Sanctification

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

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

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

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

God Bless America

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

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

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

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

Why Are Celebrations Important?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Makes YOU So Right?

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus Won a Choice for Us

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

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

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

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

Keeping Up Appearances

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is Seen in the Light

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

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

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

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

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

Encouragement

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Favorite Disney Movie

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

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

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

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

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

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

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

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

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

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

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

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

I DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR GOD, I JUST EXPLAIN

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.