Do We Really?

So his master said, 'Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. Luke 14:23 (NLT)

Had lunch today with my bride. Parked my trusty Fiero out towards the end of student parking, because the visitors parking is limited to 30 minutes. Enjoyed my lunch, but when I returned to the car, found a parking ticket because I didn't have an OWC sticker. Drat.

So where is a visitor supposed to park? Or are all visitors limited to 30 minutes on campus? Inquiring minds would ask if visitors were expected or welcomed. I know that's not the case, but apparently someone never thought through the problem, probably because it wasn't a problem to them.

Rode back to the church, and on our sign was this statement: "Turned off by church but not by God? Check us out"

After my experience at OWC, I'm a little afraid of that quip. What if they come? Will they be turned off again?

The average church-goer thinks about as much about the barriers that churches put between seekers and God as a fish thinks about water. Since they have always been there - they know where everything is. Since they've always worshipped in a particular fashion - they can't understand why newbies don't get it. Since they've always used "Christian-ese" to describe the things of God - they are dumbfounded when someone says "but what does that mean?"

Do we really want seekers to "check us out"?

If we do, then we'll have to be true to deliver the message of the apostles delivered once and for all, while making sure the places and methods we deliver it with don't confuse, frustrate, or obstruct God's desire to bring them to Him.

Grace!

David

Postscript:

5 minutes after I wrote this, I got an email from a lady on the mailing list who works for the president of OWC. She asked to be dropped from the list.

There's a message there somewhere. :)

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

It Was A Dark and Stormy Night

Charles Shultz, the creator of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and all the gang, had success as a cartoonist because he wrote life into his characters. Each one of them was so human - even Snoopy, that we could readily identify with them. The title of this devotional comes from Snoopy's continual attempt to write the "Great American Novel", always with the same opening words - "It was a dark and stormy night..."

We have those. Nights when we can't sleep because worry prods us awake. Nights when we lie awake in fear, wondering if we are going to make it - if it all is going to be okay. Despite every outward appearance of tranquility, maybe even a spouse fast asleep beside us, the light races away and the storms come.

Few have had a night worse than Abraham.


Later on God tested Abraham's faith and obedience. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am."2 "Take your son, your only son--yes, Isaac, whom you love so much--and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will point out to you."3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son Isaac. Then he chopped wood to build a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place where God had told him to go.

Gen 22:2-3 (NLT)

I was reading this today in preparation for tonight's Bible study, and it jumped out at me: "The next morning..."

That meant Abraham was told the day before, and spent a dark and stormy night in advance of his departure. What follows in the remainder of the chapter is one of the pinnacles of faithful obedience in all of the Bible. How did Abraham do it? How could someone endure such a trial?

Lots of people go through tests every day - a doctor delivers bad news, a spouse says goodbye, the boss hands you a pink slip. Life has its share of everyday troubles, this we know well. In watching people over the years, one trait has stood out for me in those who overcome such difficulties..

They have a Big God.

By that I mean that their God can do whatever He chooses to do - there are no limits to His power, no barriers to His love. He's a Big God.

So when trials come, they turn in trust to God and think "I can't wait to see how He gets me out of this one." That's not to say that they don't stumble at first - shock affects everyone. But when they get their "feet" back under them, they start believing God is able to take care of them.

Abraham had a BIG GOD.

We read this and take great logical leaps. "Well, Jesus raised Lazarus, and Paul raised Eutychus, and besides, Jesus rose from the dead. No sweat.

Might I point out to you that Abraham had absolutely no experience with resurrection?

THUD - (preconcieved notions hitting the floor)

But he believed God.

I'm not going to tell you that a living faith in Jesus Christ will mean that you avoid any of the troubles known to man. But I will tell you this - when you've trusted God with your whole life, He'll take care of you. Nothing will separate you from God's love.

So if it's dark and stormy where you are right now, move closer to the Light.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Verily, Verily

"Expedition V. Rhinoplasty", "Fractious S. Lineart", "Stargazing F. Propensity" all know my name.

I'll open my email inbox and there they are, along with a few of their other brothers and sisters, trying to sell me something I don't want or need. Bunny and Sean get emails like that too, and we've begun comparing names every now and then to see who has the most outrageous.

It didn't take but a couple of those emails to figure out that someone has a computer and a lexicon and knows how to use them. They randomly generate names just so you won't know who is sending them. The names are meaningless. Cool, quirky, but meaningless.

I'm reading through the early New Testament today, sort of hit and miss. The idea was to read only the words of Jesus, and immerse myself in the scenes and people around Him. Thank God for red letter Bibles.

What I found was this - Jesus loved people like no one ever has.

Sure you can read His words to the religious fakes and catch a real edge to His voice - even anger. He did that out of love too - for the people who needed to know God loved them. And in the final week of His life on earth, knowing that His message of love would be rejected by those fakes as God's messages to them had always been - He wept. That's amazing love.

When I reached the end of my Bible journey, I was in the book of John. It was there I noticed another name that was different. Just like those email names in a way, since the person had a name, but used a phrase to replace it.

"The one Jesus loved..."

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. John 20:2 (NLT)

What made John stop using his name? Was he doing that to say to others "Jesus loves me best?"

No, I don't believe so. I think John grasped what it means to know that God loves us. I think the love Jesus showed the people around Him convinced John that the greatest thing in the world was to be known as someone Jesus loves.

Well friends, verily verily I tell you the truth, you are one Jesus loves too. And when you love Him back with everything you've got to give, gradually, little by little, you'll learn just How much you are loved. Toward the end of His life, after decades of following in Jesus' way of love, John wrote this. He was still amazed by Jesus' love.

See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

Are you amazed? Try calling yourself "the one Jesus loves."

Go live it!

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Throw the Stone

3The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone 4and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. 5Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?" 6They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. 7They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." John 8:3-7 The Message

Preparing like thousands of other pastors this week for Holy Week coming Sunday, I've been reading the account of the ministry of Jesus in John's gospel. Today I stopped here. Or I guess I should say "it stopped me."

It probably was easy for the religion scholars to get all worked up over the woman in this story's sin. She was guilty of breaking God's law - no doubt. They could point and yell and grab and drag her to justice. It's always easier to see someone else's sin, and we've got an incredibly powerful ability to get angry when we can do that while keeping our moral distance from those we catch.

If we think about it, our lives are full of those instances. Growing up in the South, I heard about "those blacks. On a trip to Texas, someone wanted to talk about "those Mexicans." Even in church, we have a tendency to try to take the same moral high ground when we talk about "those abortionists" or "those homosexuals".

Feels good too.

Until God shows up.

This day, the men in their ignorance had made the mistake of bringing their feigned outrage to the only one Who had a right to be angry. They turned their attention from her to Him as they kept hounding the Son of God to agree that they were better than the woman they had caught.

Instead, He turned toward them and hurled their words back with brute force. "Throw the stone."

He only made one condition, but it was one neither they, nor you and I can ever hope to meet.

I wonder what it sounded like as the stones dropped into the dust?

I know what it sounded like here as I threw my stone away.

"Lord have mercy on me a sinner."

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

After the Doubt

"I doubt it."

Those might be the words you live by.

People have let you down so many times that when you catch a glimpse of hope, or someone seems to come into your life that gives you an indication that things might be different - that your life could change, the first words that come to your mind are "I doubt it."

You aren't alone in that.

One thing I am constantly thankful for are the realistic pictures I get when I read about people's lives as shown to us in the Bible. Despite all the people we sometimes see in church making constant efforts to present a plastic "front" to their lives, when we look at the Bible, we see a quite different person emerging. One who is real in their fears, in their worries, and in their doubts.

I'm preparing for tonight's Bible study, and I come across Abraham and Sarah. "God bless them", my mother would have said. They were so mixed up at times and made so many mistakes along the way. An example:

Then one of them said, "About this time next year I will return, and your wife Sarah will have a son." Now Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent nearby. And since Abraham and Sarah were both very old, and Sarah was long past the age of having children, she laughed silently to herself. "How could a worn-out woman like me have a baby?" she thought. "And when my master--my husband--is also so old?"

Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' Is anything too hard for the LORD? About a year from now, just as I told you, I will return, and Sarah will have a son." Sarah was afraid, so she denied that she had laughed. But he said, "That is not true. You did laugh." Gen 18:10-15 (NLT)

And that's where it ends. We are left with a picture of a woman who doubts that God can do what He says He will do, who laughs almost in His face - is caught doing it, then denies it to His face. Not a pretty picture.

We have several slogans around here at New Hope, but perhaps my favorite is a quote from an old saint named A.W. Tozer. I'm convinced it helped all of us as a church look past our doubts and focus on God's promises. Tozer wrote:

"Anything God has ever done, He can do now. Anything He has ever done anywhere, He can do here. Anything He has ever done for anyone, He can do for you."

Would Sarah have said that? Maybe not at first, but she did grow to believe God could. After the doubt, came a time of reflection, and a realization that God was able. Later we read:

Sarah, too, had faith, and because of this she was able to become a mother in spite of her old age, for she realized that God, who gave her his promise, would certainly do what he said. Heb 11:11 (Living)

Friends, I'm sending this to you today to tell you that God has not changed. But some of us need to. Embrace the idea that God loves you, and that He can do whatever He needs to do to help you see that. He can lift you when you are weak. He can still your heart when you are fearful. He can demonstrate His power anyway He chooses.

He can do that in your life, in the life of those around you, in your community, in a church.

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL.

Grey - Go Away!

It was grey today. In a place that gets over 300 days of mostly sunshine.

Everything was wrapped into a big grey package that you kept waiting for the sun to rip open.

But he never did.

I'm not really into grey. (Understatement alert!!!!)

And I'm ready for winter to be over.

The earth around me is beginning its annual revolt against the forces of greyness. Pink azaleas have begun to appear, along with daffodils. Soon the rebellion will be all around me, as each flower, each tree competes to see who can contribute the most to the banishment of all things grey to wherever grey goes until next winter.

Good riddance. Old Man Winter can pack his bags and leave any time. In the meantime though, I've got to look forward, not back, just as I have to look forward to what God has for me, not back through my old grey life without Him.

Listen to how expectantly Paul of Tarsus writes about what's ahead for believers. It's like Spring!

12So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it--yourself life one red cent. 13There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. 14God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

15This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" The Letter to the Romans, chapter 8 The Message

Call me "Adventurously expectant" about what God's going to do around us and in us beginning again tomorrow - rain or shine. :)

There are things to do and places to see with our loving God. I can't wait to see what's next.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Light In Dark Places

I saw the first daffodil of spring today.

And every robin within 5 miles showed up in front of my office to remind me that Old Man Winter is on his last legs here. I needed to hear that, because after being down here almost six years, apparently my blood has thinned to the point that a 50 degree morning has a real chill to it.

Remember, I was born and raised in Middle Georgia, where a winter just isn't winter unless you have a good old fashioned ice storm, and at least a couple of days without electrical power. When I left there, I gave away all my cold weather gear - my parka good to 5 degrees, my leather gloves, my scarf and stocking hats. I kept one coat, and grumbled about having to do that. I was moving to Florida - why would I need a coat?

But it gets cold here sometimes. Gray days happen, seeming to drag along one after another, until they pull down your spirit with it.

So God sent me daffodils and robins.

As our church has grown, we've embraced so many awesome people. Those families added to the ones who originally dreamed the dream that became New Hope make Sunday each week a celebration of just how good God is.

But there are gray days for some at times.

Today I visited one in the hospital, talked to several going through trials on the phone, and visited with one saint who may be headed home soon. That wasn't an easy visit. Even though she was in good spirits, thankful for her family and church, and confident in her God's love and care, when I left I was touched by sadness, knowing we might not have many more conversations.

As I was walking to the car, I prayed that God would shine His love into that home for all to see. One day, He's going to do that for everyone. One day His light will shine into the darkest places.

7 In that day he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. 8 He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken!
Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 (Is 25:6-8). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House.

One day our Loving Father will end all our pain and heartache. And His own hand will wipe away every tear.

Friends, it may be dark where you are too, but the Light that came into this world through Jesus Christ is as close as you'll let Him be. Take heart! Have hope! If God is for us, who can stand against us?

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

"When You Get the Chance"

A friend and I were finishing a conversation the other day, and right before we ended it, he said "when you get the chance, come see us." It's one of those things you say full of more hope than substance, knowing that in this busy world, it might happen, but likely as not it won't. Good thing to do? Absolutely. Gonna get done? Pretty doubtful.

Call it a hunch, but it seems that's the nature of human interaction - Good intentions.

We so often fail to act on them that we just accept such a lack of love as "just the way it is." After all, we are all busy. "Who has time?", we'll say.

Yet we are the same people who say that we seek to pattern our lives after the One Who in His essential nature is love.

It hurt me to write that.

God's example is so clear.

43"You're familiar with the old written law, "Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, "Hate your enemy.' 44I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, 45for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best--the sun to warm and the rain to nourish--to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. Matthew 5:43-45 The Message

God loves. He loves those who refuse His love, and those who embrace His love. Even before any one of us now alive drew our first breath, or committed our first sin, God had already paid the price Himself for those wrong-doings.

7We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. 8But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. Romans 5:7-8 The Message

God put His love on the line- on the cross, so that whoever decided to turn away from their old life of lies and embrace the new life of love would have a home to come to, arms to run into, shoulders to cry on. And the Bible says that was His plan from the beginning.

He didn't wait until He "had a chance."

Friends, there are days like this that make me re-evaluate just who I am and what I'm doing. Right now it's busy here. Things are jumping, and I'm doing a lot for God. But am I doing it in love? Purposeing to let God's love flow through me? Letting Him use my hands, my feet, my speech to love others?

"If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing." 1 Cor. 13:2 The Message

So the preacher opened his Bible and His heart this morning friends, and God whacked me upside of the heart. Maybe you are there too. Maybe you are doing a lot, but loving a little. Or maybe you are living and loving on your schedule, and giving the people around you only that love you "get a chance" to give.

I don't know. But I know this - I want to be like Jesus.

When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. 29It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying--quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard. Matthew 7:28-29 The Message

Don't you?

Grace!

David Wilson

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

A Wee Little Man and a Great Big Question

Below is an encounter Jesus had with Zacchaeus. As I read it today, I thought about all the other "Zacchaeus people" I've known over the years. I've tried to put myself in the shoes of one of his neighbors. Maybe you can too.

Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. 2There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. 3He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way--he was a short man and couldn't see over the crowd. 4So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home."

Zacchaeus would have been someone who lived down the street from us. We worked hard, paid our bills, tried to raise our kids the right way, and went to church. We were good people. But people like Zacchaeus - we couldn't understand them - or really, what God was up to.

While we were doing all the right things, Zacchaeus wasn't. But far from being punished by God, he prospered. Even when we had to scrape by to make ends meet, or borrow money to pay our taxes, Zacchaeus had money. He had it all it seemed, and that made it harder.

6Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. 7Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?"

"That's right!", we would have said. "Who does he think he is? Doesn't he know who he's getting mixed up with? He should be spending his time with us church folks." After all, that's what a rabbi is supposed to do.

But instead, Jesus not only noticed that the guy everyone thought had it all was empty inside, but he made Zacchaeus feel something he hadn't felt for a long time - love. You see Zacchaeus had been playing the game too. If he couldn't be respected, if he couldn't be loved for who he was, he'd be feared for how much he owned and what his power could do. It had been a long time since he'd let his guard down for a moment. But this man... Jesus made him remember how it felt not to measure his life by coins and gold and silver bars. Jesus stood there in a simple robe, and was everything Zacchaeus in his rich silks and gold jewelry wanted to be.

8Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master, I give away half my income to the poor--and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four times the damages." 9Jesus said, "Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! 10For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost."

Now the Great Big Question - would you have loved Zacchaeus?

Could you have seen past the riches to the bankrupt soul?

Whatever means or method you use to share your faith must begin with love. It is that "Jesus-love" that will cause you to look for people like Zacchaeus, and it is that "Jesus-love" that will help you look past their present to their Christ-following future.

Take a look around your neighborhood.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Who Do You See?

Macon, GA - sometime in the mid 1960's. Vietnam is only beginning to be a household word, civil rights aren't right and in a few short years the fight for them won't be very civil. My mom is busy on a Saturday morning, returning Christmas presents. Since this is pre-mall era, we are downtown on the corner of Cherry and First streets - in other words, on the busiest corner in town.

My brother and I come to a proper halt beside our mother as we wait for the light to change. Something causes me to look to my right, and there I see an older black man, sitting, and strumming a beat up guitar. He's wearing a suit jacket, a pork-pie hat, and as he sings, he rolls his head side to side. In front of him sits a tin cup.

I turn to my mother and ask her, "who is that man?"

She immediately grabs our hands and walks us over to "Blind Willie", fishes in her cavernous purse, and produces a five dollar bill, which she places in his cup. Then she says to the man, "Willie, these are my boys, David and Bruce. They noticed your playing and wanted to meet you." He had stopped playing, and now his hand extended outward, unsure as to where to reach, but reaching nonetheless. "Pleased to meet you boys."

We shook his hand. It was warm and smooth and rough at the same time.

Then we went on our way.

In later years, we would see him again and again, and my mother never failed to greet him, and to give something, even if coins were all she had.

I thought about Willie today for the first time in a long while. And I wondered how long he had been there before I noticed.

Reading the gospels this week, what Clarence Jordan described as Jesus' doin's, I was stuck over and over again by how often he noticed people that others did not - and not only noticed them, but gave them respect.

Have you ever noticed this passage?

Not long afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby cities and villages to announce the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women he had healed and from whom he had cast out evil spirits. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. Luke 8:1-3 (NLT)

Luke names several women as members of Jesus' traveling group, and then he writes "and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples."

When "credit" is given for what happens in a church, often it is the most visible who receive it. Most often it is the pastor, sometimes the teachers, or worship leaders, or perhaps a deacon. They are visible - obvious even - but what about those not named, those "many others?"

I'm here today to say thank you.

Thank you for giving to the Lord to support children's ministry, even though your children are grown.
Thank you for supporting the work of your staff, even though they preach from the wrong version and sing the wrong music.
Thank you for digging deep, way past your tithe, time and again, to help your church continue to reach out to people for Jesus' sake.
Thank you for bringing coffee, or paper towels, or crayons, or a hundred other items to church, and never caring whether anyone knew or not.
Thank you for cleaning, and mowing, and painting, and another hundred other things you did though no one saw you do it.

Jesus saw you, and I thank you.

You know, sometimes we have to be taught to see -to know that it is not about us. Look around you and see who has been a help or an inspiration to you and let them know how much you appreciate it.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Aha!

"If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.35 If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. Mark 8:35 (NLT)

They call them aha moments.

Maybe you've had one too.

I remember reading about Hank Aaron,who grew up just west of me in Mobile, AL. Seems when Hank was a little boy, he picked up a baseball bat. (And the rest is history... yes, I know... don't jump ahead of me.)

He picked up the bat and put his right hand at the bottom and the left hand on top. Then he proceeded to learn to hit the baseball far and often. But not as far as he did when one day a coach convinced him to try the more conventional way of left hand on the bottom, right hand on top. Aha! (Okay, now you can say "and the rest is history.")

Today, I was explaining to a little girl about Jesus and His love for her. Haylee is a bundle of energy wrapped in a determined little girl. She's a red haired, freckled example of the kind of work God does when He wants to show us just what kids are supposed to look like. And Haylee wanted to know Jesus "in her heart."

So my wife, (the incredible Miss Bunny) and I made plans to meet with Haylee and her mom this afternoon and try to explain the mysteries of God. I was well into that explanation (after Bunny had laid the groundwork), when I looked down at Haylee and she looked up at me, and I worried for a second that in spite of all the efforts our family of faith had done or would do, Haylee might not understand what it meant to follow Jesus.

So I asked her if she loved Him.

She said yes.

Friends, it was as if a flashbulb illuminated my soul. Aha!

We need to teach people how to fall in love with Jesus, and help them learn what will help them make their love for Him grow!

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that far too much of what we do in our gatherings is rehash the same facts we've known for years, and rarely if ever speak of our love relationship with Jesus. The danger in that, is we wind up knowing an awful lot of Bible, but miss the author, or if we do meet Him, we regard Him as one would a learned professor, rather than someone whose passion caused Him to die well before we ever even noticed He existed.

Then we give people guidelines on what to do each day - how much to read, how long to pray, what to listen to. We teach them self-discipline. Well, I'm pretty disciplined, but I fall off the exercise wagon regularly, because I don't like to exercise - I just know it's good for me.

But love - love will make you want to do whatever it takes to make the object of your affection happy. You want to give them joy. So you forget about yourself, and every day you do whatever it takes - go wherever you need to go.

" 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.'

Can you do that?

If you can, then following Christ will be as natural as breathing. And the pressure, the guilt, the anxiety - will be gone forever.

It's called,

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

The Cost of Christmas

Well, it's almost Christmas. The traffic is thicker and our patience is thinner. We're beginning to put one eye on the calendar and the other on the checkbook make sure that one doesn't get ahead of the other. That fear can begin to start - what if we don't have enough? Don't you miss those days as children when you never gave a thought to Christmas' cost?

My family was not wealthy by any means, but neither were we poor. Like many, we lived from week to week, knew our banker or loan officer well, and while we never lacked, we never prospered. Yet every Christmas that I can remember came and went leaving me filled with the belief that I had been blessed. If I wanted a "Johnny 7 One Man Army Gun" badly enough, it seemed to find its way to the tree. If a "Model Motoring by Aurora" racetrack caught my fancy, well, apparently Santa knew that too.

Even though I knew from my trips to the stores that such things had prices, I never concerned myself with the cost.

Yet there was a cost - a sacrifice for my parents - every year. As I grew older, I'd catch snippets of conversations about the bills, and their struggle to pay them. "What are we going to do?", I'd hear my Mother say with worry and fear coloring her voice. "I don't know, but they are going to have Christmas," replied my Father, somewhat more hopefully, but still unsure. And off they'd go to the Western Auto, or to Sears, or to somewhere else they could buy toys and pay on time.

Gradually I realized that my Christmas gifts cost them dearly. In time, in energy, in stress. My mother would cut corners - patch jeans, save pennies. My father would work overtime even after his regular swing shift. So somehow, every year there'd come Christmas. It came with a cost.

It always has.

A few days after the first Christmas, Joseph and Mary went to church to dedicate their son. An old man named Simeon, who had been told by God he wouldn't die until he saw Messiah was there.

Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, "This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. 35 Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." Luke 2:34-35 (NLT)

At eight days after his birth, Jesus' 14 year old Mother would just be discovering what it means to have a baby boy - a son. She'd be just like all parents with their first-born - finding themselves looking over at them in amazement, not able to believe what God had given them. Times like that are like the best of Christmas - pure joy.

But Simeon told her of the cost of Christmas too.

And on the way home, as they went past the city gates, they passed those punished for their crimes by the Roman authorities. A peculiar method Rome had picked up from a country they had conquered, and improved to make it even more cruel. It was a very effective public display found outside the city gates of most cities.

Joseph, Mary and the baby passed by, still filled with joy, under the shadow of the cross.

For God so loved... He gave... His one and only Son.

For me... for you, for whoever will believe in Him.

The cost of Christmas has never been higher, or so willingly paid.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

It Could Be Today

One of the best things to happen to me this Christmas season is that I've tried to forget everything I already knew about Christ's birth. (Yes, those of you who know me well, forgetfullness isn't much of an effort.) We have the Christmas story so dialed into our conciousness that we go on automatic, like cows headed for the barn, and never think there could be aspects of the events we don't know that would surprise us.

So I have deliberately tried to forget what I knew, and gone back to look at the story with fresh eyes.

Today, our weather here is rainy and seems to be headed toward a cold, cold weekend for Christmas. There's even a chance of snow flurries on Christmas Eve. That will make travel very difficult here in the South. But not as difficult as that of Joseph and Mary.

You see we just arrange the figures in the nativity each year knowing they are all supposed to show up at the stable. But they all got there from somewhere else. The shepherds came from nearby fields, but they had to decide whether to risk their livelihood to see what God had done. Going back the next morning to find the owner of the sheep standing over stacks of wolf-killed sheep rapidly approaching their sell-by date of expiration wouldn't have been pleasant at all. But they were willing - because God had acted!

Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem after an arduous trip from Nazareth. Going up and down over mountains and hills means that today’s distance of 100 miles might have been double or even triple for Joseph and Mary. The lack of roads meant they had to climb the hillsides along a narrow muddy path in winter. It’s not very safe for a strong carpenter like Joseph. But add a pregnant woman riding on a donkey? How careful they had to be! Joseph wasn’t a rich man. So where did they stay at night? The mother of the Son of God must have slept beside the road. Gangs of robbers on the roads made night traveling dangerous.

And there was no telling when the baby would come. The fear and frustration of not being able to find shelter each night with a baby so close must have made a stable seem much better than it ordinarily would.

I wonder if Joseph remembered a little prophecy from a man called Micah, and reassured Mary?

Micah 5:2 (The Message)
But you, Bethlehem, David's country,
the runt of the litter--
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule Israel.
He'll be no upstart, no pretender.
His family tree is ancient and distinguished.

Friends, I wish I could tell you how many times I've been about to go insane with worry, and a scrap of Scripture popped into my head, telling me exactly what I needed to hear. Calming me, reminding me of God's unchanging promises and unending love.

Maybe you think you know all you need to know about the Bible and what it says. Well, if you still struggle with fear, with worry, with living a godly life, my gut feeling would be that you know more about the words than the Author.

Try this. Pick up a version of the Scriptures you have never used before. Borrow one if you can. Go to God in prayer and ask Him to begin again with your heart as though you had never heard of His love for you. Ask Him to amaze you, to draw you inside the stories of how He worked in people's lives.

Then pray every day that He will work inside yours.

Your greatest day yet lived could be today.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Do You Hear It?

I will sing of the tender mercies of the LORD forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

Psalms 89:1-2 (NLT)

Last night Bunny and I attended a concert of our local High School chorus. Two of the singers were New Hope's own - Brittany Edwards and Kristin Morton, so we were eager to see the performance, which is an annual event.

The arts center, an imposing facility, was packed. Announcements were made about the night's program and both verbally and through an insert in the program, we were instructed on how to behave. We thought it a little odd to read such explicit information and laughed about how rigid they were.

Once the performance began, the lights were dimmed and we looked forward to an empty stage. The choir risers were empty, and the grand piano sat alone. I watched as a boy of perhaps 7 in front of us squirmed excitedly, then as he realized no one was coming out on stage, he slumped in his seat.

High above in the balcony, each member of the chorus ringed the edges. In the darkness, they each lit individual battery operated candles. The effect was striking, and the child was turning in his seat and pointing out to his mother what he saw. The concert began, and he turned and sat facing forward.

As the concert continued through several classical pieces, the effect of the music and the darkness had different effects on people. Some seemed to really enjoy simply hearing the music without any distractions. Others found that the combination of soothing music and darkness was ideal for a nap.

Our young neighbor though, found the music.

Looking up, he saw the conductor, who stood out against the darkness as he stood behind the lecturn, illuminated for his use. His eyes lit up, and then his hands rose skyward. Tenatively at first, he tried to follow the conductors movements. And as he did, his gestures became more fluid, more delicate - he was hearing the music as if for the first time. It was glorious to watch.

Friends, I thought about you for the next few moments.

My role as pastor means that I'm involved in shaping for a congregation, and to a certain extant through my devotionals for you, an understanding of the miracle of God's "music" of love for you. My passion in that role causes me at times to anguish over how many are surrounded by that "music" and just don't hear it. Some, like my friends at the concert, simply see grace as a reason to relax and enjoy life, never giving a thought to the Giver. Others hear the "music" but never respond by sharing it with others.

But every now and then, the "music" breaks through to ears ready to hear it- breaks through to the heart.

Once it does, you are changed.

My prayer for you is always this - that you come to know just how deeply loved you are.

Yes, people can get in the way of the "music". Even in the child's case that inspired this devotional, when he pointed out to his Mom what he heard, and showed her his response, she stopped him from expressing his joy. I pray he'll try again.

Just as I pray you'll try again.

The miracle didn't stop with Christmas. Do you hear it?

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Holding On To Hope

All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. Luke 2:18-19 (NLT)

When you hold an infant, the incredible reality of their innocence and helplessness is obvious. If they are very young, you might be cautioned on just how to hold them, or you might be encouraged if there's a nip in the air to keep them bundled up. Every care is taken to make sure they have everything they need to not just live, but to thrive - to grow.

I love to reach out to their hands and have the baby curl their fingers around mine. Sometimes I'm amazed at just how fiercely they grasp. They hold on tight and at times you have to gently pry your finger from their grasp.

If there's a subplot to the Christmas story, it is in the heart of Mary. For the birth that brought great joy to the world came through pain for her, and at a cost. It was all so different. She had imagined having children with Joseph in her hometown someday, with the birth accompanied by soft music outside which was the custom. If it was a boy, no doubt he would follow in his father's path, becoming a carpenter - respected, but not worshipped.

And yet here she was, far from home, in a stable with animals providing the Muzak - watching shepherds praise her baby as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So she kept her thoughts close and her baby closer. Messiah? Savior? This little one?

Well, until that time He was her baby boy, and as for what might be someday, she'd leave that to the One Who gave her this miracle, and know that as long as she held Him close, she was holding on to hope.

What are you holding onto this Christmas?

Or perhaps I should ask, Who is holding on to you?

Friends, just as I've been amazed at how tightly a baby grasps my finger, there have been times when in trouble I've seen God's hand hold me and keep me secure from harm.

The Bible tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8)

So even when we no longer can hold on - He never lets go.

Remember - no matter what the world might say about you, God spent everything on His gift for you. Do as Mary did - think about that often, it'll bring you hope.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Jo to the world

Walking along the hall of our local hospital, headed to visit a member in ICU, I passed several of the different departments, each of which had decorated their doors for the season. I'm not sure what season though, as it appeared every single expression took great pains not to wish anyone a Merry Christmas.

There was "Happy Holidays" - should be good all year.

Then "Season's Greetings" - only have to change that twice down here, since we only have two seasons.

But finally, I passed a door in which someone had taken silver foil and covered the front, and across the face were the words:

"JO TO THE WORLD." (I think it was missing a letter :)

My question is "Y?"

Is a way of living that emphasizes honesty, integrity, care for your fellow men and women, and selfless living so threatening that it cannot be mentioned? Sometimes I think Harry Potter had the wrong person in mind when he spoke of "He Who Must Not Be Named." It's not Voldemort's name people seem to fear, it is Jesus.

And yet what are they really rejecting?

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!
Luke 2:9-10 (NLT)

Friends, it is good news. No longer does anyone have to live in fear.

Unless you choose to.

Praying that this time of year is more to you than just a season, a holiday, or debt.

I pray you find JOY!

Grace!

David
www.newhopevalp.org

So, You're a Preacher...

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers--Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew--fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. 19Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" 20And they left their nets at once and went with him. Matthew 4:21-23

There are times when I have to laugh about the position God has placed me into. Here's a guy who was after the American Dream - had a great job with one of the best companies on earth, great family, new car, new house.. etc. We had just finished a year within which we had reached a level of income we had never seen before. Our friends at church were great, the church was growing, and we were a part of it. Word within the church was I was a shoo in for deacon.

Then God went and made me a preacher.

Which leaves me wide open for questions like the title of this devotional, and several others.

Such as, why?

If it was in pursuit of accomplishment - well I'll have you know I had already achieved great success.

For example, were you aware that I had sold the first full page color Pepto Bismol ad in the known world? Ha! Didn't think so.

Or that I had sold 23 trucks full of Folgers coffee, marking the single biggest purchase on record for that brand? No? Well, now you know.

When the gentleman asked me why this weekend, I didn't share those with him. Instead, I told him I was called.

A calling from God is more than a conversation, it's a hunger, a passion, a consuming fire. When the 17th century scientist Pascal died in 1662, his friend found a scrap of paper in his coat. An excerpt from Pascal's journal of 8 years before was written on it. "From about half past ten in the evening until about half past twelve FIRE..."

We don't know what happened to Pascal that night. Nothing physical changed about him. But the passion for God was ignited in him in a way it never had been before. His life changed. His desires changed. His goals changed. What mattered to him before - what had great significance to him and to the world - no longer mattered. It had been burned away by fire.

"They left their nets at once and followed Him."

Friends, if you want to know Truth - truth that will grab you by heart, mind and soul, truth that will become your desire, your rock-solid foundation, your reason for living each day, that will let you rest easy in the knowledge that your efforts have not been in vain, that your life does matter - then listen to the call of Jesus. Come and follow ...

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Gatherings

They had come from all over to witness, to celebrate - love. Some on the groom's side, some on the bride's side - but now they were all on one side -for love. It wasn't the size of the crowd that impressed, since you can draw a crowd by any number of means, No, it was their purpose - to celebrate and to lend their support by their presence to this grand leap into the future.

People of all ages, types, races and relationships came into the old church's chapel. Some looked at home there, seeming to have spent a lot of time in sacred spaces. They entered with eyes fixed on the stunning stained glass rendition of Jesus the good shepherd. Coming forward, they found their places in pews older than many of them. Welcomed home, they leafed through the Bibles and hymnals as if they had found a family heirloom.

Others were clearly uncomfortable, like people in someone else's home. Their eyes darted around the sanctuary seeming to not find the peace others received, but a restlessness. They wouldn't linger long after, even though the One for whom the building existed would have certainly loved their company. After all, He created places like that just to bring His people together with Him. To learn, to laugh, and to love - together with Him.

My part was to tie the bow over the knot. To remind the friends, the family, and the couple themselves just who wrote love first, and best, and most often. To give credit to the author of love. To call all who inhabited that space for those few minutes to the sudden realization that God was among us - and available to all.

To build a bridge.

And so I turned down a familiar pathway and read to them the way of love.

1If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.
3If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

4Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
5Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
6Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
7Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (1 Cor 13, MSG)

Every time I am part of a wedding, I remember that my Savior's first miracle was at one. And I pray that somehow, as people gather to celebrate love - a love limited by a lifetime - that Love beyond all limits will find them.

Whenever two or more are gathered...

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Sacred Spaces


"Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs."
Psalms 66:4 (NLT)

The contrast could not have been more vivid.

As I walked through the church's fellowship hall, the gleaming chrome of the kitchen, sparkling tile floors, and long tables told of meals shared. In the same space was a fan of a hundred chairs, facing a stage where speakers, microphones, and percussion instruments said contemporary worship.

Coming out of there into the chapel was a shock to my soul.

While everything I left immediately behind me had the feeling it was interchangable - replaceable, what surrounded me now was timeless.

The vaulted ceiling's arches lifted spirits to the heavenlies. Echoes shouted from every window, every door. Old walnut paneling and pews were carved by craftsmen and worn smooth by generations. Coloring everything within the space was the stained glass window of Christ the Shepherd.

Of interest to preachers, there were two pulpits. But the space needed no words.

I could feel the need of the artist in stained glass to speak to a little girl, scared that her family was never going to be the same, to have Christ say to her, "I'll hold you like this lamb."

I could hear the passion of the craftsmen who constructed the mighty pipe organ resting in the loft to shout to all that would hear - "He is risen!"

I could see through the woodcarver's skill in his shaping of symbols of the faith surrounding the altar, his desire to show that the faith would endure forever.

Everything in this space seemed set apart for one purpose - to glorify God.

Friends, I am thrilled by modern expressions in music, in the arts, that bring glory to God and people closer to His arms. But is it only the preacher, the singer, the musician who can speak? Where are those who would praise God with the works of their hands and create such sacred spaces?

As we move forward into the future, let's not forget those places built to express an assurance that God has spoken and will speak to those who sincerely seek to hear His voice. We need more sanctuaries and less McChurches.


Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Thanksgiving

Days remembered- with my family gathering in my aunts home, just across the street from the mill village that my family worked in, some all their lives. The home was filled with memories of others long gone but living on in stories told and anecdotes repeated in laughter. The table was filled with the best everyone could bring - but the side table was where my hopes lay - pecan pies, carrot cakes, and everything else.

Some years not everyone could be there. I can remember my cousin's being in Vietnam one year, and in Germany after that, serving his nation in the Army. Years later, another was off in Iraq, flying helicopters. Sometimes it was hard to believe we had chased each other through the living room just a few years earlier as boys.

A mixture of pride and fear crept over us those years, and the prayers at the table spoke of faith in a God bigger than our fears. This year is filled with uncertainty, as our nation is at war. Family after family will sit down to a table with empty chairs bearing witness. Our men and women are away, in harm's way. As we bow our heads tomorrow, many things have changed since I was a boy.

God hasn't.

Hebrews 6
When God wanted to guarantee his promises, He gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee-- 18God can't break his word. And because His word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.
We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. 19It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God

Be thankful. Our God is faithful to care, to love, to save.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Beginning Again

Last week ended with a whine.

The whine could have emenated from the youth who were here at New Hope for a Friday night lock in. Or for those sleep deprived saints, Doug and Ellen Fannon who gave up some sleep to build relationships between kids and God. The day after, I'm sure the youth bounced out of bed and ran off to do stuff. The adults? Well....

But more than likely the whine came from me as I tried to eradicate several viruses, spyware, and even keyloggers that had invaded the church office PC. Every time someone opened a window in Internet Explorer, pop up ads ... popped up, layering the screen. Annoying. The computer ran so slow I thought I was back on my old Atari PC. Aggravating.

The viruses and the spyware though, were extremely dangerous.

So I went to work, updating security, running anti-spyware software, editing the registry. The result? Almost all gone. But not all. So I kept at it, trying this solution after that one, in safe mode and not, until finally I had to admit defeat.

The only way to eradicate it all, is to start over with a fresh hard drive. Reformat and reinstall.

To begin again. I sure hate to have to do that.

We've been studying the book of Beginnings lately (Genesis), and at one point, God came to the same conclusion that I did Saturday night. But He wasn't talking about a tool like a PC, He was speaking of His creation. And he wasn't whining about it - He was hurting.

GOD saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil--evil, evil, evil from morning to night. 6GOD was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. 7GOD said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep... Genesis 6:5-6

Sin broke God's heart.

Folks, when I read that again a few weeks ago, even when I read it now - it brings me to tears.

Because I know God to be love beyond all concepts of love we humans are capable of understanding. He'll go anywhere, do anything to let people know just how much He loves them. The most famous verse in the Bible says "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son..."

Imagine how He must have hurt then, when man broke His heart.

Yet in His pain, he was merciful, seeing Noah (not a perfect man himself), as someone who He could continue to love - who hadn't given up on God. So God didn't give up on Him, instead, He re-created the world, and set Noah and family in it to try again. And then a couple thousand years later, a baby was born in Bethlehem for the purpose of saving the world. Hope was re-created in a manger. And God showed us how to live.

I want to ask you something. And you don't have to be a believer to answer this.

Given what you know about God, is your life pleasing Him, or is it breaking His heart?

Listen, God is still re-creating lives - if you'll surrender to His plan and purpose for your life. Get rid of all the "viruses" that keep you from enjoying the freedom that Jesus can give. Stop trying to live a good life and allow the Spirit of God to live in you and enable you to live a life beyond limits.

Give Jesus your heart.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

In Good Hands

Little girls gather around their leaders, kneeling before they pray. They are asked if there's anything God needs to hear about, anything that's weighing them down. One speaks, then another. In this place made holy by their heartcries, they speak, asking Jesus to hear their prayers. Sometimes if you were to hear them, they'd break your heart.

Who are they? Children of the age we live in. Most all from homes where divorce has been a visitor, many from where plenty has never shown up.

Who are they? The world would say nobody really. Everywhere they go they're really not heard. After all, they're children. Seen and not heard, speak when spoken too. Come back and see me when you grow up says the world.

But they are not in the world's hands. God's Son came so that they would have someone they could go to with their worries and their cares. Jesus hears every word.

He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and He won't disregard the small and insignificant,

but He'll steadily and firmly set things right. Isaiah 42:3 (MSG)

That's just another reason I love Jesus so.

People achieve power, and they tend to forget where they came from. People achieve success, and poverty is something only "those people" get themselves into. We're quick to pass by on the other side unless it suits our fancy.

Thank God there's Jesus.

With the world to care for, with galaxies at His beck and call, He hears the heartbeat of those little children, and pauses, and cares. He stops for them, and acts on their behalf.

Just as He'll do for you.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Is that okay?

My father in love is a precise builder. He's a great man, a true believer in Christ, and a model for me. I thank God for him often, and he's a big supporter of my work for God, and for me. Our relationship has grown much deeper over the years.

When I was placed into that wonderful family through marriage, one of the main objects on my agenda was to make sure he felt his daughter had chosen well. So I tried to hang around and help him as he built things. Did I mention he's a precise builder? The old "measure twice, cut once" really applies here, and in those early days, he started me out by allowing me the honor of holding the end of the measuring tape.

Not the one that has the numbers that count - I'm talking about the bare metal end.

Yep, the one that most of the time no one needs to hold.

I can remember hoping that one day he'd trust me enough to measure for him, or even actually cut the wood we were working with. But until that day I'd hold the end of the ruler, as well as I possibly could.

Sometimes I'd even ask him, "is that okay?"

My goal was to please him, and for him to place his trust in my work. (And eventually, he did)

Some of you have noticed that I haven't been writing as often lately. There have been some physical reasons - PC troubles galore, tiredness, even a little illness on my end. But mostly it's been because I really feel the need to listen far more than speak right now.

My core belief is that God loves me so much that He hasn't just overlooked my sins and shortcomings, but He has paid a terrible price for them. Having done that, He hasn't set me adrift and said "okay, now live better!" Instead, He's stayed close, keeping an intimate connection with me through His Word, His Spirit, and the events around me. And out of deep gratitude and love for Him and what He's done for me, I am to live my life to please Him.

It's so easy to just live mindlessly, never really stepping back and asking yourself - "Am I pleasing God?"

You get up and head out for work, for school, or an appointment. You are around people all day, speaking with them about shared interests, work issues, overdue library fees, doctors bills or whatever. Your words, your actions, your attitudes speak to them about who you are, about what you value, about what you believe in.

Was it pleasing to God?

Here I'm not talking about "being a good person", "treating others like I want to be treated", "trying to live a good life", or any of those things we say when we are walking around the edges of a God honoring life. One man that did that to the max was Paul. Here's what he said about that kind of living.

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. Philippians 3:10

See friends, at the end of the day, everything outside of being right with God and living the Life is second class stuff. Don't you want to go all the way with Christ?

I'm sure some of you do. I know I do.

And sometimes I just have to step back from the work and ask Him - "Is that okay?"

Grace!

David Wilson

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Remembrance

In the society in which we live, there are few times when we pause - much less stop.

But we stop today.

No mail. No banks.

Federal employees and many others have the day off from work. Someone must think it's important we remember. It's Veterans day.

Originally, it was put into place to remember the day the guns fell silent in France in the year 1918. But years later that was amended to include veterans of all wars. The date's been changed a couple of times, but we've finally settled on the original date used. So we stop and remember all the brave young men and women that have served.

I suspect many of those who served never got the thank you they deserve. America can be fickle in our praise. We are apt to follow the sound of the guns, awarding heroes wreaths to those who met the enemy in combat, and much less to those who never had to go to battle. My friend who retired from the Air Force recently flew hundreds of hours in defense of our nation. But he never fired in war. He was ready. His life was on the line.

For that I say, "Thank you."

All of you who served.

All of you who pledged "to support and defend the constitution of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic." Thank you.

All of you who left home and family to provide protection for my home and my family while we enjoyed the freedom and security your vigilance gave.

Thank you.

It is true that
"...the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends." John 15:13

While thousands lost their lives in the service of our country, millions offered their lives, willing to do whatever it took to keep America safe. That willingness can't be bought. But it does have a price.

And today, a grateful America stops to remember.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Semper Fidelis

Today marks the 229th birthday of the Marine Corps. Even as I type this, "America's 911" is engaged in fierce fighting in Fallujah, Iraq. Millions of men and women have served their country as Marines in its history, with valor and with distinction. In many of the most famous battles the world associates with Marines though, they were outnumbered and outgunned - yet they triumphed.

How?

It begins with a simple Latin phrase that every Marine boot learns. "Semper Fidelis" - always faithful.

Everyone understands what "always" means, but the depths of "faithful" are less frequently explored. At it's root there are words associated like "steadfast", "fidelity", "loyal". But it can also mean "closeness to the original", or "a faithful translation of the original."

Think about it with me. For 229 years, men and women have pushed themselves through demanding training, forced themselves into harm's way, bled and died always seeking to remain faithful to the Corps - to the original vision of what being a Marine means. Their fidelity to that vision, and their dogged perseverance in teaching it to successive generations has given us a group of people whose faithfulness extends past their active service into their entire lives. "Once a Marine, always a Marine."

We can learn from that folks.

Our original was Jesus Christ. He patterned for us a way of life - of relating to God and to men and women so different and yet so right that people have been giving Him their lives for over 2000 years. His followers have faced matyrdom, mutilation, and every torture known.

From His death on a cross to now though, His disciples rise each morning with a renewed committment to make a difference that day for Him. Their goal - to be always faithful to the One who gave them new lives, and to pass His teachings to the next generations.

They sometimes fail. But He never does.

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalms 136:1 (NLT)
God is always faithful.

He was faithful yesterday; He's faithful today. What He's promised, He will do. May His unfailing love find you today.

Semper Fidelis, and God bless the Marine Corps.

Grace!

David Wilson

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Critics and Believers

Today I was doing some work on the computer that involved combining a large amount of text together. Everything was going well I thought, until suddenly a gray box popped up on the screen and said:

There are too many spelling and grammatical errors in this document for Microsoft Word to continue displaying them. Spellcheck and grammar check have ceased.

It was a busy day, with a lot going on, and the work I was doing was important. So I ignored it and continued. I wrote a little more, moved some text around, and hit enter, saving it under another name. Everything was fine.

I wrote a few more words and there it was again.

Now I wanted to talk to the PC, man to machine. Something like...

"Excuse me? Am I being insulted by a machine? Is what you are saying that I am hopeless, that I will never get it right, and so there's no point in your continuing?"

But I just saved it to yet another name and continued doing what I was doing. Everything good so far.

I hit enter.

The message popped up again. Microsoft had given up on me.

Aren't you glad God isn't like that?

Everybody's your friend when life is good, when your work is praised, when there's money in the bank and all your kids are doing great. When you are doing the right things right - life's a cinch.

But what happens when trouble comes? Whether you had a hand in it, or not - trouble is trouble. The Bible never leads us on by helping us pretend trouble isn't part of life.


Psalm 34:19 (Msg)
Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

But the Bible also never ceases to remind us we never go through trouble alone.

God is with us. Every time. He never gives up on us.

Psalm 91:14 (Msg)
"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.

But to really make progress, you've got to put your trust in someone other than yourself, in something other than your own skills, your own abilities. You've got to learn to trust God. He believes in you, now focus your attention on believing in Him and living for Him.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Training

Bobby's been coming to church a week now, and from what I can tell, he seems to be enjoying it. Playing with the other little ones does seem to take a lot out of him though, as I noticed Sunday morning he slept through my entire sermon.

But what do you expect from a dog?

Yes, Bobby's a dog. It's not unusual for us to have some dogs show up on Wednesday night with their owners. In fact, last night we had four in all. But Bobby has been very consistent in his attendance, and as his pastor, I wanted to commend him.

Really though, the praise should go to Ellen Fannon, as she is the one who's bringing Bobby with her to church. While he's here, Bobby learns about obedience, about how to get along with others, and experiences things he otherwise wouldn't.

Bobby's learning about life, and his caregivers are seeking to teach him while living it.

We have other little ones here whose parents haven't understood that lesson yet. At New Hope, we've always been thrilled to be a part of teaching children and youth about life, and especially about life in Christ. It's exciting to see them learn and grow.

But we only have them for a couple of hours a week. Given that, it is pretty hard for us to change the habits that form the rest of the week. Unless the parents are teaching about living the Christian life while living it, the kids will forget how to really live. That's why the Bible is so insistent on how to teach your children.

Deut. 6:4-7 (Msg)
Attention, Israel!
God, our God! God the one and only!
[5] Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!
[6] Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you [7] and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.

How do you get the wisdom of God inside your children?

By living the life in front of them - everywhere you go. It's impossible to give away what you don't have yourself, so let them see you reading your Bible, and praying to God in praise of His goodness, mercy, and grace. Show them about how much God matters to you by being faithful in worship and Bible study.

Teach the children of how great God is - how loving - how wise by using the creation He has provided and through life situations you encounter. Show them God's love in the rainbow, in a flower, even in His providing us with faithful companionship through pets like Bobby. Let them see you relate to others out of Christ's love to you.

Train them in the ways of God, and His path will be easy for them to find when He calls for their life commitment to Him.

Bobby's life's work is to be a therapy dog, giving aid and comfort to people in need. He's learning how to treat people by being with them.

God's clear intent for we humans is that we learn about Him by doing the same.

Grace!

David

Just another day

I had just finished my daily devotional time and thought I'd spend a moment checking in with the world. In today's environment, that means the internet, and for me it's navigating to Google's news page.

There's a picture of two smiling former hostages as they arrived home in Italy.
Another of Prime Minister Tony Blair of England - and he's not smiling as he fights for his political life.
One of the private spacecraft that successfully slipped the bonds of earth today out west.
And one of a baby, injured in a rocket attack on an Israeli town.

Just another day.

Hate and heartache, laughter and joy, delivered from all over the world and refreshed every few minutes.

On second thought, maybe I'm not through with my devotionals after all.

How about some good news?

Romans 3:25-26 (Msg) (emphasis mine)
God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear.

God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured.

This is not only clear, but it's now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

So the next time you read too much of today's "news", remember this verse. While the world seems to rush to spread the news about what's going wrong, God continually is setting things right between people who believe in Jesus' sacrifice and Sonship and Himself.

Just another day of God's love reaching past our failures and drawing us into His love.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

After The Storm

We're coming up on two weeks since Hurricane Ivan passed by, and it seems we are in a holding pattern. Due to the widespread devastation, there are more roofs damaged than roofers to repair them. And too, all the piles of limbs and leaves still line the streets. It will be weeks before all that is cleared.

It was easy to spot that damage after the storm. You could see which shingles were missing - which limbs and leaves were at your feet. But that wasn't all the damage.

After every storm, it takes a while for some of the hurts to reveal themselves.

This morning as I rolled to a stop at church, I looked over at our oak tree. Everything you could every want in a tree - it is. Beautifully shaped, huge trunk, large low branches just perfect for children's adventures. More than once a member has driven up on Wednesday night to find their pastor up a tree - rescuing a little one who went up a little too far.

At first glance after the storm, it looked fine - a few missing leaves. But today, some of the broken branches have revealed themselves with brown leaves among the green. Hidden before, though hurt, now the full extent of the damage is in plain view.

Maybe you've gone through a storm yourself recently. It wasn't your first one, and you've learned over the years what you need to do to get well. But this time, healing didn't come.

Or perhaps an event from your past, that you thought had long been dealt with - now haunts your thoughts again.

It's time then for a visit from the Master Gardener as revealed to us in John's gospel, chapter 15.

John 15:4-5 (Msg)
"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
[5] "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing.

If you are dry right now, maybe it's because your relationship with Christ has been damaged by the storms. Or perhaps an old wound, never fully healed, has been uncovered by the winds of life.

Come to Jesus.

Give your hurts to Him.

The life you want - the life full of all the things that matter - only comes through Him. When no one else can spot your hurts - He sees them and seeks to heal - if you'll come to Him.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

"Blue is my favorite color"

Mark 10:15 (Msg)
"Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."

While I was checking the mail this morning, a mother and her daughter walked by. I had seen them in the neighborhood, so said hello and asked how they made out in the hurricane.

The mom then explained...
about the loss of power,
the loss of everything they had in the freezer,
the loss of income since her business was closed for a few days,
and the loss of shingles from their roof.

Then she said:
"We went and got tarps from FEMA to cover the damage until the roofers get around to us. They don't look too good, that blue really sticks out on a gray roof."

Her daughter looked up and me and smiling said, "blue is my favorite color."

Sometimes children teach their parents, if we'll listen.

Think about it.

The mom was telling me about things that had happened, lamenting really, about losses that had occurred. She was working in the past, from what was wrong.

Her little girl, like all children, was living in the now. And that folks, is where we have to live too.

We've been given today - because today is all we can handle. So find a reason to praise God in the midst of wherever you find yourself.

"Blue is my favorite color."

Mine too.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.

Starting Over

Sitting here today, my first day back after Ivan ravaged the Gulf coast, I can look out and see trees stripped of their foliage, and some of their fellows lying broken around them.

Looking past them, I can see homes missing considerable amounts of shingles.

And on a brilliantly beautiful afternoon, the air that normally would be filled with the sounds of children at play across the street at Valparaiso Elementary is quiet. They are absent today, many of their families still coping with a loss of power, damage to their homes, spoilage of food and a loss of income from being laid off, as businesses struggle to recover as well.

It's like the whole area is having to learn how to start over.

I'm no stranger to that process. Over fifty years ago, my father and mother anticipated the delivery of two babies. Yet when the twins were born, (my older brothers Michael and Mitchell) due to complications from my Mother carrying them too long, they both died within a week of their birth.

Devastated doesn't begin to describe what my parents experienced.

My mother is in heaven now, but while she lived she very seldom ever talked about it. Oh, she might mention "the twins", but briefly, and quickly move on. It was a deep, lasting hurt that never really went away.

So many people never recover from such a wound. Marriages, even whole lives, just wither and die.

But not when you find the will to start over.

My Mother told me she found that will in Jesus Christ.

One day we were talking, and I brought up the loss of my brothers. She reached over and opened up her Bible and read me this.

10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

She told me she took God at His Word and started over.

I cannot imagine how much courage it took for her to do that. But whatever amount it took, her God supplied it.

How do I know?

Because 51 years ago today, in the afternoon, my mother's third child, also a boy, was born.

She named him David Anthony Wilson. (My middle name is the same as my brother that I will meet someday in heaven.)

Friends, I don't know what you are facing today. But I know this - the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and yes, the God of Lodie Marie Bowden Wilson (and her sons) is big enough, strong enough, and cares enough to help you start over.

When you do, that's when you understand how deep God's love really is. Start over.


Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you