DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

Paul's prayer of Thanksgiving: Ephesians 1:15-23. Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace that he bestowed on us in the beloved, 7 in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, 8 that he caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, accordin...

Out of Gas Susan and I entered into our marriage with equal assets and liabilities. I had an old Ford Courier pick-up and she had a Mazda sports car. She owed some money on some family land in Colorado and I owed a couple thousand dollars on my student loan from college. The debts were more permanent than the automobiles. It was probably about ten years before we paid off both those debts. That’s all right though, I consider them good investments. We still enjoy the use of the family property during the summers and my mind is still functioning (it is good to own your brain free and clear). The automobiles? Now that’s a different story. Within the first year of our marriage, the car was totaled in an accident, and the pickup threw a rod. We fixed the pickup and got another car. I was glad to get rid of that old Mazda—I never liked it. For one thing, it was hard to get into the car. God designed my body for a pick-up truck, not one of those low riding sports cars. But the real reaso...

A Voice in the Wilderness

This is my payer from bondage taken from: Romans 8:1-18. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot ...

Guardian Angels Lady was a big, black, beautiful German Shepherd mix. Susan got her for “free.” You know what that means don’t you? The owner says: “If you’ll pay for the shots, feed her, build her a house, repair the yard she destroys and mend the fence she breaks, I’ll not charge you to take her off my hands.” Free—that word should not be allowed in reference to an animal. She was our first family dog, we all loved her. She was less than a year old, Jamie was entering Kindergarten … I suppose they were about the same age in “dog years.” Lady had a terrible habit of digging in the back yard or crawling under the fence to run in the corn field across the road from our house. Eventually we bought a “doggie” fence that zzzzzzzzzzzzaped her when she tried to escape. One sunny afternoon I got a call from Susan. “Jim, lady got out and Jamie went chasing after her … I don’t know where they are.” I know it made perfect sense to Jamie to chase after the dog. After all he was SIX years ol...

February 28 SWEETER AS THE YEARS GO BY Words and Music by Lelia N. Morris, 1862–192 9 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is not wickedness in Him.” (Psalm 92:12–15) For the believer, growing older should mean a greater awareness of God’s love and fellowship as well as a time of greater usefulness in Christian service. The golden years can and should be the most fruitful time of life. A lifetime of companionship with God should result in a mellow and gracious Christ-like spirit. Because there are fewer demands and pressures for life’s necessities, the older Christian should have opportunities for effective ministry that he never before attempted. There is nothing more tragic, however, than to see a professing Christian become disgru...

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the Daily, Weekend and Holiday Internet Evangelize to the World Ministry; I listened to Your voice through the indwelling Holy Spirit to start this world wide ministry. I am proud to say that as of this past Saturday the counter for the ministry blog reached 10,010 for viewers! This tabulating was done two years into the ministry, so thank you for what you have done for the Master. Thank You Father for those people that are hungry for Your Word and want to share the biblical truth to help others as well. With Your Word through this ministry that You have given me, people in communist countries: Russia, North Korea, China, South America, and other non-Christian countries: Japan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Turkey are risking their lives to read and share Your Word for their and others soul salvation through Jesus Christ. Lord, I never thought that this Your ministry given to me would be so great in serving You; I thank You from the bottom of m...

Friendship My doctor told me after my last radiation treatment, “You’re going to be one of the survivors.” Though a doctor can’t pronounce a cancer patient cured until the lapse of five years, I think he is right—I’m one of the lucky ones. I count myself lucky because of my return to health, and because of the love my friends and family. Friendship is so valuable that it cannot be repaid with anything. How can I ever repay the friend that comforted my son the day of my first surgery? He was so worried about his Dad that he broke out in hives. She was there for him. How can I ever repay the Church that stood beside me while I couldn’t preach? How can I ever repay the preachers that filled my pulpit? I never used to cry at weddings, but lately, I choke up every time—especially while the bride and groom are exchanging vows. The words richer or poorer, sickness or health, and ‘til death do we part, used to be ordinary words to me. The word “cancer” changed the importance of these wor...

February 27 IT’S JUST LIKE HIS GREAT LOVE Edna R. Worrell, 19th century How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1) The greatest demonstration of love is God’s gift of Jesus Christ to a lost world. It is impossible to comprehend fully this divine love; it can only be learned experientially. As we grow in our love relationship with the Lord, we begin to realize in part the magnitude of His love. This love is unconditional—He loves us regardless of our failures or successes. This love is impartial—it includes everyone. This love is infinite and eternal—simply because God Himself is love! And this love is personal—He loves each of us as if we were the only one in His world to love. Discouragement is common to each of us, especially in our moments of self-pity or as we are made aware of our shortcomings. In times like these, introspection—continually looking within—only makes us more miserable. Rat...

Lord, I come before You thanking You for another day that You have made. Thank You for this moment that I take in blessing and thanking You for Your Son Jesus for who I accepted as my Lord and Savior! I bless this Your day--The Lord's Day-in the Christian world. I pray that all Christian's bless this Your day and go to their respected houses of worship and serve You with all humility and humbleness from their hearts, minds and indwelling spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

In the World This Week with the Word The Sunday School Lesson

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012 | LENT FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT Old Testament Genesis 3:1–15 Psalm Psalm 91 New Testament 2 Corinthians 6:1–10 Gospel Matthew 4:1–11 Christian Worship One Year Lectionary (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009).

A Fresh Start Spring (Ah-Ah-Ah-Choo), is in the air. Yeah, I know about the allergies, but other than that, I love Spring, don’t you? The trees around our home are getting their blossoms, the birds are dusting off their feathers and warming up their voices, and the Sun is getting ready for summer. Utility bills are lower because it isn’t hot enough to need the air conditioner yet, and it isn’t cold enough to need the heater either. Not too hot, or cold, it is just right. The “boys of summer” are putting on their leggings and getting ready to connect the hickory with leather. (The sound of Angels clapping their hands.) Can life get any better than this? Next month the Fish & Game department will start stocking the mountain streams in New Mexico with some hungry ‘bows ready to swallow my hook. Many people start their calender year with January 1, not me, fishin’ season starts April 1, (Hmmm, April fools day, a fitting day to begin fishing season) that’s when my new year begins. ...

February 26 GOD BE WITH YOU Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1828–1904 The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Romans 16:20) It is my joy in life to find at every turning of the road, The strong arms of a comrade kind to help me onward with my load. And since I have no gold to give, and love alone can make amends— My daily prayer is, while I live, “God, make me worthy of my friends.” —Unknown Often we hear someone tell us glibly to “have a good day!” Would not a far better farewell for Christians be the loving wish of today’s hymn text—“God be with you”? The added thought of “till we meet again” suggests a sincere desire for continued friendship. The writer of this hymn text, Dr. Jeremiah Rankin, pastored several prominent Congregational churches throughout the East until 1889, when he became president of Howard University, the noted school for the education of black students. A powerful preacher and an excellent leader and promoter of congregational singing, Rankin wrote much poetry,...

When you pray to the Lord for thanksgiving--Thanking Him for His blessings--or supplication--Asking for self or interceding for others--pray not to be heard or seen, but pray in humility to be heard by the Lord. Peter said the most sincere and earnest prayer recorded in the Bible--"Save me!" This is the way we should pray--with all sincerity so God hears us when we pray and blesses us with His Grace and Mercy. Father, I pray that all peoples pray to Jesus after their salvation with humility for Jesus is the only way to be heard by the YHWH. While we pray, God is already giving the answer so that the Spirit of Him--indwelling Holy Spirit--is telling us of the answers to our prayer(s). I pray that all whom are not saved come now while you have a chance. Come to have your soul in heaven and not in hell with Satan. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

Frank Frank must have thought, what part of “no” doesn’t this guy understand? Every time I see him, he keeps trying to shove religion down my throat.When is he going to stop? After a while, Frank became so enraged by John’s constant witness that he’d curse at John when he’d share his faith. For John, it wasn’t personal with Frank, he loved the Lord and talked about him with his truck driving buddies at breaks and stops. John wasn’t trying to force anybody to do anything, he was just excited about his faith so he talked about it. Sometimes, John would only talk to a person once and they’d make a decision to follow Christ. That’s the way it was with the guy he met while picking up canned apple sauce in Yakima, Washington. John was waiting to be loaded when he saw the big guy out of the corner of his eye. The guy was 6’ 5” if he was an inch. John walked over, and began talking about his family, before you know it, he was talking about his Lord and the big guy was choking up and start...

BLEST BE THE TIE THAT BINDS John Fawcett, 1740–1817 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. (1 John 2:10) “We just cannot break the ties of affection that bind us to you dear friends.” As Mary Fawcett assured the little congregation at Wainsgate, England, of the bond of love that she and her husband felt for their poor peasant parishioners, Pastor John decided to express his feelings in a poem about the value of Christian fellowship. The following Sunday, John Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1990). 66. Fawcett preached from Luke 12:15: “A man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things he possesses.” He closed his sermon by reading his new poem, “Brotherly Love.” At the age of 26, John Fawcett and his new bride, Mary, began their ministry at an impoverished Baptist church in Wainsgate. After seven years of devoted service in me...

Forsaken Joseph’s brothers ripped his robe off of him, soiled it with the blood of a goat and threw him into a pit. Joseph didn’t know what would happen to him. In the darkness he sat naked, wet and shivering in the cold. Hungry. Thirsty. Hopeless. Alone. Will his brothers leave him there to die? Will they return to kill him? Will a wild animal get him? What will he do? His fate, it seems is in his brother’s hands. Back home, Jacob holds his son’s garment of favoritism covered with a goat’s blood. Joseph’s brothers have quenched their thirst for revenge and acted on their jealousy. In this moment, Jacob is tormented by the loss of his favorite son. His favorite son sits and waits, not knowing what the future holds. Both men at a crossroads in their lives. Neither knowing that God would later use this very event to further His plan for their lives. What the brothers meant for evil; God would use for good. But now, they are in crisis, unable to see past their grief and fear to even...

February 24 SAVIOR, TEACH ME, DAY BY DAY Jane E. Leeson, 1807–1882 If anyone loves Me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:23) It is wonderful to have experienced God’s gift of love in days past, but the real challenge of victorious Christian living is knowing God in a new and fresh way each day. This is what gives our lives zest and enables us to face any new challenge. But this daily learning about our Savior is more than merely pursuing theological knowledge. Biblical knowledge must always be joined with a loving relationship with Christ, since knowledge in itself can easily develop into a false spiritual pride. For many of us, our greatest need is simply to be reminded of what we already know and to translate our knowledge into loving action. Our love for God is not really genuine until we have learned to share it with others. There are numerous laws on the statute books of our land that attempt to teac...

Most Gracious Father, thank You for life through Grace and Mercy. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

Forgive I don’t think it is a coincidence that “forgive” contains the word “give,” do you? One of the most giving things you can do is forgive people who wrong you. Not an easy gift, but then again, the very nature of giving involves sacrifice. Most gifts involve sacrifice of time or money, but this gift-the gift of forgiveness-involves a sacrifice that cannot be measured in either time or money, it involves laying down justifiable anger, hurt and pain to extend grace to the very person who caused the anger, hurt or pain. In many ways, forgiveness is giving of our souls to someone else. Not to the person who harmed us, but to our God who loves us. When we forgive, we are doing what Jesus would do-what He did do-what He still does. Hanging on the cross, He prayed, “Father forgive them …” At the time he extended grace to the undeserving men & women who mocked, tortured and crucified Him, the greatest injustice in human history was taking place. He wasn’t forgiving a small thing, H...

February 23 LET US BREAK BREAD TOGETHER Traditional Spiritual They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer … All the believers were together and had everything in common. (Acts 2:42, 44) The local church has been described as a laboratory where believers learn to love one another regardless of color, nationality, or financial status. Our common heavenly citizenship is the one dominant tie that binds our hearts together. One of the basic results of our weekly corporate worship should be the growing bond of love and unity that develops between believers. This bond of fellowship should result in God’s family members learning to care, honor, and serve one another in love. We should treat others with the same tenderness and understanding that we have experienced from God Himself. This determination to live in a love relationship with fellow believers is infinitely more important than the issues or differences that may se...

Heavenly Father, You have taught us to love our neighbors, love them that hate us, pray for them that spitefully use us, and to worship You with all of our hearts, minds and spirit. Unless we come to love as You love, we can not inherit the kingdom of heaven with You and Jesus Your begotten Son. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

“Forever Friends” For months, I’ve been trying to find just the right gift for our 20th anniversary this May. For some reason, anniversaries in multiples of five have greater significance, and I wanted to do something really nice for Susan, but didn’t know what to do. Over Thanksgiving, I drove Susan’s folks up to Hayward, to show them the spot in the Japanese Gardens where I’d proposed to their daughter. Susan and I hadn’t been back there since that fateful day two decades ago, so it was a real treat for us to return. In the garden, we discovered monuments placed in memory of loved ones that were situated among the manicured shrubbery, flowers and water displays. The next week, I called the Hayward recreation department to find out if I could purchase a monument for them to place near the bridge where I proposed to Susan in honor of our anniversary. They agreed, and told me the price and the amount of words that could fit on the granite stone. After several drafts I settled on: ...

February 22 THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE Words and Music by Peter Scholtes, 1938– A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another. (John 13:34, 35) It’s easy to talk sentimentally about love. It’s much more difficult to apply it to needy people and situations. The Scriptures clearly teach, however, that the proof of God’s presence within our lives is our willingness to share His love with humanity. The earthly badge of our heavenly citizenship is our love relationship with others. A life of love is a deliberate choice on our part. We must choose this lifestyle against our natural bent for self-centeredness. Soon, with the Holy Spirit’s enablement, our new life of love becomes a natural behavior. Then the emotional feelings of inner fulfillment follow. Responding to the needs of others will never be a duty; rather it should be a privilege of normal Chr...

Heavenly Father, I want to praise and thank You for this morning early rising to see the beginning of a new day. Although I do not know what the day beholds--life of death--I have entrusted my soul salvation to You through Your Son Jesus Christ for my eternal living in heaven worshiping and praising You rather than being in Sheol weeping and gnashing of my teeth for eternity. Thank You Lord Almighty God for Grace and Mercy. In Jesus' precious name. Amen. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

Follow through What kind of qualities do you think it takes to be a nurse? Compassion? Strong stomach? Dedication? I’d agree with all of those, but I’d also have to add an adventurous spirit. The nursing profession is actually, well, dangerous. A recent study showed that the profession had an injury rate of 18.2% compared with an average for all workers of 8.1%. Another way to state the problem is that Registered Nurses report a higher rate of injury and illnesses than construction workers. According to the nursing world website, “Among the leading causes of injury and illness for registered nurses are health care restructuring, latex allergy and poor indoor air quality.” Latex allergy, I understand. The nurses have to wear latex gloves as a safety precaution. I also understand that downsizing would increase the rate of injuries and illnesses among nurses. It is unfortunate, but every profession has to look at the “bottom line” and make decisions based upon profitability, not just ...

February 21 WHEN LOVE SHINES IN Carrie E. Breck, 1855–1934 Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) Our emotional soundness and even our physical health depend on the quality of our love for God. And as a result, we gain an attitude of love and concern for our fellowmen. Negative feelings of hate, anger, and selfishness can destroy the well-being of any individual. How important it is to allow God’s love to shine into our lives, not only for the good it brings to others but also for the health it brings to our own lives. True Christian love always seeks to lighten the burden of others and to bring happiness into their lives. We love others not only for what they are but also for what they can become once they too experience the warmth of divine love. Our lives can never remain the same once we learn to share God’s love in word and deed each day. The closer we get to Christ, the closer we get to one another. ...

Almighty Father, as we in America celebrate President's Day, there are many that have animosity and prejudice that do not want to recognize our 44th President, duly elected by the majority of voting American's as the country's dully qualified president. Even as I write, there are some that are still questioning his birth status as an American born person; birth record was produced with those skeptics still because of the blindness of prejudice in their hearts and physical eyesight refused to believe. One of the most ludicrous beliefs was that the President would have a Bar B-Que at the White House; that is true with all peoples attending including some that predicted it saying that they "enjoyed the tasty Bar B-Que!" There are other ridiculous thoughts of prejudice's that are too numerous too begin to write. I pray Father that the hearts of American's be turned to You through Your Son Jesus in true love from their hearts toward their neighbors and remem...

Focus On September 1, 1999, after eight stellar seasons with the White Sox, Frank Thomas hit rock bottom. He’d lost the edge on the baseball diamond-his last two years were mediocre at best. The Chicago sports beat writers were pounding him, many were writing him off. Thomas knew he had to do something, so he called his former hitting instructor, Walt Hriniak for help. The front office agreed to bring Hriniak back in to try to salvage Thomas’ career. After studying tapes of Thomas at bat, Hriniak knew what was wrong, mechanically that is, with Thomas’ swing. He’d lost the pace to the swing, it was too long and the movement of his head wasn’t smooth anymore, it was jerky. Hriniak could fix those problems in less than an hour in the batting cage. But something else was wrong-something only Thomas could fix. Thomas had lost his focus. Along with some family problems, Thomas was getting hammered in the business world. “Big Hurt Enterprises,” his sports marketing company went belly up an...

February 20 HOW CAN I HELP BUT LOVE HIM? Words and Music by Elton M. Roth, 1891–1951 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15) When I stand before the throne, dressed in beauty not my own; When I see Thee as Thou art, love Thee with unceasing heart; Then, Lord, shall I fully know—not till then—how much I owe. —Unknown We all need a strong compelling force to move us through life. Without this force we become stagnant. We can be driven by many different motives—wealth, power, prestige. The apostle Paul’s compulsion was an intense awareness of Christ’s atoning love for man and the responsibility he felt to share this truth with others. The apostle was so gripped by Christ that he counted his own life as nothing in the light of that love (Acts 20:24). Paul abandoned a...

In the World This Week in the Word The Sunday School Lesson

Flatlanders Growing up on the plains of West Texas is pretty much the same one place as it is another. The land is flat-everywhere. No hills, mesas or mountains, just flat land. The folks that live out there have learned that if you add a little water to the flat land, it makes a pretty good place to plant cotton. And that’s what they do. Farming and ranching fuels the economy. There isn’t tourism where I grew up, after all, who wants to see flat land? On a clear night we could see the glow from the big city some 90 miles south of us. We can see a long way out there-no mountains to obstruct the view. Now, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression-not all the land is flat. Just to the East of where I grew up is the Caprock-a beautiful system of canyons that plunges into the earth-an inverted mountain of sorts. From the top of the caprock, it is easy to see different colors of soil and rock layers, vegetation and wildlife. I can still close my eyes and see it. I don’t know if it ...

February 19 WHY SHOULD HE LOVE ME SO? Words and Music by Robert Harkness, 1880–1961 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) In the deepest sense, love is a prerequisite of the whole Christian faith. It begins with God since His basic attribute is love (1 John 4:8). The Father then supplied a model of sacrificial love by providing salvation for man through the atoning work of Christ. Also He gave us the indwelling Holy Spirit so we could respond to Him and seek to imitate His love in service to others. How our society languishes for a living demonstration of God’s love by Christians in every relationship of life! Reflecting seriously on God’s redemptive love in sending His only Son to suffer and die for each of us personally should create within us a deep sense of unworthiness and devotion. Why should the Creator of the universe do all this for me? I was rebellious, a sinner, an en...

Heavenly Father, I thank You for this Your Sabbath Day that many religious denominations keep. Bless those denominations that keep Your Sabbath Day of worship that began 6:00 PM Friday through 6:00 PM Saturday. For those people that do not like those denominations that keep Your Sabbath Day, I pray that they understand Your Word Your command to "Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

Fishing I never really fished much when I was young, but I always wanted to. One of my grandfathers was an avid fisherman, and I did go out with him a few times, but I don’t really remember ever catching a fish with him. Grumps was serious about his fishing, but not quite as serious at teaching his grandchildren to fish. There is an old saying, “you can go fishing or you can take a boy fishing, but you can’t do both.” I suppose Grumps chose to do the former rather than the latter. Growing up, we didn’t really live next to water. Oh, there were a few catfish ponds on some of the West Texas ranches, and I do recall my Dad taking me out a couple of times, but I don’t remember catching any fish. For many years, fishing was something I’d attempt to do on vacations, but was never any good at it until I finally broke down and asked a friend for help. Almost fifteen years ago, we moved to Central California near several lakes and many of the men in the church were accomplished fishermen. I...

February 18 HE LIFTED ME Words and Music by Charles H. Gabriel, 1856–1932 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. (Psalm 40:2, 3) O the love that sought me! O the blood that bought me! O the grace that brought me to the fold! Wondrous grace that brought me to the fold! —W. Spencer Walton Occasionally it is good for each of us as Christians to reflect seriously on a question such as this: “Where would I be today if God had not transformed my life, established my ways, and given me a life of joy and praise?” With all of the allurements of sin so rampant in today’s society, we must readily confess that except for the love and grace of God, we too could find ourselves with broken and shameful lives. But we have been accepted into the beloved and made children of the heavenly kingdom. Through the redemptive work of Christ, we have been given a...

The Story of Two Kings: Herod & Jesus - Day of Discovery

Father, as I come before You as humble and submissive as I know, relinquishing all flesh and worldliness, asking You to anoint me from the crown of my head to the souls of my feet that I through You might give Your Word of praise, comfort, health in infirmities, and hope through faith accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I pray that those reading this prayer be shown the Way that they will know that there is only one way to You the Father--that is through Jesus in faith, genuine repenting of sins, and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior; He is the Way, the truth and the life, propitiator and the door to the Father who sits on His heavenly throne in heaven. Bless those that are lost in their sins that they will know, believe in faith, and come while they still have a chance for a life here on earth of soul salvation, and a life after death in heaven for eternity with the Lord! Bless those that are saved also that are rich in faith, prayer, one-on-One Bible reading and studying, ...

Gone Fishin’ I quit golfing a few years ago when I discovered a way to go broke without humiliating myself at the same time. Fishing suits me much better. Golfers consider it cheating to improve their lies, we fishermen don’t, any help we can get lying about our catches is fine with us. After all, if no one is going to believe a fisherman, we just as well tell a whopper. Speaking of fish stories, I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes A twenty-four-year-old golfer won his 20th professional tournament and he did it by 15 strokes! Unbelievable. He rewrote the record books. One of the records he broke had stood for around 150 years. Can anybody stop Tiger? He is a man with a passion to win. He has the background, the talent and the determination to make it happen. If there were any doubters left in the crowd, his final putt on the 18th at Pebble silenced them forever. One sign in the gallery said it all, “Thanks Jack, long live Tiger.” When Jack Nicklaus did...

February 17 JESUS LOVES EVEN ME Words and Music by Philip P. Bliss, 1838–1876 As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. (John 15:9) The wonder of Jesus’ deep love for each of us has been expressed in this text in beautiful but childlike language by the noted musician of early gospel music, Philip P. Bliss. After attending a service where the hymn “O How I Love Jesus” was sung repeatedly, Bliss thought, “Have I not been singing enough about my poor love for Jesus and shall I not rather sing of His great love for me?” Soon he completed both the words and music of one of the all-time favorite children’s hymn, which is widely sung and enjoyed by adults as well. Philip Bliss was the dynamic and very talented song writer and associate of evangelists D. L. Moody and Major Daniel W. Whittle. Bliss’ commanding height and impressive personality made his singing and song leading outstanding features in any evangelistic service. His gift for writing gospel hymns w...

Fellowship in the Fire Shadrach, Meshach and Abednago probably had to spell their name every time they wanted to make reservations at a restaurant or enroll in a class. I’m pretty lucky, my parents gave me a simple name and most people can already spell it. How do you think Shadrach, Meshach and Abednago became buddies? Maybe all the other kids teased them at school because of their names and they found solace with each other’s misery. The truth is, they had bigger problems than constantly having to spell their name. Things weren’t going too well for them. King Nebuchadnezzar-- (now there’s a name—can you imagine it on the back of a football uniform?)—made a golden statue of himself and demanded that everyone in Babylon worship the statue. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednago refused to worship the idol because of their faith in God. King Nebby got hot and decided Shad, Mesh and Abe should feel the fire of his wrath. He commanded his soldiers to throw them into a furnace that was seven t...

February 16 MORE LOVE TO THEE Elizabeth Prentiss, 1818–1878 And this is my prayer: That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9–11) To love Christ more is the deepest need, the constant cry of my soul … out in the woods, and on my bed, and out driving, when I am happy and busy, and when I am sad and idle, the whisper keeps going up for more love, more love, more love! These were the words of Elizabeth Prentiss, wife of a Presbyterian minister and author of this hymn text. She was often described by her many friends as “a very bright-eyed little woman with a keen sense of humor, who cared more to shine in her own happy household than in a wide circle of society.” Although Elizabeth was strong in spirit, she was frail in body. Throug...

Jesus is with the believers in spirit of the Holy Ghost. No living man after the Resurrection and ascension into heaven have seen Jesus in the flesh. Let no man beguile you that he has seen Jesus in the flesh or went to heaven after his earthly death and come back to tell you that they have been to heaven. The devil is a liar and the truth is not in him. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

Finishing the Race John Stephen Akhwari ran in the 1968 Olympics representing Tanzania. Akhwari injured himself in the competition, as a result he finished the race an hour after the gold medal winner. After he crossed the finish line, a reporter asked him, “Why didn’t you retire from the race, since you had no chance of winning.” Akhwari looked confused at the reporter’s question. After a pause, he said, “My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race, they sent me here to finish the race.” But what happens when we fall? No one is perfect, everyone stumbles. So what do we do? We don’t let our failures shatter our faith-we get back up! With only two laps to go in the 1,000 meters short-track finals at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City, Utah, Apolo Anton Ohno made his move and in first place heading for the finish line and a gold medal. He was still in the lead going around the final turn. That’s when it happened. China’s Li Jiajun tried to pass on the outside,...

February 15 MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE William R. Featherston, 1846–1873 We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) And shall I use these ransomed powers of mine For things that only minister to me? Lord, take my tongue, my hands, my heart, my all, And let me live and love for Thee! —Unknown The spiritual depth of “My Jesus, I Love Thee” is made all the more remarkable by the knowledge that it was written by a teenager. William Ralph Featherston of Montreal, Canada, is thought to have written these lines of heartfelt gratitude to Christ at the time of his conversion experience when only 16. It is believed he then sent a copy of his poem to an aunt in Los Angeles, and somehow the text appeared anonymously in print in an English hymnal, The London Book, in 1864. Several years later, a well-known American Baptist pastor, Dr. A. J. Gordon, discovered the anonymous hymn in the English hymnbook and decided to compose a better melody for it. With its new tune the hymn has sin...

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Heavenly Father, thank You for this mornings early rising and being in my right mind. Thank You for the faith that I have in You and for Your Son Jesus Christ for my salvation; thank You for the ladies on this Valentine's Day. You love them and so do I, but You love them more than me. Bless those that are secular letting them know that You love them also because You gave Your Son Jesus for them also for their salvation if they only believe, repent and accept Him as their Lord and Savior; then You will immediately input Your Holy Spirit in them and they will become Your ambassadors and children. Come this Valentine's Day all and show your love for Him. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

Sexual Fidelity Air Force Lt. Kelly Flings made headlines when she became the Nation’s first female B-52 bomber pilot. She later made the headlines again, but this time she was in trouble. She did not wreck her plane or sell military secrets to the enemy, she was in trouble because she had sex out of wedlock. She was facing a possible dishonorable discharge, loss of pay and a prison sentence for her crime. Flings read the writing on the wall and offered to resign her commission if the Air Force would give her an honorable discharge. They did not accept her offer. Instead, they gave her a general discharge. In the civilian world, we probably would not even bother gossiping about someone having an affair with a married man, but the military takes adultery very seriously, they consider it a crime. The military believes the immoral behavior is harmful to morale, order and discipline. When I was in high school, a friend of mine had a subscription to Playboy magazine paid for by his paren...

February 14 I LOVE THEE An American Folk Hymn taken from Ingall’s Christian Harmony, 1805 O love the Lord, all ye saints. (Psalm 31:23) Blest be Thy love, dear Lord, that taught us this sweet way, Only to love Thee for Thyself, and for that love obey. —J. Austin Secular songs of romantic expressions abound on this day. For the Christian, a hymn about love is also appropriate for Valentine’s Day, and no sweeter expression of one’s love for Christ can be found than these anonymous lines from an early American folk hymn. For the early Christians, February 14 was a special day. Tradition tells us that a man by the name of Valentine was a Christian doctor who went about doing good deeds wherever he could, in imitation of his Master. Valentine became a good friend and helper to the Christians, who were being persecuted by the cruel powers of the Roman Empire. It is believed that the good doctor was eventually imprisoned because of his loyalty to his fellow “followers of the Way.” Aft...

Most Precious God and Father, thank You for this moment of Your grace and mercy to see this moment of a new day. In this moment of this beginning of day I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't have the space and time to keep praising You, but You know my love for You. I pray that those that profess and are saved by the blood of Jesus Your begotten Son will also have the same love that I have for You! Protect me, my family, friends and enemies throughout this day inn the name of Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

Fickle What was the mood in the upper room at the Last Supper? When I close my eyes and try to imagine the evening, all I can see is da Vinci’s painting. (Why did they all sit on the same side of the table?) My art critique aside, I would imagine it was a very serious evening. Jesus dramatically showed His heart as he knelt down to wash the disciples’ feet. An amazing demonstration of servant-leadership. After supper, the scripture says they sang a hymn and went out into the evening. But then what? What did they do after spending spiritual, intimate time with Jesus? On the Mount of Olives, Jesus entered into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He asked a simple request of his friends: “Pray for me.” Instead, they went to sleep. Everyone, that is, except Judas. He went to town and rounded up some of his friends. When he saw Jesus, he gave Him a kiss. In the upper room, with the others he said, “Surely not I, Lord?” I won’t betray you. But he did betray Jesus. His betrayal was espec...

February 13 MY SAVIOR’S LOVE Words and Music by Charles H. Gabriel, 1856–1932 Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2) Love saw a guilt of sin, and sought a basis of pardon. Love saw the defilement of sin, and sought a way of cleansing. Love saw the depravity of sin, and sought a means of restoration. Love saw the condemnation of sin, and sought a method of justification. Love saw the death of sin, and sought a way of life. Love sought—Love found! —Unknown Historians have noted that the ancient Greeks expressed three levels of love: Eros Love—a “give me” kind of love; Philia Love—a “give and take” kind of love. “You love me and I’ll love you;” and Agape Love—an “unconditional” kind of love. “I love you simply for who you are.” Our Savior’s love was agape love in its highest form. He loved us enough to leave heaven’s best, to suffer humiliation and death for a world of rebellious sin...

Heavenly Father, as I come before You to intercede for the peoples of the world lost and saved, I pray for their strength and faith in You. As I include those that are lost in their sins, I pray that they will hear of Your Word and it will prick their hearts so that before You call them in death they will believe in faith of Your Son Jesus, accept him through faith, repent of their sins, accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior whereas immediately His Holy Spirit will indwell in them. Then and only then they will become ambassadors for Him. I pray that those saved will dedicate their lives to the service of their Lord in reading their Bible, personal communion each day with Him, living the Christian life, serving in worship and evangelizing to others God's Word to the saved and lost peoples. Lord bless us all is my supplication in Jesus' precious name. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

In the World This Week with the Word The Sunday School Lesson

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2012 | EPIPHANY SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY Old Testament Exodus 34:5–10 Psalm Psalm 46 New Testament 1 Corinthians 9:24–10:5 Gospel Matthew 20:1–16 Christian Worship One Year Lectionary (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009).

Fellowship “but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” John 1:7 God created us to be in fellowship with Him and it pleases Him when we are, but we cannot walk with Him if we live sinful lifestyles. Verse 6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;” John must have known some pretenders—people who walk in darkness all week, yet act like their lives are all together on Sunday. There’s something very right about coming to Church on Sunday, even if you haven’t lived an exemplary life during the week, but only if you are honest about it. The church is a place where people find healing and forgiveness, but they cannot if they don’t admit their sinfulness. John writes, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (John 1:8) Being real is essential for healing. We...

February 12 WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. (Deuteronomy 21:23) Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) Not father or mother has loved you as God has, for it was that you might be happy He gave His only Son. When He bowed His head in the death hour, love solemnized its triumph; the sacrifice there was complete. —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow This beloved hymn, with its plaintive modal sound, is one of the best known of our authentic American folk hymns. Like all true folk music, the origins of this text and music remain unknown. It is simply the product of devout people who, when reflecting seriously on the sacrificial gift of God’s Son, respond spontaneously with amazed adoration for this “wondrous love.” One typical folk hymn characteristic found in these words is the repetition of key phrases such as “O my soul” and “I’ll sing on.” Since folk music is generally learned aurally witho...

That Special Feeling I hope I never start talking about them as “the good old days,” but lately I’ve thought a lot about the early days of our marriage. Seventy-seven of us lived in a small, 600 square-foot apartment—Susan, me and at least seventy-five roaches. Susan worked full-time at a Nursery taking care of plants and I served a church full-time and was a full-time student at a seminary 120 miles away from our home. We were busy. When I felt the walls closing in on us, I’d reach for the phone a call Jim & Nell Blake. “Nell, I need some pampering, can we come up and see you next week?” She never said no. Nell always kept a very nice home, but she never let it get in the way of making us feel comfortable. When we arrived, Nell greeted us at the door with a big hug and instructions to take our suitcases to “our room.” Usually, we’d sit at the table for a while and “catch up” on what was going on in each other’s lives. When Jim got home from work, we’d have a fine home cooked ...

Almighty Jehovah, thank You for Grace and Mercy this day, this moment that I can praise and bless You. This moment Lord is dedicated to you and You only, for You alone is worthy of all praises. You created me to praise You, and that I will do to the day that You call me home to heaven. For You alone through Your Son Jesus picked me up from Satan's hand and placed me in Your loving and tender arms. Thank You again, again and again. I can't stop thanking You enough for what You did, is doing and will do if You do not call me home. Thanking You in Your precious and only begotten Son Jesus is my prayer of thanksgiving. - Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

February 11 THE WONDER OF IT ALL Words and Music by George Beverly Shea, 1909– What is man that You are mindful of him, the Son of Man that You care for Him? (Hebrews 2:6) What many Christians need today is a rebirth of wonder and awe. We know the gospel intellectually, but it seldom reaches our emotions and will. We take the incarnation, resurrection, ascension, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the eternal reign of Christ merely as theological concepts without letting them grip our inmost being. And the wonder that this great God knows, loves and cares for us doesn’t often thrill us as it should. We even become very blasé when we witness a life that has been dramatically transformed by the love of God. Our spiritual condition can be likened to those Christians at the church in Laodicea mentioned in Revelation 3:14–22: “neither cold nor hot”—just lukewarm. We need to recapture the wonder of it all. George Beverly Shea, one of the all-time favorite gospel singers, gives this account ...