PEACE

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.  The Lord be with you all (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

This morning is one of those rare mornings in northwest Iowa where one can step out on the deck with a cup of coffee in his hand and sit, enjoy the beauty of the flowers and trees, and listen to the birds sing.  That environment of peacefulness inspires reflection and prayer.  The chaos and conflict of our times do not seem so troublesome right now.

In our war with the evil one we need the "peace that passes understanding" to sustain us in faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Father's Love,
Tom

COMMUNION PROCLAIMS

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes . . . But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup (1 Corinthians 11: 26 &28)).

Taking communion is a proclamation of faith.  Taking communion is a proclamation of belief in Jesus Christ the Son of God.  Taking communion is a proclamation of the truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He was buried and rose from the grave.  Taking communion is a proclamation of our faith that Jesus Christ is coming again.  Taking communion is a proclamation of our faith in Christ, that He is our righteousness in the Day of Judgment.

Communion is a backward look at what Jesus has done for us.  Communion is an honest and inward look at our personal lives, recognizing our sinfulness.  Communion is a forward look to the return of Christ.  Why would taking communion ever become a common thing?

Our Father's Love,
Tom

A PICTURE OF THE MEN OF PROVERBS

A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead (Proverbs 21:16).

As with the women of Proverbs, what differentiates between the wise and the foolish men is the fear of the Lord (1:7).  Even though a man might be highly skilled, he is still a fool if he does not fear the Lord!

The real men of Proverbs seem to have some common characteristics that are worth noteing:
1.  He has an excellent wife (12:4).  Real men are wise about the selection of a wife.
2.  He has regard for the life of his animal (12:10).
3.  Fools are not his companions (13:20).  As Pasquinel said in Centennial, "Bad companions bring bad luck" (James Michener).
4.  The Lord makes the Godly man's enemies be at peace with him (16:7).
5.  He leaves an inheritance to his children's children (13:22).
6.  He has good friends in quality, but not a great number in quantity (18:24).
7.  He is strong enough to sharpen those around him (27:17).
8.  He helps the poor (28:27). " He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses."
9.  The pursuit of wealth is not his most important pursuit because there are somethings that money cannot buy (28:22).

I'm sure there are other characteristics of Proverbs that I haven't listed, but these are the beginning of a good portrait of the real man of Proverbs.

Our Father's Love,
Tom