. When I read in the Old Testament the verses that depict God with such emotional imagery, I feel as though they are my own words. Those ancient ancestors of ours felt the same way we do (or it's us that feel as they did), which convinces me (among other things) that God is alive and real and here right now!

We haven't changed because God hasn't changed. We have the same craving to praise God as humans have from the beginning of creation. God is the beginning and the end; the first and the last; the Great I Am. He is our strength and our song. Amen.

Peace be with you.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

Oh Lord, make me a Gideon, not a Jonah! (4th Day 37)

Oh Lord, make me a Gideon, not a Jonah!

(Before getting into today's discussion, I want you to know that I decided to change the format for my titles. However, I still want to be reminded that I am still walking my 4th Day Walk, so I am including the nth 4th Day in the title.)

On my way to work today, I got to thinking about a decision I need to make soon. However, I don't have all the facts yet, so I'm not at the decision point yet. However, while I believe I will have to make the decision, I believe that ultimately I will have to do what God wants me to do.

So, I got to thinking (more) about what if I don't like the decision that God guides me to make. (Let's call it like it is. While I don't want to explore or discuss Calvinism or predestination, I do believe that God chooses His servants to do his will, whether they initially want to or not. In other words, God is going to put me where he wants me!)

So, I thought about people that are recorded in the Bible that God used. Two came to mind: Gideon and Jonah. God called on both to serve Him in a way that neither of them wanted or felt ready for. In the end, both complied. However, Gideon became willing to do God's will much earlier and with less personal hardship than Jonah. It took reassurance from God to make Gideon a willing servant; it took three days in the belly of a fish to begin to get Jonah's attention. I would much rather be Gideon!

It's about obedience. When God's calls on us, we really don't have a choice. God's Will is not subject to our preferences or the strength of our convictions. His Will will prevail! I think the sooner we realize that, the sooner we become content with the challenges before us as we work to conform and comply with God's Will.

I pray that God will make me a Gideon when I know in my heart that I'm really a Jonah.

May God Bless you.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

Missed Opportunity (Our Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth 4th Days)

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope this message finds you well! I am writing for both yesterday and today. I missed writing yesterday because I was driving home from Hoboken, NJ and got home very late. And today has had its distractions that almost kept me from writing again. But, even if this is short, I want to write to let you know that I think of you every day. Writing everyday, though sometimes met with difficulties, has become a comfort and I feel it when I have missed a day.

Yesterday, my son and I went with his team from Clinch Academy (www.clinchacademy.com) to the 10th Annual North American Grappling Association championship tournament. Luke Rinehart, a brother in Christ, is the founder of Clinch Academy, a martial arts school. When my son Mike started Jiu-Jitsu about a year ago, I had no idea that his teacher would be a Christian, and was a little concerned about any influence by eastern mysticism that Mike might be exposed to. Gladly, that was never a problem. But more so, Luke demonstrated that you could reveal your faith to others through your actions and words. At a time when public display of faith is often scrutinized, it's good to see Christianity demonstrated outside the home.

Today, I learned something in my 4th Day that we should always remember--don't pass up the opportunity to wish someone Godspeed. I had a co-worker today that had to drive down to Wintergreen for a conference. As he left, I was going to say "travel safely" but was busy and didn't. I felt regret at the time for not saying something. A short time later, he came back to the office after being hit by a hit and run. Only his car was damaged, thank God, but it made me think about how I almost said something.

The point is that we should never pass up the opportunity to wish someone well. Remember, we are in the world, but not of the world, to be Christ's voice to others. I sometimes forget that or think it's unimportant (actually, I don't think anything when actually I should always be ready for the Lord).

I could go on tonight, but it's late and I have to get up so early. I will try to start earlier tomorrow night.

May the Lord bless you and keep you; may He make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

Our Thirty-fourth 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I'm traveling this weekend with my son to his first Jiu-Jitsu competition, therefore I was unable to join you tonight. Please pray for my son's success and safety, as well as the safety of all the competitors. It should be exciting for both of us.

God poured out His traveling mercies on us by delivering us safely to our destination. I thank God for that. The tournament is in Hoboken, NJ, and the weather was terrible, but the Lord got us here safely.

This 4th Day was a good one. (They all are "good" days since every one is walking with the Lord. Isn't that what the Emmaus Walk is?) So there is only thanksgiving that I can offer the Lord for the good things He has done. No topics to cause us to ponder things, such as problems, anger or disobedience. It is truly a good day.

Therefore, and since it is late, I am going to keep today's post short.

Praise God Most High, King of the Universe, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you; may He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may He turn His face toward you and give you peace.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

Anger Hurts (Our Thirty-third 4th Day)

Anger Hurts!

Anger hurts us; it damages our soul. Even righteous anger hurts.

Our God of the Old Testament is revealed at times as an angry God. Do you ever think our God in the Old Testament is different from our God of the New Testament? Is there a disconnect there? I've heard that argument before that the New Testament God is a kindler, gentler God. Such arguments are made by people who haven't matured in their understanding of God.

Did Jesus ever become angry? You may think not, but there are several times in the Gospels that Jesus demonstrated anger: I'm glad I wasn't that poor fig tree that failed to have any fruit when Jesus was hungry; I'm glad I wasn't a money changer in the temple during Passover; I'm glad I wasn't Peter when Jesus called him Satan and told him to get behind Him. (But, if I had been there, it could have easily been me--not the fig tree, of course.)

Of course Jesus got angry, because He is God and God is eternal and unchanging. But nowhere in the Bible does God revel in his anger; never is He happy to be angry. Anger takes something out of God, just like it takes something out of us. Even Jesus' righteous anger hurt Him.

What else? Well, the Old Testament covers thousands of years; the New Testament about three. God's people gave Him a lot more opportunity to get angry with them during that time. But how many times did God relent and forgive His people? Every time! I think if you were to extrapolate the number of recorded times that Jesus got angry to thousands of years like you have in the Old Testament, you would see that Our God is the same, forever. As Samuel told Saul, God wants our obedience, not our sacrifices.

So why am I talking about anger today. Well, as this is my way of sharing my 4th Day experience, I need to tell the good with the bad. I got angry over something stupid. You see, I had forwarded a letter that had come to my house to my daughter. I crossed out my address and wrote my daughter's address underneath. I even put a brand new stamp on the envelope and stuck it in the mail a couple of days ago. The letter came back to me! Grrrrr! Wasn't it obvious that it was supposed to go to the new address?

Well I guess after a few comments about the intelligence of the postal system, etc., my wife asked if that's the kind of reaction that I learned about on the Mountain and why don't I write about that! I was caught! At first I tried to pass it off as just kidding. But after 26 years of marriage, I couldn't fool my wife. But it did lead me (in my shame) to think about what I had done.

No, that's not what I learned on the Mountain. I had become angry and it left a scar on that moment in time. I had let my Lord down by forgetting the Grace He has shown me in my failings. The anger I had over that letter not being delivered to my daughter was foolishness and it hurt.

So, pray for me that I will be more patient with others and remove the log from my own eye first.

May the love of Christ be with you always.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

P.S. Remember and pray for the pilgrims of WV89.

The Problem With Prayer (Our Thirty-second 4th Day)

The problem with prayer.

You may think it odd that my topic today is the problem with prayer. Especially when I've urged you on more than one occasion to "pray continuously" and "pray for others". Well, it is a bit odd. But I've decided to talk about it because it relates to my 4th Day experience today.

The problem with prayer is not really a problem with prayer, but a problem with us. I've been praying very recently about an issue (but I don't want that to become the focus of this discussion, so let it suffice to say that it is a very insignificant issue when compared to other world issues, but important enough to me to bring it to God--or at least I think so--but more later).

The problem with prayer is that we either don't hear God's answer or we don't want to hear God's answer. So, we conclude, God doesn't answer. Well, that's just plain unbiblical. Throughout the Bible we read of God answering the prayers of the faithful (yet sometimes the doubtful), but never not answering the prayers. Jesus taught us how to pray. He told parables of how we should pray relentlessly (as the widow petitioned the judge). Doesn't Jesus promise "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"?

I learned something else: Nothing is too small to bring to God, for if we don't trust Him with the little stuff, how are we going to trust Him with the big stuff. That's another important lesson. Didn't Jesus teach us to pray for the simple things? Food (daily bread), forgiveness (receiving and giving), and protection (deliver us from evil)? Those are pretty simple things to ask for.

Pray for healing, not a cure. Too often we pray for a cure for ourselves and others, when what we should pray for is healing. What if Jesus didn't finish His prayer in Gethsemane with "not my will, but yours be done" after asking to have the cup taken from Him? The next verse says, An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. The cure would have been to take the cup from Him. But instead, the Father sent healing for His Son, because healing is what was needed. If the cup had been taken away, we would all be dead in our sin today.

The Lord responded to my prayer today, at the end of the workday. Interesting that it took that long or that it happened the way it did. Not a direct answer, but an acknowledgement that my prayer had been heard. He answered it in such a way that I will have to solve the problem, but still let me know He heard me. Sometimes, that's all the answer we need, knowing God hears us.

So you see, the problem with prayer really isn't a problem with prayer, it's a problem with us. Be still and listen for God's answer. He will speak.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

Our Thirty-first 4th Day

Our Thirty-first 4th Day! No matter how you look at it, it's been a month. I've said a lot; I haven't said enough. There is so much more to talk about. There are a lifetime of days to tell about how great Christ is, how good God is! About the struggles and challenges we face every day and how the Holy Spirit is there to guide and direct us (too bad we don't always listen).

It doesn't seem like it's been a month already. I guess, like everything else, the weeks have become months and the months will become years. I hope to keep writing to you all every day. I know that will not (likely) be possible, but I'm going to try. I figure that as long as the Lord allows me to write, I will. God's Word is an endless source of inspiration for me. (It's really more than that, but I don't know how to express in words what I mean.) God's Word is living; it is God-breathed.

Sometimes the words come easy, and sometimes not so easy; but they always come. I wonder what it was like for Paul to write to the early church. He had to base everything he wrote on ancient scripture and personal experience. And I think those two factors weighed evenly with each other; his knowledge of scripture gave perspective and understanding to his personal experience.

I’m reading The Book of God by Walter Wangerin, Jr. It’s the Bible as a novel. While it is an excellent representation of the Old Testament and the Gospels (and I highly recommend it), it is but the aroma of a marvelous meal. It is like driving by Outback or Carrabbas and smelling the good food (if you like those restaurants), but not tasting or eating it. Only the Bible itself is the sustaining meal. (However, The Book of God is well worth reading. It presents the events of the Old Testament in a very readable form.)

Well, already I’ve said a lot. None of it what I thought I would say when I thought this morning about what I would say tonight. But, that’s how it goes sometimes. I will make note of other things I want to talk about for those days when I have nothing to say. Until then, may the Peace of Christ keep still your hearts and minds.

YBIC,
Bill
WV88

The Face of God (4th Day 30)

When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.
(Exodus 33:22-23)

Have you ever imagined? Have you imagined what it would be like if God appeared before you? In spite of my wanting to see God's face, I'm afraid I would fall flat, trembling before Him. I don't think we can really imagine what it will be like. Not really.

Simply in talking with God, Moses had to cover his face from people when he came off the mountain. God's glory had penetrated Moses so that he radiated it to others and their sin retreated from it. Jacob wrestled with God in the dark. And as dawn approached, God ended the struggle because He knew that Jacob would surely perish if he were to look upon His face in the light. In the Transfiguration of Jesus, His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. (Mark 9:3)

God's Word tells us that to look upon the face of God would cause a person to die. I believe that's true. Being directly exposed to the physical glory of God would be all consuming, like a consuming fire. It would be brighter than all the stars in heaven compressed together at once. I really don't think our physical bodies could withstand it. These are all images of God’s glory. How amazing it will be!

As I read what I have just written, I realize that I am no longer writing about my 4th Day experience. Instead, I’m presenting scripture and pondering what it means. Perhaps it’s because I have a passion for the Word of God, and it nourishes me to talk about it. But I don’t know how helpful that is when I’m supposed to be talking about our 4th Day.

But, maybe that’s what the 4th Day is all about: Continuing to walk the Walk. Continuing to walk with the Lord every day. For me, that means seeking to know God more fully by exploring His Word in prayerful study, by writing about it, by discussing it with others. God has given us His Word that we may know Him better.

So, if I digress from time to time, please be patient and know that I try to follow where the Lord leads.

Peace be with you.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

Our Twenty-ninth 4th Day

This is our Twenty-ninth 4th Day, but the First 4th Day for WV89. Let us keep them in our prayers that they will be sustained by their Walk experience. We should seek them out and encourage them in their continuing walk as so many have done for us.

When Moses spoke to the Lord on Mount Sinai, his face would become radiant with the Glory of the Lord. He would have to veil his face from the Israelites because they were frightened by what they saw.

When I think of what it was like when I first came off the mountain, I wonder if I didn’t seem a little frightening to others—I wonder if we all didn’t. You don’t come off the mountain unchanged.

These past four weeks have shown us what can be expected. There will be times of doubt and discouragement, but also times of strength and fulfillment. The Lord reveals Himself if we call on Him and stay quiet enough to listen. He shows Himself if we are careful to look for Him. He opens the Door, if we knock.

I found the notes I wrote down when we were told in our last session that we needed to answer two questions: What has this Walk to Emmaus meant to me? And, what am I going to do about it? Do you remember your answers? I’m glad I wrote mine down to remember what I thought. Here’s what I wrote down:

This walk to Emmaus has answered my prayers for renewal, reunion with Christ, and restoration to holy living. Therefore, I am going to live God’s Will aggressively as He reveals it to me; pray continuously for my family, friends, strangers, and enemies; and resist the Devil that he would flee me!

May the Peace of Christ comfort you.

De Colores,
Bill, WV88

Our Twenty-eighth 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I sit here trying to think of something to say. There are several things I can talk about, but I really don't feel moved to talk about any of them right now. Therefore, I want to save those things for a time when I do feel moved.

I believe the Lord told me he would give me the words to say. If I don't feel like saying much, then maybe the Lord wants me to be silent for today. I don't really know. Perhaps this should be a time when we all quietly ponder what the Lord has done for us. He did give us a beautiful weekend; He did give us His rest. He gave us his Sabbath Rest. Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you; may He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

De Colores
Bill
WV88

Emmaus4thDay
MSN 4th Day

Our Twenty-seventh 4th Day

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD :
"I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted...
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him..."
(Exodus 15)

I believe many people go to church for the wrong reasons (and no reason is a wrong reason). Many go to church out of habit or routine, a sense of obligation, to be seen by others, personal gain, whatever. None of those, by themselves, are good reasons (and some are absolutely wrong reasons). I believe (and please disagree if you think I'm wrong) that we should go to church to worship. First and foremost, we should willingly (though not always easily) go to worship our God and Father.

And, worship is physical!

When Moses crossed the dry bed of the Red Sea with the Israelites, Miriam sang before the Lord. When David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, he danced before the Lord. When the Heavenly Hosts announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds, they sang praises.

Worship should move us. It should stimulate our hearts and minds toward the Lord. That is why I personally prefer our contemporary service. It is music driven! It causes us to make a joyful noise before the Lord. It invigorates our souls! A church without a healthy music ministry is a dying church.

I know that the demands of ministry can be great. We have many ministers in our churches who give to their ministries more than they realize. It’s doubtful that they are able to enjoy what they do as much as we do. It’s doubtful that we tell them enough how important they are to us.

But let me offer encouragement to those ministers. Remember, you are serving the Lord. You are doing His Will. Know that though you may be attacked by the demons of Discouragement and Doubt, of Depression and Disillusionment, the Lord is with you—He is your strength and song. And I thank you for all you do.

God loves you.

De Colores
Bill
WV88.

Our Twenty-sixth 4th Day (Part II)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Blessings!

I wanted to write some more about this twenty-sixth 4th day. Well, there is no Biblical or spiritual significance to the number 25 (yesterday's count) that I know of. It's not like 3, 7, 12, 40 or 50 (I'm sure there are others). So, all I can figure is that Satan saw it as an opportune time to try to ambush me. I suspected it was coming, I just didn't know when. I guess I was on his "to-do" list and he just got around to me. The glorious thing is that today I have felt nothing but encouragement.

I know some of you saw my second message and prayed for me--you've told me so. But even before you told me, I could feel the Lord's encouraging presence (as I posted previously). Prayer does work! So, please, let's keep praying for each other. I started a prayer list on my MSN site (Prayer List) and have now created this blog site.

I've got lots of things I want to talk to you about, but I will save those for other days.

May the Peace of Christ be yours,
Bill
WV88

Our Twenty-sixth 4th Day

Praise God who answers our prayers!

Last night I was feeling discouraged, if not a little depressed. I asked for your prayers (and prayed myself). And the Lord, who is good, came through loud and clear.

First, as I was falling asleep, a "thought" came to me. The thought was, "I will give you the words." It is in our lying down and getting up that the Lord often speaks to us; during those moments before the conscious world comes rushing in or while it is fading out, the Lord speaks to us.

Secondly, this morning I received encouraging email, reminding me that you do read my messages and gain something from them. That's important to know when I don't hear back directly all the time.

Thirdly, I received my daily devotional message from Truth for Life this morning. Its topic is knowing Jesus as the Word reveals Him. Compare that with what I wrote yesterday, Our Twenty-fifth 4th Day. Brothers and Sisters, this is the third time in a week in which the daily devotional message from Truth for Life is remarkably similar to my previous day's posting. The first time was coincidence; the second time, improbable; the third time time...

Lastly, as I was reading about Gideon in The Book of God this morning (while riding a stationary bike at the gym), I came across a passage in which Gideon was fearful of attacking the Midianites. And God said, "Have I not sent you? ...Surely I will be with you." Amen.

God is Good!

De Colores,
Bill

Knowing Christ Jesus My Lord

October 14, 2005

I COUNT EVERYTHING AS LOSS BECAUSE OF THE SURPASSING WORTH OF KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD.
Philippians 3:8

Spiritual knowledge of Christ will be a personal knowledge. I cannot know Jesus through another person's acquaintance with Him. I must know Him myself; I must know Him on my own account. It will be an intelligent knowledge-I must know Him not as in the visionary dreams of Him, but as the Word reveals Him. I must know His natures, divine and human. I must know His offices (Prophet, Priest and King)-His attributes-His works-His shame-His glory. I must meditate upon Him until I "comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge."1 It will be an affectionate knowledge of Him; indeed, if I know Him at all, I must love Him. An ounce of heart knowledge is worth a ton of head learning. Our knowledge of Him will be a satisfying knowledge. When I know my Savior, my mind will be full to the brim-I will feel that I have that which my spirit longs for. This is the bread that satisfies all hunger. At the same time it will be an exciting knowledge; the more I know of my Beloved, the more I will want to know. The higher I climb, the loftier will be the summits that invite my eager footsteps. I shall want more as I get more. Like the miser's treasure, my gold will make me covet more. To conclude, this knowledge of Christ Jesus will be a most happy one; in fact, so elevating that sometimes it will completely lift me above all trials and doubts and sorrows; and it will, while I enjoy it, make me something more than "Man . . . born of a woman . . . few of days and full of trouble," for it will throw about me the immortality of the ever-living Savior and cover me with the golden cloak of His eternal joy. Come, my soul, sit at Jesus' feet, and learn of Him all this day.

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth for Life with written permission. Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright (c) 2001, Good News Publishers.

Our Twenty-fifth 4th Day (Part II)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Please pray for me.  I am suddenly feeling very discouraged about writing to you and posting messages daily.  I don't want this to become someplace where I just espouse my beliefs; I want it to be a place where we gather and sustain each other through what we write to each other.  Doing the Lord's work is not a burden, but an awesome responsibility that I often feel inadequate to perform.  So, please pray for me and pray for each other.

 

May God bless you.

 

De Colores,

Bill

 

Our Twenty-fifth 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Who is Jesus?

There are several things I want to talk about, but I came across something I wrote a while ago when my wife and I were taking the Alpha course. I believe the first lesson asked the question, "Who is Jesus?" We saw a video (I believe--isn't there always a video in small group discussions?) and we followed the lesson guide, but I don't think we really serious pondered the question. So later, I thought about it and decided to write some things down. (By the way, I am only a layman and may have made some incorrect assumptions and welcome any criticism.) Here is what I wrote.

However, we have yet to fully answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” We need to answer that question before we can begin to honestly address the question, “Why did Jesus die?” “Who is Jesus?” is a question not about the historical identity of Jesus, but one that seeks to know the role and position Jesus holds in our lives. To answer that question, we must go to the Bible as the inspired, inerrant and authoritative Word of God for our answer.

John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus is the Creator of the universe. Anything that is was created by and through Him. Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth. Therefore, Jesus is God and one of the three persons of the Godhead. (This is beyond my finite human understanding to fully comprehend, so I accept it on faith and move on.) When Moses asks God in the burning bush to tell him His name, God says that He is YHWH (YAHWEH), I AM THAT I AM. Jesus in Revelation says that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The verb “to be” in the first person present is “am”. I AM is the Beginning and the End—Jesus is irrefutably God!

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our great High Priest, in the order of Melchizedek, Priest King of the Righteous, King of Peace. Melchizedek was a priest of an order set apart by God in which Abraham paid tribute to when returning from rescuing his nephew Lot. A priest is a mediator and the medium through which we may approach God the Father. Ancient Judaism allowed that only the priest may talk to or approach God. The people could only approach God through the priest. Jesus tells us in John’s Gospel that “no one comes to the Father, but through Him.” That is why we pray though Jesus to the Father.

Jesus is our Teacher, putting God’s commandments into practice and teaching us through example and real-world analogies the nature of God’s law. God gave us the 10 Commandments, which very specifically told us what we can and cannot do. Jesus summarized those Commandments in telling us to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength (that pretty much covers the first four Commandments) and to love our neighbor as ourselves (that covers the last six). (The tenth Commandment covers both. We cannot love God wholly if we are covetous of our neighbor’s possessions.) Jesus also told us that God’s law is in our heart, so that if we are angry with our neighbor, we have committed murder, and that if we lust, we have committed adultery. This reinforces Old Testament teaching that we must be circumcised in the heart and not the body to be true children of God.

Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. (This gets into the question, “Why did Jesus die?”) God establish the practice of sacrifice for the removal of sin at the beginning of time, and that a blood sacrifice was the only way to remove sin. The Bible tells us that wages of sin is death, and only through death is sin removed. When Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices to God, Abel’s was acceptable, but Cain’s was not. Able offered a blood sacrifice of a perfect lamb; Cain offered produce. For sacrifice to have meaning, it must be something of value and permanence. Produce is not living, it does not contain blood, and its “sacrifice” is not permanent—in other words, it is worthless as a sin offering. A living creature, however, is permanently given when it is sacrificed. Something of value, which is not replenish-able, is given up. Therefore, the sins of the world could only be permanently removed through the blood of a perfect Sacrifice, without stain or blemish.

Jesus is the Judge of the World. The Apostles’ Creed says that Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. Paul says that Jesus, on judgment day, will separate the sheep from the goats. Jesus will judge those who will spend eternity in the presence of God and those who will not. (May no mistake, eternal life will be experienced by all; the question is where it will be experienced.)

Finally, but certainly not least, Jesus is our Lord and King. The king rules over his people and provides for their needs and protection. But the king also directs his subjects to do his will. Our perfect Lord and King is the provider and director of our lives, whether we want to believe it or not. We must seek our Lord and treat Him as our King.

De Colores,

Bill

Jeremiah 29:11

“ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ”

Our Twenty-fourth 4th Day

Dear Brother and Sisters,

Something very peculiar is happening. In my letter "Our Seventeenth 4th Day", I talked about God's testing us versus Satan's tempting us. The next day, the topic of the daily message from Truth for Life (www.truthforlife.org) was about God's testing us. Yesterday, I wrote about venturing into the wilderness and having quiet time with God. Today the daily message from Truth for Life is about solitude and meditating on His Word to gain spiritual strength; being nourished by pondering the things of God. Here's the daily message (http://www.truthforlife.org/daily.php?date=10-12):

October 12, 2005
I WILL MEDITATE ON YOUR PRECEPTS.
PSALM 119:15
There are times when solitude is better than company, and silence is wiser than speech. We would be better Christians if we were alone more often, waiting on God and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for service in His kingdom. We ought to ponder the things of God, because that is how we get the real nutriment out of them. Truth is something like the cluster of the vine: In order to have wine from it, we must bruise it; we must press and squeeze it many times. The bruiser's feet must come down joyfully on the bunches or else the juice will not flow; and the grapes must be properly tread or else much of the precious liquid will be wasted. So we must, by meditation, tread the clusters of truth if we desire the wine of consolation from them. Our bodies are not supported by merely taking food into the mouth, but the process that really supplies the muscle and the nerve and the sinew and the bone is the process of digestion. It is by digestion that the outward food becomes assimilated with the inner life. Our souls are not nourished merely by listening for a while to this and then to that and then to the other part of divine truth. Hearing, reading, marking, and learning all require inward digesting to complete their usefulness, and the inward digesting of the truth lies mainly in meditating upon it. Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make only slow advances in the Christian life? Because they neglect their closets and do not thoughtfully meditate on God's Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they want the corn, but they will not go out into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs on the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. Deliver us, O Lord, from such folly, and may this be our resolve this morning: "I will meditate on your precepts."

"Devotional material is taken from "Morning and Evening," written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth for Life with written permission. Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright (c) 2001, Good News Publishers."

While my messages and the Truth for Life daily messages are not exactly the same, they are close enough to make me say "Hmmmm". It's a little uncanny that this would happen twice. Perhaps the Lord is telling us something, or perhaps we're just witnessing something outside a three sigma probability (like I know what that means; I don't even know if I said it right). Regardless, let me encourage you to look again and think about the messages being presented.

I encourage you all to sign up for the daily message from Truth for Life at http://members.truthforlife.org/tfldaily. (If that link doesn't work, go to www.truthforlife.org and click on the daily email signup button.)

May this message find you glad in the Lord.

De Colores,
Bill

Our Twenty-third 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Glory to God in the highest! Praise the Most High, the King of the Universe!

Sometimes it feels good just to say that. Do you wonder what Heaven will be like? I imagine we will continuously praise God and never get tired or bored. I think that in praising Him it will be like being fed the most delectable food and served the most flavorful wine. That the more we praise Him the more satisfied we will be. We will never hunger or tire because we will be sustained by our praises to God.

I used to mountain bike with a passion (more like an obsession) until my wife convinced me that at my age, bad things could happen no matter how good shape I thought I was in. I always enjoyed it because I felt particularly close to God during my rides. I remember this one section of the trail I used to ride that was particularly strenuous, and when I got to a certain point (usually indicated by my bailing out right before taking a tumble), I would stop and breathe deeply and look around. I would praise God then and there, calling on the rest of creation to join me in praising God's Holy Name. I would speak out to the trees and the rocks and the earth, and all things that flew in the air and walked on the ground and crawled under the ground, inciting them to praise God. The experience was euphoric. (BTW, I should mention there were three angels that accompanied me also. I believe they were called Michael, Gabriel, and Andrew. I guess Andrew was less famous, but still well known to me. It was either them or Christ Himself that saved me a couple of times from breaking something.)

I think that was a glimpse of what Heaven would be like, in those few moments. Sometimes we need that quiet time with God. The Bible tells us so. Abram (Abraham) had his quiet moments with God. So did Moses. Jesus often went off to pray by Himself. So, you see, it is important that we do that too. I just wish I would remember to do so more than I do.

May your hearts and minds rest in Christ Jesus.

De Colores,
Bill

Our Twenty-second 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

God is Good! Indeed!

I was off from work today. I had planned on cutting the grass and doing some work around the house. I decided to grab lunch at Chipotles (I have a real weakness for their burritos) and had just left to go home to get to cutting the grass when my phone rang. It was my daughter. She was going to Mt. Airy when her car started smoking and making noise. It turned out that the bearings to an idler pulley seized and shredded the serpentine belt, melting the belt and pulley. (For those of you that are not autophiles (car lovers, not self-lovers), that basically means she couldn't drive much farther.)

The problem was compounded by the fact that she drives a Saab--not your common car to get parts for from Pep Boys. Well, the belt was easy enough to get, but the pulley was another thing. We went to three parts stores that said they could have the part tomorrow afternoon, but not today. I was looking at towing the car back to Frederick, figuring out some way my daughter would get to work, fixing the car in the dark, etc. Not a very hopeful (or cheap) outlook.

Well, to make a long story a little shorter, I went back to the first shop after removing the damaged parts and found an acceptable (if not perfect) replacement for the pulley, and proceeded to repair the car. It still took a couple of hours to get the belt on (the serpentine belt for a 2000 Saab 9-5 is over 103" long!), but at least I spent time this afternoon with my daughter. Some of her friends showed up and I met them, too. They are heavily into body art (a.k.a., tattoos), but that's ok because they are nice people. It also gave me the chance to be a hero to my daughter. Are you starting to get the picture. God puts us where he wants us to be and provides us the opportunity to do good work.

God is good to us. He gives us an abundant life. He gave me time with my daughter and an opportunity to show acceptance to my daughter's friends. I hope I behaved as Christ would have me behave. You see, her friends aren't the business suit crowd. When the pulley went on and fit like a glove, I said "God is good." Someone asked what I said and I repeated it. That's all.

God is good because He held her car together until I had a day off, He led me to find the right part, and He gave me a dry, clean ground to work on. What more could I have asked for? Take advantage of the opportunities that God puts before you. The grass will be there tomorrow; it's not going anywhere.

De Colores,
Bill

Our Twenty-first 4th Day

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

De Colores,
Bill

Our Twentieth 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The day of our gathering and I almost didn't make it, but thank the Lord that I did. It was so good to see everyone. Though it has been only three weeks, it seemed much longer. You know, I'm not a very social person really. I get along well with people (I think), but outside of my family I really don't have people that I hang out with. However, you are people that have come into my life that I would like to spend time with. I want to hear from you and tell you what I've done. You encourage me.

Steve Brown makes me laugh. His story tonight is so true. Isn't it amazing that we have such a personal God that He would take interest in each and everyone of our lives? That He would actually intervene in our lives? But God has been doing that forever! He did it to Jonah; He did it to Moses; He did it to Gideon. I could go on and on about how God has become personally involved in the lives of His children.

I chose Jonah, Moses, and Gideon because they stand out in my mind as reluctant servants. One didn't understand God's mercy and patience. One didn't think he was eloquent enough. One didn't think he was big enough. They all had reasons to resist God's call, but that didn't stop God from using them exactly the way He wanted to. That's the thing about God; His promises don't depend on us. His Word endures forever. His promises are eternal. Thank Goodness for that!

I am sure we all are going to have days of challenge and days of rejoicing. Even Paul struggled with the flesh. So let us never doubt God's love and promise to us. We must strive to serve Him, but when we falter, let's not lose heart. Get back on course right away and don't give the Devil a foothold to keep us off course.

Again, it was good to see everyone tonight. For new people, go to my 4th Day website at http://groups.msn.com/4thDay and sign up. I have added a page for prayer requests. Visit it often and let's join in the prayers of each other.

My the Peace of Christ be with you.

De Colores,
Bill

Our Nineteenth 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Though I title this the nineteenth 4th Day (for those of WV88), it's really more than that for all that have walked before us. We are carrying the torch of Christ's light into the world and cannot forget we have been chosen by Him to do so. Never forget that! Actually chosen by the King of the Universe by name. That is awesome beyond comprehension! Praise be to God!

Have you prayed today? Do you realize that prayer is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us. I can imagine it only second to His Grace, which He made evident by His personal sacrifice for us.

Imagine what it would be like if we were forbidden to talk to God. How lonely we would feel. That's what I imagine Hell to be like--being totally separated from God for eternity.

So, when we are told to pray continuously, take advantage of the gift God gave you. Pray to Him continuously!

May the Peace of Christ be your comfort and refuge!

De Colores,
Bill

Our Eighteenth 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

A couple unexpected diversions kept me from starting earlier tonight, so I will keep this short. My daughter lost her skink tonight (a lizard that looks like a bratwurst with legs), so I had to go over to her place and help her look for it. It's also my wife's high school class reunion and I had to find pictures of the family, etc. at the last minute so she could take them with her to New York. Still, I wanted to write. Reminding you daily of the commitment we all made to our Lord may be my mission for now, so I have to take it seriously. To mature in our faith, we must do (at least) five things: study God's word; pray continuously (or at least very often); worship regularly; fellowship with each other; and serve the Lord.

I feel like the Emmaus Walk was like a graduation from one phase of our lives to the next "grown up" phase. I don't know how to really explain it, but it's the next part of the maturing process. Spiritual maturity is not a linear thing like physical age. It happens as we are ready for it to happen and are called by God. God knows when we are ready, even if we don't. So, remain steadfast in the Lord.

Good night.

God bless,
Bill

P.S. Looking forward to seeing everyone Saturday!

Our Seventeenth 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

May the Lord's Peace be with you! (For some odd reason, I always type "Peach" and then have to correct it to say "Peace". So, if I every say "May the Lord's Peach be with you", you'll know what I mean.)

Test vs. Temptation.

I got thinking today when reading about the Israelites in the desert and Moses was about to go before God on Mount Sinai. God told Moses that he was about to test the Israelites. And I thought, "Hmmm, why would God test us?" I thought about what testing does. It makes us better at what we are doing (in addition to evaluating how well we do something). You can practice and practice, but the actual test makes us better than all the practice. I used to mountain bike and thought I was pretty good at negotiating obstacles, riding fast, etc. But not until I rode in a race (which was my test), did I learn more than I could have in a dozen "practice" rides. Practice is a necessary preparation, but the test is what makes us strong.

Then it occurred to me that temptation is like a test, but the difference is temptation is meant to destroy. Testing is meant to strengthen; temptation is meant to weaken. God never tempts us, He tests us. Satan is the Great Tempter, the Father of Lies, the Accuser. Satan's temptation is intended to destroy, either the truth, relationships, peace, etc. God tested the Israelites in the desert. But when Moses was on the mountain, I'm sure Satan took the opportunity to tempt the Israelites into sin. God challenged the Israelites to remain steadfast, but they failed the test, giving into the temptation to define God in the form of a golden calf (probably about the time God was issuing Commandment #2--no idols, graven images, etc.). (Isn't it interesting that the people formed the golden calf from their wealth, the gold they had with them. How much do we still worship wealth?)

Throughout the Bible, God is always testing those He loves. He must love me a bunch!

Now, may the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

YBIC,
Bill

Our Sixteenth 4th Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Wow! I'm really running late today (tonight), but I've promised to write to you daily as a reminder to you and me of our mission and calling to the Lord. I'm not totally sure what it is that I've been called to, but I'm sure the Lord will let me know (if he hasn't already) when I need to. Whatever it is, I know God is with me and His Peace will keep me at rest (even when I get irritated). Here is one of my favorite passages, from Philippians, Chapter 4:4-8 (NIV)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

It's amazing that those words were written 2000 years ago. How little life has changed. The world is different, but life (and human nature) remains the same.

As I said, it's late, so I need to rest.

Take joy in the Lord and may God's Peace be with you,
Bill

Our Fifteenth 4th Day

Back to the ole grind today. It's hard to remember that I'm doing it for the Lord sometimes, but I'm working on it. Pray for me that I won't forget that God has put me where he wants me, and that I have a mission to do.

I was touched by something my pastor, Susan Halse, said yesterday. You see, we took up a collection for a small Christian school in Burma. I don't remember how much it was, but whatever we gathered and sent, it was a fortune to them. Probably not enough to get one of those widescreen high definition TVs, but enough to make the little school rich.

In a letter back to us, the teacher said that the village was praying for our congregation--PRAYING FOR US! How odd that sounded. Here we are taking for granted things that would be wealth beyond imagination for the people of the village and they were praying for US and we should have been praying for THEM. It was really humbling. Makes me feel a little foolish.

So, when I'm hating my commute each day, I should really think how ungrateful I'm being that God gives me a good home to drive home to each night. I need to remember that God puts me where he wants me for his Good Will.

God bless,
Bill

De Colores

Our Fourteenth 4th Day

Well, if ever there was a day to say "De Colores", today was the day! This is the Lord's day and what a wonderful day He made. Praise His Holy Name forever. Amen.

YBIC,
Bill

Our Thirteenth 4th Day

Dear Brothers,

Almost two weeks now. I think about this time we were taking the walk. Remember? How special and moving that was!

This morning I read my wife what I posted on Our Fourth 4th Day and when I got to "I do things for my wife without her asking (more than once)", she laughed and said that wasn't true. She said that she has asked me six times to find whatever smells funky in the refrigerator. I told her, "But when I wrote the post, you had only told me once." Needless to say, I cleaned out the refrigerator today. I found a fuzzy gray lime somewhere and that seemed to cure the problem.

We can't forget that we are here to serve the Lord. When I feel that old demon called Selfishness come creeping around, or his cohorts Impatience and Anger, I have to remember to call on the Lord for strength and protection lest I should shame the name of Christ by some rudeness I commit. Remember, we are Christ's saints called by Him to do good things.

God is good and He has been good to me. I am looking forward to seeing you all next Saturday. I hope to find you all well. Until then, may God bless you.

De Colores,
Bill