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Dear Friends,

This week we take a look at the story of Jesus feeding the multitude. The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes is the only specific miracle aside from the resurrection of Christ that is found in all four Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all tell the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.

Jesus had been healing the sick and a large crowd of people had been following him for several days. We pick up the account in the 6^th Chapter of John starting at the fifth verse. ^“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’ John 6:5-7 (NIV)

 Although Philip voiced concern over the cost of feeding such a large crowd, money wasn’t the real issue. Think about this scene for a minute. There are five thousand men, not counting the women and children. The crowd had been following Jesus for several days, so any food they might have had with them would be gone. Even if they had the money, there was simply no place in this rural area to buy bread. They couldn’t just stroll into a local bakery and ask for a few thousand loaves of bread. Jesus was asking for the impossible, and God would provide.

The story continues, “Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ Ibid verses 8-9. That little boy is one of the unsung heroes of the Bible. What made him a hero? He showed up, and he was willing to share the little that he had. Then God multiplied his generosity.

Continuing with the story, Jesus had the people sit down. He gave thanks. Then he distributed the food and everyone got as much as they wanted. What did Jesus do before he distributed the food? Jesus gave thanks.

Psalm 118:1 and 136:1 tell us, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” It seems that very few people offer grace before starting their meal. Want to get the most from your meals? Perhaps the best appetizer—one that is truly nourishing—is spending a few moments thanking God for what he has provided.

The story of Jesus feeding the multitude concludes, “When they had all had enough to eat, {Jesus} said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Ibid verses 12-13. God doesn’t just provide – He provides in abundance—He has leftovers!

Next time you sit down to enjoy a meal, imagine Jesus feeding the five thousand. Can you, like the little boy, show up and share when you see a need? Can you, like Jesus, acknowledge that all our blessings come from God and offer Him thanks? When you have leftovers, can you appreciate that we serve a God who provides in abundance?

Recently Bonnie and I had lunch with Jewish friend and his wife. When the served the meal, there was that awkward moment when we weren’t sure if they would offer a blessing or if we should. I took Bonnie’s hand and said, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow”—the opening verse of the Doxology. Our hosts said, “Indeed,” and we enjoyed a lovely time together. Praising God is something people of all faiths understand. Thanks be to God!

Verse for the Week: Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

 Blessings, Your friends in Christ.

(Just for the record, the Doxology is not drawn from any particular verses in Scripture. It is a song of praise, written in 1674 by Thomas Ken, sung to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.)

Dear Friends,

Between now and the end of the year—no matter where you worship—you will be blessed to hear a series of sermons on stewardship. If you are like us, you may walk away from stewardship sermons wondering if you can ever give or do enough. The simple answer is, “No! You can never give or do enough to repay God for all of his blessings. But that isn’t a reason to feel guilty or inadequate; it’s a cause for rejoicing. We serve a generous God.

Giving is one way we can show our gratitude to God for all He has given us. Yet, giving isn’t something that comes naturally. Statistics indicate that a person is less likely to tithe if they didn’t develop the habit of tithing in their teens or early twenties. Churches need the support of their members to survive, yet, according to a 2014 national survey, only 3-5% of American who give to their local church do so through regular tithing, and the average donation by adults who attend U.S. Protestant churches is about $17 a week.

Recently we heard a young pastor suggest an interesting way for her non-tithing members to develop the habit of donating to the church. She used the “Two Frappuccinos for Jesus” approach. A Grande Frappuccino including state and local sales taxes costs about $4.60 a cup. Two of them costs roughly $10.00, if you leave a tip. Do you see where she was going?

Now Bonnie took it one step further. She asked me to look up the nutritional values for the new Caramel Waffle Cone Frappuccino. As the chart below indicates, giving to your local church may actually save your life!  Eliminating 800 calories a week, 41,600 a year … who needs Oprah?

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (16 fl oz)
Calories 400	Calories from Fat 140
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g	23%
Saturated Fat 9g	45%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 55mg	18%
Sodium 220mg	9%
Total Carbohydrate 62g	21%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Sugars 59g
Protein 4g

“Starbucks is a sugar dispenser disguised as a coffee shop.” — Dr. Mark Heyman

Now Starbucks isn’t going to take this lying down. You can anticipate promotions such as Macchiato Mondays and Frappuccino Fridays to offer the seriously addicted a regular fix.

The young pastor’s approach to stewardship was refreshing—as refreshing as a cool drink. She confessed the excesses in her own life: a nice condo, good sporting equipment, and yes, regular visits to Starbucks, but she also spoke about her excessive love for God, and how it is reflected in her giving. She gave as much credence to Ecclesiastes 3:13 (KJV) as she did to 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT).

“And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”

“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”^[

Blessings, Your Friends in Christ

 

http://www.becausewelovehim.wordpress.com/

Dear Friends,

As I considered various topics for this week’s blog, my thoughts drifted back several years to my visit to Mission Hospital for a heart ablation surgery. Wrapped in a prayer shawl that had been knit by members of my church, I reflected on just how precious life is. Although the procedure was relatively minor, I knew there was some degree of risk, and it was comforting to know that my prayers were augmented by the prayers of the precious ladies who knit the shawls.

A knit shawl is a perfect reminder that every life is precious. The author of Psalm 139, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, used knitting as a metaphor for the way God worked to bring about the miracle of birth. The psalm also reminds us that God considers each of us special.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body  and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,  as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” Psalm 139: 13-19 (NLT)

God chose each of our mothers to be a special vessel where he formed us. On Mother’s Day we offer praise to God and thanks and blessings to our mothers for giving us life.

Verse for the Week: “Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you!” Psalm 71:6

Your Friends in Christ

Dear Friends,

Our experiences this week trying to purchase a new car lead us to contemplate two questions: (1) Does God answer prayers? (2) Do we really listen for His answers?”

It all started when we decided to trade-in Bonnie’s 2013 Prius on the 2016 model. The dealer had made an excellent offer and the trade-in value was just what we expected. We would have made the deal on the spot, but Bonnie had offered to sell her car to a friend, so we had to give the friend a chance to match the trade-in offer. Had the friend taken the deal, the story would have ended with us driving away in a red Prius the next day.

Now Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” So during our evening prayers, we asked God to give us some kind of sign that our decision was in keeping with His will.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” This being the case, we started to get nervous about our car-buying decision when we awoke to discover that the Scripture on our Calendar was Luke 5:39: “And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.”

“The old is better—is that God’s answer to our prayer?” Bonnie questioned. “I’m not sure we should go forward. But if my friend accepts our offer, there’s no turning back.” Later that morning her friend declined our offer.

Still uncertain what we would do, we returned to Santa Margarita Toyota where we met with J.T., the Fleet Manager. J.T. is not your typical car salesman. When Bonnie told him about our concerns about the Scripture we had read, he practically insisted that we go home and pray before making a final decision.

We returned to the dealership to take one last look before giving up on buying a new car. Toyota had changed the design of the Prius in 2016, so—perhaps looking for loopholes—I suggested that maybe our Scripture was suggesting we stick with the old “design” and see if there were any 2015’s available. Two 2015’s were on the lot. (Bargaining with God?)

As we looked over one of them, another customer approached and started telling us how happy he had been with his Prius. “My 2013 has the highest rating for cars in its class, and I love it,” he said. “Hmmm, maybe trading in our Prius isn’t such a good idea after all,” I thought.

We went home and prayed again. The next morning, as I opened the garage door, I noticed that I had parked my car too far back, and the garage door had made several deep scratches in the trunk lid and bumper of my car. We had already made an appointment to have a paint and body man fix some other dings, but the timing of this additional damage made me wonder: God used plagues to convey his message to Pharoah, could it be He uses garage doors?

That night we discussed the possibility of trading-in the Fusion instead of the Prius. Still the option of trading in our old Prius on a new one lingered. That was until the phone rang the next morning. “I’m here to fix your Fusion,” the young man said. Oops! With the thought of trading in the Fusion gaining strength, we had called to cancel our appointment for repairs, but the word hadn’t reached the technician. “Our decision is made; have him touch-up the Prius, not the Fusion!” Bonnie exclaimed. “We’re keeping it.” As it turned out, we ended up trading in our Fusion and getting, at a substantial savings, a Corolla that we both love.

When you pray expectantly, you never know how God might communicate his answer. Was God superintending our efforts to find a new car? It felt as if he was, yet we know that we can’t always expect God to send the cavalry when we face a dilemma. But we also know that we can trust, in all situations, the God who loved us so much that he sent His son to Calvary to die for us.

As another one of our favorite Scriptures reminds us, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

Could it be this Scripture even applies when car shopping? If it’s important to you, it’s important to God.

Blessings,
Your friends in Christ

Dear Friends:

Do you ever wonder what happened to Vinko Bogataj? If that name doesn’t ring a bell for you, think back to the opening scenes from the ABC Television Show—“The Wide World of Sports.” With melodramatic music playing in the background, Jim McKay proclaimed, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports—the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat ….” If you remember that opening, you will remember Vinko Bogataj. He was the ski flier who lost his balance and tumbled head over heels, crashing into a retaining fence—an indelible image of the “agony of defeat.”

Have you had a Vinko Bogataj experience? Has there been a time in your life when you failed so badly that a condemning image of that failure is permanently seared into your psyche? Does that image, like the video clip of Bogataj’s fall, get replayed over and over in your head, compounding your own agony of defeat? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to erase that clip from your memory and finally know the thrill of victory? Wouldn’t it be freeing to find a way to forgive yourself?

It seems every other sermon or devotional lately has focused on forgiveness. Pope Francis has declared two-thousand sixteen the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Saddleback Church’s focus is on the Miracle of Mercy; while other churches have related themes. Why mercy? Many people view God as a god of judgement and vengeance, but the Scriptures paint a very different picture. Mercy is the attribute of God that is most repeated in Scripture.

But before we can appreciate God as a god of mercy, we first must get past the old image of God as a god of judgement. This can be especially problematic if someone was raised in a household where, in particular, the father figure was critical, condemning, or abusive. Embracing a God of love and mercy is difficult when we try to judge our heavenly Father using an imperfect earthly father as our model.

In Isaiah 55:8-10 we are reminded that God is much more than we can imagine—we underestimate his love, even if we attempt to compare him to the most loving human father.

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Unlike our human fathers, God is not interested in re-runs. Psalm 103:8-12, as translated in the International Children’s Version, tells us just how different our Heavenly Father is:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

“As far as the east is from the west,” the psalmist says. Think about that—how far east do you have to go before you are headed west? The psalmist is telling us that when God forgives, he does not turn back from his Word. In 1 John 1:9 we read, “But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. We can trust God. He does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrongs we have done.”

If God isn’t interested in rehashing past sins, why should we? Once you have asked God to forgive you, it’s a closed issue for him. The next time that video clip of past failures starts playing in your brain, ask God to forgive you for doubting his forgiveness. Then ask him to show you how to leave the agony of past defeats behind, and claim victory in Jesus by forgiving yourself … and by forgiving your earthly father for not being perfect either.

O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him,
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

— Eugene Monroe Bartlett, Sr.

Blessings, Your friends in Christ

In case you are still wondering—Vinko Bogataj suffered a concussion but returned to skiing the next year. Now retired from skiing, Vinko lives in his home town of Lesce, Slovenia where he is a landscape painter.