Sunday, August 30, 2015

HAND IN HAND

Dear friends,
         Over a month ago I had corrective surgery again on my shoulder. I am pleased to report this time it is healing the way it ought, because I am treating my shoulder better than the first time. For the past five weeks I've had my arm in a large supportive sling that holds my arm at the correct angle, but it also makes sleeping rather difficult. I slept the first four weeks in a recliner and last week finally got back to my bed. This week I visit the doctor to see if I can stop using the sling now and start my rehab.
         The first week I had to learn how to use one arm to support the other at night while sleeping in my recliner. After several unsuccessful attempts at doing this, I found the best way to support my weak arm was to fold my hands together as if in prayer. That way the fingers on my strong hand intertwined with the fingers of my weak one to hold it in the right place. I was even able sleep part of the night with my hands folded as one hand held the other in place.
         So long as my hands were folded together as if in prayer, the weak arm was supported correctly. Not hard to see the application here, is it?
         It's probable that most of life would work better if we all kept our hands together in prayer more often. Past confirmation students have asked me if folding hands in prayer is needed. One boy said he could pray with his hands in most any position. I challenged him to try praying with one finger up his nose. He, of course, tried it but aslso got my point quickly.
         Prayer helps us strengthen what is weak in our lives. St. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Prayer and thanksgiving go hand in hand. When we realize God's blessings and daily presence in our lives, we will want to give Him thanks. And when we do, one hand holds the other in prayer.

Are your hands often folded in prayer?

Rev. Bob Tasler
www.bobtasler.com

Sunday, August 23, 2015

MADE NEW AGAIN

            Returning Saturday from a friend’s birthday gathering, my cell phone stopped working. We were about two hours from home and we suddenly realized how dependent we were on our little “smart phone.” It had been doing some strange things, and now it didn’t work at all, and I had visions of trying to find an Apple store for repairs on a Saturday afternoon. Or going until Monday without it - ouch!
            Since Carol was driving, I used her trusty old flip phone to call a Support Line. Their tech listened calmly to my problem and told me the phone needed to be connected to a computer to be fixed. He said I should reboot it, plug it into my laptop, open iTunes and touch a certain key. When I did this at home, the phone worked better, but it was still not quite right. As per his instructions, I installed a new version of software and then my phone worked like new again.
            Wouldn’t it be nice when big life problems came up that we could call a heavenly support line, get a new version of “life software” and be like new again? Instead, we have to figure things out and often learn to live without what we cannot retrieve. Yet we don’t need to do this all by ourselves. I might have spent hours trying my own repairs and accidentally got it right, but instead I decided to call for help.
            We can always do this when life problems come up, but we need to be connected to Him by faith. God is there to hear our prayers and give us guidance in His Word. He is also there to calm our fears, give us a new start with forgiveness and assure us of His love in Jesus Christ. Life can wear us down and as we age, we will never work like new again. But God promises us in Revelation 21:5,He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’.”
            God’s Words are always trustworthy and true, and when we trust His Son Jesus, we believe that one day in eternity He will make everything new, including our sinful and weak bodies, especially those parts that don’t work here on earth any more.

What do you have in life that needs fixing?

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

LIVE HOW LONG?

        English scientist Aubrey de Grey is predicting science will one day be able to help people live a thousand years or more. De Grey claims the molecular biology is nearing the stage of finding a cure for aging, and that it may even happen during our lifetimes.
        But who really wants to live a thousand years? Do we really wish to be around to see what will happen in even a few hundred years? And what would population theorists think of a bunch of young-looking geezers taking up space in our fast growing world?
        What is de Grey’s point in seeking this? Is he trying to work toward the day no one will die, or is he denying the inevitable? Despite what science may do to make us live longer, we all will still die. Would not living forever be more of a curse than a blessing?
        Holy Scripture, the Word of God Himself, tells us over and over again that death is not the end of our existence. Instead of just dying and decaying like an old tree trunk, we are assured that everyone will one day stand before Jesus Christ and receive His judgment, whether eternal life for believers who put their faith in Him, or eternal separation for non-believers who reject Him.
        John 5:28-29 tell us, An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
        That is plain language, not a possibility but a reality. It might be interesting to know a few things that will happen in the future, but I think few of us would believe what we’d be told. Who of us thirty years ago would have believed what computers do for us even today?

What would you like to live to see in the future?

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com
(From his newest devotional, DAY BY DAY WITH JESUS)

Monday, August 10, 2015

THE MIRACLE OF LOVE

      I am a fairly well educated person, but I am not sure education has made me smart. One of my older brothers often noted this. When I came home from college he’d usually say, “You don’t look any smarter than the last time I saw you.” I didn’t mind the sarcasm, because he was right. Learning may show itself in a person’s life, but it’s usually not evident right away.
      But some things are hard to understand. For example, every time I use the remote to change a TV channel or increase the volume, I marvel how it can work. Somehow a tiny electrical wave is emitted from the small “channel changer” (my usual term) and the TV does what it tells it.
      The same is true when I turn on a light switch. I have done some electrical wiring so I know the principles behind electrical impulses going through copper wiring. I also have learned (the hard way) that one should not cross a positive and negative wire when they are connected to an electrical source. The sparks can be quite spectacular and the correct fuse hard to find in a store. Give thanks that someone invented the “fuse breaker” which eliminated the need for most fuses.
      While I’m on this subject, I also give thanks for the invention of the fuse. In 1957, our farm house caught fire due to lack of a fuse in one electrical line. It didn’t burn completely, just needed a lot of repair. That’s another story.
      But electricity is amazing. Just walk into a room, flick on a switch and you can see in the dark! But do we stop and analyze how it happened? No, we expect it to happen. We’ve become accustomed to it happening.
      Each day we expect miracles such as our eyesight(it’s morning!), memory(time to get up!), mobility(get out of bed!), knowledge(turn on the coffee!) and a million other things. God gave us ability to do all these things that a require miracle of billions of brain cells to help us do these normal things every day. Most of us don't consider such things miracles from God, but they.
      The greatest miracle of all is love. What combination of miracles comes together to cause two people to love each other? What incredible miracles did it take for God to love us and send His Son Jesus to forgive us and give us eternal life? Seeing a young couple committed to each other in marriage is a wonder. God's miracle of love is beyond all understanding.

What miracles from God will you see today?

Sunday, August 2, 2015

FOLLOW THE CROSS!

Dear Friends,

Few of us wander aimlessly through life. Nearly everyone follows some kind example or a set of ideas, an important person, or the roadmap set forth by a career or goals we hope to achieve.

Last week when our relatives arrived for our son's wedding, Carol and I made several trips to the busy Denver airport. One of the trips required our driving two cars with Carol following me. Due to confusion about where and when to meet our guests, we had to circle around the airport a couple of times until they had their luggage and could meet us at the correct door. I led as Carol followed, and although we always got separated by the mass of other cars, vans or buses traveling those roads with the many turnoffs and side roads, always she always kept track of me. 

Talking about this she later, she said it was because she was always following the cross. Both of our cars have a clergy sticker in the left rear window with a large dark blue cross on it. Most grey cars tend to look alike from the back, so as long as she could follow the cross, she knew she would not get lost.

That is a good lesson for us all in life - always to follow the cross. A busy life means things will try to come between us and Jesus, such as life's problems, diverging interests, changing work or losing our way. When we are unsure of where we are, we merely need to look for the cross of Jesus. He will never lead us astray, but will direct us to finding Him amid the many distractions of life.

"Looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2, RSV)

When you're unsure of where you are going, always follow the cross!


Rev. Bob Tasler
www.bobtasler.com