Logan's Blog

A New Year, Another Chance

2012-01-05T21:39:00.001-08:00

In the Bible, the gospel of Luke, chapter 13, Jesus tells a story of a fig tree which is planted in a vineyard. The owner of the vineyard comes to visit, but there is no fruit on the fig tree. The owner wants to tear the tree down and plant something else that will make good use of the soil (since if a fig tree hasn’t produced in 3 years it probably never will). But the caretaker of the vineyard talks the owner into giving him one more year with the tree. The caretaker wants to do three things. These three things I believe give us an important lesson for our lives as well.

1. Work the soil- The caretaker wants to first work the soil. He believes that
by preparing the soil, the tree will have a better chance. The truth is, without good soil, a tree cannot produce. This is true for you and me. If we don’t have good soil (which Jesus likened to our hearts), then we will not be able to produce. So we must make sure that we are letting God soften our hearts to care for others around us.

2. Fertilize- Second, the caretaker wants to fertilize. Fertilizer helps to put nutrients into the soil that will make the soil more able to nourish plants and trees. For us, fertilizer is the word of God and Christian fellowship. When we are reading the Bible and when we are around other Christians, we will be more likely to live in a way that will bless others around us, and help others understand the need to believe in and follow God.

3. Extra care- Last, the caretaker wanted to give the tree extra care. Sometimes extra attention can help provide the right conditions for growth. Maybe there are insects that are affecting the tree. Or maybe the tree isn't getting enough water. That extra attention can make the difference. This is true in our own lives. It is good to have someone in your life who is making sure that you are doing the things you need to do to grow. It is important to have someone checking up on you, in love, so that you might become all that God created you to be.

This is a parable of second chances. This tree was given another chance. Jesus wants us to know that He gives us another chance. If we stumble, if we fail, if we stray, if we sin, if we feel like we don't measure up, Jesus is there to pick us up and help us move forward. As we enter 2012, let this be a reminder that you get another chance in a new year.

Getting Out of God's Way

2011-12-07T21:53:00.001-08:00

My dad was a painter. He specialized in painting boats. I remember when I was in high school I would go and help my dad paint boats in the summer. Actually, I had to do the sanding and my dad did the painting. Every once in a while he would let me paint something, but often my dad would come over and re-do it. There were times when I felt like I was just in my dad’s way.

Do you ever feel like you are in God’s way? The truth is, sometimes we do get in God’s way. We get in God’s way when we say we are Christians but our actions don’t match our words. Then others will wonder what kind of God He is when His followers act like everyone else in the world. We get in God’s way when we are willful and don’t want to listen to what God has for us to do. We get in God’s way when we support the things of this world.

To get out of God’s way doesn’t mean to step aside and let God do the work. To get out of God’s way means we humble ourselves so that we have minds that will hear what God has to say to us. It means that we have hearts that receive God’s love to the point where His love overflows from us to others. It means that we follow God’s leading for our lives. It means that we make ourselves available to serve God wherever He might call us.

When we are able to get out of God’s way, we put ourselves in a place where God will use us, and bless us, and minister to others through us. God has chosen to impact this world through your life and mine. That is one of the main purposes of why we are on this earth (the primary one is to worship God and be in relationship with God). If we can understand this, and get out of God’s way, then wonderful and powerful things will happen!! Blessings.

How Do You Handle Failure?

2011-12-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of weeks ago the Los Angeles Galaxy professional soccer team won the Major League Soccer cup. In doing this they were considered ‘winners.’ This was an especially important win for English soccer player David Beckham, because he had been paid millions of dollars to come and help the Galaxy win. For four years they had failed to win the ultimate prize. So when they won this year, everybody applauded David Beckham for again being a winner.

The blunt truth is that there are very few “winners” the way the world defines this term. Out of 16 teams in the Major Soccer League, only the Galaxy won the cup. Out of 30 basketball teams in the NBA, only the Dallas Mavericks won the trophy. If we go by the world’s definition of winning, then all the other teams in these sports were failures; they failed to win it all.

I think we all too often apply this definition to our lives as well. We believe that if we don’t continue to climb the company ladder then we fail. We believe that if we aren’t making ‘lots’ of money, then we fail. We believe that if we don’t have a spouse, two kids, a house, and a dog, then we fail.

The good news is that God looks at things differently. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us: “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” God looks at the heart.

It is true that we do fail in that we might fall short of the expectations of others, or we might fail to meet our goals. How do you handle failure? If you have the definition of the world, then it might lead you to get down on yourself or your life. But if you think about 1 Samuel 16:7, then you realize that what is important is the status of your heart.

As long as you are doing your best and seeking God’s will, then you will be fine. So, anytime you experience what seems like failure, then you need to seek after God, who will make sure your heart is in the right place, and set you off on the correct path again. Failure then turns into an opportunity to adjust ourselves in God’s will and to re-focus on the goal God has for us. Blessings.

What New Thing I Learned Last Week

2011-11-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

This last Sunday we had our annual Youth Sunday. Usually Youth Sunday is held when I am away, but this year I got to be there. I had a wonderful time watching our youth do the prayers, read the scripture, do the children's sermon, and even help with the main sermon. I was moved by the maturity and seriousness the kids displayed, but also by their enjoyment of the experience.

The scripture passage for the morning came from Matthew 18:1-5, with the main verse being Matthew 18:3, "And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'" The title of the sermon was "Faith Like A Child."

The sermon started with one of our high school boys giving his testimony of how he came to our church and has grown in his faith while attending. I was excited to hear his story and watch as he spoke with great enthusiasm and style. The sermon was finished up by our high school director, who went on to talk about how the youth encourage and teach her even in the midst of her teaching them.

However, what really spoke to me was the word 'change.' I have read this passage many, many times, but this time I was caught by the word ‘change’, as Jesus said, 'unless you change and become like little children.' Our high school director pointed out that in our younger days we are trusting of what we are told, but as we get older we begin to question and doubt. So, for us to have faith like a child, we have to change our thinking from our questioning mold of adulthood to the trusting mindset of a child.

I realized that the only way I can change is to let God change me. I cannot change myself because I have grown too far past trusting like a child. I have been lied to and deceived too many times by people to trust like a child. This can even at times affect my ability to trust God. I know that I can trust God, but there is a part of me that doubts.

Can you relate to this? Do you have trouble trusting others? Does this carry over into your relationship with God? Does it affect your faith in God? We must allow God to help us to believe in Him as a child does. We need to pray to God to give us the ability, the faith to trust in His word and His way; His will and His power. Only then can we truly experience God and see the Kingdom of Heaven. What have you learned lately? I'd be interested to know. Blessings.

Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?

2011-11-09T17:06:00.000-08:00

I think most people would agree that life is not easy. Life can be very challenging with school, work, marriage, children, as well as the every day problems that come along. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by life. Which leads us to ask the question, ‘Does God give us more than we can handle?

There is a verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” I believe that just as God doesn’t give us more than we can bear in regards to the temptations of life, so He doesn’t give us more than we can bear in the events of our lives.

There are indeed problems in life, some that are great, but God doesn’t give these problems to us. Instead, God promises to be with us in the midst of them. As Isaiah 43:2 tells us, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” God is ever with us and will watch over us. God will help us in our struggles and will give us strength.

The problem really lays with us, not God. Too often we don’t look to God for help, and so we will struggle along in our own limited power. Without God’s help our problems, challenges, and struggles overwhelm us. Another issue is that we allow our lifestyle to become more than we can handle. We allow our kids to be in choir, and baseball, and Girl Scouts, and the next thing we know we are running in too many different directions. Soon we find that we are facing burn out blaming God for all that has come down on us.

The answer for us is to be wise in the choices we make. The first choice needs to be to seek out God daily. Seek out God through prayer, Bible Study, and fellowship. The second choice needs to be limiting how much we plan in our lives. Don’t do too much, and if you start to feel stretched, cut back. Third, if and when you feel your life is too much to handle, go to God for help and allow Him to give you extra wisdom and strength. Trust in Him to not let the waters sweep over you.

Don’t let your life be too much too handle. There is a way out and God can help you find it. Blessings.

Deepening Relationships

2011-11-03T18:55:00.001-07:00

The truth is that we have been created to be in relationships with others. All people not only desire to be in a deep relationship with another person, but it is a part of their make-up to have deep relationships. In this blog I would like to explore how we can deepen our relationships.

First, for a relationship to go deeper there needs to be honesty. You need to be able to share with the other person your thoughts, and feelings, and desires, and dreams. You need to be able to talk about important topics and not hold back. You need to allow yourself to tell this other person what you experienced, both past and present. You need to develop an environment where both of you can talk openly.

Second, communication is important in a relationship. In my counseling of couples, I see this as one of the weakest points of people’s relationships. People have trouble communicating with others. There have been many times when I have told one spouse something, and then I will see the other spouse a week later, only to learn that the wife never communicated the information to the husband; or visa versa. People don’t talk that much anymore, and if they do talk, there is not much depth to their conversation. We have to learn good communication skills, and have a willingness to communicate, if we hope to develop deeper relationships.

Third is what I call the triangle of relationships. How this works is that God is at the top of the triangle, one person in the relationship is on one side of the triangle, and the other person is on the other side. As a person grows in their relationship with God, they move up the triangle toward the top (where the triangle gets more narrow). If both people are growing in their relationship with God together, then they will inevitably be growing closer to each other as well. The stronger they are in their faith, the deeper their relationship with each other will be able to grow.

I pray that we will all seek to deepen our relationships with those whom we desire to grow closer to. May God bless you in your relationships!

What is Most Important ?

2011-10-27T22:13:00.001-07:00

Everybody has something or someone that is important to him or her. How do you know what is the most important thing in your life? Is what is most important really what should be most important? This is a helpful subject, because all too often we don’t fully think about what we value or what we should value.

First, how do you know what is the most important thing in your life? The answer to this is really pretty easy. Look at your schedule. How do you spend your time? Where does most of your time go? Does it go to your work? To sleep? To family? To friends? As you see where you spend the bulk of your time, you can see what you value. Now you may want to argue with me that you work more than you spend time with your family, but you value your family more. Let’s look at it closer then. Most full-time jobs require around 40-45 hours per week on average. Let’s say that you have about 25-30 hours free in your week. If you are spending extra time at work and only a small percentage of your free time with your family, then again, your work is more important. If you are going off to dinner with a friend instead of spending time with your family or significant other, then your friends are more important.

What should be most important? The Bible helps us to answer this question. When Jesus was asked what the greatest command was, he said in Matthew 22:37-38, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment.’” In other words, our relationship with God should be the most important thing to us. Jesus also said that if we held to this truth, then our lives would be much better off. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When we seek to be in a right relationship with God, and with God’s will for our lives, then all things will work out for us.

The thing that should be the next most important part of our lives is our relationships with others. Jesus said in Matthew 22:39, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” We have been created to be in relationship with others. If we do not have good relationships in our lives, then it won’t matter how successful, or rich, or powerful we are, our lives will not mean much. Even more, we will constantly be searching for peace and fulfillment.

I hope that the two great commands Jesus talked about are what are most important to you. If not, may you can seek to make them important in your life. Blessings.

A Parable Re-told

2011-10-19T21:48:00.001-07:00

One day a high school boy decided he was going to invite four of his friends to church. They all said yes and went to church the next week. At church they heard about Jesus and how He died for them so that they could be forgiven and have eternal life. They all thought it was nice and told the boy they would like to come back. The next week the boy invited them all again. This time only three said they could come. The first boy was hanging out with his ‘cool’ friends, and didn’t have time for church. After a few weeks of the boy asking his friends to come to church, only one of the four continued to go. The second boy got ‘too busy’ with school to go anymore. The third boy joined an after-school group that met on the church day and began to be influenced by his friends against the church. But the fourth boy who kept on going to church gave His life to Jesus and even started inviting his friends as well!

This is a re-telling of Jesus’ parable of the sower. Jesus’ parable goes like this: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown…” (Luke 8:5-8)

Why did Jesus tell this parable? I believe it was meant to give His followers encouragement. I believe that Jesus wanted them (and us) to understand that not everyone who hears the message about Jesus will receive these words with enthusiasm. In fact, many will reject what is told to them. There will be a few, however, that will receive Jesus. But we won’t know who will receive these words, and who won’t, until after we share. And if even one person receives Jesus, then our efforts will be worth it!

So sow your seeds; tell people about Jesus; invite people to church; share your experiences. Bless others as you have been blessed.

Looking Up

2011-10-13T19:05:00.001-07:00

If you remember Chicken Little, you know that looking up got him into trouble. If you look up, maybe something from the sky will fall on you. Maybe you will see something that will cause you concern. Maybe things will appear out of place. Maybe, Maybe, Maybe… The Bible has a different take on looking up. In Colossians 3:2 we are told, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” What this verse is saying is that we are to have a heavenly, or eternal perspective on life. The things of the earth are temporary. Relationships begin and end. We have a possession and then we don’t. We are born and we die. If we try and put too much trust in the things of this world, it will disappoint us.

The things of heaven are eternal. Eternal life. Love. Worshiping God. Impacting the lives of others, especially for God. That is what makes the Bible such an amazing book. It is constantly pointing us to the things of heaven. The Bible is regularly leading us to look up to God for guidance, strength, perspective, and His saving grace.

Think about the things of the earth. What do you have? What do you possess? What do you want? How have you been disappointed? Now think about the things God brings into your life: love, forgiveness, strength, salvation. These things do not disappoint. When you regularly look up, you remember what is important and where your focus should be. As Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God will give all that we need for a wonderful life when we look up to Him and trust in Him! Blessings.

A not-so-well-known Bible verse that impacted you

2011-10-06T18:49:00.001-07:00

The Bible is one of the most read books of all time, if not THE most read book. It has many verses that are well known: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Turn the other cheek.” “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Yet, there are so many verses in the Bible that we don’t know which contain great and wonderful truths.

One verse that is not as well known, but has impacted my life comes from the book of James, chapter 4, verses 13-15: “Come now you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there, and engage in business, and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.’”

This passage makes a powerful statement of living according to God’s will, not my own. When I live based on my own desires, I am saying to myself that I am wiser than God. When I make plans apart from God’s input, and apart from the guidance of scripture, then I believe that I am capable of knowing what tomorrow will bring. It is a much better plan to seek out God’s will and live according to what He wants for me.

This concept of living according to God’s will can be tough for many, because so many people have an independent spirit. People don’t want to be told what to do by others, or even by God. Instead, they seek to do what THEY WANT TO DO, not always what is best to do.

This passage has helped me understand that God is eternal, and my life is just temporary. God is the God of the universe. I am His creation. God has all wisdom, and I have limited understanding. God is holy, and I am sinful and flawed. I do not know what my life will be like tomorrow, but if I trust in God, and follow His will, then I can know that I will walk a good path of fruitfulness and purpose! Blessings.

Random Prayers

2011-09-29T16:14:00.001-07:00

Most people learn to pray through rote prayers. They learn the mealtime prayers of ‘God is great, God is good, now I thank Him for this food.’ Or they learn the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.’

Along with this, prayer often is very organized. We pray at certain times. We take prayer requests so that we can pray for specific events and people. We have organized prayer meetings or special times of prayer in church services. We like to know how we are going to pray and when we are going to pray and who we are going to pray for.

But what about random prayers? What are random prayers? They are prayers that just happen throughout the day randomly. For example, maybe you are driving along and you hear a siren, so you randomly pray for the ambulance and the person who is injured. Or you pass a school and you decide at that moment to pray for the teachers and students of the school.

Why random prayers? Random prayer allows you to pray for people and things you might not normally pray for. Being open to random prayer allows you to listen to God’s prompting for situations that might be a ‘now’ need. Random prayer leads you to reach beyond what is comfortable and normal for your prayer life. Random prayer leads you to trust in God for His leading, and guiding, and responding.

I hope you try some random prayer today, and every day! Blessings.

What is Hell, Exactly?

2011-09-21T22:05:00.001-07:00

Hell is not a topic most people like to talk about. It is not even a topic most churches talk about? Why is this? I believe it is because the idea of hell is appalling to most people. The idea of hell is that it is a terrible place of intense heat and pain and torture. Why would a place like that exist? How could God allow something so terrible?

According to Jesus, Hell does exist. I'm not sure EXACTLY what hell is, but I do have a relative idea based on the teachings of Jesus. In the gospel of Luke, chapter 16, Jesus tells the story of a beggar named Lazarus who begged at the gate of a rich man named Abraham. Lazarus had faith, but Abraham did not. They both died. Lazarus went to heaven and Abraham went to hell (or hades). Then Jesus says this in verses 23-24, "In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham (the Father of all Nations who is in Heaven) far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'"
Apparently, there is torment and great need in hell (he was needing even a drop of water). He goes on to ask God to send someone to his brothers to tell them that hell is real so that they will believe in Jesus and be saved.
So let's look briefly at these issues:
Why does hell exist? Hell exists because Satan exists. Ever since Satan (who was once an angel of light) got himself thrown out of heaven by trying to overthrow heaven, he has been bent on trying to steal people from God. As 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Satan wants to devour you by taking you away from God, and all the blessings God wants to bring into your life. Hell has been established for Satan and all of his followers.
Why is there torment? There is torment because the truth is, hell is devoid of all love. If God is love, and only because of God love exists in the world, then once you are out of the presence of God, you will be out of the presence of love. Imagine for a moment having "NO" love, or peace, or goodness in your life. That would truly be a world of torment. Hell at its worst is the fact that you will be forever out of the presence of God!
Why is Abraham (the one in hell) in such great need? People search for meaning and purpose in so many things: money, fame, success, possessions.... Yet, none of these things will ever satisfy. Without Jesus as our Savior, we will always find ourselves in need, because our spirit will never be at peace. In hell, you will forever be without peace; you will forever be in need.
So, don't think that hell is a great place to party with all of your non-Christian friends. Don't sing "I'm on a highway to hell" as a trumpet call. Give yourself to Jesus, and receive the wonderful gift of love, salvation, and forgiveness. Blessings.

Oppression

2011-09-08T18:50:00.001-07:00

Oppression is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. Notice key words like ‘burdensome or cruel.’ To understand how these words are important, it is good to note that God created us to be in relationship with each other, not to be a lord over another.

We see oppression in many forms. A man can oppress a woman. A parent can oppress a child. A leader can oppress those whom he or she leads. One group can oppress another group. We see a prime example of this in the book of Exodus (in the Bible), where the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians. At one point Moses is appointed by God to free the Israelites from their slavery. However, when Moses came to inform the Pharaoh, the Pharaoh responded by adding more work to be done; the oppression increased.

We see this happen often in marriages as well. That is why the statistics for domestic violence are so high. One spouse ‘oppresses’ the other by use of some kind of control. This is not how a marriage is to be. In a marriage there is to be mutual love and the giving of themselves to each other.

People can be oppressed by addictions as well. When a person ‘has to have’ a drink, or a cigarette, or a drug, they are oppressed by this substance. The substance ‘controls’ their life.

God wants to break us free of any oppression. Free of our sin, free of the abuses, free of the cruelty. God, who is love, wants us to experience love. God created us in love, and made us to experience love. As children of God, we need to not only seek God to break us of our oppression, but help others to break free as well. As we are told in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

What oppressions do you see around you? How can you break free of them? How can you help others break free? Blessings.

Copycat

2011-08-25T17:38:00.001-07:00

They say that imitation is the greatest form of compliment. I remember when Tyler and Tiffany were young. They would regularly copy Tami when she was in the kitchen cooking. When Tyler was younger, he loved to get out his Star Wars sword and copy the Jedi Knights from the Star Wars movies. I have a great picture of my dad and me sitting on our couch when I was young. My dad had his hands behind his neck, and right next to him I was sitting in the same way!

Why do kids copy their parents? Because they look up to them and want to be like them. Kids want to get bigger, older, and smarter, so they look to their parents for an example. The problem with this comes when the parents aren’t setting a good example. Later in life through peer pressure, this can be a problem if their friends are setting a bad example. Copying others can be helpful, but only if their behavior is worth imitating.

When Jesus called His disciples, He did so by saying ‘Follow Me.’ Jesus not only wanted them to follow Him physically, but to follow what He did as well. Jesus’ method was to have them watch Him minister to people, then He had the disciples do some ministry while He watched. This was so that when He left the earth, they would be ready to do it on their own and be examples to others.

So a couple of good questions are: What kind of example are you? Who are your examples? We are called to live our lives as Christians in a way that helps other know how to live. We need to have people in our lives who help to remind us of how to be strong, obedient Christians. That way, when others are copying you, it is a good thing, not a bad thing. Blessings.

What are you settling for?

2011-08-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

Do you have a job that you don’t like? A spouse who isn’t there for you? A life that you are tired of? Many will answer “yes” to at least one of these questions in their lifetime. That doesn’t mean that you have to change jobs, your spouse, or quit on your life. What it might mean is that you are just “settling” for things in your life, thinking that what you have is all that you can have.

In John 10:10 Jesus tells us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The thief Jesus is referring to is Satan. Satan, having gotten kicked out of heaven, is furious at God. Satan doesn’t want anyone to find God. Satan is trying to steal our joy and our salvation. That is why Jesus came to this earth, to defeat the power of Satan. The apostle Paul tells us, in 1 Corinthians 15:56, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When we let sin reign in us, we will be robbed of our joy. But when we let Jesus have His way with us, then we will experience the deep joy of life. We will enjoy our job because we work at it for the Lord, not for people. Our marriage will be more meaningful because we give it to God, and love our spouse the way God’s calls us to. Our lives will have more joy because we will be filled with the joy of the Spirit.

We will discover new meaning to our lives when we live for God. We will have a new understanding of what we are called to do, because we will have the wisdom of God. We will see blessings abound because we will have the eyes of God. So, don’t just settle for life, live it fully in Christ. Blessings.

Who Turned Up the Heat?

2011-07-28T21:56:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago my family and in-laws went to Palm Springs to celebrate Tami’s dad’s birthday. The one thing he wanted to do was play golf, so we did. It was team golf: Tami and me verses Tyler and her dad. When we started at 7:30 a.m. it was about 90 degrees. When we finished it was about 115 degrees. As we were finishing we all felt like someone has just turned a dial to turn up the heat! It was nice when we were able to go back to the hotel and lounge in the pool.

The weather is not the only way the heat can be turned up. We can feel the ‘heat’ in relationships, our work, even in athletics. When the heat gets turned up, life is not fun. You always want to figure out who turned up the heat. Is it heat from outside pressures, or heat from our own inner expectations? Sometimes it can be both.

Whenever you feel the heat getting turned up, here is what you should do: look beyond yourself. Where should you look? Look to God. This is because we are not capable of turning off the heat ourselves. Often times when we try and turn off the heat, it just causes more problems. But God has the power and know-how to turn it off.

In the last month it seems that the heat has been turned up in my life via conflict. At first my anxiety level goes up, my stress level goes up, my ability to sleep goes down, and I get a little overwhelmed. Then I remember to look beyond myself. I do 2 things that help. First, I seek to give it to God. As Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” What we allow our minds to dwell on will determine if the heat will get to us or not.

Second, we need to give it away to God and let God deal with it. Going back to Philippians 4, verses 6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Give it away by presenting it to God. But for God to deal with it you have to let go of it.

In my situation, conflict after conflict was dealt with in time. God provided me opportunities to resolve the conflict, or cause me to realize that the conflict was more in me than in the situation. In giving it to God I was able to be less anxious, be less stressed, and sleep better. I trusted in God and He delivered me.

The next time you feel the heat is being turned up, forget about the heat, and look to God. Blessings.

That's Rich

2011-07-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

When I saw our blog topic for this week, “That’s Rich,” the first thoughts in my mind were: ‘What do I want to say about gaining money?’ But then as I thought about it more, I realized that one of the great problems in this world is that people think that they can find contentment with money. If you read the book of Ecclesiastes, you will realize that King Solomon, who was very rich, discovered that you do not get contentment from money. As he said in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money, never has enough…”

So, what was I to write about? I realized that the Bible is full of wonderful verses that share about how we can be rich. Let me share just a few…

Luke 12:21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Ephesians 2:4 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy.”

1 Timothy 6:18 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

The Bible talks about the best kind of riches we are to have: being rich toward God; rich in God’s power; rich in God’s mercy; rich in God’s presence; rich in good deeds. We are told in the book of Colossians to set our eyes on the things of heaven. When we are rich in how I just described, we are keeping our eyes on heaven, because this is how God guides us to live. A life lived according to God’s ways will always be a rich life. Blessings.

God Uses Us

2011-07-13T23:44:00.001-07:00

If you were to list the ways your life has been useful for this world, what are some things you would write on your list? Raising your kids? Becoming a helpful person? Teaching someone an important skill? It can be a challenge to be useful in this life. We can’t all create a cure for a disease or bring about peace between warring nations. So how can we truly have a useful and purposeful life?

The truth is, when we give our lives to God, God will find a way to bless our efforts. In this way, as we live for God, God uses us. Jesus told us in Matthew 16:24-25, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’” We wrongly think that we need to do things for ourselves, and then we will be happy and find our purpose. The truth is, we must give ourselves to Christ who will guide our way and lead us into a purposeful life.

God cannot use us when we seek our own way, but only when we humble ourselves and live for God. This is because when we follow the way we think we should go, we are not open to God’s way; we have hardened our hearts towards God whether we realize it or not. This world leads us astray causing us to think that we are on our own to find meaning. God gives our life meaning; God gives our relationships meaning; God gives our work meaning.

Our ultimate call in life is to worship God. The life and death of Jesus helps us to do this. As we come to know Jesus, life makes sense, because we can see this life in the context of the eternal. We cannot see the eternal without accepting Jesus as our Savior and our Lord. Life will never make sense without this kind of awareness.

One of the best ways that God can use us is to help someone else come to know Jesus. When we can help another receive Jesus, God truly uses us and gives our life purpose! Blessings.

Sanctification

2011-07-07T22:11:00.001-07:00

Sanctification is the act of setting apart a believer for God. This setting apart is enabled because of Christ’s sacrifice. Romans 3:10 says, ‘There is no one righteous, not even one.’ There is no one who is righteous because we all have sin in our lives. God, being a holy God, cannot be in the presence of sin. To take care of this problem, God sent Jesus to this earth to give His life as a sacrifice. In other words, Jesus paid the penalty for us; for our sin. When we accept Jesus as our ‘Savior,’ Jesus sanctifies us, or sets us apart from our sin. In this sanctification we are able to come to God.

What does this mean? It means that our sin no longer separates us from God. Through confession and forgiveness we can have our sin removed. So, we can always have access to God, because we can be sanctified again and again by the blood of Jesus. This can also help remove our feelings of guilt, because once the sin is removed, it is done away with, and no longer has any power in our lives. It is as if that sin never happened, for God ‘remembers it no more.’

As a pastor I deal with so many people who live their lives feeling guilty for their past sins, even though they say they have asked God to forgive them. They live in guilt because they cannot forgive themselves, or they think that God continues to remember. In essence, by not moving on, they are crucifying Jesus over and over again. They are not believing that Jesus’ death on the cross once and for all paid for their sins!

What we need to do is accept and believe that Jesus’ death sanctifies us. What we need to do is live as people who are free, not as people who are trapped by our sin. What we need to do is let God empower us to be a blessed people because we are lifted up above our sin. Our Lord, sanctify me this day. Amen.

God Bless America

2011-07-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

One of the songs people sing on and around the Fourth of July is “God Bless America.” The lyrics say: “God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.”

You hear these words, as if they are a prayer to the Lord, to stand beside her (America) and guide her. But how can God bless a Nation that has departed so far from Him? Much of what really happened in establishing our nation has been erased from our textbooks. Revisionists have rewritten history to remove the truth about our country's Christian roots. Fifty-two of the 55 signers of The Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians. The other three believed in the Bible as the divine truth, they believed in the God of scripture, and they believed in God’s personal intervention!

Our country has gone far away from our Christian roots. From outlawing prayer in school, to taking the Ten Commandments out of the courtroom, the country has turned to moral relativism (morality determined by each person on their own). Instead, they should be using the Bible, God’s word to us, which guides us in moral absolutes. How can God guide those who do not seek Him? How can people expect God to bless our country (or them as individuals) when they do not follow God?

I believe that if we want God to bless our country again, then we need to get back to our Christian roots, and let God’s word be the guiding force of our lives, our laws, and our country! I know there are many who disagree, but I believe that is a strong reason of why our country is as troubled as it is. I do want God to bless America. I hope that people humble themselves, and turn to God. Then indeed God will bless our great nation.

Why Are Celebrations Important?

2011-06-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

Just this month we have already celebrated communion at church (June 5), my daughter Tiffany’s birthday (June 7), and Tyler’s 8^th grade graduation (June 15). Tomorrow we celebrate Tiffany’s graduation from 6^th grade. So, we might wonder, why are all these celebrations important? Do they put undo attention on the person or event?

Let me give my opinion on this, but saying that I do believe celebrations are important. First, they give us a reminder of what is happening. The celebration of communion reminds us that Jesus died on the cross so that we might receive forgiveness for our sins. The birthday celebration reminds us of the wonderful blessing of Tiffany being born 12 years ago. The graduations tell of the hard work and learning that the kids experienced in school.

Second, it gives us a sense of tradition. It allows us to recognize the significance of the person, or event, and binds us with those who have gone before us. It gives us a nice regularity to our lives as we celebrate the event monthly (like communion) or annually (such as birthdays or Christmas).

Third, it acknowledges the accomplishment. It is important to remember what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. Communion allows us to keep that fresh in our minds. It is important to remember our birth and that God created us special and unique (especially for Tami and me since we struggled to have our children). In terms of graduations, it gives praise to the individual who put in the work it takes to graduate.

Fourth, it helps us feel special. There is so much in life that can beat or tear us down. These celebrations allow us to feel good about who we are and what we have done. These celebrations lead us to believe that we are special, just as God believes we are special. It gives us a time where others encourage us by being part of the celebration with us.

Do you think celebrations are important? What do celebrations mean to you? Blessings.

What Makes YOU So Right?

2011-06-09T20:20:00.001-07:00

If you have ever tried to talk to someone about the Christian faith, someone who doesn’t believe as you do, you know that they are thinking: What makes YOU so right? There are many people who believe that the Christian faith is not the ONLY right way. They believe that there are many paths to God, not just Christianity. They believe that our thinking that Christianity is the only right way is NARROW thinking.

The truth is that it is Jesus, not me or other Christians who said in John 14:6, “..‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” What makes me so right is that I am sharing the truth of Jesus, God in the flesh. Jesus, the One who died on the cross and was raised from the dead so that we could have forgiveness of sins, and life eternal. Jesus, the One who said: “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in whom should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The truth is, people in our world like to have options. They have the option of staying home to eat, or going out to eat. They have the option of driving or flying when they go on vacation. Life is full of options. So, because of this, people want to have options when it comes to faith and religion. They don’t like to be told what is true and what isn’t true.

I trust in Jesus. I fully believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. There is great merit in who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. I have experienced His presence and power and forgiveness in my own life. Because of this, I don’t look at Jesus’ statement in John 14:6 to be limiting, but to be life changing and freeing. In Jesus I have discovered who I truly am, and the purpose I have for my life. In Jesus, I have assurance that I will dwell with God for all eternity. In Jesus I know that my life makes a difference, and is important.

I hope that you will open yourself up to this truth. Blessings.

Jesus Won a Choice for Us

2011-06-02T21:27:00.001-07:00

There are many people, because of their economic conditions, that don’t have a choice in certain matters. Some people will never be members of a country club. Some people will never be able to attend a top academic university. Some will not be able to have a fancy wedding. And on and on it goes. We might think about this and think it to be unfair.

The good news is that there is something that is very fair, and that is salvation. Whether we go to heaven or not is a choice that everyone can make. This is because of what Jesus has done. As Jesus Himself said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus gave His life on the cross so that people could choose to receive Him as their Savior.

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, there were two criminals by Him; one on either side. One of the criminals asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus got to heaven. Jesus said to the criminal: “Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise!” Jesus wasn’t concerned about his status, or how much money he had. Jesus didn’t care about his reputation or his wrongdoings. At that moment, that man was in essence asking for forgiveness from Jesus, and receiving Jesus as His Savior. With this, Jesus told the man He would be in heaven.

Because of Jesus’ victory over death, Jesus has won for us a choice: the choice of heaven. Because of Jesus’ victory over Satan, Jesus has purchased us from death to life. Because of Jesus’ victory over sin, Jesus makes it so that we can choose to be free of our sins!! How wonderful are these choices we have to make. May we make them well. Blessings.

Keeping Up Appearances

2011-05-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

In life we often have a side of us that we show in public, and another side that might be seen in private. We like to ‘keep up appearances’ so that others will think good of us. We don’t like others to see our faults and weaknesses. We want to appear strong, capable, and independent, even though inside we often feel weak and in need of help.

The apostle Paul helps us with these words from 2 Corinthians 11:30, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” And also these from

2 Corinthians 12:10, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” How could he say this? Because he knew that he had weaknesses, and that God could not only help him in and through his weakness, but bring about something wonderful through them!

Today when I was in prayer I was able to let down my guard to the Lord, and let the Lord know that I needed His presence, wisdom, and power in my life. In this time of prayer He gave me the word RESTORE. As I thought about this word I realized that there are many ways that I need to be restored by God. As God restores me, He fills me with His presence, wisdom, and power.

How is it that I need to be restored? I need God to restore my focus, as I can easily become unfocused. I need God to restore my energy as the ministry I do often drains me. I need God to restore my spirit so that I can connect to His Spirit. I need God to restore my desire to serve Him. I need God to restore my perspective, as I get lost in an earthly perspective and need to again have an eternal perspective. I need God to restore my ability to live in the ‘now’ instead of always thinking about what I need to do in the future.

There are so many ways that life can drain me, leading me to need restoration. How wonderful it is that God is a restoring God. How wonderful it is that I can be real with God and admit where I need help. How wonderful it is that I can trust God to love me in the midst of my being weak. God will not put me down for being weak, but all the more will lift me up into His presence and provide me what I need to carry on.

Praise be to God for His love and presence. Blessings.

What is Seen in the Light

2011-05-20T12:50:00.001-07:00

When I was in college I worked during a summer as a Junior High summer counselor for a Day Camp. I had about 8-12 Junior Highers 5 days a week, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., for the whole summer! If you know anything about Junior Highers you know they have trouble entertaining themselves. So in a desperate moment one day I decided to create a game. We were in a small classroom with several long tables. The kids hid under the tables, then I turned off the lights. I then threw a penny, you could hear it bounce around, and then drop to the ground. The point of the game was to find the penny in the dark! (I know, I know, I was desperate to keep them occupied). Anyway, sometimes we would find the coin, sometimes we couldn’t find it until we turned the lights on. We were able to see the penny in the light.

Many people live their lives thinking that what they do in the dark cannot be seen; that their bad deeds can only be seen in the light. That is why crime increases when it gets dark. We think the darkness hides what we do.

But the truth is, God can see what we do in the darkness and in the light. In Psalm 139:7, 11-12, we read: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?… If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

You need to live your life as if you are always living in the light. Character is about how you behave even when others aren’t looking. At your job, you work hard whether your boss is there or not. If you work with money, you make sure you are always responsible with it. When you are talking about someone else, and they are not there, you make sure you don’t slander them. And on and on it goes. Live as though everything you do is seen in the light!

How are you doing with this? Where might you need to adjust your living? Your thinking? Blessings.

Encouragement

2011-05-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago I did a sermon on being generous, and how when we are generous we have a much more thankful attitude. The idea of being generous comes from giving back from what we have been given. To do this we have to be aware of all that we have, and be thankful for the many blessings in our lives. More often than not, it comes from believing that we have all that we need, and can share from our abundance.

However, when we talk about being generous, I believe it needs to include our words. We need to be generous in giving words of encouragement to others. We live in a world that is so faced paced, and so concerned with individuality, that we often forget to be encouraging to others. We are so focused on what we are trying to accomplish that we forget to let others know of the good job they are doing.

I coach my son’s 13-14 year-old baseball team, and as a coach my job is to help them be the best baseball players they can be. I try and evaluate their current skill level, and then try and help them progress in their ability. Sometimes I do this by challenging them to not make mistakes. But I need to also remember that I can do this by being encouraging to them. I need to let them know what they are doing well before I tell them what they are doing wrong. Then I need to encourage them and instruct them in how to do it right!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have people experience your mere presence as an encouragement? In Ephesians 6:22 the Apostle Paul said: “I am sending Tychicus to you for the purpose of telling you of how I am doing, to let you know how we are, and to encourage your hearts.” Tychicus’ presence was going to bring encouragement to the church in Ephesus. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Paul said, “Therefore, encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”

Encouragement is a wonderful attribute to possess. It is such a blessing to build others up and help them believe in themselves. It is powerful to let others feel words of encouragement, and lead them on to great things. It is freeing for someone to break the barrier of self-doubt and unbelief because they have been encouraged to do so.

So, my challenge to you is to search for your gifts, talents, and abilities. What are you capable of doing? Probably more than you might already believe now. Know that God has created you with great abilities and potential. Let yourself believe in yourself, and do not let the negative voices of the world hold you down. Start doing great things today, and learn to encourage others as well. Blessings.

Your Favorite Disney Movie

2011-05-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Disney started making movies in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Their movies have set the bar for imagination and creativity. While I believe Pixar has now surpassed Disney in the making of quality movies, Disney set the standard for movies that entertain both kids and adults alike.

As I was thinking about the many Disney movies, I started to wonder which one I would choose as my favorite. There are so many good ones that I find it difficult to choose. So I’m not going to choose one, but list several: Pinocchio (made in 1940), The Jungle Book (1967), and Toy Story (1995), are my favorite animated movies.

I also like several non-animated movies: National Treasure (2004), The Chronicles of Narnia series (2005, 2008, 2011), and Bridge to Terebithia (2007). Without going into great detail into all these movies, what I like best is how you can be drawn into a world of adventure and fun, but also experience the reality of conflict and resolution. In each movie, in their own unique way, they teach us about friendship, love, and sticking together. They challenge us with the idea that life should and can be enjoyed.

In 1 John 4:8 we are told, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” The overriding theme in all of the Disney movies is love. Love helps to conquer all situations. This is so true to scripture, because God, who is love, is how we are empowered to excel and thrive in this life. Love is what leads us past our struggles and gives us the reason to believe in a better life and a better world.

I would love to hear from you about what your favorite Disney movie is, and why. But most of all, let the love of God dwell richly in you. If you do, your life will be so much better for it. It might even have a “happily ever after.” Blessings.

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

2011-04-28T22:33:00.001-07:00

One of the things about the Christian faith that people are most bothered by is Jesus’ death on the cross. Why did Jesus have to die? Could there have been another way?

Actually, before we can answer that question, we have to understand sin and sinful nature. Without going into a long theological discourse, let me give a quick overview of sin. When Adam and Eve were created by God, they were created to be in relationship with God. They were given everything that they needed. The Garden of Eden was a wonderful place to live, with choice foods. They were given the responsibility of caring for the animals and the garden.

However, there was one thing that was forbidden for them, and that was to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were deceived by Satan into thinking this fruit would be good to eat, and when they ate, for the first time, they knew good AND evil. In knowing evil they were now tempted to do evil. With this act sin was brought into the world.

Since God is a holy God, and cannot be in the presence of sin, this meant that human beings were cut off from God’s presence (which had been enjoyed so well by Adam and Eve up to this point). Through sacrifices of animals and their spilled blood, the penalty for our sin was paid. This happened on a daily basis.

God determined that through His Son Jesus Christ, the One who was perfect, a sacrifice once for all would be paid. As we are told in Romans 6:23, “For the penalty of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus gave His life so that we could be free from our sin, and be made holy in Him. Through this imparted holiness we are again able to fellowship with God while on this earth, and have entrance into heaven when we die.

This, in short, is why Jesus had to die. Let’s us be thankful for this gift and receive this gift, today and always. Blessings.

I DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR GOD, I JUST EXPLAIN

2011-04-21T21:49:00.001-07:00

The title of our blog group this week is an interesting one, because it implies that God “needs” others to apologize for Him, as if God has done something wrong. The truth is, we only need to apologize when we have wronged another.

So why is it that some people think that God has wronged them? I can think of a couple of reasons: first, people feel entitled to a life of happiness. This is because our nation was founded on the principle of “the pursuit of happiness” for all. So, when life doesn’t bring happiness, they ultimately blame God, since God is supposed to be a loving God. So many think that a loving God is one who only allows good things to happen in our lives. The truth is, more often than not, we learn from our struggles and failures more than our successes. We also are made stronger through our trials. Just like a parent would be negligent if they gave their child “everything” they wanted, so God would do us a disservice in this as well.

Second, people feel wronged by God when a loved one dies. For some reason, even though we all know that we will die one day, people feel wronged by death. Why is it that people blame God for not keeping their loved one alive? All too often we are short sighted in this regard, not understanding life and death in eternal terms. We are told in the Bible that this earth is not our “home.” Our home is in heaven, where we will one day go to be with God for eternity. This world is our time to learn how to love others, and love God! When the time comes, death with come.

Third, people feel wronged by God in thinking that the way to heaven is so narrow. People have trouble accepting that only through faith in Jesus Christ can we get to heaven. “How narrow is this?” they ask. The truth is, God took on flesh, in human form, as the man Jesus Christ, to ultimately die for our sins. He paid the price for us. He made it so what was impossible (dwelling with a holy God) could be possible by making us holy through the shedding of His blood. He has given us a ticket to heaven. All we have to do is accept it. As Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” We have not been wronged, but blessed with this wonderful gift.

So the next time you feel “wronged” by God, or feel like you have to “apologize” for God, remember who God is, how much He loves us, and all that He has done for us. Blessings.

A Table Before My Enemies

2011-04-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Have you had enemies in your life? I can remember when I was in seventh grade, an eighth-grader would follow me home and threaten to beat me up. That was pretty scary. I had others who disliked me in high school. And once while working at a church, there was a couple who was trying to get the congregation turned against me. These are all examples of having enemies in life.

What are we to do with our enemies? The Bible is clear that we are to pray for them. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’” That is hard advice, because our tendency is to hate our enemy; to get back at our enemy. Why would Jesus tell us to pray for them? Because Jesus believed our enemies existed because they were misguided, and by prayer they could be brought back to God.

Even more, to seek evil against others, or to harbor hatred in your heart will make you a bitter and angry person. When we carry these feelings around in us, we cannot enjoy life, we cannot love others, we cannot fulfill God’s call. Instead, we are governed by our hatred and bitterness.

We see this ultimate example with Jesus, who on the cross was forgiving all who put Him on the cross. Jesus understood that their actions were due to their sinfulness; their shortsightedness. Jesus’ prayer for His enemies was this: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

You might struggle with the thought: But it isn’t fair that they get away with it. The truth is, they won’t get away with it. God will judge those who deserve judgment; those who have not given themselves to Christ. In Psalm 23:5 we are told by the Psalmist: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” Our enemies will see the wonderful blessings we receive from God, while their actions and dark heart keep them from these blessings.

Next time you are wronged, instead of seeking revenge, pray. Pray that God would show them the error of their ways. They may humble themselves before God, ask for forgiveness, and tell you they are sorry. But even if they don’t, you will be able to enjoy God’s blessings here on this earth, and in heaven. Amen.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

2011-04-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Liar, liar pants on fire is something that kids learn as a taunt to other kids. This statement shows us that even kids know that it is not a good thing to lie. Not only do they learn it from their parents, but they learn it by the consequences of their lies. More often than not, they will get caught in their lies.

We too learn in life that lies are not good. There are several reasons for this which I would like to propose to you. First, when we lie, we cannot be trusted. Psalm 58:3 tells us, “Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.” A liar is considered wicked. When someone lies, they begin to create this as part of who they are. It then becomes difficult for them to tell the truth, and it is difficult for others to believe them. In Isaiah 45:9, God says, “…I the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right.” The Lord always speaks the truth and lets us know what is right and wrong. But a liar has trouble distinguishing between right and wrong. If it is good for them, then it is right.

Second, lying makes a person proud. Why? Because they are going against the God of truth, and in essence establishing what they believe is true and false in their lives. Liars have trouble seeing the truth of God because their lies create their own false truth. When we lie, we in essence will hear the words God spoke to Job in Job 38:2, “Who is it that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?”

Third, lying shows our sinfulness. In our lies we show that we only care about ourselves, and not those we hurt with our lies. Our lies lead us to deny that we have done wrong, and in our denial, we neglect the love we are to have for others. In our lies we are seeking to protect ourselves from harm, all the while we are harming our very being itself.

Lying and truth-telling are topics that books have been written about, so I do not propose to have expressed all there is to say. But hopefully I’ve given you some food for thought. Blessings.

What is Faith?

2011-03-31T17:07:00.001-07:00

I believe the best definition of faith is found in the Bible, in Hebrews 11:1, which says: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith then, is being able to be confident in what you believe in, even if you can’t see it.

Now we can show faith in many things. We put our faith in a chair when we sit in it, believing that it will not crumble to the floor. We put our faith in our love when we reach out and care for another person. The biggest way we show our faith is when we believe that there is a God who created this world, who loves us, cares for us, and died on the cross for us.

There are many who want to dispute this, saying that can’t believe in all of this. They say that they can’t exercise faith in a God they cannot see. Yet, they still exercise faith all the time in aspects of life that are unseen. Even going so far as the make themselves their own god (which is what they do when they put their faith and trust in themselves, believing they can get the job done).

To me, showing faith in yourself is more foolish than believing in a God that you can’t see. I believe this to be true, because I know that I can see God at work in my life, and in the lives of others. I can give you countless ways that I have seen God at work: through the miracles I’ve experienced in my own life, and the lives of those I’ve prayed for, and in seeing how God changes lives.

We even have testimonies of people who have died, and said they experienced God and heaven. Again, this takes FAITH to believe in what they say. But those testimonies that do not contradict the Bible could very well be true.

The most challenging aspect of faith is that you can’t really begin to understand God and God’s ways, until in faith you’ve given yourself to God. When we give ourselves to God, then God fills us with His Spirit, who resides in us. Jesus Himself told us that this would happen after He left the earth. He told us that it would be to our benefit that He left. As He said in the gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 25: “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” God’s Spirit resides within us through faith, and helps us to see and understand that what we believe is true. God’s Spirit gives us the spiritual eyes to see what is true.

I encourage you, if you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that you do this, by asking God to forgive you of your sins (the wrong you’ve done), and receiving you as His child. Then, in faith, your eyes will begin to be opened. If you have done this, ask God to strengthen your faith, and help you to see Him at work in your life each day. Blessings.

How To Make A Difference with Your Life

2011-03-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

I think if you ask most people, they would say that they want their life to count; they want their life to have purpose and meaning. When they get to the end of their lives, they want to be able to say that their life made a difference. Of course, the judgment of what makes a difference or not can vary, depending on what you value.

For some, their goal is to be able to say that they made a lot of money, and had fun, and were able to leave much for their kids. For others, they might want to leave a legacy behind: like a baseball diamond, or a concert hall. And still others might want to be able to say that they were able to make a difference not only in this life, but eternally. That is what I would say makes a difference, and I believe that is what God says makes a difference!

Vaclav Havel once said, “The real test of a man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him.” The apostle Paul, in the Bible, in Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God has created us with gifts, and abilities, and the way we make a difference with our life is by living according to what we were created to do.

The challenge then is finding what we were created to do. The good news is that we don’t have to necessarily do this as a career, we just need to do it in our every day lives. For example, let’s say you are a gifted encourager, then by encouraging others you can make a difference in their life, and lead them into what they are destined to do. Or maybe you have a strong and undaunted faith, and you are able to lead others to faith. By giving them the faith that leads to salvation, you have touched their life for eternity!

The key is to keep ourselves focused on what we are called to do. As we are told in Hebrews 12:2, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was focused on what He was called to do; die for us on the cross. We need to be focused like Jesus, and let Jesus lead us to fulfill our calling. If we do this, we will indeed make a difference with our lives. Blessings.

The Love of My Life

2011-03-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

When I was in my early 20’s many of my friends were getting married. This was difficult for me, because I very much wanted to be married; I wanted to find the love of my life. I was dating, but was not finding that person I felt God was leading me to marry. The good thing is that I was willing to wait for that right person; for that love of my life.

As time went on I continued to struggle with this concern of not being married. Even into my late 20’s I still was unmarried. I began to wonder if I would ever be married. The older I got the more difficult it was to meet people to date. I could tell that there was a temptation to lessen my standards, because my goal was to be married.

Then one day I felt that I was overly concerned with this desire to be married. I felt it was affecting my ability to enjoy my life. So, I decided to commit myself fully to God. I made a pledge saying that I would serve the Lord with all my heart, and mind, and soul, and strength. Even if I were to never be married, I would be happy serving the Lord. I truly gave it over to the Lord. Even more, the Lord became the ‘love of my life!’

About a year and a half after this I met my wife, Tami, and we were married 13 months after we met. She is the love of my life, along with my children, but the Lord still is my number one love. I learned a valuable lesson that day, as Psalm 37:4 tells us: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire of your heart.” It all starts with making the Lord the love of our life. Is the Lord the love of your life? Blessings.

Calvary

2011-03-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

Calvary. It is a name that is known in Christian circles, but not so much outside of the Christian faith. Calvary is the place where Jesus Christ was crucified. Jesus was brought to Calvary, and nailed to a cross. This was the custom of the day for executing criminals. Jesus was not a criminal, but the Jewish leaders were tired of Jesus getting in their way, and tired of Him leading the people away from their teaching. Because of this they came up with a plan that led to Jesus’ arrest and trial.

At the trial Pilate ultimately finds no grounds for Jesus to be crucified, so he has Jesus flogged as punishment. But when Jesus is brought back to Pilate, the Jews persist in speaking out against Jesus, calling for Him to be crucified. Still, Pilate doesn’t want to crucify Jesus, so he makes two other attempts to bring the trial to an end without crucifixion.

First, Pilate questions Jesus, hoping that Jesus will give him the answers he needs to release Jesus. But Jesus, knowing that He needed to go to Calvary to be crucified so that He could pay the penalty for the sin of humanity, says nothing in His defense.

Second, Pilate tries to reason with the Jewish leaders. We read this in the gospel of Luke 23:14-16, “‘You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. ¹⁵ Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.’” But this won’t get rid of Jesus, and so they persist, shouting, ‘Crucify Him. Crucify Him.’ They even choose the release of a violent prisoner, Barabbas, over Jesus.

Finally, Pilate surrenders to their will, and orders Jesus to be crucified. So Jesus is taken to CALVARY to be crucified. I wrote a song many years ago called CALVARY. The chorus says this:

“On Calvary He gave His life for me. On Calvary He gave His life for me.Opened the door, to eternity. Out of love, He died for You and me. Yes, He opened the door, to eternity.”

You may not understand fully why Jesus allowed Himself to go to Calvary (and He did allow Himself), but what’s important is to know that because He did, You and I have the blessing of being saved from our sin. By this blessing we receive the gift of being able to spend eternity in heaven with God! If you don’t know this, or haven’t received it, I pray that you will. If you do, then thank God for Calvary, and for what it means to you and me. Blessings.

Drag Racing

2011-03-02T17:22:00.001-08:00

In writing with a blogging group I am often challenged by the topics that are chosen by others in the group. This week’s topic is a prime example; ‘Drag Racing.’ Do I write a simple article on the sport of drag racing? Or, do I try and incorporate more of a life lesson with it. Well, if you know me at all, I have to try and include a life lesson.

Drag racing is a sport that I have not been a fan of, not because I don’t believe it is a viable sport, but because it just isn’t a sport that has connected with me. While there have been times when I have driven fast, and those of you who know me know that this can indeed happen (as one time I did drive a Camaro 100 miles an hour on the 405 freeway), I have not participated in any drag racing myself. I also rode Xcelerator at Knotts Berry Farm, which goes 0 to 80 in 3 seconds!

The other day my daughter asked me about football. She thought it was boring, since she didn’t understand it. I imagine this is true of most people in regards to sports they don’t like; they don’t like them because they don’t understand them. The other aspect of becoming a fan of a sport is to connect with individuals (or teams) with which you can support. I couldn’t name for you any of the drag racing stars, so that keeps me from being connected.

As I think about this in regards to life, I realize that much of what we like and don’t like in life is based on what we know or don’t know about it. This is even truer in regards to the Christian faith. One reason a person might not like Christianity, or doesn’t want to be a Christian, is because they don’t know much about it. I believe that if they experienced the truth and love and power of God, they would indeed like it!

Also, many people live their lives like it is a drag race. They race through the day, the week, the month, the year, without giving too much thought to what they are doing. We need to understand when our life calls for “drag racing” and when it calls for tempered living. If we are going too fast, we will actually lose the race, because we will miss out on all that God has for us.

While my watching drag racing or not will not change the world in any way, my helping others know about Christ will. So the next time drag racing is on I might choose to watch it for a while to try and connect with it a little. But even more, I hope my life is one that can help others know about and connect with Jesus Christ, and that I will know when to “race” and when to hold back. Blessings.

2011-02-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

I know some people who think that it is best to keep your comments to yourself, especially if you can’t be nice. Then there are others who think you need to “say it as it is” no matter if it hurts someone else. So how do we know which is right? Or, is it just a matter of perspective?

If we look at Jesus’ life we see that there were times when He was very loving with His words (like with the woman caught in adultery, when He told her that He forgave her). But then there was the time He called the Pharisees ‘white washed tombs,’ because they were living as hypocrites (they didn’t live by what they preached)!

In Colossians 4:6 the apostle Paul says to us: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” The truth is, if we want to have conversation with others, we need to be loving with our words, and speak words of grace. Sometimes that might mean we lovingly challenge them with our words, but that depends on the depth of relationship we have with them. Being argumentative will not help us in the relationship, or the conversation. It will either put them off, or cause them to not want to converse with us.

However, being ‘full of grace’ does not mean that we don’t speak the truth of the Bible, or of what we believe. But it does mean that we don’t attack. We speak the truth in love. We speak the truth with confidence. We speak the truth with boldness. We speak the truth letting others know that God loves them and wants the best for them, and that He has a plan for their lives. Blessings.

How Busy Is Too Busy

2011-02-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Tami and I got up for our ‘day off’ and proceeded to do our chores for the day. The next thing we knew it was time to go pick up the kids from school. We looked at each other and wondered where the time went. It seems like we are so good at filling up our schedules. So I ask, How busy is too busy?

Now I don’t presume to be an expert in this, however, I do know that we were not created to stress our bodies to the point of mental and/or physical exhaustion. We try and fit so much into each day, thinking that if we don’t get to it today, we might not get it done. Yet, there are very few things that fit into the category of “have to.” What we don’t get done today can surely get done tomorrow, or next week.

The truth is, most people know how to be busy, but they don’t know how to relax. Too busy is when you don’t take time to relax. Too busy is when you don’t make time for your spouse, or your kids, or your good friends. Too busy is when you don’t make time for God!! Too busy is when you get sick if you slow down. This is called ‘leisure sickness,’ and happens to people who aren’t used to slowing down.

Now some might say, ‘See, I shouldn’t slow down because then I just get sick.’ Rather, we need to realize that we need to change our lifestyle so that our bodies can learn how to relax without getting sick. God created us to work, and He created us to rest. Without rest we will fail to have the full and complete life God created us to have! That is why God made it a commandment from the beginning of time, and why God gave us the example of He Himself resting on the seventh day.

So how about you? Are you too busy? Do you take time to relax? Do you make time for God and others? Do you honor the Sabbath Day and keep it holy? Do you take time for yourself? Think about it. Blessings.

Family Reunions

2011-02-10T23:42:00.001-08:00

In the recent past we have had two family reunions that have been memorable. The first was several years ago, and was meaningful because I had been living in Colorado for a few years, and hadn't been connected with my family in a while. We went camping together in Northern California, and it was a great time of getting reconnected with my extended family. It really made me appreciate them all the more!

The second was just a couple of years ago when much of the family went to the Fresno/Clovis area to celebrate my aunt's birthday. Again, it was so nice to be able to spend some time hearing what is going on in my family's lives (the ups AND the downs), and to draw closer together (as well as honor my aunt).

This reminds me of another family reunion that we will have; a reunion in heaven with the family of Christ. All who believe in Christ are together part of a family. Many of our "Christian" family we will never know here on earth, since we will not have an opportunity to meet them. But when we are in heaven, there will be a joyous time of connecting with the family of God, because we will all be there together in the presence of God, as God's children.

While we are on this earth, there will be times when we meet someone else that is a Christian. Know that they are part of your family, and that you should try and get to know them. It really is a family reunion of sorts. And thank God for all the family that you have. Blessings.

Church is not A Building

2011-02-03T16:29:00.001-08:00

It is easy for people to think that Church is the building they see, because if this building was not here, we would be challenged in where and how to meet. The building is the visible part of the church. People see churches down most every street they drive. But when they think of the church, often times they think of it in terms of an institution; an institution that is impersonal, or desiring of only what people can give to it. They think of it as an institution that consists of wire, and glass, and concrete, and brick.

Consequently, I think that people shy away from church because they have forgotten what church really is: it is the people of God, the community of believers. Church is the place where we gather together as God’s people (fellowship), where we learn and grow in our faith (discipleship), and where we are empowered to live a life God calls us to live!

The problem comes when we go to church just for ourselves. How many people show up at church hoping that the songs or the sermon will touch them in a way that will help them get through the next week? But in doing this, they miss out on so much of what church is to be about.

Church is a place to live out the commands Jesus taught us: love God with your whole being, and love others as yourself. Do you see how this is more active? We give our love to God, and God gives His love to us. We are then filled with God’s love so that we might be able to share love with others. In this way, we are participating in worship, in church, not just hoping something comes to us.

As a pastor, I love to see vibrant, exciting worship on Sundays. The energy is wonderful and attractive. It draws you into the moment, where the love of God is alive. In times like this, church is not seen as a building, but as an experience, where we are built up in the love, presence, and power of God. Because of this, we can then go out into the world and live our lives with energy and enthusiasm, instead of drudgery. We can truly be the people of God each and every day. Blessings.

How We Dress

2011-01-26T23:28:00.001-08:00

How we dress can say a lot about who we are. Some people like to dress extravagantly. Others dress more conservatively. There was one lady in our church who used to wear these beautiful hats. There are others who wouldn’t wear a hat if you paid them. All this said, it shows us that we are each unique in how we dress. For the most part, we have much freedom in how we dress.

In the spiritual realm we have a way that we are called to dress, and we should be diligent in dressing this way every day! We read about it in Ephesians 6:10-17, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Just as a soldier wouldn’t go out to battle without putting on his armor, so we too must wear our armor. We do this because ‘our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’ We need to understand that we are indeed in a battle. Satan is at work, trying to deceive us, and dissuade us from God’s truth. If we stand strong, dressed in the armor of God, we can be victorious each and every day! Blessings.

Why Are You Telling Me This?

2011-01-23T18:58:00.001-08:00

When I was in school I know I thought it of the teachers, and now that my children are in school they think it as well: Why are you telling me this? Hasn’t every child, at some point in there life, wondered why they have to go to school and listen to the teacher tell them all these facts?

One reason why we wonder this is because we think that we don’t need to learn much to be happy in life. But as I tell my children, if you continued to age, but didn’t learn anything more than you know now, you would struggle to get by in life as the years went by!! Learning is one of the fundamental purposes of our lives. This is why God has given us the kind of functioning brain that we have. There are many scriptures that teach us this, but one good one is from Proverbs 3:13, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.”

Second, at some point in life (for most of us it is around 12 or 13), we get to that point where we think we know everything. So we think: Why are you telling me this? Especially when we feel like we know it already. But we are reminded that we are to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

The truth is, we don’t know it all, but God does. Because we are God’s children, God’s followers, we can receive wisdom from God, which will help us in the way we live our lives, respond to others, and be prepared for the uncertainties of life. In John chapter 15 Jesus told the disciples that He considered them friends, because He was telling them how He was going to die and be raised to life and be waiting for them in heaven.

Know that Jesus is your friend, and that the things of the Bible are told to us so that we might have life abundantly. With this in mind, let us be wise in how we live, and thank God for all that He tells us. Blessings.

Making the Most of Gross Things

2011-01-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Our blog group has some interesting and challenging topics. As I thought about this week’s subject, I remembered a verse we were studying at our Wednesday Bible study from Isaiah 14:11, “All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.” This verse is talking about the judgment God will bring upon Babylon for their wickedness. Of course, when you reside in the grave, maggots and worms will be your company! As we read it we talked about how gross that would be.

But the truth is, this reality came upon Babylon by their own wrong behavior. And the truth is, many of the “gross” and messy things in our lives happen because of our bad choices. How are we to make the most of the “gross things” in our lives? The truth is, it is difficult on our own, but with God’s help it can happen. As we are told in Romans 8:28- “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose.” God can take the gross and messy parts of our lives and bring good out of it!

This whole concept can sound trite. It can seem like just a pleasant thought that isn’t reality. But those of us who have walked in this truth, and trusted God, have seen God do great and wonderful things in and through our lives in the midst of the struggles we have experienced. Relationships are restored; financial struggles fixed; gloom turned to joy…and on it goes.

To make the most of gross things we really need to give them to the Lord, and trust that God will act. This is a truth that is real. Sincerely believe, and you will see. Blessings.

You’re Making it Too Difficult

2011-01-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

Today we had a heater repairman come to the church to look at our heaters. The last couple of weeks the heaters have worked some, but not worked consistently. Of course this is an issue because it has been extra cold these days. After looking over the heaters and the system, the repairman decided that the problem was a faulty thermostat. Even when the heaters came on, which was a big maybe, they would only stay on for a while before they shut off. As he looked at our thermostat he noticed that it was a fancy one, which could be programmed for the days and times you want it to come on. The truth is, we only turn our sanctuary heaters on from 8:30 a.m. until around 10 a.m. in the winter months. We didn’t need a programmable thermostat. We were making it too difficult. So he changed out the old thermostat for a newer, simpler one. You set the temperature, turn the heat on, and voila, you have heat!

I think too many people make their spiritual life too difficult as well. We think to be spiritual we have to know the Bible inside and out. We think we have to give up our job and become a missionary. We think we have to go into “full time” ministry mode. That is not true. I think it is a simple process. In the book of Joshua, 24:15, Joshua says: “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Simply put, Joshua was making a commitment to the Lord. Joshua was saying that he was determined to live for the Lord. That is what the Lord desires. Or as Micah 6:8 says: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humblywith your God.” God wants us to commit to seeking Him each day, so that we will do what is good, love others, and walk in humility. So, let’s not make it too difficult; just walk with the Lord. Blessings.

Grow Up in Such a Way That Others Can Grow Up Too

2010-12-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who is a sheriff, and we were talking about neighbor disputes, because we have been having trouble with the parking in our condo complex. He told me that our problems are mild (some warnings and a couple of fines) compared to other disputes he has been called to. He told me sometimes people start damaging each other’s property because of parking disputes! I asked him what he said to them when he arrives on the scene, and he told me that he tells them to “Grow up!” “Really?” I asked. And he told me yes, that is what he says. J

The truth is that we all can be selfish at times; we all need to grow up. But we need to grow up in a way that reminds and encourages others to grow up as well. This can really only happen if we have a humble attitude, and seek to be aware of what actions need “growing up.” Are we overly selfish? Are we too critical? Do we allow others to make mistakes without judging them?

In the Bible, in Colossians 1:28 we are told by the apostle Paul: “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” It is only in Christ that we can truly become mature, because Christ is the One, by His crucifixion, that gives us the power to change and mature! Christ is the One who gives us the example of how we are to be when we mature.

When others see us maturing in Christ, they too will want to become more mature in this way. Why? Because they will see us caring for others, loving unconditionally, being a forgiving person, encouraging others, and on it goes. This kind of mature behavior draws others to you, and is seen as beneficial, because it is who God created us to be in the first place. Along with that, it is so different and above the behavior of so many around us whose behavior we don’t want to be around.

So, I say to you, in a good way: GROW UP!

Wash Your Hands

2010-12-15T23:29:00.001-08:00

This phrase first led me to the text in the Bible found in Matthew 27:24, which says: “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’” Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent, and was giving the Jews an opportunity to fix their mistake and release Jesus. But the people were so angry with Jesus that they couldn’t think straight, and they wanted to crucify Jesus. So Pilate does what he was legally bound to do, and releases the criminal Barabbas instead of Jesus. To show that Pilate didn’t agree with their decision, he washed his hands. In essence trying to cleanse himself from this wrongdoing.

We, in essence, try and “wash our hands” every day when it comes to wrongdoing. We think that we can sin and not be held accountable for it by putting it out of our minds, or believing it when others say, ‘God wouldn’t hold that against you,’ or pretending that it isn’t wrong in the first place (relativism). The truth is, avoidance of sin doesn’t make the sin go away. Not even showering regularly will wash it away (although it is good and healthy and helpful for your friends and family for you to shower every day).

Romans 3:23 reminds us that “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” But the book of Romans also gives us good news in 6:23: “For the penalty of sin is death (eternal separation from God), but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In the end, Jesus being crucified is what allows us to “wash our hands” of our sin, because Jesus removes it and makes us clean!

So don’t forget to wash your hands and keep the germs away. Don’t forget to shower and keep your body clean. But even more, don’t forget to confess your sin to God, and know that through Jesus’ sacrifice, you will be clean! Blessings.

Reconizing Friends

2010-12-09T21:21:00.001-08:00

I love the verse in the Bible, from Proverbs 17:17, which says: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” To me this epitomizes what a friend should be, along with the words from Jesus in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In these two verses we are told that a ‘friend loves at all times,’ and that a friend lays down their life for those they consider to be a friend.

Yet, if you are like me, you have had people in your life that you think are friends, but in the end they do not prove themselves to be a friend. Maybe they only seemed to be a friend when they needed something from you. OR, maybe they were there for a while, but then you had a disagreement, and they bailed on you.

So how do you recognize a friend? I think part of the answer to this is determined by what kind of a friend you are looking for. There are different kinds of friends. Not every friend is going to be there for you in your adversity, or lay down their life for you. We will have some people in our lives that are more casual friends. We need to be careful in making the determination in regards to casual friends, somewhat good friends, and “good friends.”

It is difficult to have too many “good friends” in your life, because you can only be a good friend in return to so many. Developing friendships with those who will love at all times takes time. We might develop a friendship with someone because of common interests, or because our kids are friends. But only time will tell if this person is a real friend. Only time will tell if this person will lay down their life for you.

What will really help us to determine the good friends in our lives is when adversity comes. Maybe you are having hard times financially. Are they supporting you in some way or do they distance themselves from you? Maybe you had a disagreement. Do they seek to resolve it, or run away? Maybe you are going through health issues. Do they walk alongside you? It is the tough times of life that will help you to see who your friends truly are.

Even more important, Jesus calls us His friend. Going back to John 15, Jesus says in verses 14-15: “You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” How wonderful to know that no matter what, we have Jesus as our friend. And we know He is a good friend, because He gave His life for us! Blessings.

There You Go

2010-12-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

When my son was born, 14 years ago, I was just starting as a minister at Ecumenical Church, in Pueblo West, Colorado. Consequently, my life was very busy as I sought to get to know the members and the church, as well as visiting new attenders, and getting new programs started. I was very busy. If my son could have talked in his first year of life, he would have regularly been saying: “There you go,” because I would come home from work for dinner, and then leave again for night meetings or visits.

Lately, Tami and I have been reflecting about how busy we are. We are constantly on the go to Tyler’s baseball, Tiffany’s girl scouts, Tiffany’s choir, church, family, and on and on it goes. It is interesting to see how busy our lives get. In fact, most of society is like this as well. And Christmas only makes it busier. What are we to do about constantly being on the go?

One suggestion is to plan better. What I mean by this is that we need to set priorities; one of which should be to not get too busy. Busyness only brings stress to our lives. Now I am not suggesting that you just sit home and do nothing all the time. I am suggesting that we try and limit the kind of lifestyle where we are just running from one thing to another; especially when kids are involved. Spending time with family at home, relaxing, playing games, watching a movie, can be a good way to build a strong family bond.

Another negative that comes from our lives being busy is that we don’t make time for God. In the gospel of John, chapter 15, verses 1-5 say: “‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesso that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’” When we don’t spend time with God, we will fail to flourish and bear fruit.

Don’t let your life be such that people are always saying, ‘There you go,’ but rather live your life so that you have time for yourself, your family, and most importantly for God.

Finish This

2010-11-18T21:42:00.001-08:00

To finish something is to see it through to its completion. There are some days when I find myself doing several projects at the same time. The problem with this is that it makes it difficult to finish any of them. It can make my life crazy! At some of point I have to stop myself, and focus on one project, and tell myself to finish this before I move on to the next one.

Jesus had an important task when He came to this earth. The task was to live among us, to show us how to live and to love, and ultimately to die for our sins so that through Him we might have eternal life; through Him we could be reconciled to God! In the Gospel of John, chapter 19 Jesus is on the cross, He has had a conversation with the two criminals on either side of Him, He leads one to salvation, and then in verse 30 He says these words: “It is finished.” Jesus had finished what He had come to do, and now it was time to die!

How nice it is when we finish something. I love checking it off my “to do” list. There is a great sense of accomplishment when things get done. How much more so when we know that we are doing what God is calling us to do. I love to sense where God is leading me, go in that direction, and follow it through to completion. I pray that at the end of my life, I will be able to feel like I have accomplished what God has created me to do, and I will be able to say “It is finished.’ How about you?

I Lost My List

2010-11-11T17:02:00.001-08:00

Have you ever had a day where you didn’t feel like you were getting anything done? The truth is, you are probably getting some things done, but not necessarily the most important tasks. Or, you aren’t fully aware of what you have been getting done, because what you are getting done isn’t what you had planned on doing, but rather tasks that have popped up at the moment.

A number of years ago I went to a time management seminar, and one of the tips they gave was to make a list of what you need to do each day. However, having the list isn’t enough, you need to make sure you prioritize it from the most important tasks to the least. That way you will be making sure you get the important tasks done first, and if you run out of time, the less important ones can be moved to the next day. Another great thing about having a list is that as you get work done, it is encouraging to cross it off the list, which gives you a sense of accomplishment.

There is a challenge to this, however, in that you can get too dependent on your list. What happens if you lose your list? I know that if I get too dependent on my list, that if I lose it, I lose track of what I am supposed to be doing. SO, I need to be careful that I don’t let my list completely govern my life. I need to make sure that my list doesn’t trap me into being inflexible in my life.

Sometimes I get so into my list, that an interruption can cause me to be frustrated. This is not good, since the primary concern of my job, and really my life, should be the people God brings into my life, and not all the tasks I feel I have to get done. This reminds me of the story of the Good Samaritan (in Luke chapter 10). In this story, a man is beaten and robbed and left for dead. A priest and a Levite both pass by, probably thinking they didn’t want to be interrupted or get involved or be bothered with this man’s troubles, so they passed by on the other side and did nothing to help. But then a Samaritan came and attended to the man, and took him to an inn, and paid for it all!

Sometimes it might be good for me to ‘lose my list’ so that I get done what is most important (not necessarily most pressing). Sometimes it would be good to ‘lose my list’ so that I would be more available to the leading of God’s Spirit in my life. Sometimes I might need to ‘lose my list’ so that I don’t get too caught up in the “have to’s” of life. How about you, would it be good to lose your list? Blessings.

Priority Mail

2010-11-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Priority mail is mail that is expedited to a two-day delivery service by the U.S. Postal Service. It is for mail that would otherwise go out first class. You choose priority mail, even though it costs more, because you believe that it is important for this mail to get to its destination in an “expedited” manner. This is a great service, especially if you are on a deadline and need your letter there quickly. In this case, you decide it is worth the extra cost to ensure that you will not be embarassed by missing your deadline.

As a recipient, when you get priority mail, you know that it is important. Because of this, you probably open the priority mail before any other mail. It is mail that you need to deal with quickly. Hence the name ‘priority.’ It is sent in a speedy manner so that the one it is being sent to can get it as quickly as possible (although there is now overnight mail as well).

I found it interesting that our blog group would pick this topic, and it was probably chosen to challenge us in our thought process. I also found it interesting because so many people don’t use the mail serviice much anymore with the invention of the internet. I rarely send a hand written letter out, especially if I know the person has e-mail. It is quicker and more convenient.

As I thought about this topic, it took me to an illustration I had heard in our Alpha Class (Bible basics class). The illustration is that the Bible is like a “love letter” from God. Imagine that you were to get a letter from someone that was very near and dear to your heart. You wouldn’t set that letter aside to read days later, but rather you would open it right away to read what thoughts they had put down on the letter. You would try to take it all in, and maybe even read the letter 2 or 3 times. On top of that, you would probably keep the letter for possibly reading another time, or for remembering the words they wrote for you alone.

The correlation here is that because the Bible is God’s love letter to us, it is like getting ‘priority mail.’ It is something that is important, and something we need to get to right away. We shouldn’t put it off, or set it aside for a future day. It is sent to us as a “priority” for our lives, and should be responded to as a priority. We should act as though there were a deadline for us to act upon it, since in reality there is a deadline. Every day that we fail to read and apply the Bible, is another day that we fail to set aside our sinful ways and live for God. Every day that we fail to acknowledge that God’s word should guide us, is another day that we fail to humble ourselves and let God be our counselor and guide.

SO, I encourage you to see your Bible as “priority mail,” and go right over to it now to read. Have a great day!

Flying Hearts

2010-10-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

According to the Bible, the heart is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. This is why the Bible talks about being wise in heart (1 Kings 3:12, etc.), pure in heart (Psalms 24:4; Matthew 5:8), upright in heart, and righteous in heart (Genesis 20:5,6; Psalms 11:2; 78:72).

When I heard the blog topic for this week, the first thing that came to my mind was being in love. When you are in love, your heart soars, or flies high. There is a fantastic feeling that comes when you are in love. People say that they are on “cloud 9.” When that love is broken, we are said to have a “broken heart.” So even though our heart is really the muscle that pumps the blood and keeps us alive, it is also talked about as the place where we “feel” our emotions.

To me, however, a flying heart is more than experiencing loving another person, it is even more in how we live our lives. What comes to mind is Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait for the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint.” Life is not just full of fuzzy feelings. We have ups and down, highs and lows. We have times when we feel strong, and times when we are weak. This verse in Isaiah reminds us that in the Lord we can have our strength renewed, and we can soar like eagles. Our hearts can “fly” with the help of God.

Where does this lead us? I believe it leads us back to love, but a love that is more complete. That is why when Jesus was asked what was the greatest command, he gave it in two parts: “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus told us to love with all of our heart. I believe that when we love in this way, we will truly have flying hearts, no matter what is happening in our lives.

Amazon Rainforest

2010-10-21T19:40:00.001-07:00

Our blog group topic for this week is the Amazon Rainforest. I have to admit that if I had to tell you what I knew about the Amazon Rainforest, unfortunately it wouldn’t be much. My answer would not sound too intelligent: “I know there are many important animals and plants that live there, and that it is being cut down at an alarming rate.” So much for my knowledge.

So, I decided to gain a little information about it, and found out what I know is pretty correct, although basic. I was surprised to find out what a large area the rainforest covers 1.4 billion acres, in a region that includes nine nations (Brazil containing 60% of it, followed by Peru, then Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana). The Amazon represents over half of the planet’s rainforests, and has the largest tract of species and tropical rainforest in the world! It has currently become a candidate for the New 7 Wonders of the World.

As a wet tropical forest, it is very rich in species and has a tremendous amount of biodiversity. One in ten known species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest. Yet deprestation is occurring in the rainforest. As human expansion continues, and as humans seek to develop land, more and more of the rainforest is being cut down to make room for this expansion.

This deforestation is causing a wide variety of problems. Environmentalists are “concerned about loss of biodiversity that will result from destruction of the forest, and also about the release of the carbon contained within the vegetation, which could accelerate global warming.” One computer model of future climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions shows that the Amazon rainforest could become unsustainable under conditions of severely reduced rainfall and increased temperatures, leading to an almost complete loss of rainforest cover in the basin by 2100. This has not been fully substantiated, but shows that there is concern with the loss of rainforest.

In Genesis 1, after God had created the world, he gave Adam charge to care for the world. This is an important charge from God to man, and one that I believe is not being followed today. We are not caring for our earth as we should. I believe that God has provided on this earth all that we need to sustain life. But we must treat our world with respect. There is an important balance between all the parts of our world, and when we don’t consider the impact of one part on the other (i.e. the deforestation of the rainforest), then we will cause long term harm to our world.

The challenge is that problems like this often seem too big for one person to deal with, so we just ignore it because we can’t solve it alone. I challenge you and myself to be diligent in finding ways that we can care for our world better, and know that as we take these steps, they WILL make a difference.

Why should I have a life coach?

2010-10-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been talking to someone about something that is frustrating you, or confusing you, or because you are struggling to make a decision about something? Have you ever felt frustrated in the direction of your life, and feel like you need a fresh perspective? For these reasons, and many more, a life coach can be helpful. A life coach is someone who comes along side you, and because of their expertise and ability to listen and discern, can help you make wise choices in your life.

Every day we make decisions; some of them very important. And quite often we feel led to make changes in our lives. Unfortunately, too many people let their emotions be their guide. These emotional decisions can lead you to leave a job or a relationship, or incur a debt, when it really wasn’t a wise decision. A life coach can listen intently, and intuitively, and ask pointed questions, to help you make the best decision for your life.

One thing that is important to understand in regards to a life coach, is they are not there to tell you what to do, or to influence your decision. A life coach’s goal should be to help you, and with the help of God, decide where God is leading you in your life. It might mean staying at your job, or it might mean leaving. The good news is that you have someone who cares about you and your decision enough to challenge you to seek the right path, not just a different path.

I have been mentoring people for the past 5 years now, and thoroughly enjoy the experience. I have also felt that God has given me an extra gift of discernment to ask important and challenging questions. In love, I try to prod and encourage those I mentor to think through who they are, who God has created them to be, and where God might be leading them. I feel blessed that I have helped many people move further down the path God has truly designed for them, and I hope to do this more and more every year.

If you are interested in getting a life coach, I would love to talk to you. Blessings.

Angels We Have Heard on Earth

2010-10-06T17:05:00.001-07:00

People have a lot of different ideas about angels. For some, angels are people who have died and gone to heaven, and God made them a guardian angel. For others, angels have wings and fly around. And still for others, angels don’t exist. The Bible actually tells us a lot about angels. Angels belong to a uniquely different dimension of creation than we can fully comprehend. They don’t have many of the same limitations that we do on earth. God has given them higher knowledge, power, and mobility than us. Because you or I have probably not met or seen an angel, we might doubt that angels are real. However, angel visits do happen even though they are very rare.

The truth is, we have difficulty believing in what we don’t or can’t see. This is true of so many things in life. EX. Think for a moment if you were raised in a jungle. In this setting you are oblivious to most of what exists in the world. You feed yourself by eating what is around you. You make crude tools. You travel by walking or running. You only know what you see. Then one day you meet a stranger from the outside. He tries to tell you that there are cars, and planes, and telephones and computers. You hear the words, but it is difficult to believe. Then the stranger takes you out of the jungle, and you see for yourself all that was told to you. You watch the television and drive in the car and talk to someone far away on a telephone! At this point, you believe.

This is true of believing in something like angels. We hear people talk about it, we read about them in scripture, but do we really believe they are real? What does the Bible say about angels? Angels did not come into being until God created them. As we are told in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible.” Angels are among the invisible things made by God.

The empire of angels is as vast as God’s creation. They are mentioned in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible nearly 300 times. We do not know how many angels were created, but some think that it could be in the millions, since Hebrews 12:22 speaks of “an innumerable company of angels.” And King David, in Psalm 68:17, said: “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels.” In another passage, Deuteronomy 33:2, we are told that 10,000 angels came down on Mount Sinai to confirm the holy presence of God as He gave the Law to Moses.

Angels are in essence an extension of the arm of God.

The Bible tells us that angels speak. They appear and reappear. They are emotional creatures. While angels may become visible, their normal state to us is invisible, just like the dimensions of a nuclear field, or the structure of atoms. Our ability to sense them is limited.

Angels are real, and they are nearer than we might think. Angels are vigorous in their efforts to deliver up God’s people to salvation, and to help protect them from evil. As Psalm 91:11-12 says, “(God has given) his angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Let us take courage and know that God has created angels to not only serve Him, but to do His work, and to help His Kingdom come. When we believe and trust, we can find strength in this knowledge.

Cutting Off Limbs and Gouging Out Eyes

2010-09-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

What a topic my blog group has given me this week! It sounds pretty gruesome. It actually comes from a passage in the New Testament, where Jesus is talking about our sin. It is in Matthew 5:27-30, “You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Jesus is making a comparison between the sin we commit, and the steps we should take to not sin.

In reality, Jesus is not telling us to cut off our limbs, or to gouge out our eyes. We would still sin even if we did that. The point is, we lust for many things; not just sexual. We lust for nicer cars, bigger houses, fatter paychecks. We lust for wonderful vacations, respect, power. How can we keep ourselves from sin? One way is to realize that we are called to give up that which is sin and that which will cause us to sin. Another way is by focusing on Jesus. Jesus helps us to live better lives, and when we do sin, Jesus can take that sin away when we confess.

If you stare four dots on the nose of the picture above for about 30 seconds, and then look at a white wall, the face of Jesus will come into focus. When we are looking to Jesus, we will be guided by His thoughts, and His ways; really the thoughts and ways of God. In this way, we will have a different perspective for life. Much better than cutting off your limbs, or gouging out your eyes, is to learn to focus on Jesus. The phrase “what would Jesus do” has become cliché for many. That is unfortunate, because it really is a good thought. If we think about what Jesus would do in a situation, and then act accordingly, our lives would be much better off, and so would our world.

Loving Your Enemies

2010-09-23T16:55:00.001-07:00

Enemies come in many different forms. There is the obvious enemy who is out to get you. There is the enemy who might have been a friend once, but then there was a falling out, and now they don’t like you anymore. There is also the enemy who has something against you for some reason, and goes behind your back to talk negative about you. Each one of these enemies can make our lives difficult.

Jesus has made many challenging statements, but the one we find in Matthew 5:44 is one of the most challenging: “But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’” It is challenging enough to love all those who we enjoy and who love us back. But love my enemy? Where do I get the strength to do that? Where do I get the desire? Why would I even care to consider this? Why would Jesus ask us to do this?

First, it is about not paying back evil for evil. Although this bit of retribution might be in our sinful persona, it is not a good way to act. When we pay back evil, we allow overwhelming bitterness, anger and hatred to dwell in us. When we seek revenge on an enemy, we continue the process of hate and fuel our enemy’s desire to harm us. But just resisting revenge is not love. If we are to love our enemy, we have to go further than just keeping ourselves from doing harm to them.

Second, if God is love, and we are God’s children, then our being should be about love. When we are led to anything but love because of our enemy, then we fail to walk in the path that God has for us to walk. We are called to follow the example of Jesus, and we see that Jesus did not bring retribution to those who considered themselves His enemies (He knew that comes at the time of judgment), but knew their hatred of Him led them to do their terrible deeds. Jesus calls us to walk in His footsteps, which is to love others. Jesus said that by our love people would know we are His disciples. This is what sets us apart from those who aren’t Jesus’ followers, that we love at all times.

Of course, this is easier said than done. F. F. Bruce, in his book The Hard Sayings of Jesus (p. 73), said: “The best way to destroy an enemy is to turn him into a friend.” This is what love is about, rising above the hate and anger and bitterness of our world, and sharing the love of God with all. This doesn’t mean that you put yourself in a place to be hurt, but as best as you can, you love each person in the best way God shows you how.

If we could all do this, what a better place our world would be.

Are We There Yet?

2010-09-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

How many times have parents heard this statement from their kids: “Are we there yet? This is a regular question when you travel with kids for any distance at all. Twice now my family has driven to the Black Hills in South Dakota, and back. Believe me, my wife Tami and I heard this question many times a day, as we traveled anywhere from 6 to 8 hours a day!

Yet, if you think about it, it is a question we wonder about in our own lives. We might wonder about it in terms of our career: are we there yet? We might wonder about it in our spiritual growth: are we there yet? My church and I wonder it all the time: are we there yet? This question implies that there is a final destination.

Unlike a trip to the Black Hills, these other areas of life don’t have a final destination here on earth. We will always be changing careers, jobs, or at least goals within our job. We will always be needing to grow more spiritually. We will always have new goals to achieve as a church. The answer to the question, are we there yet? Is NO! We are not there yet. But that is good news, because if we ever got “there,” there would be nowhere else to go, and how boring would that be?

In actuality, the question (are we there yet?) is actually the wrong point of focus. The truth is, it is the journey, and not so much the destination, that is important. When we think about getting to the destination point, all too often we miss what is along the way. Often times on our trips, we would try and point out to the kids the beautiful sights along the way. We would also stop along the way, and enjoy other experiences. The journey was as fun, and as important as getting to the Black Hills.

So, let us not think about the destination point, but rather think about the journey we have in front of us. And let us hear the words of Hebrews 12:1-2a, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…”

Not Until You've Walked A Mile in My Shoes

2010-09-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

There are many people who love to run. Some like to run for relieving stress. Others like to run for exercise and being fit. Still others will run because they enjoy entering 10k’s or marathons. I personally don’t like to run. Don’t get me wrong, I like to exercise. But I prefer my running to be in the midst of playing a game like racquetball, or basketball, or baseball. It’s probably good that I don’t like to run, because ever since I hurt my back (about 25 years ago), I can’t run long distances, because the pounding of the running is too jarring for my back.

So instead of running, I do fast-paced walking (some might call it power walking). The walking gives me the exercise I need, but limits the strain put on my back. As I was thinking about our blog topic for the week, it made me realize that we are each unique in this way; we like to run, or walk, or sing, or paint… It is easy for us to judge what we like verses what others like. And if what others like isn’t what we like, then we might put them down for it.

The whole idea of judging is important for us to think about, because it is so prevalent in our world. We judge people before we even know them. We judge people because we are close to them. We judge people to make ourselves feel better. The truth is, unless we know what they are going through, we can’t accurately judge what they are doing. Unless you walk a mile in my shoes, how can you know what I am going through and why I do what I do?

And what if we did walk in the shoes of others? Wouldn’t that be better than judging them? As we are told in the Bible, Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Instead of judging, which brings negative consequences in life, we can assist them, and bring about a positive consequence. We are told by God not to judge (leave that up to God), but to ‘love our neighbor as ourself.’ Then maybe we can give them constructive advice. In the end, they will have to decide for themselves how they will live. So don’t judge others unless you have walked a mile in their shoes.

Apologetics is a big word

2010-09-02T18:42:00.001-07:00

The word “apologetics” means making a “case” for Christ, just like a lawyer would try to make a case for his or her client to a jury. We live in a world that questions Christianity all of the time, but when someone questions Christianity, they are questioning Jesus Himself. If you are a Christian, this should bother you, because one of our purposes here on this earth is to speak to others about our faith. As Romans 10:13-14 says,“for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” If we don’t preach Christ, then people won’t hear about Christ, and won’t even have the chance to believe.
Just like a lawyer presents ‘evidence’ in a trial to make his or her case, so we have ‘evidence’ we can present to make our case about the truth of Jesus. First, there is eyewitness evidence. This is powerful testimony, because it is first hand information. In the Bible, the New Testament is written by eyewitnesses who lived with Jesus, and saw and experienced what Jesus did and who Jesus was. A second kind of evidence is documentary. This is the written evidence we have in the Bible. If you were to investigate the writings of the Bible, you would find that there are a number of original texts that allow us to piece together the Bible that we have today.
Next, we have corroborating evidence, or evidence outside of the Bible which
mentions who Jesus is. Early historians Josephus and Tacitus make many references to Jesus Christ as a real human being, and talk about what he did, and talking about how he returned 3 days after he had been killed. A fourth evidence we have is ‘identity’ evidence. This evidence shows the truth of his identity. Jesus Himself talked about how His miracles are a sign indicating the coming of the kingdom of God. They are a foretaste of what the kingdom is going to be like. They are evidence of His identity; that He is God in the flesh.
There are many other kinds of evidence that can help us to know that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, who came to this earth, who died on a cross, and who was resurrected from the dead. This Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, and our Savior. I hope you believe this, and if you do, I hope that you share it with others!

Friendship

2010-08-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Do you have someone that you can call a friend? I don't mean an acquaintance, but someone who you can be real with, who you can trust, who you can tell anything to? It might sound like a silly question, because doesn't everyone have friends? I have noticed that as people get older, they tend to have less friends, and the friends they have are often not close friends.
I believe we need at least one true friend. If you have a friend like this, you know what I am talking about. To have someone who can support and encourage you is invaluable. To have someone in your life who lifts you up and helps you to feel good about yourself is priceless. In fact, it is one of the prime ways that God created us, to be in relationship and fellowship with others.
Another important aspect is that Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior, but He is our friend. It is good to have friends who are flesh and blood; physically present in our lives. But it is equally important to know that Jesus is our friend. As we are told in John 15:15- "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." As a friend, Jesus makes known to us the things of God: the truth of God, the power of God, the wisdom of God. As a friend, Jesus makes sure we are never alone.
Do you need a friend? Pray to God to bring you that special friend. But also remember that Jesus is always there to be your friend.

A Useful Person

2010-08-05T18:45:00.001-07:00

In a Peanuts comic strip, Linus is eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and in the middle of a bite, he says to Lucy: “Hands are fascinating things! I like my hands…I think I have nice hands…my hands seem to have a lot of character…these are hands which may someday accomplish great things…these are hands which may someday do marvelous works! They may build mighty bridges or heal the sick, or hit home-runs, or write soul-stirring novels! THESE ARE HANDS WHICH MAY SOMEDAY CHANGE THE COURSE OF DESTINY!!” Lucy comes over and looks closely at Linus’ hands, and then says: “They’ve got jelly on them.”(The Gospel According to Peanuts, p.36)
In Ecclesiastes 2:11, this verse says- “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was in vain and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”
We can easily feel this way, because all too often we are not seeking to fulfill what God created us to do and be, but instead we go off and chase our own selfish dreams. We need to understand that God uses people who seek to do His will. Think about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was one who humbly sought God. We are told in Luke 2:19: "Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and often thought about them."
Mary created a habit of listening to God.
God speaks to people who listen. God uses people who desire to be used. So if you want to be used by God, if you want to do something significant with your life, if you want to be chosen by God, then you need to seek to listen to God and follow God's plan. You probably need to stop thinking that you have all the answers. When we seek to do it on our own, it will seem like we are chasing after all the wrong things and that life is in vain. We need to understand that we are trying to satisfy ourselves with things that won't satisfy.
We need to gain a new perspective on life and believe that God can come to us and speak to us and choose us as God did Mary. Then we can know we will have been a useful person.

Where Did These Clouds Come From?

2010-07-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Pueblo West, Colorado, I experienced clouds like I had never experienced in California. Even more, it could be clear at one moment, and then all of a sudden these clouds would come moving in, dark as could be, and start a rain storm that would last for a while, and then go away. I always wondered: "Where did these clouds come from?"
Of course, that is the nature of clouds; especially rain clouds. They not only bring darkness, by blocking the sun and the sky, but they also bring rain. While rain is good for the earth, it can at times dampen our spirit, and make it difficult to accomplish what we might have planned to do. However, in knowing that rain brings good, then we can persevere through the times of rain, and we experience the green and growth that it causes.
As I thought about our blog topic for this week, it reminded me of life in general. How often do the dark clouds suddenly appear in our lives? They come and darken our thinking for a time. Maybe they keep us unfocused for a time. Maybe they even dampen our spirits for a time. But the truth is, when understood rightly, they bring growth and blessing.
As the familiar verse in Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We can know that God will take whatever comes into our lives, and turn it into good. Because of this, we need not worry, but rather trust in God. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus."
And so it is good to regularly evaluate: What are the clouds in my life? Where did they come from? What is their purpose? Am I giving myself over to God, and not worrying, knowing that God will work out good through them? You see, where the clouds come from doesn't matter, as much as why the clouds are there, and how God brings fruit from the clouds. Be strong in the Lord, and the clouds become a blessing, not a deterrent.

What Difference Does Commitment Make?

2010-07-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

When it comes to commitment, our world is in a much different place than it was years ago. In fact, I was just talking with some people the other day about how not only people have changed in their view of commitment, but so have companies. It used to be that companies sought to care for their employees, and employees would work 20, 30, even 40 years and then retire. Now companies lay people off to avoid having to pay full pensions, and workers rarely work for the same company for a long time.
When talking about commitment, there are so many areas we could venture:
Divorce- It used to be a very low percentage of people got divorced. When people made the commitment to marry, they usually stayed married. It is said that currently the divorce rate in America of first marriages is somewhere around 40-50%, 60% for second marriages, and 73% for third marriages!
Church Attendance- It is said that up to 76% of people say they are Christians, but only around 40% of people go to church regularly. There has been a great drop off in church attendance over the last 100 years. Less and less people make the commitment to regularly go to church, much less involve themselves in church work.
Volunteerism- Just from 2005 to 2009 the percentage of people who volunteered dipped from 29% to 27%. In my son’s baseball league and daughter’s softball league they have had great trouble getting managers and coaches. In fact, they have made it a requirement for coaches to umpire because they can’t get volunteer umpires!
I could go on, but the statistics show us people are choosing to not commit to things as much anymore. What difference does this make? The difference is that more and more we are living in a world where people are more concerned about themselves than about others. We are becoming and ingrown culture. Instead, we should live by the words of the apostle Paul, who said in Philippians 2:4- “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” Even Jesus, who was God in the flesh, took on this attitude, as we are told that He came “not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
I think it is tremendously important to be people who make commitments, and keep them. A commitment is really like making a promise to others. When people don’t make and/or keep their commitments, they have lost the understanding of what it means to be people of their word. Because our world has become so selfish, we have lost the whole aspect of community and working together. What do you think?

Attitude Check!

2010-07-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

Last fall I was coaching Tyler’s baseball team, dealing with 13 and 14 year-olds. They all seemed to develop that “teen attitude.” You know the attitude? The attitude where they think they know everything and don’t need any advice from anyone (including their manager!). The attitude that makes them think they don’t have to answer questions that are asked of them. The attitude that makes them think they are super cool.
As I was thinking about the Blog topic for this week (Attitude Check!), my first thought was this attitude my son had. But then I was led to think about how we as adults have attitudes as well; attitudes that need to be checked on a regular basis. The attitude that makes us think that we are above the job we have. The attitude that makes us think that we have better ideas or answers than our spouse. The attitude that causes us to judge other people.
How is it that we come to have this attitude? Maybe in part it is the thinking that we live in America, home of the free, where we have the right to pursue happiness. Maybe it is our selfish attitude that causes us to really only be concerned with our own needs. Maybe it is because we get tired, or frustrated with life, and we gain an attitude.
While I believe it is all of these things in part, I believe even more it is about the expectations we have. More often than not we set expectations for how our life should go: a certain kind of job, spouse, and lifestyle. We set these expectations thinking they are goals, but they are not goals. A goal leads us to shoot for an outcome, but if we don’t make that outcome it is okay, because the journey is as important as the goal itself. But an expectation is something that we “expect” to happen. If that expectation does not come to fruition, then we come to have an attitude, because we didn’t get what we wanted.
Instead, we should live by what the Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make Your paths straight.” We will have the right attitude when we trust the Lord, lean on God’s strength, and look to walk the path God has for us!! Blessings.

What is Humility?

2010-07-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

I have talked to so many people who think that to be humble you must have a poor view of yourself, or think of yourself as weak. Being strong and being humble don’t go together in their thinking. So, because of this, people have trouble allowing themselves to be humble. Even more, living in a world that stresses independence and success, we feel that we have to go out and be better than others. How can you survive and thrive if you are humble?
It is important to have a better perspective of humility, especially if we are going to be followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself was humble, but no one would call Him weak. So how did He balance His strength with His humility?
He was one who knew who He was and what His purpose was. In John 6:38 Jesus said: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me.” And in Matthew 20:28 He said: “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” When we live out the purpose that God has for us, and live this with confidence, we will be both strong and humble.
Second, it is about being teachable. To think we know it all will not only distance us from people, but it will lead us to look foolish. In James 1:21 we are told, “Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted in you.” God implants His word in us, and through His word we are taught what we need to know. The word of God, the Bible, has the answers; we need to seek these answers out and regularly learn from them.
Third, humility is about being considerate to others. The other day I had an encounter with one of the all-stars on Tyler’s baseball team. He didn’t want to listen to me because I wasn’t an “official” coach. I told him that even though I wasn’t a coach, I was an adult, and he should respect that. He didn’t agree, and mouthed off to me. I am amazed at the lack of respect kids show to adults these days. But the truth is, so many adults aren’t very considerate to other adults. When we are not considerate to others, we have a self-centered attitude. This is not humility, and this is not how God would have us be.
Humility helps us to battle the pride and selfishness that is in us. It is a universal battle that we face every day of our lives. But if we can be humble, then we will think of others and not just ourselves, and we will be much more blessed for it.

Letting Go of Past Hurts

2010-06-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Life is full of hurts. People let us down. People leave us. People hurt us in many ways. I have had my share of hurts, and once hurt, it can be a challenge to let it go. For some reason we hold on to this hurt, and let it affect us for long periods of time. But the hurt we hold on to does no good in our lives. In fact, it weighs us down. I know that in my former church I had some people who hurt me deeply with their words and actions. It took a long time to let it go, and until I let it go, it pulled me down.

One of the challenges of the hurts we hold on to is that often we have limited ability to resolve it. We can try to be reconciled to the person, but if they don’t want to be reconciled, then the conflict hangs over us. We are challenged by how much or how little we are able to fix the hurt. Depending on the nature of the relationship to the person who hurt you, you might not have much opportunity for resolution. So we carry around this unresolved issue.

What are we to do? I believe there are two things we can do: first, we can forget about it. Until we are given the chance to bring resolution to this conflict, or hurt, we need to forget about it. The only thing thinking about it will do is get you all upset again, and lead you to have angry feelings towards this other person.

Second, we need to learn how to forgive. Jesus, when He was on the cross, uttered these words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Jesus understood that the people who were hurting Him, killing Him, didn’t really understand the reality of what they were doing, because they didn’t understand who Jesus really was. Likewise, those who hurt us don’t have the concept of “relationship.” Jesus commanded us to “love one another as ourselves.” When we seek to hurt someone else, we are not being loving.

So we forgive for two reasons: one, because in the complexity of life, people truly don’t understand the fruitlessness of hurting others. So we forgive them like Jesus, because they do not know what they are doing. But even more importantly, we forgive them so that we can let go of this hurt in our own hearts and minds. Forgiveness allows us to let go of it, and give it to God. We can know that God will take care of it, instead of us thinking we have to.
Letting go is difficult in many ways, but important for our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

What is Your Favorite Color?

2010-06-23T15:21:00.001-07:00

Our blog group has picked this topic to write on this week. As I pondered the answer to this, I knew the simple answer is “blue.” Blue has been my favorite color for as long as I could remember. But why? Is it because boys are generally given blue, and girls are given pink when they are young? Perhaps. But if that were the only reason, I think it would have changed as I grew older. For example, my daughter liked pink for the longest time, but now her favorite color is purple. It takes more than an initial introduction to a color to make it your favorite.

It could be that the color of the sky is nice and peaceful, and has led me to like the color blue. Or perhaps blue jeans have been my favorite kind of pants for the longest time. Or the fact that I like the Dodgers (Go Dodger Blue!). Or that blue can be a soothing color. To tell you the truth, I can’t nail down exactly why blue is my favorite color.

Isn’t it true, that sometimes you can like something without having to have any deep, meaningful reasons? Isn’t life sometimes to be about just enjoying something because you connect with it for some reason? I believe life needs to have moments that are frivolous and shallow. I like the color blue, because for some reason it is a pleasing color to my mind and eye.

Yet, having said that, I do have to say that I am moved by many things with the color blue in it. Like I said before, the sky; I love a blue sky. Or the blue ocean; it is so amazing to see the clear blue water. Even a blue bird or a blue fish is tantalizing.

Isn’t it wonderful has God has given us so many colors in this world, and the choice for which one will be our favorite? God has made colors unique just as He has made you and I unique. So, it might be fun to share with someone, OR me, what your favorite color is, and why. And in doing so, celebrate your uniqueness.

Our blog group has picked this topic to write on this week. As I pondered the answer to this, I knew the simple answer is “blue.” Blue has been my favorite color for as long as I could remember. But why? Is it because boys are generally given blue, and girls are given pink when they are young? Perhaps. But if that were the only reason, I think it would have changed as I grew older. For example, my daughter liked pink for the longest time, but now her favorite color is purple. It takes more than an initial introduction to a color to make it your favorite.

It could be that the color of the sky is nice and peaceful, and has led me to like the color blue. Or perhaps blue jeans have been my favorite kind of pants for the longest time. Or the fact that I like the Dodgers (Go Dodger Blue!). Or that blue can be a soothing color. To tell you the truth, I can’t nail down exactly why blue is my favorite color.

Isn’t it true, that sometimes you can like something without having to have any deep, meaningful reasons? Isn’t life sometimes to be about just enjoying something because you connect with it for some reason? I believe life needs to have moments that are frivolous and shallow. I like the color blue, because for some reason it is a pleasing color to my mind and eye.

Yet, having said that, I do have to say that I am moved by many things with the color blue in it. Like I said before, the sky; I love a blue sky. Or the blue ocean; it is so amazing to see the clear blue water. Even a blue bird or a blue fish is tantalizing.

Isn’t it wonderful has God has given us so many colors in this world, and the choice for which one will be our favorite? God has made colors unique just as He has made you and I unique. So, it might be fun to share with someone, OR me, what your favorite color is, and why. And in doing so, celebrate your uniqueness.

The Glorious Freedom of the Children of God

2010-06-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

In America we are said to live in the land of freedom. So we might ask, how are we free? We are supposedly free to worship any god we so choose; the government will not dictate to us who we will worship (if we even worship any god, since there are many who don’t believe there is a god). We also have the freedom to live where we want, as long as we can afford it. We have freedom of speech, meaning that we can give our opinions in a public forum without fear of being arrested or silenced (so long as we do it in an orderly manner). We have the freedom to seek out any career we want. I could go on, but I think you get the sense that we seem to have many freedoms.
Many think that freedom means that you can and should choose for yourself without anyone else telling you what you should do. And yet, is this really the best way? Choosing what we want without any other input? Think about children for a moment: if they were allowed to make choices, without the input of their parents or a responsible adult, then they would make choices that would hurt themselves or have a negative impact on their lives many times over. As children get older, there needs to be a balance between child and parent to help them learn how to make good decisions. There still is an aspect of control and guidance.
I mention this, because so often people talk about how Christians, children of God, are not free, because they are bound by the rules of the Bible; the rules that God imposes upon us. How can you be free if you have to abide by the 10 commandments? How can you be free if you are told that so many things in life shouldn’t be done because they are sinful? There is no freedom in all these rules and regulations.
The truth is, freedom is actually being able to make choices within a controlled environment. Any environment that doesn’t have boundaries and rules would be so chaotic that you could not live in freedom. It would be a free for all, and probably controlled by the strongest, the meanest, and the person with the greatest desire to control. You would not be free, but would ultimately become the slave of those who came to power.
God is a God of love; a God who has our best in mind. God is a God who seeks to lead us into loving relationships, and into a world where we serve others, and others serve us. God is a God who desires for people to be governed in a way that is not oppressive, but offers many freedoms. But God does establish rules and laws, and calls on the people to establish rules and laws for the good of all; for the sake of allowing freedom to exist. We are free as God’s children, because we can live in the way God has designed, and established for a world that allow us to love God, and love each other. What do you think?

2010-06-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

It is said that money "is the root of all evil." Yet, without money we cannot live. So how is it that money is evil? Well, money isn't evil in and of itself, but in how it is used, and how it affects the way we live. I've heard many people say: "If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to give money to the church,” and to this person, and on and on they go. But more often than not, people end up spending it on themselves.
It has been shown that people who win the lottery often have their lives turned upside down, and sometimes even ruined. Evelyn Adams is one such story. "Winning the lottery isn't always what it's cracked up to be," says Evelyn Adams, who won the New Jersey lottery not just once, but twice (1985, 1986), to the tune of $5.4 million. She went on to say: "Everybody wanted my money. Everybody had their hand out..." She gave it away, gambled it away, and made many mistakes with her money. Today the money is all gone and Adams lives in a trailer. This is true for many lottery winners: one man had many lawsuits raised against him, and finally he had to file for bankruptcy. He now lives on food stamps. And on and on the stories go. Susan Bradley, a financial planner from Florida says: "In our culture, there is a widely held belief that money solves problems. People think if they had more money, their troubles would be over. When a family receives sudden money, they frequently learn that money can cause as many problems as it solves," she says. (from article by bankrate.com)
Why does money cause so many problems? Because people don't know how to manage their money, and people don't know how to use their money wisely. People in their family want a piece of it, but what they give is never enough, so it destroys relationships. OR, they spend, spend, spend on themselves, and get their focus off of God and onto this worldly living.
This is why Jesus talked so much about learning how to give of our money wisely, and in godly ways. When we are able to give of our money, then our money doesn't control us, we control it. There are only 3 things we can do with our money: spend it, give it away, or save it. We need to learn how and when to do all these things whether we have a little, or a lot!
So how about you, are you spending your money wisely, saving what you need to, and giving away generously? I encourage to think through how you utilize the money you have, so it isn't a root of evil for you. Blessings.

My Favorite Book

2010-06-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

This week our blog group tackles the question "What is your favorite show or book?" As I was thinking about that, I thought about the many shows I like to watch. But I couldn't pinpoint any one as my "favorite." The same was true of all the fiction books I read. They have their entertaining value, but don't warrant for me the title "favorite." So I thought some more, and finally came up with "The Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence.
I have actually done a whole blog series on this book back in the summer of 2007. So let me tell you why this is my favorite book. First, other than the Bible (which might technically be my favorite book), this book has probably impacted my life more than any other. Brother Lawrence was a simple cook and custodian at a monastery, but he had deep insights into the way God connects with us in every day life. He discovered that he could practice being aware of God's presence in his life in a way that is continuous. By doing this he was able to receive God's loving presence more regularly in his life.
I learned that the key is learning how to abandon our selfish desires, and give ourselves totally to God. Brother Lawrence says: "I sacrificed all of the pleasures in my life to God. But rather than punishing me, God gave me nothing but wholehearted satisfaction." By giving ourselves to God, we can learn how to live for God, and by living for God we gain satisfaction in our lives.
From this book I also learned that in giving ourselves to God, we need to learn how to be faithful, even in the dry periods. I know that there are ups and downs in our lives and in our faith. Through this book I discovered that in those times when we don't feel close to God, in those times when we don't feel like life is going well, we need to be even more determined to surrender ourselves to God and trust God.
Because of this book, I truly feel that I have constant conversation with God, and awareness of God's presence in my life. This transforms my daily living, because I don't have to have all the answers, I know that God is there to help me with the answers; I don't have to have all the strength, God will give me His strength; I don't have to have it all together, because God is right here with me to work out the good.
I would love to know what your favorite book is. Blessings.

What is Your Biggest Fear?

2010-05-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

I am not a proponent for words like "never, always, biggest, etc...", but this was the title for this weeks blog post. So as I share with you a fear I have, I'm not sure if it is my biggest fear, but it is a significant one. The fear I have is: "Will I be successful?"
Now I could have said my fear was snakes, or heights, or being alone. While these are all fears, as I searched my heart, I believe the "successful" issue was bigger. Now the challenge with this is what is success? As a minister, is success bringing people to a faith in Christ? Could be. Is success growing the numbers of people that come to church? That has some truth to it as well. Is success giving a great sermon every week? I'm sure that can be a part of it.
You see, success can be defined in many ways. You could ask 10 people what they think is success, and you would probably get more than one answer.
So what is success? I think Jesus was clear, that success comes from giving ourselves fully over to Him, and putting our trust in Him, and loving God with all of our heart, and soul, and mind. If we do this, then the resulting success will be determined by God.
So as I write this, all of a sudden I realize I don't need to be fearful of not being successful, because it isn't based on numbers, or being the best preacher, but on faithfulness. And the truth is, all our fears are unwarranted when we put them in the hands of God. Go ahead and do that, and see how you feel about your fear; put your fear in the hands of God.
In essence then, this blog is more like a journal writing, and you happen to be in on it. I hope this has created some thoughts of your own in regards to your own fears, and how God can take away those fears.

I Can't Wait To See What's Next

2010-05-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

When reading a mystery, you often get to a place in the story where you get excited about what happens next. In fact, I was just reading a book on Monday where I got near to the end, and I didn't want to put the book down. So I kept reading, because I wanted to see what was going to happen. I read it all the way to the end.
Life can be this way as well. The exciting parts of life lead us to want to see what is next. Maybe you get engaged, and you are excited about getting married and what it will be like to be married. Or maybe you are getting ready to finish college and you are excited to see what is next in your life. Or maybe you have a child, and you are excited about what will happen next when they are born.
But even the struggles of life can be like this, and lead us to wonder what is next. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." This is a verse that leads us to think, "I can't wait to see what is next." If God has a plan for us, a plan that has a future, a plan that offers us hope, then we should be very excited to experience it.
Are you at the place where you are excited about what is next? If not, why not? Whether you are or not, there is great hope when we walk with God; when we trust God. Each day, I want to wake up and say: "I can't wait to see what's next." I hope you will feel this way too. Blessings.

Accountability

2010-05-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

How often do people set goals at the beginning of the year and not carry through with them? How often do people decide to read the Bible more, but fail to do so? Why is this? Lack of accountability. Accountability is not a popular word in our society. Maybe it is because people think of being judged by others, or told what to do, or they don't like the thought of their life being scrutinized. The problem with a lack of accountability, is that people’s behavior tends to be more sinful. The Bible tells us that we are prone to sin. If this is our tendency, then it would be helpful to try and support each other in making our actions the best that they can be.
This is what accountability is about, not judging each other, but helping each other be our best; being strong for each other when we can't be strong for ourself. That is why those in AA groups have sponsors, their sponsors are there to keep them accountable. Usually if we know that someone is going to check on how we are doing, then we tend to behave better and keep our commitments.
Accountability is important whatever we are trying to do in life. Whether it is setting a goal for losing weight, or working out more regularly, or cutting out destructive behavior, it is important to have someone in your life who can keep you on task.
This sets us up for the question: who should be my accountability partner? The answer to this, is someone you trust, someone who wants to be there for you in that way, and someone who has strength of character (someone you admire). Once you choose this person, and they agree, you then need to figure out how they are going to keep you accountable. Maybe they check in with you once a week, and/or maybe you phone them if you are struggling to do what you want to do, or maybe you send daily or weekly e-mails to them letting them know how you are doing. The key is that there is regular contact.
The process for accountability is not judgment, but love and growth. Are you accountable to anyone? If not, who might you choose? You life will be better for it!

That Familiar Conflict

2010-05-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

In life, conflict is bound to happen, and while conflict is not fun to experience, it can be beneficial. Meaning that sometimes conflict is what allows us to address a situation we are avoiding, or ignoring. It is not uncommon for us to ignore certain situations because we don’t want to “rock the boat” or we don’t want to create any tension in the relationship. So we let the issue linger on, while all the while it is simmering deep inside us. Finally, the situation gets so bad that it has to be addressed.
On top of this, there are those all too familiar conflicts that happen time and time again. These conflicts happen regularly for several reasons: one may be that the person whom we are in conflict with, doesn’t learn, and continues the behavior that creates the conflict (i.e. an employee who doesn’t do their job, or a friend who takes you for granted). Another reason is that some people just create conflict based on their selfish behavior. Because they only focus on themselves, they tend to bring conflict into the relationship whenever you don’t pay enough attention to them.
A verse that has been very helpful for me, which helps to guide me in the conflicts of my life, is Romans 12:18- “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” What this verse tells us is that we can only do so much to bring peace to a relationship or situation. If I am in conflict with someone, or they are in conflict with me, I will do my best to communicate with them, and seek to bring resolution. At this point, hopefully peace has been restored. I can be at peace knowing that I have done my best to resolve the issue. If they are not at peace, that is on them, not on me.
On top of all of this, there is love. God calls us to love all with the love which God loves us. Whether we realize it or not, we are often in conflict with God. This too is a familiar conflict. The conflict comes from our sin and our turning from God’s way to choose our own way. But God keeps loving us and calling us back into a relationship with Him. With this as our example, we can look to love others in spite of our differences, challenges and conflicts.
What conflicts are you facing? Usually these conflicts aren’t random, but have a visible reason why they are there. Seek to resolve it through communication, bringing peace into the situation, and ongoing love. Blessings.

My Cardboard Testimony

2010-04-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

It is very common to see people holding cardboard signs with messages. Of course it is probably most common for those who are homeless. In this way they can get a message across that they need help. The cardboard sign is a cheap and easy way to let their need be known. But is it effective? It must be because so many do it.
However, cardboard messages have taken on a new twist. People also use cardboard signs to speak other messages, like: messages of protest; messages that they are selling something; messages for garage sales; messages about lost pets; I even came across a sign that read, "Family kidnapped by ninjas; need $4 for karate lessons."
One way our church used cardboard testimonies is to set up a series of verses from the book of Romans along our walkway during Halloween. The idea was that as the families came up to the church to get candy, they would read the different signs. The signs read: Romans 3:23- "For all have sinned and fall short of God's glory." Romans 5:8- "For God demonstrates His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 6:23- "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." AND Romans 10:9- "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Our blog group topic this week is "My Cardboard Testimony." If I were to write my testimony on a cardboard sign, what would it say? What would it look like? I am not the most creative person in the world, but I think I would want it to be in bright colors, with a picture of the cross on it. The bright colors to get people's attention, and the cross to remind everyone that we are saved only by Jesus' death on the cross. Now then, what would the text be? The text would be simple, like the statement of the blind man who Jesus healed. His testimony was straight forward: I was blind, now I see, and Jesus is the one who healed me.
For me, I think I would state that I was lost in my own selfish ways, surrounded by friends who were leading me down the wrong path. Finding Jesus helped me to get on the right path and make something wonderful of my life. So the text would say:
"I was lost in my sin, but now I am found in Christ.
I know I am living the life God has for me!"
How about you, what would your sign say?

It's None of Your Business

2010-04-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been told, “It’s none of your business?” What does that make you think? What does that make you feel? For most people, it either makes them feel left out and unappreciated, OR it makes them all the more curious and they want to find out what is none of their business.
Reflecting on this made me think of how people might say this to me because of what they are doing in their lives. Meaning, that what they are doing is not what they should be doing, and so they don’t want me, or others to know. They say, “It’s none of your business.” The truth is, even if it is none of my business, God knows what they are doing. We are told in Psalm 139:1-4, “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. God knows when we lie down and when we wake up. God knows our thoughts and the words that we will speak.” Everything is God’s business, and God knows what we are doing.
But there is a sense in which other people should know our business. Matthew 18:15 tells us, “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and tell them their fault, between you and them alone. If they listen to you, you have gained them back.” This is talking to us about accountability. We have lost the sense of accountability in our individualistic society, but we are to be there for each other in love, and help each other stay strong. That is why James tells us in the book of James, chapter 5, verse 16: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Again, we are there to keep each other on the straight path by confession and prayer; all in the spirit of love and support.
What are your thoughts?

Living a Joyful LIfe

2010-04-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Happiness and joy both exhibit emotional responses within us. But even though we know they are different, we don't know how to differentiate them from each other. Because of this we sometimes don't know how to separate them in our mind. As our blog group tackles the topic "How to live a joyful life," let's talk about how we can and should let God help us to separate them.
Let's start with happiness: Happiness comes from good experiences and fills us with good emotions. You have fun with your family and you feel loved. You get a raise and you feel more secure and appreciated. You buy a new car and you feel excited that you are able to enjoy this new toy you have. But what about when bad things happen? I don't know too many people who are happy when bad things happen. You get a bad health diagnosis and you are scared. You have a life crisis; you might feel depressed. You have an argument with your spouse, or kids, or friends; you are not at peace. And if someone is happy when something bad happens, you look at them with concern.
On the other hand, joy can happen at all times of life. As Philippians 4:1 says, "Rejoice in the Lord, always; again I say rejoice." How is this possible? How can you be joyful always? Joyful when bad things happen? Joyful when you have a crisis? Joyful when a loved one dies? The answer is yes. We can be joyful always. The reason for this is that joy isn't based on emotions, joy comes to us by God's Spirit.
The Bible tells us that joy is a "fruit of the Spirit." So when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are filled with God's Spirit. The Spirit plants the seed of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. As we let God work in and through our lives, this fruit grows in our lives; including joy. Joy comes from knowing that God is with us in all things and at all times. Joy is knowing that God cares for us in the most difficult of
times, and walks with us in our pain. Joy is knowing that God can make good come out of the bad. This is why we can be joyful at all times. This is how we live a joyful life.
The foundation of a joyful life is having a relationship with our creator, God. A life built on this foundation is a life that will have security, and love, and hope, and peace. A life that experiences this deep personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, will be joyful because it will never be without options or help. While our emotions are up and down, which leads us to limited experiences of happiness, joy exists with us abundantly and permanently.
Do you have a joyful life? Do you know that God's presence is with you at all times? Do you have this foundation? I pray that you do. Blessings.

How Do You Relax?

2010-04-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting topic for me this week, because I am on vacation. We often think of vacation as a time to relax. If that is true, why do so many people get back from vacation and say that they need a vacation? Relaxing is not about the stopping of work, but the ability to enjoy what you are doing, and be at peace. When you are away from work, you still have issues at home; or you are busy with many events that you do while on vacation; or maybe it is a working vacation. The point is, whether you are at work or on vacation, most of the time the schedule is filled with things to do. Or even if you do nothing, is that really what relaxing in about? Most people when they do nothing get bored. Boredom isn’t the same as relaxation.
So how do I relax? By doing what I enjoy. When I am sitting quietly reading a book, or playing catch with my son, or playing a game with my family, I am in relaxation mode. In these times, God blesses me with the ability to be free from stress and worry. And yet, I relax another way as well. This other way is in my times of meditation with God. When I take the time to be still before God, and let God’s Spirit minister to me, and let God fill me with His peace and love, I move to an incredibly relaxed place. So much so that after this time, I don’t even get mad at others, regardless of the situation.
Relaxing is about not allowing life to get to you. Relaxing is about enjoying what you do. Relaxing is about being at peace. May we all find ways to relax in our busy lives. Blessings.

My Current Most Profound Insight

2010-04-01T22:10:00.001-07:00

One definition of "insight" is to understand the inner nature of things. The last couple of years I have had the opportunity to mentor many people from my church. I have been grateful to God for giving me insight into their thoughts and lives which has helped me to guide them in their spiritual growth and help them to make good decisions.
But an even bigger insight that I feel I have experienced is in regards to relationships. As we live our life, we are challenged with pressures, and stresses, and hardships. We are pushed and pulled in so many directions, and by so many people. This drain can leave us weak and unable to deal with the problems of life.
God has placed it on my heart and in my mind to encourage people to be in good relationships. What I mean by good relationships is to have many relationships with people who energize you, encourage you, and build you up. When you are with these people, you feel blessed, and when you leave them, you feel uplifted and more excited about life.
As I talk to people, I am realizing more and more that this is not happening. Too many relationships are dysfunctional and draining. People are not being intentional about setting up times to be with those people who are good for them; whom they enjoy. But God wants us to be in these relationships. God wants these relationships to dominate our lives. God wants us to have these relationships because they will help to keep us healthy, and will lead us to live fruitful and "joyful" lives.
How about you? Who are the people in your life you love to be with? Who energizes you? Who encourages you? Who builds you up? Are you intentional about being with them? I encourage you to do so. This is my "insight." What is yours?

Work Worth Doing

2010-03-25T15:28:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered, why am I here? I'm sure we all have wondered this at some point in our life. Most people I ask that question to answer it with a statement of what they feel they are called to "do" in life. While we are all capable of doing many things, that is not the primary reason we are here. The primary reason is to love God. By loving God and being loved by God, we are then called to love others.
In a blog titled "Work Worth Doing," why would I start by talking about our call to love God and others? Because, without this understanding, we end up doing much that is not really worth doing. What I mean by this, is that too often, with a limited perspective of our existence, the work we feel called to do is usually for our own benefit; it is self-serving.
This work is not work that is worth doing, because it is based on affecting only one person: yourself. God created us to have an eternal perspective because we are eternal beings. If all we do for work is that which benefits ourselves, then we fall far short from making much of an impact with our lives. In John 6:27, Jesus says: "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
So we need to ask, what is this food that endures to eternal life? It is work that will carry over into the next life; our life in heaven. Simply put, the work that is eternal is loving others, worshiping God, and leading people into a life-saving relationship with Jesus Christ. This kind of work can be lived out in the workplace, the church, our home, with our neighbors, most anywhere we are. And the great news is that it will make an eternal difference with all whom we share.

The Ultimate Birthday Party

2010-03-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Birthday parties are meant to be fun. They are meant to make us feel happy. They are meant to include our family and friends; all those who are important to us. They are not meant to be rigid, but meant to be a celebration of the fact that we were born into this world. There are many ways that you can throw a birthday party, anywhere from a simple dinner, to a trip to an amusement park, or a night of dancing.
Our blog group is asking the question, what is the ultimate birthday party? Now I suppose the answer to that would depend on what you enjoy. For some, a great birthday party may be going to the opera. But if you don’t like the opera, then it wouldn’t be very fun. For others it might be going to a baseball or basketball game. And still for others, a time spent with friends is all that they need. There can’t be any one idea, because each person has different likes and dislikes.
One wonderful birthday party that I heard about was a story Tony Campolo tells, of a time he was in Hawaii to speak. It was late at night and he couldn’t sleep, so he went to the local diner. While there, he overheard a couple of prostitutes talking, and one lady (let’s call her Gladys) was talking about how her birthday was coming up, but that she had never had a birthday party. After some time the women left. This gave Campolo and idea that he ran by the café owner, to throw a party for Gladys. The owner thought this a great idea, and they planned it for the next night when it was her birthday. The next night came, Tony and the owner were ready for Gladys, in she walked, and they shouted out “Happy Birthday.” Gladys was moved to tears. She found out that Tony Campolo was a minister and asked about his church. He said he was the pastor of a church that through birthday parties for prostitutes! She couldn’t believe it, stating: “Now I would go to that kind of a church.”
I believe this is a powerful story, because it talks about showing value to a person’s life. And that is what the ultimate birthday party is: showing value for the person’s life. It isn’t so much what we do in the party, as long as the person feels valued. I know for me, when people take time out of their schedule to be there for me, or to show me they care, that makes it the ultimate celebration. How about you? What do you think is the ultimate birthday party?

Running To Win

2010-03-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

In a race such as a 10k there are many different kinds of runners: there is the casual runner who isn’t in the best of shape but wants the challenge of the run. There is the cautious runner who doesn’t push the race too hard for fear of burning out before the end. Then there is the compromised runner who can get easily distracted during the race. Finally, you have the committed runner, who is there not only to compete and finish, but to win.
The committed runner knows the importance of training consistently. The committed runner knows that victory is achieved, not by the fainthearted, but by the one who is diligent and strong.
If we were to liken this to the Christian life, the committed runner is the one who utilizes the many resources that God gives. The committed runner commits himself/herself to regular study of the Bible. The committed runner not only comes to worship, but gives himself or herself fully to it; meaning they let the music touch their soul, they let the prayers affect their heart, and they let the words of the Bible reading and the sermon transform their character. They let themselves participate in all aspects of the service. The committed runner also knows the benefit of prayer, and finds time each day to rest in the arms of Jesus. The committed runner knows the power that is received by being closely knit with Jesus. The committed runner knows that there will be times of failure, but in the end they will be victorious.
As Romans 6:4-4-5 tells us: “Therefore we have been buried with Christ by
baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
What kind of runner best describes you? The casual runner? The cautious runner? The compromised runner? Or the committed runner? The good news is, that whatever runner you think yourself to be, God is there with you, and can help you to become a more committed runner. God can help give you this desire, and can help you to achieve it. All you have to do is commit, or maybe re-commit yourself to him this day. And again remember the words Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24- “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”
The truth is, when we are committed to the Lord, and trust in Him, we will all win!

Who Controls Your Mind?

2010-03-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Who controls your mind? It seems like a silly question at first, because the answer should be: I do. But the truth is, we can be controlled in what we think, which leads to what we do. The Bible says our war is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The enemy, Satan, wants to come in and take control of our lives, control of our minds. The mind is the doorway to the heart. The mind gives commands that the body follows.
Actually, the answer shouldn’t be, I control my mind, but rather, God controls my mind. If we seek to control our own mind, then we will be misled, or deceived, or tempted away from what is best for us. But if we let God control our mind, then we will be able to live in the best way we can live.
In the Bible, in the book of Romans, chapter 12, it talks about the “renewing of your mind.” Renewal happens when our spiritual vision and thinking adjusts to the mind of God, which is designed to have a transforming effect upon our lives. It is the need to transform our will to the will of God. As Jerry Bridges says in his book The Pursuit of Holiness: “…it is the will that ultimately makes each individual choice of whether we will sin or obey. It is the will that chooses to yield to temptation, or to say no. Our wills, then, ultimately determine…whether we will be holy or unholy in our character and conduct.” (p. 125)
So you see, that it is best for our will to be in line with God’s will, and for this to happen we must let God control our mind. The key to all of this is that we were given life to glorify God; to honor God with our lives. But we cannot do that on our own. To do this we must start with renewing our minds; get the things of God into our mind! I cannot stress this enough. Second, we need to begin to make decisions that will bless God with our actions. Pray to God for strength, and seek God for wisdom. Through this wisdom, God will be leading us to live as we should. So, WHO CONTROLS YOUR MIND?

Having Ears That Hear

2010-02-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

In Matthew 13:13-15, Jesus says, “This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'” Jesus wanted the people to understand that when hearts become hard, when we lose our curiosity about the things of God, then we will not know how we are to act or what we are to believe.
It is interesting to me to see that God wants people to know His word, and yet Jesus often talked in “parable” form. Jesus would purposely teach through parables to weed out those who were following Him simply for the “wow” factor. Because of Jesus’ popularity and miracles, people often followed Him because it was the thing to do, or to see another miracle. They wanted to be wowed. But Jesus wasn’t there to be an entertainer, Jesus came to lead people to salvation. And Jesus’ style of teaching was designed for the true follower.
Jesus knew that those who really wanted to understand His teaching, whose hearts were truly seeking Jesus, would stick around and ask questions. Jesus knew that those who were sincere in their pursuit of God would persevere through the mysteries of God.
How about you? Do you pursue God and God’s mysteries, or do you allow yourself to go away with questions and not understanding? Seek God with your whole being. Be a person who has “ears to here.” It will make the difference in your fulfilling God’s purpose for your life, and for your life to really count.

Pattern of Living

2010-02-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

Why is it that some people seem to be closer to God than others? It is interesting for me to have people say, “Pastor, will you pray for me. I know God hears your prayer.” Obviously, they believe God hears my prayers more than theirs. I believe that the answer lies in our pattern of living. How we live our life, on a regular basis, day to day, moment to moment, helps to make an incredible difference.

There are many examples of people who have seemingly given their life to God, but then walk away, or live in an ungodly manner. It is not hard to figure out that this is usually because they have changed their pattern of living. What they practice each day is worldly living, not godly living.

Romans 12:1-2 says: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” To have a godly view, and live a godly life, one needs to be renewed and transformed in mind, body, and spirit.

Mind. What we place in our minds will affect our minds. If we put negativity, then we will become negative. If we put hate, then we will become hateful. If we put forgiveness, then we will be forgiving. And so on…. We can best transform our mind by reading the Bible each day, and remembering what it says. Maybe you might want to memorize verses or passages that help with where you are struggling.

Body. What we do and where we go will affect our thinking and our actions. If we allow ourselves to be in sinful environments, then we will in time be comfortable with this way of living, and find our pattern of living changing. We must surround ourselves with people who encourage us, and love us and build us up. We must build for ourselves a network of people who keep us living in a godly way.

Spirit. Jesus was clear that for us to truly connect with God, we must do this on a spiritual level. We need to learn how to connect our spirit with the Spirit of God. We can do this in several ways. Worship helps us to connect with God on a spiritual level. Prayer will do this as well, if it is not just us talking to God, but us trying to listen to God’s voice. Meditation, or quiet reflection will also lead us to this deeper spiritual connection.
I hope that you will be diligent and intentional about your “pattern of living.” If you are, then you will be able to live a godly life, and know God’s perfect will for you.

Opening the Door

2010-02-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

As we come to this season of Lent, a season that is meant to be a time of repentance and embracing God’s holiness, I want us to think about a remarkable fact that is told to us in the Bible. God gives you and me an invitation into His presence. An invitation that shows that He hears us, and invites us to come to Him. As Ephesians 2:13 says: “Now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from God are brought near.” As we understand this, we can understand that what once separated us from God, our sin, has been removed. Nothing remains between us and God, except for an open door.
When Jesus Christ died, the door was opened for you and me. The writer of Hebrews tells it to us like this in Hebrews 10:19-20: “So, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place without fear because of the blood of Jesus’ death. We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus opened for us. It leads through the curtain—Christ’s body.” According to the writer, the curtain equals Jesus. Therefore, whatever happened to the flesh of Jesus happened to the curtain. What happened to his flesh? It was torn. Torn by the whips, the thorns, the weight of the cross and the point of the nails. By enduring the cross, Jesus removes the barrier of the curtain, in essence opening the door.
The good news is that Jesus hasn’t left us with an unapproachable God. Yes, God is holy. Yes, we are sinful. But Jesus is our mediator. 1 Timothy 2:5 tells us: “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
God is holy, and we are sinners, and there is a distance between us. Because of this, we don’t trust our conscience, we trust the cross. The blood has been spilt and the veil has been split, and we are welcome in God’s presence.

The Charge of Jesus

2010-02-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

There are different kinds of charges. In the picture we see an elephant charging forward. You can use your charge card to purchase something you need. A charge in the Bible is calling someone forth to do a specific task; it is when God gives us a call, a responsibility of action. In Matthew 28:20, "Jesus said, 'I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" When Jesus said this, He was giving a charge to people to go out and make disciples. As Christians we have been given the calling of telling others the truth about Jesus; the truth about the gospel. Unfortunately, it is too easy to shirk this responsibility and think we have more important things to do. But what could be more important than someone's salvation? When we talk to people, we aren't alone. That is why Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit, to help lead us to do and say what God needs us to! This really isn't meant to be open for discussion. It isn't a suggestion, but a command. It is to be part of who we are as Christians.
So here are some questions: What keeps you from telling others about Jesus and about heaven? How does it make you feel to know Jesus is always with you? Let yourself be ready for these opportunities that God alone gives you. Have a wonderful day.

Living a Full Life

2010-01-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

John 10:10- “Jesus said, I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.” What would constitute a full life for you? People answer that question in many different ways. Some might say a full life would be to have lots of fun toys and the money and time to enjoy them. Others might say that a full life would be to have fame and accolades. Still others might say that it is about having a life filled with happy experiences. Because life is so unpredictable, the Bible tells us that a full life comes from 2 things: first, is having a deep, meaningful relationship with God; second is having good relationships with others. This is why Jesus stated, in Matthew 22:37-39 in response to the question ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’: “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it; Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus knew that what makes life meaningful and full is love; loving God, and loving others. While relationships can be difficult, and bring us down when they are not going well, there is nothing that can make us feel better than being in a good, loving relationship. If our relationship with God is good, the odds go way up that our other relationships will be good. How is your relationship with God? Where do you need to draw closer to God; give yourself more to God? How are you at loving others? How can your relationship with God help you to love others better; more? Blessings.

THEY WILL LISTEN TO ME

2010-01-20T17:41:00.000-08:00

Vaclav Havel once said, “The real test of a man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him.” Most people believe they have a destiny; or at least they want to believe. The problem is understanding what their destiny is. Most people struggle along, day to day, feeling lost, inefficient, and unappreciated. How can I do more with my life? they wonder.

If we are God's workmanship, created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10), then how can we live this out? The answer is that we need to listen to God. Sounds good, but how is it done? Jesus said in John 10:16, after having talked about being the Good Shepherd who leads His sheep, Jesus says that “they will listen to me.” But to listen, we have to hear, and to hear we have to know the sound of Jesus’ voice.

It is wonderful to be able to call someone up, and after one or two words have them know that it is me calling. This happens because they know my voice so well that it only takes a couple of words to recognize my voice. When my son is on the baseball field, he knows the sound of my voice when I call out to him. We need to know Jesus well, and know the scriptures well, so that when God calls out to us, we know it is His voice, and not the tempter's voice.

So my challenge to you, and to me, is to be ready to hear God’s voice every day. My challenge is for us to commit to knowing God better every day so we can discern the voice of God. My challenge is for us to seek out and live our destiny; the work God has for us!

Called

2010-01-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

We get phone calls all the time. Some are sales calls, others are fairly meaningless, but some are very important; from people we care about. If you have ever gotten a call from someone close to you, who needed your help, maybe you didn't think you could help them with their problem, but in the end you made sure you were there to help them. We see in the Bible many who are called by God. At first they are not sure they can help, but then when God talks them through it, they are more willing.
In Exodus 3, we see how Moses is minding his own business, tending to his sheep, doing his job, when he has an encounter with God. And God starts to tell him that He has heard His people’s cries, and seen their affliction, and it is now time to deliver them from slavery. And all this time I’m sure that Moses is shaking his head thinking: “That’s right Lord. Glad to hear it. It’s about time.” And then Moses receives his call in verse 10- “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
The response: v. 11 Moses responds: “Who am I that I should go…” There is great reluctance on Moses’ part; great doubt that he is capable of this call.
God’s encouragement: v. 12, “Certainly I will be with you…”
God is here saying that it is not about Moses, it is about the fact that Moses has been chosen by God, and that God will be with him in this task, and because of this, everything will be all right.
God calls each one of us for a purpose He has set aside. We often don't want to believe we are able to do what God asks. But God assures us that He will go with us and work in and through us; "Certainly I will be with you."
If you were to think about it, you have a sense of what God is calling you to do. If you give yourself over to it and God, God will use you in profound way. Can you do it? I believe you can. I believe we all can!

Dealing with Anger

2010-01-05T10:53:00.001-08:00

In the New Testament, in the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 26 it says: “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day.” Anger is part of the emotions God gave us, so there is a purpose for our anger. Jesus Himself got angry. The problem is, our anger usually leads us to sin. For some it leads them to revenge, or to hurting others physically. For others it might lead them to speak harsh, hurtful words. Many people have trouble controlling their anger. But the good of our anger is that sometimes it causes us to act on something that we’ve been holding back on. Or it can give us the motivation to speak the words that need to be spoken. The challenge, is to not let your anger lead you to sinful action; to keep your anger in control. And even more, to seek to resolve your anger with another (“do not stay angry all day”). When we allow time to go by, and we stay angry, our anger usually turns into bitterness, or resentment, or hate. How do you respond when you get angry? Do you let your anger linger? Are you able to control your anger? Can you get past your anger? Here is a prayer that you might want to pray with me: "Lord, help me to know when to be angry, and how to respond in my anger. Help me to resolve the issues with those with whom I am angry. Amen

The Substitute

2009-12-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Romans 3:9 tells us that “all are under the power of sin.” Our sin changed the game plan. Our sin keeps us from being in fellowship with God, who is holy, righteous and perfect. So once sin came into the world, God put together a new plan; a plan to change our lives. But to do this He needed to provide a substitute, and the substitute is Jesus Christ.

Many wrong predictions have been made; here is a list of a few of them:
"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make."
-- Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields'Cookies.
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
-- Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.
"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

-- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
"Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction".
-- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

Obviously, we know that they predictions are very wrong. But the prediction of Jesus’ coming, and why He came, was not wrong. In Micah 5:2 we read where Jesus will be born: “But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel…” And we know that Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem. In Isaiah 9:6 we are told one of the reasons Jesus was to be born: “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This child is Jesus, and He is given to us as a Savior; or as Matthew 1:21 says, to save His people from their sins.

Romans 3:24-26 tells us of what Jesus, our substitute did for us: “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

Christmas is a time of understanding and believing that Jesus was born with a purpose; the purpose of justifying and redeeming us from our sin. This too was predicted, and it came true. As we come to Christmas day, let us be grateful that Jesus chose to substitute Himself for us, so that we could be free from our sin, and could again be in a relationship with God. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Gift

2009-12-16T14:05:00.001-08:00

What gift do you want for Christmas? You probably make some kind of list and pass it on to your friends and family. No doubt, we all have received some gifts at Christmas that we would never want or use. An American Express survey about Christmas gifts found that the fruitcake was chosen most often (31%) from a list of “worst” holiday gifts. It even finished ahead of “no gift at all.” When asked how to dispose of a bad gift, 30% would hide it in the closet, 21% would return it, and 19% would give it away. Who knows, the fruitcake you get this year for Christmas could have been someone else’s gift from last Christmas!
A better question is: What is the best gift ever given? I’d like to propose to you that it was the gift that was given by God that first Christmas. It was not wrapped with beautiful paper and frilly bows, but wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. The apostle Paul in reflecting upon Jesus says in 2 Corinthians 9:15:"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
Many have tried to describe Him by using prose, poetry, song or music to characterize this glorious gift, yet, it is still not fitting. Musicians have composed some of their greatest music on this theme: Handel’s "Messiah," Bach’s Christmas Oratorio," & the beautiful hymns, "Joy to the World," "Silent Night, Holy Night," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."
As we approach Christmas day, I hope we will not forget the greatest gift of Christmas, Christ’s birth, which made His death and resurrection possible. This gift of God was given that you and I might be saved. Have you by faith received this glorious gift of God’s love? If you have never been saved or need to renew your vows before God, you can find forgiveness and salvation today by acknowledging to God your faith in Jesus, and your desire to receive the cleansing of your sins from Jesus. Let us receive the gift of Christ as we understand that this gift is from God to us; a gift that is unspeakable and unfathomable. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

The Kind of Person God Uses

2009-12-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

In Ecclesiastes 2:11 we are told:- “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was in vain and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”
We can easily feel this way, because all too often, we are not seeking to fulfill what God created us to do and be, but we go off chasing our own dreams. We have to understand that God uses people who desire to do His will. This is important, because, since God created the world, and created you and me, we will really only be happy, and bear fruit, if we are doing the will of God in our lives. As it is the Advent season, we remember what God said to Mary: "I want to use you." In response
Mary did not say, " I’ve got other plans,” OR “What about my dreams?” She didn’t
say "This really isn’t convenient for me,” OR “God, Can’t you get somebody else?"
Because Mary wanted God’s will for her life more than she wanted anything else, God chose her to do something wonderful; something that changed the course of destiny.
And even more, after this first encounter, Mary became even more in tune with God. In another part of the gospel of Luke, 2:19, we are told: "Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and often thought about them." Mary created a habit of listening to God. God speaks to people who listen. God uses people who desire to be used.
So, if you want to be used by God, if you want to do something significant with your life, if you want to be chosen by God, then you need to seek to listen to God, and seek to follow God’s plan. We probably need to stop thinking that we have all the answers, and realize that so often we feel like so much of life is in vain because we are chasing after the wrong things. We are trying to satisfy ourselves with things that won’t satisfy. We need to gain a new perspective on life and believe that God can come to us and speak to us and choose us as He did Mary!

Who Jesus Is

2009-12-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

If you've ever played hangman, you know that it is very difficult to gues the word without some help by guessing some of the letters. For example, what word is
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _? What if I give you the letters J _ _ _ _ C _ _ _ _ _? By the title of this blog, you might guess Jesus Christ, and you would be right.
Mark 8:29 tells us: "But Jesus asked them, 'Who do you say that I am?'" This is an important question, especially as we approach Christmas and so many people try and take Jesus out of Christmas. Who is Jesus?
Books have been written on this question, but if we get a little information from the Bible then we can know who Jesus is; we don't have to guess. For our purpose here, it is important to note that Jesus is the Messiah, God's Son, God in the flesh, come to this world for two very important reasons. The first reason is so that the presence of God could be shown to the world. As we are told in the gospel of John, 1:14- "And the word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." By coming to this world, God made His presence known to us in visible form.
Second, and more important, when the angel Gabriel visited Mary (in Matthew 1:21-23), he told her to name her baby Jesus, because "he will save his people from their sins." This blessed event of God coming into the world, is the event of God wanting to save us from our sins. Jesus is the savior of the world. Jesus is the One who will take our penalty for us. Jesus is God with us.
I hope you receive this with joy, and hope, as you understand God's love for you, and the peace God can bring to your life. Be blessed in this season as you remember who Jesus is. Blessings.

Forgiveness is tied to forgiving

2009-11-19T23:32:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that one of the most difficult things that God asks us to do is to forgive. And yet God sets it to us straight when we are told in Matthew 6:12 in the Lord's prayer, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." The "as" is important, because it tells us that God forgives our sins based on the way we forgive others. And if we haven't gotten it by that, Jesus says it again 2 verses later: "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Pretty strong words for us to think about. And my first reaction to this is like what my children often say to me: "That's not fair!" We think it's not fair because we think that we if we have faith in Jesus, then we should receive the forgiveness of Jesus that He talks about.
So how is it that our being forgiven is tied into how we forgive others? Let me list a couple of reasons. First, it is for reconciliation. God desires for us to find reconciliation with others. Just like a parent doesn't want their children to be at odds with each other, so God does not want us to be at odds with each other. So, through forgiveness we can seek to be reconciled with each other. And the important factor here is that we can't determine how anyone else will act. Our role is to seek to be at peace with all (Romans 12:18).
Second, it is for our own well being. You might have heard of the saying, "Forgiveness sets you free." This is very true. God knows that when we don't forgive, we harbor feelings of pain, hurt, anger, frustration, bitterness, and on and on it goes. Having an unforgiving heart can tear us up inside. To forgive another person isn't saying that what they did is okay, it is saying that you won't hold on to it, you will seek to not remember it, you will not allow it to control your mind and your emotions. By forgiving the other person you are setting yourself free. Jesus Himself, while on the cross forgave those who were crucifying Him with the words, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Third, it is for our own understanding. If we don't know how to forgive, then we won't know how to receive God's forgiveness. We learn by experiencing. And when we experience what it feels like to forgive another, when we experience the strength it takes to forgive another, then we begin to understand what God goes through every time God forgives us. Our forgiving heart helps us to be thankful for the forgiveness God so readily offers to us: "If you confess your sins, God is faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Walking a Tightrope

2009-11-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

I heard a story yesterday about a pastor who invited a professional tightrope walker to his church. They set up a tightrope in the sanctuary, and he walked the tightrope and performed some tricks. Then they set up a tightrope about a foot off the ground, and challenged the pastor to walk it. The pastor struggled to keep his balance. So the tightrope walker told the pastor to hold on to his shoulder and look at him, not the tightrope. With this the pastor did much better. The tightrope walker then talked about how when he walks the tightrope, he has to focus on a point in front of him. If he looks down at the rope he will start to lose his balance.
There is an important life lesson to be learned here: if and when we look down at all of our issues and problems, we lose the focus and will lose perspective. With this we will struggle and probably fall. Instead, we need to hold on to Christ, and focus on Christ. Only then can we move forward with confidence and without fear. As Hebrews 12:1-2, "....let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us focused on Jeus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith..."
If you are like me, you can become unfocused by dwelling on your problems. The answer is to look to Jesus, and let Him give us the spirit of perseverance to move forward, and to rejoice in this life we have with Him!

Distress Brings Opportunity

2009-11-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

While on Facebook today I came across this quote from Brian Clark, church planter on Acts 17: "What distresses you could very well be your next ministry opportunity." This quote intrigued me, because I have been feeling distressed somewhat lately. I think what has been distressing me is that ministry has not been going like I planned, and people are not responding like I think they should.
However, this quote perked me up. I wanted to understand the context a little more, so I turned to the Bible, to Acts chapter 17 and began to read. I discovered that the apostle Paul was distressed by what he saw in his ministry travels. He was distressed by how the people acted, and by whom they were worshiping. And yet, as Brian Clark stated, Paul used this distress to lead him into ministry. Paul jumped right in and preached the word of God and the good news of salvation to all who would listen.
As I thought about this, I realized that often times our distress can lead us to become frustrated or maybe even feel like quitting. Instead, this distress should remind me where God wants to use me. If I am distressed by the situation, then maybe God is distressed by it as well. I need to jump in and serve the Lord all the more in these times! I need to look for opportunities to try and counteract what is being done. I need to preach God's word and the good news of salvation.
I was praying today to learn something about God. How wonderful that I learned that God wants to motivate me by what distresses me. How wonderful that I learned that this distress is actually a ministry opportunity. How wonderful that I learned that God wants me to be proactive with my words and action. Distress should not bring me down, but perk me up. Praise be to God!!

How Am I Doing Today?

2009-10-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

As I was thinking about writing my blog today, I came across a file on my computer entitled "How Am I Doing Today?" On this paper, was simply the days of the week with blank spaces underneath each day. It is a file designed to keep track of accomplishments. As I thought about this page, I thought it would be good to reflect on how I (and you) answer this question.
Now, if we were to compare ourselves to God, and think about how much of creation God created in a day, then we might feel a little sheepish, like our lives don't accomplish that much. But God doesn't want us to compare ourselves to God. God doesn't even want us to compare ourselves to others. God wants us to compare ourselves with what God wants us to accomplish each day.
Now this then leads us to ask the question, how do we know what God wants us to accomplish? And the answer to this is not one that is too specific. I'm not sure God makes a list of things to do (like we might do) for us each day. I believe God has more general goals for us. Goals like "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and strength." "Love your neighbor like yourself." "Forgive others as God has forgiven you." The Bible is full of really important goals that we should live by.
So, getting back to the question how am I doing today leads me to think that it is not about asking this question to judge myself, but to motivate and energize myself. If I know that God wants me to love others, and forgive others, and do good with my life, then I think I can get excited about the day. But when I have a long "to do" list, I could get overwhelmed before the day starts.
SO, how are you doing today?