Today's Focus Verse: John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

I'm sure all of us can quote this passage. I typed it from memory, as we all ahould be able to do. Today's focus is on one of the simplest things: love. But, it is often the simple things that we forget or mess up. In a world of complexity and technological advancement, we often forget to truly love.
Of course, we tell our wives and children we love them. We might even tell a brother or sister in Christ that we love them. But what about your next door neighbor? What about that person at work? I understand that we need to be careful about these things, what with sexual harrassment being a real issue in the work place. Even in light of this, can we not take the time to demonstrate our love to others, even in the simplest things? Aren't there things that we can do and say at work to show our love and appreciation to those whom spend a great deal of time with each day? It might be a stopping by someone's desk and expressing our sincere thanks for something they did or said? It might be writing a note or email of thanks for something seemingly small. Whatever you can find, wouldn't it be worth it to brighten someone else's day with a simple expression of thanks? If God can send His ONLY SON to die for a world full of sinners, if Jesus can leave Hid heavenly home to live as a human being and die on a Roman cross, can't we do a few simple things to show our love for our fellow man (not just family!)?
Here are a few lines from an email that I received dealing with this subject. A group of 4 to 8 year old children were asked what love is. Their responses are priceless. Enjoy!

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." Nikka - age 6

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry"

TTFN, Troy

Todays Focus Verse: II Corinthians 5:16-21 (NASV)
"Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Today's focus is on the plea by Paul to be reconciled to God. He even uses the terms "appeal" and "beg" in the NASV. His appeal is that since we are "new creatures," we should be reconciled to to God. Verse 21 tells us AFTER Paul has made his appeal, that we are to this because Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. It's as if he tells us what to do, and then states his evidence. It's almost a "guilt trip," as if verse 21 wasn't enough!
From this point on, let us all seek to reconcile ourselves to God, since Jesus became sin for each of us and God "is not willing that any should perish." TTFN, Troy

Today's Focus Verse: Gal. 5:19
Today I would like to make some comments on Bro. Roberts' sermon at Westide on Sunday. RIGHT ON! Both lessons, on instrumental music in the worship service, were dead on right. NO WHERE in Scripture can one find even a shred of evidence to suggest that we are to use instruments in worship. Attempts to justify or rationalize it are the same, tired old arguments that we have all heard for years. "It doesn't say you can't!"- what a terrible way to prove your point. Mark was right on point, and he brought up the blatantly obvious point of "WHERE DOES IT SAY YOU CAN!?!?!" "I just can't believe that God wouldn't be pleased"- Really. If you're doing something that God hasn't authorized, how can you expect Him to be pleased with it?
Also, I happen to have a Bachelor's Degree in Music, so I have the unique perspective of having gone through a secular education at a public university an studying music history. I could go on for an hour about the LACK of instruments of music in even the Catholic Church for centuries. Anyone ever hear of Gregorian Chant? There is a reason that chant was THE music of the Catholic church for over A THOUSAND YEARS! Instruments, in the clergy's belief, got in the way of the message. Plus, the early pipe organ was so loud, it could be heard for MILES around and scared many parishioners.
Feel free to post any comments or questions regarding this issue. As a degreed instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer/arranger, this is a subject that I consider to be well-versed in from a secular standpoint. I may not be the best Biblical scholar, but I believe that the Bible and secular/Church history agree on this point. An open discussion on this vital issue is very much needed, so let us all strive to keep an open mind. However, the Bible speaks very clearly on this point, and it just so happens to be corroborated by secular and church history. TTFN, Troy

Today's Focus is from a daily email that I get from the Institute for Creation Reasearch (www.icr.org). I sold a vehicle to a gentleman that works for ICR. He told me about ICR and I started to subscribing to their daily email list. Today's is really good. Enjoy! TTFN, Troy

No More Tears

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4).

Surely this is one of the most glorious promises in the Bible! No more suffering, no more sorrow, no more death! In this present life, in this present world, every one of us must endure suffering and sorrow in various degrees, and eventually death. But our gracious Savior "hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" and because "the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. . . . He was cut off out of the land of the living" (Isaiah 53:4,6,8), and He endured for us the awful suffering of death on the cross.

In dying, however, He defeated death, rose from the grave, and is now alive "for evermore" (Revelation 1:18). Thus He can promise immortal physical bodies that will never die again to all who trust Him.

How can He do such a thing? He "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Philippians 3:21). "The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:52).

The believers of pre-Christian days will also share in these blessings. The prophet Isaiah recorded a beautiful promise to them, as well as us, hundreds of years before Christ came to make it possible. "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: . . . And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him . . . we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation" (Isaiah 25:8-9). HMM www.icr.org 10/27/07

Today's Focus Verse is: Luke 12:35
"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit."
Phrases like "next week," "next year," and "in a few years," are terms that we use and encounter nearly every day. We make plans. We "look forward" to a vacation, a new school year or semester, a new job, etc. Not that there is anything wrong with those things, but this verse reminds us that we need to always be "dressed and ready." The verses that follow Luke 12:35 discuss this. The Parable of the Ten Virgins discusses preparation as well. In making plans, we need to make sure that we keep in the not-so-back-of-our-minds the idea of "Lord Willing." As II Peter 3 tells us, "The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night"...Let's make plans, but let us always be "in readiness." TTFN, Troy