new birth (2nd try)

Christmas, by definition, is the celebration of a birth. We celebrate the birth of Jesus. But Jesus already had an existence, before He was born. He was with the Father in the beginning at Creation. He showed up on Earth in spiritual form before He was born as a baby. But Jesus needed a human birth to become a man so that He could demonstrate the greater power of God and the greater plan of God to deliver men from the grip of self and sin. You might say that Jesus was "born again".

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First of spirit and then of flesh, His two births exactly mirror the two births we need.....first of flesh and then of spirit! He came from Heaven to earth that we, who start on earth might enter Heaven. It is our choice whether or not to accept the gift of His life and love....He didn't have to come to earth as a baby. That was a choice... and it is your choice as well, whether to respond to His great gift to you.

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Micah 5:2b-4 ...Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf...And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord's strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

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He was twice born that you might also be!

Rob Smith

new birth

The Christmas Concert at the Chapel kicked off with the first performance last night. As a choir member it is always interesting on the first night to both participate in the program and enjoy seeing the program unfold for the first time with all its pieces coming together. Until the first night of the concert we don't see all of the performers and we don't hear all of the music . We haven't heard how the narration integrates and pulls it all together. We haven't heard our Pastor's message. We finally feel the impact of the entire program on that first night. And the program last night was wonderful! I felt like a beautiful picture was being painted of the Lord throughout the night...a picture of His love for all men. And then it occurred to me that this picture of Jesus, which I first started to hear about as a child is becoming clearer all the time as my life unfolds. Just like the first night of the concert, I am gradually seeing more of the pieces of His story and His love and His personality unfold in my life and the life of other people. And my picture of Jesus is growing into sharper focus. No longer just a quaint story of a baby born to a humble couple in a stable...something that happened long ago...Now Jesus is becoming more defined as one who lives today, as well, and who still reaches people and heals them and rescues them and feeds them with the food of the soul. The picture of Jesus is growing clearer, sharper, more three dimensional all the time!

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John 6:57 "I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

coming into focus

The Christmas Concert at the Chapel kicked off with the first performance last night. As a choir member it is always interesting on the first night to both participate in the program and enjoy seeing the program unfold for the first time with all its pieces coming together. Until the first night of the concert we don't see all of the performers and we don't hear all of the music . We haven't heard how the narration integrates and pulls it all together. We haven't heard our Pastor's message. We finally feel the impact of the entire program on that first night. And the program last night was wonderful! I felt like a beautiful picture was being painted of the Lord throughout the night...a picture of His love for all men. And then it occurred to me that this picture of Jesus, which I first started to hear about as a child is becoming clearer all the time as my life unfolds. Just like the first night of the concert, I am gradually seeing more of the pieces of His story and His love and His personality unfold in my life and the life of other people. And my picture of Jesus is growing into sharper focus. No longer just a quaint story of a baby born to a humble couple in a stable...something that happened long ago...Now Jesus is becoming more defined as one who lives today, as well, and who still reaches people and heals them and rescues them and feeds them with the food of the soul. The picture of Jesus is growing clearer, sharper, more three dimensional all the time!

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John 6:57 "I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

the difference

The crisp December air was a good wake up exercise this morning down at the pond. There was frost on the ground but there were signs of life in the air as a few ducks quacked overhead and a heron squawked with its usual complaint. The nearly full moon contrasted sharply with the dark sky, not ready to give up its rule to the approaching sun. I found peace in this natural setting and thought about the diverse beauty of God's Creation. It really isn't just about us, down here. He fashioned so much with His hands and voice...animal life, plant life, tapestries of valleys, hills and waterways. They all reflect His glory. But it occurred to me that there is a difference between the rest of creation and man. Man was fashioned by God, just as the rest of his handiwork. We are a natural being. But, unlike the rest of Creation, we don't just reflect His glory back to Him. We have the opportunity to personally know our Creator. I don't believe that any other aspect of Creation can do this. We are created beings who have the capacity to come into a personal, family-like relationship with the one who has formed us. And this difference makes all the difference!

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Genesis 1:26&27 (part) Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us."....So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them...

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Emmanuel

Christmas is fast approaching. Calendars are becoming very full! Life is very challenging at this time of year. This is the season that we remember that God came to be in our midst. Jesus was also called Emmanuel which means "God with us". This has become very personal to me over the past day. For some reason I didn't sleep well the first two nights of this week. Work has been challenging as well and we have had functions to attend at night. And this week we will sing for five straight nights in the concert! On the way into the garage last night I didn't allow enough clearance and scraped the front of my car. Already exhausted, I climbed into bed with nervous apprehension that I wouldn't be able to sleep well again. As my mind turned over my worries and concerns all of a sudden a peace came over me and the clear thought surfaced, "I am with you". I realized the Lord was present and that He is always present and just focused on the peace of that presence. Emmanuel had become very personal to me at that moment. God is with us and God is for us. In the midst of my weakness I was reminded that, despite that weakness, He is my strength (and He alone!).

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Isaiah 7:14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

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blessings,

Rob Smith

servant

Our Chapel Choir is coming down the home stretch for our Christmas Concert series. We've been practicing since Labor Day and there is a great sense of excitement about the program this year. Many hours of preparation and practice have gone into the process. It takes many voices and a patient and skilled director to bring it together. I learned this past week that it also takes special servants who are willing to pay a high price in time and effort with no visible appearance during the actual concert. The choir has a pianist who has learned all of the music and practiced every practice with the choir but who will not be the concert pianist for the actual programs. She will be available as a backup as the actual pianist will come from out of town. We could never have learned our parts if she hadn't learned the music first. And yet she will step aside for the actual concert series. What a great picture of servanthood this is and what a fine example of how the body is meant to function. We come and lay our gifts before Him, like the Wise Men at the first Christmas. Sometimes those gifts are not even seen by others but they contribute in important ways. Our desire is that the Lord who has given all the gifts would be glorified and pleased as they are raised to Him.

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And we are especially thankful for our pianist, who has served all the hours of practice and willingly steps aside. The Lord sees it all and surely smiles!

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Matthew 23:11 The greatest among you must be a servant.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

light needs a surface

I was in a local church last night for a Christmas program that my grandchildren sang in. Of course it was a warm and satisfying experience to be there and share the early Christmas season in music and scripture. This church has a very high ceiling and all of the lights are located high above. They were dimmed somewhat and we all held candles during the program to add to the intimacy. I considered how those lights, located so far above the floor, normally fill the sanctuary. They do it by reflecting off all of the surfaces. It occurred to me that light needs a surface for its power to be felt. The light of the sun travels millions of miles through the darkness of space and is not seen or felt until there is a surface, like Earth, to receive it. And then the light is fulfilled as its energy brings visibility, brings warmth, brings seasons. And it occurs to me that the light of the Lord travels through the blackness of unbelief until it finds a receptive heart to warm, renew, awaken and fill with light, truth and life from Heaven! Light needs a surface!

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John 1:9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

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blessings,
Rob Smith

the Planner

Planning is something I have done professionally in my life. At the shipyard I worked in "Nuclear Planning" related to the construction of nuclear powered ships and in my second career I have been doing "Financial Planning". The "verse of the day" in my Bible today is Isaiah 25:1, "O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.

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Talk about planning! God planned a universe and a world and all that makes them spin and support life. He has plans for kingdoms and nations too and they have all been fulfilled. It occurred to me that a God who is so successful at the big plans is certainly capable of having a plan for my life too! And looking back I can see that His plans have been working out. It is amazing to me to see the Master Planner complete His works while still permitting us, as individuals, great freedom to make personal choices.

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Truly, Lord, we can say with the Psalmist: "You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

passing it on

We get so busy in life with all of our daily responsibilities and routines that it can be helpful to pause and consider the big picture once in a while. When all is said and done what would we like our lives to count for? When we are long gone will there be any lasting impact from our lives? Having just celebrated Thanksgiving we were reminded of the central place that family has in this. We had four generations around our table and it was a good reminder that family is one lasting investment of our lives, just as family members from previous generations directly impacted and shaped our lives. Our lives make a difference in the lives of others. When it comes to finding the reality of the Lord, our lives play a key role in the lives of others. The example of a life that is lived with the Lord at the center greatly impacts those around that one. And when it comes to making an impact that is lasting it is hard to think of a greater impact than "passing on" the truth of the living Lord to the next generation! And what can be more lasting than lives which begin here and continue in the light of Heaven?

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blessings,

Rob Smith

the skinny wire

My car is old enough to still have a cassette player.  I discovered a gadget that looks like a cassette tape but that allows my smart phone to play music through it.  This gadget has a skinny wire and a plug that connects my phone to the stereo.  The first time I used it I couldn't believe how clear and full the sound was.  First, my smart phone was pulling in the music out of the air and then sending it through a very skinny wire to the car stereo...and it came out so beautifully!  How does all that work?  And how, specifically, did all that music travel through that very skinny wire and into the car stereo?  Technology amazes me.  It also occurred to me that we are like skinny wires also.  The love of the Lord crosses the expanse of Heaven and invades our fragile hearts and minds and then travels through our skinny wire to touch others and to make music that glorifies Him.  This Christmas Season we rejoice that God invaded our world through the fragile form of a baby, who grew into a man and who continues to reach and to touch people.  We are skinny wires with the capacity to know that Lord and to carry the beautiful sound of Heaven's orchestra for a waiting world to hear.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

the gap

There is a gap between what we know and what we need to know...

There is a gap between what we can do and what needs to be done...

There is a gap between where we have been and where we need to go...

There is a gap between who we are and who we need to be...

There is a gap between what we have done and what we should have done...

There is a gap between Heaven's perfection and Earth's potential...

There is a gap between earthly existence and eternal life...

There is a gap between our disregard for Him and His love for us...

There is a gap that only He can bridge...

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And He has!

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Job 16:21 I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends.

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Numbers 16:48 He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped.

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Micah 4:3 The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away.

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Mark 14:24 "This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many."

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1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

bare trees

Bare tree trunks and branches this morning have replaced the multicolored foliage of just a week ago, down at the pond. It is amazing how lifeless hardwood trees appear in winter. There seems to be no clue that these are living things. They look as dead as branches on the forest floor. And there are times when we feel as if there is no life in us. We may consider those times of depression or discouragement or disillusion, even as people who have placed their trust in the Lord. It can seem in the dark days...the winter times...of our lives that we aren't even alive.

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But, just like the trees down by the pond, we may appear outwardly to be without life while the presence of life, though not visible, is at work deep within. And just as the trees of winter will move through that season and emerge with tender new branches and spring leaves in several months to display the life within....so we will move through our winter and emerge to spring. The trees at the pond are not dead. The life quietly is at work within. And the Lord is quietly at work within you, even in your winter season!

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Psalm 74:17 You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

dancing mist

Dancing mist on water's glass, you celebrate the day

Awakened by the brisk new morn

You swirl across the stage...

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Happy is the newborn day

Refreshed beneath the lighted sky

squawking heron flies across

"Wake up!" he cries...come alive.

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Much joy to all as we awaken and walk through the adventure of a new day. May we each have a spirit of adventure and expectation that the Lord will meet us in the hours of this day!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

"Listen up!"

When a football team goes into the huddle everyone has to "listen up" to hear the play. If they don't pay attention in the huddle, they won't be on the same page together and the result will be a broken play. In a sense, we are in the huddle each day. We need to listen to God's signal..His play call...just as carefully as the team in the football huddle. We are reading through the prophet Jeremiah in our Mini Bible College study at the Chapel. The people of Judah, whom Jeremiah is calling out to, have stopped listening in the huddle. They have become convinced that God is distant and uninvolved with their lives. Instead they have decided to listen to themselves. This phrase from chapter 9:13-14 seems to capture it: "...my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said. Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires..." Who is calling the plays in your huddle? Who are you listening to for direction? We need to realize that there are forces at work that seek to separate us from listening to God. You may have even experienced this battle. There are times that you consider picking up the Bible or tuning in to a Christian radio station and, right away, other thoughts come in to try to convince you to do something else. There is a battle for our attention but there is only one trustworthy source for our guidance!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

the humility of life

Maybe it's just the age I am now but I am aware of a number of serious life issues and challenges among friends and family. You probably also know of folks in great need and may be dealing with such issues yourself. Just in my small circle of friends I know of a couple who have recently lost an adult child, a few friends battling cancer for their lives, young grandparents anticipating the birth of a new grandchild with very serious health problems, a relative dealing with the consequences of drug abuse and another relative who was involved in an auto accident with a loss of life. These are overwhelming experiences that could crush the frame of anyone. I realize that life can be inexpressibly hard and we need the comfort, presence and touch of the Lord and of his people, moving in sensitivity and love. A brief visit to the pond this morning encouraged me because it was just as it always is.....very calm and very calming. I saw a heron glide past, disturbed from his spot by the sound of my approaching truck and I was struck by its grace and the beauty of God's creation. I am reminded that life is difficult, and at times crushingly hard. But there is peace to be found in the midst of the storm and there is One who knows what we are going through and who will hold us and carry us and receive us, in our brokenness.

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There is that place of quiet rest...found in the person of Jesus, who knows what it means to suffer and to trust.

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Here is an exerpt from Hebrews, chapter 2, verses 14-18 "Because God's children are human beings-made of flesh and blood-the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death....Therefore it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God...Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

day of days

There are special days in your life that stand out as you think back...a special Christmas, birthday, unexpected day trip to the circus, wedding day, births of your children, etc. Then there are days that stand out in the memory of a nation and a world...assassination of President Kennedy, major earthquake in Japan, 9/11/2001 and the World Trade Center attack. There is coming a day that will stand out to every individual, every nation and every generation that has ever lived. The Bible calls it the Day of the Lord. It will be, at the same time, a day of judgement and a day of victory. There are many references to this day in the Old Testament and New Testament. The prophet Joel looks forward and describes it this way: "Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the Lord will soon arrive." The prophet Malachi paints a picture of great drama: "Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives." In the New Testament Paul tells us that this day will come with a surprise!..."For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night." I hope that you are one of the people who has come out of the valley of decision and made the decision to welcome the Lord on that special day, when He comes. Surely the day of your personal decision will be one of the special days that you will remember the rest of your life (even beyond the Day of the Lord). (references from Joel 3:14, Malachi 4:5 and 1 Thessalonians 5:2).

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blessings this day,

Rob Smith

the other side of cold

I went into a meeting last night when the temperature was still in the 60's and mild. An hour or so later, when I left the meeting, the air had changed quality. It felt about 10 degrees cooler and was a welcome refresher from the stuffy indoor air. Again, this morning, as I stood by the pond's edge the crisp, cool edge of the air helped wake me up and the freshness of the air seemed to clean out my breathing passages. As winter approaches, it comes with cold air, but all isn't negative about the cold. The change, itself, can refresh and the bracing quality of lower temperatures and lower humidity can cause our vision to take sharper definition and our body to be invigorated.

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I was surprised to find myself enjoying the colder air. Sometimes the changes that the Lord has for us are surprising also. Even the familiar change of seasons carries refreshing experience. This new day will bring experiences and possible change that cannot be predicted, but the Lord will refresh us with His presence in the midst of change. We may see with greater sharpness and feel invigorated as those changes come...just like the cold air of early winter.
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Psalm 74:17 You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

people, nation, kingdom

Sometimes you have to back away from the details to get the big picture. As I was jogging this morning I thought about the people of Israel. They form a core part of the Old Testament and they remain a nation today, still very much in the news. I think it is amazing how long this nation has lasted, and that they are still a nation, despite so many difficulties. Then I considered the fact that this is one nation that God clearly established, Himself. We have the detailed history and genealogy, going back to Adam and then feeding through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel as the nation sprang directly from his children). We are taught in the New Testament that the Old Testament was given as examples and warnings for us. I think the nation of Israel is an important example of how God can start with an individual and build a nation. That seems to have its fulfillment in the centuries since Christ first came. Starting with Jesus, as an individual, we see the church built across the generations and that is building God's Kingdom. In Israel we see the picture of an individual becoming a nation. In the New Testament we see the fulfillment of an individual growing into a Kingdom. You really can't explain the existence or persistence of Israel apart from the reality of God. And you can't explain the existence, persistence and growth of the true church of believers apart from the reality of God either.

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Romans 9:6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God's people!

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blessings and reflections to you!

Rob Smith

constant change

This morning the pond was a reflection of change. The soft pastels of low-hanging clouds mixed with a sky that was just awakening and not fully lit to reveal the rust colored trees of fall along the water's edge. I noticed more of the bare branches and tree trunks this morning and many leaves now floated on the water's surface. The peak of color is clearly past and we are headed toward winter like a stick moves toward the edge of a waterfall. Winter is a trying time, with short frigid days, gray skies and forests almost stripped of color (except for the encouraging pines). It occurred to me that change is constant. There is the daily change of night moving to day and back again. There is the seasonal change we are experiencing continually, and that is marked by highlights like foliage and frost. And there is the change we move through in our lives as our days pass. The Lord has built rhythm, seasonality and progression into our lives too. We were not fashioned to stay in one place or remain in a static condition. Change comes to us as we grow up and then grow old and change in our lives can be as unsettling as fall headed for winter. That is why we are so grateful to know the One who doesn't change! The Lord of life walks with us, and in us, through the continual change that marks our lives. He sees the beginning from the end for us and carries us to the new places we must go.

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Psalm 23:6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

moon over mist

It was cold this morning at the pond. But a nearly full moon still shone brightly overhead, as a morning mist partially obscured the surface of the water. The quiet of the place was suddenly broken by the sound of three ducks who noticed my presence and scurried away, swimming to the far shore. I thought about those ducks and how comfortable they were in the cold water. It was completely normal for them to be paddling through cold water. For me it would have been a case of hypothermia and shock to try swimming this morning. But those ducks were designed to swim in cold water. They were fashioned to live comfortably in the pond through a wide range of temperatures because the outdoors is their full-time home. We, too, were designed for our surrondings. We may not be suited for swimming in the cold, but the Lord has designed us to cope with our personal environments as well. Just as the ducks wear a layer of down feathered insulation, so we have spiritual insulation in the form of the Lord's presence to shield us from harm. Through the cold and heat of trials and testing we have been given guidance and learned wisdom to, more than cope...to thrive. The ducks have no concern for the cold water. They were made for it. And we were made to move through the waters of our day, whether we are in cold or hot water. Because we were designed to walk with Him through our day and He knows what we are going through...and will be our guide all the way.

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Psalm 23:3-4 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkets valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

flight instruction

It is a gorgeous morning at the pond as a mist hovered over part of the surface and a joyful overflow of water cascaded down the spillway to a sunsplashed pool. I spied a few small birds winging across to the far shore and carefully watched their flight style. There was a rhythm to their wing beats. They took several strokes and briefly coasted, several more strokes and then coasted...the pattern was almost musical in its beat...like they were singing the same musical measure repeatedly in flight. And then they would break that rhythm suddenlyand land, perfectly, on a branch. So who taught the bird to fly and to land with such beauty and precision? Did the local government appoint an instructor to gather the chicks and teach them the complexities of flight? No...instead the birds are instructing us that there is another teacher. The one who invented flight and designed the bird gave that creature the knowledge and skill. There is much that we can understand about this created world as we study it...but there is far more that we can be humbled by as we observe it. The wonder of a small bird in flight is fulfilled in the awe we experience toward the Lord, who has made it all. This may be the true education and leads us to the inner flight of worship.

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Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world-to every nation, tribe, language, and people. "Fear God," he shouted. "Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

discovering gold

I discovered gold this morning, down at the pond. I won't keep this a secret and would like to encourage a "gold rush". But you won't find this gold by bending down with a pan and sifting the pond water. The gold I discovered came when I looked up to see the morning sun illuminate the gold bank of leaves on the far shore. The rising sun had begun reflecting the brilliance of these trees and the gold leaves shimmered in contrast to the lower parts of the trees, not yet revealed.

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Such beauty, that is revealed and shining all around, comes from the direct hand of the Artist who is also the Creator. With each season and with each day His design shows the order and pleasing designs He has made. And He fashioned them in such a way that man, living at eye-level, can appreciate His work.

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In a sense we walk through our days as we walk through an art gallery. And, occasionally, we realize that we, too, were fashioned to add beauty and to reflect His nature as well. His light illuminates the gold in our form as well!

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1 Peter 3:4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

morning rain

It is a rainy morning, down by the pond. Not a heavy rain...a gentle rain that is easy to stand in. It almost adds a dimension of comfort, connecting sky, land and water together. Enjoying this sensation I realized that man had nothing to do with the rain coming down. We certainly need rainfall. We need sunlight too and we need the results that come when rain and sun bathe the fields to produce the wonder of crops coming up from the ground. Then It occurred to me that none of this is controlled by man. We just ran through an election day to determine new leadership for much of our country. The government of, for and by the people is so important. But the real government over all the people (which includes the provision of rain, sun, and the wonder of crops growing in soil) is from Heaven. We don't elect that government and there are no term limits. We didn't put that government in place but we ought to bow before it and before the One who sits on the throne forever. His government is sovereign over the governments that men cobble together. And His government impacts every level of Creation, from the local pond to the distant galaxy (and even you!).

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Psalm 67:4 Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

born to reproduce

I glanced up from the water's edge this morning to look on a pine tree that appeared to be leaning over the pond. Most of its branches faced the open water and sky and the limbs were heavily laden with small pine cones...hundreds of them! I thought about how fruitful this tree is. Even though most of these pine cones will not grew into trees, every one of them has that potential. The tree itself isn't going anywhere...it is planted next to the water and growing year after year. But some of those pine cones will fall into the water below and be carried around the water's edge, or to the spillway where pond overflow moves downstream to the York River. The pine tree was born to reproduce. And so are we, as Christians, born spiritually to reproduce...as we remain planted at the water's edge of the Lord. Over time the fruit of His presence and Word will mature and the life we have experienced will be transmitted to new spiritual generations. Not all of our days and not all of our efforts will result in new life forming in others, just as the many pine cones will not all become trees....but some will! The great work of the pine tree as it overspreads the pond takes place as the tree simply remains healthy, nurtured by the pond itself.

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John 15:4 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

on the level

I like to go down to the pond in the morning to feel close to Jesus.  I think that there are a few reasons why the pond works so well.  I drive down through a windy, tree-lined road that sets the stage for coming apart to be with Him.  Suddenly the windy path breaks into an opening and the pond is spread before me.  It's like I am coming out of the windy and narrow thoughts of my own mind and into the openness and grandness of His.  On a bright morning like today the pond surface is a mirror that reflects sky, sun and shoreline.  The pond is a place of reflection for me...to reflect on where I am and where I am going...to consider needs to pray for and to be still before Him.  Perhaps, most interestingly, the pond is one of the few physical things I can see that is absolutely level.  It is not only perfectly flat...it can be trusted to be a reliable measure of the horizon.  I need to realign my vision with something that is true every morning.  And I need to realign my inner person...thoughts, heart, attitude with the only One who is true.

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Luke 6:17 When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area

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blessings,

Rob Smith

hidden treasure

Who hasn't been excited by stories of hidden treasure?  Even today we hear of shipwrecks that are discovered with ancient cargoes of gold coins, worth millions.  Some enjoy searching for artifacts, coins and jewelry on the beaches, using metal detectors.  Others give themselves to innovations, enterprises and empires that can attract, produce or control sizable treasure.  And how exciting is the idea of a "treasure map"?  Finding instructions that will guide you, step by step, to a treasure chest deep within an old mine...or cave...or buried next to an old tree...this is the stuff of many old movies and legends.

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But it occurred to me yesterday that there is a treasure hidden with you!  It is the treasure of your personal life!  You have been given the gift of life and the treasure comes from associating your individual life with the One who is the giver of life.  The treasure is not your own.  You did not originate, develop, design, manufacture or discover life.  Your treasure-life was given to you by the living God.  Just as buried treasure does no good as long as it is buried, so your life treasure does not realize its potential until the treasure chest of your heart is opened and the treasure revealed and then the treasure is appreciated as its brilliance shines in His reflection, and then its worth is demonstrated in its use.

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We each have choice over how our personal treasure will be used.  It can remain buried, like ancient treasure chests in sunken ships, or we can find the treasure within using God's treasure map...His Word!  This map will lead us to our personal treasure...the treasure that finds its true worth only when restored to the One who placed it within!

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Psalm 119:162  I rejoice in your words like one who discovers a great treasure.

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blessings from a fellow treasure hunter,

Rob Smith

wind catchers

This morning the local pond was full of action.  A strong, cold wind chased ripples across the surface and caused diamond-like reflections, even from a gray sky.  A lone hawk soared up and down and circled the pond, riding the wind like a sky-surfer.  Behind me I heard the leaves of trees flapping and I turned to watch the trunks and branches swaying in the stiff breeze.  I thought about the fact that moving air is silent but the objects struck by the wind turn silent force into audible and visible presence.  It occurred to me that we are wind catchers also.  We, who were made in the image of our Heavenly Father, were fashioned to catch the wind of His Spirit and convert that invisible force into physical presence.  We were meant to soar like the hawk on heaven's currents.  We were made to make joyful sounds that have heaven's wind behind them.  We were made to move through our days under the sway of the Spirit wind of God, like the trees move, bending to the wind.

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We were made to be wind catchers too!

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Psalm 107:25 He spoke and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

alone...not lonely

Sometimes you have to get alone to realize you're not. This morning I drove down to the pond, where no one else was found. I felt the cool and fresh morning air and was impressed with the rusty colors in the foliage surrounding me. I pictured myself with Jesus right beside, remembering His promise to be in me. I decided to let Him have total input to my thoughts. If He is always with me, I reasoned, He probably has something to say or some thought for me to focus on. I don't know that I received a great revelation, but in the awareness of His immediate presence I was led to pray and to appreciate this gift of life. I realized that sometimes you have to get alone to realize you're not. As children of the Lord we are never alone and never need to be lonely. The companionship of the Lord can be sweetest at times like that! There was a time when everyone, including the Disciples, abandoned Jesus, but He knew He was never alone, either. He knew the Father was with Him through the suffering that led to the Cross.

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John 14:20 "When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

the gift of life

Today is Halloween, a holiday that originally was intended to honor believers in Christ who have moved on to Heaven. Somehow the day has become more centered on "death" than "life" over time, but it really is a celebration of eternal life. I was thinking about the "gift of life" this morning. A friend from church recently experienced a stroke and is, at least temporarily, without some feeling on one side. I was reminded of the uncertainty of our time on the planet...how each day is a gift and we have no physical claim on tomorrow. I considered the complexity of our lives...how each of us is really a walking miracle...just to be alive. This led me to consider the One who gave each of us life, and who offers eternal life to all who will transfer trust from self to Him. And then I realized that I can be a "giver of life" as well. I can give this life back to Him...dedicated to the One who formed me, who holds it all together and who marks the division between earth and eternity.

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John 6:48 (Jesus speaking) Yes, I am the bread of life!...Anyone who eats the bread from heaven...will never die.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

clear view

The past few weeks we have had some stunning fall weather, with crystal clear air and blindingly bright days.  We've enjoyed gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and lately have savored the painter's brush in the hardwood trees that line our roads.  But this morning, following a night of rain, the local pond was not only dark in the predawn hour, it was dulled by the after-rain mist.  The dim light of pre-dawn filtered through the moisture to display fuzzy images and reflections from the trees and far-shore.  But I became aware of this thought: whether clear or cloudy and whether we see sharply or hazily, the Lord sees us with perfect vision.  There are times that we may feel we can't see Him.  There are times when we are not even looking His way.  But there is never a time that He doesn't see us and see through us and see all that is in us.  That is a good thing!  I am convinced that the knowledge of His presence and the awareness that He knows us intimately well is a key to peace and purpose.  Even when we feel like we are walking through the fog!

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Isaiah 29:15b-16 

"The Lord can't see us", they say.  "He doesn't know what's going on!"  How foolish can you be  He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Framework for a day

As I strolled in the predawn morning and looked over the local pond I was intrigued that there was enough light from the night sky to reflect off the surface of the water.  There was just enough light to see without so much light that I could be distracted.  I considered the coming day and I looked up to pick out a few dim stars above.  The thought has been with me for several days that we all have a "framework" that our lives hang on.  This framework is like the foundation of a house, or the trellis that a plant will grow through, or the highway that we drive and take exits from.  "What is my framework", I asked myself.  "My framework is the Lord."  The beginning of each day is a good time to go back to the frame that will carry us through the day.  It is good to reaffirm the conviction that God formed all I can see and has given me life...every day of my life.  I must come to Him with my questions and needs for only He has the ultimate answers and plans.  My natural life is passing  and transitioning, just like the trees in the autumn, but He is enduring and He is accessible and He cares for me.  It is good to focus on the framework as each day begins.  I know that the answers don't like within me...they come from Him!

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Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment." 

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blessings,

Rob Smith

too much chocolate

I love M&M's.  When I have a hankering for M&M's and they are available I tend to over-indulge.  It occurred to me, though, that it's really the first several M&M's that taste best.  After that, when the chocolate hunger has been met, they just become a sweet blob (but that doesn't usually stop me from having a few more!).  I'm not sure if I can classify the "chocolate hunger" as a valid need but I am reminded that something similar happens with other hungers and appetites we have.  Whether we have a need for food, shelter, clothing, vacation, or anything physical/material.....the greatest satisfaction takes place when the actual need is met.  It's just that we tend to overshoot meeting the need.  And we tend to overvalue the thing that fills the need.  So, if it takes money to buy things that meet our needs we may tend to overshoot the value we place on money, which leads us to overshoot the priority money has in our ambition and thinking.

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It seems like the greatest aspect of needs being met takes place at that point where the actual need is satisfied (like the first few M&M's).  When we invite the Lord into the picture (or recognize that He is already in the picture) we realize that He is the one who satisfies the actual needs of our lives.  When we focus on appreciation for actual needs being met then we value Him more than the thing that meets the need.

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And that beats a whole bag of M&M's (whether peanut or plain!).

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Psalm 63:5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  I will praise you with songs of joy.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

argument and awe

When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John there was a large crowd surrounding the remaining disciples. Religious teachers were arguing with the disciples. As it turned out a man had brought a child to be healed by Jesus and the disciples had been unable to heal him. Apparently, at that point, the teachers of the law stepped in to try to seize the moment and call the followers of Jesus, and Jesus himself, frauds. But, just in the nick of time, Jesus came down into their midst to set things right. As soon as the crowd saw Jesus "they were overwhelemed with awe, and they ran to greet him." I think this is a picture of how it is with us. Jesus' first words to them all were, "What is all this arguing about?" As we go through our days we find the opponents of the Lord trying to seize on every weakness of His followers to convince others that God is untrue and Jesus not who He claims to be. But when Jesus shows up the arguing ceases and we run in awe to Him. And one day, according to scripture, everyone will bow and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. We need to take our eyes off of ourselves and see Jesus, as He has come down the mountain and now is in our midst. We need to run to him in awe and leave the arguing behind!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

What do you mean, if?

Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James and John after the miraculous encounter with Moses and Elijah to find a crowd around the other disciples. A father had brought his demon possessed son to be healed by Jesus. The disciples had tried without success to cast out the demon, while Jesus was away. As the father told the story of his son to Jesus he asked for help (Mark 9:22)"...Have mercy on us and help us, if you can." Immediately Jesus replied with a question, "What do you mean, 'If I can'?" He went on to say, "Anything is possible if a person believes." The father replied that he did believe but needed help to overcome his unbelief. Jesus then proceeded to cast out the demon and restore the boy to health. It occurs to me that we forget that when we come to the Lord with our needs we are coming to the Source of Life and the Creator of All. He is not an "If I can" God, He is a "I can do all things God". We tend to measure the power of God alongside our puny power. Our power is limited and unreliable. We may be confident that God's power is greater than our own but we may still limit God. We must be confident that God absolutely can meet the need that we are coming to Him with. There may be a reason that God doesn't provide the answer that we are looking for or in the timeframe we want it to take place, but that doesn't mean He isn't able. Like the father in this story we may need to confess that we believe but we need help to overcome our unbelief!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

bold letters

Sometimes when I write an email I will place a few key words in bold letters to emphasize the meaning. The words haven't changed meaning but I want to make sure that my reader gets the point and feels the emphasis. I think something like that was happening in Mark, chapter 9(vs 2-9), when Jesus took Peter, James and John up into the mountain to have a personal retreat. As they watched Him, Jesus entire appearance was transformed. His clothes became dazzling white and, amazingly, Elijah and Moses appeared from the realm of eternity and began talking with Jesus. Peter was rattled and offered to build three memorials to remember the occasion and then, suddenly, God spoke from a cloud and said, "This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him." In this brief, but incredibly dramatic event, the Lord was placing in bold letters all that Peter, James and John had learned and seen of the Lord for their entire lives. The reality of the Old Testament was confirmed: the law in Moses reality and the prophets in Elijah's reality. The Son-ship of Jesus to the Father, the reality of God, and the sure confidence that they could have in Jesus's words were all confirmed in this experience. And Jesus' first words to them as they left the mountain were about His coming death and resurrection.

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At some point in our lives the truths of the Bible become more than words...they become reality as the Lord breaks through and places those words in bold letters through our personal experience with Him. Isn't it wonderful that we have the Lord of truth, who has given us His word and is following through to fulfill it...across history and across our lives!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

God's point of view

Jesus reprimanded Peter, saying "Get away from me, Satan!", after Peter had just reprimanded Jesus for telling the disciples that He would be killed and then rise from the dead after three days (Mark, chapter 8:32). And then Jesus followed those words with, "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." Two things seem interesting about this to me: first, it strikes me that 'seeing things from a human point of view' is probably what I do just about all the time!! Secondly, apparently it is possible to see things from God's point of view somehow! Then Jesus followed this up with a teaching that apparently conveys just what God's point of view is when it comes to our lives. In verses 34-38 he addresses both our human point of view about our lives and God's intention for our lives as follows: (1) To follow Jesus you cannot also follow your selfish desires, (2) If you make your own life the center of your purpose, you will
only lose that life and your purpose. If you make Jesus and His life the center of your life, you will find purpose, (3) If you make the acquisition of things and wealth and power the purpose of your life, when you die there will be no lasting benefit. If you make Jesus and His message the central purpose of your life you will enjoy the eternal approval of God and there will be eternal benefit.
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It's all in your point of view!
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blessings,
Rob Smith

each new life

We are intensely interested when a new baby arrives. Especially when a family member or close friend has the joy of a new child...we celebrate with them and we are fascinated to consider what this new little person will be like. At first we only have a few pieces of information: usually gender, length and weight (and maybe the presence or absence of hair!). But within the framework of this precious and vulnerable little human is already laid a very specific personality. And behind the scenes, in the Heavenly realm, there are already conceived plans for this life (with every day of this life already accounted for). In a sense every new person is a surprise gift to planet Earth that awaits unwrapping. And, of course, much more than this every person who walks the earth becomes an opportunity for the rest of us to demonstrate love. It's almost as if the Lord is constantly adding instruments to His orchestra to form a personal symphony that will play to glorify Him.

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What a great gift is life! What a great Giver has fashioned each life. Perhaps one of our great challenges is to help bring out the full potential that the Creator had in mind when He placed each of us here.

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Psalm 139:13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame wasnot hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

follow through

I am not a great athlete, but I enjoy watching great athletes. My son-in-law, Mike, is a great athlete. Just the other day I saw him snatch two honey bees right out of the air to protect his children...what reflexes. One thing that great athletes do is "follow through". Whether it is a swing or a throw or a jump the action isn't completed until the action is allowed to go through it's full range of motion. Jesus had tremendous follow through. In Mark, chapter 8, he dramatically restores the vision of a blind man. He took two steps to restore the sight with two physical touches and after the sight was completely restored he had one more step. In verse 26: Jesus sent him away, saying, "Don't go back into the village on your way home." You see, Jesus knew that it was going to be healthier for this one who had just regained sight to see those who loved him at home first, before passing through the village. When Jesus restores our spiritual vision He is just getting started in our lives and He knows which direction we need to go from there to grow and flourish. Jesus had tremendous "follow through"!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

sun in the clouds

Early yesterday evening we spotted puffy clouds with the gorgeous blue sky as a backdrop. The clouds were painted orange by the low hanging sun. It occurred to me that clouds usually block the sun, but last night they became a canvas for its brilliance. And so our problems and trials and issues are clouds that can often block, or interfere, with our joy. But, viewed differently, they become the canvas for the Son to display His brilliance.

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Psalm 103:13-14 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Who do you say I am?

It is easy to see yourself as one small part of a big crowd. And when it comes to the Lord, it may be easy to get lost in "crowd think". You may find yourself following one crowd or another when it comes to your feelings and beliefs about God. Jesus challenged the Disciples when he asked them: ""But who do you say I am"? in Mark, chapter 8:29. At some point we need to answer that question on a personal level. After we evaluate the evidence of Jesus' miracles and His fulfillment of prophecy and after we allow his words to work deep inside us..."Who do we say that he is, from our personal conviction?" We have to move away from the crowds and draw near to Jesus to allow him to reach us in a personal way before we can say with Peter, "You are the Messiah!"

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blessings,

Rob Smith

near and far

In Mark, chapter 8, Jesus feeds another large crowd miraculously...just as he did back in chapter 6. He divided seven loaves and a few fishes and fed 4,000 people. The disciples seemed to need a repetition of this particular miracle because when Jesus expressed concern for the hunger of the crowd the disciples complained that they wouldn't be able to find the food....apparently they forgot the power of the special person who led them. It occurs to me that we also can forget the power of Jesus, despite his nearness. We may have a "head knowledge" that Jesus is here, and even that he dwells in our hearts, but we may forget all that this nearness...this presence means. There is no need that we have that he cannot meet and there are times when he will even use us to meet the needs of others. I suppose that we need to make supernatural thinking a bit more natural to our thinking!

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Mark 8:6-8 ...then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces....They( the crowd) ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food...

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blessings,

Rob Smith

wrestling with God

I think sometimes God is watching to see how earnestly we want Him. There is an encounter captured in Mark, chapter 7, between a woman and Jesus that seems to illustrate this. A woman, who is not Jewish, has come to fall at Jesus' feet to beg for healing for her daughter (who is possessed by an evil spirit). Jesus has responded instantly to other, similar requests, but pushes back at this one. He knows, or recognizes, that she is not Jewish and says, "First I should feed the children-my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." This sounds like a cruel attitude and statement but rather than turning away the woman presses in. She answered, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates." Jesus praises her, saying, "Good answer", and he set the little girl free of the evil spirit. In a sense none of us is worthy to receive the touch...the healing...the grace of the Lord. We are all like "dogs under the table". But we come out of need to the only one who can truly make right what is wrong. There is no one else who can. Like the woman in this encounter we need to humbly fall before Jesus and, yet persistently cling to the sure hope that He can and will do what we cannot do! This is grace and this is faith and this is the work of trusting.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

the painter's brush

I received some great birthday cards this week. A few of them captured gorgeous outdoor scenes and one of the cards was a print of a painting of a rocky mountain gorge with a waterfall and a frothing creek at its base, with an elk lapping water in a quiet pool. As I thought about the picture, I thought about the artist. It occurred to me that every bit of that painting was applied by the artist consciously. From the cloudy sky overhead to the pine covered slope on one side and the bare rock cliffs on the other...to the falling water, the white water, the grassy area in the foreground and the thirst quenching elk...If the artist hadn't applied the paint the picture wouldn't have been complete. It must have taken days to finish this painting. The artist could not have rushed...it took concentration, a sense of vision, skill with color and a gift for blending light into the scene. Then I thought of our Creator and the effort He made to fashion this living canvas that we walk across each day! We are surrounded by His artwork and He even painted us into the picture. He has not rushed, and with purpose and skill and a great sense of the impact of light...He has painted a gorgeous picture. And every stroke of His brush and every dab of paint and every creature who walks is necessary to complete the scene.

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Psalm 96:6 Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Wonderful!

If you had a chance to be with someone who consistently does wonderful things, wouldn't you take that chance? I think that's why crowds surrounded Jesus like a cloud wherever he went during his earthly walk. He healed people dramatically from serious illness, delivered them from evil spirits that had captured their minds and even brought back the dead to life. Naturally, if you had a serious problem yourself you would want to get close and touch Jesus or, better yet, receive his touch and his words on your behalf. The same is true today! Jesus walks in our midst in a more inclusive way. Because He is in spirit and not in flesh he is not limited to one geographical spot. He is just as capable now as he was then to heal, deliver and restore. It's interesting that Jesus actually told folks not to tell anyone about miracles after they were performed...maybe he knew that they would do just the opposite and spread the news far and wide. Are you prepared to be amazed? Join the crowd that is following Jesus and then press in close to touch him and to look into his eyes and to bring your particular burden to him.

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Mark 7:37 They were completely amazed and said again and again, "Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

The battle within

Mark 7:15 "It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart."

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Jesus had been conversing with Pharisees who were critical of his disciples for not following their traditions for hand washing to ceremonially cleanse themselves. He explained that their concerns for cleaning the outside of the body were misplaced. The real uncleanness comes from within. Apparently the problem with men is the problem within each man. We have hearts that have seeds of sin that germinate within. Since the beginning...since the first man, Adam, the tendency to "go wrong" is right there in the center of each of us. So the answer to that problem can't be addressed from the outside-in...it must come from the inside-out. We need the spiritual surgeon's scalpel of God's word to go to the source. The Pharisees' sin was to cancel the effect of God's word by substituting their own words and their own ways. Our deception comes when we believe that we are o.k. and that we are essentially good and that we are essentially clean within. We need the help of the Lord to understand that we are unclean within. Here are some amplifying words from Jesus (verse 20): "It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you."

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Listen once more to Jesus as he later instructed the disciples: (John 15:3) "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Judging Jesus

Mark, chapter 7 recounts the story of some men who decided that they would judge Jesus. Pharisees and teachers of religious law must have heard of the miracles and crowds surrounding Jesus. They decided that would come out of Jerusalem and find fault with him somehow. I remember when inspection teams would come aboard our ship in the Navy. We knew that they would find some discrepancies...that was their whole mission. Well the best the Pharisees could do was to say that Jesus' disciples weren't washing their hands properly before they ate their food. Here was Jesus, who was restoring sight to the blind, driving demons from the possessed and bringing back the dead to life and the Pharisees decide to charge him with a trivial fault. And then Jesus dismissed even that charge, explaining that their hand washing rituals were manmade traditions. In verse 9 we hear Jesus, "You skillfully sidestep God's law in order to hold on to your own tradition." Perhaps there is a lesson for us too. Are we more interested in guarding our own ways or submitting to those of Jesus? Have we become so centered on ourselves that we cannot even see the wonders of God lying all about and within?

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blessings,

Rob Smith

in our midst

After the disciples had seen Jesus feed the 5,000 he sent them back across the Sea of Galilee in a boat while he went into the hills to pray. A few more wonders soon followed. Mark, chapter 6, tells us that when the disciples were in the middle of the sea Jesus saw them struggling to row against some rough water. That has to be supernatural as the disciples were miles out of the range of natural vision. A second wonder took place as Jesus walked toward them on the water. They thought he was a ghost and cried out in fear. Jesus says something that we can benefit from as well. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage! I am here." A third wonder took place as he climbed into the boat and the wind immediately ceased. The next few statements are very important. We are told that the disciples were amazed because they "still didn't understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves." You see, even though the disciples had seen Jesus do numerous miracles they still hadn't grasped the greater meaning. The greater meaning is that the one who does miracles is God, himself, and God, himself, is in their midst. And this is the greater meaning for us as well. God, himself, is in our midst. Miracles, from God's point of view, are normal activity. He is the creator of all and all the material world must submit to him. With the disciples we need to grasp the significance of the reality of God being in our midst...for he very much still is!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

How much do you have?

Mark, chapter 6, records the well known story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. The background of the story is interesting. Jesus and his disciples had been attempting to get away for a mini retreat. They had been besieged by people wanting to be healed and they were exhausted and hungry. But as they attempted to escape by boat, the crowd managed to follow them along the shore. Jesus responded to the crowd and ministered to them because they seemed like sheep without a shepherd and he had compassion for them. The disciples reached a point where they wanted to send the people away to find food so they could finally get some rest themselves. But Jesus wanted to teach them a lesson about provision and material things. He said to the disciples, "You feed them." They replied that it would take months of work to earn enough money to buy the food for the crowd. Then Jesus told them to bring whatever food they already had to him. Of course he then did the miraculous and multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish and fed the entire crowd, with leftovers filling twelve baskets. I think that we need to remember that it isn't what we don't have that we need to be concerned with, but what we do with what we already have. When real needs exist in our lives and the lives of those around us, we need to trust the Lord to multiply what he has already given us to meet those needs. In the process of provision we find the person of the living God.

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Mark 6:38 "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out."

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Who's in charge?

You would think that a king would be the one in charge. That is what kings do...they make the big decisions. There was a king in Mark, chapter 6, named Herod who couldn't seem to figure out who was in charge...of his family, his kingdom or his personal life! Herod had transgressed God's law by taking his brother's wife and John the Baptist called him out on this, because John was all about following God in truth and righteousness and he knew that the king was not only wrong but providing a bad example for others. The king knew that John was right and that he was wrong and he knew that John was a good man. He even liked to listen to John and hear words of truth. The problems is that he wasn't willing to act on all of that good information. Instead, he listened to his wife, as she influenced him to ultimately take the life of John. It became more important to him to maintain his relationship with the wife he had wrongly taken than the God who had given him life and allowed him to become king.

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We may think that we are "king" of our own life. We may think that we make the choices and that we are in charge. But what are the influences that we really act on? In Herod's case, he was a puppet of other influences that came to rule him. It would have taken humility for Herod to bow before God and acknowledge that John was right. He would have had to give up his illicit marriage and face public humiliation perhaps. He chose to keep the unhealthy relationships intact and cut himself off from the most important relationship of all.

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Who is in charge of your life?

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Mark 6:20b Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

provision and power and purpose

Mark 6:6

Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. ⁷ And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. ⁸ He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler's bag, no money. ⁹ He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes.

¹⁰ "Wherever you go," he said, "stay in the same house until you leave town. ¹¹ But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate."

¹² So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. ¹³ And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.

Jesus highlights three "p" words in this story from Mark, chapter 6. He gives his disciples "purpose" when He sends them out to preach to message of repentance and return to God. He gives them "provision" when He tells them not to take food, money or clothing but to depend on others (in other words to trust the Lord for their needs and to allow their purpose to pave the way for their provision). He gives them power to minister...do do miraculous healings and deliverances. And they experience all this in pairs so that the experience is shared and the spiritual growth the disciples realize is reinforced and affirmed in each other's life. This seems to be an early picture of the "Great Commission" that the church is given at the end of Christ's earthly ministry. Have you responded to His call to go, with others, in a similar way...to trust in His provision, make His Purposes your purposes and become a vessel for His power? I think this is still our calling today!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Amazed!

Being amazed is a rare and exciting idea. Certainly the impact of Jesus on individual lives is amazing and was amazing when Jesus walked the earth. In the Gospel of Mark we see the word "amazed" a few times in chapter 6 alone. When Jesus was preaching in the synagogue of his hometown the folks who had seen him grow up couldn't get over the wisdom and knowledge he had. They knew him as the son of a carpenter, with blue collar background just like they had. Somehow their amazement didn't lead to a positive outcome. Because they couldn't explain logically or naturally where Jesus had gotten his power from they turned negative and bitter. And because of their unbelief Jesus was unable to do the kind of ministry he had been able to do in the midst of strangers in other places. The second time "amazed" shows up it is Jesus who is amazed!! Verse 6 tells us "And he was amazed at their unbelief." In our lives the natural and logic of our day to day experiences gives us a sense of understanding that is useful but we need to be careful to allow the Lord to break into our natural experience with supernatural intervention. If we are not open to Heaven we remain captive to our familiar Earth.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

the fountain of life

Psalm 36:9 "For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see."

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I think another word for Christians might be "life seekers", or "students of life". In Christ we find answers to our biggest questions: "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" "What is life all about?" "Where is history headed?" "Why is there evil and how can good triumph?" We are curious creatures who are born without operating instructions and raised by folks only one generation ahead of us. But in the Lord we find the answers, the guidance and the eternal relationship that begins here and continues in a place beyond time. If we are honest we will admit that we don't have the answers to the big questions inside of ourselves. We can live a life of distraction, pursuing temporary pleasures and gains...but that life will end and those pleasures will cease also. Deep within we all want to be students of life, seekers of truth, finders of that which is lasting. We find great hope in the words of Jesus from John, chapter 5, verse 26: "The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son."

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blessings to all the students of life,

Rob Smith