Keys to the Kingdom

 

Several years ago my son Aaron decided to pursue a concealed carry permit. After completing the classroom instruction, it was time to prove his proficiency with a handgun. All he had to do was shoot about 30 rounds anywhere into the silhouette. After shooting the target, the concealed carry instructor asked Aaron if he would like to help teach the next class because he had hit the center X every time.

Believers need to make sure we’re doing our best to stay on target. In today’s culture it’s easy to get sidetracked from pursuing God and practicing holy living. The apostle Paul instructs the Church in Philippi, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me — everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8,9 NLT). On what are you fixing your thoughts and sights?

Christians are to have a different mindset from unbelievers. Determining and doing the right thing is not always the popular or easy thing. “It is quite true that the way to live a godly life is not an easy matter. But the answer lies in Christ…. ” (1 Timothy 3:16 TLB). If we aren’t intentionally aiming at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness of heart, the odds are excellent for missing the mark every time. Living a godly life in Christ is not a haphazard coincidence or a lucky shot in the dark.

The Old Testament Israelites had turned their backs on the one true living God and were asking a good-for-nothing idol to tell them what to do. Their idols had misdirected them and caused them to think and live foolishly. Almighty God was the only One who knew how to help, guide, and love them. Hosea 4:11 TLB: “Wine, women, and song have robbed my people of their brains.“ The Israelites had really missed the mark when they deserted God and aimed their prayers to a worthless idol.

God didn’t want the Israelites’ sacrifices, He wanted their love. He didn’t want their offerings, He wanted them to know Him. God hasn’t changed; He wants the same from us today. “Come, let us return to the Lord. In just a short time He will restore us so that we may live in His presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him” (Hosea 6:1a,2,3a NLT). Are you currently in pursuit of knowing Him?

Believers are to look through the scope and line up our lives in the crosshairs of His Word. Perpetual distractions can mess up our aim and cause us to miss the target. “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you” (James 4:7,8a NLT). The closer we get to God, the more He is magnified and the smaller we become. John the Baptist said, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30 NKJV).

“Let love be your greatest aim….“ (1 Corinthians 14:1a TLB). We know that God is love, therefore, we could also say, “Let God be your greatest aim.”

The Key: If your sights are set on knowing God intimately, your aim is right on target!

“Have you ever heard of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas?”

“No.”

Jenn, my daughter-in-law, explained the plot of the movie while Javed, an Afghanistan refugee who speaks fluent English, listened.

Jenn ended with this: “I am the Grinch.” Javed was confused…as you probably are also. It seems that Adam, Jenn’s husband, had asked Jenn what he could do to help her while she worked to re-settle the three Afghanistan families in Fort Scott.

So, earlier that day, Jenn had sent Adam a text, asking that he deliver the totes of Christmas decorations from their house to their E3 business so she could decorate the Common Ground coffee shop.

After all, Santa Claus was coming there later that evening, and everything needed to look festive.

When it was time to decorate, the totes weren’t where they were supposed to be. Jenn phoned Adam. He, apparently, had “misread” her text and had dropped them off at Hamid (Javed’s brother’s) house.

I, as Adam’s mother, can see how that could happen. After all, “E3” and “Hamel’s house” look so similar in a text, right? Lord, have mercy!

My daughter-in-law hurriedly drove to Hamid’s where she recognized her garland, now suspended from his porch ceiling, and her Common Ground decorations visible in the windows. Hamid speaks limited English, so she asked Javed to interpret, explaining to his brother what had happened and that she needed the decorations back.

Hamid and his wife cracked up with Javed’s explanation of the Grinch story.

They immediately placed the decorations back in their totes and loaded Jenn’s car.

What impressed me most was Jenn’s attitude. She could have bitten Adam’s head off or at least admonished him for being so irresponsible.

Instead, she found a way to bring humor into the situation and to blame herself by using the Grinch story.

Would I have done the same? Uh…no.

Especially if I had 100 other things on my Christmas plate that day like Jenn did (like moving the third Afghanistan family into their home, taking them to Walmart to get needed supplies, packing up to drive to my son’s wedding in Georgia, and decorating Common Ground).

This little “mess-up” cost her time she did not have. Still, she laughed.

Proverbs 15:15 ESV tells us this: All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

I write a lot about laughter because I know it is good for the soul.

Cheerful hearts are contagious, and the benefits of laughter, too numerous to mention here, include a change of anyone’s perspective—even on the Grinchiest of days.

Keys to the Kingdom

I can’t say that I’ve followed in my maternal grandmother’s footsteps down to a T.

Grandma Jennings delivered 13 babies in her lifetime, but two were enough for me. I know Grandma Nan and Grandpa Lawrency loved every one of those youngins, but I doubt that every pregnancy was pure joy. I do know that she said, “I’ve never had an easy delivery.” Her first baby, Thomas, was born in 1899, the twins Roy and Troy in 1908, and the last and only girl, Bertha Mae (my mother), was born in 1923. Babies pretty much rock your world, so the Jennings house was rocking for 24 straight years! Babies are priceless, lovable, precious, and nonreturnable.

Many years ago, a baby boy was born with a unique “riches-to-rags-to-riches” story. This miraculous baby enabled all the poor people of the world to become rich. “You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus was: though He was so very rich, yet to help you He became so very poor, so that by being poor He could make you rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9 TLB). God’s only begotten Son came from heaven’s riches to a poor broken world to become their Savior. When His salvation mission was finished, he returned to the riches of heaven and is now seated at His Father’s right hand. This perfect one-of-a-kind plan of redemption is free to everyone and supplies unspeakable riches for the believer.

“But [Jesus] 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“ (Philippians 2:7-8 NKJV). Jesus was willing to lay aside His deity in order to save the lost people who were stumbling around in the darkness of sin. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2 NLT). Thank God, Jesus is still the light of the whole world.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil: hatred, bitterness, fear, resentment, jealousy, unforgiveness, strife, pride, divisions, wickedness, rebellion, addictions, depression, sorrow, etc. He also came to bring hope, joy, healing to the broken hearted, peace, love, kindness, mercy, grace, comfort, goodness, gentleness, self-control, patience, etc. Jesus was extreme in the fulfillment of His mission. He came to earth as a poor helpless babe, but left as the victorious Lion of Judah holding the keys of death and the grave.

All people should give glory, honor, and thanks to God for the matchless gift of His Son. But they’re not — this Wonderful Gift has been rejected and ridiculed by those who refuse to know Him. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NLT).

God gives benefits to His children, as stated in Psalm 103:1-5. He also gives riches to His children according to Philippians 4:19: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Jesus accomplished His “mission impossible” in extreme love, and we are rich because of His obedience to the Father. “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12 NLT).

The Key: Jesus was the only baby that was stamped “Return to Sender.“

 

I grew up in a small town, but moved to the city to find fame and fortune (I found neither), which is a common American story in the last 80 years. About 13 years ago, I took a “temporary” consulting job in Southeast Kansas, and fell in love again with the rural lifestyle I had left behind all those years ago. It wasn’t long before my wife (who also had rural roots) and I left city living behind, found our permanent home, and rediscovered country living. We are loving life in Bourbon County and have purchased our retirement home here.

Is this becoming a megatrend in America?

Yes, according to Mark Smither, a strategy expert for Paulsen, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota marketing and research firm. “What accelerated it,” he said in a recent article published online by Agri-Pulse, “was the pandemic, then technology, then employers saying, ‘You can do your job remotely.’” According to his online article entitled, Rural leaders look for innovative ways to attract city folks to the country, his confidence comes from a panel study he did in the summer of 2020 based on a coast to coast survey about relocation.

One encouraging finding of the survey was that 68% of urban dwellers said they would “definitely” consider changing jobs or employers to move to a more rural area, and another 20% said they “probably” would. Coming from the Kansas City metro area, I believe these numbers, knowing that most of my friends and acquaintances were also transplants from rural America, and missed the lifestyle.

It appears that the early winners of this population shift are “micropolitan” areas, which are cities of 10,000 to 50,000. These are people looking for more densely populated rural areas, with scenic qualities, and proximity to a major metropolitan area; especially those with outdoor recreational activities and amenities.

What will it take to attract some of these migrants to more rural areas? According to the article, broadband access, a community college, and quality infrastructure are the keys.

Bourbon County has all the potential in the world to reverse negative population trends, and take advantage of what might be a significant move by Americans out of our major cities. We have scenic qualities (well, for Kansas), proximity to Kansas City and Joplin, outdoor recreational amenities, improving broadband access, and a community college. Our infrastructure definitely needs work.

Bourbon County REDI will be pushing to organize a countywide strategic planning effort so we can deploy our scarce resources in such a way to take advantage of changes that may be coming in American demographics. We want all of Bourbon County to thrive, grow, and preserve what we believe to be a high-quality way of life.

Brennan Manning tells a beautiful tale that is recounted every Christmas in the forests in southern France. It’s about four shepherds who came to Bethlehem to see the child.

According to this story, one of the shepherds brought eggs, another brought bread and cheese, and the third brought wine. The fourth brought nothing at all. People called that shepherd “L’Enchant.” The first three shepherds chatted with Mary and Joseph, commenting on how well Mary looked, how cozy was the cave decorated by Joseph, and what a beautiful starlit night it was. They congratulated the proud parents, presented them with their gifts and assured them that if they needed anything else, they had only to ask. Finally, someone said, “Where is L’Enchant?” They searched high and low, up and down, inside and out. Finally, someone peeked through the blanket hung against the draft, into the creche. There, kneeling at the crib, was L’Enchant (the Enchanted One). Through the entire night, he stayed in adoration, whispering, “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” Manning’s story ends with this: That is where you and I would be, would we not? Kneeling beside the crib, whispering, “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu.” After all, what else can we offer him? He already reigns over all creation. What can we bring? Only our love and adoration.

So, my question is this: how many Christmases do we let pass without paying homage to our savior, without dedicating the entire holiday season to the One after whom it is named? When I read stories like Manning’s, I wonder which of the four characters I am. Am I all about the gifts I buy, hoping the receiver will be excited about my present as opposed to worrying about him/her wanting to exchange it? Am I all about the festivities and food preparation? Or will my behavior replicate that of L’Enchant’s so that the focus of my holiday activity is centered completely around Jesus? Right now, our family is planning a Christmas vacation…which means tending to dozens of details, Jesus being the most important. Everyone agreed that this year we will dedicate the week we have together to be purposeful in honoring our Savior. We will be unselfish in our White Elephant exchange, and our pickle ball, volleyball and shooting competitions will not bring out any unnecessary challenges or temper tantrums like they have in the past. Meal preparation will be a shared responsibility, we will all bring our favorite Christmas cookie recipe and bake dozens to be distributed, and we will have a day to paint for a family in need. Instead of lavishing gifts on each other, the money saved will be spent on those less fortunate. Every day we are together we will be creative in giving glory to our Reason for this Season. I pray it doesn’t stop there. I pray we do likewise for all the days after that. I imagine L’Enchant would do the same.

Keys to the Kingdom

 

Most of us know people that periodically go through days with their dander up. Like an ol’ wet hen, they’re annoyed or angry about something fairly often. They take a molehill and turn it into a mountain, and then blow up like a volcano. Years ago I knew a gal that would become sulky and unsociable and no one around her would know why. It was an especially puzzling experience for me because I’d never been around anyone that acted that way.

As believers, let’s determine to pay very close attention to what God reveals to us about ourselves. Although He loves us like we are, He loves us too much to let us stay that way. When the Holy Spirit shows you that you need to change an unChristlike behavior, don’t get your dander up. Be thankful He loves and cares about you and wants you to keep walking toward His likeness. Let’s throw out any pride, sincerely repent, and get in stride with the Holy Spirit. Resolve to work with God to climb up higher in our faithfulness to Him. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2,3 NLT).

Believers express adoration to God when singing, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” but what about our faithfulness to Him? Is it great, or is it just mediocre and falling short of a five-star rating? No matter the number of stars you are, we need to stay in God’s Word — read it, believe it, and live it. Keep praying and never give up! A clever trick of the devil is to convince you that you’re a failure as a Christ follower and you should just quit trying. Don’t you dare believe him because he’s a big fat liar, and his pants really are on fire!

The apostle Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus is intended to stabilize, shape, and challenge believers in their faith. This letter (dated 60-62 AD) is still a relevant teaching in Christian doctrine and living for the modern Church. “I always pray to the great and glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that He will give you the Spirit, who will let you know truths about God and help you understand them, so that you will know Him better. I pray that God will open your minds to see His truth. And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe“ (Ephesians 1:17,18a,19a ERV).

The following scripture makes it clear that God holds His children by the hand to prevent them from falling. We know there’s security and comfort in holding hands, especially when the hand is nail-scarred. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23,24 NLT).

It’s not God’s plan for believers to white-knuckle our journey of faith. The book of Ephesians states that we’re well equipped with the Spirit who helps us know and understand the truths of God. We have everything we need to know God better and be powerful imitators of Christ Jesus.

The Key: Rejoice when God puts His thumb in your back — it means He loves you.

 

On several occasions, I have referenced an Atlantic Monthly article written by James Fallows, in which he describes his 54,000-mile journey around America in 2016 to see what makes some small towns successful. His summary included 11 striking similarities to these communities that are bucking the national trends. At least eight of these 11 characteristics rely on one concept: unity. It is reasonable to conclude that it is highly improbable that a rural community could succeed without a high level of this highly perishable commodity.

As I pondered this reality, I remembered my first days in Bourbon County nearly 7 years ago. As one makes new acquaintances and friends, one also learns about old enemies and the grudges that exist in most small communities. I have been involved in several efforts to improve our county, only to be slowed or completely derailed by a wall of ill-will caused by old wounds and past sins, disheartening to say the least.

Not to represent myself as an innocent bystander in this dynamic; I have made my share of mistakes and have hurt and offended people in this community that I love. Sometimes, my approaches to repair damage I have done have been met with grace and forgiveness; other times, I have been shunned, another community grudge has taken root, and trust is eroded.

The most critical area in which unity is necessary relates to the cost of local government, which is tied to our high tax rates and low property values. We can no longer afford the overhead of so many local governments providing identical services in close proximity to one another. We have to swallow our collective pride, reconcile with our neighbors, and seek ways to work together on our mutual problems.

In my mind, the best way to begin is to draw from all areas of our county to write a strategic plan for the future success of Bourbon County. An entity or small group of people that most of us trust must lead this effort and get it done; then, we need to implement the plan together.

The research by Mr. Fallows supports but one conclusion: A small community cannot succeed without unity. Decide today what you can do to repair rifts, build bridges, and help reestablish the mutual spirit we need to move our county ahead. We cannot afford to write anyone off as if we don’t need them; we need everyone. After all, that is the very definition of unity.

Nature Valley advertises its product in a recycling commercial. “Dad, you need to think bigger,” says a young gal as she encourages her father to visualize her granola wrapper glued to other wrappers, creating a hang glider the two of them can share.

I love the message, don’t you? If you’ve ever been around a “big thinker,” you know that they travel to the beat of a different drum. A very large, Big Bertha-type drum. (Google it; it’s eight-feet in diameter.)

Big thinkers dream big. They take risks. They are the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and the JB Straubel’s (Tesla’s mastermind) and the Walt Disney’s who refuse to let naysayers determine their perspective.

So, how cool is it that we serve a God who is bigger than even their biggest ideas?

Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. The verse explodes with possibilities. Break it down. God is… Able to do Able to do abundantly Able to do exceedingly abundantly Able to do exceedingly abundantly above all Able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask Able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

In other words, the Heavens are the limit. So, how can I tap into that power, the power to do more than I can ask or think? Am I to pray for a winning lottery ticket or a new house from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or the right key that fits the Ferrari giveaway?

I mean, surely if God can do even more than I imagine, those things would be nothing to Him, right? He operates without boundaries or limitations.

One author writes that He is an “impossibility specialist.” His credentials are proof. Abraham was rightfully promised descendants more numerous than the stars, even though his wife was barren. God’s bigness at work. Joseph, imprisoned although innocent, ended up second in power in Egypt. God’s bigness at work. The lame man at the temple gate asked for money. Instead, he was given the ability to run. God’s bigness at work. Jesus, facing his death, begged God to spare him the torture. Instead, He changed history with his death and resurrection, the high-water mark of divine power. God’s bigness at work.

But before we take verse 20 out of context, let’s look at the verses preceding it, like verses 16 and 17 where Paul writes the Ephesian church, praying “that out of his glorious riches he (God)may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Paul begins here with sort of an abstract desire, but that changes when he gives a human reality (Christ) as the bigness of what God designed.

Paul goes on to pray that Christians will have power “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Read it again. God’s “thinking big” desire for us has nothing to do with a new car or an executive position in a company. I’m not saying that can’t happen, but God’s priority deals with the bigness of our heart.

His desire is that we spend eternity with Him, and He has already done “immeasurably more than we ask or imagine” to make that a reality. In a few days, we will celebrate the birth of that gift.

Keys to the Kingdom

 

Charlene is my aunt by marriage on my husband’s side. Because I’m older than she is, we get tickled when explaining our relationship to those outside the family. She is a hands-on pastor’s wife, gifted musician, vocalist, artist, and retired art instructor. We recently met for lunch and I presented her with a unique mug design that I wanted her to create for me. I knew I would appreciate and enjoy a personalized coffee mug that defined my relationship with God. While visiting about the design, she explained that no two mug shapes were ever the same. Once she places the clay on the potter’s wheel and the shaping process begins, it basically takes on a one-of-a-kind form. Upon completion, the mug is an original customized creation, just like me (and you).

When my feet hit the floor in the morning, I’m launching into an unrepeatable course of events where I need to lean on Jesus. I don’t know what the day holds, but He does. It’s comforting to know that He’s not surprised by anything and I don’t have to be disturbed by anything. My heavenly Father knows what I need and has everything I need. I told Charlene I wanted two words, “Jehovah-Jireh” painted on the lower portion of the mug. This is one of the Hebrew names for God which means, “the Lord will provide” as referenced in Genesis 22:8,13,14.

As a background color for the words “Jehovah-Jireh,” I chose an off-white which represents sand. As believers, we can be confident that God knows and cares about everything in our lives. “How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me!“ (Psalm 139:17,18 NLT). I have a large glass bottle of Gulf Shores sand on my kitchen counter which reminds me that God has me on His mind and is working things out for my good.

Representing the ocean, I chose turquoise for the middle color of the mug. “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT). The word “when” (not “if”) is of great significance. We live in a fallen world, so it’s sure as shootin’ that we’ll experience difficulties. But believers do not go through troubles and trials alone because Jesus is on duty as Lifeguard.

I chose aqua, which represents the sky, for the top portion of my mug. “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak….” (Psalm 19:1,2 NLT). At dawn recently, I noticed an orange glow outside and curiously opened my east front door to witness a gorgeous sunrise. I grabbed my phone and snapped a shot of God’s creative handiwork. The sky actually plays “Show-n-Tell” every day because it can. Just as the sky shouts praises to its Maker, surely believers can do the same with our everyday lives. Because our great Creator God is worthy of our praise, we can celebrate His goodness and bring glory to His name.

The Key: Rejoice! You are a unique creation of God and He knows how to provide for you.

 

This might be the dullest, but most important column, that I write. Earlier, I wrote about the City of Fort Scott creating and launching a Land Bank, which was a great move. It gives us a good foundation upon which we can build. The next building block to add to this slab is a Community Land Trust.

You might be asking, “What the heck is that?” It is a vehicle that might be one of the keys to addressing our most critical need: quality, affordable housing for working families.

How does it work? The following is a hypothetical example:

1.Land Bank acquires an unlivable residential property on a city lot through a tax sale, and the existing structure is demolished and hauled away.

2.Property is deeded to the Community Land Trust (“CLT”), a not-for-profit corporation, to take advantage of charitable donation status.

3.CLT engages an architect, and building plans are drawn for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,600 square foot home. Estimated cost to construct: $200,000.

4.CLT solicits donations and grants for at least 20% of the project, from sources such as the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation. Project cost reduced to $160,000.

5.CLT signs an agreement with a high school or college vocational class to provide free labor and construction supervision, saving $50,000 in labor. Project cost reduced to $110,000.

6.Construction financing is obtained for $110,000.

7.Home is put on the market for $125,000, which should fall within an acceptable cost range to achieve an appraisal for an adequate amount for a buyer to secure financing.

8.Home is sold, an agreement is signed, and a ground lease is established. The buyer pays ground lease cost of $50 per month in addition to their mortgage payment.

9.CLT pays the excess sales proceeds to Land Bank.

10.Buyer agrees that the value they can receive in a resale is capped at $125,000, plus the additional value created by investments in the property, such as additions, fencing, etc. All modification must be approved in advance by the CLT. A property inspection is performed at least annually to make sure it is being maintained.

11.Buyer lives in the property for five years, and desires to move. The home is put on the market for $125,000, plus a modest cost of living increase of 1% per year as a profit to the CLT for future investments, and home is sold for $131,250. The original buyer builds equity by paying down their mortgage and investing in improvements over the years that create value.

12.New buyer signs the same agreement as previous buyer and the cycle is established.

This is a process that can be repeated, thereby establishing a supply of quality, affordable housing in perpetuity.

Every aspect of this plan is doable by our communities in Bourbon County. There are over 225 Community Land Trust operating successfully in the United States, including Douglas County, Kansas. Our Land Bank has approved a study of the concept; now is the time to move ahead.

It was one of those rare text messages every grandmother wants to read. “Could I come over to your house tomorrow after school? I’d like your help making macaroons so I can take them to the nursing home.”

In all honesty, it wasn’t that Montana wanted to bless the residents of a care facility that made me smile. It was that she wanted to have a baking experience with me! Mo would bring all of the ingredients.

The recipe was from a YouTube video of a teenager who promised this to be a “seriously simple” baking experience. What could possibly go wrong? (Spare me your thoughts.) We placed the laptop on my countertop and watched a young, hyper teen walk us through this “seriously simple” happening.

She listed all of the ingredients. Check. Mo had them all. We would make no mistakes. We knew that this was no cakewalk in the park, so every step was checked not once, but four times. Soon, puffy, blue macaroon shells would emerge from the oven, we would add the calorie-loaded cream filling, and nursing home residents would be blessed. There would be no chance for error.

Except, there was, even though Mo and I had no idea where we went awry. Our puffy, blue macaroons emerged from the oven as a flat, brown crust that lined the entire base of the cookie sheet and could not be scraped off. How was this possible? How could light blue turn to dark brown? How could puffy turn to flat? How could beautiful turn to ugly? My granddaughter and I revisited the video. Over and over and over again. We had done precisely what was required. So, where had the mistake occurred?

Apparently, Hyper Teen had omitted an important step (or two). How had she not run through her own video before she posted it for dummies like us who did not have the common sense to see something was amiss?

Like, where was the blue? Or the ingredient to create puffiness? Mo and I simply trusted that we had all the information we needed.

How could we place our faith in someone without checking credentials? There is a story in the Bible that addresses something similar. Acts 18:24-28 introduces us to a Jew named Apollos, a bright man who spoke boldly in the Temple about Scripture and had been “instructed in the way of the Lord…though he knew only the baptism of John.”

In other words, he had some of the facts but not all.

Paul’s husband-and-wife disciple team, Aquila and Priscilla, heard Apollos speak, realized he still had much to learn, invited him to their home and explained the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The zealous orator had omitted important details that made Jesus different from every other prophet.

The story has a great ending: “…he (Apollos) vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.”

We all need to place our trust in one who has proven trustworthy…even when it’s only the success of blue macaroons that lies in the balance.

Keys to the Kingdom

 

I know of only one person who doesn’t like to hear music. As a musician, I find that rather odd. The music of the church has been inspiring and life-changing for me. The songs I heard and sang as a child continue to influence what I believe and do. I woke up one morning with the straightforward lyrics of “We’ll Work till Jesus Comes” in my soul. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to grasp the meaning of this gospel message in song.

After Jesus was resurrected, the time had come for Him to ascend back to heaven. “As they [apostles] were straining their eyes for another glimpse, suddenly two white-robed men were standing there among them, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has gone away to heaven and some day, just as He went, He will return!’” (Acts 1:10,11 TLB). These two verses are extremely relevant to modern believers. Today, we might say: Don’t just stand there, do something!

We can read the Books of Acts through Revelation and find out what the New Testament believers did. In a nutshell, they loved God, loved people, and went about doing good — that‘s what Jesus did (see Acts 10:38). The apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power” (1 Corinthians 4:20 NLT). These Christians were not loafers — they were empowered by the Holy Spirit and stayed busy doing God’s will. In 2021, there’s still work to be done and victories to be won. The gospel message is to be preached and songs of worship are to be sung. The lost, hungry, hurting, and abused need to be loved, fed, helped, and brought to Christ Jesus.

When it comes to work, there’s a fine line of balance in the life of a believer. We are to accomplish the work God has individually assigned to us without burning out. “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone — especially to those in the family of faith” (Galatians 6:9,10 NLT). When all believers work together in unity, using our unique abilities, we can make a positive difference for the Kingdom of God.

There are no reserved seats on the sidelines for Christians. Yes, there may come a time when your physical work turns into praying and/or financial partnering only. Remember God moves through people who are willing to be used to get the job done. “Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body and [individually] you are members of it, each part severally and distinct [each with his own place and function]” (1 Corinthians 12:27 AMP). For example, if all the hospital employees were doctors, the place would have to shut down. It takes everybody performing their designated role to have excellent results.

Let’s not drag our feet in working for Jesus until He returns. “The Lord of Hosts says, ‘Get on with the job and finish it! You have been listening long enough!’” (Zechariah 8:9 TLB). So what’s the holdup? It’s time to stop questioning the will of God and start carrying it out.

The Key: Let’s take up where Jesus left off and go about doing good.