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            This is the church of my dreams: The church of the warm heart, Of the open mind, Of the adventurous spirit; The church that cares, That heals hurt lives, That comforts old people, That challenges youth; That knows no divisions of culture or class, No Frontiers, geographical or social, The church that inquires as well as answers, That looks forward as well as backward, The church of the Master, The church of the people, High as the ideals of Jesus, Low as the humblest human; A working church, A worshipping church, A winsome church; A church that interprets the truth in terms of truth; That inspires courage for this life and hope for the life to come; A church of courage, A church of all good men, The church of the living God.- John M. Moore

            This story told by a German mystic named Tauler.
            One day Tauler met a beggar.  "God give you a good day, my friend."
            "I thank God," said the beggar, "I am never unhappy."
            Tauler said in amazement, "What do you mean?"
            "Well," said the beggar, "when it is fine I thank God.  When it rains, I thank God.  When I am hungry, I thank God.  And, since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?"
            Tauler looked at the man in astonishment.  " Who are you? He asked.
            "I am a King," said the beggar.
            "Where, then, is your Kingdom?"  asked Tauler.
            The beggar replied quietly,  "In my heart."

            Thomas Costain's history, THE THREE EDWARDS, described the life of Raynald III, a fourteenth-century duke in what is now Belgium.  Grossly overweight, Raynald was commonly called by his Latin nickname, Crassus, which means "fat."
            After a violent quarrel, Raynald's younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him.  Edward captured Raynald but did not kill him.  Instead, he built a room around Raynald in the Nieuwkerk castle and promised him he could regain his title and property as soon as he was able to leave the room.  This would not have been difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near-normal size, and none was locked or barred.  The problem was Raynald's size.  To regain his freedom, he needed to lose weight.  But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods.  Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter.  When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer: "My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills."
            Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn't released until after Edward died in battle.  By then his health was so ruined he died within a year. . . a prisoner of his own appetite. -- Dave Wilkenson

            Three ministers were having a time of fellowship over lunch, when one of them said, "Brothers, we have had some wonderful hours of fellowship together - but I feel that our fellowship would be so much more complete if we were able to confess our SINS to one another."
            The other two ministers agreed.
            "I have to confess," said the first one, "that when the collection plates are placed in my office drawer, and when no one is around, I can't resist the temptation of taking a fifty dollars note from the plate and slipping it into my pocket."
            "Ahem," said the second one uneasily, "I must confess that I have a weakness for LIQUOR. In my bottom drawer I keep a bottle of rum - and as soon as my secretary goes home,  I unlock the drawer and have a swig."
            "My brothers," said the third minister, "I suppose I shouldn't hold back either - for my weakness, you see, is GOSSIP! And boy, I can hardly wait to get out of HERE!"

            "When I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders there:  The first wonder will be to see many there whom I did not expect to see; the second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see; the third and greatest wonder of all will be to find myself there." -- John Newton

            You may remember the allegory of the council of the devils, at a time when Satan heard that a revival had commenced in a certain community. According to the story, he called his counselors together and asked them for advice as to how this spiritual atmosphere might be changed. One said, "I could break up this revival. I would go and laugh at the people, and tell them they were a pack of fools; that there was no God, no devil, no heaven, and no hell. And I would say, 'Eat, drink, for tomorrow you die.'" Satan said, "You need not go. You would not find anyone that would believe you." Another, shrewder than the first, said, "Let me go. I would go to them and tell them that a portion of the Bible is true; that there is a God and a heaven, but no devil and no hell, and that no matter how they might live here they would go to heaven when they died." And Satan said, "You need not go. You might find some people that would try to believe you, but not many, especially at this time of spiritual awakening ." "Let me go," said a third, the shrewdest and meanest of them all. "I will go and tell them that the Bible is all true; that there is a God and a heaven, a devil and a hell, and that the people are making their choice in this life as to where they will spend the future ages. And then I will say, 'But you have plenty of time. Put this off. Wait until tomorrow.' " And Satan said to him, "Go!"
            This is only a parable, but I think that it is true tonight. I believe that this emissary of Satan's has come into this audience and has been going down these aisles and into these seats, and saying to this man and this woman, and that young man and yonder maiden, "Put it off. Wait till tomorrow.'' You will heed this voice at your peril. -- By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
            In her book, CELEBRATE JOY!, Velma Seawell Daniels gives a striking new meaning to this familiar phrase.  She tells of interviewing a man who had made a trip to Alaska to visit people who live above the Arctic Circle.
            "Never ask an Eskimo how old he is," the man said.  "If you do, he will say, "I don't know and I don't care."  And he doesn't. One of them told me that, and I pressed him a bit further.  When I asked him the second time, he said, "Almost -- that's all."  That still wasn't good enough for me, so I asked him "Almost what?" and he said, "Almost one day."
            Mrs. Daniels asked him if he could figure out what the Eskimo meant.  He answered that he did but only after talking to another man who had lived in the Arctic Circle for about twenty years. "He was a newspaperman who had written a book about the Eskimos and their customs and beliefs.  He said the Eskimos believe that when they go to sleep at night they die -- that they are dead to the world.  Then, when they wake up in the morning, they have been resurrected and are living a new life. Therefore, no Eskimo is more than one day old. So, that is what the Eskimo meant when he said he was `almost' a day old. The day wasn't over yet."
            "Life above the Arctic Circle is harsh and cruel, and mere survival becomes a major accomplishment," he explained.  "But, you never see an Eskimo who seems worried or anxious.  They have learned to face one day at a time."
            Have you learned how to put worry and anxiety aside and live one day at a time?  Yesterday has past. Tomorrow has not arrived, but Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

            True Christians are characterized by a genuine faith.  A good synonym for the word genuine in 2 Timothy 1:5 is the word sincere.  If you look in a dictionary that lists word origins, you'll find that it comes from two Latin terms -- sine and cere, meaning "without wax."
            Years ago, a potter would often put his seal, or stamp, upon a completed vessel with the words sine cere.  This meant that to his knowledge there was no flaw in that work.  If a potter did crack a vessel, he would carefully patch that flawed vase or bowl by filling in the crack with wax.  Then he would glaze it over. But it did not merit the stamp sine cere, "without wax," because it was not a flawless piece of pottery.

            We all have seen and used electronic calculators.  What happens if you get your information confused or make an error?  You press the "clear" button and automatically all of the information is eliminated from the calculator.  Then you begin again, without trying to sort out the previous mistake.  In fact, there is no record of your mistake!  It is lost forever!
            That's what happens to our sins when God forgives us.  The consequences may remain, but the guilt - the legal condemnation for the offense - is gone.

            We can read a story of the early pioneers in Minnesota. The grasshoppers had done much damage, and in 1877 the farmers were very concerned that all the wheat could be destroyed.  Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed April 26 as a day of prayer and fasting.  All shops, schools, stores, and offices were closed.  The next day the temperature soared and the larvae of the dreaded pest were seen everywhere.  On the fourth day, the temperature dropped, and frost came.  The frost killed the locusts and the grateful farmers remembered the day God answered the fasting and praying of the people. -- Stones with Fair Colors  Gary Bowell p.248

            What is a Christian? In the LETTER TO DIOGNETUS, which dates back to the second century A.D., an anonymous writer describes a strange people who are in the world but not of the world. "Christians are not differentiated from other people by country, language, or customs; you see, they do not live in cities of their own, or speak some strange dialect. . . They live in both Greek and foreign cities, wherever chance has put them. They follow local customs in clothing, food, and other aspects of life.  But at the same time, they demonstrate to us the unusual form of their own citizenship.
            "They live in their own native lands, but as aliens. . . Every foreign country is to them as their native country, and every native land as a foreign country."
"They marry and have children just like everyone else, but they do not kill unwanted babies. They offer a shared table, but not a shared bed. They are passing their days on earth, but are citizens of heaven. They obey the appointed laws and go beyond the laws in their own lives."
            "They love everyone, but are persecuted by all. They are put to death and gain life. They are poor and yet make many rich. They are dishonored and yet gain glory through dishonor. Their names are blackened and yet they are cleared. They are mocked and bless in return. They are treated outrageously and behave respectfully to others."
            "When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when punished, they rejoice as if being given new life. They are attacked by Jews as aliens and are persecuted by Greeks; yet those who hate them cannot give any reason for their hostility."

            What is Love?
            It's silence when your words would hurt. It's patience when your neighbor's curt. It's deafness when the scandal flows. It's thoughtfulness for another's woes. It's promptness when stern duty calls. It's courage when misfortune falls.

            When David saw Goliath, there were two possible reactions. The first one was ‘oh no, he’s really big, I better run away’. The second possible reaction was ‘oh no, he’s really big, how can I miss?" -- J.John

            When H. M. Stanley went to Africa in 1871 to find and report on David Livingstone, he spent several months in the missionary's company, carefully observing the man and his work.  Livingstone never spoke to Stanley about spiritual matters, but Livingstone's loving and patient compassion for the African people was beyond Stanley's comprehension.  He could not understand how the missionary could have such love for and patience with the backward, pagan people among whom he had so long ministered. Livingstone literally spent himself in untiring service for those whom he had no reason to love except for Christ's sake.  Stanley wrote in his journal, "When I saw that unwearied patience, that unflagging zeal, and those enlightened sons of Africa, I became a Christian at his side, though he never spoke to me one word."

            When I first came to Portland, Oregon, I met a student on one of the campuses where I worked.  He was brilliant and looked like he was always pondering the esoteric:  his hair was always messy, and in the entire time I knew him, I never once saw him wear a pair of shoes.  Rain, sleet, or snow, Bill was always barefoot. While he was attending college he had become a Christian.  At this time a well-dressed, middle-class church across the street from the campus wanted to develop more of a ministry to the students.  They were not sure how to go about it, but they tried to make them feel welcome.  One day Bill decided to worship there.  He walked into this church wearing his blue jeans, tee shirt and of course no shoes.  People looked a bit uncomfortable, but no one said anything.  So Bill began walking down the aisle looking for a seat.  The church was crowed that Sabbath, so as he got down to the front pew and realized that there were no seats, he just squatted on the carpet - perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, but perhaps unnerving for a church congregation.  The tension in the air became so thick one could slice it.
            Suddenly an elderly man began walking down the aisle toward the boy.  Was he going to scold Bill?  My friends who saw him approaching said they thought, "You can't blame him.  He'd never guess Bill is a Christian.  And his world is too distant from Bill's to understand.  You can't blame him what he's going to do."
            As the man kept walking slowly down the aisle, the church became utterly silent, all eyes were focused on him, you could not hear anyone breathe.  When the man reached Bill, with some difficulty he lowered himself and sat down next to him on the carpet.  He and Bill worshipped together on the floor that Sabbath.  I was told there was not a dry eye in the congregation. -- Rebecca Manley Pippert, Out of the Salt Shaker (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979), 177-78.

            When Leonardo da Vinci was painting his masterpiece "The Last Supper", he sought long for a model for his Christ.  At last he located a chorister in one of the churches of Rome who was lovely in life and features, a young man named Pietro Bandinelli.
            Years passed, and the painting was still unfinished.  All the disciples had been portrayed save one -- Judas Iscariot.  Now he started to find a man whose face was hardened and distorted by sin -- and at last he found a beggar on the streets of Rome with a face so villainous; he shuddered when he looked at him.  He hired the man to sit for him as he painted the face of Judas on his canvas.  When he was about to dismiss the man, he said, "I have not yet found out your name."  "I am Pietro Bandinelli," he replied, "I also sat for you as your model of Christ." -- Indian Christian

            When the battle of Waterloo was being fought, all England waited for the result of the struggle.  Then signals flashed from hill to hill by semaphore.  The message was "Wellington defeated . . ."  At that moment folks waiting at one spot saw sudden fog descend.  Their hearts fell.  News of the disaster spread like wildfire to London, spreading almost unbearable gloom.  Then just as suddenly, the fog lifted and the rest of the message was flashed.  The completed sentence read, "Wellington defeated the enemy."

            "When the devil knocks at my door, I send Jesus to answer it."

            When the great Chrysostom was arrested by the Roman emperor he sought to make the Greek Christian deny his faith.  But he was unsuccessful.  So the emperor discussed with his advisors what they could do to this prisoner.
            "Shall I put him in a dungeon?" the emperor asked.  "No," one of his counselors replied, "For he'll be glad to go.  He longs for the quietness where he can delight in the mercies of his God."
            "Then he shall be executed!" said the emperor.  "No," came the answer, "For he'll be glad to die.  He declares that in the event of death, he will be in the presence of the Lord."
            "Well, what shall we do then?" the ruler asked.  The counselor replied, "There's only one thing that will cause him pain.  Make him sin.  He's afraid of nothing but sin."

            A young man applied for a job as a farmhand.  When asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows." This puzzled the farmer, but he took a liking to the young man and hired him.  A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm.  They quickly began to check things out to see if all was secure.  They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened.  A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace.  The farm implements had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements.  The tractor had been moved into the garage.  The barn had been properly locked.  All was well.  Even the animals were calm.  It was then that the farmer grasped the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep when the wind blows."  Because the farmhand had performed his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm when it broke. Consequently, when the wind blew, he had no fear.  He was able to sleep in peace.

            It is said that two kinds of birds fly over the California deserts: the hummingbird and the vulture. All the vulture can see is rotting meat, because that is all he looks for. He thrives on that diet. But the hummingbird ignores the carcasses and the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, he looks for the tiny blossoms of the cactus flowers. He buzzes around until he finds the colorful blooms almost hidden from view by the rocks. Each bird finds what it is looking for.
            What are you looking for? Better still, what are you finding? What you are finding tells what you are really looking for. Your expectations of life will determine your outcome. If you come to church looking for a blessing, you will find one. If you come to church looking for a fault or an excuse for staying home the next time, you will find that also.
            When you leave church with the great expectation and desire to worship and serve God during the week, you will find what you are looking for.