Tuesday on the Run 06/29/2010
Good Morning. I hope you are having a great day! In spite of the heat, and in spite of whatever problems you’re facing, I hope you are still rejoicing in the Lord. Which brings me to the theme I want us to think about this morning. How are you doing at obeying the command of I Thessalonians 5:16 “Be joyful always.” Is there much joy showing in your life today? How’s your sense of humor? Have you laughed today - even if it’s at yourself? I read a story recently about two great expositors of the world James M. Gray and William Houghton. Dr. Houghton writes of an occasion when he and Dr. Gray were praying together. Dr. Gray, though getting up in years, was still interested in being an effective witness and expositor. He concluded his prayer by saying: “And Lord, keep me cheerful. Keep me from becoming a cranky, old man!” That is a pretty good prayer. As most of us get older, we do tend to be a little more negative. Instead of mellowing out we often become increasingly impatient and short-tempered. We need to pray that the Lord would increase our joy quotient. Solomon gives us some wise counsel in the book of Proverbs about the benefits of maintaining a joyful spirit. A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken … All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast….A joyful heart is good medicine [the Hebrew says, “causes good healing”], but a broken spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 15:13, 15; 17-22). How often do we let minor irritations and insignificant problems rob us of our joy? I have to confess that on a recent trip to a large city [Baltimore] I allowed traffic, one way streets (usually going the wrong way), time pressure and the inability to find a parking place ruin my day. [If that GPS had said “Recalculating” one more time, it might have gone out the window!] My joy disappeared and I just about ruined an otherwise perfect day. Fortunately, Rosemary’s calm spirit and a seven block walk from where we finally did find a parking place allowed my blood pressure to return to normal. I can laugh about it now, but at that moment Satan had robbed me of ALL my joy. The question is how can I keep that from happening again? God (and Rosemary) have forgiven me, but what are some steps I can take to keep minor irritations from getting the best of me. I came up with several:
Be Joyful! Pastor Barry Tuesday On the Run 06/22/2010
Encouragement for Dads Good morning! I hope all you Dads had a great day on Sunday. I’m sure your families treated you like a king. I hope you know how important you are! Strangely our society has relegated fatherhood to the status of non-essential. According to TV, Dad’s are sorta like a toaster or some other small appliance, “It’s nice if you have one, but you can probably get along just fine without them.” Other than pay the bills and make stupid comments on most of the sitcoms, their role is secondary to the mom who really runs the show. Now, I’m not downplaying the role of a godly mom, but I’m a little outraged by that characterization. And to be honest, the statistics tell a different story. Look at these figures from the Virginia Fatherhood Initiative: Do we really need fathers? 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. 71% of teenage pregnancies come from fatherless homes. 85% of all youths in prison grew up in fatherless homes. 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. 75% of adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers are fatherless. 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. The spiritual influence of a Dad committed to Christ, is even more amazing. A well known Christian magazine recently completed a 25 year study. This study proved that if both Mom and Dad attended church regularly and were committed believers, 72% of the time their children would remain faithful and would follow in their parent’s footsteps. If the Dad attended church regularly and the Mom did not, the percentage dropped to 55%. This was a significant decrease, but still over half would become believers. But if only Mom attended regularly and Dad played golf, or went fishing or worked or stayed home then only 15% remained faithful and continued to attend church. Evidently the Father’s example was an extremely crucial part of the equation for family success. The Scripture, particularly the book of Acts, seems to bear this out. It is amazing how many times when a man becomes a believer, his entire household follows him in that decision. Look for instance at the Philippians jailor (Acts 16:31)They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." So Dads, don’t let anyone downplay your role. Step up to the plate and be a major influence in the life of your children and grandchildren. Have a great week! Pastor Barry Tuesday on the Run 06/15/2010
As I sit here at my desk this morning I’m reminded of all the people at our church who do so many things behind the scenes to make our Sunday services a success. From opening the doors (and locking them when it’s over), to making the coffee (very important job), to passing out the bulletins, to taking up the offering, to marking the attendance …. There are hundreds of little tasks that never get noticed unless someone isn’t here to do them. Even during the week we have people who carry trash to the dump, restock the kitchen cabinets, put out offering envelopes … Lisa even washes my coffee cup once a week whether it needs it or not. Without these unsung heroes things would not run so smoothly. May their tribe increase. And to each of you we say a huge thank you! Yet, I know at times you may feel like no one notices or no one cares. It is easy to get discouraged. I love Paul’s encouragement in Galatians 6: 9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” If you feel like giving up this morning, whatever your task, maybe this little story will help. Some years ago Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish pianist was scheduled to perform at a great concert hall. It was a black-tie affair—a high-society extravaganza. Present in the audience that evening was a woman who had brought her nine-year old son, hoping that he would be encouraged to practice the piano if he could just hear the great Paderewski at the keyboard. Weary of waiting for the concert to begin — and being there against his wishes anyway — the lad squirmed restlessly in his seat. Then, as his mother turned to talk with friends, the boy slipped out of his seat and down the aisle, strangely drawn by the ebony concert grand sitting majestic and alone at the center of the huge stage. He sat down on the tufted leather stool, placed his small hands on the black and white keys, and began to play “Chop Sticks.” Suddenly the crowd hushed, and hundreds of frowning faces turned in his direction. Irritated and angry, some began to shout: “Hey, get that boy away from there!” “Where’s his mother?” “Somebody stop him!” Backstage, Paderewski heard the uproar and the sound of the simple tune. When he saw what was happening, he hurried onto the stage. Without a word to the audience, he walked up behind the lad, reached his arms around either side of him, and began to improvise a countermelody. As the two made music together, the master pianist kept whispering in the boy’s ear: “Keep going. Don’t quit, son. Keep on playing ...don’t stop...don’t quit.” So it is with us. We hammer away at life, and sometimes it seems about as significant as “Chop Sticks.” Then, about the time we are ready to give up, along comes the Master, who leans over and whispers: “Don’t quit. Keep going,” as He provides His finishing touch of grace, love, and joy at just the right moment. Take courage! Keep on keeping on! Who knows what God may accomplish through our feeble efforts. Have a great week! Tuesday on the Run 06/08/2010
Good Morning! Sunday was another great day at Parkway Wesleyan. I keep hearing comments like “God is doing something great in our church” or “WOW! Was God’s Spirit ever here this morning!” Another person told me recently, “I don’t want to be away for fear I might miss something.” All I can say is that “It is a God Thing.” The Lord is pouring out His Spirit upon us. We were especially blessed to have Pastor Luis Martinez with us this past Lord’s day. Luis shared with us some exciting stories concerning the recent flooding, volcanic eruption and subsequent mud slides in Guatemala. God granted Luis favor with the police who used their 4-wheel drive vehicle to rescue an 11 member team of nursing students from Indiana Wesleyan University, who had to walk 3 miles through mud sometimes almost to their waist. He also shared about the critical need for things like blankets, water and food. Please keep the people of Guatemala in your prayers. Hundreds, including many children, are missing and presumed dead. Many are isolated and do not even have access to the basic necessities. We were able to send Luis back with an offering of over $1,700.00. It is still not too late to give your offering just mark it for Guatemala Relief. Pastor Luis shared a great message about asking God to give us eyes to see the world as He sees it; and ears like God’s that are attentive to the cries of the needy; and a heart that loves like Jesus and that is moved with compassion. As I was driving home from church the Lord reinforced Luis’ message by allowing me to hear the popular song by Brandon Heath, “Give Me Your Eyes”. Listen to the words of the chorus …… Give me your eyes for just one second Give me your eyes so I can see Everything that I keep missing Give me your love for humanity. Give me your arms for the broken hearted The ones that are far beyond my reach? Give me your heart for the one’s forgotten Give me your eyes so I can see. I trust this week we will allow the Holy Spirit to make us sensitive to the needs that are all around us. Let’s love like Jesus loves. Just a quick report. Our Missions team (Pastor Dale and Don) arrived in Arizona. Reports are sketchy, since they have no phone or internet service. We will try to post updates as soon as they are available. Pastor Barry P.S. Don’t forget the Men’s Breakfast this coming Saturday, 7:00 AM at Country Cooking. Tuesday on the Run 06/01/2010
 A number of years ago I remember taking my children to see the Vietnam Memorial (TheWall) in Washington DC. We had been laughing, talking and having fun as we visited the Lincoln Memorial and walked across the mall area. But as we approached that sacred memorial a sense of reverence and awe overcame us. No one spoke and we walked in silence. There were several families placing flowers. There were men in uniform touching names carved into that wall. One soldier stood at attention and saluted. And though I did not personally know anyone whose name was on that wall, I was keenly aware of the price they paid for my freedom. We should never take that lightly. I hope you took time over this weekend to give thanks and remember those who paid the ultimate price for our security and freedom. As I reflected this weekend, I also thought of the host of spiritual warriors who have battled the forces of evil down through the centuries. Their courage, their witness, their prayers have made it possible for us to know the gospel. Were it not for their faithfulness, we might still be walking in darkness. We need to consider what kind of legacy we are leaving for the next generation. Unless we remain committed to the truth, unless we faithfully share the good news of the gospel, and unless we demonstrate a clear example of holy living our grandchildren may grow up in a totally pagan environment. Finally, I can’t help but think this Memorial Day of the One who so willingly gave his life for me at Calvary. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God. Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with god because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Romans 4:25-5:1. Every time we gather to worship, every time we pray, every time we celebrate Communion we remember Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. As the hymn writer puts it, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all.” Have a great week. God bless. Yours for Christ, Pastor Barry |
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