My grandpa Miller lost his left arm in a farming accident. The earliest memories I have of him are of a man with one arm. He was quite industrious with that one arm. He would carry a vise grip in his pocket, clip it to the bottom of one side of his jacket and then use the weight of that tool to hold it down as he zipped it up.
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One day he was helping build an addition on my uncles barn when a neighbor stopped over. The neighbor wasn’t as tactful as he probably should have been and asked how grandpa could be nailing up boards with only one hand. Grandpa said, “I put the nails between my teeth and hit the back of my head with the hammer.” Of course he had a way of using his right hand to get the nails started while holding the hammer at the same time and then driving the nails in just like anyone else would.
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Today I have a friend who has only one leg. We have little boys who have a lot of questions. The other day one of our little boys innocently pointed at him and asked what happened to his leg. I was not sure how to respond and did not want to embarrass my friend, nor did I want to reprimand a child for an innocent question so I simply told him to ask my friend.
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My friend really likes kids and I was so happy to see that he showed no signs at all of being offended. He just smiled as he answered the question. Throughout life we can all find things to be offended over even though people meant no offense by what they said. Still we should all be careful in what we say so that we don’t offend with our words. James chapter 3 warns about the careless use of the tongue.
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What should our attitude be, however, when someone else says something to us without thinking- something that hurts our feelings. First of all, there are times that people are rude on purpose, but I believe that most of the time, people meant no harm by what they said. Often their statements are just as innocent as the question of a curious child.
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The scriptures actually tell us how to deal with such situations. Ephesians 4:2 says, “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.” That word “forbearing” means “putting up with.” If we really love each other, we will patiently (longsuffering) put up with each other even when we hurt each others feelings. The more we love, the more we put the other person first and the less focused we are on ourselves. If we care so much about others that we love them enough to die for them, then we will not be so focused on our own hurt feelings but instead we will see that they really did not mean to hurt us. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (I John 3:16)
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Galatians 5:14-15 says, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” Instead of getting angry and fighting with each other over something that was not even meant to be rude, we should take the advice of 1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” That word “charity” in Greek, is also translated “love.”
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1 John 4:11 tells us, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” God does love us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Looking Forward to Christmas
Around Thanksgiving time, our boys started to ask us how many days it was until Christmas. With 3 of our 4 boys old enough to talk, we got tired of answering that question, so finally Crystal made a chain out of construction paper that we hung from the ceiling and we let the boys take turns taking a link off each day. Now when they want to know how long it is before Christmas, they can just look at the chain.
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Today Christmas is looked upon with much anticipation- especially among children who expect to get gifts. Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, instead of looking forward to Christmas, those who believed God were looking forward to the promised Messiah- the Christ. There was so much anticipation for His coming that when John the Baptist came, some wondered if he might be the Christ.
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Today Christmas has become so commercialized that rather than anticipating Christ, many just anticipate the presents and the celebration. The word “advent” literally means the arrival of something important or awaited. The boys are awaiting the arrival of their presents and another chance to go to Grandma’s house, but as we consider Christmas, should we be anticipating the arrival of Christ?
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Jesus Christ has already come and was born in Bethlehem so we are not looking forward to His birth this “advent” season. Instead we are looking back on what happened a couple of thousand years ago. The angel declared in Luke 2:11-12, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
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So what should we be anticipating as we reflect on Christmas if Jesus has already come? When He was born, an angel announced His birth. Now consider the announcement that was made as Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection. “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 10-11)
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We do not know when Jesus will come back. As we look forward to Christmas, we know we are celebrating the fact that Jesus has already come and been born into this world, but we should also be anticipating His return. That anticipation should not just occur at Christmas though. Even the observance of the Lord’s Supper is a reminder that Jesus will come back. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”
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For those who have believed on Jesus as Lord and Savior, the advent of His return is comforting. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3) For those who have not believed, His return should be frightening. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:7) Jesus is no longer a little baby in a manger. He is a resurrected savior who is preparing a place for those who believe on Him and who will punish those who will not believe. We all have reason to anticipate His return- believe on Him and His return will be worth looking forward to.
-
Today Christmas is looked upon with much anticipation- especially among children who expect to get gifts. Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, instead of looking forward to Christmas, those who believed God were looking forward to the promised Messiah- the Christ. There was so much anticipation for His coming that when John the Baptist came, some wondered if he might be the Christ.
-
Today Christmas has become so commercialized that rather than anticipating Christ, many just anticipate the presents and the celebration. The word “advent” literally means the arrival of something important or awaited. The boys are awaiting the arrival of their presents and another chance to go to Grandma’s house, but as we consider Christmas, should we be anticipating the arrival of Christ?
-
Jesus Christ has already come and was born in Bethlehem so we are not looking forward to His birth this “advent” season. Instead we are looking back on what happened a couple of thousand years ago. The angel declared in Luke 2:11-12, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
-
So what should we be anticipating as we reflect on Christmas if Jesus has already come? When He was born, an angel announced His birth. Now consider the announcement that was made as Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection. “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 10-11)
-
We do not know when Jesus will come back. As we look forward to Christmas, we know we are celebrating the fact that Jesus has already come and been born into this world, but we should also be anticipating His return. That anticipation should not just occur at Christmas though. Even the observance of the Lord’s Supper is a reminder that Jesus will come back. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”
-
For those who have believed on Jesus as Lord and Savior, the advent of His return is comforting. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3) For those who have not believed, His return should be frightening. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:7) Jesus is no longer a little baby in a manger. He is a resurrected savior who is preparing a place for those who believe on Him and who will punish those who will not believe. We all have reason to anticipate His return- believe on Him and His return will be worth looking forward to.
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