Go, Make Disciples!

Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

There is a 10 day festival in our area that attracts over a million visitors each year. It is an annual tradition for families and other groups of people to spend time walking and talking and shopping for several hours. Numerous vendors in all directions sell everything from crafts and other household goods and clothing to delicious, freshly prepared foods.

As we walked by several booth areas, many vendors provided free samples of popcorn, cheese, dips, nuts and many other foods. In fact, representatives actively walked outside of the booth areas, offering samples to everyone in an effort to lure prospective customers to make a purchase.

Many thoughts filled my mind as we passed from booth to booth. Some products simply sold themselves by being fragrant, and were being offered at a reasonable price. Other products required a greater effort to convince customers that the product was truly worth the price. The use of microphones, mass sampling, and an outgoing, friendly staff often made a measurable difference in ultimately obtaining the sale.

You see, as God's children, we are like these vendors. Our words and actions each day can attract many people to follow Him. By being pleasant and fragrant to everyone we interact with, we can make a measurable difference in promoting God's love to a world who desperately needs Him.

Dear Friend, how about you? Are you sitting on the sidelines, waiting for someone to ask you about God, or are you initiating contact with as many people as possible in an effort to share His redeeming love? He has commanded us to make disciples in all nations and to teach them everything He has taught us. It takes a gallant effort from all of us to reach the world, but it will truly be worth it when we see Him in Glory!

Blessings to You,
Dave Henry

Are You Contagious?

Matthew 13:31-34 (NIV) He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches." He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough." Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. Last night as I made cinnamon rolls for a special group of friends, I was reminded of these two parables as I mixed the yeast with the flour. I don't know how many times I have made yeast breads and rolls during the last 30 years, but every time I use yeast, I remember this parable. Isn't it amazing that something as small as a mustard seed can grow to be such a large tree and even provide shade and shelter for the birds and other animals? Isn't it amazing also that merely one tablespoon of yeast can have such an impact on several cups of flour and other ingredients? I remembered my Grandma Pauline last night as I stirred the rolls. Grandma always had a contagious smile on her face, and she mastered the principle of sharing God's joy with others. Grandma frequently said that she had God's sunshine in her heart and she wanted to share it with others. Much like the yeast, a little bit of her joy went a long way in ministering to others. Dear Friend, how about you? Are you like the yeast and the mustard seed? Sometimes we aren't aware of the blessing that we are to others, but being filled with God's love and sharing it with others produces great results. Ask God right now to help you show His love to others in a small way today, and He will multiply the effect as He has promised in these two parables. Blessings to You, Dave Henry

Trust Him!

Proverbs 29:25 (NIV) "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV) "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal." Psalm 46:10 (NIV) "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Decisions, decisions, decisions! Each and every day we are faced with many decisions. From the moment we rise in the morning, to the time we go to bed, we have perhaps hundreds of decisions to make throughout the day. Some decisions we make are routine and require no thought, while other decisions should find us on our knees seeking God's wisdom for our lives. Think about it for a moment. At the beginning of the day, we have the choice to sleep for a few extra minutes or to get up and get going. We have the choice of what we will wear today. We choose how fast we will drive our car and maybe whether we will run the red light or slam on our brakes. Other decisions, however, are very difficult to make and we should take time to meditate so that we can seek and understand God's direction for our life. We may have job opportunities or residential changes, or we may consider the purchase of a vehicle that will require us to make payments or empty our savings account. Dear Friend, how about you? In all of the decisions you will make today, have you asked Him to guide you? Every decision, great or small, is important to our Heavenly Father, and He has promised that He is eternal and is ready to guide us if we will put our faith and trust in Him and lean not on our own understanding. Blessings to You, Dave Henry