I DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR GOD, I JUST EXPLAIN

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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, who have 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

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 humbly with 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

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

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

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

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 prunes so 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.