Happy Thanksgiving!
Thankfulness is an expression of the heart. Thankfulness follows contentment. A person who is content is grateful and satisfied with whatever they have. They think of God and others and not only of themselves. “Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice” (1Chronicles 16:10).
Why should we be thankful?
It's easy to be thankful for the good times. Quality of life comes to those who are thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a setback into a comeback. Realize that your difficulties make you grow and mature. A thankful attitude can turn a negative into a positive. “So then, just as received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthen in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”(Colossians 2:6). Be thankful that you don't have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don't have something; it gives you the opportunity to show appreciation. “Through Jesus therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name” (Hebrews 13:15).
Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunity to improve. Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons. During those times you grow. Be thankful for when you are tired and weary, because it means you have made a difference. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
How can we to express thankfulness?
True thankfulness toward God motivates a person to express it by act of praise, worship, and service to others. Genuine thankfulness is best recognized in the person who continues to press in to their faith in God even in the most extreme difficulties and hardships. “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (Psalms 5:11).
What happens when we are thankful?
God uses our character, experiences and circumstances to produce something of value in us. Experiences that would ordinarily harm you can turn out to be the very thing that makes you wiser, stronger and better. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).

Disappearing male?

Please pray for Israel and America

All together Now

Please pray for Israel and America. Please use the prayer card, and any other scriptures that are meaningful to you, to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the world.

The Bible commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), to speak out for Zion’s sake (Isaiah 62:1), to be watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6) and to bless the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3). These and so many other verses of the Bible that have one overriding message-- as Christians we have a Biblical obligation to defend Israel and the Jewish people in their time of need.

Israel’s time of need is now. There is a new Hitler in the Middle East --President Ahmadinejad of Iran -- who has threatened to wipe out Israel and America and is rapidly acquiring the nuclear technology to make good on his threat. If we learned anything from the Holocaust, it is that when a madman threatens genocide we must take him seriously.

During the Holocaust, too many Christians were silent, and we were left to mourn the slaughter of 6 million Jews. Today, Bible-believing Christians must speak up and stand up for Israel. We must act to do whatever we can to protect Israel’s 6 million Jews from the second Holocaust. We must get it right this time. Our faith demands it. The times require it. Silence is not an option.

The Clock Is Ticking

The Clock Is Ticking

• 40 percent of the world's population has never heard the Gospel
• 28 percent of countries have a minority Christian population
• 2,250 languages still do not have any of the Bible translated

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9 / KJV

Names of God

THE NAMES OF GOD used in the Bible act as a roadmap for learning about the
character of God. Since the Bible is God's Word to us, the names He chooses in
scripture are meant to reveal His true nature to us.



ELOHIM: “Elohay” is the first name for God found in
the Bible, and it's used throughout the Old Testament over 2,300 times. Elohim
comes from the Hebrew root meaning "strength" or "power",
and has the unusual characteristic of being plural in form. Right from the
start, this plural form for the name of God is used to describe the One God, a
mystery that is uncovered throughout the rest of the Bible. Throughout
scripture, Elohim is combined with other words to describe certain
characteristics of God:

·
Elohim: "Creator" Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.”

·
Elohay Elohim: “God Of Gods” Deuteronomy
10:17, Numbers 23:19, Psalms 19:1

·
Elohay Chaiyim: “Living God”
Jeremiah 10:10

·
Elohay Kedoshim: “Holy God”
Leviticus 19:2, Joshua 24:19

Elohay Kedem: “God of the Beginning”
Deuteronomy 33:27

·
Elohay Mauzi: “God Of My Strength” Psalm
43:2

·
Elohay Marom: “God Of Heights” Micah 6:6

·
Elohay Mikarov: “God Who Is Near” Jeremiah 23:23

Elohay Mishpat: “God
Of Justice” Isaiah 30:18

·
Elohay Selichot: “God Of Forgiveness” Nehemiah 9:17

·
Elohay Tehilati: “God Of My Praise” Psalm 109:1

·
Elohay Yishi: “God Of My Salvation” Psalm 18:47,
25:5



"EL" is another name used for God in the Bible,
showing up about 200 times in the Old Testament. El is the simple form
arising from Elohim, and is often combined with other words for descriptive
emphasis:

El Shaddai: "God
Almighty" Genesis 17:1

·
El HaNe'eman: “The Faithful God” Deuteronomy 7:9

·
El HaGadol: “The Great God” Deuteronomy 10:17

·
El HaKadosh: “The Holy God”
Isaiah 5:16

·
El Yisrael: “The God Of
Israel” Psalm 68:35

·
El HaShamayim: “The
God Of The Heavens” Psalm 136:26

·
El De'ot: “The God Of
Knowledge” 1 Samuel 2:3

·
El Emet: “The God Of
Truth” Psalm 31:6

·
El Yeshuati: “The God Of My
Salvation” Isaiah 12:2

·
El Elyon: “The Most High
God” or “God Most High” Genesis
14:17-20

·
Immanu El: “God Is With
Us” Isaiah 7:14

·
El Olam: “The God Of
Eternity” Genesis 21:33 or "Everlasting
God" Isaiah 40:28-31

·
El Echad: “The One God”
Malachi 2:10

El Roi: "Strong One Who
Sees" Genesis 16:13:



"ELAH" is another name for God, used about 70
times in the Old Testament. Again, when combined with other words, we see
different attributes of God:

·
Elah Yerush'lem:
“God of Jerusalem” Ezra 7:19

·
Elah Yisrael:
“God of Israel” Ezra 5:1, Isaiah 1:4

·
Elah Sh'maya:
“God of Heaven” Ezra 7:23

·
Elah Sh'maya V'Arah: “God
of Heaven and Earth” Ezra 5:11



YHVH is the Hebrew word that
translates as “LORD” in our English Bibles (all
capitals). Found more often in the Old
Testament than any other name for God, approximately 7,000 times. The title is
also referred to as the "Tetragrammaton," meaning the "The Four
Letters". The name of God, too sacred to be uttered, abbreviated ( . . .
.) or written "YHWH" without vowel points.



YHVH is the covenant name of
God. YHVH comes from the Hebrew verb "to be" and is the special name
that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. "And God said to Moses,
I AM who I AM; and He said, thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has
sent me to you... this is My eternal name, and this is how I am to be recalled
for all generations'" (Exodus 3:14-15).

Therefore,
YHVH declares God's absolute being - the source of everything, without
beginning and without end.

The
Jews stopped pronouncing this name by about 200 A.D. out of fear of breaking
the commandment "You shall not take the name of YHVH your God in
vain" Exodus 20:7. Although some pronounce YHVH as "Yahweh",
or “Jehovah” scholars really don't know the proper pronunciation.

Jehovah
/ YHWH: Genesis 2:4: “When the Lord God made the earth and the
heavens…”Jehovah - Elohim: “LORD
God” Genesis 2:4, Exodus 6:2-3 Jehovah - Jireh:
"The Lord will provide" Genesis 22:14: Jehovah - Maccaddeshem:
"The Lord your Sanctifier" Exodus 31:13Jehovah - M'kadesh: “The
LORD Who Makes Holy” Ezekiel 37:28 Jehovah - Nissi: "The Lord our Banner"
Exodus 17:15 Jehovah
- O'saynu: “The LORD our Maker” Psalm 95:6Jehovah - Rapha: "The Lord our Healer"
Exodus 15:26 Jehovah - Rohi: "The Lord my Shepherd"
Psalm 23:1 Jehovah - Sabbaoth: "The Lord of Hosts" Isaiah
6:1-3, I Samuel 1:3 Jehovah - Shalom: “The
LORD of Peace” Judges 6:24 Jehovah - Shammah: "The Lord who is Present"
Ezekiel 48:35Jehovah - Tsidkenu: "The Lord our Righteousness" Jeremiah
23:6, 33:16Jehovah - Yireh: “The
LORD who Sees and Provides” Genesis 22:13-14



The LORD who revealed Himself as YHVH in the Old Testament is revealed as
Yeshua (Jesus) in the New Testament.



John
8:12-18 Jesus presents himself as the "I AM." When challenged by some
Jewish leaders regarding His claim of seeing Abraham, Jesus replied, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM."

Philippians
2:9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name
that is above all every name that at name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord…”


Psalms 8:1 “O Lord, our
Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Worshipping God

Worship is comprised
of parts or elements including hearing God’s Word, praying, meditating, singing
and bringing gifts of tithes and offerings. “I will sacrifice a thank offering
to you and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in
the presence of all His people” (Psalm 116:17-18). Worship also includes the
celebration of both baptism and communion.



Worship describes our human
response to divine revelation. God has said something and we respond to it.
Worship is an active and open declaration to God of His worth in an intimate
and spontaneous manner allowing Him to touch us with His life-transforming
presence.



Why should we worship?



Because our God is great
and worthy of all praise. “Come, let
us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation”
(Psalm 95:1)



We were made to worship. The primary purpose of the church and all believers
in Jesus Christ is to glorify the Lord our God. “Ascribe to the Lord, O
families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the
Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the
earth”(Psalm 96:7-9).



We connect with the
living God. In worship we become preoccupied
with the Lord. We don’t just watch it take place we participate in it! ”Praise
the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord; praise him you servants of the Lord, you
who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God”
(Psalm135: 1-2).



What happens when we worship?



When we worship, our God
is magnified. “For God is the King
of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reins over the nations;
God is seated on His holy throne” (Psalm 47:7-8).



Worship enlarges our
horizons and changes our perspectives.
Praise and worship is the language of faith. “I will exalt you, O Lord, for you
lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O Lord my
God, I called to you for help and you healed me” (Psalm 30:1-2).



Worship enhances our
lives with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts
with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name” (Psalm 100:4).



Worship renews our spirit
as we stand in awe at His glory and grace. “Be still and know that I AM God” (Psalm 46:10). “Glory in His holy
name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice” (Psalm 105:3).

What is missing from Ch ch?

U R

So come on and give him praise!
God Bless You All

GOD'S CAKE




Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong: she's failing algebra; her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely, Mom, I love your cake'

'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers. 'Yuck,' says her daughter.

'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'
'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'

'Mom, those are all yucky!'

To which the mother replies: 'Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.

Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

If you like this, send this on to the people you really care about, I did.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

Words

By
the power of our spoken words, the Bible offers many blessings of fulfillment,
joy, fruitfulness, freedom, provision, protection, triumph, knowledge, wisdom,
honor, health, grace, warnings, discernment and eternal life.
Proverbs
10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life…”
Proverbs
10:31 “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom...”
Proverbs
12:14 “From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things…”
Proverbs
12:18 “the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Proverbs
12:19 “truthful lips endure forever.”
Proverbs
12:22 “He delights in men who are truthful.”
Proverbs
13:3 “He who guards his lips guards his life.”
Proverbs
15:2 “The tongue of the wise commands knowledge.”
Proverbs
15:23 “A man finds joy in giving an apt reply- and how good is a timely word!”
Proverbs
16:24 “pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the
bones.”
Proverbs
21:23 “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”
Proverbs
22:11 “He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the
king for his friend.”
Proverbs
23:9 “Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.”
Proverbs
25:11 “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”
Proverbs
29:11 “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under
control.”
Proverbs
30:5 “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in
Him.”
1
Peter 3:10 “For whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue
from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.”

Water into Wine

Making and Drinking Wine
Most juice was allowed to ferment to make safe for storage and later drinking
Took full fresh goatskin, sewed up cuts, filled with juice, hung up
Some would sew skin with hair inside for distinctive flavor, done today in some cultures
Fresh skins were used to allow expansion from fermenting process
Matthew 9:17
17Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Fermented wine was stored in amphorae, large pointed jugs
When ready to drink, wine poured into kraters (large bowls) and mixed with water
Typically 3 parts water to 1 part wine, up to 8:1, 10:1 or even 20:1
Mixed wine poured from kraters into kylix (cups) for drinking
Only drunkards and barbarians drank wine straight or in 1:1 mix, called strong drink
Leviticus 10:8-9
8And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,

9Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

Granpa's Hands

Grandpa's Hands.......

Grandpa, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench.
He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands.

When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the
longer I sat I wondered if he was OK.

Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him
at the same time, I asked him if he was OK. He raised his head and
looked at me and smiled. 'Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking,' he
said in a clear voice strong.

'I didn't mean to disturb you, grandpa, but you were just sitting here
staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,' I
explained to him.

'Have you ever looked at your hands,' he asked. 'I mean really
looked at your hands?'

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them
over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at
my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making.

Grandpa smiled and related this story:

'Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have
served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled
shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to
reach out and grab and embrace life.

'They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the
floor.

They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my
mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled
on my boots.


'They have been dirty, scraped and raw , swollen and bent. They were
uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son and daughter. Decorated
with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone
special.

They wrote my letters to my children and trembled and shook when I
buried my parents.

'They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and
shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.

They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the
rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried
and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works
real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to
fold in prayer.

'These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life.

But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out
and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to
His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.'

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God
reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home.

When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my
children and wife I think of grandpa. I know he has been stroked and
caressed and held by the hands of God.

I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

When you receive this, say a prayer for the person who sent it to
you, and watch God's answer to prayer work in your life. Let's continue
praying for one another.

Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both.

Passing this on to one not yet considered a friend is something
Christ would do.
-- Author Unknown

The King

Here is our King I love God so much spread his love to the world!

Jim Reeves Trouble In The Amen Corner

It was a stylish congregation you could see they'd been around
And they had the biggest pipe organ of any church in town
But over in the Amen Corner of that church sat Brother Ayer
And he insisted every Sunday on singing in the choir
His voice was cracked and broken age had touched his vocal chords
And nearly every Sunday he'd get behind and miss the words
Well the choir got so flustered the church was told in fine
That Brother Ayer must stop his singing or the choir was going to resign
So the pastor appointed a committee I think it was three or four
And they got in their big fine cars and drove up to Ayer's door
They find the choir's great trouble sittin' there in an old arm chair
And the summer's golden sunbeams lay upon his snow white hair
Said York we're here dear Brother with the vestries approbation
To discuss a little matter that affects the congregation
Now it seems that your voice has interfered with the choir
So if you'll just lay out are you listening Brother Ayer
The old man raised his head a sign that he had hear
And on his cheek the three men caught the glitter of a tear
His feeble hands pushed back the locks as white as silky snow
And he answered the committee in a voice both soft and low
I wonder if beyond the tide that's breaking at my feet
In that far off heavenly temple where my Master and I shall meet
Yes I wonder if when I try to sing the song of God up higher
I wonder if they'll kick me out of there for singing in heaven's choir
A silence filled the little room and the old man bowed his head
The committee went on back to town but Brother Ayer was dead
The choir missed him for awhile but he was soon forgotten
A few church goers watched the door but the old man entered not
Far away his voice is sweet and he sings his heart desire
Where are there no church committees and no fashionable choirs
Let me hide myself in Thee

This Kid could teach a lot of folks a thing or two?

This Kid could teach a lot of folks a thing or two?

Why Jesus

Why Jesus

Because

Because He emptied Himself of all but love,
. . . you can be filled.

Because His body was broken,
. . . your life can be whole.

Because His blood was shed,
. . . your sins can be forgiven.

Because He submitted to injustice,
. . . you can forgive.

Because He finished His Father's work,
. . . your life has worth.

Because He was forsaken,
. . . you will never be alone.

Because He was buried,
. . . you can be raised.

Because He lives,
. . . you don't have to be afraid.

Because He was raised,
. . . you can be strong.

Because He reached down to you,
. . . you don't have to work your way up to Him.

Because His promises are always true,
. . . you can have Hope!

Author Unknown

Testimony Tony Snow

This is an outstanding personal testimony by Tony Snow, President Bush's former Press Secretary, and his fight with cancer. As a commentator and journalist, he announced that he had colon cancer in 2005. Following surgery and chemo, Tony joined the Bush Administration in April, 2006 as Press Secretary. Unfortunately, on March 23, 2007, Tony, age 51 and a husband and father of three, announced that the cancer had recurred, with tumors found in his abdomen. This lead to surgery in April, followed by more chemotherapy. He returned to work in the White House Briefing Room on May 3, 2007, but resigned some time after that 'for economic reasons and to pursue other interests. He wrote this testimony some time after his departure from the White House and it needs little intro . . . it speaks for itself.

MY TESTIMONY

'Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, - in my case, cancer. Those of us with potentially fatal diseases - and there are millions in America today - find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God's will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence 'What It All Means,' Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the 'why' questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things. And the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.

I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths began to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.

But, despite this, - or because of it, - God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.

Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.

To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life - and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many non-believing hearts - an institution that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live fully, richly, exuberantly - no matter how their days may be numbered.

Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease, - smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see, - but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension - and yet don't. By His love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise.

'You Have Been Called'. Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet, a loved one holds your hand at the side. 'It's cancer,' the healer announces.

The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa. 'Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler.' But another voice whispers: 'You have been called.' Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter, - and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our 'normal time.'

There's another kind of response, although usually short-lived, an inexplicable shudder of excitement as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tiny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions.

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world scorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing through the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment.

There's nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue, - for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.

Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, he grieved not for himself, but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the Holy City. From the Cross, he took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf.

We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us, that we acquired purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God's love for others. Sickness gets us part way there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two peoples' worries and fears.

'Learning How to Live'. Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God's arms, not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of live.

I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was an humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He restrained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. 'I'm going to try to beat [this cancer],' he told me several months before he died. 'But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side.'

His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn't promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity - filled with life and love we cannot comprehend, - and that one can, in the throes of sickness, point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.

Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?

When our faith flags, He throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it. It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up, - to speak of us!

This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God.

What is man that Thou are mindful of him? We don't know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us who believe each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place, in the hollow of God's hand.'

T. Snow
deceased July 12, 2008