Isaiah 64:6

“The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by the answers.”

      James Baldwin

An artist went searching the streets of New York City for a model to pose for a portrait he wanted to call “The Prodigal”. One day as he was passing Central Park, he saw an impoverished beggar lying on a bench and thought: "He’s perfect! That man would represent the prodigal son beautifully in my painting." He asked the beggar if he would be willing to sit for his painting and he would gladly pay him for his time. Naturally, the beggar agreed.  On the day and time appointed, a man knocked on the door of the artist’s small Brooklyn studio. Excitedly, he answered his door only to find a clean-shaven young man dressed in a suit and tie standing before him. Disappointed, he said, “You must have the wrong door sir, the law office is down the hall”. “But you made an appointment with me,” the man replied, “No,” said the artist, “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you before. I made an appointment to meet with a beggar here at this hour.” “Well,” said the man, “I am the beggar.” “You?” said the artist, “You’re the beggar?” “Yes,” he replied. “After you left me last week, I found some money and thought I would get a new suit of clothes before you painted me.” “Oh,” replied the artist, “Well, you’re just not right for the job.”  The beggar wanted to show himself a masterpiece before the artist -- but the artist was not looking for that. He wanted to create the masterpiece himself!  God is not looking for people that have already been cleaned up and dressed up in the garments of their own choosing.  God sees beyond the outside and sees a beggar that He can mold and form into what He desires each to be.  When we come to God, we must not come with our own ideas of what we think God wants. We must come before him transparent, with no inhibitions, or worries, or pride. God has already seen our weaknesses and faults. We are not hiding anything from Him anyway.  God is looking for someone that is willing to be molded and shaped with the tools of the Master’s hand.  He is looking for someone that does not “have it all together” because those types of people are usually unwilling to be clay in the Potter’s hand.  The Master Artist has an appointment with us today. Lay aside the mask and the façade that we try do dwelling and just come before Him as you are right now.  Become the paint that sits on the Painters platte so He can take each aspect of our lives and begin to paint a masterpiece that all of heaven will admire.

Romans 14:17

“Great joy, especially after a sudden change of circumstances, is apt to be silent, and dwells rather in the heart than on the tongue.”

      Henry Fielding

I remember an old chorus from when I was a child.  It went something like this:  “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (repeated 4 times).  This simple children’s chorus explodes in the spirit of man when he truly understands that joy is available to all.  Joy is not something conjured up through our emotions, but joy is a by-product of the kingdom of heaven.  Joy is a fruit, not a feeling.  Its roots are in choice, not emotion.  Emotions come and go, but the principle of joy lasts forever.  If you only had joy when your emotions were high, and if joy is the source of your strength, your emotions would dictate how much strength that you possess.  Joy is a fruit, not a decoration.  It is to be shared, not observed.  Joy is meaningless if all you do is hold it inside of yourself.  In fact, joy will disappear from your soul if you try to horde it and not share it.  God designed joy to spread by person-to-person contact.  It is the reason that He told the disciples to go into the entire world preaching the gospel.  The kingdom of heaven (the fulfillment of the gospel) is righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Ghost.  Joy is a fruit, not a fancy.  It endures, and is not fleeting.  In the midst of the storm, while life’s boat is rocking in the swells of life’s ocean, joy can give you calm.  While soaring on the clouds of life’s highest dreams, joy is the wing that allows you to defy gravity.  Joy is a fruit; it is not a gift.  The price for joy is demanding; it is not free.  The cost was the sacrifice of a sinless man upon a tree that He created.  The cost was thorns, nails, scourging; but most of all, love.  For you and I today, it cost us everything.  The laying aside of all our dreams, goals and aspirations will usher in His dreams, goals and aspirations.  I ask you, “Which dreams would you rather possess?”  You see, joy is a fruit; it is the work of God’s Spirit.  It is not something that you can manufacture, but it is something that dwells in you by the infilling of the Holy Ghost.  True joy is a sweetener for our souls and a celebration of God in our lives.  How strong are you today?

 I Samuel 1:1-28

 I remember how we felt. The excitement and the anxiety were intense. The questions and the supposed answers just seemed to line up after years of emptiness. My wife and I wanted to have children desperately, but because of medical reasons were unable to do so. The phone rang one day, and an opportunity to adopt seemed very real. We bought baby boy items such as clothes and toys, all the things that expectant parents do when a new baby is on the way. We had been married for eight years and really wanted to have a child. Then the other call came. Instant devastation. Heart breaking, red-hot tears. Not understanding why God had allowed the boy we were to adopt to be still-born. There is something special about mothers. It does not matter what kind of mother she is; moms are just special people. So here is my tribute to mothers.

     For those we call moms: biological, adoptive, foster, and spiritual mothers, whether mothers by birth, by marriage or by choice, I say, “Thank you for making sacrifices that were never seen; for taking risks that were never recorded, for loving more than we deserved.” It is because of you we are here today, and I honor you.

     For those who long to be mothers: the path of obedience thus far has not led you into marriage or motherhood. For those who ache each Mother’s Day, taking a handkerchief to the cheek as you listen to the steady rhythm of a biological clock rounding past midnight again as you continue to believe that God is indeed good. I offer my honor to you.

     For those who risk hope month after month waiting for God to give you a child, riding the roller coaster of hope and disappointment, excitement and despair, faith and fact, I pour out my heart to you.

     For those who have held a child in your womb, or in your arms and later committed them to God’s eternal embrace, or for those who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death with our heavenly Father who also knows what it is like to bury a son, I give honor to your strength.

     For those who were faithful to nurture a child in your womb and then in love placed your baby in the arms of another, on behalf of all adoptive mothers and adopted children everywhere, thank you for your courage and thank you for your sacrifice.

     My story did not end in the pain of that loss. We received news about a year later that my wife was indeed pregnant, and five years later another boy!. Now, my sons and I, along with millions of other husbands and children, say thank you to the mothers that have changed our lives. Make sure that “Mom” knows you are thankful for her today.

     It was Washington Irving that said, “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”

DANIEL 1:1-17

“What man in his right mind would conspire his own hurt? Men are beside themselves when they transgress against their convictions.”

      William Penn

It is often said, “Actions speak louder than words.”  Every believer is responsible for exerting a godly influence. Through our example and testimony, we are to lead people to a better understanding of Jesus Christ and the way to follow Him. From what we know of the prophet Daniel’s life, he was a man who used his influence wisely. His consistent godly actions impacted his friends as well as four kings and their kingdoms.  Daniel possessed a strong conviction that every word of Scripture was true. He consequently declined to eat food from the king’s table because Exodus 34:15 forbade consuming anything offered to idols (this was a common practice in Babylon). Daniel’s commitment to God outweighed any fear of reprisal for turning down royal provisions.  The Lord honored Daniel’s conviction by ensuring that he found favor among powerful men. He also gave Daniel and his friends wisdom and knowledge that would serve them well as royal officials—positions that guaranteed godly influence would spread throughout the kingdom.  It is interesting to note that we often think that the way to gain influence or “get ahead” is to attempt what allowed someone else to gain what we are looking for.  However, it is when we gain the proper perspective on our convictions that God is able to open doors of influence that we would not normally be able to open.  We are not likely to have opportunity to influence kings, but our example can have impact in a workplace or neighborhood, or even across generations. As was true of Daniel, a godly influence is rooted in the Bible. We must believe the book is God’s inerrant Word. If our convictions are not based on scriptural principles, the pattern of our life cannot be consistent, and we will chase after preferences instead of standing upon doctrine. Therefore, a commitment to stand on the bedrock of God’s Word is not negotiable.