Taking a Break
We are getting in some quality family time this week with our son, Massey, so I will be taking a short break. Thank you for being a faithful follower of the More Than Useless blog! I’ll be back soon! Blessings on you all!
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
Aug 5th, 2019, Mon, 1:48 am
The Greatest Blood Donor of All Time
Thank You for a full day of productivity, Father. I took care of some serious business, did a little research, visited with a couple of very lovely ladies at a local care facility and had some quality time with my wonderful wife. It was a good day!
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Today I had the privilege of donating blood. I thought I was doing pretty good in now having donated over three gallons over the last several years but in talking to a lady from one of my churches I have a way to go! She was a consistent donator until a few years back (she is 90 now). She stopped at nine gallons! Wow! Thinking of donating blood brought to mind a story that has circulated on email and Facebook for some time but bears repeating. It goes like this:
Many years ago, when I worked at a hospital, I got to know a lovely little girl who was suffering from a rare life-threatening disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had somehow survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.”
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”.
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
Many in this life sacrifice their own blood so that others might be saved, be it a pint at a time or through a transfusion. And it is most assuredly a good thing. But we are limited. We can give some of our blood, and over time our bodies will generate blood to fill the void. But we cannot give all of our blood for then we could not live.
Only one person in all of history gave all of His blood. Yes, He died but by the power of God, he rose from the dead and lives to tell the tale! And his sacrifice did not just save one life…it saved all of humanity! He was the absolute greatest blood donor of all time! For that is what saves us! Read God’s word as recorded in Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT.
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
Lord Jesus, thank for Your donation – putting it mildly – for You gave all You had to save us. May we, without hesitation, give our all, in service to You. Amen!
Aug 1st, 2019, Thurs, 8:44 pm
Point of No Return
Father, tonight I just want to thank You for the gifts of strength and tenacity. Quite often we get bombarded with things that want to tear us down spiritually and if we’re not careful we can fall. I praise Your Name because I have been able to stand firm. I am weak but I am so grateful that You are strong!
Mark 14:32-42 (<<click to read the passage)
I was a fairly decent student in school – not stellar by any means, but decent. One of my biggest problems in college was not putting the bulk of my time and energy in early for big projects but trying to cram everything into the last few days.
I think it was my senior year and I had a big paper due. I had chosen some relatively obscure composer and his works from centuries ago about which to write (I was a Church Music major). Of course, this before personal computers and the like so I had all kinds of note cards and photocopies of people and musical examples. I was in way over my head! I never did finish it. I had gone beyond the point of no return – too little, too late. But I turned in what I had and probably only because of the grace of my professor (and God!) it was enough to get me a passing grade!
The disciples had been given ample time to prepare for what was now upon them. And Jesus had shared with them numerous times about what was going to transpire. This same evening, they had once again been forewarned. But did they heed His warning? Even when Jesus was in dire need of their support and friendship on top of His warning, they literally fell asleep on Him!
In the Amplified Bible, verses 41 and 42 read,
He came back a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough [of that]! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go. Look, my betrayer is near!”
Enough [of that]! The hour has come. Just moments before, verse 38 tells that He had specifically said to Peter,
“Keep [actively] watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
They had gone beyond the point of no return. Their time for preparation for the big test was gone. And their preparation was severely lacking… And as foretold, they all would fall…
Lord Jesus, I’m probably talking to a wall – even when talking to myself – but please help us to be prepared. We know not the day or the hour but even in our daily lives, we need to be able to function effectively as Your ambassadors. People’s eternal souls are in jeopardy and we may be their last link to You! May we take our responsibilities to heart and may we not be found sleeping! Amen.
July 31st, 2019, Wed, 8:17 pm
Empty Promises
Father, I benefit greatly from Your encouragement. It would be easy to waste a gross amount of time of things of little importance, but You help to stay focused on what needs to be accomplished. I am grateful that You watch over me.
Mark 14:27-31 (<<click to read the passage)
Empty promises. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.
I won’t fall away.
I won’t desert You.
I won’t be ashamed of You.
I won’t be afraid of being associated with You.
I will not deny You!
Peter is recorded as saying those things but they all were saying the same thing as well.
Peter and John bailed initially but at least were in the vicinity a little later. Though of course Jesus knew what would happen and told Peter so. “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you will deny [that you even know] Me three times.”
Empty promises. We are guilty as well… Every. Single. One. Of. Us.
This life is a struggle. So many things grab our attention and they may be cheap and tawdry but we just can’t seem to shake them!
Paul was right there in the struggle with us. He said in Romans 7:18,
“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.”
We all want to do what is right. We all want to be good boys and girls. But…the world is so enticing! And what makes it even more difficult is that the world is here and now! We can see it. We can touch it. We can experience it. Following Jesus is hard work. We have to focus! We have to listen! And listening to the world is easy! It’s not going in the opposite direction of our minds, our hearts…our flesh! We just go with the flow! No thinking necessary and everyone else is doing it that way!
Jesus clearly told us in Matthew 7:13-14,
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”
And then later He says,
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26 (AMP)
It may be a difficult way but it is the best way.
Lord Jesus, help my promises to be full. It is a lot of hard work but You promise (and Your promises are never empty!) to always be by my side. The devil who is a “thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.” But Jesus, You “came that we may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].“ John 10:10 (AMP) Amen – I will lay claim to that one!
July 30th, 2019, Tues, 4:34 pm
Never Take It for Granted
Father, before I begin this evening, I would lift up friends and family who are going through so much right now – loss of loved ones, recovering from strokes, cancer, complicated pregnancies. And You know each and every detail of every person right where they are at right now. Please be close by their sides. May they feel Your presence even as these words are typed and as they are read. Amen.
Mark 14:22-26 (<<click to read the passage)
I feel that coming together to commemorate the Last Supper is one of the most important things we do as a body of believers. Unfortunately, it may be something that is sort of taken for granted. We frequently hear the words being spoken – body, bread, blood, wine, cup, vine, covenant – but how often do we really take them to heart. It’s not just broken-up bread and juice in little cups. It’s not just wafers being placed on our tongues and us sipping the fruit of the vine from the chalice.
Each aspect of this commonly practiced ritual is so uncommonly special and rich and deep and so, so truly life-changing.
As I read through the notes in my study Bible* I had to slow down and process each statement…each word. Would you do the same?
The celebration of Communion…
- …humbles us before God. We confess our sins and restate our need for Christ to guide us.
- …reminds us that we are forgiven. We remember that his shed blood paid the price.
- …expresses our oneness in Christ. We are unified in our faith.
- …encourages us to recommit. We are reminded to pledge ourselves to serve him who died for us.
For many, this next Sunday morning will be a time when we will once more partake of this time together. I would challenge us all to slow down…process each statement…each word. Listen to the one that stands before you. And even more importantly, listen to the One, who once and for all, stood in your stead so that your salvation would be assured. May we never take it for granted again.
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
July 29th, 2019, Mon, 7:57 pm