Engaged in Love

by   February 4, 2024 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

“Does a Christian have to attend church to be a Christian?” My husband and I have been asked this question in our ministry roles. Last weekend, my husband shared another question he had heard: “Does a man have to go home at night to be married?”

The answer to both questions is no, but one cannot ignore the effects on relationships in either case. We could look at Hebrews 10:24- 25 in the Bible for instructions from the author – do not neglect meeting together as some people do. Yet, I would have you consider many other verses – 59 in fact (don’t worry, I am not listing them all here!) – that speak of the things we are to do to “one another.”

As Christians, we can love each other (Romans 13:8) as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18) and continue to love each other earnestly when wronged (1 Peter 4:8) and even to the point of forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15).

Christians can comfort one another (2 Corinthians 13:11), show compassion (Ephesians 4:32), and bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

When a fellow Christian is in need, a healthy church equips members to stir one another up (Hebrews 10:24) and edify or build up each other (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11), especially as times grow harder. We have gifts from God given to us to benefit one another (1 Peter 4:10).

True, Biblical love also goes beyond merely tolerating one another but strives to outdo each other in showing honor (Romans 12:10), where serving another (Galatians 5:13) comes as we learn to submit to each other (Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:5) or prefer others over ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

In loving relationships, there will still be disagreements and times when we need to confront a wrong, but we can do so lovingly. It is possible to bear with one another’s faults (Colossians 3:12-14) and lovingly speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) as we admonish a friend (Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16) to live in peace with each other (2 Corinthians 13:11).

As we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, move beyond our labels (in my case, being an introvert), and enter the church community, we welcome our brothers and sisters (Romans 15:7), display hospitality (1 Peter 4:9), greet one another warmly (1 Corinthians 16:20), and share fellowship (1 John 1:7) by speaking with psalms and singing hymns and other spiritual songs together (Ephesians 5:19). Does that sound like healthy, regular church attendance to you?

Reviewing a handful of the “one another” passages, I wonder how we are to do these commands (see 1 John 3:23) without regularly being in the physical presence and community of other people, especially Christian brothers and sisters. It provides a mutually beneficial relationship. Though we can attempt to live an isolated life of faith and maybe even hope, it will not be one filled with love if we have no one to share our “one another” actions.

Ashlie Miller is a pastor’s wife and stay-at-home mom to five children in Concord, NC. Contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com

Teachable Moments

by   February 3, 2024 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I love being a teacher. I retired from teaching and I am still teaching part-time. It’s in my blood. I teach my students to think about something that they love doing and see if there is a career related to that. If they can find a job working in that profession they will never have to go to work. They will get to do what they love.

            I tell my students if the thing they love is illegal or immoral then they need to choose a different career path, which always brings a laugh. I also explain to my students that there are always tasks in every career field that no one wants to do. That shouldn’t disqualify a career path. Focus on the parts you love and sink your energy there.

            There is nothing like helping and watching a student learn a task or skill for the first time. It is so rewarding to see students learning. I can’t contain the joy when I help a student pass a test, learn a skill, achieve a goal, or help them believe in themselves. There is no greater reward than seeing your students succeed.

            In teaching, there are special moments called teachable moments. Teaching occurs every day across the globe as students enter classrooms. A teachable moment occurs in those rare moments when the teacher has every student in the palm of their hand. Something can be taught in that moment that will last a lifetime. A good teacher recognizes that moment and never wants to squander it.

            Most teachable moments are special times a teacher treasures. There were several days in my career that I dreaded the lesson I was expected to teach. Consider 9/11. Imagine the Monday after a student was in a serious car accident that left him in the hospital for weeks. The hardest day was after a student passed away. Students look to the adults in their lives to explain why bad things happen. They want teachers to help them understand. Those were long days filled with moments I want to forget.

            Life is not always easy and it is filled with many ups and downs. God’s best lessons are taught as we walk through hard situations. For example, going through some financial struggles allows God to teach us that He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. We can depend on Him to come through for us. I am a firm believer that we have to do our part in the process, but in the end He is the One who provides for us.

            There are many lessons in the Bible waiting for us to learn. It is how we approach the Bible and even God Himself that will determine if we can learn the lessons. The Bible is filled with many great stories of what others have gone through. We can learn the lesson from those stories so when God puts us in similar situations we will know that we can trust Him to help us in the same way.

            I think we also have to realize that God is alive and active in our lives. He is a good Father who wants to teach us more about Himself and who He is in our lives. That means that He will set up a lesson for us. Some lessons are simply learned by reading the stories in the Bible. Other lessons require us to apply what we have learned to our lives. Those are harder lessons and require us to exercise our faith. We have to believe God’s word and His promises to us. In addition, we have to trust Him in and through that process.

            Many of the application lessons require us to understand that God’s ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts. Many spiritual lessons are hard and will challenge us to grow stronger. Weight lifters will tell you that growing muscles requires straining. To grow spiritual muscles will push you to your limits of faith and trust.

            I want to encourage you to engage with your Father in Heaven, who wants a personal relationship with you. He wants you to know His heart, which is always for you. He wants you to know Him as your loving Heavenly Father. He also wants you to know Him as a teacher who will give you some easy and some hard lessons. You have to open your heart to learn from Him and know that you can trust Him. There are many teachable moments with God. All of them are designed to reveal Himself more and more to you.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

The Man Under the Bridge

by   February 2, 2024 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Yesterday my wife and I drove slowly through a line that snaked around the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. We were there to receive our first vaccine for COVID.

As we moved slowly in the line of cars, I was able to examine the imposing stadium dominating our sight; the new buildings signifying economic growth; the re-furbished buildings that signified gentrification; the construction workers in jeans and muddy boots; cranes and lifts that dotted the skyline; the polite police who directed traffic (and answered questions of mis-guided drivers like me); many, many folks briskly moving to the walk-in clinic; and all the medical workers standing out in the cold giving out forms and shots and aid. It truly was an example of efficiency and the opportunities of  affluence.

According to its website, our health-care provider decided to use the stadium area for a shot distribution site because it is accessible to public transportation. That was, I believe, a just decision because more of us need to be vaccinated in order to be effective against this common enemy. However, in the time we spent moving along in the line, I noticed few people of color either in vehicles or walking to the walk-in clinic. But that is just my observations.

However, I question the overall availability of the vaccine, even when offered at such a convenient site as the stadium. While I applaud the Atrium management and its planning of such a successful event,  it seems we need to do more to vaccinate our more vulnerable citizens by taking the vaccine directly to the disenfranchised areas.

After we received our shot, we sat in three lines of cars, all occupants being required to wait fifteen minutes in case of any adverse reaction. Many health-care workers walked through the lines, ready to help in case of need. Signs were posted directing anyone who felt ill to honk his or her horn and put on the hazard button. Not only was care provided, but preventative care was also present and a comfort. What a good experience, still in the shadow of the stadium and the wealth and affluence it represents. Our wait-time over, we drove out, under the underpass, feeling fortunate.

Then we saw him when we stopped for the red light at Morehead Street while exiting the site. Waiting under the Mint Street Bridge, we saw him just outside our car window. He lay on his back, asleep it seemed even though it was high noon. Only his face was visible, but it was a face of hard days on the streets. His prone, invisible body, covered by filthy rags and blankets, rested on the cold concrete, suggesting his being accustomed to such a bed. Either he or someone else had placed a “Jesus Saves” sign near him. As we waited for the light to change, we looked at him, and then, unlike him and so many other disenfranchised citizens, we were given a green light to leave. Turning  right, we headed to I-77 and home.

Winter Flight

by   February 1, 2024 with No Comments

By David Freeze

The 41st Annual New Sarum Brewing Brewing Winter Flight event is not all about the races on Feb. 4. Saturday evening, Feb. 3, has plenty of fun too with the Salisbury Rowan Runners Annual Meeting and pasta dinner at the City Park Recreation Center on Lake Drive. There is a jam-packed list of activities that evening from 6-8 p.m. Late registration and packet pickup for Sunday’s races will be available.

The pre-race pasta meal starts the evening. Next up is this year’s keynote speaker, Dr. David Horton, from Lynchburg, Virginia. Horton spent many years as a world-class long-distance runner. As an ultra-marathoner, Horton raced most often at distances greater than marathon distance, 26.2 miles.

Horton will make his first visit to Salisbury for his keynote address on Saturday evening and as wheelchair, 5K and 8K race starter at Catawba College on Sunday afternoon. Horton knows quite a bit about starting races since he has been race director for more than 100 ultramarathons.

Horton also knows a lot about running races too. He has finished over 160 ultramarathons, winning 40 of them. He set the speed record on the Appalachian Trail in 1991, beating the previous record by nine days while averaging over 40 miles per day. His time over 2,190 miles while passing through 14 states was 52 days, 9 hours and 41 minutes. Another top effort was the super speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995 while averaging over 40 miles per day. In 1995, Horton finished the Race Across America with the third-fastest time ever. This accomplishment is detailed in the feature film “Extraordinary.” In 2000 at age 52, he finished the Barkley 100-mile marathon, becoming the first American to finish that event. One of six finishers ever. Horton said, “The Barkley is the hardest race in the world to finish.”

Horton added, “I started running to get in shape for basketball. Then after running a 3-mile cross country race in college intramurals, I realized I could run and had some talent for it, so I tried to develop my running more and more. I think my best accomplishment is the Appalachian Trail speed record.”

A professor of exercise science at Liberty University for 44 years, Horton first realized that he wanted to a be a math teacher while still a high school student. College helped convince him even more to be a teacher but after taking a physical education class, Horton went on to get his doctorate in physical education from the University of Arkansas.

The dinner is open to anyone interested in the race. Cost for the event is $10, while club members and sponsors are free. Those running on Sunday can stop by to register or pick up their packet including race bib, commemorative hoodie and goodie bag.

Registration continues at Goodman Gym on the Catawba College campus on Sunday beginning at noon. The half-mile fun run is free and open to any runner or walker of any age and begins at 1:30 p.m. on the Shuford Stadium track. Doctor Horton will send the wheelchair event off at 1:58 p.m., followed by the 8K/5K at 2 p.m.

Look for more information about Winter Flight at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Always Being Happy

by   January 31, 2024 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

  • In tough times or challenges, it is difficult to rejoice.  
  • When we remind ourselves of who He is and what He has done, excitement and praise arises.
  • We rejoice not because of our circumstances, but even in them we know that He is great and rejoicing is a strength that God gives.

Prayer:  Lord I do rejoice today, I rejoice in Your salvation, I rejoice in Your goodness and who You are.  I rejoice in Your victories that have been and will come.  Hallelujah!  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

God is Not Unjust

by   January 30, 2024 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Here is my simple prayer:

“He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him, and how you have shown your love for Him by caring for other believers as you still do.”

Hebrews 6:10

From Psalm 23

by   January 29, 2024 with No Comments

By Rhonda Sassano

Hi friends!  I only speak for myself when I say that I’m a devout Christian who struggles with depression.  At the moment, I have 9 therapy sessions on my calendar over the next few months. “ TMI,” you say? I only tell you to encourage you that you are not alone.  

Depression seems to diminish my ability to hear the Father’s voice.  But wait… couldn’t it be that He just isn’t speaking and that’s why I don’t hear Him as much?  As much as I’d like to blame Him for deserting me in my time of need, well, been there done that with nothing good resulting.  No matter what I’m feeling or not feeling, hearing or not hearing, one thing I know is true:  GOD’S WORD.  And I choose to believe it despite my circumstances, in spite of emotions that frequently knock me down and threaten to drown me.  I cling as hard as I can to the l promise that He NEVER leaves me or forsakes me.  It’s a lifeline.  And even when I let go of the rope…I discover that He was the one doing all the holding.

Here’s my version of Psalm 23.  I hope you will speak it over your life today.

Jesus, You are my strong champion, my protector and defender.  No matter what comes my way, You are here, presently present, standing right beside me.  

You meet my every need in good time.  My need for rest, my need for strength, my need for health, my need for the peace only You can provide. 

Your love pursues my heart and overtakes me, restoring my confidence in You, and I remember that You are on my side.  

You keep me on Your path when I get distracted and try to disappear, not wanting to face my issues.  It’s Your love for me that motivates You to deal with them, because You love righteousness and You want to make my life a witness to those around me, and a testament to Your greatness and goodness.  

Even when it seems my life is over and there’s nothing left to do, You are with me.  I can choose to not be fearful but to hold Your hand and lean in.  You protect my heart as long as I stay hidden in You. You comfort me with the hope of eternity. 

When my enemies of fear and shame and guilt and sickness and depression and anxiety surround me, You are my champion and make me overcome them.  You call me into Your presence and feed me from Your Word.  What a bountiful buffet is there when I choose to partake of it!  Heal me today with Your precious Word… until my heart overflows!   Indeed, Your good mercy and great kindness go with me everywhere and I will live with You, walk beside you, and draw strength from You both now and forever. 

With joy,

Rhonda

“God is not looking for those who can but those who will.”

Why Do Good People Suffer?

by   January 28, 2024 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

The book of Job in the Bible is not usually the first book to consider reading when beginning a new year. However, for many Christians reading the Bible in chronological order, Job is often nestled as an interruption of sorts in the reading of Genesis. For those unfamiliar with him, Job’s life of integrity is put to the test by Satan as he plagues Job with numerous devastations (loss of properties, death of all his children, severe personal illness) – hardly the stuff for setting a positive tone on a new calendar. 

Often, we mistakenly think that “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” (it’s the lyrics of a hit song, after all). Maybe our responses to trials can bring that about, but it is not an iron-clad guarantee. So, then, why does a Sovereign God allow such suffering? Perhaps you’ve heard it posed this way: “Why do good people suffer?”

I cannot pretend to have all the answers to that profound question. However, I can share the stream of pondering I have had lately. Theologian John Calvin wrote, “Whatever be the kind of tribulation with which we are afflicted, we should always consider the end of it to be, that we may be trained to despise the present, and thereby stimulated to aspire to the future life.” We love the things of Earth so deeply, yet this world is broken and fallen and has been that way since shortly after its creation. Our Creator longs for us to know more than this world, to experience true communion with Him fulfilled in eternity. When we cling to the Earth too much – adoring and worshiping it with our time and resources – we look to it for fulfillment, which always leaves us wanting. Suffering reminds us Who alone satisfies, the One who deserves our adoration and worship. 

A friend reminded me recently of the song “God is Good” by Jonathan McReynolds:

“May your struggles keep you near the cross

And may your troubles show that you need God.”

“Near the cross” – a place of repentance, forgiveness, and comfort.

There is much to learn in suffering. Much we will never grasp on this side of eternity. We certainly do not want to make the sweeping (and wrong) accusations as Job’s friends did, assuming his trials were retribution for a sinful life. Sometimes, godly people suffer for God’s glory and man’s humility. 

Suffering can remind us that our temporary affection for Earth will never be fully satisfied and, therefore, should create a longing for something eternal and permanent. In proper humble response, suffering can develop humility and a reflection of our place in the grand scheme of things – humans in need.

Trials can produce good things in us – far too many to mention here. Remember that often, in addition to our personal growth, the hard times are a gift of grace – to bring us closer to the cross, closer to a Creator who is also a Savior. In God’s wisdom and love, He allows us to know Him as more than Creator (which is incredible) and experience Him personally as Redeemer, Restorer, Deliverer, and Comforter, to name just a few.

Ashlie Miller is a pastor’s wife and stay-at-home mom to five children in Concord, NC. Contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com 

Examining Our Foundations

by   January 27, 2024 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Last weekend’s cold weather gave us a low-key weekend. It was nice to slow down. After all the running around from the holiday season, a slow weekend felt good. We got some things done, but it was at a much slower pace. There was no pressure. I spent some extra time reading and catching up with some friends.

            Going slow is not a pace I want all the time, but it is one I can appreciate. I like having things to do. I like checking things off a list. That sense of accomplishing something was drilled into me as a kid. “What did you get done today?” There is nothing like looking around and seeing all that you got accomplished. I love that feeling in early spring when I have worked hard outside all day and I can see a big difference.

            As I age, I am enjoying a balance between getting lots done and having a nice slow day. There are always times when we have to work hard on our jobs and around the house, but it is also nice to move at a slower pace. It’s like getting a snow day in the middle of winter. You can go play in the snow and then come in and watch a movie by a warm fire. Then the next day you can get back to working at full-throttle.

            Most people like getting a snow day. I have studied all the weather models and there doesn’t appear to be any snow on the horizon. You know how things work around here. We had a really cold weekend, then we warmed up, then…maybe snow…well, we can hope.

            If and when that winter weather decides to head our way, we will all have to prepare and get ourselves ready. You know the routine…head to the store and get bread and milk. Then we look out our windows and watch it…rain! You knew that was coming, right?

            Preparing for winter weather and hurricanes is similar. We prepare for the possibility that we might lose power and hope for the best. If we lose power we are back to the basics. No one likes the experience, but we find a way to get through.

            Winter’s slow days give us the opportunity to make sure our foundations are solid. I think it’s important to examine our spiritual foundations, as well. Winter gives us time to do any necessary repairs. We want to be prepared for the new growing season. We want to make sure we are building on a solid base.

            I believe good spiritual health starts with an intake of God’s Word. Some people might think that you can read the Bible like you read a novel. We need to meditate on it, search for promises that relate to problems we are facing, and learn God’s ways, which are not our ways. God’s Word is a love letter to us and a handbook on how to live life.

            A cornerstone to our relationship with God is communication. We have to talk with God. Communication is a two way process. We have to listen for His voice. He will speak to us but we have to get quiet and listen. I think we are all good at listing our requests to Him in prayer; it’s the listening part that probably needs some work.

            A third critical element to keeping our foundation strong is being in fellowship with other believers. The pandemic has caused so many to get out of the habit of gathering. No one can stay strong spiritually without connecting with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I need you and you need me. We need to connect with our fellow believers through our local church. I know it is cold and flu season so we need to be careful and respectful of each other so we don’t share some nasty bug, but we have to find ways to connect in order to strengthen and encourage each other.

            I want to encourage you to look over your foundation and see how you are doing in the areas of reading His word, talking with Him, and being in fellowship with other believers. God wants you to be strong and ready for any storms or challenges you might face. When life gets rough we need to remind ourselves that God is with us and that we can depend on His promises. It’s also nice to know we can depend on each other. God will see you through the storms ahead. In the meantime, I am watching for our next chance of snow!

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

A Christian Craftsman

by   January 26, 2024 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

If you exited I-81 and drove on Stoney Creek Road towards Edinburg, VA you would be forgiven for not noticing his garage, a non-descript two-bay one with its back wall built on the bank of Stoney Creek. Its plain and  hidden presence defined him, but not his work.

For years I had lived in the Shenandoah Valley before I noticed the two-word sign stating the presence of his garage. An entrance door next to the two bay doors opened to a small, cluttered office from where he operated the garage. Opposite the door sat his desk on which his computer competed for space with parts catalogues and his ever-present coffee cup. The well-used coffee maker sat on a shelf behind him– always ready to serve anyone who asked. One or two chairs sat for the customers who wanted to wait and read the Daily, but since he was always between shop and computer, it was best to stay moving with him. That way you could gather information about the problem with you car and if you sat you may miss a comment of his about life and its challenges. For instance,  had his son not told me once when I asked where his father was, I never would have known of the prostate cancer. He was, his son told me,  just doing what must be done with another challenge of life. His strong faith gave him that type of serenity, even in the face of cancer.

He and his son worked in the bays making repairs, and the father had the confidence to hire a young high school graduate to help with the work of their busy garage. He believed in the boy, but he also trusted his son and himself to be teachers of what vocational school had left out of the boy’s education. The novice is now a mechanic, and like all of us, he benefitted from time spent with the master of engines and life.

No television was mounted on a wall, but one had a display of his grandchildren in 4-H competition at the county fair.  A hall tree in the corner behind the door was full of hanging, clean uniforms for the three workers.  However, the office was warm and inviting if you wanted function over form. It was designed for work and conversation. If you wanted glitter, you would have been better served elsewhere.

An educator, not a mechanic, I know enough of my cars to  know when I needed someone like him.  Whenever I called for an appointment, he would get me in quickly if I sounded frantic, but if not he would ask, “Can you come over at….” making it sound as if I were doing him a favor by coming by. Every time he serviced a car of mine, I went away feeling great about the work but most of all about the conversation we had shared. It also seemed that any vehicle could be repaired there. Once when I went,  a large John Deere tractor was parked in front of one of the doors. Too large to fit in one of the bays, it was being repaired outside.  But no matter, good, honest work could be performed anywhere.

He and I are almost identical ages, close to three-quarters of a century old. But I never called him by his given first name. For a multitude of reasons, Mr. seemed the best address for him. It was a deference that I made out of respect for such a Christian and craftsman. As our relationship grew, he came to accept my referring to him as Mr., and it was an unspoken understanding between two older men.

It’s been over three years since we moved from the Shenandoah Valley, but I still can see him behind his cluttered desk checking his computer to order a part. I still hear the gentleness in his voice and its belief that if he does not know how to correct a problem in a car, his son  will sort it out and find the solution. His confidence was not arrogance, but belief in something larger than himself.

A few days ago a friend told me of his being in Winchester Hospital with COVID-19. This morning, January 25, 2021 at appropriately 7 AM he died as his wife and two children  loved and comforted him.

The American poet H. B. Alexander writes, “In beauty there is an eternity of promise which death cannot subdue,…”  Mr. (Gary) Markley’s beauty and promise is a gift that COVID cannot erase.

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