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In-N-Out with God?

Since the 1980’s the In-N-Out burger chain has included discreet references to Bible verses on their food wrappers and cups. The book, chapter and verse are printed inconspicuously on the containers – they leave it to the patron to look up the verse.

Next time you have a craving for a “Double-Double”, a burger, or a milkshake, use the reference sheet below to help you feed your soul by reflecting on God’s word.

Available to Patrons
Items	Worst Case Calories	Reference	Verse
Double-Double	670	Nahum 1:7	“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”
Milkshakes	590	Proverbs 3:5	“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Hamburger Cheeseburger	390 480	Revelation 3:20	“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.”
Beverages	200	John 3:16	“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
French Fries	395	Proverbs 24:16	“For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.”
Key Chains		1 Corinthians 13:13	“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Items for Employees Only
Water Cups	John 14:6	“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
Employee Pay Checks	Matthew 6:19	“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

We all face times when we aren’t quite sure if we are IN or OUT with God. If we would just stop to think about the scripture referenced on our coke cup, we would remember that God gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

As we look at the white cup with red decorations, we might be reminded of Isaiah 1:18. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

As we munch on a cheeseburger, we can be comforted knowing that the Lord says, “if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.” Something tells us that burgers won’t be the only thing on that menu.

And as for that milkshake… It’s worth the 590 calories if we are reminded to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. Maybe the restaurant chain’s theme song needs to be modified: In-N-Out, In-N-Out; that’s what [God’s Word} is all about.

Verse for the Week: Deuteronomy 8:3 “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Blessings,

Your friends in Christ

 

 

Footprints in the Sands of Time

One of our favorite poems is “A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). We particularly like the following verses:

Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time; Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o’er life’s solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.

When the poet writes, “we can make our lives sublime,” he is telling us that we can raise our lives to a level with which nothing can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation.

In the 6^th Chapter of Galatians, Saint Paul wrote, “. ⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Both the Poem by Longfellow and the writing of Saint Paul remind us that the impact we have in life will depend to a large part on our willingness to persevere in doing good. Now, perseverance can be defined as steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement; and perseverance can be either good or bad depending on the motivation of the one who persists.

We can see examples of perseverance in the lives of Billy and Franklin Graham, Peter Marshall, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others. These heroes of the faith have exemplified the words of Hebrews 10:36: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.“

We may not be blessed to leave footprints as deep as those left by the likes of Billy Graham or Mother Theresa; but we can take comfort in the fact that Hebrews 10:16 doesn’t say, “…only heroes of the faith that do great things will receive what God has promised.” It says persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what he has promised. So, if we – that’s you and I – will do the will of God, we will receive what he has promised.

And what is the will of God? Jesus tells us in John 6:40 (NIV)
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Jesus is speaking about a belief that changes the heart. The prophet Jeremiah explained what God is looking for in his people: I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:10 (New King James Version)

Which brings us once again to those footprints we are leaving in the sands of time. What are the fruits we are offering to God? The book Random Acts of Kindness contains stories and quotations that encourage the reader to look for opportunities to serve others; because, often, it’s the little things we do for others that end up being our most lasting footprints.

As you go through this week, we encourage you to look for opportunities to serve God by serving others, keeping in mind…

“We’ve only one life; ‘twill soon be past.
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
(Missionary C.T. Strudd)

Verses for the Week: Matthew 25:37-40: “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

In Memory: This week’s devotional is dedicated to Vanna Wells, who went to be with the Lord. Special prayers are requested for Joyce Ireland, who is recovering from surgery.

Blessings,
Your friends in Christ

Dear Friends

Am I the type of person with whom I would want to spend eternity? If I am honest with myself, I have to admit that there are times I wouldn’t even want to spend a weekend with me, let alone eternity. Yet, I read 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.” I wonder when that new creation is going to take over.  In Romans I read, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2) Where do I go for mind renewal?

A related question has been rattling around in my head: If someone dragged me into court and accused me of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me? This question prompts me to become a fruit inspector – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.“ (Galatians 5:22-23) Does my life reflect God’s love, peace, patience, and gentleness? What about self-control? Even when I’m caught in traffic on the 405?

Mind renewal? Fruitfulness? Praise God, it’s not up to me. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ…in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 3-7)

As God’s children, we all are a work in progress.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

Are we the type of people with whom we’d want to spend eternity? Would we be found guilty if someone accused us of being a Christian? Are we progressing? All good questions. 2 Peter 1:3-8 offers hope:

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8)

In our journey of faith, we need to be gentle with ourselves and remember to “be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6)

Verse for the week: John: 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

They Will Know We Are Christians is a hymn inspired by John 13:35, written by a Catholic priest, Peter Scholtes. (Listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoENAD7OCiI)

Blessings, Your friends in Christ

Imagine this: You are sitting, having a nice cup of tea, when the phone rings. You answer and are greeted by an official sounding voice, “The President of the United States is calling.” Moments later you hear the familiar voice of the President who tells you that he would like you to accept a position as a United States Ambassador.

You are shocked because nothing has prepared you for this prestigious assignment. “Please tell me more.”

“As ambassador, you will be my official voice. When you speak, it will be the same as if I myself were speaking. Your every action will be scrutinized – you will be the face of the United States to that country.”

Now it isn’t likely that our imagined scenario will ever occur, but as a Christian you have already been given an even more important position. The Apostle Paul explains it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:20: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary explains reconciliation: “Reconciliation involves a change in the relationship between God and man or man and man. It assumes there has been a breakdown in the relationship, but now there has been a change from a state of enmity and fragmentation to one of harmony and fellowship.” The wall that sin has erected between man and God has been torn down.

Talk about an awesome responsibility. When we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are carrying a message of reconciliation. ”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them…” (ibid V: 17-21)

Adam and Eve chose recrimination instead of remorse and repentance. Adam blamed God (for giving him the woman) and he blamed Eve (for giving him the apple). Eve blamed the serpent. Recriminations are the antithesis to reconciliation.

Contrast the way Adam and Eve confronted their sin with the way King David confronted his. David had taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite as his own, then had Uriah killed to cover his sin. When the Lord’s ambassador Nathan confronted him with his sins, David immediately confessed, “I have sinned against the LORD.” (2 Samuel 2:13). His remorse and repentance are reflected in Psalm 51, where he pleaded, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” David opened the door to reconciliation with his confession.

On a more personal note, the message on our license plate lets people know that we are Christians. But, there are days, we must confess, when we are less than stellar ambassadors. Perhaps we need a license plate frame that reads,
“Not perfect – Just Forgiven.”
Jesus Christ Loves You

Verses of the week: 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 32:1: Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Blessings,
Your friends in Christ