Kitchen Stories by Larry Refsland
My wife and I watched the movie “Kitchen Stories”, a foreign film set in the 1950s. The film was about researching and designing a more efficient kitchen for single men. But, if you don’t speak Norwegian or Swedish, you’d have to read the subtitles like I did. Even so, it was an intriguing and thought-provoking movie, portraying a Swedish research team that is sent to Norway to observe Norwegian men and how they move about in their kitchens. The observer for the research sat in an elevated chair placed in a corner and simply charted each and every move the host would make. The observer was not to engage in conversation or in any way assist the host. By the end, I realized the point of the movie might have been to show that to understand someone, you have to do more than observe. You have to communicate! Some people think God is just an impersonal observer who is only keeping track of the good and bad we do. The scriptures tell us otherwise; it clearly portrays God as an interactive communicator. He wants us to talk to him and he wants to talk to us. He wants us to understand his love for us. He wants us to know he cares about our thoughts, our hurts, our joys and our worries. Obviously he is speaking to us through his word. He also is sending messages through music and nature. The first step in developing any relationship is communication. Spend some time today talking and listening to God. You’ll not only gain a better understanding of God but of yourself and your purpose in life. Join us virtually for service at 3:00 pm CST Do you know the definition of faith? I talk a lot about faith, but many people may not know what faith is. Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” In other words, it is an inner confidence that what you are hoping will happen will happen. If you can see it or figure it out, it takes no faith, because faith is being certain of what we do not see.
I don’t have a clue how many computers work, but I have faith that when I click on the mouse, it will open up the document I need. The same is true when I flip on a light switch or the ignition on my car. I don’t know how it all works, I just know it does and I have confidence the lights will go on or my car will run. We will never figure out all the ways God works for us. We will never comprehend the love that made him willing to send his Son to die for us. But in order to have a relationship with Him, we must trust Him. “His ways are not our way. His ways are past finding out” (Romans 11:33). All of us will decide during our lifetime either to accept God’s leadership over our lives or to reject Him. Either way, it takes faith. You either have faith in God, or faith in you yourself. I choose to trust God. He has a track record of coming though for people who trust Him. Put your hope in the Lord. I am confident you won’t be disappointed! “And now it’s time for today’s Top Ten List!” I used to stay up after the news just to hear David Letterman’s Top Ten List. Many writers and news outlets use them, but actually God had the first Top Ten List. They’re called the Ten Commandments!
These 10 commands were given by God to his people—not as cold, rigid restrictions, but actually as liberating laws of life. When viewed from a proper perspective, we learn that the commandments were given as guidelines to enjoy life, not keep us from having fun. They could be called “Top 10 Ways to Have a Successful Life”. The most important function of God’s Top Ten List is to help us understand our need of forgiveness and mercy. No one has been able to perfectly keep every command throughout his or her entire life. The Bible says if we have broken one item on the list, we’ve broken them all and therefore need forgiveness. Jesus came to set us free from the accusation of the commandments. He changed the commandments from being a taskmaster to Laws of Liberty! In fact, Jesus summed it up in Matthew 22:37-40 simply by saying, “Look, just do these two things:
That’s freedom! If I am living a life of love towards God and my neighbor, I’ll be enjoying God’s promises for those who keep his commands. Practice these secrets for a successful life and have an awesome day! How much are you worth? Add up your assets, subtract what you owe, and what you have left is your net worth. If you try to borrow money or have to settle an estate, going through these equations are a necessity. Everyone has a goal to increase his or her net-worth as much as possible. But I’m not referring to your balance sheet. I’m talking about the value of you, not your possessions. How much are you worth? In the eyes of God, you have infinite worth, enough to send his own Son to die for you, so that you can live forever with him. How much is that worth? What would someone have to pay you to sacrifice your only child so that someone else could live? It can’t be measured in dollars and cents, can it? As you start your day today, remember the value you have to God. No matter what you feel others think of you or even what you may think of yourself, God has placed the highest possible value on you. Others may put you down, but that won’t change your worth to God. You may have even said, “I’m no good, I’m not of any value to anyone.” I’m sorry, but that’s simply not true! There is nothing you can do to diminish your value in God’s eyes. In fact, when we receive his love and forgiveness, he sees us as blameless and without even a blemish. God made an investment in you and He will receive a good return as you yield your life to Him. You are worth more than you can imagine. Not with perishable riches, but with eternal wealth beyond compare. Seeking a church? Join us virtually. (Service starts at 3:00 pm CST)
God is a People Watcher by Larry Refsland
Are you a people watcher like I am? I enjoy going to places where there are lots of people. It’s fascinating to watch and listen to the words and actions of children, parents, friends and lovers. Some will be having the time of their life and others are having a bad day. You can tell who’s in a hurry and who has time on their hands. Some people seem like they are on a mission and others look like they missed the boat. You know, God is also a people-watcher. “The eyes of the Lord are searching to and fro over all the earth, looking for someone He can help” (2 Chronicles 16:9). When I’m people watching, I don’t pay attention to the person who looks like they have it all together. Frankly, they’re boring. I’m more likely to notice the frustrated dad waiting for the kids to catch up to him or the mom that’s digging in her bags for something to keep the baby occupied. God’s eyes are drawn to those that need help as well. You can rest assured that God has taken notice of your situation. Whether you need help with a relationship, finances or a life-controlling problem, he is ready to assist you. The Bible says when we are in distress we should “seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6). As I’m people watching, often I see situations where I can lend a hand, open a door or point out the missing person they’re looking for. God is able to come alongside of us and help us as well. Just call upon Him. He’s as close as the mention of His name. Look up to the Lord who is tenderly watching you. This may not be the first day of the year, but it could be the first day of the rest of your life!
It’s easy for us to carry the weight and worry of yesterday into today. The result is always defeat and discouragement. What if we could start with a clean slate? What if the mistakes of our past couldn’t be held against us? What if our tomorrows depended on today instead of yesterday? How would that change your life? According to the Bible, that’s the opportunity God presents to us. When we ask God to forgive our past mistakes and put our trust in Jesus for tomorrow, our past is wiped clean. Isaiah 1:18 says, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be clean; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as white as wool.” In fact, God’s promise is to make us so clean so that, in His eyes, we are spotless and without fault. We can only have victory today and hope for tomorrow when we ask God to take care of yesterday. Every day can be the first day of the rest of your life. No one needs to carry the weight of past sins—Jesus ‘ death paid for those errors. All he asks is that you follow him today and trust him for the future. If your past has weighed you down, ask Christ to erase it with his love and forgiveness. He won’t refuse you. Only then can we live like there’s no yesterday! The Ultimate Thirst Quencher by Larry Refsland
When you’re really, really thirsty, what do you reach for? There are so many sports drinks available today. Remember when Gatorade was the only brand? And they only had one flavor? Now it’s big business, and several companies are competing to satisfy athletes and anyone else that works up a thirst. (Speaking of which, pardon me a second… twisting the cap, pour, drink, aaaaah). Now, where was I? Oh yeah, thirst quenchers! The Bible records an incident where Jesus met a thirsty woman at a well. She had come to draw water, but Jesus saw that she was also thirsty for satisfaction, security and love. It turned out that this woman had been consistently turning to men to find fulfillment. She had been married five times and was now living with a man. She had already drawn from at least six masculine wells trying to find satisfaction. Jesus offered her living water that would permanently quench her thirsty heart. This living water, the ultimate thirst quencher, is a relationship with Jesus Christ. He alone can truly satisfy. We cannot hope that another human being will bring us true and lasting joy and happiness. Men and women will let you down. Relationships fail, but Jesus never fails! Nothing can separate us from his love. He loves you unconditionally. He invites you to drink from a relationship with him. That void in your life—the sense that there has to be more, can only be satisfied by turning your life to him. Go to the source of living water, ask Him to fill you up today and be our guide from now on. Parent Rules by Larry Refsland
“Don’t smoke, don’t chew, and don’t go with girls that do!” That’s the kind of advice I got as a teenager from my mom and other adults. It seemed like every time I turned around, I was breaking one of the many rules I grew up with. When I married and had kids of my own, we tried to give a more hopeful approach to parenting. My wife and I have tried to raise our kids with only two rules. In fact, these are the same rules we use for children in our church as well. Rule #1: Don’t do something that will hurt yourself. Rule #2: Don’t do something that will hurt someone else. When you boil the Ten Commandments down to its basic premise, you get these two rules. You know, Jesus also reduced the rules and laws of the Bible to two commands. In Mark 12:30-32, he says, first love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Second, love your neighbor as yourself. That’s not too complicated, is it? See, God’s not into rules! He’s into a relationship. That relationship has been initiated by His love for you and me. His command is for us to respond to that love and let that love be reflected in our actions toward others. How difficult is that? About as difficult as diving into a big bowl of ice cream with your favorite topping! When we realize God’s plan is to help us and not to hurt us, we are more willing to accept and respond to His love. So remember, keep it simple—two rules for parenting, two rules for a relationship with God that lead to life! “You’ve been adopted!” Every orphan wants to hear those three words. Families that have opened their hearts and homes to a child know what it’s like to go through the agonizing waiting and hoping period while the legal process is completed to officially recognize a child as their own son or daughter. The child has a new name, a new home, and a new heritage. He or she becomes entitled to all the benefits of this new family: the food, the shelter, the clothing, and most of all, the love of a father and mother. For whatever reason, the birth parents were not able or willing to give the child the care it deserved and needed. The adoptive parents assumed all of those responsibilities.
What if the child refused the adoption? What if they chose to continue to live as orphans, or remain in a neglected home, even though the adoption had all been arranged and paid for? That wouldn’t seem probable, much less very wise. The Bible says that God’s gift to us is his offer to adopt us into his family. It says that Jesus Christ paid for the adoption with his own death on the cross. Whoever trusts in him has the right to become one of God’s children. This offer is to everyone, everywhere. Many people, however, reject God’s gift. They choose to try to make it on their own. That’s sad, because they cannot enjoy all the benefits that come with the adoption. Only by accepting God’s offer can we hope to live forever in his kingdom. Only by trusting Christ can we have access to the help and power and advice of the Heavenly Father. Will you take God up on his offer? You can be a child of the King! Your Heavenly Father is waiting to hear from you! I finally figured out how to deal with the “check engine” light on my car. For several months now, the “check engine” light has been coming on. It’s not on all the time, and the car seems to be running fine, so I haven’t repaired anything. But that “check engine” light can get annoying. Not anymore! Now, thanks to a handy business card over the light, it is not such a nuisance!
The philosophy, of course, is “out of sight, out of mind”. Now, I know I haven’t really fixed the problem—I’ve just covered up the warning signal. That’s the way a lot of us deal with the warning lights in our life. Not opening the mail won’t stop a bill from coming due. Undressing in the dark won’t stop the waistline from expanding. Ignoring God today won’t prevent us from facing him about eternity. Throughout our life, God sends warning signals when we drift away from him. He loves us and wants us to stay in harmony with his plan for our lives. When we go our own way and avoid him, he cares enough about us to remind us of our need of him. These reminders could be a gentle nudge—though a sermon or a song. Or it could be a little more blaring, like going through financial or physical hardships. We could ignore or cover up these signals, like I’ve done with the business card over my “check engine” light. But that will only make matters worse. It’s better to respond quickly to the signal, find out what God is trying to say to us, and take action. If you have a warning light flashing in your life right now, go to the Master mechanic for an early detection and correction. It’ll help you avoid a breakdown in your relationship with Him, and you will go further down the road of life. I pity the fool who takes my favorite cup! I’ve got this coffee mug that is mine— all mine. I like the heft of it. I like the amount of coffee I can pour into it. And I like how it looks. I really don’t want anyone using it. I know it sounds selfish, but I’m kind of attached to it!
Did you know that God actually sees each of us in a similar way? He considers each of us a vessel, a container for which He has his own special purpose and plan. The Bible tells us that every vessel is unique. Some are designed for every day, general use. Some are designed for special circumstances. Some cups can take a lot of abuse. They can be dropped and they don’t break. Others are very fragile and are suited for entertaining special guests. Some are designed for strength, some for beauty, and some for promoting a product or service. In any case, every cup is designed for filling up. No matter how nice a cup, it’s of little value unless something can be poured into it. You and I, as vessels for God, have a purpose. We are to be filled with God’s love, peace, and joy. As containers of these good things, we are able to pour them out throughout the day. Love, peace, and joy flows from God, pouring out onto places and situations needing what God has given to us. Ask God to fill you up today. Then ask him to help you to find the people that need what he is supplying to you. Don’t worry about running out; he’ll keep refilling you as you return to him. And remember, God is particular about you—you are His favorite cup! Just when you thought the campfire was out, along came a gust of wind that brought the flames to life again. Anyone who has spent time in the great outdoors has learned a thing or two from a campfire. First, there’s the trick of getting the fire started in the first place, especially if you don’t have lighter fluid, gasoline or most importantly, a match. Assuming you have the good fortune of successfully starting a fire, that doesn’t mean you can sit back and relax. Next you have to feed this fledgling fire carefully, first with small, dry kindling and gradually working up to a log or two. Once you’ve built it up, the fire will burn nicely on it’s own for quite a while. It’s during this time that the fire can be used for cooking or heating up water or just to enjoy its warmth. However, it will eventually die down if no new fuel is added.
The correlations between a campfire and our spiritual lives are numerous. When the flame of God’s love is ignited in us, it usually starts out hot but in danger of quickly dying out if no one is there to add solid teaching and an occasional prod to keep us turned towards God’s presence. From time to time we are allowed an opportunity to relax and enjoy the warmth, to taste the benefits of sustaining this fire. But to keep it going, we need to allow God to add new truth and inspiration on a regular basis. Even if we do allow the flame to die down, thankfully it only takes a fresh gust of the Holy Spirit to blow through us to cause us to once again be burning enough to be built up again. Our responsibility is to tend the fire. Keep feeding it with God’s Word and worship. You’ll not only be revived, but the fire in you will bring warmth, joy and sustenance to the world around you. |
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