This, too, shall pass away

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

We have an adage for use in times of difficulty: “This, too, shall pass away.” A favorite expression of President Abraham Lincoln, it provides a certain amount of comfort in times of trial. It gives us the stamina we need to overcome our “light affliction.” When faced with distress or trouble, we instinctively know that in time, it will pass.

At the moment, we cannot visit dearly loved brethren. Civil authorities have directed that we practice “social distancing,” stay inside our homes and only venture out to seek medical attention or to purchase food and supplies. We cannot assemble as a church. It is not clear how long the lock-down will last. Not do we fully understand the ramifications of the novel Coronvirus.

Yet, the words of the Holy Spirit comfort us. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Regardless what happens in the temporal, our faith is in God, not in the things that can be seen. We place our faith in a God that is working to provide a “house not made with hands eternal in the heavens.” Paul, through the Holy Spirit, confidentially teaches us that we will one day “be present with the Lord.” So, whether our “light affliction” passes tomorrow or at some distant time in the future, it will pass.

Lord willing, the members of the church will remain free of the Coronavirus and will have future opportunity to serve His Son Christ Jesus for many years to come. Yet, we cannot predict the future. In the meanwhile, we will do our best to stay in contact with each other and to pray for comfort, guidance and healing. Be assured when we place our confidence on things eternal, God will provide.

Mercy Chefs prepare Thanksgiving meal for Middletown, California

Mercy One, Mercy Chefs' first
mobile kitchen, is ready to
serve 500 Thanksgiving dinners
in Middletown.

Mercy Chefs returned to Middletown, California, to serve Thanksgiving dinner Saturday afternoon. A team of chefs from California, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma and Virginia converged on the town to prepare the holiday meal for over 500 townspeople. Middletown was devastated by the 76,000-acre Valley Fire in late September.

Dozens of volunteer chefs stand ready to deploy at a moment's notice to the scene of wildland fires, floods, tornado and hurricanes throughout the United States. They deploy with a mobile kitchen, ready to deliver quality meals to the victims of a natural or man-made disaster. The meals are offered free of charge to anyone who asks.

"In a disaster area to share that meal with somebody is an incredibly powerful tool just to encourage them," said Gary LeBlanc in a 2013 video. Chef LeBlanc is the president and founder of Mercy Chefs

Chef Lisa presented a wonderful
buffet centerpiece.

Mercy Chefs has a tradition of sharing a chef-prepared holiday meal with those who have lost so much in recent disasters. The chefs provide a hot meal, complete with turkey, ham, stuffing and all the fixin's, along with an encouraging word and prayer, to those as they rebuild their lives. This is Mercy Chefs' way of reminding the victims of such devastation that they are not forgotten.

Thanksgiving dinner for Middletown was served from a colorful buffet table under a large white tent. Unlike disaster feeding, where the meal is served out of the mobile kitchen in to-go containers, this meal gave the chefs to present the same meal as they would have done at a catered holiday event. Diners enjoyed linen tablecloths and a pleasant fall day in the mid-70s.

Chef Peter of South Carolina was the lead chef for the meal. He led a team of four chefs over two days of preparation and panning to prepare the Thanksgiving meal, which was served from the buffet over a period of three hours. The team included chef Lisa from Oklahoma, chef Buddy from North Carolina and chef Steven from California.

The menu is presented as it was planned by chef Peter. Some 480 pounds of whole turkeys and over 60 pounds of ham were used for the meal.

MERCY CHEFS' THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION FOR
THE TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN, CALIFORNIA

SALAD

Mixed baby greens with roasted baby tomatoes, mandarin oranges
& slivered almonds tossed in a  citrus vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

Roast whole turkey with gravy

Ham with an orange honey glaze

Andouille sausage & apple cornbread stuffing

Sweet & spicy cranberry compote

Roasted acorn squash with raisins & brown sugar

Mashed potatoes with pureed cauliflower & skin-on bliss potatoes with Parmesan

Green beans with mushrooms in a soy sauce balsamic reduction

Whole wheat dinner rolls

DESSERTS

Pumpkin tart with caramel

Apple cobbler with pecans

BEVERAGES

Apple juice

Bottled water

Favorite time of day at camp

My favorite time of day takes place in the evening between seven and eight o'clock. The cool of the evening is a refreshing change from the hot kitchen. I recharge my spirit by studying the Holy Scriptures, catching up on transcribing the day's activities into my notebook and contemplating the days, both behind and ahead. It gives me time to relax before turning in as morning comes quickly.

Instead of giving up, trials teach greater reliance on God

Christians aren’t those who easily "throw in the towel." If there's one constant in life, it's that trials beset us throughout our short lives. God never guaranteed a life of comfort. Instead He gave trials as an opportunity to grow our faith.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials," James said in the first chapter of his letter to the Dispersion, "knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (James 1:2-3, NKJV).

James' charge to "Count it all joy" can easily leave a sour taste in our mouths, especially when we look at it from an inward point of view. The hardships of life bring tears, pain (both physical and spiritual) and broken hearts. These ordeals can leave a distasteful view of life in our hearts when we don't guard our hearts.

When I read at this passage, I'm fully convinced that God uses trials to teach us to persevere. God teaches us to endure until the end. Instead of throwing in the towel, we keep at it until we enter His rest. Christians need this endurance because some trials last for years, and on to the end of life.

The joy we experience doesn't grow out of the symptoms. The pain and heartaches are real. Instead, joy comes when we realize that our faith will grow stronger as we work through each trial. God promises to give liberal amounts of wisdom (see James 1:5-8) to counter the effects of the trials. This joy helps us through these ordeals of life.

Out of these trials grows a greater reliance on God. Trials teach us to trust God more and more. Instead of enhanced self-reliance, trials sharpen our reliance on God. Patience has a way of making us complete and ready to serve the Lord.

Are we those who throw in the towel? No way! Trials boost our faith in a way few other events in life can. God uses them mold in us an attitude of waiting. Not all trials are joyful. Joy comes because we realize our faith will be strengthened.

Begin the New Year by worshiping God

Let us begin the New Year by worshiping God each week. It's a blessing that 2012 begins on the first day of the week, the day that the early saints assembled for worship. This article is transcribed from the bulletin of the East Foothill Church of Christ in San Jose. It was written by Lalo Enriquez (my father-in-law).

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-24 (NKJV)

It's the first Sunday, the first day of the year. And Christians are gathered together to begin it by worshiping God -- in spirit and truth, according to His precious Word. Hallelujah! Praise God for His goodness and for this New Year.

To a true Christian, one guided only by God's inspired Word, Sunday worship is not just an exercise in ritualism. It is an occasion of specific obedience to God as outlined in Scripture. Included is fellowship with God and with His fellow children in things such as the Lord's supper, prayer, song, Bible study, sacrificial giving and meditation upon our future home in heaven.

To faithful and grateful Christians, nothing could be finer than to begin the first Sunday and first day of the year by assembling with the Lord and with those of like precious faith. What a privilege! What a way to begin the year! May God bless us all with a happy and prosperous New Year of 2012.

Salads and blessings

Sent from my Samsung Captivate(tm) on AT&T

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.(Philipians 4:4-7).

I can say that my current job is the best I've ever had. My only regret is that it took almost 40 years to find it. I have to say it was worth the wait.

The residents reinforce this feeling each Monday morning. As I walk into the 111-year-old former boarding house just before 9 a.m., they greet me with "How was your weekend, chef?" and "We're grateful to see you."

This discussion by two residents reminded me of my blessings this morning:

"Is this hot?" asked the first resident as she looked at the black bean and tomato salad with zucchini.

"No. I didn't have any hot peppers this morning," I responded.

"Is it tangy or sweet?"

"Tangy."

"It sure looks good."

"That is so good. We are so blessed," added a second resident who had just returned for seconds.

After working inside prisons for 20 years, it's refreshing to work with women who appreciate the food. The residents continually thank me for the meals and tell me how much they appreciate my work.

Thank you, ladies. You make the two-hour commute worth the effort.

Wildflowers and the enduring Word

Withering mules ear
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

One of my favorite mountain activities is to photograph wildflowers. With camera in hand, I enjoy walking through fields of bright wildflowers.

Spring is the best time to view and capture their bright images in the Sierra Nevada. But this year I didn't get up into the high country until mid-summer.

Many flowers were clearly past their prime. I found a sun-bathed field of mules ears near our campsite at the Kit Carson Campground (see picture).

Once vibrant yellow, these flowers are just days from loosing their peddles. They would soon shed their seeds, whither and die.

Wildflowers bring to mind a passage of scripture in Peter's First Epistle. Unlike flowers, which only display their vibrant glory for a short time, the apostle reminds Christians that God's word endures:

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because:

All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the LORD endures forever.

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you (1 Peter 1:22-24).

Peter's message is clear. Once God's incorruptible word has been planted in our souls, we respond by loving the brethren "fervently with a pure heart."

With obedient hearts from the moment we're saved, the Christian bases all of his actions on the incorruptible "word of truth" (James 1:18). Unlike mules ears, says Peter, which "whithers" and "falls away," our salvation comes through reliance on God's promises.

We need to place our trust in God's word and it ability to save and guide us through life. As Peter states through the quote from Isaiah 40:6-8, our lives are too short to place our trust in anything else but the word.

Like the flower, man's glory will fade someday. But God offers a cure, a way to transform our feeble bodies into imperishable beings one day. It is through obedience to His word.

Peter noted earlier in the chapter that it is this incorruptible word that guides us in our daily walk:

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:13-15).

I'm reminded of the passage in Peter (and others like it) each time I see a pretty flower, whether in the wilderness or the garden. It's a reminder to me that God's word abides continually and that it acts in my life.

29 years ago today ...

Today is the 29th anniversary of my marriage to Debbie. I first published this article over five years ago, shortly after I heard David Posey's Sunday sermon on 1 Peter 3:7.

I’d been cooking professionally for around 10 years when Debbie and I were joined in marriage in 1981.

I knew everything there was to know about cooking. Of course I did. After all, I’d fed thousands of sailors during eight and one-half years active duty service.

Deb first made her mother’s iced tea sometime after we had moved into a Bakersfield two-room apartment. Seven Lipton tea bags, a pint of water and a cup of white sugar went in my good Revere Ware saucepan.

Next came the annoying part. She’d boil the tea until it turned to syrup. She’d then strain the syrup and dilute it into a pitcher.

For years, I tried to correct her tea-making ways. After all, I was the expert. You never boil tea. Just ask Mr. Lipton.

I’d turn the burner to low heat, clean the range-top and chip tea candy from my good Revere Ware saucepan.

This might be amusing except for a "minor" verse in Peter’s letter to the pilgrims of the Dispersion. I say minor only because I didn’t hear much about it until recent years -- I didn’t want to hear much about Peter’s command to husbands.

These may be the most important 34 words in the Bible for husbands:

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7).

Husbands are to live with their wives. This means you’re to dwell with her in close harmony. To dwell with one's wife "with understanding" means that husbands are to know, to understand, to comprehend their nature, especially as it fits in the marriage relationship.

Learn about your wife, what pleases her and what makes her "tick." And honor your wife by putting her on a pedestal. She’s the love of your life, no one else.

Remember that as Christians, you and your wife are "heirs together." Study together, pray together, worship together.

And husbands, there’s a much more serious side to the equation. Peter says that your prayers before God will be hindered if you ignore his command. We have a solemn duty to God and to your wife to dwell, understand and honor.

The outcome: I gave up over 10 years ago. Somewhere along the way I realized my life with Debbie transcended Navy-approved culinary techniques. And she makes a great cup of iced tea (this comes from a guy that grew up on unsweetened iced tea).

Oh, I’m drinking a Mason jar of Deb’s iced tea while writing this blog. It’s one of those sweet tea drinks that grows on you.

Give yourself 29 years!

DEB’S ICED TEA

2 cups cold water
1 cup granulated sugar
7 tea bags

Combine ingredients in a one-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When the tea boils, reduce to a low simmer. Simmer until tea reduces to the desired strength, about 30 to 60 minutes. Tea will have a syrupy consistency at this point. Please be very careful. Hot tea syrup is akin to culinary napalm -- it burns.

Cool; strain syrup into a two-quart beverage container and dilute with cold water. Make sure to gently squeeze the tea bags to get as much tea as possible into the water.

To serve, fill a Mason jar with ice. Pour tea over ice and enjoy. Squeeze fresh lemon into tea and stir, if desired. Store in the refrigeration for 2-3 days. It'll be time to make a fresh batch!

Rebuild or retreat?

By Mike Anderson

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:7-8).

One of the newest additions to the U.S. Naval fleet launched out on its maiden voyage two weeks ago. The U.S.S. New York, an amphibious transport dock ship, left Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's yard in southeastern Louisiana for its official commissioning in New York in November.

While new naval vessels are built and commissioned on a regular basis, this one is different. What sets the U.S.S. New York apart is that 8 tons of steel salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers was used in its construction. The ship was named to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks of eight years ago.

Following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, about all that remained was mangled and twisted piles of structural steel. Those piles of misshapen metal became a symbol of weakness and vulnerability for our nation.

But now some of that same metal, re-forged and re-formed, becomes a symbol of strength and preparedness. Something useless became something useful. A painful reminder became a motivation for renewed effort.

It is possible that each of us may face times of devastation in our own lives -- times with the potential to leave us standing standing among the twisted wreckage, staring at smoldering piles that once were our personal hoped and dreams.

When such times come, we have a choice to make. We can allow the wreckage of life to become a monument that forever haunts us and reminds us of our defeats and failures or we can take remnants of the wreckage, re-forge them in the furnace of affliction, and use them to rebuild what Satan seeks to permanently destroy.

The time to make the choice is now, before difficult times come. In the heat of the moment, with tears of pain and grief clouding our vision, we may be tempted to give up.

So we must determine now, with God's help, to expose Satan for the terrorist he is and to refuse to allow him to defeat us. May we resolve to rebuild instead of retreat.

Mike preaches for the Placerville Church of Christ, which meets at 4120 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville, California, 95667. He also serves as one of the elders for the congregation.

I have heard of a land ...

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. … Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:1-2, 14).

I'm sometimes at a loss to describe the beauty of God's creation. Words dance about my head as I sit next to a roaring campfire, but I can never pen them onto paper.

Instead, I'm content to watch the light glance off the pines trees that reach to the heavens. With the stars visible through the tree tops, the campfire gives me time to contemplate the handiwork of God's wonderful creation and consider the day when I will join Him in a "land on a faraway strand."

Song writers have used words for generations to express their faith about heaven. With inspiration from the inspired words of scripture, they've often used scenes of delightful gardens and forests to explain what we'll see in heaven one day.

We sang such a hymn in worship yesterday morning. The second stanza from the hymn, penned by Mrs. F.A.F. White in 1889, caught my attention. The verse reminded me of my beloved Sierra Nevada mountains:

There are evergreen trees
That bend low in the breeze,
And their fruitage is brighter than gold;
There are harps for our hands
In that fairest of lands,
And nothing shall ever grow old.

While Mrs. White’s beautiful hymn describes heaven ("I Have Heard of a Land"), I couldn’t help but think of majestic ponderosa pines, so common in the thick forests of the Sierra Nevada. Its yellow-green leaves blanket the forest, with tree tops swaying in the breeze.

White’s hymn describes heaven as a place of great splendor and glory. You could compare White’s evergreen tree to the "tree of life" of Genesis and Revelation.

It makes sense that the tree of life, when described in human terms, would never shed its leaves. Unlike the ponderosa, whose cones take two years to mature, the tree of life bears continuous fruit to those who obey God's commands.

Next time I light a campfire, I'll remember Mrs. White's words. Those and words remind you of heaven. "And nothing shall grow old. In that beautiful land on the faraway strand," she concludes in the refrain.

A lonely time at camp

It's been lonely at Deer Crossing Camp without my wife. I took her home last night so that she could stay with our son, who returned from a summer at grandma's house.

It didn't really hit me until 11:30 this morning, when I sat down for the first time during lunch production. I felt a tear or two as I scribed notes in my camp cooking notebook.

An acute emptiness came over me. It's strange. As long as I was busy this morning, I didn't seem to miss her as much.

It's that empty feeling you get when half is missing -- a void that can only be filled one person, my wife of 28 years. Staying busy only takes my mind off of her for a few minutes.

Although we were at odds in the kitchen sometimes -- probably because I acted like the chef even when Debbie was in the kitchen. It's tough trying to be both husband and chef when your wife is one of your workers. It's a relationship that needs great care and understanding.

Still Debbie was a great comfort these past seven weeks. We'd talk when things became stressful in the camp kitchen. She's always been a good shoulder to lean on, especially when I was willing to listen.

We had a unique relationship at Deer Crossing Camp. Debbie and I were the only married couple at the camp for most of the summer. We'd talk in the evening and work out our differences.

Even though we had some rough days in the kitchen -- probably because her ideas differed from my on some issues -- I've learned to approach marriage as designed by God.

I treat her with understanding and give her a place of honor in my life. After all, we're "together of the grace of life" (1 Peter 3:7). I doesn't make sense to me to treat my wife any other way.

I'm going to continue to miss Debbie as I work this last week at camp.

Unlike the training session last June, when I didn't see her for 10 days, I have a day off on Sunday. I'll be home in time to pick Debbie and Jacob up so we can worship in Camino.

Thoughts on Cmdr. Duane Wolfe

My father-in-law offered these thoughts on Duane's service to his country and Lord:

To a fallen soldier, first of the Lord, secondly of his country. Thank you Duane for your friendship and hospitality at the Los Osos/Cayucos spiritual gatherings of God's Family in this beautiful area; but especially thank you for your sacrifices throughout your career and finally for this ultimate final sacrifice. We thank all our fallen heros (Lalo Enriquez).

This passage comes to mind every time I attend a funeral:

A good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;
Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:1-2)

Widows and religion

Have you read a passage of scripture that was written in the negative and thought, "How does this passage apply to my life?" Other than a brief acknowledgement of its truth, you shrug your shoulders and move on.

But these passages have a way of being elevated into your life through trials like the death of a father. Take 1 Timothy 5:8, for instance. Other than to watch my mother and father care for their mothers in their declining years, I never gave much though to the meaning of Paul's instruction to the young preacher Timothy:

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8)

The need to "provide for his own" is one truth that brings out one's faith in God. It's the manifestation of that truth this is used to reveal how thoroughly you have embraced your faith. This is especially true when your mother's widowhood is thrust upon you a little faster than desired.

I'm certain these past 18 months since dad's death have impacted myself and my brothers and sisters in different ways. We've all cried at various times since the funeral. And I'm sure that the five, along with our spouses and children, miss dad very much.

But I'm certain of one thing. We all help provide for mom with the skills that God has given us. While it's been a blessing to mom that her three sons live within driving distance, I can never discount the comfort my sisters give mom through their daily phone calls and frequent trips to Diamond Springs.

It doesn't matter if one mows the lawn, another repairs a leaky water faucet or someone leaves a dozen homemade soups in the freezer. Mom appreciates every phone call, every selfless act and every meal. She's expressed these past months that these actions -- all inspired by our love for her -- helped her cope with the loss of her beloved.

God's truth is often brought out in small ways. It's these expressions of faith that please God. James said, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble ...." (James 1:27).

You may not be faced with the loss of a parent at this stage in your life. But you don't have to wait until your father dies to start practicing of your religion. Start by helping your mother and father today. One day, your mother will be a widow.

Crown of old men

Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.
--Proverbs 17:6

After raising three children, our daughters have blessed Debbie and me with three wonderful grandchildren.

Being away from them most of the time can be difficult at times. Since it's always a challenge to encourage them to visit us, we travel to the Bay Area to see the children every two months.

I look forward for the times when I can see them sitting in the pew, learning to workshop God with respect and honoring His name. It gives me a smile when I watch them them holding their hands together during prayer or singing in a loud voice, "Who will follow Jesus, who will make reply, 'I am on my Lord's side, Master here am I'?"

These are times that bring a tear to my eye ...

Loss of a dear friend and brother

Yesterday we attended the memorial service for Donald Keith Hopper, a dear friend and one of the older members of our church. It was the first such service that I had the honor attending since my father's service 16 month ago.

I say "honor" because Don was one of the pillars of our small congregation. His focus was always to serve God and to mold his life -- and the life of the church -- after the pattern set in the Bible.

The service was a hard one for me. As I mentioned it was my first since my father's passing on October 12, 2007. But also because Don, in many ways, reminded me of Dad.

As the service progressed, I felt for Dick, sitting in the front row of pews. Dick, like myself, is Don's the oldest child.

And like my father, Don was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. I held it together until the honor guard slowly marched up both aisles, folded the ensign of the United States of America and presented it to Mrs. Doris Hopper.

Don Alexander, former evangelist of the Pollock Pines-Camino church of Christ, gave the obituary at his service yesterday:

In sadness we report the passing away of brother Don Hopper of the Pollock Pines-Camino, California church of Christ, on February 9, 2009, after a brief illness.

Known to many endearingly as "Hop," he was 80 years old. He is survived by his brother Dennis, sister Waythena Peters, wife Doris, two children, Dick Hopper of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Melody Dickey of Folsom, California; six grandkids and six great-grandkids.

He served his country for four years in the U.S. Navy in the Korean War. He worked for 35 years for PG&E before retiring in 1988. He was born in Strang, Oklahoma. He and Doris lived in various places from San Diego, Oklahoma, Marin County, California; Napa and Fresno, California, before moving to Camino, Calif. upon retirement.

Of greatest interest to brother Hopper was his spiritual life. He obeyed His Lord in baptism in 1951, later served as a deacon in the Fresno area, and we all rejoiced to see him appointed as a elder for the Pollock Pines-Camino church of Christ which he served for several years.

I was especially encouraged by brother Hopper during the eleven years I worked with the congregation in Pollock Pines-Camino. His foremost spiritual quality was his desire to serve the Lord and His people by doing what was right. The principles of God's Word formed his approach to living and his legacy is seen in his family, his brethren's love, and his quiet strength.

Like so many of God's people, his quiet strength was the glue that holds together the faithful when times are tough. He was a stand-up Christian who struggled with the challenges of the sinful world while keeping his sights clearly on serving God "right, by the Bible."

He will be greatly missed and his death will not escape the notice of His Heavenly Father.

New Year resolutions for the Christian in 2009

I've never been one to make New Year resolutions --I suspect because I would soon forget them. But when it comes to my faith, it's something that I continually try to improve through out the year.

I borrowed this article from the bulletin for the East Foothill Church of Christ in San Jose, California. Evangelist Lalo Enriquez, who also serves as one of the elders for the church, has published a list of spiritual resolutions in the church bulletin as long as I've know him (he's also my father-in-law).

Even though the New Year is a good time to emphasize resolutions, you can start working on these goals any time during the year. And don't give up when you fail. When you slip, "press on" as Paul did (Philippians 3:12-14).

By Lalo Enriquez

Again, it's the time of the year to make New Year Resolutions. Children of God must include SPIRITUAL COMMITMENTS along with "normal" things like diet, finances, work or school. Have you made you "spiritual resolutions" yet?

If not, allow me, as I do each year at this time, to suggest some. If you have made spiritual promises to God, pray for strength and courage to keep them to God's glory.

Resolve to Read Your Bible Every Day, at home, work, by yourself or with your spouse and/or children. We have reading charts by the entrance. (See this Google search for Bible reading charts.) They are designed for reading the Old Testament twice during the year and the New once. The daily reading averages three chapters each day.

Buy a small pocket or purse-size Bible. Read it at least 15 minutes during lunch, or during a break. God's word is precious, "more to be desired than gold (Psalms 19:10).

Resolve to Pray Daily. Christians need to pray every day, preferably several times; before leaving home, or while traveling to work in the car, the bus, or walking. Pray before meals; with your children, spouse or fellow Christians at work or school.

We should have times for extended prayer; but not all prayer has to be to long. It can be as brief as simply asking the Lord for wisdom and strength during times of temptation (see James 1:2-8). The apostle Paul encourages, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and "in everything ... let you request be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).

Resolve to Attend Every Service Possible. We know that illness and perhaps other circumstances often keep us away, but attend every service (of the church) possible. Let's not allow Satan to weaken us into thinking "one service per week is plenty."

Christians need to assemble together regularly to worship God, to acknowledge His greatness and majesty, to partake of the Lord's Supper, to sing and pray, to support Christ's kingdom with our finances and to feed our soul with the bread from Heaven. Our fellowship is not only with God, but also with others who are likewise committed to Him.

Resolve to give at Least 10 Percent of Your Earnings to the Lord - if at all possible, or at least more than you did in 2008. Look at the examples of those who gave to God: the poor widow - all she had (Mark 12:41ff); the Macedonians - even beyond Paul's expectations because they had first given of them selves to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:1-5); and the Corinthians - with great liberality (1 Corinthians 9:11). Then let us consider Jesus who gave us His life and more for our salvation.

Resolve to Invite People to Services. During 2009, let's keep inviting our friends and neighbors to services or to a Bible class in their home, our home or here at the building. Also, if we know of Christians who aren't attending, let's invite them. Encourage them to get back right with the Lord. Also, invite your family members.

Resolve that the Lord will Control Your Life AT ALL TIMES! Remember His teaching on "walking by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit through God's Word in all things, not by our carnal desires and senses. Christians who are controlled by human pleasures, desires, emotions, weaknesses, etc., are headed for a sad and very difficult life. Let Jesus control your life in 2009.

A New Year's resolution ...

To be a better Christian in 2009, practice these two great two virtues of life ...

Patience and wisdom

Wisdom is said be the application of knowledge. We all know that a skunk will spray anyone who intrudes on his space. It's a wise dog who patiently waits for the skunk to finish eating.

Here's what the Epistle of James has to say:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:5-7).

and

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand (James 5:7-8).

Merry Christmas

Here's Merry Christmas from the 'Round the Chuckbox family ...

I'm sitting in my mother-in-law's easy chair, watching Fox News, checking in on my favorite blogs. Until a minute ago, my granddaughter and I were the only ones up.

As with Thanksgiving, someone else will take center stage in the kitchen today. This afternoon my sister will host Christmas dinner in her Bay Area home. We'll enjoy the fellowship of my mother and family, including all our grandchildren.

I set a sponge for Dutch oven French bread last night. I'll form the dough sometime this later morning and bake the bread for dinner. I'm using the recipe that I posted last week.

As we prepare for the day's activities, please take a minute to reflect on the true meaning of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite scriptures brings a message of humility to Christians. It comes from Paul's Epistle to the Phillipians, which he wrote from a jail cell in Rome.

The apostle Paul admonishes the Philippians to display the same attitude as Christ Jesus. As we live our lives, Jesus' example of humility (He "made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men") and obedience (He "became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross") should always be on our mind.

With that in mind, here's the passage:

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:1-11).

Lessons from First Samuel

Blog No. 16 turns to a topic close to my heart ...

The book of First Samuel never ceases to amaze me. It contrasts King Saul’s rejection of God with David’s constant drive to align himself with God’s rule his life.

While David’s failures standout in 2 Samuel -- like adultery with Bathsheba and her husband’s murder in chapters 11 and 12 -- his life was marked by willingness to constantly repent and turn his life back to God.

From David’s first encounter with the Philistines in chapter 17, it’s evident that he honored God in every aspect of his life. David recognized that God would give him victory against the Philistine giant:

Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37).

David knew (through faith) that God would give him victory, even though he was up against Goliath. Saul, in his lack of faith, reasoned that David wouldn’t be ”able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33).

The sad truth of the story is God’s rejection of Saul in chapter 15, a direct result of his rejection of God’s word (1 Samuel 23, 26). Although Saul often expressed remorse for his sinful ways, he never really repented. Saul spent must of his time on the throne serving him own desires instead of seeking God’s desires.

It was this Old Testament account that impressed me last October as I prepared for our Wednesday night Bible class. I read the last 13 chapters book in one setting on the bus home.

It’s as if I had never read the story of Saul and David, united Israel’s first and second kings. It was like God’s words were new and I was reading them for the first time.

The story of Saul’s pursuit of David excites you when you read of the time David secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s rode in the cave (1 Samuel 24:1-7). Despite encouragement from his soldiers, David restrained himself from killing Saul, a man David recognized as his master and the Lord’s anointed.

The book invokes great sadness when you read of Saul’s misplaced allegiance to himself and his earthly desires. He spent many years chasing David throughout Israel instead obeying God and following His law. Saul’s clandestine visit to a medium on the day before his death characterized his failure to call on God in times of trouble (1 Samuel 28:7-19).

First Samuel also causes great contemplation in the reader. David’s faith during those years and into his 40-year reign over Israel and Judah. After all, it’s David who's included in this great statement of the Hebrew writer:

... who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (Hebrews 11:33-34).

So, read through the book. It's much more than endless stories of an ancient kingdom. Woven into the battle between Israel and the Philistines are the reactions of two kings. One king who honored God in his life, and the other one that rejected Him.

Camp 2008 -- Crazy, crazy

You could say Bob is a "wild and crazy guy." After all, Monday was crazy hair day at camp.

A counselor at Northern California FC Camp, he's one guy that takes theme days to heart.

Bob's the kind of guy you expect to dress like a nerd on Tuesday or wear cammo pants on Wednesday to support the military.

He had reversed his clothing in for backwards day when I caught up with Bob on Thursday. His only confession -- he didn't walk backwards that hot day on the Coastal Range near Santa Cruz.

More important that Bob's camp spirit is his example to the young boys and girls under his charge. You see, he's the kind of guy who walks in love as he imitates God.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma (Ephesians 5:1-2).

As a boys and girls Bible class teacher, he had much to instill in the young minds. Like Bob's crazy hair, "crazy" themes from Epistle of James -- text for the week at camp -- resonate in the minds of the campers.

Like his example of camp spirit, Bob showed the kids examples of joyfully tackling life's trials (James 1:2-8), emphasised that a living faith works for God everyday (James 2:14-26) and that humble submission to God is the only way to purify their hearts (James 4:6-10).

Bob's actions during the week may not fit the image of a fifty-something guy who takes a week off from work to enrich the lives of the campers. But the kids respect him and love his devotion to God.

And you gotta respect a guy who walks around all day with baked hair goop.