Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (Matthew 5:46).   Almost any major city of the world today is shrouded in a pallor of smog and pollution that stings your eyes, makes your lungs ache, and negatively affects your health. When something pure is polluted by that which is harmful, it is said to be toxic. And that label can aptly be applied to religion as well as a variety of other things. Are some religions toxic? Listen for the next three minutes and decide for yourself. Jesus, the one who held little children in His arms and blessed them, who picked up the wounded and fallen, unquestionably considered the religion of His day to be toxic. No, Jesus had no problem with Moses or the prophets. He esteemed them, but he considered what centuries of legalism had added to the law, the writings, and the prophets, as being toxic. Some of Jesus’ strongest words were directed to those who had corrupted God’s revelation with toxic ideas and regulations. “Snakes, vipers, whitewashed tombs” were terms he used for them. The Apostle Paul, the theologian of the New Testament, considered anything that was added to what God had revealed to be toxic. He wrote the Galatian Christians and said, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” But he went further as he said, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Galatians 1:6-8). Strong words? Yes. Why? He wanted to maintain the purity of the Gospel message and not have it corrupted by toxic additions or thinking. The New Testament considers anything that is added to or removed from God’s revelation to be toxic, and to be rejected. John concludes the last book of the New Testament, saying, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life…” (Revelation 22:18-19). One more thought about toxic religion. Any religion, no matter what it claims to be, that is based on hatred has become toxic. Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45). And Jesus followed that same path of humility in his example. Instead of calling down fire from heaven upon those who nailed Him upon the cross, He cried, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing!” No wonder Napoleon called Jesus “the emperor of love.” A religion of hatred—no matter what label it is given—is toxic and is not in harmony with the God who Himself is love. Vast numbers of people know John 3:16 that declares God’s love for humankind—all people, everywhere, but few know the sentence that follows, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” It’s a great goal to strive to protect our planet—to work to eliminate the toxic stuff from the air and water or make your neighborhood safe for your kids.  But God’s Son came on a mission to deliver us from toxic, corrupted religion and to give us life. Resource reading: Matthew 5:4-38

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6   Ask any teen: What’s the biggest influence in your life and you might expect them to answer “friends” or “social media!”  And the parents of those teens might tell you the same thing. It is true, in cultures throughout the world, cellphones and internet connectivity are radically changing the fabric of a teen’s life. But results from one of the most comprehensive studies of teenagers ever done say otherwise.  Parent-family connectedness and parental expectations were the greatest factor in protecting against every behavior that posed health risks as well as school achievement. It’s still true:  parents, not other teenagers, are actually the most significant force in the lives of teens. The National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health involved some 90,000 children, beginning in 1994, with the latest data reported in 2016.  Three factors emerged from this seminal study. These three factors are universal. They are just as true today as when the study was done. They help combat emotional distress, suicidal thoughts and actions, violence, the use of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana, and sexual activity.  And what are those three factors? Factor #1: Family cohesiveness.  This involves a feeling of belonging, of being cared for, the realization that a youngster is wanted, loved, and a valued member of the family.  This, of course, means that parents have to be there for their children.  The myth of enough quality time compensating for long periods of absence just doesn’t work.  Family cohesiveness means a child grows up with a sense of belonging to a tribe, and all the child care workers and government programs combined can’t replace the importance of parents being there. Factor #2: Parental expectations. Parental expectations become prophesies of future behavior.  When kids know that parents believe in them and encourage them to avoid drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity, and parents themselves live by their own expectations, teens are far more apt to avoid behavior that parents condemn. A side note:  This, of course, implies that parents have definite ideas of right and wrong and are actually living out their own expectations for their kids. The truly effective parent is willing to own his or her own failures and model course corrections.  Teens need to know what to do in times of failure because they’ve watched their parents model the behavior. Factor #3: Parental involvement in the life of a child.  The hard fact remains that when a parent isn’t present in a home after school, at the dinner table and at bedtime, something important is missing, and something else—media or another teenager—will become a significant influence.  All of us long for a tribe to belong to.  This was God’s idea in the first place; as the Psalmist wrote, “God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6). So, research has done it again.  It’s certified the obvious.  The Bible laid the foundation for the data almost 3000 years ago when it said, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).  In one sentence, the writer of Proverbs summarized what was true then, is true today, and will be true in the next generation:  Parents are still the most important force in the life of a child. When teens feel connected to their families and when parents are involved in their children's lives, teens are protected and they are free to grow and develop as God intended them to. Being the parent of a teenager can be tremendously frustrating. But you only have a few years to pack their suitcase, then they’re gone.  So, do a good job of it.  May God give us His grace to model walking out our faith in this life with Him for our kids. Resource reading: Proverbs 22: 1-16

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living ...take up His cross daily and follow... Luke 9:23 "Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me'" (Luke 9:23).  Who was this one to make such a bold statement? He's identified in history as Jesus of Nazareth, but Nazareth was merely the place where He grew up.  One day, Jesus put the question to His disciples, saying, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (Matt. 16:13). Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16).             Now many people would agree that Jesus had the courage to be different from the society around him, and he was one who greatly changed the course of history.  Jesus laid it out in black and white for His followers.  He didn't sugar-coat his challenge.  In fact, there were times when He actually made it difficult for men to follow.  He believed that a nucleus of really dedicated men and women could accomplish far more than an army of weekend church-goers who sang worship songs to Him on Sunday morning and forgot Him for the rest of the week.             "If anyone would come after me," Jesus challenged, "he must deny himself" (Matt. 16:24).  Today, the fact is, that there is very little real denial of self in those who call themselves Christians.  It’s one of the indications that much of what we call Christianity today is superficial and lacking in meaning.  When they were said by Jesus, the words, "Deny yourself and take up your cross!"  instantly brought to people's minds the picture of crucifixion and all that it stood for.  The disciples who heard Jesus were aware of what crucifixion was, for on many occasions they had watched as a helpless victim was impaled on wooden timbers joined at right angles.             The cross spoke of death, hideous, agonizing death, and the disciples knew that if they would really follow Jesus, then He had to be first, as they put their own ambitions and interests aside.  Does Jesus demand less today?  Does He still insist that His kingdom be put above our own kingdoms of personal gain?             Wycliffe Bible translator Ken Jacobs tried to translate the word "deny" when he was working with the Chamula Indians of Mexico.  He found, however, that in their culture and language, they had no concept of self-denial. Flagellation, or beating themselves--yes, they had a word for that--but to deny self was foreign to them. Finally, Ken translated the word, saying, "If anyone wants to follow me, let him put out of his own heart what his own heart wants to do, and come take up his cross daily and follow me."  And that is what discipleship is all about.             One last thought:  Following Jesus is totally voluntary.  He doesn't coerce men.  He doesn't bribe them with "a home in the sky and a perfect life from now until move-in.  He merely invites them to "Come, follow me."  He demands one thing, though.  He insists on having first place.             “When Christ calls a man,” wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “he bids him come and die.”  “To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us… all that self-denial can say is: "He leads the way, keep close to him.”             The message of the cross hasn't changed with the passing of time.  Carved in ivory or gilded with gold, it still speaks of personal death, so that Christ lives in us.  Even nature itself teaches us that death must precede life.  The seed dies and is buried in the cold earth before new life sprouts within. That is the beginning of life that knows no end. Resource Reading:  Matthew 19:16-26

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33   Ernest Hemingway once said that "courage is fear that has prayed!" If he's right, then a man in Zamboanga has that kind of stuff.  In the event that the city of Zamboanga doesn't register with you, allow me to explain that this is one of the principal cities in Mindanao, southern Philippines, an area which has been torn by strife. His nickname is "Pongo" and he's a radio engineer with the Far East Broadcasting Company.  He was there the day that Muslim gunmen drove a motorcycle into the FEBC compound, ran into the studio, and, with guns spewing bullets, shot and killed Greg Bacabis, the FEBC engineer who kept the station running, and Greg Halapa, a pastor whose Gospel program was aired over the stations. That was enough for Pongo.  He had had it.  He knew that he might very well be the next person to be gunned down.  He had a wife and children, and he didn't want to take the risk.  Pongo had a motorized pedicab--a motorcycle with a side car attached-- which is used for inexpensive transportation.  Pongo reasoned that with a degree of luck, he might even be able to turn the sideline into a real money-making business, at least, enough to support his family.  The risk of being killed in traffic was less than being shot by a terrorist. So Pongo quit his job at the Christian radio station.  In the days that followed, as Pongo drove his pedicab, he thought of the two men who had died for the cause of Jesus Christ, and he began to understand how the disciples felt when they all fled when Jesus was taken in the Garden. "Enough!" Pongo finally thought.  He went back to the radio studio and told the staff that he would be ashamed to die in a traffic accident.  If he had to be killed, he wanted to die for the cause of Christ. He went about his work quietly, apprehensively. He prayed and waited.  Then it happened.  In the words of FEBC's president, "A few days after Pongo returned to work, a motorcycle raced into the studio compound.  Remembering that the gunmen had come in on a motorcycle before, the staff feared they had returned to finish the job of killing all the broadcasters.  People dove under tables and desks...hid behind cabinets...scrambled to get into closets. "But not Pongo.  He deliberately walked to the console in the studio and sat down. ‘If I'm to be shot,’ he said, ‘I'd rather be broadcasting the gospel--not hiding under a table!'" It was a false alarm and nobody was hurt, but Pongo didn't know that when he walked into the studio and took his place at the controls. What a display of courage!  Hemingway was right:  Fear that has prayed can motivate a person to tremendous acts of courage. Pongo joins the ranks of those whom should be considered real heroes of the faith. Because real heroes are not the media celebrities whose faces are known to millions or sports stars applauded by the crowds.  They are the unknown, unnamed men and women who are willing to lay down their lives for what they believe.  Today they may be found living out their faith in places like Uzbekistan, Syria or Iran.  They are fired from jobs, expelled from school, beaten and yes, killed.  The book of Acts describes them, like Paul and Barnabas, as "men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 15:26).  That’s a hero. Question:  What would you be willing to risk for your faith?  Your name?  Your reputation?  Even your life?  Pongo made that decision.  He decided to follow Jesus. Resource Reading: Luke 14:25-34

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living The word of the Lordcame to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the Lordsaid to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.”  Jeremiah 1:5-7   He hated being a celebrity, but he was always in the news.  He longed for a simple life yet his was often complex and confusing.  He was a young and inexperienced speaker, yet he spent his life confronting world leaders.  His name:  Jeremiah. If you check that name out in a dictionary, you’ll find a definition, taken from the life of this seventh century prophet, which tells you that a Jeremiah is “one who is pessimistic about the present and foresees a calamitous future.” Who was this Jeremiah and why was he such a pessimist?  He was born about 4 kilometers southeast of the city of Jerusalem into a strongly religious family.  His father was a priest--perhaps the Hilkiah who brought the book of the law to King Josiah and started a revival.) At about age 21, Jeremiah had an encounter with God which changed his life, one which he didn’t ask for, and one which at time caused such grief that he cursed the day he was born.  Called the “Weeping Prophet,” Jeremiah’s whole career centered around one purpose: delivering bad news. Not only had the people of Judah exchanged the Lord for worthless idols, but they were sacrificing their children to them by throwing them into the “fires of Molech” (Jeremiah 32:35). When God called him, Jeremiah gave three reasons why he considered himself to be a poor choice: (1) He said “I’m too young!”; (2) He explained that he wasn’t a speaker (something which God already happened to know, and (3) He argued that he had no experience to qualify him for the job.  But God told him: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you’” (Jeremiah 1:4-10).  Then we read that God actually reached out his hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth, putting His words in Jeremiah’s mouth. Jeremiah bore the sad burden of knowing in advance that God’s disobedient people weren’t going to listen to God’s Words and he knew what was going to happen to them. He bore this burden alone, for God told him not to marry or have children. Jeremiah was much like the single mom who raises her children in the way of the Lord, only to watch them choose to go their own ways—and she can do little more than sit and wait for the coming train wreck. How did Jeremiah do it? Cynthia Heald wrote that the answer is that “Jeremiah woke up each day and greeted it as a day with and forthe Lord.” That’s it. No matter what circumstance that day held, good or bad (and in Jeremiah’s case they were pretty much all bad), if the day began with God, the day was a success. “The secret of his longevity was to be found in Jeremiah’s “purpose-driven life,” explained Heald.  “Jeremiah did not resolve to stick it out for 23 years no matter what; he got up every morning with the sun. The day was God’s day, not the people’s. He didn’t get up to meet with rejection, he got up to meet with God. He didn’t rise to put up with another round of mockery, he rose to be with his Lord. That is the secret of his persevering pilgrimage.” God promised to be with Jeremiah, and he was in the midst of the constant battle which he waged.  When Jerusalem was overthrown by Nebuchadnezzar and his army in 597, Jeremiah escaped to Egypt according to tradition. The same words—God’s words—that sustained Jeremiah in the worst of times will also enable us to persevere on the journeys our loving Father has apportioned for us. Think about it:  What would your level of satisfaction in life be if your sole purpose was to connect with God each day? Resource Reading:  Jeremiah 15:15-16

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  Ecclesiastes 3:11   Over the course of my whole life I’ve heard my dad say, "God is seldom early, but He is never late!" I’ve seen this truth over and over. God is precisely on time!  But nothing demonstrates the importance of His perfect timing any more than the birth of Jesus Christ.  Had Christ's coming been either early or later, Old Testament prophecies would not have been accurately fulfilled. Writing to the Galatians in one of his earliest letters, Paul alluded to the miracle behind the miracle saying, "When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His son, made of a woman, made under the law..." (Galatians 4:4).  That phrase "the fullness of time" is a powerful one. Almost everyone remembers that Christ was born in the little city of Bethlehem—“O Little Town of Bethlehem" is the Christmas carol—but few remember that Mary and Joseph were living in the city of Nazareth, 70 miles to the north of Bethlehem.  The Old Testament prophet, Micah, writing 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ had singled out Bethlehem of Judah as the place where the Messiah was to be born.  Now any mother recognizes the fact that babies come on their own timetable, and it isn't always easy to predict the timing of their arrival. What were the factors that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem when they were living a considerable distance away? There were hundreds of variables, and if any one of them had failed, Jesus would have been born in Nazareth far away from the place prophesied by Micah. The scenario began when Julius Caesar was assassinated, and his grandnephew Augustus became Caesar.  Others were more powerful, but the leadership in Rome chose Augustus because he was young, weak and, they thought, could be dominated. But young Augustus teamed up with Marc Antony and purged the senate.  Turning the tables on the "Caesar makers," he quickly became powerful and strong. As Augustus walked around Rome, everywhere he looked he saw monuments to his predecessor, Julius, and it disturbed him. "I need to carve out my name in the granite of Italy," he reasoned, and thus his beautification program was launched.  Building marble monuments costs money, and political advisors know but one way to do that: tax the people.  And, in the words of Dr. Luke, "It came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed..."  Are you beginning to get the picture?  An order was given.  A centurion carried it to the harbor.  Passage on a ship had to be booked, and, in those days, the ship was borne across the Mediterranean by the wind which filled the sails.  Had strong winds blown, the messenger would have arrived sooner and Mary and Joseph would have been forced to return to the birthplace of Joseph's father too early for Jesus to have been born in Bethlehem.  Had the ship taken longer, or the order to tax the empire gone out later, it would have all affected the timing of the birth of Christ. The events moving towards the birth of Christ were like the gears of a fine, old Swiss watch‑‑some were large, others small, but each one was connected to another. And they all had to mesh perfectly for the hands of God's clock to point to Bethlehem at the hour of Christ's birth. All this is to say that nothing is a matter of indifference with our Heavenly Father-- even events in your own life. Nothing surprises God or catches him off guard.  Whatever your lot, wherever you are, God knows and cares.  God is seldom early; but He's never late.  He is precisely "on time." Resource Reading:  Luke 2:1-7

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (Matthew 25:46).   It's an old story.  A certain man was a drunk, a womanizer, and a cheat who abused his wife and family and spent his paycheck carousing until all hours of the night, every payday. Eventually his life choices caught up with him and he died prematurely.  At his funeral, the minister eulogized him and mentioned him being in heaven.  Hearing this, the wife sarcastically leaned over asked the eldest son to be sure and check the casket, to see just exactly who it was that was being buried and sent to heaven! Spend any time keeping up with the news--the senseless terror and heinous acts that man perpetrates against his fellow man…or worse, on innocent, powerless children, and you may find yourself thinking, “Hell isn’t going to be hot enough for that monster!” And yet, when it comes to the rest of us, the natural mind doesn't want to believe in hell. We much prefer thinking of ourselves and those we love in heaven--not hell!  Where did this persistent, won't-go-away concept of hell come from?  It's been with us since the beginning of recorded history but it got its start in the book we call the Bible.  And your views of hell, whether you have ever faced the issue, will parallel your views of the Bible.  Perhaps you disbelieve the Bible or minimize its impact by thinking of it in symbolical terms.  Maybe you interpret it in light of our culture and what people think today, rather than what the writers of this book intended you to think and believe when you read what they wrote.  In this case, you will probably not believe in a literal place called “hell.” And what does the Bible say? While some argue over what it means, few would deny the fact that both the Old and New Testaments picture hell as a literal place created for the wicked who are separated from God, where there is suffering and torment.  "It says that?" you may ask, wondering why you have never heard more about it.  Jesus spoke of hell in terms of reality which were easily understood by the people he was speaking to. Go to modern Jerusalem today, and around the corner from the Zion Gate, adjacent to the Mt. Zion Hotel, is a valley. While building space is at a premium in Jerusalem, there's not much on this piece of property. It is still known as the Valley of Hinnom, from the Hebrew Gehinnom.  In Jesus' day, it was the city dump, and trash fires never went out but burned and smoldered around the clock. This was the image in the minds of people who heard Jesus say, "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out" (Mark 9:43). When Jesus talked about eternal life, in the same sentence and breath he referred to hell or punishment as being eternal.  He used the word aion, which always meant "unending, everlasting, for all time" God cares about your personal aion,your all time.  He cares so much that He sacrificed the thing most precious to Him, letting His son, Jesus take your shame in horrible tortuous suffering.  Perhaps you’ve heard people say, I can’t believe in a God who sends his creation to hell!”  God has said there is a hell and He doesn’t want you there.  He paid the ultimate price for you to have a personal choice, but He leaves the choice to you. Choose to spend your aionwith Him in paradise today.   Resource reading: Revelation 20:1-6

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Ecclesiastes 9:10   Do you ever wonder why you don’t get more done than you do?  Perhaps there is a reason for it.  Dr. Catherine Morris Cox, the American psychologist known for her work on intelligence and genius, suggested that geniuses are not produced by great intelligence alone, but by some factors that can be developed by the average person.  Concentration is one of those factors.  Dr. Cox’s study revealed that some of the world's greatest geniuses were not necessarily intellectual giants, but those who had the power of concentration, even though they were greatly distracted. Another factor, said Dr. Cox is the ability to see what others do not.  On one occasion, Michelangelo visited an old stone quarry.  He was looking for a particular piece of marble out of which he was to produce a sculpted work of art.  Finally, in the back of the quarry was a piece of marble that had just been taken from the earth‑‑it was covered with mud and filth.  The quarry workers said, "Surely, that is not the one that you want!"  But he insisted that it was.  It was cleaned and taken to the studio.  Tradition tells us that it was of this piece of marble that Michelangelo produced his immortal sculpture of Moses.  He had the ability to see what most men missed. Do you use the vision you have in sizing up the world around you?  Chances are you could improve.  What did your husband or wife wear when he or she left the house this morning? We get into ruts‑‑we do the same thing day after day and eventually become blind to the world around us. Sometimes people who are blind see more than those who have healthy eyes.  My dad tells the story of the time his parents invited a blind friend to see their new home.  Yes, to see their new home.  The man walked into the house and commented on the carpet.  Simply by the feel of it underfoot he could tell what quality it was.  Gently, he ran his fingers over the walls and ceiling and remarked about the texture of the plaster, comparing and it with other homes he had “seen.”  It was a powerful lesson in using the vision that we have. "The third quality of genius," said Dr. Cox, "is the power of credibility‑‑that is the ability to accept what you see."  Credibility is something like faith—it’s the willingness to accept things at face value.  A little child has this power.  He looks at the world with fresh and wondering vision of enthusiasm.  Later, we look through the tired and blind eyes of an adult. Jesus once sat a little child in His midst and said, "Except a man become as a little child, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven."  What He meant was that unless a person has the simple faith‑‑the credibility of a child‑‑he cannot have the assurance of eternal life. Concentration.  Vision.  Credibility.  The Apostle Paul had the idea when he wrote, "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. What is the one thing God has for you to do today?  Ask Him to give you the vision to see that thing and the faith to believe that He will give you all that you need today, to concentrate on and complete the task at hand.  That’s genius.   Resource reading: Philippians 3:12-14

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires" (Romans 8:5).   When I was a teen my parents tried to encourage me to learn to be independent and to develop the handy skill of sewing.  They told me that they would buy fabric for any piece of clothing I was willing to sew for myself.  Other clothing would have to come out of what I made from my part-time job at a shop in the mall. I eagerly accepted this offer and learned to sew simple clothing. Yes, this was the 1970s, when peasant blouses and maxi skirts were easy projects.  This arrangement worked out great until the day I tried to sew myself a bathing suit.  The stretchy fabric slipped in the machine, my stitches went awry and when I tried to undo the mess with a seam ripper, the fabric shredded.  Tears of frustration fell and I angrily wadded up the fabric, threw the whole thing in the sewing closet and slammed the door on the sewing machine. The next morning, I found a note taped to the sewing machine by my little brother.  Instead of “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” the handwritten note read: “If at first you don’t succeed, cry, rip it up and throw it away!” So.  Frustrating!   Yes, you know the irritation you feel when what you want to see happen just doesn't come together; but do you realize that even spiritual giants also face frustration? As you study the life of Paul, you will see that Paul also knew frustration.  He even struggled with it in his personal life.  Study Romans 7 where Paul says, "It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love to do God's will so far as my new nature is concerned, but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.  In my mind I want to be God's willing servant but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin" (Romans 7:21-24, LB). That is frustrating.  Paul was also frustrated by wanting to do things that he felt were in the will of God, but was thwarted, stopped cold in his tracks.  Remember what he wrote to the Thessalonians, "For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan stopped us (I Thessalonians 2:18). Two practices are my go to in times of sheer frustration:  Breathing and praying.  I consciously slow and deepen my breathing because it causes me to stop the frustration cycle.  And then I ask God: “Please, help me to think through my options here!  Am I trying to do something You haven’t planned for me?  Am I trying to rush something that is outside of Your timing?  Am I going in the wrong direction?  Do I need to revisit this problem tomorrow?” We tend to think that we are on our own in this life, that God is either disinterested or too busy to care about our frustrations.  Nothing is further from the truth.  He does care. “Call to me and I will answer you,” He says in Jeremiah 33:3.  He answers, and the book of James tells us that when He is asked for wisdom, “He gives to all men generously and without reproach.”  Remember that Jesus was fully God and fully human.  Like you and me, He experienced frustration in those relationships closest to Him.    So, we know that He answers us in our frustration, He understands what we are experiencing and He knows what we need. What are you frustrated with today?  Stop, take a breath and ask the God who calls Himself an ever-present help in time of trouble, for the help He’s promised to give.  Next time…breathe and pray!   Resource reading:  I Peter 1:3-9

Speaker: Bonnie Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living In those days there was no king in Israel.  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.  Judges 21:25    The Russian writer and historian, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, believed that one of the clearest indications of spiritual and moral decadence is a lack of courage, in personal lives and in government.  Decades ago, the Nobel laureate said, "A decline in courage may be the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West in our days.   The Western world has lost its civil courage . . . in each country, each government, each political party and, of course, in the United Nations." Courage is in short supply today.  The British magazine, The Spectator, reports statistics on 17 European nations showing that, on average, only 40% of Europeans are willing to fight to defend their country.  But in times of war or chaos there have always been people on both sides who stand out as men and women of intense courage. One such American was known for his heroic courage in the Vietnam War.  The United States Senator, John McCain, was the embodiment of a war hero to millions of Americans. McCain was called one of the “most courageous men of the century” and was lauded for his “deep patriotism and outstanding bravery” by Americans on both sides of the political aisle.  Shot down from his plane over Hanoi, he was captured, denied medical care and horrendously tortured as a prisoner of war for five and a half years.  Two years were spent in solitary confinement. When his captors learned that he was the son and grandson of Navy Admirals, McCain was offered, but rejected, early release to avoid demoralizing his fellow prisoners of war. But courage can also be found in the lives of common, ordinary people who simply stand up for what they believe is right.  We see it in the 80-year-old senior citizen who walked with a cane, who was passing by a darkened alley and heard the screams of a woman who was being molested.  Without thought of personal safety, the elderly woman turned into the alley and began beating the attacker with her cane and he was ultimately captured.  When people asked, "Weren't you afraid that you might be hurt?" she replied, "I'm tired of people hurting other people and I felt that I had to do something." Have you ever pondered the question, "What is it that makes somebody do something heroic?  What is the ingredient that some seem to have, whereas others quickly walk away from the darkened alley, not wanting to be involved?" Our English word courage comes from a French word that means "heart."  And when people manifest courage, I am convinced that it is usually the immediate even unconscious, response which comes from convictions in the heart as to matters of right and wrong.  People of intense courage are usually individuals who have unwavering ideas of right and wrong, of truth and falsehood, of justice and injustice because they are founded on something stronger than personal opinion. What moral compass gives a reference point for the average man or woman today? Our own ideas, not, the God of the Bible, inform what we believe to be right, wrong, valuable or worthless.  In the words of the Book of Judges, in the Old Testament, when every man does that which is right in his own eyes, few care enough to stick their necks out for other people. What about courage in your personal life   Resource reading: 1 Samuel 17:1-58