"Can't" Can't Do Anything

When I was a boy, my mother used to say, "Can't can't do anything!" She taught us to be positive and have a "can-do" attitude.

I read about a naval officer named Irwin who was discharged from military service after he was diagnosed with cancer. He was determined to get back his health and his job. With faith and determination, he battled the disease that was trying to kill him. At one point, he was given only two weeks to live, but eventually, his cancer was brought under control.

Irwin had a desire to be reinstated as a naval officer, but regulations would not allow that for a person with cancer. Irwin was told, "Give up. It would take an act of Congress to get reinstated." That gave him an idea - he would pursue an act of Congress!

President Harry S. Truman eventually signed into law a special bill that allowed Irwin W. Rosenberg to reenlist and become a rear admiral in the United States Seventh Fleet!

Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Be positive. Be determined. Have faith. Don't give up. Rid your mind of "can't." With God's help, we can see the impossible.

Can Attending Church Make You Healthy?

I recently read an interesting article in Parade magazine that referred to studies that revealed that people who attend religious services tend to be healthier than those who don't. Weekly churchgoers have a lower risk of death than those who never set foot inside a place of worship.

Research has found that prayer and meditation seem to be associated with improved immune systems.

The benefits extend to mental health as well. People who identify themselves as more religious reveal lower rates of depression. And there is a lower suicide rate among people who regularly attend religious services.

Churchgoers are also more socially integrated, which means they have more friends and a better support system to help them cope with stressful life events. This is one of the great benefits in building relationships with other Christians and is why we encourage everyone at our church to get connected in a small group.

The article concluded by saying, "Many researchers believe there seems to be a strong connection between the mind, the spirit, and the body. Improve one, and you have an effect on the other."

Since there are spiritual, physical and mental benefits to attending church services, I highly recommend it. Of course, as a pastor, you would expect me to say that. But I'm glad that science has confirmed what we pastors have known for a long time. If you want to be healthy in every area of your life, go to church!

When God Makes Coffee

Dr. Walt Larimore tells a great story in a recent Focus on the Family magazine. A 5-year-old girl was sitting on her mother's lap and asked, "Mom, does God live in your heart?" The mother smiled and nodded. The girl asked, "Can I listen?" Her mother laughed as the daughter placed her head against her chest. Suddenly the little girl's eyes widened, and she jerked her head away. The mother asked, "Did you hear anything?" Her daughter said, "I did! God was making coffee!"

"Does God live in your heart?" What a great question for all of us. God created each of us and in that sense, we are all His children. But it's necessary for us to invite Him to live in our hearts, which simply means that we acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

God wants to have a personal relationship with us through His Son Jesus Christ. By dying on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, and took the judgment that we deserved. We give Him ourselves and He gives us eternal life. What an exchange rate that is! That's like giving Him a penny and receiving from Him a million dollars. It makes no sense in our economy, but it shows the generosity of our loving God.