Today is the FINAL Friday of August AND the final Friday of meterological summer! Boo!!! Summer is my favorite season of the year. And although I do enjoy the fall .... knowing that winter lurks around the corner saddens my soul!  So, enough of that. Thanks for joining me for a cup of coffee and a couple of random thoughts that I hope will strengthen your faith and encourage your soul!

1. If you have been in touch with any news reports of late, the name Ashley Madison should sound familiar. This is the website which allows married people to find other people with whom to have an affair. I never knew such a website existed ... as I am sure is true for many of you. But when hackers obtained the names of those who have used the website, a firestorm erupted. Those who had thought their extramarital activities were "secret" now were frantic with fear. And there were a lot of people in this boat! Of all the zip codes in the United States, only three did not have an address linked to the site. The population of those three zip codes? 476! The population of the other zipcodes? 321,000,000! I am guessing we are about to see a spike in the number of divorces being filed! All this reminds me of a particular verse in the Bible which contains these words, "be sure your sin will find you out." What we think is done in secret, never is! For our God is always watching (Hebrews 4:13). So when the Tempter comes with his enticing bait, turn the other way and run! For our God is watching, even if no one else is!

2. This past Monday I had the privilege of officiating the memorial service of a woman who lived a full life of 94 years. Three and half weeks ago I did the same for a 94 year old man. Both of these people lived in such a way as to point many people to Jesus! I hope that is how you want to live ... to be pointed people to Jesus! And it is not really all that hard to do! A friend of mine (and a friend of a number of you as well), Ed Lewis, encourages people to go FISH for people (after all, if we choose to follow Jesus, he promises to make us "fishers of men!" - Matthew 4:19). SO  here is how it works. As you encounter people throughout your day ....

- Friendly (Be friendly! No one wants to talk with someone who acts like they just ate a dill pickle!)

- Initiate  (Initiate conversation)
- Story or Serve (Ask them about their story or serve them in some way.
- Hope (Give them hope ... offer to pray for them, etc).

This method can be easily remembered and implemented. So ... go out and FISH today! (Thanks Ed, for this reminder!)

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Once again Friday has arrived! So ... you know the routine ... pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew. Not only will you enjoy a delightful way of waking up . . . but you will enjoy a multitude of health benefits that coffee offers (so quick ...drink up before researches change their tune!). 

1. I am sorry I missed you last week. Our family was on what has become our annual beach vacation. It may not be the most relaxing vacation of my year ... but it is a boatload of fun! Watching "the little kids" interact with one another can be a downright hoot at times (they are 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 years of age). And of course, I just love spending time with them. But what I need to remember is that I am a bit older than I was when I played with my own kids! One of the things I tackled was to haul the grandkids around in a little red wagon (see pic). Fun? Yes! But I sure wished I would have skipped that activity! As a result of the pulling and pushing of the wagon through the sand, I pulled a muscle in my lower back. That was last Thursday. Eight days later, I am still in pain (although it is finally

improving). All this to say ... we must always be aware of our limitations. This is especially true as we age (as this past year has proven to me ... but I guess I am still a slow learner!). Yes ... we have limits. In fact, we have many of them. But our God does not! The theological word to describe God concerning limits is the word "infinite." This means God is not limited in any way ... nor is it possible for him to ever be limited. Wow! Talk about a great God! And to think this great God is our Father! Is he YOURS? If you can't really answer that question, I suggest you check out Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face. 

2. Back in 1997 my oldest daughter graduated from high school. Now, 18 years later, many of the babies born that year are in the process of heading off to college. Wow! Time sure does fly! And how the times have changed since then! Jim Denison provides the following ways that today's world differs from the world of 1997: 

Beloit College has just published its annual list of factoids about students entering their first year of college. They Have never licked a postage stamp Have always used cell phones with Wi-Fi access Had their first steps recorded by proud parents using camcorders (the students probably don't know what one is) Improved their reading skills with the Harry Potter series Have always watched television in high definition. In 1997, the year of their birth, Princess Diana died in a speeding motorcade crash.  Titanic won 11 Oscars.  Seinfeld was the most popular TV show.  Beanie Babies were the most popular Christmas toy. Now consider how our culture has changed morally over their lifetime. In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres was one of the first well-known celebrities to "come out" as homosexual; now same-sex marriage is the law of the land.  That year, debate over legalizing physician-assisted suicide began accelerating; it is now legal in five states and being considered by five others. In 1997, there were 13.9 million illegal drug users in the U.S.; today 24.6 million Americans use illegal drugs, representing a 50 percent increase relative to the population.  Since 1997, the percentage of unmarried couples living together has doubled.  The percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation has nearly doubled to 22.8 percent, representing 56 million adults in America and outnumbering Catholics and mainline Protestants. Indeed our world has changed quite a bit in the 18 years since my daughter graduated from high school. Some of this change is for the better, much is not. And as we seek to navigate through this ever changing world ... we must cling to reality that the God we serve NEVER changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In him we can find the stability we need amidst the turbulent change that surrounds us! Thanks for stopping by . . . pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

It's the end of the work week (for most of you ... definitely not for me!). So celebrate with a good hot cup of coffee and join me for a few random thoughts.

1. Yesterday, at the conclusion of my Chinese lunch, the server brought me and my lunch partner the customary fortune cookie. I don't recall the bit of wisdom my fortune cookie revealed once I broke it open ... but I was struck by my friend's. His fortune read, "The gift without the giver is bare." Hmm, I thought to myself. That is really good! Don't you agree? How often do we enjoy God's gifts which he so generously showers us with ... without giving a thought to HIM as the GIVER of these gifts (James 1:17), In doing so, we miss the greatest blessing of all ... that of enjoying God Himself!  I encourage you at some point today ... take out a piece of paper (or call up whatever note taking app you use on your phone or tablet) and draw up a list of gifts God has given you. Then spend some time with him, thanking him for his gracious benevolence toward you. After all, the only thing we are entitled to receive from him is eternal judgment. Praise God He withholds that (mercy) and gives us eternal life in Christ (grace).

2. Last Sunday one of my best friends enjoyed the experience of giving his third oldest daughter away to the man who is now her husband. It was indeed a joy to observe him in that moment. Having done the same myself twice before, I know it can be a somewhat bitter-sweet moment. Sweet in knowing that one's daughter is now happy and moving on to a new chapter in her life ... bitter to see the former chapter close. But that is what life is all about! The great task of parenting is to raise our children so that, one day they will be prepared to move on and establish their own households. This requires that we "let go." And letting go is something American parents can have a tough time doing. Yet it is what God requires of us. Because if we don't "let go," our children will never be able to "leave and cleave" in their new relationship as husband and wife (Genesis 2:24).

3. Some time ago, I posted a prayer that I gleaned from John Piper's devotional book, Life as a Vapor). Since posting it, this prayer has been taped to my computer monitor so I can pray it from time to time. I offer it to you again with the hopes that you will make Piper's prayer your own.

"Thank you Lord, for the lives of flawed and faith-filled saints! 

Thank you for grace, amazing grace, that saves and uses sinners! 

Lord, don't let me limit your power by what I see in the mirror. 

Help me to trust you. Help me, as William Carey said, 

to expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.

I am not great, But you are great. 

Your power is made perfect in my weakness. 

I surrender all worldly claims on my life. 

Come. Make me useful for the glory of Christ. 

In his great name I pray.

Amen." (John Piper)

4. Finally, here is an update from my friend, Augustin Hibaile. Augustin began a ministry a number of years ago in the Central African Republic. CIDEL (Center International for the Development of Ethical Leadership) is strategically placed to be a major player in helping the C.A.R. on its path

toward peace and stability. Here is an an email I received yesterday from Augustin:

August 7

Dear prayer supporters, 

I am busy preparing for the leadership seminar with Politicians who are running for the elections in CAR. Please pray that God will provide for the remaining funds to organize the four days seminar. Life in CAR is very expensive and it is difficult to afford goods in the store due to the consequences of the war and the presence of the UN troops.

We appreciate your prayer for the success of the seminars that will take place in August 25-28, 2015. We are expecting instructors from UK, DRC, Switzerland.

Together

Augustin Hibaile

****Editors note: If you would like to give toward this pressing need to fund Dr. Hibaile's training seminars, please click here. When you arrive on Encompass World Partners' site, click on the drop down menu to select a project. When the list of projects comes up, click on C.A.R. - CIDEL (Hibaile) - Leadership Development. Thank you for considering some vitally needed financial support!  

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Pour yourself a cup of your favorite Joe ... and join me for a couple of random thoughts.

1. As I was praying through Psalm 31 today, I came to these words (the final words of the Psalm): "Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord." These were just the words I needed to hear this morning. In so many ways this week, I have been reminded of the brokenness of our fallen world. Yesterday I officiated a funeral. The day before, my wife scheduled a knee replacement surgery (September 4th). That same day one of my church staff informed me he would be undergoing back surgery in September (and two spouses of church staff are facing surgery in August!). Add to this is the pastor friend of mine who is going to have his leg amputated due to a health complication. And I could go on and on. This world's a mess! And that is not God's fault, it's ours (read Genesis 3). So in the midst of surviving as we journey through this broken twisted world, it is good to know that when we place our hope in God he in turn will strengthen our hearts and encourage our souls. I for one NEED that!

2. Last evening we had a Life Group outing. In the group I lead, there are, at present, three other couples. We have known two of these couples for twenty-five and a half years (which is how long we have been in our current ministry). Both of these couples have three adult children. All six are married. And I had the privilege of officiating at all six of their weddings. I knew all of these kids from the time they were knee high to a grasshopper! When I began my ministry here at Grace Church (then known as Southern Lancaster Grace Brethren Church), I was asking God to help me stay long enough to see my kids graduate from high school (when we arrived in late August of 1989, my kids were ten, eight and five). God answered that prayer and far more! Now as a result of my long (and I trust faithful and fruitful) ministry in this place, I am loving watching kids "grow up!" and having kids of their own! Only God knows how much longer he will keep me here (I have no plans to move on - but I know I can't stay in my present position forever!). My desire is ... no matter God's timetable ... that I would finish well. Would you please pray for me today (and every day!) that God would help me to do just that!  All by HIS grace and for HIS glory!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

It's Friday ... It's coffee day (well, for me EVERY day is coffee day!). Pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew and join me for a couple of random thoughts.

1. Both my wife and I had "second opinion's" in the past two weeks. Mine last week was for my wrist and hand ... hers for her right knee. Both doctors reaffirmed what the first doctor in each case had said. As a result, my wife is looking at a knee replacement and I am looking at further surgery as well. We considered flipping a coin or doing "rock, paper, scissors" to see who would get to go first. But, given our life circumstances, Sharon is the winner here. So ... most likely sometime in September she will be getting a new knee. The date has yet to be set. In the meanwhile, I will bide my time and hope that maybe ... perhaps ... hopefully (although neither orthopedic gave me much hope!) my situation will improve enough that I will not need surgery. All this said, we would appreciate your prayers as we move forward. These are just additional reminders that growing older isn't for sissies ... AND ... what a joy our new resurrection bodies will be (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

2. Donald Trump is proving that not only does he have a big (and I mean BIG!) bank account, he also has a very BIG mouth. And that big mouth is getting him into a lot of hot water. Yet he claims he does not care what other people think. He is going to continue to say what is on his mind. Hmmm. As I thought of "The Donald" ... I thought of myself. I, too, from time to time have too "big" a mouth. I say things that hurt others, slander others, exaggerate the truth to make me look better, gossip about someone, etc. etc. etc. It is no wonder that James refers to the tongue as "a fire" and claims that "no one can tame the tongue" (James 3:1-12). So what can we do to better control this piece of flesh that wags between our jaws? Here are a few suggestions to better your talk:

Think before you speak
Ask God to help you speak gracious words
Listen more, talk less
Kill gossip before it spreads

If you do these simple things ... your words will be much more like Jesus' words!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Well ... time to pour a cup or two of your favorite coffee and join me for a few random thoughts.

1. I am discovering that as I get a bit older, my sleep patterns are changing. Some nights ... I sleep like a rock. Then there are other nights when I wake up way too early  ... and find it difficult to get back to dreamland! So ... if you have one of those sleep deprived nights, how can you best handle work the next day? Here's an interesting (and brief) video that will give you some great tips on how to cope at the office when your eyelids won't stay open!

2. This morning I saw a clip on the news of a huge tornado touching down near Chicago. Sure enough, a lot of damage was done. But thankfully, no loss of life reported! Then, once in the office, I checked my twitter feed and found the following quote of Paul Tripp: "God hasn't promised to shelter you FROM the storm, but he has guaranteed he'll be your shelter IN the storm until the storms are no more." This truth is one of the themes of the book of Psalms. In fact, the word "refuge" occurs over forty times throughout the book (Psalm 5:11; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 62:8; Psalm 118:9). So the next times a storm crashes into your life (and it will) .... flee to God. He will be your refuge!

3. Finally, my daughter told me that her son Jack played "preacher" the other day. He lined up some chairs ... then climbed up on the coffee table and "preached." He told this imaginary listeners that we are all sinners but that Jesus died for our sins. Yes! Even at the young age of five, my grandson is beginning to grasp the essence of the gospel message. And at the heart of the gospel is the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. Praise God that HE so loved us rebels, that HE gave his one and only Son to die in our place on that cross some 2000 years ago! As a result we are enabled to place our eternal welfare upon a life we did not live (Jesus' perfect life) and a death we did not die (Jesus' death in which he paid the wage of sin ... not for himself as he had none ... but for us ... who have more than we will ever fully know). May you find joy in the gospel today ... and look for someone to share it with!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Sorry I missed last Friday ... not only was it a holiday, but I was out of town enjoying a bit of vacation time with my wife. But for today ... go ahead and pour that favorite cup of coffee and join me for a couple of random thoughts.

1. Yesterday afternoon, I stood before a grieving family as they said their earthly "goodbyes" to a wife, mother and grandmother. It was a bitter-sweet moment. Bitter to know that there would be this time of separation from their loved one. Sweet in the realization that she was, at that very moment, in the very presence of Christ. The apostle Paul captured the "bitter-sweet" reality of Christian's who are struck by grief when death comes calling. In his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul expressed his desire that his readers not grieve as "those who have no hope." He does not deny the reality of grief (and there are no shortcuts to ease the pain of the grieving process). Yet, our grief as believers in Christ can and should be tempered by the hope we have ... that of an ultimate reunion with those who have gone before (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Thank God for the hope we have in the gospel of Jesus Christ! 

2. Donald Trump is making a lot of waves. And he is receiving a lot of attention (if you say something often enough and loud enough and politically incorrect enough ... you will be heard! And of course, it does not hurt that Trump is one of the richest men in America). According to latest polls, Trump is right up among the leaders in the race for the Republican nomination for president. Now, my purpose in bringing this up is not political in nature (I hope!). Rather, I mention Trump to simply ask a couple of questions: What does Trump's current success in the race for the White House say about our society and the values we embrace? And what does it say about the importance of a person's character? Hmmm .... now before you (and I) start pointing fingers ... we probably need to take a long hard look in the mirror and check out the person we see staring back at us (Matthew 7:1-5). We (and those around us) will definitely be better for doing so! 

Gulp! I'm being watched!

3. Last week on our vacation, we visited some civil war sites. My wife and I talked about how awful a period of time that was in the history of our nation. Brother fighting against brother, father against son, friend against friend. I am grateful that our country is not now in the midst of such conflict. But conflict on a smaller scale is something that we all deal with. Starting this Sunday at Grace, we are launching out on a study of a number of the "one anothers" of the New Testament. God wants us (and every local church) to become a family of believers in Christ who love one another, honor one another, serve one another, submit to one another . . .  and on and on it goes. Only as we get our focus off of ourselves will we be able to "one another" one another and become the church God wants us to become! I hope you can join us this Sunday .... 9:00 and/or 10:30. And would you please pray with me that Grace Church will be a different church as we expose ourselves to the living and active Word of God! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj