Thanksgiving

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)

I admit it, I was born with the worry gene. It seems to be hereditary as my mom has it, some of my siblings have it, and my kids have it. So the question is what can we do about it? The answer my brothers and sisters in Christ ... take our worries to the Lord. He tells us in theses verses from Philippians as well as in Matthew 6:25 and others to not be anxious or worry about the things of the earth, for God knows what we need.

Now, the one caveat is that the Lord wants us to work hard and be responsible. We cannot purchase more than we can afford, but we must be good stewards of what God has given us. In today's world, where such emphasis is put on what you have and that defines who you are, it is difficult. But we must stay in the Word, constantly reminding ourselves that this is not our reward, but eternal life in Heaven is our reward. We must continually take our worries and concerns to Him that has the power to help. We must not forget to thank Him for every blessing, good and bad (yes a blessing from God may not feel so great, but remember that He knows what we need).

As we approach Thanksgiving here in the US, let us thank God for his ultimate gift and blessing ;His Son whom He sent to die for the forgiveness of our sins.

God bless.

What is it that we need?

He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV)

Have you ever downsized? That could mean a smaller car, a smaller house, going from owning to renting. My family made the decision about 5 and a half years ago to do just that. It was a very humbling experience. While we chose to downsize our home, it was a forced choice. A career decision after 2 years had depleted our savings and we found that we could no longer afford the lifestyle we we living. We met with our pastor and knew what needed to be done.

To give some background, I have been a very hard worker my whole life, I love working, it brings me great pleasure to solve problems and bring solutions to the forefront. I had done well for myself and my family. A wife, four kids, a 4500 square foot, 4 bedroom colonial, finished club room in the basement, in-ground pool in the backyard, beautiful landscaping.  We seemingly had it all, but even without the job troubles, there was something missing. There was too much room, we couldn't feel close as a family. We became the things we had and not the people we are.

we moved to an 1800 square foot 3 bedroom rancher. It is beautiful. I grew up (6 kids) in a much smaller 3 bedroom rancher. We had a lot of fun growing up in that house. I knew our move would work, but it didn't make it any easier.

But something has happened. Something very positive. Oh, of course the kids will complain about not having their own bedrooms, we sometimes bump into each other because of the tight quarters. But we have a home, not just a house now. And our focus has shifted from the things of the world that man makes to the things that God made. We still slip up, get caught up in the moment as my career is back on track. Thankfully, we are in the Word, and that level sets our desires and lets us think more in terms of our needs.

God Bless.

Witnessing

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake (Philippians 1:29 ESV)

How many of us suffer the persecution described in the Bible? My guess is not many. I have been very fortunate in that my witnessing to my faith has been accepted in most situations and in others just ignored. I often think about what I would do if I felt persecuted, what would my reaction be? Would I back away from my convictions?

Recently, I have observed a person very close to me be persecuted for speaking out, pointing out potential false teachings. The interesting part of this story is that the persecution is not coming from an atheist, but a brother or sister in Christ. It is sometimes easier to witness to a non Christian than to another Christian. How do we share God's Word in a loving manner but not sound arrogant when speaking the Truth as proclaimed in the Bible?

This is a question I will be seeking God's answer to in the Bible, where all answers can be found.

Turning away from temptations

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways. (Psalm 119:37 ESV)

I have noticed a trend in recent years. We all know that television has gotten more and more liberal in what is acceptable, especially for the family hour, but there is a more subtle change happening. The networks are now luring us in with sitcoms that seem clean at first. They create a following and then one year you watch and its all about the ranch. You think to yourself "Did this just become like this? " Then you look back and realize that slowly, the sex and raunched has been worked in, a little at a time. As Christians we think to ourselves that its just one or two instances, but overall the show is still good, right?

I was fortunate in one respect that for 4 years while I returned to school to finish my degree, I voided myself from television. It was'one distraction, one extracurricular activity that I chose to give up. I say I am fortunate because I came to realize that it is not a necessity (okay, maybe on Sunday afternoons in fall). So I will walk away. But it still bothers me.

In my family, our nightly devotions recently have dealt with temptations. As Christians engaged with the Word we can sometimes be lulled into thinking that we are immune from succumbing to these temptations. But we are not. Read through the Bible and you will see many instances of great falls. For that matter, pick up the newspaper and look at the falls from grace. None of us are exempt from Satan's temptations. We must continue to remind ourselves to turn away.

Faith alome

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26 ESV)

Nothing we can do will give us everlasting life in the kingdom of God. Only through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior can we have eternal life.

Should we not help our neighbor in trouble if we believe in Jesus as our Savior? If we see someone being wronged do we not come to the rescue? If we help our neighbor and defend those being wronged,  do those acts alone save us from God's wrath on judgment day?

We are to do good works, but only out of faith. For works without faith are empty, meant for our own glorification and not God's.  Everything we do should have the goal of pleasing God.

Resist

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on. (Proverbs 4:14-15 ESV)

Do you have these verses bookmarkee in your Bible? You should. We are all constantly tempted by Satan and these verses are a good reminder to us of God's instructions. Sometimes we think we are better than others, no susceptible to the devil's temptations. But as our pastor told my son's confirmation class "now is when Satan will really go after you ". He already has the nonbelievers in his control, it is the professed Christians that he will work hard to get. Listen to the Word and resist temptation. In today's world you just need to turn on the television it his temptations are right there.

Read and you will find

"'This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" ( Matthew 15:8-9 ESV)

I find that if I do not read the Word and pray regularly that my mind tends to wander, thinking inappropriate thoughts and making me anxious about life's challenges. When I am in the Word a wandering eye is reminded immediately by a heart filled with Christ to turn away and ask for forgiveness immediately. I also find that in interactions with others I am not as quick to fire back a comment that I may later regret.

Now I am not saying the Word keeps me from sinning but it does allow me to immediately reflect and understand that I have sinned. It also reminds me that I am forgiven. We are human and by nature sinful. That is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross for us.

Here is the greatest part of being in the Word regularly (daily at least) ; it allows us to see the false preachings. When we know what God is telling us, we are not as likely to be drawn into some of the false, feel good preaching of today. So many are now straying from the Word to make people feel good. I don't think there is anything wrong with people feeling good. But that is not what gives them eternal life in Heaven. That is a gift straight from God.  It is very clear if you read and listen to the Word.

God bles you and thanks to God for a quick return of my upgraded tablet allowing me to write again.

If you haven't already, go and see Courageous,  a movie with a powerful message.

He is the source of all mercy

I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!"
I believed, even when I spoke,
"I am greatly afflicted"; (Psalm 116:1-4, 10 ESV)

Is it not wonderful when you finally break through from a time of many challenges? You can finally look back at the day and say "wow, it finally got better". It is funny how we see life's challenges, often looking to the sky and asking "why me God? ". But when we step back we know that as a strong Christian,  the devil wants our souls even more. He will do anything to get them.

Keep strong in faith and stay in the Word. In the Word, you have all the tools necessary to fight off the devil. And remember that it is not an easy battle. In today's society, everyone looks for the easy route, the quick solution. It is especially true in marriages, where wemhave made it way too easy to just walk away. It needs to be harder, we need couples to understand the challenges in marriage and not to walk away from them, but instead to pray together and face them together as one.

Give thanks.

When times are rough, we tend to forget to thank God for the blessings He has given freely to us. The biggest being salvation by grace alone...our faith.

Doctor, doctor, give me the news

But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12-13 ESV)

I am sick, very sick. In fact I am so sick that I need to visit the doctor multiple times a day. Is it fatal? It could be without these regular visits to the doctor. But with regular visits, I can live forever.

What is this horrible sickness that I have? SIN. I will not be healed from this sickness until my death here on earth.

I take a bunch of pills each day, morning and night. High cholesterol, GERD, allergies, anxiety and stress. If I don't take my Nexium, I will know it by mid-day. The funny thing is, as Jesus states in these verses from Matthew, I also know if I skip my spiritual medication. When I slip from regular devotion, it shows. The days get tougher, longer, more frustrating. Even funnier is that there is no difference in the challenges I face, the things that occur at work, whether I spend time with God or not. As they say, life goes on.

But how I see those challenges and the things that happen is like night and day. God gives me the strength to get through anything. He allows me to see the good in others, the positive blessing in things that happen.

Take time to vist the doctor. Your eternal life depends on it.

What would I do?

Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." (Matthew 8:21-22 ESV)

When I read these verses, I always think to myself what I would have done if Jesus posed that question to me. Obviously it was a different time and a different culture,  but is my faith strong enough to walk away from earthly loves? It is a question I do not know that I can answer. To date, I really have not been presented with anything close to that situation. I have been presented with situations where I had to make a choice to refrain from an activity, but never to walk away from family.

What are your thoughts?

One from the gene pool?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:19-21, 33 ESV)

I am pretty sure that my mom passed on the "worry gene" to me a a couple of my siblings. I know, I don't really believe there is a "worry gene" but it a little comical that some of worry just like our mom. Of course we talk a good talk, always letting our mom know "don't worry about that, there is nothing you can do". But then in my own life I am what some refer to as a worry wart. It has definitely gotten more prominent since having kids.

And the things I worry about the most? Providing financially for my family and the health and safety of my wife and kids.

That is why my devotion today which was based on Matthew 6:16-34 struck a nerve. This is where Jesus tells us not to worry, not to burden ourselves with material things of this world. Instead I see Him telling me, because I like to read God's Word in terms of Him talking directly to me, to let go of my worries, stop chasing the things that are not important and focus on the cross. God tells us throughout the Bible that he will always provide. He will always protect us. He will always give us what we need, not necessarily what we want.

That is very hard for me and I struggle daily. I am sure I am not alone. I know others struggle as well. However none of us are alone because God is always with us, never leaving us alone.

Guaranteed

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17 ESV)

How many of us set goals throughout our lives? We have goals around our careers, goals around a family, goals of purchasing a house or a car or some new gadget. All of these earthly goals are just that, something we work to attain, but never guaranteed.

But what if your goals were guaranteed if you just had to do one thing? Do one thing, believe that it will happen, and that promotion will come. You have to do nothing, but it is a gift. Sounds very unrealistic unless you are in the family business, and even then you can still do something to remove the guarantee.

God's Word assures us that our eternal life is guaranteed if we believe that Jesus Christ is our savior. Nothing else is needed and as the verse above indicates God will wipe every tear away. Isn't that something we should set a goal for? Wouldn't you believe given this wonderful guarantee? Yet sadly, not everyone does. Share this promise of eternal life with those that either don't believe or who don't know so that more may know of His grace.

A prayer of thanks

Dear Heavenly Father,
I am not worthy to recieve your grace, yet You sent Your Son to die on the cross so that I may have eternal life in Your Kingdom.
Thank you for the grace bestowed upon me, a sinful human being.
In your precious Son Jesus' name
Amen

Pray for everyone

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV)

When someone tells you about a problem they are having, an illness they are experiencing, or some other challenge, what do you tell them? I see so many times the response is "my thoughts are with you". But we are instructed to take these things to God through prayer. I dont believe that at any point in my life that my thoughts did anything to help someone else. I do however have many instances where asking God to intercede for others has brought about miraculous results.

One instance in particular was when my youngest brother caught some very rare illness. I remember praying for him, asking others to pray for him. Day and night we prayed. It was a Sunday afternoon, I had run some items over to our new house. When I returned, my wife came outside and told me my dad had called. My brother had taken a turn for the worse. The doctor wanted the family at the hospital to say our goodbyes. It was a horrible experience, walking in and seeing my youngest brother struggling to hang on. I said my goodbyes, but also told him I was continuing to pray for him.

I must admit, it was extremely hard to pray for God's will to be done, for what if His will was to bring my brother home?  Amazingly, my brother recovered fully from that illness. The doctors had no logical explanation. I know that it was many people interceding for my brother, asking for more time for him to impact others lives, and God's response that saved my brother.

The power of prayer is incredible. But not just because my brother lived. It is incredible because God tells us to do it. After all, Jesus prayed continually. If the only perfect one to walk this earth felt it necessary to pray, shouldn't we all follow? Surely we need God's helping hand and surely we should be thankful for everything He gives us. Isn't it right to say thanks?

The Word

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17 ESV)

The Word is how God talks to us, how He answers our prayers. Stay in the Word in order to hear God's voice.

I know that when I am in the Word daily things just seem to fall in place. I am not saying life is easier, but it certainly is easier to rely on God to help me if I hear His voice in the Word. So many times I read a passage, or hear a sermon that I just needed to hear. That is God working through His Word. Without hearing, I would continue to struggle.

Blessings

In Laura Story's song "Blessings" she gives thought to what blessings from God are. We tend to thank God for the things we see as blessings, positive events. Yet as Christians who read the Word, we know that God knows whatnis best for us, He knows the true meaning of what a blessing is.

We don't always see God's blessings in our everyday life. As we sat yesterday watching the torrential downpours on yet another vacation (I am certain we could solve the droughts around the world if we were able to vacation year round) the first words of the chorus came to mind. "'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops" reminds us that God sends blessings in many forms. If we don't take the time to pray and think about them we fail to see God's wonder.

One more challenge

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me. (Psalm 138:7 ESV)

As we worked to clean up the mess created by a spilt bottle of laundry detergent, m
oving furniture, moving the washer and dryer, my wife cried out "God why, why?"

As mentioned yesterday, we leave today for vacation and we had a lot of challenges this past week as we prepared. This seem to be the final straw, pushing my wife to question why? An hour and a half later, we chuckled as we looked back at the events of the evening. The intent for our next cleaning project was moving the stove in the kitchen to clean out all that has dropped back there in the last year. Obviously,  we were meant to clean behind and under another appliance first...and sooner rather than later.

So what does this have to do with the bible verse I chose today? Well, troubles come in many shapes and sizes and last night's was an example. In that hour and a half that we spent cleaning, we spent some quality time joking and laughing as we cleaned up the mess. What started as frustration and aggravation ended up with us looking back and saying "oh well, we handled another one with God's help.

So as we head down the road in a few hours, I am sure there will be that moment that we turn to each other and realize once again the gifts God has given each of us, that perfect complement. And of course we will laugh about this when we think back at the week before vacation.

God bless!

Seeing us through

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19 ESV)

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20 ESV)

God is always there, you can always depend on Him. He never promised us an easy life without any afflictions.  When Adam and Eve ate the apple, our fate was set. Hard work, difficult times were ahead for us all. Sin was introduced into the world along with disease and all the other afflictions.

But Jesus' message in Matthew assures us that while times may get rough we should stand steadfast in the knowledge that He is always there.

We leave tomorrow for a week of vacation. This past week has been nothing less than hectic, with many hurdles thrown our way including the loss of our van for 4 days for major maintenance and culminating with the notice yesterday that the roads in our neighborhood will be repaved today making those last minute errands difficult at best. But through it all we lean on God's promise that he will always be there to help us get through.

Do the right thing for your brother

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (Matthew 18:15 ESV)

Have you ever had a good friend do something you knew was wrong, either against you or someone else? Did you confront them as we are instructed in Matthew 18 or did you stay silent for fear you would lose the friend? Or maybe you thought others would think you weren't "cool" if you pointed out a wrong.

Many a time in my life I have looked the other way, fearful of losing a friend. But in reality, not saying anything causes you to lose more. You lose the opportunity to help with someone else's reconciliation with the Lord.

Wouldn't you be upset if your friend didn't help you?

Humbleness

He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV)

This verse really touched me as there have been many times in my recent career where I've been told "You are too nice ". I think in a lot of ways, people mistake my humbleness as being passive, too nice. But I have always known that no matter how smart I think I am, there is always one smarter. Who am I to say that I am any better than another. I certainly can sell my talents and skills in the pursuit of a job or activity, but I will not act like I know it all. Only one knows it all.

No fad here

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15 ESV)

Does this verse from Psalm 51 tell us to walk around with our Bibles reading aloud all day long? One could interpret it in this way, but my interpretation is that if we in the Word and understand how God wants us to behave, then when we open our mouths, no matter what the topic, others should know we are Christians. But as we are sinful by nature, it does not always happen.

But what if we were to post this single verse on our cube or office wall at work. Each work day, it would be right there reminding us as we progress through the day. Imagine if everyone posted this on their wall. Maybe more would think before lashing out at a colleague or employee. I remember a few years back the WWJD campaign. People, especially the young, carried around the message to remind them to constantly think about "What Would Jesus Do? ". Unfortunately, like many other things, it was a fad that has faded.

But the true Word of God, as written in the Bible, is no fad. It is dependable, never changing, and important for us all to keep close.

Never forget

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy! (Psalm 130:1-2 ESV)

September 11, 2001

Do you remember where you were when it happened, when each of the twin towers fell? What I remember most was not necessarily the events of that day (of course I will never forget), but what happened immediately after and the days following. People prayed together, people returned to church, there was a sense of all coming together to stand strong against evil.

What has happened in the 10 years that have followed? This is just one man's opinion, but it sure appears that the world's population is going backwards.  Instead of using those events to bring more to Christ, Christianity is being attacked, Christians are being persecuted and labeled intolerant.

It is time to stand up and proclaim that our strength comes from the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Only can we attain eternal life through Him. The government sure cannot provide that, yet so many put their faith in humans instead of where it belongs.

For a period, we all saw how vulnerable we are as humans. I pray that on this 10th anniversary of such a great tradgedy that all will realize how strong God's presence was in the minutes, hours, weeks and years since. It is only through Him that we can have true peace in the knowledge of eternal life.

All that is important

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10 ESV)

This says a lot in terms of how great God's Kingdom is compared to anything else. It is not important how far up the corporate ladder we climb, how many earthly riches we aquire or how many selfish acts of good we do. All that is important is having eternal life with Jesus Christ.

Do not reject the great gift of Grace. Stay in the Word. Your Heavenly Kingdom awaits.

My true deliverer

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure. (Psalm 40:2 ESV)

I know that I have written in the past about my "wild" period. It was my early twenties and I was on top of the world. While all my friends were in college, working part-time jobs to get by, I had a job in Information Technology. I thought I was the best thing since sliced bread. I also thought that I didn't need church. Translation: I turned away from God.

All was great...for a while. But battles with alcohol, and a feeling of loneliness settled in. I could not find the happiness I was looking for...anywhere. Then one day, I just stopped. I realized my lifestyle had become destructive. I stopped drinking, cold turkey. I bought a house, things were looking brighter. But I was still missing something in my life. I still thought I could do it all without God.

Then something amazing happened. I met my wife, and she laid down the law. I remember telling her that I had made an appointment for a flying lesson on Sunday morning. She told me that if we were going to have a relationship, I needed to go to church.

Well it's a good thing I listened. And I am thankful that my parents instilled Chritian beliefs in me. The combination of the two allowed the Holy Spirit to work in me. Since that time, I have had many challenges from career issues, going back to school, raising kids, health issues. And through them all, my rock and salvation allowed me to face them head on.

I thank God everyday for everything He has given me and the opportunities He has provided.

God bless you.

Rain, rain go away

I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." (Genesis 9:11 ESV)

Driving into work this morning, I thought to myself "where could I get an ark? "

Then I read the story of the great flood and God's covenant established with Noah. No need for the ark. God sent His only Son to die for our sins. So there is no need to destroy the living creatures until the day of judgement.

For those facing the massive rains and flooding as we are here in Maryland, I pray for your safety as you go about your travels. Slow down, keep your distance, and watch out for fallen trees, branches and especially for pedestrians.

One last thing, Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. What a great blessing and example your marriage is.

Seen through Christ

"You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade." (Son Lyrics - Tenth Avenue North - You Are More)

I heard these lyrics again this morning and I have to say that they really hit home. First because I had some pretty wild and rebellious years where I definitely made my share of mistakes. It is always good to hear, either in song or through the Gospel, that I have been remade. Christ dying on the cross at Calvary assured that.

Second, one of my siblings is going through a very tough time.  I run these song lyrics in my head when I talk to her. As humans we tend to not be able to look past past mistakes of others. That is our nature. However, we must always remember that we have been remade by God, through His grace alone. We must continue to share the love Christ shares with us, especially when we see someone trying to get back on their feet.

Short but oh how true

I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law. (Psalm 119:109 ESV)

The above verse sums up our life on Earth. We have the ability to determine how we live our life. It is only through the knowledge of God's Word that we know how to act, what to say and what differentiates right from wrong.

Labor Day - Give thanks

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:17 ESV)

It is Labor Day here in the US. A day set aside as a holiday to appreciate the worker and their efforts. But look around, look at all the businesses that are open today. Not only are they open, but they are having sales encouraging more traffic and more work for their employees.

God wants us to rest, he intended work to be easy until the advent of sin. But still, He wants us to rest. For those of us old enough, we remember the blue laws. Nothing was open on Sunday. Now, only car dealers are closed. You see, we have stopped glorifying God and thanking Him for the gifts we use in our jobs. We constantly tout our own accomplishments in getting to where we are in our careers. But we must always remember that it is the gifts from God that provide all those opportunities. He gave some of us greater aptitude to learn, gave some of us great skill to work with our hands. But make no mistake, He is the one responsible for everything we have.

I am a little afraid of what is to come. I see this current generation coming into the workforce with such an attitude of entitlement. That is what God originally intended, but once Adam and Eve sinned, we were destined for hard work. The young generation doesn't want the hard work, they just want the reward. I leave you today with prayers for all those that labor and with one last passage from Genesis.  Be thankful for God sending His Son to die for our sins, but also be thankful for His gifts to us and the hard work we are destined to do.

And to Adam he said,
"Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
'You shall not eat of it,'
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19 ESV)

Our daily bread

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. (1 Chronicles 29:11 ESV)

When you wake up, what is the first thing you do? Do you think about the fact that all you have is what God has given you?

All that we have is given by God.  Yet how many times do we look to ourselves as the providers of what we have? How often have you heard someone say "I worked hard to get that "? In reality God has provided what you need.

I can only imagine

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20 ESV)

When you think about judgement day, are you scared or excited? Above is the second to last verse in the Bible and it is clear that we should be excited and welcome the day. On one hand I am excited, I want to see that day. I wonder what my reaction will be. I wonder what Heaven will be like.

When I listen to the words to "I Can Only Imagine " by Mercy Me it gets me really thinking about my questions.

"Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?"

What will it be like? Will I recognize all who I have known? Will I be able to hug my grandparents again? Will my wife and kids still be with me? The answers to these questions, like those posed in the song aren't readily evident in the Bible. It is kind of like when we headed off to Cedar Point earlier this year. We knew there were a lot of roller coasters, but we fantasized about what we would feel as we went over the first hills, or as we accelerated to unimaginable speeds. Like our experience then, only better, we will not be disappointed by what we find when we enter Heaven. It surely will be more glorious than we can even imagine.

I, for one, am looking forward to that day.

God bless you.

Being content

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! (Psalm 98:4-6 ESV)

As we head into the holiday weekend here in the US, this verse reminds us of the importance of praising our Lord and Savior. This is not just telling us to go to church, but instead to participate in church.

Growing up I was always very self conscious about my singing ability. I played guitar on the alter for folk services and I always remember the group leader encouraging me to sing. I never would. It was not until I met my gift from God, my wife, that I realized it wasn't important what I sounded like. You see, we are all perfect in God's eyes because He sees us through Jesus. He does not see our sin as they have been paid for and wiped away in our faith.

I decided to take this even further, and today's reference passage really sums it up. When I sing praises to God,  whether sitting in the front pew at church, driving in my car and singing along with Shine-FM, or at home just singing the words to my favorite Christian songs, He hears perfection, for He created me to be exactly who I am. When I was holding back and not sharing this gift of who I am, I most certainly was not letting others know how special God  made me.

This can be said about anything that we may not do because we don't think we are good enough, or if we worry about what others might think.

Remember that God made each of us uniquely special and we bring Him joy when we appreciate that and show others the happiness that is had with contentment.

God bless!

Praying for guidance

Do you ever have times in your life where you are challenged by another to act with God's loving kindness? No matter what you do, the other person is in a positin of defense and in turn insults you and does everything possible to derail your positive progress. It is frustrating, to say the least.

I pray that I may stay focused on God's promise to me, continuing to act in kindness and love.

Mixed feelings

For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10 ESV)

Today I am very thankful for restored electricity at my house. But at the same time, I am a little sad. It is funny how an event such as an extended power outage can show you so much of what you are missing. Last night, we went back to computers, IPODs and television. Don't get me wrong, you also realize the things that are now necessities like a stove and dishwasher, but the family time we spent playing games and helping each other was priceless.

I pray on this day that those still without power will regain it soon. But I also pray that my family and I won't forget any time soon how much joy we shared together the last 3 days.

God bless!

Love thy neighbor

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12 ESV)

On the east coast, we experience the fury of Irene this weekend. It is Tuesday and the power is still out. But the light is still bright. What a wonderful reminder from God of what is important. Quality time without modern distractions, talking with friends and neighbors. Having purchased a generator last week, my wife and I have also gotten the opportunity to share with our neighbors. There is no greater feeling than sharing with others. Isn't that what life is all about? Isn't that what Jesus told us to do?

In times like this, we all should realize that the leaders of this world can really do nothing to help us. They may claim to be able to solve all of our problems,  but we know that God is so much greater than anyone on this earth. No government official can help you at this point. It is all about people helping others, sharing that ultimate love with others. It feels great. Not because we did anything, but that God has provided us the opportunity and the gifts to help our neighbors. Have you shared that love this week?

We have a generator that allows us to keep our well pump pumping and our cold stuff cold. I know there are a large number of people that do not have that. I pray that they will have a neighbor who will share the love of Christ with them, the ultimate gift of hope.

God bless you and especially all those impacted by the storm.

Will you turn your back with a poor attitude?

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. (Matthew 21:32 ESV)

Have you ever done a good deed for someone and then told everyone what you did? What about church, do you go every week but think about what you have to do that day or in the coming week? Do you feel like you don't have to pay as close attention because you are already saved?

In the parable of the two sons it appears that Jesus is teaching about the importance of attitude in our daily lives. If we go to church with the wrong attitude, are we really getting what we need?

I must say that on many occasions I have gone to church angry, maybe at my wife, maybe upset with the kids. Those days I inevitably walk out with thoughts of God delivering that sermon directly to me. It is just what I needed to here to change my heart. But I must admit that at times my attitude is all wrong, not even willing to listen. In those cases I turn my back on the gift of love and the forgiveness granted through death on a cross. Thinking about that, it certainly must make God very sad when we turn our backs on His love. After all, He gave up His only son so that we may enjoy eternal life with Him.

The promise

But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:46-48 ESV)

On his way to heal Jairus' daughter, Jesus is touched by a woman who has such strong faith in Him that she is instantly healed from an ailment lasting 12 years. She did not have to ask, but only have faith in His healing powers.

We, too must have that same faith. The faith in God's word and His love and forgiveness of our sins. Just like the woman, all we need to do is reach out to Jesus with our ailments. We are not guaranteed an instant healing, but instead an everlasting life with Him in heaven.

Why wouldn't we if Jesus did?

And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. (Mark 14:35-39 ESV)

When we looked up to heaven and ask God why, we should turn to this passage from the Gospel.  For what better comfort to us then to see how God's plan is best for all. Can you imagine where we would be had God removed the cup? No Savior to take our sins away. No eternal life with Him.

With Jesus'  words to Simon, He is talking to us all. He tells us of the weakness of our earthly bodies to be able to resist the temptations of this world. He instructs us to pray for our spirits to be continually strengthened so that we may fend off sin.

With the amount of temptations that exist in our world, we should be in constant prayer, with every corner we turn and every challenge we face.

Yiur prayer is a testament to your faith

Pray then like this:
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
(Matthew 6:9-13 ESV)

Jesus is very clear in His instructions on how to pray. In fact, as evidenced by the verses above from Matthew, He told us exactly what to pray.

God does not need to hear extravagant prayers, ones that sound like they have been professionally written. God knows what is in our hearts and wants us to constantly ask for His help and guidance. He seeks to hear us acknowledge His grace, love and divine knowledge in what is best for us. It is not always what we want to hear but asking God to provide you with what you need, and not what you want is proof of your faith  in Him.

Are you sharing?

She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." (2 Kings 5:3 ESV)

Do you know when you are given an opportunity to share God's love? So many times when presented with other people's challenges, we immediately gravitate to trying to solve or fix their problems with human means. But these are the opportunities God is giving us to share His love, to freely speak of our faith so others will see.

But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 ESV)

Read the above passage over and over until it is embedded in your memory, for to remember this gives you the strength and knowledge for every challenge, ailment, and witnessing opportunity. Remember and He will get you through.

People constantly turn to things of this world to try to solve their problems, drugs, psychics, doctors. Now I am not trying to say we shouldn't utilize doctors and drugs prescribed, but instead saying to pray for guidance and for God's will to be done. He works Will through these things in some cases, but He also gives us strength to endure all things, good and bad.

Who needs the Law when we have the Gospel? We do.

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. ...because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'" And they brought back word to the king. (2 Kings 22:11, 19-20 ESV)

Josiah was one of few kings in the Old Testament who did good in the eyes of the Lord. However, when he heard the Book of the Law contained on the scrolls found while repairing the house of the Lord, he was distraught about his sins and the sins of all the people. But God sent him the message of grace through the prophetess Huldah.

Just as Josiah had to be shown his sins in order to repent, so must we be shown our sins. If we do not see the sin in our deeds, the message of God's grace means nothing. Likewise, without seeing our wrong, we cannot understand the magnitude of God's grace. It is impossible to have Law without Gospel and vice versa. That is the issue with some of today's modern churches. They do not provide the whole message. people are always uncomfortable when their sins are pointed out. Just look at a child that is caught doing something wrong. They squirm and won't look you in the eye. But what will they become if we don't point out their bad behavior? How will they know right from wrong? Look at today's society and you can start to see the picture.

Going to church on Sunday allows us to have our sins exposed, to feel ashamed of what we have done. But it also shows us God's grace and forgiveness and allows us to give those sins to Jesus who accepted to bear them for us on the cross so that we may be holy in the eyes of God.

Do you see how we need Law and Gospel.  Without both, we miss the full impact of God's love for us.

Random thought

thank God it's Friday.  How many times do you hear that? But what about the other days of the week? What about Sunday,  the day of rest granted to us? Let this be a lesson. We most often thank God for only those things that we feel pleasure in, yet forget to thank Him for everything else that He gives us. This includes the good things and the bad (in our minds) as God always gives us what we need.

Part of God's Plan

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." (Genesis 2:18 ESV)

When it comes to marriage, I have really thought about what couples should think about when they may be going through a tough time. Often when going to a wedding, guests are asked to share advice for a successful marriage with the newly married couple.

The key is really to make sure that the person you marry is the one God has chosen for you. But how do you know who that is?  In my case, I was looking in all the wrong places. But when God saw that my heart was ready, He brought her into my life. And now there isn't a day that goes by (even those when we may struggle, argue, or just disagree)  that I don't thank God for His gift to me.

Recently, I have realized the important of the passage from Genesis above. My wife is my complement, my helper. It is funny how comments are always made about the most important words a husband can learn are "yes dear ". But stop and think. Do not just say the words to pacify, but take the time to listen to your wife. After all, God created her for you as your helper. Open your heart and mind and let her help you. You will be amazed at what you learn and how much more enriched your life together becomes.

Do not judge, ask for Thy will to be done

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV)

Do you remember your mom telling you not to judge a book by it's cover? I certainly do, but did it really sink in? I like to think at some level, but I know based on today's passage that it is not the case. Man cannot judge by what is inside because we really can't see what is inside someone else's heart.

But that is what God sees. He looks beyond the physical and into our hearts. And just as He did with David, He will provide what we need to succeed provided it is in His plan. We must always remember that in prayer it is His will we are asking for, not our will. For He knows what is best for us. If we reject that will, we are rejecting His love and grace. It is like a teenager that thinks mom and dad don't know anything. We all go through these periods. The important thing is to learn and grow from these diversions. We must learn that our way is not best, but His is always best.

How do we learn? Stay in the Word and pray early and often. Pray for God to reveal His plan for you in His time.

Will you answer His call?

"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord."... (1 Samuel 1:27-28 ESV)

When you look around your house, at your kids, at your bank statement, what is it that you think?  Do you say to yourself "look at what I have done"? Or do you take a moment to thank God for what you have? The interesting thing is that it seems the more we have, the more likely that we will do the former.

When my family went to Mexico a couple of years ago, we stayed in a resort near Cancun. It was beautiful, lots of amenities, plenty of food and drink, all you could want. We had decided before we went that we would rent a van and drive out to some of the ancient ruins. We had talked to some friends that pointed us to a small authentic Mexican town where we could experience the real Mexico, not just the tourist areas. That was really neat, but what we did and saw next was very special. 

My wife had read about another area of ruins, a pyramid that had not been restored. It was a little ways off, through some of the poorest areas I have ever seen. When we got to the entrance, it had just closed. But that was okay, for as we made our way back, we drove through those same towns. Only this time we slowed down and noticed how happy the children were as they played with their friends. The moms were out talking, similar (or maybe not depending on your neighborhood) to what you would see here in the states.

You see, these people had not been told that they were poor, and I believe in their minds they saw themselves as rich in blessings. This is a lesson for us all. God gives us everything we have, but the most important thing does not come from a store or cannot be bought with money. It is His love that he asks us to share with others.

Will you do your part, as Hannah did when she "lent " her son to the Lord?

God takes care of us all, just ask

The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. (Exodus 2:2-3 ESV)

Was this the first case of a woman giving up her child for adoption? It is not adoption as we know it today, but you can think of it the same. Moses' mother loved him, but knew that in order for him to have life she needed to let him go. Many women face this difficult decision today. Some before birth, others later. Some times they give their child up permanently, other times, it is just for a period of time.

Either way,  these women should be commended for doing what is right for the children. It is not easy, but often necessary for the health and safety of both mother and child.

One thing is certain,  God is always there to listen to you as you fight through these situations.  He will never abandon you, although there are times when you may think He has. Be content knowing that your situation is part of God's greater plan. You are not abandoning the child, it is just part of God's greater plan.

God bless you.

Prayer to help your brothers and sisters

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:15-21 ESV)

In this passage we hear about how we are to share the love of Christ.  I have written many times of how our actions and our words should reflect the love of Jesus. But we know that our actions and words are not enough, for it is not us that bring others to faith, but the Holy Spirit through the Word. We can only show the love of Jesus, show others how much we love being saved.

So we should be praying for those we want to share with. Pray that they too will experience the love of Christ.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will reach out, grab hold of them, and show them the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior. So if you are frustrated because you don't feel that your efforts are helping a friend come to know Jesus, remember that you must pray for the Holy Spirit to touch that person. In so many things we forget that we cannot do it without Him.  We must remember that "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 ESV) We must remember this includes bringing our non Christian friends and colleagues to Christ.

May God bless your weekend.

A calling

"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. (Numbers 3:6 ESV)

It is clear what God wanted Moses to do, bring the Levites to minister to Aaron. It is not always clear what God is calling us to do. Am I to serve Him in my current role, glorifying His name for all to see. Am I being called to a greater role in expanding the Kingdom?

What I do know is that when the time is right, it will be revealed clearly,  as it was clear to Moses. My prayer is for those around me,  those impacted by God's role for me. It is easy to follow when it is you being called.  But to be the support for that person can be very scary. When you are not hearing the call it truly tests your faith. But just as God sent an angel to Joseph,  I am sure He will make clear to the supporters so they may better understand.

Will you be like Joseph?

So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. (Genesis 45:4-5 ESV)

Can you look past the present and know that God has a plan for you that may not make sense right now? Have you ever looked to the sky and asked "why God? "

Joseph surely was tested by everything that happened to him to do exactly that, yet he never did. He did not hold a grudge against his brothers, but instead had faith that God would take care of him. God did more than that. He blessed Joseph with a leadership role in order to help his family when they were in need.

Have you been placed in a leadership role? Why do you think that is? Maybe God is preparing your heart for something much bigger. Will you be ready? If you have faith, you are.

God's unending love

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. (Psalm 146:8-9 ESV)

To continue on a theme,  God loves us and does everything to protect us. But do not take that to mean you can walk down the most dangerous road in the city.  No, God does everything for us to protect our spot in Heaven. If you don't believe me, think about the cross.

As a parent, we do whatever we can to protect our kids. As they mature, we allow them to make more of their own decisions, training them on the consequences, good and bad, of those decisions. We want to ensure their success in their adult lives. God does the same, looking to ensure that we successfully make it to live eternally with Him in Heaven. But unlike our kids, where they can be successful based on their own actions after a certain age, we can never do enough to gain entry into eternal life. We must accept God's gift to us as the only way.

God bless you and please pray that my travels back home today are safe.

Do you see what God wants you to do next?

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:21 ESV)

The Lord is always with us. When put into a situation where you feel trapped, look around for the opportunity that God has placed in front of you.  What does he want you to do? He is always with you and wants you to share His gift with others.  How will you do that?

When put into a hostile situation, does God want you to turn around and run? No, He placed you there for a reason. Open your eyes and your heart and be willing to answer the call.

On a business trip and got to visit with our former Pastor. What a joy it was to catch up and get a tour of his new church and home. We miss him but we know God put him here for His will to be done.  He always knows where we need to be.

Some thoughts on blessings

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 37:23-24 ESV)

So growing up I used to get mad because my older brothers would steal candy from my Easter basket. I guess I was lucky that I wasn't thrown into a pit and left to die. Although there was the incident when my brother ran over me with my sister's bike, but he wasn't trying to kill me, just get my dollar.

It is amazing how sin can drive our minds to some really bad actions. I sometimes wonder how God could let sin into the world. But then I stop and remember that God's plan is ever knowing and who are we to ask why? If we ask about why sin, we also have to ask why all the blessings? And in sitting here in the airport,  I have to think of all those blessings that we don't necessarily think of. The raw materials that allow for the building of airplanes, the intelligence given us to create fuels and design structures and transportation. It truly is amazing when you think about it.

So don't think about the bad, think about the good. And of course remember the ultimate gift, life eternal with Him.

God bless as you start your week.

Are you struggling to understand?

Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Genesis 32:26 ESV)

The verse I chose today is from the account of Jacob wrestling with God. I read through this several times looking for the message of how to apply to our lives. We struggle with the concept of being saved by grace alone. As humans, we feel that we must control our own destiny. We must do good to gain God's favor, just like Jacob wrestled with God, proving what he could do.

But we could never possibly do enough to gain God's approval. For that it took a Savior to die a brutal death on the cross. God created us, sent His Son to die for us so that we may share his unconditional love with others. So that we will do good works in His name, not in our name. Nothing we can do will get us to heaven, that gift has already been provided. That does not mean we should go on in our sinful ways, but instead work to share that same gift with others.

Are you wrestling with God? Are you trying to figure out what you can do to win his favor? Are you trying to make deals with Him? If you are, stop and accept His forgiveness, accept that this life will be a constant struggle and move to share the good news. Christ died for us all to allow us to enter His Father's kingdom.

God bless this day of rest.

Steadfast Love

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118:1 ESV)

The first verse of Psalm 118 says it all. Nothing on this earth can defeat us. The Lord will always keep us safe if we have faith and ask in His Son's name.

His love is never ending, we must never forget that. No matter what trials we face, He knows what is good for us.

Watch for the hand of God

Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. (Genesis 21:16-17 ESV)

When you hear some one cry, what is your first thought? What about the word shelter when used to in terms of someone that has no where to live? We tend to think of both of these in negative terms. Crying can be a sign of sadness, there are tears of joy. But most often crying is a call of need, like a baby cries when it is hungry, tired or needs a diaper. We cry out to God in times of dispair. 

When you se someone crying, what a great opportunity to show the love of Christ through your next action.

God promises daily bread and shelter and clothing, everything we need. However, he doesn't say it will be gourmet meals, designer clothing or a big house with a pool. No, he promises to provide what we need. For some reason, going to a shelter, say for battered women, is sometimes seen as a sign of weakness. In reality, it is a sign of strength, faith in God's Word and promise.

We want to think that we can fix things on our own, that we are responsible so we need to get out of it with our own methods. I am not saying we aren't responsible for our actions,  but God loves and forgives us and is always willing to provide what we need. We just need to be humble, admit our need and ask. Just like Hagar in our Bible passage above. She cried out for help, unable to even look at her son as he was certain to die. What if when she opened her eyes, she would have refused to accept God's gift of the well? What if she said, no Lord, I can do it on my own? Seems silly, right? To reject the help when offered. When faced with a difficult situation, look for God's outreached hand, grab it, and let Him pull you to safety.

God bless you.

Thy will be done

saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." (Luke 22:42 ESV)

I find that I must constantly remind myself of this passage from Luke. Jesus, facing death on the cross, prays to His Father to spare Him, but then says the words above.

How many times do we face situations where we can see where God is leading us yet we feel that it is not the right path. We plead and ask for a different outcome. But we must always remember thet only He knows what is best for us. Just like a parent knows what is best for their child, we are God's children and must obey His commands.

The next time your child doesn't obey, reflect on the example you are setting. Are you obeying your Father?

God bless you on this Thursday.

The Covenant

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." (Genesis 9:12-16 ESV)

In my morning devotion I read through this passage and was amazed at what I read. I had never gotten it before in all the times I have either read or heard it. The rainbow is a sign of God's covenant between Him and all the people of the earth. A covenant that He will never flood the earth again, a promise to His creation.

But take a look at what I have emphasized in the passage. Notice the word I in both lines. Not only is this a reminder to us, but God says it will remind Him of His promise to us. As a parent I understand.  I know on many occasions either my wife or I will say "it's a good thing you are so cute ". I am sure you have been there. So many times you get upset with your children, but when you look at them you see God's love and you can forgive.

That all makes more sense now. As sinful as we are, God still loves us and created signs that He would recognize to ensure He keeps His covenant with us. similarly we wear wedding bands to remind us of our covenant to our spouse. We will all be better off when we go back and remember what got us here. God breathed life into us, our mothers gave birth to us, our parents raised us, we fell in love with our spouses, we decided to have children.

Think about these things when things get rough, when we are down on our luck. Always remember God's promise.

I am having technical difficulties

I apologize but I am having technical difficulties with my blogging app. I have now lost 2 days of postings upon publishing.

Why am I here Lord

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands." (Psalm 138:8 ESV)

Do you ever find yourself asking God why you are here? What's your purpose? I know on many occasions I have looked up tomthe heavens and asked these questions. But we all have a plan laid out for us, we just need to be patient while God reveals this plan in His time. We must remember that God's time is different than our time.

This reminds me of my all time favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life. I can surely relate to George Bailey and when I start to think that I don't matter I pray and God always inserts the thought of George Bailey into my mind.  I know He wants me to think about the people I've touched in my life. At the time I thought the encounters were inconsequential. But what would have happened had I not had that encounter?

My Dad turns 77 today. I am one of six children and my dad sacrificed so much for us all and still does. I pray that God continues to bless him because the lives he touches are a little better because of those encounters. Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Showing the love of Christ

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:12-14 ESV)

In reading this passage this morning during my devotion it made me stop and think. What does it mean that my members are instruments for righteousness? I may be off here but I believe that God is referring to my actions when He uses the term members, things I do with my hands and feet, the way I walk, talk,  and treat others. Do you see this the same?

Think about this. Do you have faith that Jesus Christ is your Savior? What led you to that faith? It was the Holy Spirit workng through others and the Word. Now think about the people you care about, a sibling, a parent, a friend or colleague. Don't you want them to know that they too are under God's grace? Will they see the love of Christ if you constantly succumb to the temptations of the devil? Will not they better se the love by your actions?

I think the answer is clear. I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone say "they say they are Christian but look at what they do ". What good is talking about Christ's love if we are not going to strive to act like Christ? Our actions are stronger than our words. What we do tells others more about Christ than what we say.

The family went white water rafting Tuesday with the church youth group and I am sure that the guides saw Christ in our group,  not because we took our Bibles and read to them. Not because they knew we were from St. Paul's Lutheran Church. But instead because of how we acted, how we treated them and others. That is how we can help to grow God's Kingdom while here on earth.

I pray that all of us this day will think before we act today. Will what I do show the love of Christ? We are human and sinful by nature so the answer will not always be yes. But let us all strive to have more yes answers than no.

May God bless you.

Being thankful

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 4:2 ESV)

For thosenthat have kids, especially tweens and teens, how often do you think or say "you kids aren't thankful for anything that you have". Sometimes this is said in anger, or out of frustration.  In this time of instant gratification it seems to become more of a common theme.

But are you being a good example for your kids? When do you pray? Do you pray once a day, twice a day? Do you oray as a family? Do you only ask God for things or do you take the time to thank Him?

God promises to provide our daily bread. Take time to thank Him for that. Take time to pray as a family, as a couple, showing thankfulness for being provided the necessities. But also show thankfulness for what God has given you in a spouse, in your family.

Lead your family by example, show them that prayer, along with worship and reading the Word, is how we stay close in our relationship with God.

Enjoying God's creation

Well, it took an extra day to recover from the white water rafting, but oh what a blast we had as we enjoyed everything God has given us. I was in awe as I enjoyed the trip down the river,  looking around at the intricate detail of the rock formations. In May we went to Cedar Point and enjoyed man-made roller coasters. Yesterday we enjoyed a natural roller coaster provided by God.

The other enjoyable part of the day was around just letting go and having faith in God to get us safely down the river. Not only that, but I personally let go of some of my fears around letting the kids be independent. The 4 kids with 2 of their friends were in one boat and my wife and I were in another. What test of my faith that was to let go of that fear,  handing to God as He instructs. We got to lunch and there were the kids. We got to the end of the day, and the kids were there. God fulfills His promises.

The day ended with a reminder of that promise and all of God's promises ; a beautiful rainbow right in front of us on the drive home!

By the way and for the record, the kids stayed in the boat while I was tossed out.

Gone white water rafting

Will be back tomorrow.

When God answers "Not now"

"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1 ESV)

In todays society it is all about instant gratification. No one wants to wait for anything. We used to take film out to be developed,  then their became 1 hour photo processing and now you can see your picture immediately right there on the camera. And so it is with prayer. We want an answer right now. After all, if I have a question I can go to the internet and find the answer immediately.

I look at comments for PrayerSteward and read as people want to track prayers that God answers, as if we are going to hold that againt Him on judgement day. In Luke 18, Jesus reminds us that we should not give up, we should be patient and remember that that prayers are always answered if asked through Jesus. We just don't always like the answer.  It could be yes, no, or not now. We have problems with the latter two.

What do we teach our kids when we answer yes all the time, to all requests? Certainly not the message Jesus shares above. We continue to play into the ways of this world. When will we wake up and realize that instant gratification here on earth does nothing for us in our eternal life?

God bless you as you start your week.

Rejecting the unreliable

"He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God." (Psalm 62:6-7 ESV)

My family and I were flipping through the Netflix instant queue on the Wii last night and the kids started expressing their thoughts on what they wanted to watch. Picking movies is always challenging in my house and sometimes leads to arguments. So I listened to God (finally my wife might add) and said I would make the decision on what to watch.

As I flipped through one title caught my eye. "What If? "

The description was of a man that gets a chance to look back at what could have been after making a bad decision to follow the temptations of this world. I made my decision. Wow, what a good decision it was. We all enjoyed the movie. Good, family entertainment with a message of God's grace. It doesn't get better than that, not today. The bonus was we got to see John Ratzenberg as an angel. He's been one of my favorite people since the days of Cliff Claven on Cheers and it was good to see him in a movie like this.

The movie reminded me that no matter what is in my past, God loves and forgives me. No one, no government, no earthly pleasure will ever supersede that fact. Their  is also a terrific point in the movie where the importance of marriage and the commitment that is made between husband and wife is emphasized. That was important as today my niece, Stephanie,  gets married to Andrew. Please pray with me that Stephanie and Andrew will always remeber God's promises and the covenant they are making with God today. Pray for strength and faith to handle all the challenges and opportunities in front of them as they start their lives together.

Also, please pray for the people of Norway in this time of great sorrow.

God bless you on this Saturday.

The comfort of knowing

'This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life." ( Psalm 119:50 ESV)

Can you imagine how Mary Magdalene felt when Jesus appeared to her at the tomb? The initial fear and confusion turns to an incredible sense of peace as she realizes who stands before her.

Have you ever walked out of church thinking to yourself "Wow, that is exactly what I needed to hear "? I believe that is exactly what Mary Magdalene felt when she heard Jesus say her name. She was distraught over not knowing where they had taken His body. We get distraught over the events and the culture of this world. It is not merely enough to struggle on our own. We need the Truth, the Word, to help us have that same feeling of peace that Mary felt. How do we know God's love for us unless we hear his voice?

I mentioned coming out of church and that's an important statement. God instructs us to worship with other believers. I know I have many times read a passage in the Bible and not thought twice about it's meaning. But to have that same passage put into real life meaning makes a difference. We need to hear the Word on a regular basis and understand how a passage is related to the rest of the Word. And yes, many times we just need to hear the Word from the pulpit where we aren't distracted and it can sink in.

When God speaks to us at that moment, we feel that no one else exists, that it's just me and God, and He is calling my name and letting me know His promise is the truth.

The way He works in our lives

First, it's good to be back writing this blog again. It is amazing how God puts experiences in our lives in order to advance His kingdom. And believe me when I say that God has allowed some incredible challenges to unfold in my life over the past few months. From parenting challenges to work challenges and even a short stint in the hospital, they have pushed me to continually lean on the strength of my faith.

In my morning devotion, it included the story of Joseph forgiving his brothers (Genesis 50:15-21). After reading this, and being reminded of what Joseph endured yet was still able to forgive, I thought back to my recent challenges and also looked at how much I relied on God to get me through. He has not let go. It does remind me constantly about living by the simple  statement His will be done, not my will be done.

Oh, and a side note, the fun things my brothers did to me growing up, like stealing from my Easter basket, are nothing compared to what Joseph's brothers did to him.