Letting Go of Past Hurts

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?

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

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?

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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?

Shining the Light of Christ

Life is full of choices; full of us trying to discover God’s best for us. One of the challenges, but I think joys as well, is that God often brings about surprises, blessings, and new possibilities. We can be like Humpty Dumpty was at first and feel like we have to give in to our circumstances./ OR, we can be like apostle Paul in the Bible and follow the call of God on our lives. And what a rich life it was for Paul. While it was true that Paul had trouble in Jerusalem, he let the Lord turn it into an opportunity. He was arrested, but in all things, when he spoke, whether it was to the tribune, or the council, or to Felix the Governor, or to King Agrippa, or in Rome, Paul had many opportunities to tell of his faith and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others!!
Trouble did not concern Paul like it might concern you and me. Instead of it causing him to worry, Paul knew that trouble was where God’s glory could shine, and where he could preach about Jesus. Paul was committed to living his life for God, NO MATTER WHAT. As Paul said in Acts 20:24, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”/ For Paul, it was all about being faithful to the end. He also said it this way in 2 Timothy 4:7- “…But I have finished the race and I kept the faith, and the day is coming when my Lord will raise me up. I have pleased him.”/ God is not pleased with selfishness. God is not pleased with materialism. God is not pleased with lack of commitment./ God is pleased when we seek Him, and trust Him, and let Him work in and through us, and when we let Him walk us through the trouble that lies ahead.
What is your trouble? Trust God to lead you through. Shine the light of Christ in the midst of your trouble, and see how the trouble becomes a blessing!

Content

Many people are bored with their lives. I believe people get bored easily because they allow their lives to be mundane. They do the same things each day, every day. They have their habits (when they get up, how they get ready, what they eat, etc...). They go to their jobs, do their work, and then go home. So many people live very predictable lives. The older we get, the more we tend to slow down and plan less and get into a rut in the way we live. Now this isn't true for everyone, but I believe it is true in many ways for those who feel boredom.
To avoid this, we need to keep life fresh. But the question is: How can we keep our lives fresh? I think we can do this in a couple of ways. First, we can learn how be content with what we have. As the familiar verse, Philippians 4:12 says, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation..." How many days a week do we wake up not feeling content? How often do we get to the end of the day not feeling content? The answer is often. When we are content with our life, even the simplest of activities can be exciting. For me, just being with my kids, being with my family is exciting; we don't have to do anything special.
Our world pulls us into the thinking that we are lacking something. That is what sales is all about, getting you to think that you need something that you don’t have. And when you get to this place, it is hard to be content. Contentment is being okay with what you have, not thinking that you need something new. We often think we need to have new “things, gadgets, toys” in our lives. What we need is the “newness” of God in our lives more and more each day. This is what will keep us feeling content. Once you go down the road of not feeling content, there is nothing material, nothing even in THIS world that will bring you contentment. Only in God can we be content.

Looking for the Good

We have all heard the phrase "the glass is half full." When this phrase is used, it is referring to the fact that we are to stay positive; we are to look for the good in every situation. And while there are negative things that happen in this world, it doesn't help to allow our minds to become negative. All that happens when we are negative is we get depressed, or lose motivation, or feel like quitting. Have a "glass is half empty" approach darkens our outlook on life.
As a Christian, I know that the Bible is full of teachings in the regard of living a positive life. In the book of Philippians, chapter 4, verse 4, the writer, the apostle Paul says: "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice." Now Paul says these words not because his life is perfectly wonderful, but because Paul knows that God is walking with him in all aspects of life; the good and the bad. Paul has done some bad things in his life (like killing Christians before he was one himself), but Paul knows that God has given him a second chance, and called him to make a difference with his life.
The truth is, if we don't look for the good in all aspects of our lives, then we will not be able to make a positive difference. We will get caught up in the drama that exists around us, and lose our focus. We will lose perspective of how things can work out for the good. We will fail to put forth the energy that needs to put forth to move forward and live the life God has called us to live.
Life is full of good times, and bad times; up times, and down times. What we do with these experiences will make or break this life we have. If you want to make the most of your life, then you need to follow the example of Jesus Christ, and Paul, and other followers of Jesus, who were able to rejoice always, and who were able to make the most of what they were given. I hope you can do this as well. I know that it is my goal every day.
Let me know what you think!

The Ending of My Story

The blog group I belong to has chosen "The Ending of My Story" to be our topic for this week. As I thought about that idea I wondered what I would like the ending of my story to be. Is it even good for me to think about the end? Aren't we supposed to think about the now so that we don't lose focus?
The truth is, by looking at the end, it helps me to decide how to live now. I believe this idea of the end of my story is similar to thinking about what you might want on your gravestone. It is what you want people to remember about you when you die. And I hope that when I come to my end, people will be able to commend me for what I accomplished for the Lord.
I want my life to be about doing what God has called me to do; love people, encourage people, teach people about Jesus, live out God's will for me. I was created for a purpose, and there are some things that only I can do. I want to be able to come before God and have God say: "Well done my good and faithful servant." I want to be able to know that I did my best in bringing glory to God.
An Omphalos stone is a stone that is placed in what is believed to be the center of the world. Too many people want to be an omphalos stone, where they think of themselves as the center of the world; everything revolved around them. That is getting it all wrong. I want God to be at the center of the world, the center of my world, so that all that I do seeks to please Him.
I hope the ending of my story is a long way off, since I am only 48. I believe God has much for me still to do. And my desire echoes the words of the psalmist in Psalm 37:4- "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." I hope the ending of my story shows that I consistently delighted myself in the Lord. Amen.

How to do more with your life than just exist...

A typical day for me is get up, get ready for work, help with the kids some (although Tami does most of that), take Tiffany to school, go to work, do my work all day, come home in the evening, eat dinner, watch some TV (or play a game with the kids), help the kids get to bed, read them their devotion, put the kids to bed, read some or watch TV a little more, and then go to bed. If you are like me, many of your days are similar to the one before. Day after day runs together, and at times life can seem a bit of drudgery. The repercussions of which are that we feel like we are just existing in this world.
If you ever feel this way, the reason is because we have lost our focus; we have lost our sense of purpose. In Genesis chapter 1 we are told that we are created in the image of God. To be in God's image is not to just exist or live a life of drudgery. And while we can't have extraordinary excitement in our lives every day, we can find excitement in the every day of life. This is because God makes life itself meaningful.
Each moment we have on this earth is a moment to make a difference. We have the opportunity to love somebody who needs some extra love, or talk to somebody who is lonely, or encourage someone who is down. Even in doing the same things day after day we can find excitement. How? It comes from recognizing that we have another day to live. We have experiences in our lives that can bless us, if we see it that way. We have the potential to give of ourselves, or try something new.
Every day doesn't have to be the same. Maybe today you try and change it up by doing something you didn't do yesterday. Maybe you spend some extra time with your kids, or take your wife out to dinner. The other day on my way home, I decided to stop and get Tami some roses and the kids some baseball cards (yes, Tiffany is now collecting baseball cards). When I came home, it was fun to give these gifts away, and fun for the family to receive them.
If you want to feel more than you are just existing, then try to do something unique with your life each day. Reflect on how you have this life to touch the lives of others. Give of yourself, be less judgmental, be more generous, be less predictable. And above all, live with purpose!

An Alternate Universe

Our blogger group is tackling the question: If the world was somehow sucked into a blackhole and entered an alternate universe, what would your ideal vision of that universe be? How often have people wondered if this world couldn't be better? I look around and see the evil, the corruption, the pain, the hurt, the lostness that exists. As a minister I am dealing with this in people's lives on a daily basis. Shouldn't we be able to live in a better world?
But what would that better world look like? It might require a serendipitous experience. Meaning, that this fortunate new world might just be happened upon (i.e. being sucked into the alternate universe). This new world would first of all need to consist of people who are sinless, because once sin comes into the world, the ultimate outcome will be the inclusion of pain, corruption, and evil. Secondly, this new world would be an environment of sharing. While ownership has its benefits, it leads to hoarding and selfishness. Thirdly, it would require unconditional love; the desire to love all without condition.
In the Bible, we see an attempt at this in the book of Acts where the people had a communal pot and shared their lives with each other. As Acts 2:44-47 tells us: "44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Here we have an environment of love, and sharing, and the enjoyment of one another.
The world I am describing actually will exist; it will exist in heaven. Either when we die, or it comes to that time when Christ returns, we will join Christ in heaven. There will be no sin. There will be sharing. There will be unconditional love, as we will be in the presence of LOVE itself; GOD. So, I suppose that alternate universe is heaven, and what a world it will be!

Don't Stop Learning

God has created us as learning beings. And from our first day alive, we begin to learn; learn how to communicate, learn how to receive love, and learn how to love. As we get older we learn our a, b, c's, and we learn our 1, 2, 3's. We learn our shapes, and even how to draw (I remember the fun I had with my etch-a-sketch trying to draw patterns and pictures). We begin to learn how to put letters together to form words, and words together to form sentences. We go to school and begin to learn even more.
It is not a good thing to stop learning. In fact, one day I asked my 10-year-old daughter, and 12-year-old son: what would you be like if you didn't learn anything else the rest of your life? And the answer was that they would become very simple and immature adults. We are meant to learn, and to keep learning.
The challenge is that once we stop going to school, the tendency is that we don't learn like we used to. Our learning begins to slow down in many ways, because we stop pushing our minds in the same way as we did in school. We might read, but not necessarily books that teach us or challenge us. We might do puzzles, but not necessarily those that would stretch our minds.
So how can we keep learning? How can we challenge our minds without necessarily having to go back to school? I believe we can do it through many of the same things I mentioned: puzzles (I love Sudoku puzzles where I am challenged in my math skills), or more difficult word puzzles. We can also be challenged by reading the Bible and going to Bible study. By reading the word of God, we are challenged with the most important information, and we have an environment where discussion can spur our thought processes.
Along with that, we can memorize scripture. Memorizing is a great workout for the brain. How wonderful a brain God has given us. A brain that is capable of so much. As Ephesians 5:15 says: "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise." When we choose to not stop learning, we live a very wise life. So how are you continuing your learning process?

All I Can Do is Pray

This morning I was reading Romans 15:30, which says: "I appeal to you, brother and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf." As I read this it made me think of those who say to me: "Pastor, I wish I could do more for the church, but all I can do is pray." All I can do is pray! Why do so many people think that praying is not an effective service to God. Here in Romans 15 the apostle Paul is asking for prayer as he deals with unbelievers in Judea and for his ministry in Jerusalem. Paul believes prayer is powerful and effective. And how about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemene when he takes Peter, James and John to pray with him. And when they fall asleep He says to them in Matthew 26:41- "Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial..." Jesus believes that prayer is important and powerful. So many times in the New Testament we see Jesus taking the time to pray. So my challenge to myself, and all who read this, is that we need to be people who are committed to prayer. Don't let the fact that you can't always see the visible results of prayer keep you from praying. Don't let the thinking that prayer is just a bunch of words keep you from believing. Follow the challenge of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." Let the first words that you say in the morning and the last words before you go to sleep be prayer. I believe that if more people pray more often, and more fervently, they would experience the love and blessings of God more. And if you need prayer, please write your request on the comment section (which goes to my e-mail address first), and I will pray for you. Let us join together in fervent prayer. Tell me what you think. God bless.